Go-To Souvenirs

Hi there! Sorry for the long hiatus...just so happens that I've been in jolly old England for the last three weeks. Just a warning, the next couple posts are probably going to be pretty Anglophilic.

 

Hanging out at Highclere (aka Downton Abbey!)

While I hate unpacking after a trip (everything I own is currently wrinkled and smells like suitcase), I love combing through my purchases and reminiscing on the great times I had. 

 

I bought this painting in Prague from the artist on the same bridge that is in the painting; I still remember walking with my study abroad friends along that bridge at night and staring at the castle in the background.

There is certainly no shortage of cheesy souvenirs out there to tempt us tourists (hello, Queen Elizabeth bobblehead...ok, that one's awesome), so what do you look for when you want to something that makes you smile nostalgically, rather than wonder what you were thinking?

This little print will always remind me of eating scones with clotted cream and wandering around Highclere/Downton Abbey (chatting like a nerd about the various scenes that happened in each room on the show).

I have two go-to's: art and homegoods. To me, the key is finding something that is interesting to look at and that will stand the test of time. Something that sparks conversation is always good, too.

Found these two beauties at a charity shop in the town where I stayed in England. I can't wait to have a friend over for coffee and break these babies out!

Picked this up at a market in the French Quarter on a trip to NOLA with my mom. She has a matching one :)

These are postcards from Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace); as an English major with an obsession with words, I was seriously geeking out the whole time. I can't wait to make a little gallery wall of them!

I'm not the most well-traveled person out there, but I love that looking around my apartment brings up happy memories! What about you? What's your go-to souvenir? If it's royal bobbleheads, I've got a gift shop in Canterbury that you definitely need to hit up :)

xoxo,

E

The Only Reason I Would Take Up Cross Stitch

I was scrolling through my "Smile" board on Pinterest the other day, and, among many pictures of puppies and bunnies, I found this gem:

 

(Insert crying-from-laughing emojis here)

So many more awesome hip-hop cross stitches here.

I love the idea of this hanging in a powder room. Like, you have a guest over, and they're in the powder room, and they're all like, "oh cute, a handmade cross stitch, I bet her mom made this for...wait, what?"

I'm not much of a cross stitcher, but after doing my research, I've realized it's so easy for you to have your very own hip hop cross stitch! It should have been obvious all along that Etsy would have an interesting amount of hip hop cross stitch available. Check it out. I'm gonna need one of these ASAP.

xoxo,

E

Something Wicked This Way Comes

I don't have any children (of the human variety, calm down, Gatsby) and haven't really anticipated any trick or treaters for the past couple years, so decorating for Halloween the old fashioned way has never really held too much appeal for me. Nope, no pumpkin guts and fake spider webs for this girl.

But D.L. & Co has me singing a different tune this year. Their wares are a little on the pricey side for seasonal stuff, but just think of all the deliciously evil fun you could have with these:

Seven Deadly Sins Dessert Plates

How much tastier would Halloween candy be on these scary guys? I'm picturing dressed-up Halloween themed petit fours paired with, what else?, a glass of (blood) red wine.

Delft Skull Stationery

Invite everyone to your Halloween party with the coolest stationery I've ever seen.

Skull with Mandible Candle

A collection of these on your entryway table or bookshelf set a playfully scary tone. To burn or not to burn?

Le Pomme Rouge Candle

Normally, this would look like a cool apple shaped candle. But this time of year, all I can think about is Snow White and the Wicked Witch. What do you think poisoned apple smells like?

What are you doing to spookify your space this year?

 

xoxo,

E

PS: No, D.L. & Co did not sponsor this post...I wish.

Tufted Headboard Lust

When I moved out of my first Nashville apartment (I've lived in a different apartment/house every year since for the last 5 years...I've gotten pretty good at packing my life), I had to leave behind a white wicker headboard that matched my bedside tables. Well, "left behind in frustration after it wouldn't cram in my VW Bug" may be more appropriate phrasing than "had to leave behind".

