Morning admiration: West Elm.

Is it just me, or has West Elm really stepped it up a notch?

I've always admired their products, but now it seems as if they've made a valiant effort to fuse their sleek, modern designs with eclectic pairings--I love how they've made modern (which can be completely austere) so cozy and warm. Their photo-styling is on-point, and those paint colors! Love the dark gray in the first photo--and I'm seriously considering emailing the company to find out where that stunning accordion swing lamp came from. I've somewhat stalked their site--it's got to be an outside find.

Well done, West Elm...I'm now more of a fan than ever.
My bank account certainly won't thank you.

Here to Keep.

Hello lovelies! I have someone I'd just love for you to meet. He's tall, dark, Australian, and ever-so handsome. He's sturdy, reliable, well-kempt...even warm...and he really loves a good latte.

Perfection? 

I sure think so...

He is my new Keep Cup (a big thank you to my big brother)...and he's almost up to par with my Maple (sorry, Keep Cup, you don't fix breakfast in bed...or do you?).

I can be a wee bit picky about things (my coffee mugs are one of those peculiarities), and I. just. love. this. one. I wanted something that's sleek (no handles, please), easy to clean, lightweight, good quality, and BPA-free. And this, fellow coffee-connesiuers, is it.  And the best part? You can mix + match the colors and it's totally dishwasher and microwave safe. SOLD.

Plus...he looks good on my desk.

Gift picks: for the host(ess).

Old-fashioned? Perhaps, but I very much believe in hostess gifts. I love the idea of providing your host/hostess(es) with a thoughtful little treasure in return for opening their home. Dinner may simply call for arriving with a bottle of wine in-hand (I heart #3), but weekend stays (or longer) allow a bit more creativity in the gift selection process. Below, quick pics for a fail-proof gift...just in time for springtime travels:

 { 1. A rustic mangowood breadboard paired with a crusty, artisan baguette;   2. The cooking connoisseur's go-to spices: Herbs de Provence from Williams-Sonoma. Bonus? Super cute container for the counter;    3. Brilliance in a bottle: Occasion wines from Swanson Vineyards;    
4. No self-proclaimed cook would refuse this little number from Rife Paper Co. to house their most-prized culinary concoctions. }

h.i.m. (happy, in the morning):

Good morning, sunshines! Hope your morning cup of coffee is treating you well...and more than perfect than those pictured above. And how amazing is that cup and saucer set? Yes, please, I need you now...

Anyhow, my week is busy,  hectic, crazy, and fun. Lots of exciting things happening at the moment, so this sadly this is all I have time for this morning. But enjoy! And peruse the etsy shop the images came from when you have the chance--so cute.

Kitchen space.

I'm over our teenie kitchen.

Yes, it's cute...or quaint...or whatever charming word you want to use to disguise it's cramped, inefficient boundaries. And I will miss it...it's inevitable...because it really is cute and quaint and sunny and warm. But I need elbow room. I need to spread out and make a mess when I cook (on a non-miniature stovetop, please). And clean it up easily (aka a dishwasher...like, a real electric one...), and store all of my cookware so it doesn't take me seven minutes to retrieve the one pyrex I need from the bottom of the pile.

Yes...I love our teenie kitchen, but at the same time, I am over our teenie kitchen.

Which leads me to dreaming of:

 {domino}

 {martha stewart}

 {design sponge}

 {purple area}

 {domino}

{remodelista} 

{domino}

So, what do you think?  Open shelving--would you do it?

It used to be no question--I absolutely would. How nice and convenient it would be to have everything right there in the open, at eyesight and arm's reach whenever you need it. It's certainly functional. It gives you the ease and efficiency of a chef's kitchen with the cozy warmth of displaying your coveted kitchen things (quoted from the hubby, I might add).

But now I find myself gravitating toward a sleeker look...wanting to disguise everything behind crisp cabinets. But, there's a lack of warmth and personality in that method. And, I do kind of love the kitchenware we have. I wouldn't mind seeing it on display...beckoning me to contrive some delectable recipe with it all.

So, that brings be back to the question of the hour (or the day).
Open shelving: what do you think? Would you do it? Have you done it?
I'm so curious...please share :)


............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

P.S. winter in Charleston is so entertaining. It rained this morning, and it happens to be 35 degrees, so work has been delayed for hours. They are out and about sanding (not salting) the rainy roads. Because there might just be a patch of ice somewhere. 


I take it back. We are totally having an ice storm. Work has been called off for the hubby, and I won't be going in til later (if at all). You know what this means: SNOW DAY!!!!!


P.P.S. I'm really super missing the late, the great DOMINO this morning. (sigh...)

A cure for the cozy:

  {source unknown}

  {source unknown}

 {source unknown}

 {enoteca}

{little green notebook}

Design is in me. It's what I live and breathe...and get out of my cozy bed for each dark and cold morning (that and a warm cup of coffee...in a carefully chosen mug, I might add). It hails from my architect father and his brilliant designs (really...I am always amazed), and my artist mother who's a master sewer/quilter/crafty-thing in general (if only I had that same knack). Anyway, their love for the arts has transpired to me, who meticulously compiles desktop folders of carefully-edited inspiration in all forms (so much for having a cute background photo).  And this is just one of those folders-- rooms of coziness and warmth, that I want to be in...and spend all my time in...and recreate....someday, that one day, that we are homeowners. 

