family time with a little inspiration

benji, my mom and i all went on a saturday afternoon drive to Highlands, NC for a little leaf lookin' and some family time. it's quickly becoming an annual tradition for us. we drove along the winding roads and got to town where we spent some time exploring and shopping a little. we also made a stop by buck's coffee, one of the cutest coffee shops ever. the town was celebrating halloween and with all of the adorable trick-or-treaters lining the sidewalks and the small town feel it felt like a real life 'Hocus Pocus', one of my favorite movies.

we also stopped in a favorite shop of mine, Dutchmans Design. some of the merchandise gave me some ideas for crafting. i think this light fixture is such a great idea. it's made of old canning jars that have been strung up and randomly lit. it would be really easy to make and would make such a statement!

don't you just love this?

another really great idea is to make a candle holder out of a really pretty wine bottle that you just can't bring yourself to throw out. this would be great for a kitchen table or countertop accessory.

i thought this chandelier was really neat. all you would need to make for this would be a few metal rings in different sizes, paper clips, and pages out of old books. love it!

antique window art

a few weeks ago i purchased an old window from an antique store. i had it propped up against the wall in my living room unsure of exactly what i wanted to do with it until yesterday. i almost liked the way it looked on the floor, but i decided to add a little pizazz and hang it on our big bare wall in the living room.

the supplies are pretty simple for this project and may even consist of things you have lying around the house. gather a sponge or small paint brush (i ended up using a paint brush which isn't pictured), acrylic craft paint in your desired color, stencils of your choice, and tape.

i put my window up against the baseboard to keep it nice and straight. i chose to paint on the back of the window so that the designs would be protected from scratches. decide a pattern that you would like to do, and tape down the stencils. paint them and give a quick dry with the hair dryer on "cool". slowly peel of the stencil. the big thing here is to not worry with perfection. i went back over mine with a second coat of paint once they were dry. you could probably find a protectant to seal the designs, but i just left mine as so if i ever want to change it up i can easily remove the designs with a little cleaner and a sponge.

make sure each design is dry and wah-la you've got a new piece of art to hang!

we're all full of hot air.

i dream of going to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and flying up, up, up and away in one of the balloons. hot air balloons are so fascinating to me. they're such a beautiful means of travel. impractical, but beautiful all the same! who's down for a road trip?

coffee date

heaven in a cup.

pumpkin and white chocolate lattes at inman perk.

after being lazy at our apartment saturday afternoon benji and i decided to go out for a cup of coffee and a stroll around downtown. i love going on autumn walks. the brisk air, smell of coffee, pumpkins on doorsteps, colorful trees, fallen leaves lining the streets, and store windows decorated for halloween all make me so. so. happy.

alright, don't judge me when i say this, but i was an avid watcher of 'The Hills'. my love affair with reality tv began about six years ago when i was a senior in highschool and i first laid eyes on a little show called 'Laguna Beach' that let us in on what it's like to be a privileged teeny bopper growing up on the coast of California. after that, i was hooked. i followed LC, Lo, Heidi, Spencer, Brody, Kristen, and Audrina until the bitter end. and that's no exaggeration, it was bitter. am i the only one who was thoroughly disappointed in the final episode? ugh, no resolution whatsoever. we already knew it was fake...did they really think they were revealing something revolutionary?

all that to say, Lauren Conrad is rumored to have a new reality show in the works which she has said will offer much more than the cheesy story lines of 'The Hills'. i for one, am stoked for the possibility to see the up and coming fashion designer in the spoglight again. also, she's twenty-five this year and sporting a much less good-girl-next-door look and a much more badass look.

fall fashion inspiration

sooooo....as i mentioned in my previous blog, i am highly anticipating the change in wardrobe that comes with fall. i was perusing the j. crew website and found some unbelievable outfits that i had to post. below are some of my faves:

a tweed blazer is a must for my shopping list this year. it's so versatile and can be thrown easily over a slouchy tee with skinny jeans or a polished business top.

