Friday, January 31, 2014

Valentine Day Gift Ideas for Her - Part 1

I am not big on receiving gifts for Valentine's Day, but I just happened to stumble on some really cute affordable gift ideas that even I wouldn't mind receiving. If none of these appeal to y'all, well then you can never go wrong with flowers, and we all know I love my flowers as seen on this post. All of the items and pictures are from Indigo and Kiel James Patrick.

This was probably one of my favorite ideas I stumbled upon on the Indigo website. Where you frame a personal note, song, book cover, music, or post card that means something between both of you. 

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Vintage French Drying Rack

I love the look and functionality of a vintage french wine drying rack. I bought a small reproduction of one and display some cute coffee mugs from Anthropologie. I really would like to upgrade to a large vintage one, which there just happens to be one on sale at One Kings Lane. However, I just don't think I have the space for one that size in the loft. I think it would also be really cool to display pint glasses since I have quite a large collection from a local bar when they have their pint night. There are endless ideas though of what you can do with these pieces in your home. Here are just a few of my favorite designs and pictures. 

Monday, January 27, 2014

Pillow Talk!

My most recent obession right now is pillows! Since I tend to go with more neutral colors with my furniture I love the idea of adding colors through accent pillows. A few months ago I stumbled on the Glitter Guide Website and a home tour they featured and just fell in love with the pillows she had in her livingroom and bedroom (Full story here). I ended up going to the website, Caitlin Wilson Textiles, where she bought some of her pillows and was blown away at the patterns. I fell in love with these two (here and here) in particular and had to get them for my bedroom. It is amazing how I went from a girl who didn't do pink (because it was too girly) to now slowly adding it throughout my home. Here are some pictures of pillows I just love, and you can find more on my pinterest board - pillows.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Wedding Planning Update - Date Set!

We have put down the deposits for the venue and church and have our date!! I am so excited and feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I also feel like two thirds of my wedding is planned already, which is so nice even though we have time to plan and save up. I have a feeling though that the time is going to fly by. 
First let me share some details about the church. It is located in the museum district close to downtown Houston. I attended a wedding there at the beginning of the year and it literally took my breathe away how beautiful the church was. I feel like I am getting almost a European experience with the amount of detail that is in the church, especially in the ceiling. Here are some pictures I thought I would share, I also posted some on my instagram account. 

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

New Couch Reveal

So here it is y'all, pictures of the new couch in the livingroom. I still can't over what a steal this couch was and how it matches the chairs perfectly. I would love once I get a house to pair this couch with some bold color chairs, like here, here, and here. This would mean that the chairs can reunite with the old couch in a formal sitting room. Did I mention also how comfortable this couch is and I love that it has deep seating.


Monday, January 20, 2014

Flowers - Fake or Real

Okay y'all I know I promised pictures of the couch, but they aren't ready yet, hopefully there will be a post on Wednesday. I thought in the mean time that I would share some fake flowers I got at Marshall's. I love both real and fake flowers, but I do not have a green thumb so most of the time I stick with the fake ones. Here are some pictures of fake and real flowers I've had in the loft.
 
   Here are some fakes ones. 

Friday, January 17, 2014

Sneak Peak...New Couch

Okay y'all, I know I have a serious problem (and I get it from my mother), but I have bought another couch. This will be the third couch in four years making it almost one couch per year, Yikes! Well the first one was rather expensive (see here), but so comfortable. However, it was just way to big for the space I have, plus I wanted something lighter. It is currently being stored away at my brother's house. The second couch, which can be seen here, I bought online at Joss & Main when I was offshore with the matching chairs. I was very nervous because it was the very first time I have ever purchased furniture without sitting on it and looking at it in person, plus I had some uneasiness that because it was such a good deal it was going to be miniature furniture. Well when I got home and saw the pieces I loved them all and they were  very nice. However, the couch in my opinion is not meant to be used everyday and lounge around in. It is a piece that is meant to go in a formal sitting area, which I think would look amazing in once I get a house with one. So I was in Marshall's yesterday and stumbled upon this beautiful couch and it has the tuffed look that I absolutely adore. It was a nice neutral color and most importantly sturdy without compromising the comfort. I had seen a similar piece, but in a different color last year and passed up the chance to snatch it up and this deal was even better then the last one so I couldn't resist. I bought it and put the other one in storage for the mean time until we get a house. Here is a sneak peek of the couch that I got and I will post pictures next week on how it looks in the loft. Enjoy!


