Nap time...yes, yes it is.

It really is nap time. I am watching Titanic on tv, but I will probably pass out long before it is over. It's almost like I am a sixty year old woman trapped in a nineteen year old body. I am always craving a nap even though I NEVER (and I mean that when I say it) have time for them, but I make time. Seeing that I am tired, my tiredness is influencing the topic of this post.

SUCCESSFUL PICTURES.

So I am kinda interested in becoming a prop stylist. They are those people who make the pictures in the magazines that are all pretty and special. The ones that make us really jealous because our lives aren't as idyllic as the one we are looking at, and we don't understan (no matter how hard we try) why our couch or our cups will never be as perfect as the ones in the picture that the prop stylist staged. Sorry for that really weird and long explaination there.

In my personal opinion, a successful picture is a picture that makes you want to jump on into the scene and make yourself at home.

{Anthropologie}

Who can honestly tell me that they don't want to put on a pair of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, curl into a tight ball with your knees to your chest like a little rolly polly, pull the covers up over your shoulders, and slip into a deep sleep for the winter?

I love all the mixed matched covers and pillows and the sheets with little ruffles on them. I love how it is snuggled up in a niche by a window with the burlap-y window shades. It has a very country/ cottage flare to it and I want it. I want this in my house some day. Successful indeed.

Well the ship is about to split in half and chaos is breaking out!

I think I am going to take a nap now...yep. It is a dorm bed (nothing super awesome like the pic above), but it is a bed none the less, and it will do.

Peace out girl scout!

fashion!

Yes, this is a design blog (all artsy fartsy and stuff), but I am a big fan of fashion. Well fashion is a broad term...clothing fashion would be a better choice of words probably.

...so when I get bored and/or I am in the process of procrastinating, I usually end up on design or fashion blogs, or making word documents full of pictures that I think are pretty or clothes I wish I could afford. BUT since I can't (my favorite stores are Anthropologie, J Crew, EmersonMade, Gap, Urban Outfitters, TopShop, etc...you get the picture), I feed the fire or desire really with pictures and stuff.

Man, I can go off on a tangent...yep.

So, where I was planning on going with that, was that I like clothes just as much as I like design, but the difference is that I can't see myself doing fashion for the rest of my life (I can just see myself spending all my money on it for the rest of my life). Being that I like it so much, I tend to kinda tie it in to my taste for design.

I really didn't know what my style was for like ever and it was really frustrating. I knew what I liked, but not what was "me" to say the least. Well guess what? My style in design is pretty much exactly the same in what I would wear or want to buy. As much as I like the really extravagant and over the top, ornate things, I wouldn't dress like that.

Never.

I mean, come on.

Even for prom I didn't go all out. I wore a knee length, black and white plaid dress from White House Black Market and a hot pink bow headband.

Me: simply, easy, and randomly fun!



What you can normally find me in is jeans and a cute shirt...I like florals and stripes. LOVE accessories, but not too many. Usually one or two layered necklaces, a vintage bracelet (maybe), and a couple rings. I am not a walking accessory. I am minimalistic (as minimalistic as you can be while still enjoying vintage and bohemian things).

If I am in a dress, it is usually more on the modest side, and typically paired with a sweater. I am a huge layerer (is that a word...layerer?).

I like boots and tights. Together, but also apart.

I don't do heels. That would be because I am tall, and I personally would like to stay under 6 feet, but that's just me.

So now that you have my whole life story...let me show you what I would do with it.

This is "me" (not me personally, but my style...I would so wear this if I owned it. Mom, how much do you love me?). Classic black jeans paired with, oh yes, brown leather boots. Whoever said you can't wear black with brown is stupid. It obviously is rockin. P.S. rules are just there so that we can break them...in case you haven't gotten the memo.

STRIPES. There is the pattern.

Can you spot the random funness....bright yellow flower pin! It is linen which I also am obsessed with btdubs.

So this outfit has visual interest, but remains simple.

When you design a room/ style it, you don't have to do a literal translation...not that there is anything wrong with it if you do.

With this I would get ALL vintage pieces, a cowhide rug, yellow floral drapes (there is me being literal for you), a dark grey linen couch, white moroccan and leather poufs, lots of pattern in the pillows and ottoman, and of course a wing back chair and maybe a victorian style one. Something like that.

Ok. I have just made a command decision and have decided not to hypothetically design a room for each outfit...just the first one.

The pattern on this dress is small white stars (more in the shape of the North star), not little polka dots. I am not a big fan of polka dots (not to say that I don't have anything with polka dots on it, because I do...a new pair of underwear, but it is balanced out by the leopard print--you didn't really need to know that).

LOVE this picture anyhow!

One word.

Nautical.

Ok...that is a VERY LITERAL translation, like walking out of the ocean literal. No creativity done on my part there.

Classic NAVY cardigan.

Walls would be navy in this hypothetical room that I will be decorating no further.

Hey, I like her pink nail polish here too.

Knowing me, I would be the one who designs around the nail polish...am I insane? Maybe a little bit.)

Want this jacket and clutch, but mostly the jacket. Hey mom!?

Beige...not so much for me, but I would wear this and I would live in it too (with colorful pillows and a toile wallpaper), yes I would.

Aight. I'm done...thanks for stopping by!

credits: all pictures and clothes by EmersonMade

what's your style? -hgtv

So I was curious and took a What's Your Style quiz on http://www.hgtv.com/ and this is what the response was.

Your style is Classic Casual
AKA Transitional. A mix of contemporary and traditional. Usually updated, graceful, enduring.

