Etsy Love

Etsy is one of my favorite things on the web. So many creative little touches for your home and for your wardrobe. Here are some of my current favs:

ohhellofriend


meringuedesigns


ishandchi


hmm I can't remember where I found this one...


lovecalifornia

What are your etsy favorites? And if you're never checked out etsy, you are missing out!

Desk Dreams

The husband and I have a guest room/office that is on the cusp of greatness. First came the throw pillows, then came the lamp, and soon, the paint (yes, I finally made a decision). Then, finally, it will be time for the desk.

We used to have 2 desks (1 in my apartment, 1 in his) but saw no reason for the 2nd one. Once we got married, we would have only one working desktop PC, a MacBook, and an old desktop PC that was on its way out. So, we got rid of my desk. We gave it to...actually, I don't remember what we did with my old desk. Good Will, maybe? The trash? Gosh I'm glad it's the weekend - my brain is fried! Anyway, with Grad School resuming this October, the husband and I decided it was time to create some space for me in the office.

I had been drooling over this Parsons Desk from West Elm for months and months...

Isn't it gorgeous? John & Sherry over at YoungHouseLove have the same one in glossy white:

Unfortunately, at $329, it was oceans away from our price range.

Then came the Mini Parsons Desk from West Elm...

just as chich but even more adorable!

Alas, our newlywed budget could never take the $250 beating.

Then, out of nowhere, I stumbled upon this little gem...Could it be? A nearly identical Parsons Desk from Walmart of all places for just forty-nine dollars?!

I immediately told the husband about the desk. His response? "It's very simple...but definitely nice and modern". I agree - it is perfect!

Sadly, they are out of stock in BOTH Walmarts in our area, as well as the Walmart near my mom's house in New York AND they are out of stock online. Ugh! What's a girl to do? I must have this desk!


So, my plan is to obsessive-compulsively check the website and call each Walmart in the surrounding area every single day until I find one in stock. And if I ever feel like giving up, I will look at this for inspiration to continue in my pursuit for the perfect (and affordable) desk...



So, what is your most recent "must-have" item?

I won!!

The freaking hilarious Katie Bower of BowerPower had a giveaway last week, and guess who won???

That's right: ME!!

This giveaway was for enough Olympic Paint to cover an ENTIRE room...soI get to paint a whole room for free! *insert happy dance*

Can you tell I'm excited?! :)

Now that I've won, I can't decide (surprise, surprise) whether to paint the guest bath (currently white) or the guest room/office (currently sky blue). The guest room/office has really improved since adding my collage (see a few posts back), new pillow from West Elm, and thrifted lamp (pics coming soon). But it would be nice to get all of that paint for free! Bathrooms are a pain in the bootie to paint, but I would LOVE to give it some color! Our current guest bathroom accessories are beige, yellow, and blue, but I really wouldn't mind foregoing these colors for something more contemporary/modern.

So, what will it be?

A bold color for the bland bathroom?

(not black, but something more interesting than boring white)

Or a contemporary shade for the Guest Room/Office?

(like a dark slate blue or charcoal gray?)

Please help me decide!

For Now

I'm afraid I'm just too indecisive to settle on a web design. If I bought one, I'd probably end up wanting a change next week and would have wasted my money and the designer's time. So, for now, I'm settling for this one. It's a bit bold, but it works.

I can't decide what to do with our dining room. It has charcoal-colored walls, a white chair rail, a small white cabinet, and is decorated with silver pictures and mirrors. I love all of that, but the problem is that the table in the very center of the dining area is about 20 years old and was a hand-me-down from my grandma...so you can imagine what it looks like! Faux oak wood, lots of detailing on the oddly shaped chairs, etc.

We're currently living in an apartment and have neither the space nor the funds to purchase a table set that we can "grow into". I started to paint the table last summer about a week before my wedding. Eight cans of spray-paint later, I realized that I should have primed the piece first because all of the wood was showing through.

So, the table is currently hidden by a white tablecloth and four gray place-mats. I'm thinking of buying a vintage/modern runner to dress it up a bit but I have no idea what to do about those hideous chairs! They really stand out like a sore thumb amidst our contemporary accessories.

Oh well. Until we can afford to make a more drastic change, I will have to settle for day-dreaming about these glorious dining rooms...