Hope y'all have a lovely day!

Signature photo Signiture_zps5dfab27f.jpg

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Hats, Hats, Hats

I loveeeeeeeeeee hats. If I didn't feel so subconscious about it I would wear a hat every day no matter the weather or temperature. I have been amazed though recently how hats are coming back into style, especially the big floppy ones. I recently purchased, on sale, two hats from Tory Burch and can't wait to wear them, one of them a gorgeous blue "floppy" hat. I thought I would share a few photos of hats that I love and some pictures of me wearing hats, Enjoy! 
 

Monday, January 13, 2014

Saturday Brunch With The Girls

On Saturday my mother hosted a lovely brunch for some of my bridesmaids before we headed out to the Bridal Extravaganza. This event is a soon-to-be-brides dream and nightmare. There are hundreds upon hundreds of vendors from cake decorators, photography, djs, dresses, venues, anything relating to weddings. We survived the event though and probably walked a few miles, but I got a few ideas and leads on some of the items on my list. 
Instead of continuing on the joys and pains of the Bridal Extravaganza, I thought I would share some photos of the amazing brunch my mom put together for us girls. 


What is a brunch without mimosas. 

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Bag Love

I absolutely have an obsession with bags. It can be clutches, purses, suitcases, or wallets I love them all. For the longest time it was just bags (messengers and backpacks) and luggage, but as I got older and more feminine the clutches and purses started to interest me more. I still though just love looking and purchasing all things bags. My friends and family think I am crazy, but I tell them everyone has there thing, whether it is shoes, art, etc we all got one....or two (I do love my books as well though, if you couldn't tell from the bookshelves in the loft). However, if there is a more pricier bag I absolutely adore I will try to wait until it goes on sale or try to apply a coupon/discount code. That is what I have done the majority of the time. So I thought today I would share some of my favorite bags that I have purchased over the years. 

The Louis Vuitton Speedy bag was my very first really expensive accessory purchase. I bought it last year after rewarding myself for all the time I spend away from home working. This is a classic and solid piece that will stay in style forever. I hope if I ever have a little girl to pass this down to her. 



Monday, January 6, 2014

Oh the Pretty Things

I have been on cloud nine lately. I will admit though that I still don't have a date planned for the wedding and that is a little concerning since a lot of engagements happen over the holidays; therefore, a lot of women are in planning mode. So instead of stressing out...already, I decided to share a few pretty things that I love and found on pinterest. 


Friday, January 3, 2014

Planning A Wedding

Hello y'all! I am in the very very beginning stages of planning a wedding. I have even purchased a book "Planning a Wedding for Dummies," I know it is sad. I am just trying to wrap my brain around this process and what all it involves...which is a lot. One of the very first things Amos and I have done is to create our guest list, which is still in the initial phases, to get an idea how big of a wedding we will most likely have. It is amazing how quickly the list adds up. 
Another step is some of my bridesmaids and I are attending a huge event downtown called the Bridal Extravaganza next Saturday. This will be a great event to attend to see what all there is to offer in the Houston area, from photographers to wedding venues. I hope to continue to keep y'all updated through this process. 


Hope y'all have a lovely weekend!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Amber's Before & After Living Room & Kitchen

Hello y'all. I thought I would share some more pictures of the progress my cousin Amber is making on her new house. You can see before and after pictures of her bathroom here. It is still so crazy to think that this girl is only 21 years old and has purchased a home and done so much to it already. Not to mention that she does it while going to school, working, and running her own photography business, seen here. All I can say is that I am so impressed and proud. I hope y'all enjoy the pictures. 


Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year Y'all!! I hope everyone had a great night and was able to reflect back on their experiences in 2013 and get ready for the new year. I haven't made my list of resolutions yet, I usually make it a day or two after New Year's day to really enjoy the last few minutes of another year gone by and reflect. This year though I will be planning a wedding, traveling to new countries for work,  and trying to balance all of my activities without letting them pass by too quickly and enjoy them in the moment. 
For New Year's Eve we had a small get together at our place, which was kind of last minute, but I didn't mind because it was nice not having to drive anywhere and I love to host. I thought I would share a few pictures of the spread. It contained different cheeses and meats, cookies, dips, crackers, and of course champagne. I hope y'all enjoy the pictures and have a great year.