Aloha!

Mr. J and I have been out for the past few days, snorkeling here, laying on the beach and just generally relaxing.

Ahhh, vacation.  Just got back today, and now back to reality.  Stay tuned for more blogging!

xoxo.

Do you Foo?

With my ever-growing collection of pretty décor books, I’m on the lookout for super cool bookends. I’ve been considering some Foo Dog bookends, but am torn: are they cool or cheesy?? I love the symbolism behind them—they’re supposed to have protective powers—I'm all mystical like that. And, to be honest, I just plain love the way they look.

Check these out:

Soo, do you think I should Foo?? Foo red or foo blue? Or should I keep on looking?

Images via Domino, Elle Decor via Happy Mundane, and CB2

Monogram, monogram, monogram

LOOK what arrived in the mail yesterday. That’s right, it’s a huge letter J. I know this trend is a little played out, but let me explain. I’m not quite a newlywed anymore (Mr. J and I are less than 5 months away from our two year anniversary), but I can’t help but be excited about my new name. I’ll hear someone with the same last name as us on TV and say, “Look honey, it’s our relative!” We’ll be cruising along and see a street sign with our name on it: “Look honey, it’s our street!” Poor Mr. J. It’s old news to him, but it’s all still fresh and new and exciting to me. Like…remember when you were a kid and you found your name on one of those dinky little license plates in a souvenir shop? Like that.

So, that being said, let’s give a shout out for monogram pride.

I got mine at Ballard Designs...check it out and find your own!!

Dilemma of the Day

I’ve had my eye on the Lewis headboard from Pottery Barn for quite some time. But there’s one thing I can’t quite figure out. The product description indicates you can attach it to any standard bed frame, which is great. The dilemma part is that Mr. J refuses to have anything to do with a bed skirt. Now, not that I’m suggesting a frilly, floral number--I’m really after more of a crisp, clean, tailored look, like the one below, honest.

Regardless, I think I’m losing this battle. The question is: do you think a bed skirt is essential with this headboard? Without it, the metal bed frame would show, no? Not a great look. Wonder if I could maybe cover the metal frame with fabric? Is that too Martha?

Let me know what you think, and while you’re at it, any design dilemmas leaving you puzzled? Let me know in the comments!

The Start of Something Good

That’s the title of this dreamy photograph from Alicia Bock. I discovered her Etsy Shop and blog while surfing the interwebs, and thought I’d share with you. Looks like she’s already got a good deal of press, too! Here are a few of my favorites from her shop:

Don't these just make you wanna go on vacation, like right this minute???  Mr. J and I are headed to Hawaii in 6 days, and I can't wait!!

What about these stunning images??

Wow! It's hard to narrow it down.  Good thing it looks like now through 3/22 she's running a buy one get one promo on her Etsy site.

You're welcome! :)

Images via Alicia Bock

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Just a little green love to brighten your day.

That's Ms. Chloe Sevigny's entryway, from the January 2007 issue of the now-defunct House and Garden magazine.  Here's the detail of that gorgeous Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis, in green:

Happy St. Paddy's Day! (Don't forget to wear green!)

Images via style court

Liberty of London for Target

What did you think? Did you stay up late to catch the launch of the Liberty of London for Target collection as soon as it went live on Sunday? I had the best intentions, I really did, but I fell asleep before midnight, woke up at 8 am, ran to the computer and found that practically ALL the home décor items were sold out. Waaah. I have a suspicion, though, that there will be another release of items in the near future. Two reasons: 1. On Target’s website, you can sign up to be notified when a particular product becomes available, and certain products are tagged as “shipping in 2-4 weeks”.  2. I never ever saw that super cute watering can or the garden tools. Call me an optimist, but I had my EYE on those!

Despite not being impressed with some of the dining items in the collection (melamine??), I did manage to pick up some bedding for our guest room, and a couple of dresses (for me!).

What do you think? Did I get caught up in the hubbub? Or is this bedding actually cute? I think, sadly, that I’m on the fence. Guess I’ll have to wait until my package arrives.

