Shop to Love: Olive Manna

Hello bloggy friends!  I’m so sorry for my absence – life has been so amazingly FULL lately that I’ve had to let a few things fall to the wayside.   Regular blog posting being one of them.  I’ll try to be back a little more often this fall, but with the arrival of baby Sones fast approaching – I’m not making any promises:)  In the meantime –  I wanted to share some soothing eye candy with you this Tuesday.

A shop I’ve long adored – but recently rediscovered, Olive Manna, is proving to be a great site for nursery inspiration!  After spying this nursery nook on ohdeedoh, I immediately hopped over to Olive Manna’s shop to track down some must-have supplies.

A few of my current obsessions are shown here – don’t you think they’d make the perfect finishing touches for a nursery?  Soothing for baby and mom…

I’m off to place an order pronto!

rooms that make you go hmmmm…

I’m loving the bit of whimsy in each of these rooms.  The unexpected details that tell you they don’t take themselves too seriously…

via Kishani Perera

via House to Home

via House and Home

I’m craving a bit of whimsy in my home…what will it be?

gaga for gawker.

Come close.  I’m about to share with you the most inspiring time-sucker I am currently obsessing over.  Have you been to the wonderful gawker family of sites yet?  If not, click fast my friends and find your new obsession. It’s a never ending stream of the most beautiful food/ crafts/ spaces and weddings all presented for you to sort, hunt and gaze your way through.

Foodgawker

Craftgawker

Dwellinggawker

Weddinggawker

Gawk away my friends…

Interior Inspiration: Home for the Holidays

via Living Etc.

Tomorrow is the first official day of December.  And I am guessing that means that many of you have already begun to decorate your homes for the holidays.  Who am I kidding, many of you have probably already finished, right?  via House to Home

Me?  Nope.  Didn’t quite get to that yet.  Nevermind that I’m not even sure where my one measly box of decorations ended up in the move.  I’m sure it will turn up sooner or later…right around December 26th.

via Sweet Paul

Here’s to hoping these little interiors will inspire me in BIG way to get my act in gear!  This year, I’m loving  a simple color palette.  Like this blue + green beauty below – or the soft neutrals above.  I think keeping it to one color really elevates the look, don’t you?

viaRue Magazine

And I’m also loving this simple table setting – perfect for a quick Christmas cocktail party or maybe a brunch which I’m just itching to host!

via Home Life

Happy decorating!!

 

 

our house is becoming a home….

Can you believe the holidays are almost here?   Seriously, where did the year go?  Just in time for a few guests – we finally decided to actually hang some art.  In our dining room, we have this great little area to display a random collection.

Some photographs and collages by me, a painting of Chicago by a friend, a couple of postcards collected from my travels and a giant S to remind me of my last name as my husband likes to joke.

It’s the perfect set up for me – who tends to be a commitment phobe about actually hanging things on the wall.  When the mood strikes, I can quickly change out photos or shadow boxes to fit the occasion.  And we can add pieces in as we find them.

We also hung a series of palladium prints in our hallway and I love the way it looks.  The prints were a gift from my super talented photographer friend Thom Jackson, and were shot on location of shoots we were on together in the past few years.

I think the tepee is my favorite, but the three together is simply stunning.

One thing I love about this house is that it has lights just for our artwork…and it had three in the hall, the perfect home for this little trio.

That simple task of getting some things on the wall makes this house feel so much more like we.  just.  might.   stay.  At least for a couple of years:)

DIY: Yarn Wrapped Branch

I spent much of the past weekend getting my house guest ready for the holidays…hanging pictures, getting rid of clutter we had accumulated and a touch of decorating.

I had picked up this branch on my fall trip to Broken Bow and couldn’t decide what I was going to use it for.  Until I ran across some gold yarn I had picked up for a crewel project that’s still unfinished. So I thought – quick, easy DIY.  So easy in fact, I’m a bit embarrassed to post directions…but anywho.  Any branch or yarn would work – one without the pinecones would be a bit easier, and just as pretty.  I picked the crewel yarn for it’s color, and also for it’s texture – it’s a bit more lofty than other yarns, so has a nice cozy feel – perfect for fall. I’ve seen other variations online that mix several colors of yarn, but for me – I prefer the modern look of one bold color.

To start, I secured one end of the yarn to the branch with some heavy duty tape…which gets wrapped over and over, so it’s never seen.  I would have preferred hot glue, but my gun bit the dust on my last craft project and I’ve yet to replace it.

