Hot Knobs!

Looking for fun hardware for your latest DIY project? (I always am!) We all know about Anthropologie’s ridiculously overpriced but fabulous collection of clothing, jewelry and shoes, but I sometimes forget about their unique collection of hardware.

Check out a few of my favorites:

But wait, there's more!  There are hooks, switchplate covers, finials, doorknobs and handles...the works! 

Our entryway is one of those places where too much stuff tends to collect.  You too?  Clean up your entryway with a sweet hook or two. Your bags, coats and dog leashes will be corralled and organized in a hurry.

Super cool, right?

Flor Rugs

Having a pup like L. Belle has its perks.  She's so darn cute, loves to snuggle and is always good for a laugh (or 20) every single day.  Unfortnately, her soft and snuggly Golden Retriever fur as well as her darling, but perpetually muddy paws make for a bit of a dilemma in the décor department.

When we first brought her home, we had a cream slip covered couch. That was gone within maybe a month or two of her arrival. It was time to replace it anyway, and so we went ahead and splurged on a brand new leather sofa. Totally durable, indestructible and 99% dog proof. Just ask one of my sweet friends, who was just sitting back to relax with a nice glass of red wine when Ms. Belle decided she wanted all 65 lbs of her cute self up on my friend's lap. WOW.  Wine all over the place. It even got on the wall. But no sweat. I just grabbed some paper towels and a wet rag and voila. The new sofa is virtually bomb proof, I tell ya.

Not so with my jute rug. I give you Exhibit A:

Witness L. Belle relaxing on one of my first, prized décor purchases on one of her first days at home. My quaintly rustic and (in my opinion) very fabulous jute rug has not been treated particularly well by L. Belle. She chews on its fringe, chews on the “rustic” little knots, she has…ahem…used the facilities on it more than once, and even gotten a wee bit of the stomach sickness a couple of times, too. In short, the jute rug is no longer so fabulous. It’s gnawed on, worn out, and dirty. Not to mention the impossibility of cleaning in all those nooks and crannies. It’s with a heavy heart that I retire my rug and commence the search for a new one. New beginnings, right?

I’ve been searching high and low for a rug for the living room that is durable, easy to clean, stylish and affordable. I can get one or two or even three of these criteria, but hitting all four has been a challenge. I think, however, that I’ve found it at FLOR.

That’s right. Modular floor tiles you can fashion into a kind of build your own area rug.  The style above is the one I'm considering--it's even called The Finer Things. I’m thinking it could work. It’s perfect for high traffic areas, made of (recycled) nylon fibers, super easy to clean, affordable, durable…kinda looks like the jute rug, minus all the nasty dirt and if things get really…err…hairy, or stained, you can swap out a tile and replace it for a fresh and clean rug.

Here's another shot.  Not exactly the color I'd choose, but you get the idea:

What do you think? Too crazy? Or crazy enough it just might work??

UPDATE****FLOR = Not my style.  Totally reminded me of the carpet underneath my office chair...at my office.  Way too industrial for me.  Not coool.  The search continues...

My Bricklayer's Table

Taaa daaaaa!

Sort of. "Inspired by"...maybe.  Regardless, I love it and its rustic wood planks and sturdy metal legs.  It arrived late last week, and Mr. J and I put it all together last weekend.  With a minimal amount of drama.  I mean, there was a minor situation when I couldn't exactly get the screws in, and L. Belle was being a little bit too helpful by snatching and chewing up all the packaging, but other than that,  it came together without incident, and I'm excited to accesorize!

First things first, I'll need a new lamp.  (Yes honey, the one we have is lovely, but the scale of it is all wrong for the room.  Trust me.)

I'm kind of liking this one, from Pottery Barn, but am not sure how the mercury glass would go with the rustic wood:

Kind of digging this one from West Elm:

I think, though, that I really have my heart set on a red ceramic lamp, a la this one, from Crate and Barrel:

However, much to my dismay, I went to "visit" the lamp this weekend at my local C&B, and was pretty disappointed in the lamp to shade ratio. Man, it just looked so OFF!  Just switch out the shade, you say.  And I could, but for $200 bucks...my lamp better be perfect.  So the search continues.  At least until this baby goes on sale. Until then, anyone have any good lighting sources they'd like to share?

I'm working on working the table into our room, and will post some photos once it's perfect!

Striped Rug Love!

I think I'm in love:

With this zig zag rug from West Elm.  Yowza!  Yeah, yeah, it's a rip off of Madeline Weinrib, but I'm on a budget, people.

These babies are so hot right now.  Check out this image from the latest issue of Lonny:

Or this, from the Domino archives:

Ikea has this cheapie, that looks great, and won't break the bank:

With stripes like these, how can you go wrong??

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

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.