skirt dress

Right now, I am particularly enamored with long, flowing maxi dresses... however, not like this one (which I do still love). Instead, I find myself dreaming of a more voluminous maxi dress. While one of these dresses is atop my shopping radar, (I'm taking a long over due vintaging field trip this weekend) Wednesday morning I did not have said dress in my closet so I had to make do. The "dress" I am wearing is actually this skirt! I used a piece of black ribbon to cinch the waist and layered my cropped Alexander McQueen blazer on top for work. While this make shift dress may not be exactly like the floor gazing style I currently pine for, it did allow me to show off my Christian Siriano caged sandals. Not too shabby :)

  

DIY: Flower Belt

The Inspiration:

Ann Taylor Loft 

My Version:

Oh, how I do love a belted cardigan!  I knew immediately when I saw the above picture from Ann Taylor Loft that I would need to recreate that flower belt somehow.  This little belt got me loads of compliments and was super easy to put together.  Literally, I got ready in minutes this morning and you can do it too (keep reading to find out how)! In fact, you probably already have everything you need in your own closet. If not, don't worry, flower accessories are big right now and can be found just about anywhere. I got my black flower pin on clearance at Kohl's for less than $3! 

Needed Essentials:

• Belt that has openings to attach a pin, such as a braided belt (like what I'm wearing) 
• Flower pin or hair bow, or fabric flower from an arts & crafts store
• Safety pin (if using hair bow or fabric flower)

How To:

1. After dressing, put on your belt the way you want to wear it for the day
2. Adjust the belt buckle so that it is either to the right or left of the center of your body
3. Secure your flower to your belt so that it is covering up the belt's buckle
4. Wear all day and receive lots of compliments! 

Now, you know...  Happy Monday!

PS - Lady Gaga pics and concert details coming shortly. Still trying to recover from the most amazing weekend ever!

DIY: Wing Chair

1. Chelsea Wing Chair in Large Scale Ikat, Cobblestone, Williams Sonoma Home
2. Hibiscus Wing Chair, Pier 1
3. Emery Wingback Armchair in Gabrielle Jacquard, Clementine Orange, Pottery Barn
4. Paisley Loveseat, Pier 1
5. Chelsea Wing Chair in Zebra Herringbone, Graphite, Williams Sonoma Home
6. Josef Wingback Chair in Pink Shell, Anthropologie 

Okay, so I'm going to switch gears into domestic mode for a second! You know every now and then I get on a decorating kick... this one resulted in a beautiful green side table! Well, now I'm looking to add some additional seating to our living room and I am in love with the look of a wing chair in funky prints and/or bright colors. Number 4 shown above is particularly great because it could seat 2. In fact, I would be very content with any of the above in my living room, but since I'm not looking to spend $500-$1000 on a chair right now this is going to become a DIY project. Yes, ladies and gents, I'm going to try tackling an upholstery project. My inspiration came this weekend while at my fav local thrift store. I found the perfect wing chair (well, perfect except for the fabric) for $25. Stay tuned to see how it turns out...

DIY: Painted Furniture

Image: Pottery Barn

Every now and then, I get a project on the brain and I just can't seem to shake it loose.  So, I do the only thing I know how to do: I Google said project, study up on the best recommended process and then, I go do it!  This week, my project is going to involve painting furniture.  You see, I have noticed that most of the rooms in our house tend to be a little lop-sided.  We have one side table in our living room, one side table in our bedroom, one filing cabinet in our office to the right of our computer desk, and one side table in our guest bedroom (notice the trend yet?).  Well, the lop-sidedness in at least one room of this house will cease to exist after this week.  I found an old side table in our basement the other day that I had resisted putting upstairs because of its visible wear and tear.  However, with just a few coats of paint, I'm sure this side table will join the rest of our living space quite nicely.  I'll post the end results after I'm done, but for now here's a little of my Googling inspiration.

I love this media stand!

Paint pens... what a great idea!

Image: Pottery Barn

I'm from the South... I will always be a fan of monogramming

Image: Pottery Barn

I love the combination of the light blue color of

this chest with the slightly darker color lining the edges

I'm pretty sure lampshades are considered accents, not furniture,

but I still like the look of these painted lampshades. 

I think I feel a new project coming on...

And, while I'm at it...

Yes! I'll take this closet please! I'm sure you can easily spot what I love most about this room :)