Holy Chic: Cute and Affordable Graphic Tees

Holy Chic you guys! I have been wanting some graphic tees for awhile now, and I just found the cutest ones from Old Navy Canada! Best part? The website is currently offering 20% off orders over $100 (25% if you are in the US!) until tomorrow, making these tees just under $12 each. Graphic tees are so versatile! They can be paired with jeans, an a-line midi skirt, even a pencil skirt!I couldn't

THE EXTERIOR OF OUR HOUSE: PART 2

 if you remember last week's post , you may be wondering what attracted us to buy our house in the first place….it needed tons of work and wasn't very attractive! the reason?THE WATER!!! and the yard!!when we bought this house 10+ years ago, it was around 1700 sq ft…..2 kids later, we were pretty cramped! time to add on!!!…we basically doubled the size of the house and now it's ideal. we vaulted

Ikea Kitchens

I love this Ikea kitchen commercial where the son comes home to find his parents have taken space from his old bedroom to make a bigger kitchen.  The commercial is hilarious, especially when the son notices his room is basically non existent.  What you can't help but notice is how beautiful the kitchen is.  The large kitchen boasts gray cabinets with a built in eating nook.  It is absolutely

Sophisticated Styling: A Narrow Mantle

Today I'm sharing a seldom seen area of my living situation. I've mentioned before that I live in a student building where I have my own studio-style apartment, complete with living room/bedroom area, large walk in closet, and my own bathroom. My kitchen accommodations, however, are shared with the five other girls living in my building. Beside the kitchen, there is also a small community TV area

New York Secrets: Part 1 – Design Finds

New York is full of great places that are hidden in plain sight. You can walk past them and never know they're there. Here are a few travel treasures for your next trip.CITY CLUB HOTEL There’s nothing else like the suites of the City Club Hotel, anywhere in New York. Carved out of a former ballroom, the hotel’s three duplexes have their own libraries, but the ornate, double-height ceilings and

Finding the Strength To Create (Or Change) a Career

I had an email conversation with my lovely publisher today. (She's one of these amazing working mothers for whom I have unending respect and admiration.)We were discussing publishing strategies, some of which involved me going to SF and NY in October for deal-broking meetings. Now, I love New York. ADORE it. But I don't have my publisher's flair, her patience, her dignity and strength, or indeed

Coffee Table Tuesday with The Peak of Tres Chic

Today's Coffee Table Tuesday features one of the first friends that I made in the blogging world, Sam of The Peak of Tres Chic. Like me, Sam is currently in school studying Interior Design. This lady has a big career ahead of her, as evidenced by her amazing Rose Creek project. Sam participated in my Favourite Furniture Fridays series way back when, and I am so thrilled to welcome her back for

Flip or Flop

One of my favorite shows on HGTV is Flip or Flop.  It centers around a husband and wife team, Tarek and Christina, that flips houses.  They buy vacant, run down homes, usually at auctions sight unseen, and renovate them into beautiful homes.  Each episode takes you from the purchase of the home, through renovations, and finally to the finished, remodeled product.  They have built a successful

Pink Houses

For my studio project this term, we are designing a boutique hotel in an old Victorian mansion, complete with corner tower.In my hunt for some inspiration for the exterior, I came across some pretty stunning pink houses. Although this is not direction we are taking our hotel, it most certainly is the direction that I am taking my daydreaming this Monday morning! Enjoy!viavia viaviaviavia

Beautiful New Books, Hotels, Insights & Other Things

ALICE TEMPERLEY'S SS 2014 COLLECTIONHaving just bought Alice Temperley's magnificent book – arguably one of the most beautiful fashion books ever published – I'm now catching up with her recent collections. Her S/S 2014 collection has been hailed as her best yet by many fashion journalists, and it's easy to see why. Every piece had poise, elegance and grace, while still being flirtatious,

A Colorful Office and Chairish

I was recently contacted by Chairish, to style one of their chairs in a design board.  The idea is to take the room from white to bright using a fun chair.Chairish is an online shopping site where design lovers can buy and sell pre-loved home decor.  It's online consignment.  This site was founded by a husband and wife team who was re-locating and didn't know how to get rid of their perfectly