Dream Bathroom Checklist

There is absolutely nothing like a long, hot bath after a looong day at work. I love relaxing, grabbing magazine (or four), a glass of wine, lighting a candle and just sitting in the tub. Unfortunately, the house Mr. J and I are currently renting lacks a lot in the bath department. It has its strengths, don’t get me wrong, but the bathroom leaves A LOT to be desired. I can’t wait until the day we’ll have a bathroom of our own that we can fix up exactly the way we like. Until then, I’ve come up with my dream bathroom checklist to keep the hope alive!

1. A freestanding claw foot tub. For a gal who likes a good bath as much as I do, there is almost nothing as important as a deep, inviting, luxurious clawfoot tub.  Let the good times roll:

2. A walk in shower. Since I’ll be in the tub most of the time, I’ll need a separate, walk in shower for Mr. J to use (ok, me too, once in a while). It’s pretty much a necessity to have two showerheads, no? As well as a good seat to, well, sit on.

3. Double Vanity. This is an essential, and I’ve heard a few people say it’s the key to a long and happy marriage. For anyone who’s tried to share a bathroom with a husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, or roommate, you know where I’m coming from. Every grown up deserves their own sink…and no one should have to wait to spit while brushing their teeth!!  Though I love the look of the first vanity here, not sure I'm quite organized enough, so I might need to go with a more enclosed style, like in the second photo.

4. Subway tile, Carrera marble and chrome. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. These materials are timeless. I love the cool, calm, clean feeling they lend to a bath. Hexagonal tiles, wainscotting, whatever. Just check out these amazingly classy photos of a couple bathrooms featured on one of my favorite blogs, Brooklyn Limestone:

And finally, just a quick note on the powder room...I don't have one, but I would REALLY love to have one some day.  I envision a little jewel box of a room that you can totally saturate with color, since you won't have to look at it every day.  A room like this will really wow your guests:

However, realistically, I could probably never talk Mr. J into that peacock blue (isn't making joint design decisions the WORST??), but I think I'd have a shot at something like this amazing geometric wallpaper featured in Deborah Needleman's powder room (RIP Domino):

That's a huge MAYBE.

What about you all?  What are your must-haves in the bathroom?  What does your dream bathroom look like??

Images via Apartment Therapy, Living Etc., Pottery Barn, Brooklyn Limestone, Jean Randazzo, Domino

Cherry Blossoms

On Saturday, Mr. J, L. Belle and I took a long walk to take photos of the cherry blossoms in bloom throughout our neighborhood.  Aaah, spring is here:

Coffee Table Books

Being Scottish and all, I have a wee bit of a thing for plaid.  Imagine my excitement at discovering  Tartan: Romancing the Plaid, co-authored by the CEO of Burberry as well as a Scottish fabric aficionado. 

Oh, I want it, I want it, I do!  It's a history of PLAID!  Alas, it languishes on my Amazon wishlist.

Glassybaby Forever

This local Seattle company churns out stunning handmade blown-glass votive holders in every color of the rainbow. They absolutely GLOW when lit up at night. I’m dreaming about owning a collection of beautiful neutral glassybabies like the ones here for my dining table. However, pricing for these little beauties is a bit steep at $40, so I’m going to have to collect them one at a time. Aren’t they beautiful??

Another beautiful thing about glassybaby is their goodwill program .  A portion of sales from this collection are contributed to non-profits ranging from the Humane Society to a camp for seriously ill children. Just over two years ago, a wonderful relative of Mr. J’s passed away, and a gorgeous, glowing glassybaby was created in her honor:

10% of the proceeds from Seattle Sunset  will be donated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center here in Seattle.

Isn’t that lovely? Which color glassybaby is your favorite?

Images via glassybaby

Happy Weekend!

This is L. Belle, the love of our lives. She’s almost 10 months old, and Mr. J and I love her like crazy. Just look at her! She loves living her little life!

This weekend, I plan to tackle some long overdue home and organization projects as well as some fun new stuff for the blog. But I also look forward to some quality time with Mr. J, a couple of glasses of wine, and sweet L. Belle. You??

Hooray, it’s (almost) the weekend!