I was surprised how pretty spot on they were. They say my style in such fewer words!

The End.

perhaps I will settle with not having a wedding.

So we have to do this project for my Textile Science class. It is a product comparison report. Mine is about rugs.

RUGS.

When I first got this (not gonna lie, I was a little bummed) because I really wanted to have down comforters or pillows or sheets. Something soft and appetizing. I felt extremely sorry for myself...I mean come on, rugs are pretty, but you just walk on them and then they die. Turns out, I got the best one and I feel sorry for their poor poor souls.

We had to go to three "brick and mortar" stores (in person) and one online source. So my three were The Rug Company, Pottery Barn, Lowes, and then my online source was Ikea.

The Rug Company is a high end fine rug store. Their price range anywhere from $750 to over $16,000. I think I just dies a little inside. Yes. I stood on the $16,000 one, and I felt like I should be condemned for touching my toe to its beautifully hand knotted, wool surface. I mean come on, this thing had to take at least nine months to make...and I was standing on it (it kinda makes me think about the show Cake Boss and how he spends all this time on intricate details and proportions--I mean it is his art--and then he has to watch people consume it!).

I picked a traditional and contemporary one from each of the four stores, and the one I that really did me in was...(drumroll please)...

this one!

Now mind you that it is way bigger than this, but my lame excuse of a camera didn't do it justice from far away.

My mom told me I could either have a wedding or this rug...hmmm tough call! I will let her know in 10 years.

Overall this is what I found out:

Always lay a rug on the ground before purchasing, because just like suede, rugs have a light and dark side causing it to look different when it is hanging up compared to when it is on the floor.

Pottery Barn has good rugs, but the quality isn't as good as they would like for you to believe.

Lowes is a better place to go for wall-to-wall carpet (or for a dorm rug).

Ikea is just plain awesome and you should go! And they have good quality rugs for super cheap...I am talking under $200 here.

Always ask--sometimes stores will let you rent out rugs before purchasing...AWESOME!

Hand knotted rugs are the most expensive of any other make, and they are usually named after where they come from.

The End.

Questions?

mid-century mod..

Lets have a little heart to heart.

I HATE THEMED ROOMS.

Let me clarify...I like rooms with a theme, but not a themed room.

Let me clarify again.

Mid-century modern design. The key word is modern. It is an expansion off of the original mid-century design, not the actual thing. If I wanted my house to look like it came straight out of the 1950s, I would hop in my handy dandy time machine and take a joy ride into the past, but you don't see me doing that so instead of this...

or this...

I would prefer something like...

this

or...

{emily henderson}

this.

SO. Mid-century design was highly influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's principles and the Scandanavian's architecture. This design is most commonly seen in the 1950s, but ranges from the mid 30s to mid 60s. It was creating a sense of open space in post war homes, and bringing the outdoors in. The lines and simplicity seen in nature were very influential on the architecture and furniture design at this time.

One of my favorite pieces of furniture out of this era is a chair.

Here is a pic...hopefully I can invest in one soon enough and reupholster it in some sick timless linen perhaps.

Would you like your eggs sunny side up? (I am makin fun of the pillow just in case you didn't follow my funniness.)

Also I like this pendant lighting from this period...don't know if it's 50s or not, but it's mid century none the less.

{emily henderson}

I challenge ya'll to find an era that inspires you. The 50s is mine I s'pose. Knowing this will help you in the personalization of your style.

Peace out!

Audrey Hepburn

I am back!

No, I did not die. I just decided I would take a fall off the planet for a little bit. It was fun. I had a few naps, had some coffee, an air head or two, and some other sick stuff like homework and doing cartwheels (and ultimately failing at said cartwheels).

Inspiration. It can be anything...anything.

Just in case you don't know her (which you should, and I would be a little disappointed if you didn't), this is Audrey Hepburn. Can you say classy, sophisticated, simple, dainty, or glamorous?

Let me just point something out. Now just because the picture or movie is black and white, does not mean the entire world is also black and white. The only reason I find it necessary to point this out is because for a period of time, I believed this to be true. (This is just a tinsy bit embarassing, and I think I may be regretting mentioning it already).

This completely encompasses Audrey. It is dainty, pretty, small, elegant, classy, and must I go on.

Sometimes it can be difficult to create and entire look/ room based off of one single picture, so something I like to do is find a picture of my original inspiration, and then find other pictures that compliment my inspiration and open up more options to explore. The picture of Audrey is an obvious portrayal of what the inspiration is, and this image adds on another layer or dimension. It shows what direction I want to go with it.

So..

Here are a few options that would all work really well. They are all different, but I will explain why I chose them.

Also, none of these are mine. They are from the World Wide Web.

Well this is pretty much a literal translation of the tea cup! BUT the fireplace is what sold me. Wanna know why??

Three words. Little. Black. Dress.

It stands out and it draws in the eye and adds visual interest to the room. The wallpaper is very girly and dainty. The pictures are arranged symmetrically and come off structured. The vases that are just in front of the opening are modern and tailored. Perf!

Not much to say here. It is high end and glamorous and girly. Also, I adore the blush color of the flowers.

{designed by Steven Gumbrel}

This is the final option (that I have provided), and it is oh so very different. It is more old fashioned than the others. It has a vintage bohemian edge to it that the others don't. The headboards give it the timeless feel and the pillows and accessories give it the frill that it needs. The side table and light fixture are modern and tailored. Also notice the texture and pattern applied to the ceiling. Overall a very dainty bedroom that is accompanied by simplicity.

That's all I got for now.

Have a good day/ night!