Great Evening Coats

I always have a hard time choosing a great evening coat. Lucky magazine did a great spread on coats that look great over a dress and for a night out.

These are some great coats that I loved from their picks:

I love the tiny ruffles at the chest and the waist. Tweed, $124, Soundgirl, karmaloop.com

Subtle and ladylike, with gold buttons and a sweeping silhouette.
Wool blend, $572, Lauren Moffatt, shopbop.com

Wear silver instead of nuetrals. 
Wool blend, $527, rebeccataylor.com

The full, pleated shawl collar is a dramatic flourish.
Wool blend, $676, Development, shopbop.com

A brilliant update of the classic trench, in the chicest heather gray.
Cotton blend "Casino," $188, frenchconnection.com

Quintessentially ladylike—but with a shape that recalls the tough lines of a motorcycle jacket.
Wool, $670, Mayle, shopzoeonline.com

A small space can be a great place

I was watching a new local Home Show on TPT, I can’t remember what it was called now, but it was about a couple from the Twin Cities who wanted to build an environmentally friendly home. They spent a lot of time talking to architects and experts on sustainability, and over and over again, advice from experts emphasized that one of the best ways to build an energy-efficient, earth-friendly home is to build a smaller home. The couple decided to build a large home anyways, using sustainable building materials, but I think that is a great point. The smaller a space is the less energy it will need. My husband and I live in a modest size townhouse: 1000 sq ft. Loft-style, vaulted ceiling, two bedrooms, one bathroom, laundry room, two-car garage, and a four-season porch. Sometimes I long for another bathroom, another bedroom that I can turn into an office, a bigger kitchen, an actual dining room, and a walk-in closet. Sometimes I love it, because it means only one bathroom to clean, and I am less tempted to buy things because I do not have the space for it. My best secrets (and not so secret) for keeping everything under control are floor to ceiling bookcases, lots of shelving, and lots and lots of containers and baskets to hold everything.

Dwell magazine did a spread in their May issue about a California couple and their 426 sq ft San Diego downtown loft. They created unique storage solutions and maximized as much space as possible.

This is their kitchen - smaller appliances, shelves galore - and unique storage for extra chairs.

Here is a close-up of all their kitchen goodies neatly organized and stacked on shelves maximizing as much space as possible.

I love this idea - a floor to ceiling shelving unit which they use as storage & a closet!Can you imagine???

Here are some great pics & organizational tips from Dominomag.com & Marthastewart.com:

Hang pots and pans in a small kitchen.

This is a garage that has been turned into a home office! Doesn't it look great?

Use shorter walls as a divider to create different rooms.

Not a fan of the pinkness here, but having a desk in a closet is a great space saver. When not using it, you can close the door and keep it out of sight.

A super-organized medicine cabinet. Use shelving to maximize the space in this small area, and containers to keep things organized.

Bookshelves can be a lifesaver. I love how no space is wasted. 

I like for my storage containers to be attractive and functional. I love to shop for all things organization from Ikeaand the Container Store. Read my post about my shoe organization project using shoe organizers from Ikea. Here are some of my favorite storage containers:

Baroque fabric boxes from the Container Store 

Canvas boxes from the Container Store 

Portofino storage boxes from the Container Store 

Hamper from Pier1

Metal tins from the Container Store

A beautiful sight

I love beautiful packaging...I am so drawn to something that is beautifully packaged, especially bath & body products. I would love to just have these on display on a shelf so I can look at them...(sigh)

Products from Thymes.com

Rain, Rain, Rain

I love the rain if I do not have to go outside and drive around in it. I spent yesterday sitting in my four-season so that I could hear the pitter-patter of the rain and wished I was a great writer like Emily Dickinson or Sylvia Plath (without the whole going crazy part), writing a novel or a poem. Instead, I settled for browsing the web. For when I do actually go outside, I love an absolutely fun pair of rain boots to wear over my pants so that the bottom of my pants don’t get wet (one of my biggest pet peeves), and an umbrella that is NOT black. Everyone has a black umbrella, just like how everyone has a black suitcase. I want mine to be different! So I carry a Chinese-print vintage-y umbrella I found at a flea market – there’s none other like it.

There’s a ton of cute rain boots out there now – I especially love the Burberry plaid (huge Burberry fan, here!).

Burberry rain boots -mmmm

Burberry logo plate rain boots

Kate Spade rain boots

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Sperry Top-sider rain boots

Here are some really cute and unique umbrellas from Tray6.

Love to Shop and Dream of Saving the World?

If you’re like me and love to shop, and then sometimes feel a teensy bit guilty afterwards, there are a lot of companies out there that are now partnering with charitable and notable causes to donate portions of their proceeds to those causes. This month is Breast Cancer Awareness, so you’ve probably heard a lot of the “Think Pink” products, its everywhere! I think it’s fabulous that there are so many companies partnering with Breast Cancer Research. Before I buy something with a pink ribbon, I look at how much money actually goes to the cause, what breast cancer organization the money goes to, and what types of programs it supports.

Clinique moisterizer - $10.00 from your purchase helps support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s quest to find a cure.

Splendid Camo tank from Intermixonline - 25% of the proceeds of each sale will be donated to BCRF

Pink Carousel Cakes - zero trans fat! $3.00 from the sale of these cakes will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime by funding clinical and genetic research worldwide.

KitchenAid Pink mixer - $50 from each mixer purchased will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.www.cooking.com

Cashmere intimates from whiteandwarren.com which supports Women At Risk (WAR), a charitable organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of women at high risk for and with breast cancer through research, education and support.

ThinkPink from RedEnvelope.com. Pink cocktail ring, pink leather jewelry box, and live,love,laugh charm necklace. 10% of proceeds go to The Entertainment industry foundation’s Women’s cancer research fund.

If you just want to give time or money to any cause you are passionate about - a great place is President Clinton’s global initiative mycommitment.org. You can make a commitment to a cause either by donating money or time and also connect with other people who share the same passion.
Another great organizion to give is the Unitedway.org where you can make a difference in your own community. 
And I absolutely love Kiva.org – it’s an organization where you can lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world- empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.
What is your favorite local or non-local charity? Share your favorite places to shop for a good cause! : )

Shabby Chic Life

I love the Shabby Chic look from Rachel Ashwell. Actually, I think I picked up my very first book from her when I was 15 because I love thrift store and flea markets finds so much! Now she has a whole collection of furniture and home decor to make it look like you bought them from the flea market! I probably wouldn't decorate my whole house to look like this - its a little too much and my husband probably couldn't stand it (he likes the modern look - so we compromise), but I would love to have a dedicated room to looke delicate, feminine and pretty with some of these furnishings...

**all pictures are from shabbychic.com