Starry-Eyed: Astrological Decor

Have you ever heard the saying 'it was written in the stars'? How about the line in Romeo and Juliette that terms them 'star-crossed lovers'? Well, whether you believe that astrology plays a role in our fate or not, there is no denying the chicness of astrologically inspired decor pieces.Thomas O'Brien via Elle DecorHand Painted Galaxy Wall via A Beautiful Mess via The AestateI have a little

BEFORE AND AFTER: THE EXTERIOR OF OUR HOUSE

THIS WAS OUR HOUSE 10 YEARS AGO RIGHT BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT….WE FLEW IN FROM DENVER AND LITERALLY HAD 24 HOURS TO PUT SOMETHING UNDER CONTRACT!!YES, THE HOUSE WAS UGLY….BUT IT COULDN'T GET ANY WORSE….ANYTHING WOULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT!!NEW WINDOWS, PAINT, RAILINGS, LANDSCAPING, DOOR, LIGHTING, ETC…..WE JUST FINISHED THE LAST PROJECT…HARDSCAPE! THE NEW WALKWAY AND DRIVEWAY WAS THE LAST ON THE LIST. 

Industrial Pendants

Seems like I see industrial lighting everywhere.  They are very trendy right now.  Trendy or not, I love them.  Something about them draws me in.  Maybe it's the metal caging and exposed Edison bulbs.1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6They look so good hanging above dining tables or kitchen islands.sourcesourcesourcesourcesourceWhat's your take on the industrial lighting craze?  Are you in or out? You're

Coffee Table Tuesday with Jana Bek Design

Tuesdays have always kind of been a blah day, you know what I mean? But with this new series I'm finding myself more and more excited about Tuesdays! This week we have the very inspirational and talented Jana of Jana Bek Design here to share her coffee table styling. I have been a fan of Jana for years, since she was an assistant for Caitlin Wilson. Since then, Jana has launched her own fabulous

Travelling Cheaply: Tips To Save $$

Last week, I met a lovely lady in one of my favourite stores, The Rose Street Trading Co. She had one of my travel books on display and I thanked her profusely. (Which is what all authors should do.) "Oh, how I'd love to go overseas!" she said sadly. "But we just can't. We have two children, and they come with private school fees..." "Well, you're very lucky," I said sadly. "We'd love to have two

2015 Ikea Catalog Preview

The Ikea 2015 catalog is set to come out soon.  The digital version will be available for download starting June 24.  They will also introduce a catalog app for smartphones and tablets where you can scan a product in the catalog and virtually see how an item will look in your home.  Ikea is one of my go to stores for trendy, affordable home decor.  I wanted to give you a sneak preview of what to

(Silk) Pillow Talk

Between blogging from bed, reading in bed, occasionally watching my shows from bed, and sleeping in bed, I am a girl who knows the importance of soft, comfortable bedding. But, I did not realize the importance of silk pillow cases until recently, when my friends at Silksleep sent me two glorious 100% Silk pillow cases. Let me just tell you - total game changer.Sleeping on silk has so many

Organizing Cords with Washi Tape

With all the electronic devices in our home, it's hard to keep up with the cords.  You see a cord on the counter and kind of know what device it goes to but sometimes you don't know until you try it.  A lot of the plugs are similar.  My husband's phone cord looks a lot like my daughter's tablet cord.  No more guessing now.This is where we started, a tangled mess of cords.  Many of them were on

GOODSPEED ROAD EVOLUTION IN PROGRESS

SO FUN COMING BACK TO THIS AMAZING HOUSE AT THE BEACH!!I WORKED ON THIS HOUSE 9 YEARS AGO WHILE IT WAS BEING BUILT….HOW KIND OF THE HOMEOWNER TO INVITE ME BACK!THE HOMEOWNER WANTED TO TRANSFORM  HER DAUGHTER'S TEENAGER STYLE ROOM  INTO A BEAUTIFUL MORE MATURE BEDROOM…...PERFECT FOR A YOUNG 20-SOMETHING WHEN SHE'S VISITING HOME FROM HER D.C CAREER LIFE!AND I LOVE LOVE LOVE MIXING ANTIQUES WITH

