Trend: Peacock Feathers

This post is dedicated to all of my ladies who love peacock feathers! Peacocks are just gorgeous with their iridescent teal plumage...how could interior designers resist incorporating their feathers into everything from pillows to plates?

One of my earliest memories involving peacocks was on a school field trip to the Philadelphia Zoo, where they run free on the property. Even though the Zoo sold (and still does to this day) peacock feathers in the gift shops, the boys were still daring each other to pull them out of one of the poor birds instead. Fortunately, peacocks have the attitudes to match their feathers, and scared the boys so bad they they were running for their mothers! Peacocks one...stupid 4th grade boys zero.

Anyway...here are some great ways to add some peacock to your space without getting into a knock-down, drag out fight with one:

Declare your love of all things peacock with this candle.

Check out this pillow's modern take on the peacock feather.

Not trying to be so literal? These patterned pillows are way more subtle.

My girl (and blog follower) Michele has this feathered wreath!

Like the idea but not all the color? Keep it sophisticated with these plates from anthropologie.

Add an instant pop of color to your kitchen with these hand towels.

Obsessed: Upcycled Library Card Catalogs

Read about it here.

Not too long ago, Design Sponge featured this Before & After write up on an old library card catalog that a DIYer had converted into a gorgeous buffet table, and I have been dreaming about it ever since. I think it's time for a pet project of my own!

I love the idea of bringing things into your space that equals the sum of your experiences. I worked in both of my university libraries before graduation and reading has always been a favorite pastime, so this project is perfect for me. Here are some beautiful upcycled pieces that I plan to use for inspiration:

I love the casual use of this one (featured on apartment therapy).

This converted end table would look great in a vacation house.

This one is a little too traditional, but I still like it.

And here is the hot mess that I am thinking about purchasing from craigslist:

My record player will look good on top of that, right? All I need to do is sand it down, add some legs and some new labels...

Drunk Omelet Party

This post is dedicated to my co-worker Tim, who I have dubbed “Drunk Omelet” because after a long night of raging, there is nothing Tim loves more than when his moms cooks him some delicious pre-hangover eggs. Even though I’m not a huge fan of eggs, I actually think he’s on to something. Why not have some friends over late night for drinks and make-your-own omelets? All you need are some fun, retro whiskey glasses and breakfast plates:

These glasses are perfect for drinking oj...or screwdrivers.

Nothing says retro to me like this olive green serveware from c2b.

What beverage goes best with omelets? Shots! Shots! Shots!

This glass plate is super-mod and very brady.

Don't forget your breakfast-inspired apron!

Fox Fever!

Living in the woods, I have the pleasure of meeting with woodland critters on a daily basis. Since we moved in this summer, I have enjoyed my quiet Sunday mornings on the porch drinking coffee watching deer, birds, rabbits, groundhogs, squirrels, chipmunks and mice moving around the yard. Now that it’s getting colder, the foxes have started to come out and they are so pretty!

So cute...but so bad.

I am so in love with these little flashes of orange darting through the trees (and scaring me half to death when I get the mail after work…so bad). Since I obviously cannot have one for a pet and would die before I hunted one down, there are plenty of other options to cure my fox fever this year.

How cute is this little guy from terrain?

I am seriously retarded for these fox-on-bike place mats.

Even though it's a little pricey, I would still snuggle up with this fake fur throw. 

This linoleum block print is foxy, bold and modern.



Not only a fox cookie cutter but a moose too? SOLD!



Lastly, I cannot resist mentioning this great local brewery (thank you for turning a blind eye to my clepto-love of your pint glasses).

Autumn Inspiration

The view from my porch steps.

When I walked out onto the porch this morning, I was thrilled to see that the leaves have finally changed. This is something that I look forward to each year and it makes the fall season official for me (as in, yes you can wear a coat and yes it’s not too early to go Christmas shopping). This year, I’m lucky enough to be living on property that borders acres of preserved open space, so as you can see from the above photo, the colors are beyond gorgeous.

