Friday Favorites 1.30.15

Cheers to another Friday and another weekend on the way! I hope you all had a fabulous week. Here are a few things I came across this week that I just have to share with you.

This House Tour

I love Michelle’s French-Fashioned West Village Atelier on Apartment Therapy. I’m so jealous of her art collection, and I love all the gilded and glamorous details. She’s an interior designer, so it’s no surprise that she was really smart in how she laid out her fairly small apartment.

This Article

It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with Parks and Recreation, and I might already be mourning the impending end of one of my favorite series. I think Leslie Knope is one of the best female characters on television, and apparently so does Hanna Brooks Olsen, who wrote “A Leslie Knope in a World Full of Liz Lemons” for Medium. She compares the hot-mess Liz Lemon to the passionate and successful Leslie Knope and asks women to consider who they should really be looking up to. It’s a great read, not only for fans of Parks and Rec, but for any woman who wants more female role-models on television.

These DIY’s

My friend Lisa from Peridot Skys has created some really cute (and easy!) Valentine’s Days DIY projects, including these sweet felt fortune cookies and some felt Cupid’s arrows.

These Instagrams

I follow so many talented bloggers, websites, and other creative people on Instagram. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the seemingly perfect lives they lead, but if you look at the glass half full side you can find loads of inspiration in the tiny square photos. Some of my favorites of this week come from @glitterguide, @lovelyfest, @alainakaz (love her photo of Cassis, France!), and @dominomag

Be sure to follow along with me (@blue11interiors) on Instagram as well to see what new books I’m devouring and what gorgeous venue I was at last night.

I’ll be back next week with that Valentine’s Day DIY I promised you this week (sorry it’s late), and some really exciting news!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Kate Spade Saturday at West Elm

Happy Monday, friends! Sorry for the lack of posts last week; unexpected events took me away from blogging. But I’m back now, and hopefully I’ll be able to continue to post all week.

The other day I was browsing through West Elm’s website and discovered something amazing: a product line in collaboration with Kate Spade Saturday! How did I not know about this sooner?! It’s well documented that I love both Kate Spade and West Elm, so I was thrilled to see the two come together. The Saturday line has the spirit and color of the regular Kate Spade collection, just a little more relaxed (hence the Saturday name) and a little more affordable than the parent line. And I’m happy to report that the West Elm/Saturday products are just as great as I would hope. They have it all: bedding, rugs, pillows, lighting, art, and furniture. It’s all great, but below are a few of the items I’m particularly in love with.

Zigzag Pillow Cover, $39 // Chambray Diagonal Duvet Cover, $79 for a Queen // Globe Floor Lamp, $349 // Shifting Shapes Pillow Cover, $34 // Good Vibes Wall Art, $159 // Small Scale Maze Dhurrie Rug, $239 for 5’x8’ // Floral Print Anders Chair, $599

What do you think? Would you buy any of these for your home?

Be sure to come back later this week for a sweet Valentine’s Day DIY project!

Friday Favorites 1.16.15

Time for my first Friday Favorites post of 2015! Here are a few things I loved this week and I think you’ll love too.

This Sale

Dwell Studio is having an awesome sale right now. Their pillows are gorgeous but normally pretty expensive ($70-$100), but a bunch of them are on sale now for as low as $31. Slightly more expensive than pillows from Target but so worth it. Click here to see the above pillows and more.

This House Tour

The folks at Apartment Therapy have done it again. I’m obsessed with their home tours, and Jill and Chris’ Craftsman home is one of my new favorites. It’s so light and bright and airy, which is hard to do in a craftsman. And that chandelier! So jealous. Check out the rest of the tour here.

These Instagrammers

So. Many. Pretty. Rooms. Instagram is such a great tool for finding inspiration, especially when you follow talented bloggers like cuckoo4design, jhinteriordesign, decoristofficial, and tiffanyleighid.

This Series

I’m a big fan of Jess Lively and her Life With Intention teachings. Her resources can help you identify what’s really important to you and use those values to guide your actions. I can’t afford to sign up for one of her full classes right now, but I definitely take advantage of her free resources. Right now she’s offering a free mini series of videos about intentions setting. I signed up, and though I haven’t had a chance to watch them yet, I did a mini seminar with her last year and it was fantastic. Click here to sign up.

 

That’s it for this week, friends. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Golden Globes Color Trend: Bold Red

Time for part three of my color trend series inspired by the lovely ladies on the Golden Globes red carpet. This time I’m celebrating the bold red dresses of Allison Williams, Taylor Schilling, and Lena Dunham. Such stunning dresses!

via Fushion Magazine

Like a red ballgown, a red room can be a tricky feat to pull off. It can read too aggressive and masculine or too dated, or it can conjure images of giant red, overstuffed leather sofas (eek!). But these rooms below use red perfectly.

Style at Home

TTM Development via DecorPad

Lonny Mag

So pretty, don’t you think? If you don’t want to go the way of red walls, a few pieces of red furniture or a couple red accessories can still add a great pop of color to a room.

 

 

Hourglass Dining Chair, Pier 1, $230 // Safavieh Sunbright Table Lamp, Wayfair, $111 // Red Mirror with Gold Detail, World Market, $200 // Red Josephine Desk, World Market, $160 // Artisan Red Garden Stool, Overstock, $135 // Red Piper Pillow, Pier 1, $20 // Safavieh Adirondack Rug, $168 for 8’x10’

 

Thanks for joining me for my color trend series, and if you missed the previous posts you can see canary yellow here and sparkly silver here. Which color was your favorite?

