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!

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!

Friday Favorites 9.26.14

Happy Friday, loves! Here are a few of my favorite links from the week.

This House Tour

Lauren Conrad’s house tour in In Style is to die for. Somehow she transformed herself from reality TV star to my generation’s lifestyle icon, and I’m so jealous of her style, both in clothing and in her gorgeous L.A. home. It’s the perfect blend of California and Parisian style, casual but sophisticated. See more photos here.

This Sofa

I popped into Anthropologie last weekend to take a break from the Plaza Art Fair crowds (so much fun, but so many people!), and this navy velvet chesterfield sofa literally stopped me in my tracks when I saw it. It’s that gorgeous in person. It’s not exactly cheap ($2498), but it is stunning. It also comes in a ton of other pretty colors, including teal, yellow, and rose. Check it out here.

This Kitchen

I love a bright, white kitchen, so it’s no surprise that I love this kitchen remodel by designers Owens + Davis. What is surprising though is that according to their instagram page, this is an Ikea kitchen! And obviously I also love the colorful kilim rug by Amber Interiors, it goes so well with the white cabinets and counters. Owens + Davis are seriously talented, see more of their gorgeous rooms here.

This DIY Project

The lovely Erin from House of Earnest (who I had the pleasure of meeting at this year’s Go Blog Social conference) comes up with the prettiest, expensive-looking DIY projects, like this copper rimmed glass candleholder. It looks seriously sophisticated and high-end, don’t you think? I think it’d be perfect for a modern fall centerpiece. For more photos and instructions click here.

That’s all for today friends. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

P.S. to see more Friday Favorites from past weeks, click here.

Friday Favorites 9.19.14

Hello friends! Sorry for the slow week, I’ve been pretty busy the last few days but I promise I’ll have some good posts to show for it soon. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite things from the interwebs I’ve found lately.

This Blog Post

My friend Kari  at This, Too wrote the sweetest post this week titled “The Ladybug.” It’s hard to describe, but I promise it’s worth checking out.

This Collection

The Nate Berkus collections at Target are always amazing, and this fall’s collection is no exception. There are so many killer items that would make any home gorgeous and glamorous. Check it out here.

This Facebook Account

I, like most women on the planet, adore Amy Poehler, so I obviously had to check out Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls when it popped up on my facebook news feed. The Smart Girls group, according to their fb page, is

“an online community for young girls and the young at heart, which encourages women in volunteerism, activism, cultural exchange, and self-expression through the arts. Founded by best friends, comedian Amy Poehler and producer Meredith Walker, the organization is dedicated to helping girls cultivate their authentic selves. Our motto is: You Change the World by Being Yourself.”

What a great mission! They work towards this vision by sharing articles every day about women doing interesting and inspiring things in their community. I don’t read every article they post, but I really enjoy the ones I do read. I’d definitely recommend following along!

These Rooms

I have a deep, undying love for anything and everything Jonathan Adler, so of course I love following him on Instagram. I’m obsessed with these rooms he’s posted recently, they’re so pretty! For more prettiness follow Jonathan Adler on Instagram.

 

That’s it for today! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I’m hoping to check out the Plaza Art Fair, what do you have planned?

Friday Favorites 8.29.14

Happy Friday, my friends! Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway for the West Elm gift card! The winner was chosen and notified.

Now it’s time for my Friday favorites, where I share a few things I’m loving that may or may not be on your radar. First up:

These Rooms

My first favorite of the week comes to you courtesy of Instagram. I follow Lindsey from The White Buffalo Styling Company on Instagram, and this week she headed up a group of bloggers that shared their favorite rooms this week in the Blogger Stylin Home Tours roundup. I followed along on Instagram with #bloggerstylinhometours, and wow, were there some gorgeous rooms! These are a few of my favorites.

                   

Nursery by Charming in Charlotte

Entryway by Dimples and Tangles

Living Room by Desert Domicile

These Books

I love reading, but I go through phases where I read, like, 5 book in a month and then I don’t read anything again for another 3 or 4 months. Is anyone else like that? Well now I’m back in one of my reading binges and I’m loving it. I’m reading This is Where I Leave You for Sarah’s bookclub, I’m listening to Where’d You Go Bernadette in the car (for free courtesy of my local library and Overdrive), and I just received A Beautiful Mess’ new book, Happy Handmade Home on Tuesday. I’ve only had a chance to flip through it a little bit but it looks fantastic! You may have seen my Instagram pic of the book; I was so thrilled when Emma Chapman (one of the authors) commented on it! How sweet is that!

This Drink

I’ve been dreaming about these Watermelon Ginger Sparklers Jessica shared on How Sweet Eats. I haven’t made them yet, but they sound like the perfect summer cocktail. I’m loving all things ginger right now, so this is right up my alley. Oh, except Jessica is pregnant so she made this drink a mocktail; I would definitely be adding some vodka to my drink!

And on that note, cheers to the long weekend! I hope you all have a spectacular Labor Day!

