wonderfully made: Accessories
Showing posts with label Accessories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Accessories. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Trickery and Target

First I just want to recognize that while I'm so happy that my fave bloggers (Young House Love) are enjoying some vacay time in Destin, I am already missing their in-depth, consistent blog posts! Come back sooooon!!!

Mark hoodwinked me into another trip to the house last night. We went to look at a craigslist fridge ($300 and in good condition, score!) that happened to be just 2 miles from our house, so we swung by to pick up/drop off a few things. Turns out Mark had plans to continue the work on the trim when all the while I was looking forward to a night off watching trashy TV (of the Real Housewives/Bachelorette variety). So we stayed at the house for about an hour and a half and I took advantage of some Instagram worthy photo ops, seen below.

Here's Mark multi-tasking talking on the phone and trying to pry the old trim off the wall.

I also realized I didn't have any pics of Motley in the backyard, so I snapped a few (dozen).

crazy dog!

We had thrown a couple boxes of stuff in the car so I did my best unloading those and straightening up the aftermath of the weekend, and then I mostly relaxed in our $5 outdoor chair from Wal-Mart and pitched in on the trim when Mark needed my help. I also snapped these photos of some new bedding I snagged at Target yesterday that I'm WAY too excited about:



We aren't really planning on completely overhauling our furnishings for this house due to our lack of lottery winnings, but we do need some new bedding so I picked up the most cost effective white duvet cover I could find. There is just something about a white bed I have always loved. Plus, with a backyard, we now plan to NOT let Motley sleep with us, so this might last more than a week without needing to be washed. 

I also got this fun but muted orange and taupe herringbone 'organic' blanket to go at the bottom of our bed for some color. I've been a little into orange lately but don't want to go crazy and paint any walls that I might regret later, so I'm happy to satisfy my orange cravings with this throw. I think it will look super sharp against the white duvet and dark grey walls. Can't wait to start putting it all together!

After cruising around the aisles at target, I came across a few things that I would love to use in my house and things that are just good design in general. I decided to document these items so I could remember them later, and then I figured I would share them with you guys! This may be the beginning of a "Target Tuesday" post, but lets see if I make it to next week before I declare that.



Nate Berkus is all over Target right now and most of his items are pretty spot on with trends of the moment. I love these chevron/herringbone patterned sheets, especially the neutral. I'm not sure I would use the orange anywhere except a super neutral room, but I like how fun they are!

These side tables are exactly what I would want for our room. We don't have any proper side tables as of yet, but I'll have my eyes on these (or some like it) when the time comes. The footprint isn't too bulky yet there is plenty of table top space and the drawer always comes in handy. I just wish they had them in other colors!

Have you found anything fun at Target lately? Do you get sucked in like I do and roam the aisles or end up spending more than you had in mind? 







Thursday, July 25, 2013

It's the little things...

Happy Thursday! First off: I've had some friends and family say that they are having trouble commenting on the blog. I know that it's not impossible because some of you have been able to comment, so the only solution I've found so far is to enable your 3rd party cookies in your internet settings. Try that, test it out, and let me know if you still can't comment! Sorry for the trouble!

Today I want to chat a little about shopping. I'm a girl, I like shopping and talking about shopping, what can I say?! I've given you our big picture ideas for the house, but I want to get into the details today and talk about accessories. I feel like accessories totally make the look whether dressing yourself or dressing up your home. Young House Love, the blog that led me to create this one, is a wealth of accessory knowledge. Sherry, the better half of the husband-wife team, is obsessed with ceramic animals. Check out some from her collection:

rhino-from-zgallerie-ceramic-animal-nate-berkus1ceramicdogimg_9719

While I'm totally there with her on the ceramic animal obsession, I can't say that I am THAT obsessed. I love the ceramic dog and horse head. I have two ceramic elephants and two ceramic birds that say "mark" and "diana" (they were supposed to be our cake toppers but got lost in the chaos), but that about does it for my collection! Either way, ceramic animals are a fun, ever-classic way to add a personal touch to your home.

Another thing I love are throws and blankets. My parents kept their house cold in the winter and I would ALWAYS need a blanket when downstairs watching TV while living with them. I love having them draped across chairs and couches in my house or tucked away in baskets, ready to grab when it gets chilly. I think the right blanket makes a home feel cozy and warm. Here are a few I like:

SpectraThrowBlue40x70F13

MarleyThrowYlw40x70F13
via 



Another obsession Sherry and I share is our love of pillows. OMG pillows! I think all men despise pillows, as Mark has proved by his weekly pillow complaints: "why do we have all of these?" Sherry writes about cheap ways to freshen up a space, and there's no surprise that adding pillows is number five. Here is the post. I'm obsessed! Here are some fun pillows that I would love to add to my home:

Lovely color combinations-Scales Pillow.
Firenze Velvet Tassel Pillow #anthropologie


Aside from pillows, throws, and ceramic animals, I like to decorate with candles, magazines, books, pictures, flowers(favorite!), and meaningful objects. For example, Mark and I bought some postcards in Kauai on our honeymoon and they are in hanging in our bathroom. I just love seeing them in there every morning and it's something I want to make into our own tradition. I also like bringing natural wood in when it isn't already prevalent in the architecture of the home. I think natural wood accents bring more warmth into the home. I have wood shelves, picture frames, and kitchen items that help me with that. Here are some examples of what I mean:

White, blue and natural wood accents

gorgeous swedish kitchen - lots of white with natural / wood accents

Den colors- soft blue, burnt orange, gold, and white/ natural wood accents

As I said, I feel accessories make the space. How boring would that space above be without pillows, throws, art, and objects? Snooze. I like to find knick knacks and HomeGoods and Target, but you can pick them up almost anywhere. Boutiques have unique items and there is always a treasure waiting at Goodwill or thrift stores, garage sales, and the like. Just keep your eyes open! My advice is to stay away from the trendy items but go for something that speaks to you and carries some sort of meaning, or is something that you just really love and can mix and match throughout your home for years to come. 

I hope to get some photos of our current apartment before we start packing up to show you more of my style and show you how I make a house a home. Stay tuned for that!

If you have a place that you like to find accessories, share it with me!


Update: Can I just say how honored I feel with Sherry's response and the fact that she read my post?!!??!!! eeeek!!!! (ignore my lame sounding comment on their post!)