True Style vs. a Truly cool Lamp??

So I know that yesterday I posted about staying true to your style.  Mine is classic.  Clean. Contemporary. Comfortable. Preppy.
But let’s talk about this lamp for a moment.

You all know this lamp.

Nate Berkus blew everyone away with his last collection for Target.  It flew off the shelves and was only available online.  I of course lusted after it, and finally caved.  I ordered two of them.

They arrived last week, and after setting one of them up, Kris came home… his immediate response was:

“I can’t tell if I hate that lamp or if it’s my favorite thing in the house.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

After just posting yesterday about staying true to your style, I am evaluating EVERYTHING against that lens now, and these lamps do not really reflect my “true style”… but they are so dang cool!!!  I had originally wanted them for the living room, but they are not at all right in that space.

I’m thinking that on our desks in our soon-to-be-office they could be great, so I’ll hang onto them for now…

To give you a little visual, this is sort of how I see them playing out in the office…

I’m not ready to let go of the lamps yet, but I know I need to make some decisions soon!!

What do you think?

Fabulous??

Or do they need to go back to the store?

Glitter Guide: Holiday Decor

Gold is in, in a big way – gold jewelery, watches, brass hardware, and gilded picture frames – it’s everywhere!  Gold is the perfect transitional color for the holidays, and can take you from Thanksgiving seamlessly into Christmas (and beyond if you ask me).

I’m a big fan of transitional decor – things that feel like the season… not specifically the holiday, so I’ve pulled together some of my favorite gold accessories to incorporate into your seasonal decor, for a little glitz and glam that doesn’t scream “Santa Claus”

Enjoy!

Stag Head: Ok… so he’s not gold… but I couldn’t resist!!  How cute would he be with a boxwood wreath around his neck… OR… a gold ornament wreath (in keeping with the gold theme here)… post holidays he could transition into a jaunty scarf…  Right?!

Jewelry Box: I need this.  My jewelry has taken over an entire dresser drawer and it’s just mayhem.  I can never find anything, so this jewelry box (or a set of several) would be amazing… and simply gorgeous to keep out on a dresser or nightstand to hold the pieces I wear the most.

Honeycomb Ice Bucket: A super stylish way to keep drinks chilled at a holiday party…

Confetti Martini Shaker:  Um… I love this.  It’s a party even before the drinks get poured!!

Gold Ikat Coasters: Another favorite of mine on here – to jazz up a coffee table and protect your furniture!  So cute, people will actually WANT to use them!

Gold Swirl Art: This is seasonally agnostic if you ask me!  I mean… this would look equally great in the summer as it would next to the glinting lights of the Christmas tree.

Cheers Bitches Banner: And…. perhaps my favorite item on the list.  How funny and awesome is this little banner??  Hanging over the drink table??  Love.

DIY Art: Inverted Arrows

Hey guys!  Hope you’re having an awesome week, and for those in the Bay Area, are you all loving this cold weather that came in as much as I am??  Cozy sweaters at last!
Last week, I’d posted about a DIY art project, and I wanted to continue talking about this topic today.  As I’d mentioned, buying art can be expensive, but making your own art can be really cost effective, fun, and dare I say it… easy.   
No more blank boring walls people – here’s another simple DIY art project to try out…

I saw this vignette, and almost died.  That chair (from West Elm)… love it.  The mid-century dresser… so pretty.  And that painting??  The inverted arrows???  A blown up, modern take on my favorite chevron print?????  I’m all over it!

This DIY painting hardly needs explanation, because all you need is some painters tape and the ability to measure the halfway points on the canvas… if you don’t have a single “artistic” bone in your body, then this is the DIY paint project for you.

As for the “how to” the progress photos pretty much say it all…

Still wanting instructions? Ok, here we go:

For this art project, you’ll need:
  – A canvas
  – Painters tape (I like frog tape because it comes off easier)
  – Two paint colors (here, it’s white and gold)
  – A foam brush

Directions:
  – Tape off the design you want with painters tape…
  – Paint desired areas…
  – Remove tape…
  – Hang on wall.

Ta-da!!  Idiot proof, right??