Floor Mirrors

I love the look of a leaning floor mirror.  It adds a design element to the room but also bounces the light across the room.  This deflected light makes the room appear larger and brighter.  It adds depth and dimension.Here are a few affordable options I found. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5sourcesourcesource sourcesource   You're reading Floor Mirrors by Andrea, originally posted on Decorating Cents.  If

Sophisticated Decor Touch: A Chess Set

My father taught me to play chess. When he was a boy in school, he signed up for a chess tournament...the trouble is, he had no idea how to play. He went home, and his father taught him the basics. My dad won that entire tournament.There is something so sophisticated and elegant about a chess set. Maybe it's the classic checkerboard pattern, maybe it's the elegant, sculptural pieces (which is

Coffee Table Tuesday with Elliven Studio

Hi loves! Welcome to Round 2 of Coffee Table Tuesday, a new weekly series here on TLID that shares the ways that some of my blogging friends style their coffee tables. This week, you're in for a real treat because we have the lovely and talented Julie from Elliven Studio joining us. I met Julie last year at Blogpodium, and have loved following along her journey to decorate her house ever since.

Family Friendly Bar Carts

Why are bar carts popping up everywhere?  Maybe I just didn't notice them before.  I remember seeing several in Target but they weren't quite what I wanted to spend for such a small piece.  When they did go on clearance, I missed out because they went so fast.  Bar carts seem like the perfect piece when entertaining and also add a little fun to a room corner.Here are a few I wouldn't mind having.

Old Parquet - Yay or nay?

One thing that I love to do in my spare time is apartment hunt online. Is that weird since I have no immediate plans of moving?....Probably. Hopefully by next summer I will be getting a new rental (with my very own kitchen that I don't have to share with five other girls), and I love seeing what my predicted budget will get me. Most of the apartments I'm drawn to (and can afford) have one thing

Book Ledges

My son has been grabbing more books lately and I know it's because he can see the colorful covers.  He walks right over and picks one off the shelf...while hanging on to the bottom shelf I might add.  I'm just know he's going to rip it off the wall one day.  So glad I went with the Ikea book ledges in his nursery so the covers are facing forward.  I try to keep the books rotated so he's not

A Black-and-White Weekend, Part 2

A few more lovely black-and-white bits for the weekend...Australian media was abuzz this week about the news that Neale Whitaker will be taking over the editorship of Vogue Living. Having been editor of the glamorous Belle magazine for years, which has kept pace with Vogue Living for quality of style, design and content, Neale is well placed to take on VL. It will be interesting to see if he

Black and White in Paris

Have you see all the media attention about Raf Simon's 2014-2015 autumn-winter collection for Dior Haute Couture this week? Even Anna Wintour looked enraptured as she sat in the front row of the orchid-lined show. The astonishingly elegant show was held in the gardens of the Musée Rodin in Paris, a fitting venue for Dior's sculptural forms. (For gorgeous images, go to Dior's website and online

Watercolor Thank You

If you follow me on instagram, then you might have noticed that I recently collaborated with the lovely and talented Anna With Love on a fun photoshoot! Although I can't tell you what the shoot was for just yet, I can tell you how completely smitten I was with the entire process. Anna is truly skilled at what she does, and made me feel so at ease and comfortable during the shoot. As a thank

PINK, ORANGE, AND YELLOW ……….

EASY SUMMER COLOR PALETTE…..