Time for a Face Lift...

...for lovelylittlenest, that is!

I have given up on trying to find a free template that is also chic, and have resigned myself to the fact that it's time to bite the bullet and go for a custom design.

So, what designer is so fabulous that he/she is going to be able to pry the cash out of my hot little hand?

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I have no idea! There are so many great web designers out there that I don't even know where to begin. So, if you'd like to refer someone - or if you are a designer yourself - please send a name my way!

I'd like my blog to be gray, white, and aquamarine with maybe some pops of lime or coral. My style is modern but I am also drawn to some vintage and natural designs. I'd also like it to be set up with the list of labels on the left, posts in the middle, and other links and such on the right. Here are a few images I collected to give you a better sense of my style:

So, give me some names, people! :)

Monograms

A few months ago, I stumbled upon some lovely monograms, made by the ever-creative John & Sherry of Young House Love (formerly This Young House):

Aren't they divine? Sherry went on Google and found "a curvy spiral staircase inspired J, a sign language A-N-D and an architecturally drawn S." So clever!

I decided to go the hand-made route with something similar in our Master Bathroom. Here is the before:


Our bathroom colors are aquamarine, white, and silver/gray. So, with sharpies in the aforementioned colors, metallic paint, and 50-cent frames from Good Will, here is the after:

Husband's first initial, our last initial, and my first initial.

What do you think? Are you currently working on any copycat and/or thrifty projects? :)

Gifty & Gallery

Brooke (from ohbrooke.com) made some fabulous favors for her friend's Bridal shower and had 10 extra to give away...I just happen to be one of the lucky people who will be receiving one!


Aren't they gorgeous? The quote is too sweet - and I love the colors and the design. I can't wait to frame it and hang it in our guest room/study!

(Random question: does anyone know why my pictures are so small? I cant figure out how to make them bigger without making them blurry - any suggestions?)

In other news, I finally have pictures of the photo gallery in our guest room/study. Here is the transformation:

BEFORE:

Some of the frames pained, some not quite yet. I lined the frames up on the ground and switched them around until I decided on a pattern I liked.

After painting each of the frames (some black, some white, some keeping their wood finish), I moved them to the wall to the right of the bed in the guest room/study.

AFTER:

All of the frames (except the center gallery frame, which was from IKEA) were purchased from yard sales and thrift stores like Good Will and the DAV. Each were 75 cents or less. Most of the frames are filled with pictures of fabric that I found online and printed off on regular printer paper.

Here is a close-up of one of the prints: 1 Corinthains 13:7

Clockwise from left: Fabric on printer paper, I love NY (my home state) saved on a Word Document and printed on regular paper, fabric on printer paper, "I love you" in over 50 different languages (saved on Word and printed), a mirror from Good Will, fabric on paper, more fabric on paper, one of my favorite verses printed on regular printer paper, some flower graphics printed from Word, scrapbook paper, fabric on printer paper. The center frame contains a blue and white gift bag from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC (my husband took me there the day after he proposed to me in Central Park).

I hope you enjoyed the pictures of our gallery! What project(s) have you been working on lately?

White!

I love decorating with white. In every room of our house, you can find at least one white object: planters, curtains, blankets, vases, etc. My newest white purchase: a microgel down-alternative King comforter for our Master Bedroom. We actually have a Queen-sized bed but the King comforter makes it look and feel much more comfy. And do you know what this new comforter is replacing? A smaller, down comfoter I bought on overstock.com a few years back, which will now be moved to the guest room. I know, I am all about the white!

After our failed comforter purchase from Target a few weeks ago (kissing pleats comforter = crap!), we settled on a much less pricey, much more fluffy one from Walmart. This baby is hypoallergenic, has sewn-through box construction and is finished with a corded edge. I just got back from the beach a few days ago and have been busy planning a surprise party for a friend, so I haven't had time to take any pictures of our new comforter. However, here is a picture I found on the store's website:

Isn't it just perfect?! I love the fresh, white color and crisp, clean lines. White bedding is great because you can pair it with pastels and neutrals for a calming space or you can combine it with bright colors for a room that is eclectic and vibrant. Here are some fabulous spaces that use primarily WHITE linens...

What color(s) do you use to accessorize your home?