Spring at Home

I can currently hear the ice/snow/rain mix hitting the window as I write this. So while I would love to be writing about floral dresses and pastel sandals, those things seem too far in the distance to get excited about. sigh. 

But I am not one to get pessimistic. 

Springtime will come eventually, and if we can cannot wear all the fun things, we can at least surround ourselves with a few. 

Floral prints, pastels, and greenery can be just as good for your home as they are for your Spring closet. 

1. An unexpected printed pillow for your sofa

2. A pastel buffalo check rug, comes in many sizes

3. A great little sign for an entry or mud room

4. Love the patter on these bistro chairs 

5. A succulent wreath that will last all season

6. A cool planter for a lonely corner  

7. Beautiful floral dinner plates

8. Give me all the scallop bedding please

9. These pink wine glasses are screaming for Rosé

10. A sweet little floral painting 

11. Pretty green tumblers to jazz up dinnertime

12. The cutest chip and dip platter there ever was

13. A live wall herb garden is genius! 

14. I love the soft colors of this Anthro Rug 

Happy Weekend

xo

Erin 

A Rug to Live With

Searching for rugs is a deep, dark, endless hole that can literally drive you mad. Rugs are such a large investment and the options are endless online. I have been searching for a new rug for our main living space for awhile. I have the used to be ever popular PB zig zag rug currently...

And while it is not terrible, I am just really over chevron. It would not bother me as much if we had a large ottoman or coffee table in this space, but this location is still used for major dance party action (one of my favorite parts of the day) and I want to keep it that way as long as possible. (note: the day my kids stop wanting to dance party will literally kill me) 

I have had my eye on a custom beauty with a price tag that makes you lose your breath. But even if I was in a position to make that investment, there are too many sticky hands and rogue snacks in my house right now for anything that precious. So I have been searching the retail sites and have found some great options. Because of the dark floors I would like to keep the color light and am debating whether to go with a pattern or simply a texture. 

Prices based off 8x10, but most come in many sizes. 

Pretty patterns...

1. Spendy, but beautiful from One Kings Lane $2999 

2. Even though it is dark, I love this Serena & Lily $1699

3. A little boho/tribal, looks lighter in pics Suzanne Kasler $1399

4. Don't love "fake" vintage usually, but this is pretty sweet  Pottery Barn $899

5. Love the subtle pattern Pottery Barn $999

6. Think this is my favorite of all the patterns Astoria Grand $1399

 And texture...

1. I love the texture of this from PB Teen, and with that price tag I would be ok with the clean up $499

2. This has a great braided texture RH Teen $750

3. Love this sweet honeycomb in blue by Dash & Albert $1180

4. I am a sucker for braided rope like this. Love the grey and white Dash & Albert $1417

5. A rug woven like tile is genius West Elm $629

6. Cozy cotton by Suzanne Kasler $679

As much as I love a pattern, I think I am leaning towards a solid texture instead. I torture myself with decisions like this and a solid color seems so much easier to choose. I can mix in more color and pattern with new pillows (Been eyeing this one with this one). Which are your favorites? What should I choose? Would love your opinions. 

xo

Erin 

The Great Rug Debate

Thank you so much to all my Instagram followers for voting on my rug choices. To fill you in on where this is actually going to go, here is a visual. 

I LOVE my navy and blue rug, but it is not as plush as I would like for this space. It also is a bit too graphic for this area for me. The ikat pillows are gone and the ottoman has been moved to the basement family room. 

I want something more neutral, but with a fun pattern. The choices were narrowed to two options... 

This fantastic, super dense and thick, rug from Crate & Barrel has more brown tones with beiges and grays. 

The Tribal print is killer. 

Option number two is from Masland Carpet and Rug. I got the sample from my friend Kate from Kate Marker Interiors, who works with great vendors. 

This rug is also a beige tone, but with much more blue and gray. 

Ultimately, the winner is option number two. Because of the beige sofas in the room, I really need something with some color. Even if it is just a little bit. The light color makes me a bit nervous about stains, but I plan on treating it as soon as I receive it. 

Think I made the right choice? What is your favorite? 

xo

Erin 

My Wish List

My wish list for Christmas always has expectations well beyond what will actually be opened come December 25th. But it is fun to put together a list of what you love and it helps you understand what you actually might need. 

Because of the new house, my list includes quite a few decor options that would make me smile. Plus, there are my usual smattering of beauty products I either want to try or need more of, a couple delicate jewelry pieces, clothes that would fill holes in my closet, shoes that replace scuffed ones, electronics that would improve my life, and a couple of far fetched items that I am dreaming of. 

1. Jennifer Zeuner cursive nameplate bracelet (TMV) $125

2. Lait-Creme Concentre 

3. Dash & Albert Steps Runner 2.5 x 8 $208

4. Pashli Tote in Jade by Phillip Lim $895

5. Mary Green sleep mask $26

6. Vintage Pajama Set by J. Crew $85 

7. Yosi Samra two tone flats $66 

8. Gorjana rose gold pendant necklace $70

9. J. Crew cardigan in Byzantine blue $49 

10. Peekaboo console table by Crate & Barrel $399

11. Stella McCartney over sized glasses $225

12. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray  $39

13. MoraccanOil Conditioner $22

14. Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo $48

15. CB2 Vapor Bar Stool 30" - 3 $199

16. Amy Sia print 26 x 38 

17. Faux Deer with Seafoam antlers $110

18. Color block sweater dress by Club Monaco $170 

19. Nike Air Max+ 2012 in Punch $136

20. J. Crew Fair Isle Sweater $148

21. 3 x 5 Thorndike Mills Entry Rug $164

22. Canon EF f/1.8 II Camera Lens 

23. Photo by Jerry Cook 48 x 36

24. Sperry Top-sider for J. Crew boots $138

25. Cartier Love bracelet $5,575

Wishful thinking, right? But that is what wish lists are for. I would be more than lucky to receive any of these gifts. Maybe I gave you an idea or two for yourself? Have a happy weekend, whatever you are wishing for. 

xo

Erin 

The Great Rug Hunt

I am kind of obsessed with looking at rugs online. Mostly because I think that somehow they will magically all come down in price with each new site I look at. Last week, my wish came true. At least a little bit. 