 

This is definitely a project that I’m DYING to try. What about you?

I actually think several of these would look really cool hung in a row.

The original project was done with varying colors of gold, but it would also be really cool to mix in a bit of rusty copper for even more variation in the depth.  Or what if you applied a bit of gold leaf to a few specific areas after you were finished for a bit of dimension.  I think the added depth and color variation from gold leaf and mixed metallics would be super important if you were to do a series of a few in a row, but less so if you’re just going to have one.

What do you think??

Are you putting on your beret and getting out an easel as we speak??

Gold Leaf Placecard

It’s almost November, which means it’s almost my FAVORITE holiday…  Thanksgiving!!

With fall, and Thanksgiving on the brain, I saw this image, and had to share.  Isn’t this the best idea for simple DIY place cards at the table??  
*Source Unknown

Just go out in the yard and collect the biggest sycamore leaves you can find, spray them gold, and write everyone’s name on each one.
I thought that was the most clever idea – can’t wait to copy it…
Happy Tuesday!

DIY Embellished Picture Frames

I got my inspiration for this easy DIY from Courtney over at A Thoughtful Place, but she got her inspiration for this project from House Beautiful… it all trickles down folks!
I have jumped wholeheartedly on the “gold” bandwagon, but realize that it’s best used in moderation… it takes serious self restraint from taking a can of gold spray paint, gold leaf, and gold leaf pen (yes, they make a pen my friends) to everything in sight.  I’m in the process of revamping our currently gold framed gallery wall to something a bit more simple (I think)… but I digress…
Back to my little gold edged frames…

Our entryway has had an empty wall ever since I moved out the ornate Ikea mirror into our hallway… I’d been looking for a larger federal mirror, but having put myself back on a budget after a few shopping sprees, and a splurge on new bedding and the dresser DIY for our bedroom, I’ve decided to hold off on a pretty federal mirror for now.

The question of what to hang in this spot plagued me for a while, and then I spotted these frames in Courtney’s living room, and decided to give it a go…

Super cute right??

Courtney ended up spraying tape, cutting it down to size, and then CAREFULLY wrapping it around the corners of each frame.

I took the lazy approach and taped off the corners of the frame, eyeballing about an inch and a half on each side (nope, didn’t even measure), and then with a craft brush and a small pot of Martha Stewart’s gold leaf paint, just dabbed each corner until it was completely covered with gorgeous texture.

Voila!!

I took the tape off the frame after the second coat went on, and the paint was still wet – it just helped get clean lines on the frame.

So… this DIY is actually just a glorified painted frame!  It was so easy – I literally finished both of these in about 10 minutes, and the paint dries fast – maybe 5 minutes until it’s fully dry?

There are a few small mistakes where the paint bled under the tape, but it’s fine – really from a distance, you don’t notice it at all.

The entryway is really simple, but in such a small space, we figure simple is better than overdone.

Look at that crisp edge… I absolutely LOVE them!

The pretty photographs were from one of my all time favorite Etsy shops, Eye Poetry Photography.  The photographs are really dreamy and pretty, and they have a San Francisco series that I absolutely adore!

I’m not normally a HUGE fan of photographs of city landmarks (the Golden Gate Bridge or Eiffel Tower is SO overdone) but the Ferry Building is so classic, and less photographed, and I just loved the photo of the bridge at dusk – it’s not the in-your-face red towers we’re so used to seeing…

So that’s it – the entry way got a small face-lift this week, these old frames got re-purposed, and everyone wins!
Happy Thursday!!

Glitter Makes Everything Better

I need this tape.  Like REALLY need this tape…

Can’t you imagine all the taping needs that this sparkly gold glitter tape will fill?

Giving a plainly wrapped gift some pizzazz…

Sealing an envelope with a bit of flair… oh our rent check will be mailed with so much style next month!!

Is it just me, or is this tape the cats pajamas??  I’m ordering 2 rolls stat.  Do you think that’s enough?

If you’re obsessed like me, you can buy it here.