Friday Favorites 8.15.14

Here are a few of my favorite reads and finds of the week, my friends. Enjoy!

This Article

Don’t be turned off by the goofy graphic: Why Are We So Nostalgic for Music We Loved as Teenagers? is actually a really good read. Ever wonder why you still love Britney Spears, even though she’s objectionably not the greatest artist? This article explains how our brain interprets music, and how our teenage years are incredibly significant in our memories. Combine the power of music and the brain’s nostalgia for our younger years and you’ll start to understand why the songs we loved as teenagers remain our favorite songs for years to come.

It’s no wonder then why the Backstreet Boys concert I attended this summer was the best concert I’ve ever been to!  (I wish I was kidding…kind of)

This Shop

It’s easy to find gorgeous photos of Paris; the city itself is so beautiful that it’s hard to take a bad picture there. But I especially love the Paris Collection shop from Anna With Love. In addition to the typical Eiffel Tower and building skyline photos, she’s also captured some lovely details that otherwise go unnoticed. The prices are pretty reasonable too: pieces start at $30 for an 8”x12” print. Be sure to check out the rest of her shop as well, there’s lots of gorgeous stuff there!

This House Tour

I love a good house tour, especially when the style (and budget!) reflects my own. The home of Caitlin Moran, editorial director at the lifestyle website the Glitter Guide, is filled with a stylish mix of big box furniture, special art pieces, and a few splurge items. Check out more photos here.

This Opinion Piece

This is exactly the article I needed to read this week. It’s easy to feel down about yourself and that you’re not good (or thin or successful or creative, etc) enough, but this article serves as a nice reminder that you’re not the only one feeling that way. And that behind that perfectly composed and filtered Instagram photo, there’s a woman with her own insecurities and doubts. Read more at The Everygirl.

This Art

Minted is primarily a paper goods (stationary, invitations, etc) store, but it also has a wonderfully curated art marketplace. One of my favorite artists there is Emily Jeffords. She paints some of the most gorgeous cloudscapes in beautiful shades of blues, pinks, and greens. They have such a peaceful feeling to them. She also creates really sweet floral paintings. Check out her prints here.

 

That’s all for this weeks’ favorites. Have a super weekend!

P.S. I went to a great blogging event hosted at the Kansas City Kate Spade store! Check out my Instagram feed (and follow me!) for a few photos, or search #GBSxKSNY for other pics from the night, and be sure to come back next week for my recap post!

Friday Favorites 8.8.14

Here are a few of my favorite things form this week that I just had to share with you, dear readers:

This Movie

I went to see Begin Again with a friend earlier this week and both of us loved it! I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to see a sweet summer movie, especially if you’re a music lover. I’ve actually been listening to the soundtrack all this week! The film’s website has some cool features, including interactive playlists for each of the main characters that has some songs from the movie mixed in with some other really good music.

This Patio

I am so in love with Natalie’s downtown L.A. rooftop patio. I would give anything to spend my evenings in a space as cool as this. There’s a cabana, a large dinner table, lounge chairs, and even a shuffleboard table! Talk about the ultimate party space! You have to check out mint love social club to see more pictures of this amazing rooftop.

 

This Nursery

My friend Emily put together the coolest nursery for her sweet little girl Eleanor. I love the color scheme (peacock blue, gold, black and white), the modern furniture, and all of the amazing details and handmade décor. Check it out on Emily’s blog, Handmaker of Things.

 

This Party Décor

Rue Daily recently featured this wedding reception at Encuentro Guadalupe Antiresort and I am dying over the décor. The flower, the colors, the textiles, it’s just perfect. It makes me want to throw my own colorful summer fiesta! See more photos here.

 

That’s all for today, friends! What are you up to this weekend? I’ll be volunteering at the Great Midwest Balloon Fest tomorrow morning (manning the bounces houses, woo hoo!), and walking in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Sunday! Maybe I’ll see some of you around!

 

P.S. Next week I’ll be showing you my new favorite chairs I got off Craigslist! They are so gorgeous, here’s a sneak peak on my Instagram account (make sure to follow along to see more of what I’m up to!)

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! Here are a few things I’m loving right now.

Drinking:

I’m loving green smoothies lately. If you’re a newbie Simple Green Smoothies has everything you need to get into the trend, and if you want to get a little more intense try signing up for their 30 Day Challenge. I’m sort of doing it now, and by sort of I mean I’ve been very inconsistent.

Although I’ve tried many combinations so far, here’s one of my very favorites:

• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup vanilla almond milk (unsweetened)
• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
• 1 T. ground flaxseed
• 3 ice cubes

If you don’t have a fancy blender (I use an inexpensive Oster blender) make sure to follow a couple tips: blend the spinach and milk first so you don’t have any spinach chunks, and defrost the frozen fruit for 30 seconds so it’s easy to blend but still cold. Enjoy!

