Serving Pieces

I love to cook, and I love serving the food I just cooked on very pretty pieces. I'm always on the hunt for new ones to add to my collection. I also like to pick up a few inexpensive ones that I can give away when I take dinner to someone. I'm super excited to see the new Calypso line at Target, there are some great serving pieces in the collection.

 Here are some others that I've been contemplating.

While I love extreme color and pattern in my accents, I do love the soft colors of these pieces.

West Elm

This is a great one to give away. Fun colors and pattern for a great price.

Crate and Barrel

I like to serve my rolls or salad in a bowl like this. This particular footed bowl is only $10 at Ikea!

Ikea

Now if money were no object, then this would be on my table right now!

Uncommon Goods

And lastly, I would love to have something like this when  I serve some egg rolls with different dipping sauces, or tacos.

All Modern

Faux Milk Glass

While at dinner at my Mom's on Sunday, she pulled out the prettiest milk glass dish I have ever seen. My slight obsession for milk glass is not a secret. I begged for her to let me "borrow" it, but she knows all to well that it will never make it's way back to her. That got me in the mood to add to my collection, so I headed to my favorite consignment shop, emiliejayne to see if I could round up any milk glass. While there wasn't anything calling my name that was white, I did find this little lidded dish.

I like the shape, the fact that it has a lid, and is a pedestal dish. Just not loving the red and that it was just glass. After a few coats of the glossiest white I could find it turned into a faux milk glass dish.

Sitting next to some of the other ones I have you can't even tell I had painted it. I used four coats of the paint, and two coats of a glossy clear finish. I think this will be my new go to fix if I can't find any milk glass. I just love how it turned out!

Am I Too Old to Play with Barbies?

Hope you all had a great Easter. Ainsley had a blast all weekend long. She is at the age where she is really getting into things, and it was so fun to watch her excitement in finding all the eggs.

She turns 3 next month, and has been talking about wanting a barbie house for weeks now. So I've been on the search for one. I'm looking for a pretty plain one that I can add my touches too. I would love to wallpaper the rooms, paint on some "carpets" and much more. In my search I came across a Jonathan Adler Barbie set. I'm considering buying it just so I can have his lamp!

He also designed this hot pink sofa for Barbie. Wouldn't this be darling with blue Ikat wallpaper?!

I'm not sure who is more excited about this new present, me or her!

Kenneth Brown Light Fixtures

I've talked about my like of designer Kenneth Brown before. He's got such a classy and unique style. I was perusing his portfolio and started noticing all the unique light fixtures he used. I love a statement fixture. I think it can make or break the design. To me it's kind of the finishing touch that brings the whole design to a close. Here are some of my favorites of his.

I've been seeing this industrial type more and more, and love it more and more. It's really a conversation starter.

Every time I see this fixture I keep thinking how great it would look over a stand alone tub.

Ok besides the light being fantastic on it's own, the fact that there is shiny wallpaper in a trellis print is fabulous.



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Fun Easter Decorations

With Easter just around the corner, I thought I'd share some Easter inspiration pictures, in case you need some last minute decorating ideas. Ainsley's at that age where she's just really getting into all the holidays. She had a blast coloring and decorating eggs, and there's much more to do. I love this center piece below. It's super easy and can be made with things that you already have like cups and cake plates. All you need are the flowers and you're set!

Martha

This is a a great use for umbrellas, and I love the vibrant colors!

HWTM

I can't get over how cute the center piece is with the carrots.

HWTM

I think I will be doing this over the weekend. Ainsley would get a kick out of having bunnies everywhere. This is a simple project that would work great over a buffet table.

Martha

And lastly... doesn't this room feel like spring and Easter?! I love the soft hues of the colors.

Decor Pad

Organizing Tip: Bins

It's been way too long since I've done an organizing tip. I thought I'd share some of my favorite basket finds with you. I think baskets are so essential in the home for many reasons. They're a great way to corral items to make your home appear more organized. If you have a couple in each room of the house, then you're set.  I use them for shoes, stuffed animal, toilet paper, towels, just to name a few. I keep a box in the kitchen so if I have a bunch of mail or papers to sort through I put them in there instead of on the counter. Here are some that I'm loving lately.

Lovell

This one is fantastic in the garage or out in the yard. You can easily keep all the outdoor toys in this basket and roll it around when needed.

Container Store

I love me some stripes, and this one is no exception.

Container Store

This is one of my all time favorite bins out there. This is great stored in the garage with salt for the winter, or potting soil, dog food, or as a recycling box. The lid in front opens up so you can stack more of them on top of each other.

Ikea

These white baskets I'd have everywhere if I could. These are the decorative types that you want out for everyone to see. I LOVE these.

Organize.Com

Waverly

I have loved the latest ads put out by Waverly.  They are very clever, and I think it would be so cute to have a garbage can made from darling patterns.

I was excited to see that they have started selling a line of disposable tableware. This really kicks it up a notch when you're having a party, a shower, or a bbq. Now this isn't the first company that has started this, but they are reasonably priced and can be purchased at a grocery store.

I love this green and blue collection. What a great way to add color to your table and easy clean up by throwing them away!

Martha Stewart Favorites at Macy's

Here are a few of my favorite things from Martha at Macy's right now. There are also killer deals on some of her items because they're closing them out. You can get her bedding at a good price. I love the striped shower curtain and it comes at a great price of $39! You can check out all her items here. 

Neutral Alternate to White Cabinets

When it comes to cabinets I've always been more of "classic" kind of girl, using either all white paint or stain. My mentality has been what if you go bold with the color of your cabinets, and then next year you decide it's hideous. You spent all that time and energy changing the look of your home, and then realize it's not what you wanted?! Well this picture has pushed me slightly over to the other side. The green color on these cabinets is amazing. It's neutral without being boring, and subtly bold without too much risk. If this were my kitchen I would finish it with white subway tiles.

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New Designer Crush

There are so many talented designers out there that it's nearly impossible to pick just one favorite. I love looking through designer portfolios for ideas, inspiration, and even just as relaxing down time. Lately, I've really been loving Kyle Schuneman's style. He has such a great eye for design, and also does high-profile prop design, which is my all time dream job.

Here is a fantastic room he designed. I love his unique spin of using ceiling tiles for a bold statement wall.

Don't you just love the tables in this set design?

Here is some of his prop styling. He's got quit a list of accomplishments: styling for House Beautiful, writing for Real Simple, art styling for Giada at Home (my all time favorite cooking show), and he's only 25!

Can't wait to see more from him.

Million Dollar Decorators... Delayed

So I was beyond thrilled to watch the new show Million Dollar Decorators on Bravo this Thursday, but it's not premiering for at least a another month or two! I searched and searched for it today slightly stressed I was on the wrong channel. I did a little research and the original premier date was April 7th, but now, as they put it "end of  May, or early summer". That is not a timeline I'm ok with. So if you were like me, anxious to watch this week, you'll have to wait a little longer to see these high-end designers in action.

Purple Spaces

My little girly Ainsley and I were having a conversation, on a three year old level keep in mind. I told her that I had to go write a blog post and asked her (jokingly) what I should blog about, and she instantly replied "purple"!. I wasn't planning on going with a three year old's suggestion, but as I started going through the web I found some great purple themed rooms. Here are a few of my favorites!

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Happy Weekend!

This week has been a tad bit hectic, and I think I'm in need of some down time. I'm signing off for the weekend to spend time with my little family and enjoy some relaxation. This picture gets me in the mood to do just that. Wouldn't you love to take a nap or curl up with your favorite book in this outdoor living space?! Happy weekend! 

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