Valentines, Galentines!

Hello!! It has been ridiculously long since my last post, and since then I have gotten married! This winter has been such a whirlwind but I can't wait to share all the details of our amazing wedding with you. Things have been so crazy recently, but in a really good way, a really great way actually! I was talking to one of my best friends on the phone yesterday about what was going on in our lives, stress about jobs, "real world" fears, and we suddenly, at the same moment, had the realization that it was all stuff we should be excited about, not stressed about! We are only in our early 20's for so long and life is too short to be negative.

That being said, one of my most favorite holidays is coming up-- Valentine's Day! I am so thankful for my sweet husband, family friends and Valentine's day is such a happy day to take time and show love!

Case in point, I am coordinating my Valentine's socks with my Valentines donut this morning. 

For those of you who know me personally or have been reading my blog for awhile, you already know that I have an obsession with hearts, so when Valentine's "stuff" starts hitting stores I have to physically restrain myself from stocking up on every single heart sweater, mug, purse, sock, earring etc. out there.

So let me do your galantine's shopping for you this year with a VERY edited down list of some of my favorite treats!!

1. Heart Sunglasses 2. I Heart You Pillow 3. Fossil Coin Purse 4.Striped Key Chain 5.Heart Measuring Cups 6. Ceramic Nesting Bowls 7. Travel Mug 8. Metallic Heart Magnet Board 9. Heart Travel Duffle

Have a great weekend!!

xo,

Grace

PS: we are getting a PUPPY this weekend !! I look forward to introducing you to him soon :)

Some Ikea Favorites!

Happy Friday!! :)

Today I want to share two of my favorite items that I consider to be "Ikea Staples." I LOVE Ikea and one of my favorite activities is to go to there, grab some free coffee and a cinnamon roll (they have the BEST) and walk around the show room looking at all the clever set-ups. When we got an Ikea and I was still living in Charlotte, my mom and I would probably go once a week in the morning and do that… happy memories!

Anyway, I know lots of people do not like assembling furniture and therefore never go there, but some of their best things are in their home decor/ accessory department and require little to no assembly.

One of the best things they offer, in my opinion, is the RIBBA series of frames. They are so inexpensive for how high-end they look.  The matt quality is high and I love that they offer them in a variety of colors (although I always go for the classic white).

I have two of the 19 3/4 by 27 1/2 size ones hanging side by side and I love how they look.  I picked up some wrapping paper from Paper Source that I loved, popped it into the frames, and voilia! Very inexpensive but fun wall art.

The small sizes are great too!! I have this hanging by my desk:

I am also a big fan of the GARNITYR Box with Lid.  When you don't have a lot of storage space, plastic bins are great and all, but why keep things in ugly bins when you can store them in boxes that are actually attractive? These are SO roomy and you can really squeeze a lot into them because they are fabric and stretch a bit.  Also, they have a handy tab so you can label it and know exactly what is inside!

I have them on top of BRIMNES 3 door Wardrobe which was NOT easy to assemble (My amazing fiancé did the whole thing), but is great now that it is done! 

Do you guys have any Ikea products that you love?

Happy Weekend! Tune in this Sunday for the 3rd "Work of the Week"!

xo, 

Grace

Favorite Coffee Table Books {Currently}!

Hi guys and happy half-way through the week! Hope its been good to you so far. Today I want to share a few of my favorite coffee table books. My mom has always decorated with and collected coffee table books, so growing up I was always surrounded by the glossy pages of far away locations, beautiful art work, or cozy decorating ideas. Just like her, I love books and I love to decorate with them as well!  They are a great way to show personality in your home as they are a fantastic opportunity to showcase your interests or passions.

Here are my current favorites:

1. Hue by Kelly Wearstler // 2. Will Cotton Paintings and Works on Paper by Francine Prose // 3. Houses in My heart: Carleton Varney by Carleton Varney // 4. Contemporary Classical: The Architecture of Andrew Skurman by Andrew Skurman // 

Hue was introduced to me by a woman I used to babysit for who loved interior designer/fashion designer Kelly Wearstler's style. It definitely rubbed off on me and this is such a fun book for colorful inspiration, decorating outside the box, and looking at cool modern art. My only complaint is that I have the smaller version and I wish I had gotten the larger book so that it has more presence, but still, one of my favorites for sure.