 

Reading:

I absolutely adore Mindy Kaling,so I was thrilled to come across this article called “Everything I Need to Know, I Learned From Mindy Kaling” on Hello Giggles.  If you love Mindy even half as much as I do you owe it to yourself to read this article. Even if you don’t particularly care for her, give it a read: she has some great tips for being a smart, strong woman.

 

Loving:

All the free printables on Oh So Lovely. Audrey’s a local girl who has created a ton of beautiful art that’s available for anyone to print and display for free! One of my favorites is this “You Are Beautiful” print, but there are many other wonderful options to choose from.

 

Shopping:

The Nordstrom Anniversary sale. So many good deals! I am in dire need of new tennis shoes so I’m thinking about getting these Nike shoes. They’re super cute and only $67 (marked down from $110). I also really love these Kendra Scott earrings that are on sale for only $34, though I definitely don’t need them.

 

Traveling:

photo via Experience Hermann

To Hermann, Missouri. One of Ben’s good friends from college is getting married there on Saturday so it’s the perfect reason to get away for the weekend. Hermann is a really cute small town about 3 hours east of Kansas City that’s known for its many wineries. We’re staying at a little B&B for the weekend and we’re planning to check out one or two wineries before we head to the wedding. Should be a great time!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! Here are a few things I’m loving right now.

The Kate Spade Outlet

Two things on the top of my “obsessed with” list are Kate Spade and finding a great bargain, so it’s no surprise that I’m completely in love with the Kate Spade outlet store. I stopped by the new outlet mall in Chesterfield, MO (right outside St. Louis) on my way home from a wedding there a few weeks ago. It happened to be right before my birthday so of course I had to pick up a couple birthday presents for myself! And the store itself is so adorable, I could have spent all day there!

Trader Joe’s Flowers

Fresh flowers are such an easy way to add color and life to a space, and it’s easy to justify buying them when they’re as cheap as they are at Trader Joe’s! In the last two weeks I’ve bought two big bunches of snapdragons for $6 each and an arrangement with the most beautiful roses for only $4! I’ve split them up into various arrangements so I get an even bigger bang for my buck. I also bought a big, gorgeous orchid plant for only $13. I’ve heard they’re tricky to keep alive but so far so good, and if I do happen to kill it I’m not out too much money.

I also picked up a super cute blue striped table runner and some bright yellow napkins from HomeGoods to decorate my table for a summer dinner I hosted for a couple friends. I love how much they liven up the table!

Katherine Vo’s Orange County Home Tour on The Everygirl

I love most of the Home Tours on The Everygirl but I’m especially impressed with Katherine Vo’s house. The color palette is perfect: white, black, gold, and peacock blue with pops of pink thrown in. I love the glamorous feel and the fact that she achieved her look on a budget and with the help of a lot of DIY projects! See the whole house tour here.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Thursday Favorites

I know I usually do my “favorites” post on Fridays but I’m sharing it early this week because I am going to Go Blog Social tomorrow! I will be at this blogging conference in downtown KC all day Friday and Saturday. I am so excited to meet lots of amazing bloggers and hopefully learn a ton of valuable information.

Anyway, here I few things that I really loved this week. Enjoy!

This Quiz

For decorating nerds like me, Pop Sugar’s “Which Celebrity Decorator Gets You” quiz is the ultimate personality test. Although I love all the potential designers I was thrilled to get my favorite: Emily Henderson!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Article

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you probably heard that the long running TV series How I Met Your Mother ended this Monday. I watched it and yes, I cried a little a lot; I was a big ball of emotions after it ended. I’m not going to write any spoilers here but there were definitely some shockers in the finale and I know a lot of fans were not so happy with the show’s creators. I thought it was pretty great though; Donna Bowman’s summary on A.V. Club reflects most of my feelings on the episode quite well. Read it here.

These Shoes

TOMS are my daily go to shoe, and Jonathan Adler is one of my favorite home designers, so of course I’m in love with the JA/TOMS collaboration! There are several pairs of shoes that I love but I think these yellow ones are my favorites. I want them, I need them, oh baby oh baby.

And These Shoes

One of my closest friends is getting married this summer and I’m going to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. I already have the dress and now we’re trying to decide on the shoes and this stunning Bagdley Mischka evening shoe is in the running. I don’t have a lot of occasions to wear fancy shoes like this but I really think I need these heels in my life.

This Video

Jimmy Fallon has been killing it as the new host of The Tonight Show and there are a hundred segments that I would love to share with you, but this bit by Samuel L. Jackson is really special. He performs a flawless slam poem about one my favorite 90’s TV shows, Boy Meets World and it is everything you could imagine a slam poem by SLJ could be. Watch it, love it, share it.

 

This House Tour

There are so many beautiful moments in Apartment Therapy’s Maureen’s Classic & Comfy Austin Abode. I’m really impressed at how she was able to successfully keep the same color scheme (black and white with pops of green and gold) throughout the whole house. She also mixes traditional style with hollywood regency glamor and rustic flea market finds very well. Check out the rest of the tour here.