Online Sources: One Kings Lane

I've been subscribed to emails from One Kings Lane for a while now--love the idea of home decor bargains! Today, I came across this and just had to post:

Isn't she lovely? I can totally picture this carrying all the bevvies back and forth at my fabulous outdoor summer party backyard BBQ.

In case you're not familiar, One Kings Lane is a private sale home decor site that offers deep discounts on super high end accessories, flatware, art, textiles, etc.  You do need to become a member to get access to their sales (and if you pass invites onto your friends, you can get credit on the site!).  The idea is that they offer you a different deal every day.  Being the crafty marketers they are, the whole limited-time-only premise is supposed to sucker you in to buying now.  Clever! For now, I'll hold on to my pocketbook, thankyouverymuch, but I do enjoy the eye candy.

Decorating with Plants

I love good houseplant. Seriously. If I actually count ALL the plants in my house, I get 23. Sheesh. Kind of embarrassing. I guess I’m trying to justify my, shall we say addiction, but I Googled around a bit and found out that houseplants really do offer several benefits for your home! They remove odors! They purify the air! Fine, they just look pretty. If wishes were fishes, I’d wish for a room like this:

Ok, ok. I’ll acknowledge that a conservatory is a little over the top. What about this?

I love the way that plant fills up that lonely corner and makes the whole room feel more, well, alive. (Well, technically I guess at least one of those is just a branch in water, and will soon be dead...) Anywho, it’s greenery nonetheless. Imagine it at night, with up lighting trained right on it. So dramatic!

I also am really enjoying these images from the new Anthropologie catalog:

Such a great resource for exotic-looking planters. I wouldn’t mind taking that green ceramic planter home with me (and the orange one too).

If large-scale greenery isn’t your thing, you could give a tabletop succulent garden a go.

This looks like Echeveria, maybe some Hens and Chicks and not sure I can identify anything else. But, cute and low maintenance.  Just the way I like it.

Or maybe try your hand at a terrarium? I’m not about to tell you the best way to actually plant and care for a terrarium because I’ve had varying degrees of success with mine. All I know is, they look great, and it's all about the drainage.  However, this post does give you step by step instructions on how to start your own little lovely in a jar.

If I haven’t given you enough ideas, how's this one? Maybe you could just go down to your local nursery and pick up one of these five fireproof, bombproof, black-thumb-proof houseplants you can’t kill.  Toss it in a terra cotta pot, water it every week (or two) and taaa-daaaa! 

Trust me, I have one of each.

Images via Apartment Therapy, Anthropologie, and Sunset 

Flea Market Field Trips

Now that spring is in the air, things are warming up, the buds are in bloom…and that can only mean one thing. It’s flea market season!!! Yippeee!

Photo via Velvet and Linen (seriously, check out this blog for some major flea market inspiration).

I love old stuff. Old furniture, old doo dads, old photos, heck, even old people. I get such a thrill from finding tiny treasures lurking in piles of dusty junk. Poor Mr. J gets dragged into each and every “Antique” aka JUNK store we see. Such a dutiful husband.

I came across this great local flea market  post  and could hardly contain my excitement. I tell ya, there’s nothing better than grabbing a coffee, a fistful of cash and heading to the flea market to root through an endless sea of junk.

Yay for spring!

This Little Piggy

Oink. For ages, I’ve been inexplicably obsessed with owning a brass pig. I’ll admit, I’ve had a thing for little piggies since I was a little girl, but the brass thing…not sure how that got started. Anyway, I stumbled upon Etsy seller High Street Market (she also has an awesome interior design blog), and I found more brass animals than I had ever dared to dream possible! This little guy arrived in the mail the other day, and I'm smitten. The shop offers a wide variety of other little brass treasures (!), and I also found this beauty:

Image via High Street Market

This one:

Image via High Street Market

And this one, too:

 Image via High Street Market

I love Love LOVE everything about these bulletin boards. Unfortunately, I think their price tags are a little beyond my reach. But I love the idea, and think I might try to DIY my own version. Cross fingers for luck!

Also, stay tuned to find out how I found a place for this little piggy in my very own house!