thigh high socks are a HUGE trend this season. i like them on other people, i'm just not so sure if i could pull them off.

i feel like i might look too 'naughty school girl' in them. (think britney spears' 'hit me baby one more time' from the 90s.) oh no, disaster.

i'm in love with this outfit, from the stockings to the leather coat. it's effortless beauty at its best. a leather coat (i already have one, but i'm not thrilled with the color anymore), tights, ankle boots, and a 'go with anything' skirt are also must-haves on my shopping list.

this is a great every day outfit. i would switch out the skirt for something less sparkly for daytime though. the skinny belt is an essential also. camel is a great color for belts and shoes as it meshes well with most colors.

long slouchy cardigans. i'm going to stock up on these. they can be worn loose or cinched with a belt. either way, they're lovely and comfy.

i'm digging this jean shirt. again, it's very versatile. i love buying neutral items that can be paired with almost anything because it insures that they will be worn many times, and in turn, cuts down on shopping costs.

and finally, military inspired items are huge this season. from shoes to jackets, they're all over the place.

autumn

it's safe to say autumn is my favorite season of all. my love for fall started back when i was a kid as did my love for decorating. i remember each and every holiday, especially halloween, getting sooooo excited to pull out all of the fall stuff and decorate the house. i loved trick-or-treating and dressing up almost as much.

fall is swiftly approaching and i could not be more happy about it! these are a few things that i'm super stoked about: apple cider, fall fashion, cold nights spent snuggled up under a blanket, camping, camp fires, pumpkin carving, drives through the mountains, falling leaves, the smell of cinnamon and pumpkin filling the house, butternut squash soup and other fall recipes, and halloween of course! i can almost smell the warm apple cider and camp fire burning. not to mention it's all i can do to keep myself from throwing on a long shirt, cardigan, leggings and a pair of boots in this 90 degree heat.

so to get myself really inspired and even more excited i went to one of my usual sources of inspiration, we heart it, and typed in 'fall'. these are some of my favorite finds.

very simple desk makeover

for about a month i have had a desk chair and no desk to go with it. i have been scouring craigslist and local thrift stores for a potential find. finally a few days ago my searching paid off and i found the perfect little desk to accommodate my chair.

first thing's first when searching for fixer-upper furniture. make sure it's made of real wood because if it's not it will be really hard to paint and resurface. hardwood is more durable than veneer and particle board furniture. check. next step, make sure it is free of any major defects, scratches, or marks. check. step number three, visualize it in your space and assure yourself that it will blend with the other furniture you have going on in the room. check.

lastly, you will want to make sure it's sturdy. if it's not, sometimes it can simply be a matter of tightening a few screws. check underneath to make sure all of the screws are in tact. if not, i would probably move on to another piece since it will probably be more of a hassle than it's worth to fix.

this piece checked out so i picked it up for 20$. i love the simplicity of the desk. it has very sleek, straight lines and will blend into most decor motifs easily. oh and i almost forgot to mention the 2$ brand new memo board that i found. it

goes perfectly above the desk and gives me a space to put all of my fabric swatches, appointments, etc.

again, i used valspar (available at lowe's) satin paint to cover the desk. i recommend this brand highly as it covers quickly and smoothly. first i sanded the clear coat off the desk to insure that the paint would stick. it took about two or three coats and a trip out for an extra bottle of spray paint. lastly after it dries, apply a clear coat of protectant paint. it makes the piece durable and oh so shiny.

don't forget a dropcloth or plastic. it's inevitably going to make a mess otherwise.

and wah-la, after a couple of hours and 22$ you've got a brand new workspace! the lamp and picture frame i already had laying around the house. the organizers are actually lanterns that we used at our wedding. re-purposing items you already have is a great way to recycle and cut costs in your makeovers.

road trippin to jacksonville

benji and i recently took a trip to jacksonville to visit our dear friends ty and rachael. they are a fun bunch to be around and were excellent hosts. these few pictures were the only memorabilia from the trip. this surfer dude statue was eerily realistic and made us a little uncomfortable. it made for some hilarious takes though.