Tree Hugger Decor

Lately I have been seeing a lot of home accessories online and in local shops that are made of, and inspired by, natural materials – particularly stumps and branches. It kills me that a lot of the natural made stuff is so expensive when you can literally just walk outside and do a little backyard recon. This may be harder to do if you live in the city, but I bet you have some friends in the burbs that miss you and would love a visit!

If you can't get out to the woods for a weekend, here are some great home accents to indulge your inner tree hugger:

These stumps have been slightly hollowed so that you can drop a votive inside.

I'm addicted to wrought iron anything, and just love the addition of the birds on this foyer table.

This wood ring clock seems like a simple DIY project but I am lazy so thank you as usual, etsy.

You have to admit, this rustic end table is a pretty sweet find for something from target.

These rich, tree-inspired wall panels are just gorgeous, and would be perfect for over your bed or couch.

This fireplace screen makes me wish (only for a second!) that we didn't have a woodstove.

New Year, New Kitchen

Hello friends! So Christmas kind of happened and my blog fell off my radar, but I am back with a new post inspired by one of the most used rooms in our home and some post-holiday clearance finds! Lately it’s been making me crazy that our kitchen is still a blank canvas. Since we use it 24-7, I am determined to give it some much needed aesthetic attention in 2011.

So what brought this on? When I was supposed to be shopping for groceries today, I wandered into TJ Maxx instead and found this great “sconce” candle holder thing in the clearance section for $8:

You probably can't tell, but it's almost like a shadowbox (and I photographed it upside-down oops). I’m planning on mounting this over the sink, and getting some “S” hooks and hanging utensils and other much-needed organizational stuff from it, like this thing:

I have had my eye on ikea's "asker" series for months.

Here are some other cheap home accents that I have flagged for my 2011 kitchen project:

I am in love with mustard yellow and anything beaded so naturally I need these curtains.

This rug is a STEAL at $34...so much style for such a small price tag. I would put it under the dark stained, wooden cafe table that we currently have in our kitchen.

This vivid runner is perfect for in front of the sink.

Keeping with the color palate of the floral rug, this one is great for in front of the fridge!

Ignore the eastern accessories and this mirror would work perfectly over our cafe table.

One of my Christmas presents was a microwave, so now I need something to put it on, like this multi-functional hutch.

I am a huge fan of the enameled tin that frames this mirror cluster.

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.