I tried a variety of wrapping techniques…starting out using a single thread and wrapping many times around.  But as I got going, I experimented with using two sets of two threads to cover more area a bit more quickly.  To end each section, I would simply knot the ends and cut them off as close as possible.

Some sections I double wrapped, which went a bit slower than the above, but was easier to maneuver.  To start, I would use a slip knot so the yarn stayed in place…this was a helpful way to also hide the knots.

Don’t worry if bits of the bark fall off, I lost quite a bit – but in the end you will never miss them!

And done!  I left the tips exposed because I liked the juxtaposition of the bark and yarn, but feel free to end yours wherever you feel!  A quick, inexpensive, cute holiday home project.

Happy (feather) Friday!

Feathered Dinner No. 13 –  Villareal Ceramics

I’m looking forward to a weekend of feathering our nest.
Captured Plume Ornament Set – Anthropologie

Hanging pictures, rearranging furniture and making our home more homey.
Ceramic Feather Tray – Alexander’s

Hope that you all have a wonderful weekend planned!
xoxo,
Jill

Object Round-Up: Table Setting

Felt Place Mats via Canvas

There’s nothing I love more about the holiday season than to gather with friends and family around a well-set table to enjoy a home cooked meal.

Nubby Placemats via Pottery Barn

I plan my setting and pieces out way in advance to make sure I have everything just right.  To me, the planning of the decor, menu and night is just as fun as the actual meal itself.  I know…design dork, right?

Dwell Placemat + Napkin via Design Public

Anyway – I haven’t done enough of this entertaining this year – but now that the holidays are upon us, I’m getting my plans together for a couple of get-togethers. I can’t wait to mix and match my favorite serving pieces, and mix in some new loves as well.

Roost Lace Placemat via Design Public

Table linens are a great way to dress up your table in a flash…small touches that really pull the whole look together.  I’m not personally a fan of over-the-top holiday decor and tend to favor neutral colors in rich textures, that I can use again and again – no matter the occasion.  And this year there is no shortage of amazing pieces to update my look!

Owl Placemat via Velocity Art and Design

For a bit of fun, I love this placemat to color from Modern Twist…the perfect distraction for the kids or kid-like during dinner.

Cork Placemat via West Elm

I also love the idea of personalizing some of these neutral pieces with a stencil…this cork would be perfect with a stenciled metallic letter, shape or number.  See inspiration and instructions here if you’re feeling crafty!

Annah Ruby Tablecloth via Crate and Barrel

And although I usually stick to neutrals, this bold stripe is pretty fab.  I can see it with dark grey dishes and metallic accents…which for me means more shopping:)

Chilewich Placemats via Sur la Table

Chilewich has loads of amazing placemats and runners that I think would be fun to mix-and-match to create your own signature table style.  The weave and croco are two of my favorites!

Porter Silver Tablecloth via All Modern

A subtle silver stripe would play off metallic table accents perfectly…

Feather Placemat via Jayson Home and Garden

I’m totally loving the feathers this season…though, not quite sure how I feel about it being so close to my food.  Maybe I’ll stick to underneath the centerpiece for my touch of feather!

Twig Placemat via At West End

Wood Placemats via Plush Pod

And last but not least, a couple of wood styles that would add the perfect rustic touch to any modern table.

Do you have a signature table setting style or one your itching to test out this year?

 

 

I’m thinking: Party Garland

via Twig and Thistle

My best friend sent me a text over the weekend exlaiming – “you have to have a holiday party, i’ll help!”

via Kristina Marie

And it was all the motivation I needed to start thinking of festive decor that would look perfect in my home.

via Once Wed

I’ve been waiting and waiting for the perfect excuse to make and string my own garland all over the place…so even though the dates not set, I definitely feel a party coming on.

via Martha Stewart

Stay tuned as I put the rest of the planning details together here on this space over the next couple of months!

Etsy Finds: Leaf Love

via Beth Cyr Weddings

Can you tell fall is in the air here in Dallas, Texas?  It’s all I can talk about this week it seems.  Today, I’m headed to a cabin in southeastern Oklahoma for a bit of downtime.

via T Capone Photo

I’m looking forward to seeing the beautiful fall foliage and the crisp night air.  I promise to return with pictures next week…in the meantime, enjoy these fall inspired beauties!

via Bag of Tags

via Jersey 608

via Priss Designs

via Dancing Mooney

via Artful Vintage

via Vintage Hill Creations