I found the eSaleRugs site from Little Green Notebook, a blog I love. Jenny is a fantastic designer with a good eye, so I knew that if she used the site it was legit. They carry hundreds of different rugs and give you huge discounts. Some are vintage, some are new, and there are plenty of options. 

What I like about it the most is they provide many different pictures of each rug. That way you can really see the pile, any marks the vintage rugs have, the color differences from many angles, and close ups of the patterns. My first purchase was a success, living in my bathroom. 

With pops of pink I could not be more happy when I step in each morning to wash my face. And at just $75 for a 3 x 5 authentic tribal hand tufted rug, there was absolutely no sticker shock. 

Now my rug obsession has moved just to eSaleRugs, but the hunt has become very fun. 

xo

Erin 

Dining Room So Far

Sharing pictures of your home on your blog is way harder than I thought. We all look at design blogs and Pinterest all day, loving the perfectly designed and put together rooms of professional, fabulous designers. 

A professional, I am not. Not even close. 

Many of those photos are staged, just been cleaned and combed over for imperfection. So instead of sharing pictures of my "perfect" home, I would rather share ones of my ever changing, always a little messy one. And are rooms ever really "done?" Probably not. 

With that said, I will show you some pictures of the dining room so far. I have done nothing but move what we already have to the new space. 

The picture above the fireplace will most likely be moved to above the buffet. I love the idea of using that fireplace during holiday dinners. 

Those hideous drapes will be coming down. For some reason the previous owner put them up all over the house for showings. Now they are just a pain to take down, then patch and paint the wall. 

The extra built-in unit on the left was a nice addition for storage. The light fixture was from our old house. one of my favorite purchases. 

The table, buffet and break front are family heirlooms from the 20s that I was lucky enough to be gifted. The chairs are new, but I still have two of the original. I have been looking for fabric for awhile to reupholster them in, still searching.

I think one of these rugs would warm up the space and add some visual interest with a pattern since the wood floors and furniture is essentially the same color. Something in a light trellis, maybe. 

Since we live in such a rural area now, some faux taxidermy feels necessary. I LOVE this shop on Etsy. They have many different animals ($120) and it can be customized in different colors. Mint antlers seem perfect.  

The room needs paint, but I am actually kind of obsessed with wallpaper right now. I am thinking of painting below the chair rail white, then choosing a patterned paper to go above. These are my current favorites. Something traditional, yet slightly contemporary. 

I love hearing your input on what you like. Not quite ready to get after this room just yet, but I think I am on the right track. What do you think? 

xo

Erin 

Too Many Decisions

Moving into the new house has been so great. New ideas spring into mind daily on what I can do with a room, how I can make it more like home, and where I can put something I love. Although, I have never been so indecisive in my life. I just do not want to make mistakes that I will regret in the coming months. So instead I spend way too much time shopping around, looking at decorating blogs, and scrolling through Pinterest. 


The basement is the only place that I have made big decisions in no time because I had no choice. My husband and I picked things out and designed the space in a matter of hours. It should be done in a few weeks and I cannot wait to share. 


I have started to narrow down a few things for the rest of the house. Starting with light fixtures. The house we bought was only seen during the day, so I never realized that the previous owners had taken most of the fixtures. Since it stays light out until 9pm in the summer, it has not been an issue. But come the Fall we will be eating and hanging out in a dimly lit space. 


I came across this amazing fixture at one of my favorite antique dealers in Denver on a recent trip. It's clover shape is so unique and I just need to figure out where it is going to go. 

Possibly the entry? Stairway? 

I also need fixtures in the hallways, kitchen (hanging between high beams) and a living room rug that can withstand traffic and babies for years to come. 

In the hallway, I like these four options....

All are from Shades of Light. Our house has a country feel, which I like, but would also like to incorporate some modern, more contemporary fixtures. These are all so different, you can see how my mind is all over the place. Probably no closer to a decision. 

The kitchen needs larger, hanging lights that will peak between the beams that cut across the cathedral ceiling. 

I need three, so I am looking for quality without insane price tags. I am not crazy about the crystal hanging from the Orb Chandelier, but I figure I can take it off. The simple Jug light has a great industrial feel. And the Lantern is classic with a fun shape. 

I had bought a rug for the great room that I love, but it is shedding a bit more than I would like. So that will be moved to the Master and I would like one of these instead...

From Top Left: West Elm, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel 

I need a 9 x 12 that will stand up to stains and traffic. I am leaning towards these blue-grey options because the house is already painted cream with white trim. I probably will not get around to paint color selections until 2014 since those decisions are the hardest! 

Hopefully I can start sharing before and after pictures in the near future. As soon as I can start making decisions, my basement no longer has men working in it every day, and I can start picking things that I love and can live with forever. Or at least until the next re-do. 

Thanks for reading my venting and I would love to hear which items are your favorite. 

xo

Erin