Fabulous Interior Design

I love visiting the Design Sponge blog - there is always so much to see and soak in! There is a contest going on right now - Design Sponge is giving away an eames style modernica rocker for the finalist with the most votes! Readers sent in pictures of where they would put the rocker chair, and it was narrowed down to 18 contestants, and you can go in and vote for your favorite! It was so hard to pick just one, because there were a lot of great ones! I have my favorite picks below, but you can check out all the finalistshere and vote for your favorite.

I was also looking through Design Sponge's archives and found some great inspirations and beautiful designs...(**sigh**).

designer: pancake and franks

aboriginal art

designer: samira gagne

designer: orange beautiful

designer: jezebel

designer: om home

The following are pictures taken by photographer Roger Davies of beautiful designs. You can view the original post on the blog desire to inspire.

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

How To Wear a Boxy Top with a Pencil Skirt

I love this look. Lucky magazine put together a how-to guide on how to pull this look off. 

Putting it together:

The skirt's hem should just skim the bottom of the kneecap. To balance the longer length, pick a curve-hugging cut; woven fabrics will work well here.
Choose a top that's structured, slightly roomy through the body, and hits at the hip; short or three-quarter sleeves keep the proportions right.
For the most flattering look, definitely opt for heels. And since the feel of this outfit is so pared-down, go for simple, architectural jewelry, like a cuff and hoop earrings.

How to pack for a weekend trip

The first time I had to pack for a week-long trip was when I was twelve years old. I was going to an All-girls' camp for five days, and ended up packing practically my entire room because it was my first time away from home for so long. My luggage weighed a ton and I could barely carry it to my cabin. I never even used over half of the stuff that I packed and learned that I only really needed a few things for a week at camp. So every year after that, I only packed the necessities - lesson learned!

I always try not to pack too much when I go anywhere. Here are some great tips fromMarie Claire on how to pack for a weekend trip.

Bigger Isn't Better
If you start with a giant, empty suitcase, you will fill it up! Pick a small overnight bag and trim your "essentials" down until you can fit everything in it.

Consider Your Itinerary
Think about what you plan to do on the trip, and pack only for those activities you're sure will happen. If you're honest with yourself about, say, not working out while you're away, you'll save a ton of space on sneakers and exercise wear.

Keep It Simple
Stick to one or two color schemes so that everything you pack can be mixed and matched. Think blacks, whites, and neutrals, with bright colors for layering pieces

Go Top-Heavy
Bring more tops than bottoms. They don't weigh as much--plus, pants and skirts can be worn a few times, but you usually can't re-wear shirts because of the sweat factor.

Map It Out 
Lay each outfit on your bed so you can see how everything works. Then roll each look together (sans the shoes, of course): Clothes are less likely to wrinkle this way, and every ensemble is ready to go when you get dressed. Be sure to wear your heaviest shoes while traveling -- that way, you don't have to pack them!

Bottom Line
Pack necessities. Anything else you buy along the way will be a fun souvenir of your trip

Random favorites

I will be out of town for next 4 days so I will not be posting anything new until I get back. This will my last post this week :(. I haven't been blogging for as long as a lot you out there, but I have become so hooked and I love it! I have enjoyed all the people that I've met so far in the blogging world. I'm always thinking about what I'm going to blog about next, and I take random notes if I think of something "blog-worthy". So this post is pretty much a post of random things and pictures that inspired me to get a little creative. Thank you for reading my blog!


Celebrity Style
I Love Gwen's look! She always looks fabulous - I love her unique wild, yet lady like prints and funky accessories. I read in one of her interviews that she sometimes gets inspiration for how she dresses from seeing what her fans wear. I also want her abs. Even post-baby Kingston she looks great.







Her signature look is her red lipstick and wearing animal prints. But the look that I love from her is her coiled-quiff updo.



To get Gwen's coiled updo:

from HelloMagazine:

Leaving a large section free at the front, pull hair tightly back into a pony tail or chignon and spray liberally with hairspray, using the edge of a bristle brush to smooth hair flat at the sides.
Wind the free section around a large Velcro roller and apply heat from a dryer to set, before leaving to cool. Coat with hairspray while the roller is in place.
Carefully unwind, leaving hair to keep its shape, and backcomb with a fine-toothed comb on the underside – right from the roots to build height.
Curve hair around fingers into a coil, using plenty of hairspray as you shape and gripping the outside of the coil into place at the scalp.
Tip: Use the tips of the fine-tooth comb to smooth over the surface of the coil, then smooth finally with fingertips wet with hairspray.
Here's another link with steps on how to get Gwen's updo:
http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip21106.htm


Kitchen & Dining inspirations:
Great design & decor from dominomag.com. These are actual people's dining rooms and kitchens, not just props.

European inspired kitchen

I love the wall color in this dining room and how the blue candle holders stand out.

Breakfast at Tiffany's inspired dining room

I love this whole look.

Halloween Inspirations

Fun and easy Halloween ideas from marthastewart.com.

Witches curtain

Lay a heavy-duty black garbage bag flat on a work surface, open end toward you. With scissors, cut 1 1/2-inch vertical strips from the bottom, stopping a few inches from the top. Cut open one side seam, then unfold bag. Use masking tape or tacks to hang. Then, with hands a few inches apart, grasp each strand and pull; stretch strands in several places for a decrepit effect.



Eyeball soup

A bowl of hot tomato soup will leave you cold if it stares back.
To make "eyeballs," scoop the centers from mini mozzarella balls, and fill them with sliced pimiento-stuffed olives. For the bug crawling along the edge of the bowl, use a toothpick to prick holes in a pitted Kalamata olive; then stick in rosemary sprigs for legs and snipped chives for antennae.


What I want to eat right now

yum - a triple layer chocolate mousse cake....

More Houndstooth Love

Other great houndstooth patterned things I found online that are oh so cute.

My New Houndstooth suitcase

I bought a new carry-on suitcase today – in houndstooth! I was so excited to see this by chance at Marshalls this evening and it was so cute I had to have it. Houndstooth is my latest obsession. I’m going out of town this weekend and I have always wanted a suitcase that is NOT black. Here is a picture I found online of the exact suitcase I bought (the inside is a great shade of green):

Liz Clairbone carry-on