Garden Libraries

When the late, great Stuart Rattle's estate was sold at auction by Moss Green, I wondered, with some sadness, who bought his 120 garden books valued at $7800? A bibliophile I knew believes you should never split libraries, so I hope the books were bought as one lot and not carved up into piles: Russell Page's titles over here; Gertrude Jekyll's over there.There's been a surprising amount of media

Our New Patio

We finally have an outdoor space we can enjoy!  One of the things we looked for during our house search was a great backyard.  At the time we had one child and wanted her to have space to run around in.  What kid doesn't like to be outside?  We had one of those cheap patio sets with the glass table and four chairs from our previous home.  It didn't last long so we never really sat outside because

New Weekly Blog Series: Coffee Table Tuesdays

Hi loves! One of my favourite things about blogging is connecting with some pretty fabulous people. I used to run a weekly blogging series called 'Favourite Furniture Fridays' where I invited these cool peeps to join me and share their favourite piece of furniture that they own. It was so much fun! You can look back on all of those posts here if you missed them.It's been awhile since FFF, and I'm

Update a Basic, Beige, Builder's Bathroom with 5 Simple Steps (and less than $100!)

We all have seen / had / know someone who has a bathroom like the one in my rental. It's functional, spacious, there is nothing really wrong with it, but it is just a bit boring! There is nothing defining it.The trouble with rentals, of course, is that you cannot do much about the major fixtures and finishes, but it's amazing what a little decor can do to give a space like this some glamour! I

Brush Strokes: The New Craze for Painting

Two business colleagues and I are trying to get together to have a catch-up about the 2015 garden tours. One arrived home from Canada yesterday (where she visited friends made on last year's garden tour), and the other is still in Bali. "I'll be available late July," she said. "I first have to paint 10 paintings in 7 days for the Bondi Winter Magic Art Festival." (link) Impressive, non? Have you

Weekend Books, Insights & Inspiration

FOLLY FANTASTICOne of the most beautiful books published this year has been One Man's Folly: The Exceptional Houses of Furlow Gatewood (April 2014).Chronicling the remarkable homes and interiors of American collector and designer Furlow Gatewood, who for many years worked alongside antiques dealer John Rossellini (Bunny Williams' husband) as his business partner in their New York store, this book

A Passion for Fabric & Haberdashery: Great Stores & Sources

Are you obsessed with fabric too? So many people I know have become what my friend calls 'mad habers' (short for haberdashers); the kind of people who spend hours in fabric stores, pondering trimmings and going glazed-eyed for vintage ribbons (and all the other things you find in fabulous old Parisian merceries).We learned to sew at school – we had the most ferocious sewing mistress who made us

DIY Flower Pots

A few weeks ago I stopped in Lowe's for some flowers.  We were actually there for my daughter.  She likes the kids' workshops on Saturdays.  When the workshop was over, we headed over to check out the flowers.  I needed some hanging baskets for the front porch.  It was a hot and muggy afternoon.  I intended to only look for a short time but me being me, I took my time debating back and forth on

June Month In Review

Well, the year is halfway over.  Here's what went on around these parts.I put together a pink and gold nursery.I shared some summer items from World Market.Another beautiful model home tour. More Tolix Style bar stools.I finally planted my Fiddle Leaf Fig tree.I took you through the home of Sabrina Soto. Some beach style living room inspiration.I made a DIY art caddy for my daughter. I made my

My Pinch Me Moment: Wedluxe Magazine

Hi loves. Today I wanted to share with you something really exciting that happened recently in my life! If you follow me on Instagram, you already know (you already know obviously sang to the tune of Iggy), but just in case you don't, I thought I would share here as well!You might remember the bridal photoshoot that I did with 5ive15ifteen Photo Company a few months ago. While I thought it would

HOME ON THE RANGE...

SLOWLY, but surely, i'm creeping back onto the radar. vacation was amazing…..truly relaxed and FUN!we went back to the R LAZY S , just outside of jackson hole….amazing, as usual…..GREAT people GREAT foodGREAT family vacation experience and now we are R Lazy S addicts! i can't believe its all over….BUT…... summer just started!!! :-)but, summer took a while to come to us at the ranch!it even snowed

Books, Garden Tours, New York Glamour and Other Lovely Stuff

There's a lot going in here at the moment, with many projects being juggled (often in an uncoordinated fashion). I picked up a terrible flu from Asia too, which made the productivity levels plummet. As such,  I'm a little behind in emails, and for that I apologise. Will get on top of work soon, I promise.So many lovely people have been emailing about the garden tours and also (curiously) asking