Happy Saturday!
xo

Gold and Glass

As we work on our home, and make changes to existing furniture, I’ve learned a lot about what I thought I liked, what I actually like, and what I really REALLLLY want.
I’ve mentioned before that the coffee table and side tables in our living room were a Craigslist purchase. A few years ago, I bought them from some guy selling the set at wholesale prices out of a storage unit somewhere in the East Bay.  It sounds more shady than it was – I brought a friend, and he had his 7 year old daughter with him, so it all felt fine.  No creepy killer lurking in the shadowy storage facility.  
Anyway, I’m not entirely sure how he was able to sell brand new furniture at wholesale costs, but at 24 years old, I was stoked to get a coffee table and two side tables for ~$100.
Here they are in all their glory… a little matching trio.
Don’t get me wrong, they’ve definitely served their purpose, and I don’t hate them, but I’m completely over the matching look, and all the dark wood (well, faux wood) is a little overwhelming.  I don’t have immediate plans to get rid of them, but I’ve definitely started thinking about what I want to eventually replace them with.
What I’m really loving right now, is the look of clear glass, clean lines, and a gold metal frame.  Visually, the clear glass doesn’t take up a lot of space, and I am into gold in a big way!
This gold end table is perhaps one of my favorites – not only does it have a little shelf underneath to hold a few things, but detail around the shelf is amazing, yet still really clean and simple.

I am also loving this side table – against the landscape wallpaper (which is fabulous in it’s own right) the metal-work on the side is detailed without being overbearing.

What I love most about these two side by side glass tables is that they are simply styled, and allow you to see the great graphic rug underneath!  A big complaint I have about our coffee table now, is that it hides a big part of our rug… which I love!

Moving onto gold and glass etageres… this is an Ikea hack! I couldn’t believe it myself, but this shelf was less than $100, and all it took was a little gold spray paint to look like a million bucks.

This one is NOT an Ikea hack, but a pretty good inspiration for one, eh?  I love the symmetry, muted colors in the styling, and how the gold really pops against the concrete wall.

Everything about this photo is love – the Thibaut Thibaut Tanzania Wallpaper is TO DIE FOR, and while this gold and glass etagere will set you back about $4K, it’s so pretty to look at.  Isn’t the greek key scrollwork amazing?  I think there is something about a bit of gold and a bit of animal print that says fabulous all the way!!

What a surprise, more animal print and gold… love this coffee table – especially with the orange Hermes tray, and orchid.  Not exactly functional, but oh so pretty…

Small space living all the way – love that this living space also serves as the dining room (and office).  This really just brings home my point about having a glass top table to maximize space visually.  And those striped curtains?  LOVE!

The Statement Making Non-statement Necklace

Yesterday I wrote about a chunky chain link bracelet, so while we are on the topic of jewelry, let’s talk about dainty, delicate necklaces…

I’ve been really into chunky statement necklaces lately because it’s an easy way to be a little fashion forward, or throw a bright pop of color into an otherwise conservative / boring / safe outfit.  When I’m not dressing up my outfits with an in your face necklace, I like to opt for something delicate that can make as huge of a statement as something flashy.

They are great alone, or layered for a more bohemian look. My favorites are delicate but unique, and I’ve discovered that Etsy is a great source to find delicate gold (or gold coated) necklaces at extremely affordable prices.

I love this pyrite and gold leaf necklace.  The gold colored stone is so cool, and I love that you can customize the charm with your initials!  It would be cute as a gift for yourself, or as a personalized gift for a friend!

ZionShore does a lot of pieces with quartz, and I love the small smokey beads on some of the pieces as much as I love the larger single set stones… so pretty

How adorable is this little cold coral charm necklace?!  The length of the chain is a bit longer (20″) so its perfect for layering with shorter chains.  I’ve also been on a coral kick this year after making my Sea Fan shadowbox DIY earlier this year…

This next one isn’t gold, but I love the patina on it from the brass.  This one would make such a cute gift for a friend who just moved to another state, and it isn’t just made for Californians (although it is one of the most iconically shaped states).

Finally, a simple necklace that is as pretty as they come.  You could wear this to an interview, your wedding, on vacation, and running errands – a necklace you’de never take off.  So perfect.

What do you think?  Are you a statement necklace girl, or do you go for the delicate charms?