So...here's to your Tuesday being perfectly cozy and full of inspiration. 

Mine certainly is :)

HAPPY 2011. 

*sources unknown: if you happen to have seen these photos elsewhere, please let me know and I will happily credit the rightful owners!

h.i.m. (happy, in the morning)

Found myself swooning this morning in my search for daily inspiration. I didn't have to look very far...as From Me to You is always brimming with stunning photography and noteworthy finds. This time it's the apartment of fashion designer Katie Ermilo's Upper West Side apartment that did it for me...

{above photos via From Me to You}

...it's simple. It's uber chic. It's masculine (which I love love love), but softened by elegant touches: her grandmother's china showcased aside fresh flowers on the sideboard, a glass and silver coffee table stacked high with inspiring sofa reads, that muted clothing rack (a chic, clothing designer must), and soft touches of mauvey-pink.

Yes...I love.

P.S. this espresso machine may be the very best thing to ever come along.
ever.
it might do wonders for this blog :)

Seriously smitten by:

These round paintings from the talented Sophia Brueckner  (found while perfusing the lovely Design is Mine). I  love the vintage, almost masculine feel of them. I showed them to the Mr., and I quote, "they look like they belong on our wall." He even pointed where. Good hubby :)

Holiday eye candy.

...FROM...

A new (+ addictive) find of mine.
The super clever name only adds to its charm.

I haven't even begun my C-mas shopping (eek...I know), but this site is making me want to do it all right this second, cozy up in front of our umm...1960s (scary) gas furnace...with peppermint hot chocolate...and spend my day wrapping and writing love notes.

8 more days :)

Today is...

clockwise from top left:

vamoose necklaces
fleece-lined leggings (duh.)
fashematics
sequins
pretty pumps

HAPPY MONDAY.
HAPPY NOVEMBER 1.

h.i.m. (afternoon edition)

my heart belongs to each of these photos.

the flower arrangement...and that wall, oh that dark, wood-planked wall...they may be perfect. surely, they are perfect.

i would hang these lights in a foyer. above a table. against that wood-planked wall and above that flower arrangement. if only those flowers would live forever beneath those quirky, industrial pendants.

i would travel back in time if, for a day, i could tromp along the sand looking and feeling as fabulous as that couple. where's Doc and the delorean when we need them?

Weathered love.

As much as I love bright colors and cheery spaces, nothing tugs at my heart more than weathered & rustic elements of design. I can't quite put my finger on the appeal--maybe it's the character that comes with an aged and overly-loved piece, or the mystery and charm behind its story. Either way, I've been enveloped in dreams of a weathered home and all the rusted, dented things I would strategically place within its airy walls. Luxurious linen curtains, my mom's old pie safe, the barn door that we're converting into a dining room table...galvanized metal buckets, mason jars, farm fresh eggs in tattered wire baskets...oh my. An exceptionally amazing farmhouse sink, exposed wooden beams, old wooden windows. A white, ruffled shower curtain, and a ticking-stripe skirt hanging from the kitchen sink. Someday...I hope.

So enjoy your weekend. May my dreams of all-things rustic inspire you to embrace the things you love.

the lovely images above may be accredited to:
C.Mariani
Lara Ferroni
abetsybug
woodleywonderworks
the lulubird
decorology

Be sure to check back in Monday...I'll be giving you a peek into a most magnificent home.

Dear Santa, won't you come early?

I'd really appreciate it, seeing that my wallet may never allow for any of these items to appear in my home. Therefore, I will have to rely on your, umm, rather bouyant rudolph to somehow land on my sweltering, clay tile roof, and for you to pummel your rotund little self and your very heavy bag (as it will be loaded down with very heavy trunks from Anthropologie) down my narrow, soot-ridden chimney. But, I've been quite good this year, and feeling rather deserving of a 6-month treat. I'll make you extra yummy cookies with ghiradeli chocolate chips...I'll even pour you an ice cold glass of organic milk. Won't you please make the visit?

Tunic: Free People. Pillow: Jonathon Adler. Sunglasses: Swell. Tea cup & trunks: Anthropologie. Sandals: Christian Louboutin. Print: Keep Calm Galleries.

And....

A very, very warm thank-you to Creature Comforts for the amazing mention. I'm so excited! If you have yet to pay the blog a visit, you absolutely must do so now. Its one especially near & dear to me--as I check it...mmm...about 4 times a day :) Most definitely one of my favorite sources of inspiration! It's a reliable provider of my daily creative fix...and should be yours as well.

Just bike it.

I have a bike crush. Her name is Jenny. She's yellow. And brown. With zig-zag stitching. It was crush at first sight. But there's a competitor, vying for my affection. Her name is Cream. Admittedly, not as pretty of a name as Jenny, but her good-looks & undeniable charm make up for that lacking.

Now let me introduce you to Coffee. He's dark and handsome...with an air of confidence that comes with being lean and well-built. I think he and my husband would get along quite nicely.

How cute is this little number? I'm totally thinking of having her printed and hanging her in my house as a friendly little reminder to bike it whenever I can.


Hmm...if I got Jenny, I could change my # to 867-5309. Added benefit. :)

So, Jenny or Cream? Any thoughts?

Season of sun.

Just a few of my most favorite summer delights.







Can't wait to indulge in my delights!
All photos complements of the addiction flickr. :)