Anywho, ever since I've lusted after tufted headboards. They just bring such an elegant cushiness (that's a thing) to a bedroom. I would feel very refined resting my head against one while reading InStyle magazine something by Tolstoy. They are plenty expensive from what I've seen, but there are also plenty of DIYs online...maybe one day I can sweet talk the bf into building me one.

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Love them all! I may need a nap after ogling all that elegant cushiness (I said it's a thing).

xoxo,

E

Milk Glass Obsession

I love milk glass...its not-quite-opaqueness always seems like it has been around for generations, giving it such a sentimental look. I am always in need of little dishes, bowls, and trays to hold all the things I tend to leave in my wake as I move through the day. I'm especially looking for milk glass cake stands to make some of my less-pretty bathroom items (i.e. floss, toothbrush, etc.) a little more happy. So even though I have a definite item I'm looking for, I can't help but google "milk glass" and ogle all the pretties that come up in my image search...

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Milk glass vases are the perfect combination of pretty-on-their-own and simple-enough-not-to-compete-with flower-prettiness.

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While I'm sure this intricate pedestal bowl was meant for a higher purpose, I can't think of a more sophisticated way to keep track of my key's and the nugget's leash.

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This may be the front runner for my bathroom catch-all. It would also be so pretty as a kitchen catch-all for dish soap, scrubbies, and rings for when you are washing those hard-to-clean pots and pans.

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I feel like I'm ODing on green milky beautifulness. Stop it.

I think my favorite milk glass pieces are either the colored ones or the hobnail (bumpy) pieces...or hobnail colored pieces! (gasp!) Anyone else out there share this milk glass love?

xoxo,

E

Homemade Frame

I've had a pretty hand-painted picture from Prague (holy alliteration, Batman!) since I studied abroad one summer a few years ago, but hadn't displayed it until now. Why? Because apparently street artists in Prague don't necessarily create their pieces on standard frame-sized paper. It has traveled with me through four moves and now finally has found its resting place.

I created a "frame" from a piece of wood leftover from my jewelry organizer project. Other supplies I used: acrylic paint, spray adhesive, clear gloss spray paint, and eye hooks.

 I painted the edges navy blue first, which, in hindsight I should've done last. It made covering the little bit of blue that made it on to the front of the wood hard to cover with the tangerine color.

 I painted about three coats of a bright tangerine color (really thick on the edges to cover the navy) to get an opaque look.

 Here it is drying on my balcony after attaching the painting with spray adhesive and sealing the whole thing with clear gloss spray paint. Don't you love the painting? I think the orange paint makes the blues, greens, and grays really pop.

 I attached two eye hooks to the piece of wood to help with hanging.

Finished product (not hung yet; I need to get some navy ribbon first!)...and yes I know it's a little off-center, the result of some over-zealous spray adhesive-ing.

I think I'm going to hang this picture in my bathroom to give the space a pop of color.

I hope you're having a happy week!

xoxo,

E

Collector's Items

I have a love/hate relationship with collections. I love the idea of collecting little things over time, and I love the way things look in a place when they are displayed creatively. However, when I think of collections, my mind also tends to go to kitschy shelves of porcelain cats in a grandmother's dusty formal living room. So when I began looking at sweet vintage brass animals, I knew I was walking a fine line. But when you find a little bird wearing a crown, how can you not want to create a collection around him?

According to the description, he's cast iron gold (maybe spray painted?), not brass, but he is adorable. He's also on his way to my apartment as we speak, and I'm excited to find a place for him.

I also love these little guys (who are not on their way to my apartment--not quite ready to make the full-fledged collection plunge yet). I would just need a way to display them in a way that says "Look at my cool and interesting little brass animals, don't they make me also cool and interesting?" rather than "Look at my weird collection, I should get out more."