Will Cotton by Will Cotton is like looking through dreamland. His paintings and drawings mainly feature women dressed up in all kinds of candy or cakes, or landscapes of candy-worlds. His work is seriously amazing (you may remember him from Katy Perry's teenage dream album cover/artwork). 

I purchased Houses in my Heart while on vacation with my family at the stunning Greenbrier Resort. I have always loved The Greenbrier and the way that Dorothy Draper decorated it with bright colors and fun florals (check out In the Pink: Dorothy Draper).  Carleton Varney is now the president of Dorothy Draper and Co. Inc and is active in decorating many hotels including the Greenbrier. This book has beautiful images of his bright and vibrant decorating.

Finally, Contemporary Classical was a gift from my parents and I find it very relaxing to look through. Skurman's clean lines and classic aesthetic are refreshing in a world where there is so much stimulation.  This book is fantastic for the interior decor and the architecture alike. 

What are some of your coffee table books? Have a great afternoon!!

xo, 

Grace

Wallpaper Crush!

My family and I once lived in a historic home that had been around for many many years. It was a beautiful house with lots of fun quirks, one of them being a breakfast nook with blue vinyl booths installed circa 1961.  I was a huge fan at the time, but my parents? Not so much.

One weekend we embarked on the family project of tearing out the booths (sad for me) and in the process, also de-walpapering the room.  The booths were easy to remove, the wallpaper was NOT. There were honestly about 10 layers of wallpaper, documenting every crazy trend in decorating since the turn of the century.

Even though my dad did all of the work removing the paper, ever since then I have been traumatized at the thought of installing or removing wallpaper, vowing to only be a paint girl for the rest of my days.

Recently, thanks to Pinterest, I'm starting to change my opinion about wallpaper. I love that it serves as extended art and can really set the tone for any decorating style. Here are some of my recent favorites:

1. Wild: As a huge fan of animal prints and metallics, I love this look. The great thing about this paper is that it is not too animal print-y… it almost reads as a texturized polka dot print. Either way I love it!

2. Beachy Traditional: These soft blue/grays and flowy medallion shapes are right up my alley. 

Also love the organic look of this orange/beige print 

3. Classic: What is more classic looking than a graphic black and white pattern? Loving how this paper looks framed within the moldings… like giant pieces of art!

4. Girly: Pink + White + Quatrefoil pattern = Heaven. Love the softness of the pink with the white. So relaxing!

What are your thoughts on wallpaper??

xo, 

Grace

Desk Particularities!

Happy Friday friends! I hope everyone is gearing up for a fun weekend!

While I enjoy having a clean house in general, one thing that I can't stand being cluttered is my desk. For some reason, I have to have all things "desk-y" tucked away at all times, looking as clean and crisp as possible.

This lacquered desk from Ikea definitely helps me achieve that look (can't find online, but I think is still available in stores).  I also use white lacquer boxes from The Container Store to hide away pens, stationary, bills, staples, etc. The Desk Chair I have is also from Ikea and it is super comfy- lined with memory foam!

(also doubles as my Bachelorette watching station!) 

How do you keep your desk clean??

Have a great weekend!

xo, 

Grace

Currently Coveting: Animal Print Interiors!

Hi guys and happy Friday! Woo-hoo we made it to the weekend!

As promised, here is my first Freestyle Friday post. Today, I am going to share with you what I am currently coveting in the decorating world. I am a big fan of animal prints in general, but have never really branched out into incorporating them into my personal decorating style and am feeling more and more tempted to.

When I see an animal print used in a room or in an outfit (especially cheetah or leopard) I associate it with a neutral.  For that reason, animal printed furniture and accessories are really fun to pair with prints and colors as they are overall less attention demanding than busier prints.

From accent chairs, to accent pillows, recently I just cannot get enough.

Do you love animal prints as much as I do?! Do any of you have them in your home and if so, how?

xo, 

Grace