Come back tomorrow to see my favorite links of the week!

 

Golden Globes Color Trend: Sparkling Silver

Time for part two of my color trend series inspired by Sunday’s Golden Globes red carpet. Today I’m loving silver, just like the fabulous dresses seen below on Dakota Johnson, Reese Witherspoon, and Julianne Moore.

via Fushion Magazine

I’m so jealous of their pretty, sparkly dresses! They just look perfect for the awards show.

Sparkly silver can be harder to pull off in the home, but if done well it’s lovely. Use some metallic accents, like lamps or pendant lights, some silver wallpaper, or mirrored furniture to add a glamorous feel to your room.

Here are a few beautiful rooms that figured out how to pull off silver well.

Natalie Umbert via DecorPad

Sally Wheat Interiors via DécorPad

EJ Interiors via DécorPad

And here are a few accents you can bring into your home. Try the silver curtains and the mirrored coffee table for a sophisticated living room, or the sequined lamp and beaded pillows for a fun teen girl’s room.

 

Manzanita Wall Jewelry Branch, West Elm, $99 // Foxed Mirrored Faceted Pendant, West Elm, $120 // Grand Silver Burst Mirror, Pier 1, $60 // Threshold Banded Faux Silk Curtain Panel, Target, $30 // Silver Sequin Table Lamp, Bed Bath & Beyond, $25 // Threshold Metal Accent Table, Target, $60 // Silver Beaded Bloom Pillow, Pier 1, $40 // Moroccan Pouf, Kouvy, $100 // Hayworth Coffee Table, Pier 1, $400

 

I’m dying over that Moroccan pouf, and I love the Target side table; I even used it in my friend’s apartment makeover. Do you have silver in your house?

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for my final post of my Golden Globes color trend series!

Golden Globes Color Trend: Canary Yellow

Hello lovelies, did everyone watch the Golden Globes Sunday night? I just love awards shows, especially the red carpet. I get such joy from seeing celebrities all dolled up in fabulous gowns, and I like to imagine what kind of couture dress I would wear if I were lucky enough to ever walk a red carpet myself (a girl can dream, right?). 

There were some pretty obvious color trends this year at the Golden Globes red carpet, and they’ve inspired me to start 2015 with a week-long series inspired by these gorgeous dresses.

First up: canary yellow. It’s a hard color to pull off, but don’t Naomi Watts, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, and Leslie Mann look stunning?

via Fushion Magazine

Yellow can also be a hard color to pull off in the home, but if done right it’s so lovely and refreshing.

Niche Interiors via Apartment Therapy

Tobi Fairley via DecorPad

Melanie Turner Interiors via DecorPad

Luella & June

Mara O’Hara Interiors via DecorPad

It might be the dreary winter weather, but yellow is looking particularly alluring to me right now. It just adds so much brightness and energy to a room, don’t you think? You don’t have to do a full makeover to bring a little yellow into your home; a few accessories or one statement piece in a bright hue will do the trick. Here are a few of my favorites.

 

Thomas Paul Dhurrie Rug, AllModern.com, $523 for 5’x8’ // Linework Honeycomb Vase, West Elm, $39 // Threshold Flocked Ogee Lamp Shade, Target, $25 for large // Threshold Fretwork Accent Table, Target, $90 // Willa Yellow Side Chair, Crate & Barrel, $99 // Stockholm Glass Door Cabinet, Ikea, $399 // Camilla 2-Seat Sofa, Crate & Barrel, $1599 // Room Essentials Pillow, Target, $17

 

Do you have any yellow in your home, or are you thinking of adding any? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

P.S. Come back tomorrow to see my next Golden Globes color trend feature!

Hello 2015!

I know I’m a little late with this post, as we’re already a whole week in to 2015, but such is life (especially mine). Things are getting back to normal around here after a stressful and busy December. After I declared “I’m back!”, life decided to laugh at my declaration and give us more crap. My mother-in-law had to have a tumor removed from her brain 3 days before Christmas. Thankfully the surgery went very well and she was able to come home the next day, in plenty of time for Christmas.

We spent Christmas day with my husband’s family and then made the long drive back to Illinois to see my family. We had about 24 hours at home before we both got hit with the stomach flu. Not the way you want to spend a weekend back with your family.

Anyway, since 2014 ended on a not so great note, it made me feel like the whole year was a big let-down. Looking back on it though, even though we did have some hard times, we had a really great year. And even though my blog and decorating business are not at the level I dream for them, I did get some amazing opportunities that I’m so thankful for.

Here are a few highlights by the numbers:

Appeared in one television segment for Better KC.

Attended one fantastic blogger conference and several blogger meetups

Decorated one apartment for my best friend.

Had one awesome summer staycation with my love

Celebrated one amazing book by attending the release party and reading it for my friends’ book club.

Attended two store openings: West Elm and Ikea

Took two vacations to West Palm Beach and Washington D.C.

Attended six fantastic concerts: the Sing-Off tour, Backstreet Boys, Ben Folds, Capitol Cities, Justin Timberlake, and Cage the Elephant.

Made it another twelve months with good health, good friends, wonderful family, a loving husband, and a beautiful home. Can’t ask for too much more!

Here’s to an even better 2015!