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It's really the story that surrounds the objects that makes a collection interesting. I have a small collection of street art that I gathered while studying in various places in Europe during college, and each one makes me smile when I think of the experiences I had there. With that said, I realize snatching up every brass animal does not a collection make. So, for now, I'll be happy with my little crowned bird.

How do you display collections without it looking like you're a great aunt that collects plates with pictures of ducks on them?

xoxo,

E

DIY Ombre Art

I've been hanging art for the last couple of days, but couldn't decide on anything for above my bed. I used to have a wicker headboard that matched my bedside tables, but it wouldn't fit in my car during a move in Nashville, so it got left behind. Ever since, the space above my bed has seemed really empty. 

After seeing this tutorial, I knew that I had found my answer. Easy, cheap, big art that would make an impact...right up my alley! The painting in the tutorial is hot pink, but my bedroom called for a more subdued color. I chose an inky navy blue (and painted my lamps the same color) and just kept adding white to the paint for each step.

Final product...iPhone camera is not really doing it justice; I love looking at it when I walk in my room!

The entire project took about 10 minutes and was less than $30...talk about bang for your buck! Happy hump day!

xoxo,

E

Linking up at Hi Sugarplum! (love her blog!):

Check out all the "In About an Hour" Projects!

The Impulse to Schush

Now that I'm almost settled in to my new apartment (only several piles of random clutter, instead of dozens), I'm battling the impulse to schush. I wish I could spell "schush" better, but since I don't think it's an actual word, that's the best I can do. It's not pronounced like "shush", maybe that helps? It's the impulse that lovers of design and pretty things have to keep adding design and pretty things to a space. At least I hope other people have this impulse, otherwise I may have some sort of schush-ing condition.

Here's my situation:

The paint in my whole apartment is the same beige color. I actually like it, but the kitchen paint is semi-gloss, while the rest of the place is flat. The maintenance guy said it's easier to wipe down (nice for a kitchen). Since the kitchen is open to the dining space, it looks like it goes from one color to another, somewhat awkwardly:

I find myself glaring looking at it sometimes, wondering what could minimize the look. Then, I found some decal-type backsplash stickers that could maybe do the trick:

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What do you think? Would it look too sticker-y? I would stop it right where the paint finish changes, so would it just highlight the awkwardness of the finish shift? I want it to look like it was painted on, but since I'm renting, I don't want to actually paint. Should I resist my impulse to schush?

I'd love any thoughts...or just confirmation that others out there suffer from this same impulse to schush!

xoxo,

E

You Should Know...

Moving always puts me in the home decor shopping mood. Well, mood may be a slight understatement. I've been stalking design and DIY blogs and websites for months and now have enough stuff on my wish list to fill several houses for several thousand dollars. What can I say, I've got expensive good taste. Unfortunately, given that I don't receive my first paycheck from my new school for a month and a half (hello, Cup of Noodles), most of my dream projects and buys will have to be put on hold for the time being.

BUT, a girl can dream, right? Which is why I just HAVE to share the website shop Furbish. They have home stuff, furniture, vintage stuff, and jewelry. I seriously spent an hour and a half on this site last night after stumbling upon it...and...I want it all. Here are just a few finds that are just a little too fabulous:

Barclay Butera Seaside Tray

Love this for cocktail hour on the porch.

Bijou Bright Antler Set

While I'm not a hunter, I'm loving this rustic-with-a-wink look for a little bit of country in the city.

Caneel Bay Bar Cart

A classic piece with a color that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Brass Side Table

My jaw literally dropped when I saw this amazing piece. It's listed under the "one-of-a-kind" section on the site. I'll say.

Mint Drop Earrings

These would be the perfect touch to sweeten up a look.

I think what I love most about all these pieces is that they look like they could all be found in the back corner of a thrift or vintage store. They have the look of being a "find" without having to dig through sometimes allergy-inducing vintage stores. I'll take one of each please!

xoxo,

E