Here are some beautiful home accents inspired by the changing colors of fall:

All you need to invite autumn inside is some new paint and these wall decals.

This sheet-copper platter is nice enough to leave on the counter year-round.

Yes I am obsessed with the branch design that has been screen printed on these yellow pillows.

I prefer stemless glassware, but these leaf wine charms may convince me to buy some traditional wine glasses.

A Bright Halloween

In college, my roommates and I threw a Halloween party to end all Halloween parties. We transformed the hallway between the kitchen and the living room into a tunnel of spider webs, there was a smoke machine in the living room, bats hanging from the ceiling and tiny orange and purple lights were wrapped around every square foot of our apartment.

When I think about what it is that I love so much about Halloween, and any holiday really, it’s the lighting. I love how you can change the environment of any room by simply changing up the light fixtures and by adding some natural candlelight. Here are some of my favorite lighting ideas for the season:

This lamp is so stylish and reminds me of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

A good friend of mine has some of these rattan pumpkins.

Mosaic glass candle holders have always been a favorite of mine and orange is perfect for the holiday.

This gothic, antler-inspired chandelier is would look wonderful in any dining room or foyer.

Pop these LED wrapped twigs into a large glass vase to add everyday warm to your space.

The best thing about a most of this stuff is that you leave it up for Thanksgiving, or use it year-round!

WANT: White Couch

This creamy white number from Pottery Barn is definitely my dream couch.

Everyone always says that it’s totally not practical to have a white couch, but I think I’m a good candidate. I don’t have any kids, I don’t have a dog, my boyfriend is reasonably tidy…it makes sense right? But still, I know I would freak out at first sight of a spot or stain. Also, a white couch deserves the right setting, and my apartment is so not worthy. If I had to build a room around it, there would be hardwood flooring, exposed brick and warm tapestries...

I love the rustic look of this exposed brick wall.



You can easily get that Swiss chalet feel by adding a few of these pillows.



This inexpensive, woolly gray throw does double duty as an accent and as a cozy wrap.

A white couch will pop against this dark hardwood (and it matches the legs of my dream couch!).

Floral accents soften the bold colors of this tapestry rug and tie into the couch.

All that's missing from my fantasy room is one of these :)

I can’t drive….35

So I got a speeding ticket this weekend due to my fear of deer and dark country roads. I explained to the nice police officer that I was only trying to keep up with the car in front of me, but you know how it goes (52 in a 35 mph zone, yada yada, whatever). As a tribute to my second speeding ticket in 13 years of driving, here are some home accessories with the need for speed:

I know you can't drive 55 on a 10-speed but I love these pint glasses.

The classic 80's car bed grows up with these screen printed pillow cases.

As in "I don't give a Flying A" that I got a speeding ticket.

This magnet is cute, but I don't know what's more dangerous - a velocipede or a car?

Sunday Love Affair: Our Woodstove

I have to admit…when I first saw this thing I fell in love. Forget about the 15 windows overlooking the creek, the hand-built cabinets and bookcases – our woodstove has my heart.

For me, there is now nothing better than sitting next to the woodstove on a chilly night with a glass of mulled wine, your love and a good movie (or a bunch of drunk friends who just want to roast marshmallows in it all night).

The wood-burning stove has been a super energy-efficient heat source since the early 19^th century, and even Ben Franklin had one! Click here for everything you ever wanted to know about woodstoves.

Seriously...what's not to love?

Soap!

Today’s post is brought to you by my obsession with the most overlooked home accessories. I don’t know about you…but I think the containers that liquid dish and hand soaps come in are so unattractive. However, the way I feel about spending money on soap dispensers is the same as I feel about buying a new wallet: why am I spending money on this again? To answer this question, here are some cheap and easy finds that you can use to dress up your sinks:

Mason jars can hold anything from jam to soap with a little help from these custom made pumps.

These spouts are super cheap and fit into most bottlenecks.

 

 

Some of the best places to find old bottles are at garage sales, thrift stores and ebay!