Sunday DIY: Collage Wall

A while ago I complete a collage wall for above my couch in my living room. You see so many glamorous versions but I wanted to share an inexpensive one with you all today. I know a lot of us in our 20s and 30s may not own a house and don't want to spend that much money on decor, so this decor idea may be for you!

1. Most of my frames are from Marshalls, Home Goods and Ikea. I have looked everywhere, and these places have the best deal! I think I spent about $60-$70 total for everything... which I think is a steal. Remember, if you like a frame but not the color, spray paint is your friend!!

2. My photos are actually google image photos! You would be surprised how many photos are online and now great they look printed on a color printer. The only image that I bought was my middle piece from art.com (40% off) It's an awkward size (12x12) and my printer didn't print large photos like that.

I arranged my photos on the floor to decide what would look the best. I tried to provide symmetry with the black and white photos mixed in with the color photos. Just mix the frames around and decide what looks best for you.

Design Monday: Cubicle Decorating

I have been looking at a bunch of different ideas and ways to decorate my cube. I surfed Pinterest and Google and tried to mix and match various styles. I knew I wanted to have a white, gold and pink theme since I live with my boyfriend and I'm not allowed to decorate our home that way. (sad.. I know)

All in all, I had a bunch of the items and required quick trips to Michaels and Ikea to finish my decor Just a note: spray paint goes a long way!

I started this by buying one wooden crate and a wooden tray. I quickly spray painted those white and then repainted them with craft paint after the spray paint dried (the spray paint just didn't do the best job). I bought scrapbook paper and used wood glue to use as a backing for my crate and a lining for my tray. I ending up using a leopard piece of paper for my tray and glitter gold paper for my crate.  got the whole crate idea from an article I saw on Buzzfeed about decorating cubicles (hence my inspiration).

My mug was purchased at Anthropologie. The jars were purchased 60% off from Michaels. They ended up being about $5.00 for both the big and little jar. It originally had blue and green tops but I just ended spray painting those antique gold. I wanted to keep the gold color consistent throughout so everything matched accordingly.

The owl was also from Michaels (60% off) and cost maybe $4. The flowers were from IKEA and are in one of my empty Nest Candle Jar that I painted. The utensil holder is actually from an edible arrangement I received from a friend during my birthday. I took the gold spray paint and just went for it! I think it served its function well. The frames were from IKEA and I just found prints I liked online and printed them. A lot of the prints are Lily Pulitzer Patterns. You can really locate them through a quick google image search. The coasters were on sale for $3.95 at Anthropologie (still available) and all the candles were extra ones I had lying around my house (I got candle crazy at one point and had to replace them all to de-clutter).

Lastly, the book. I got these for $1 each when I went to my local antique consignment store on Saturday. They appear to be old law school textbooks that I took home and spray painted gold to heighten my phone (and to match my theme)

Well folks this is how I decorated my cube. It's pretty simple how a few key pieces and spray paint can do for decor purposes. It was actually very easy and cost me only $40-50 in total. On top of that, all these items can be re-used for other projects if need be. I am listing some links below to some of the items but most of these were just around my house or can be found during a quick trip to Michaels. I got these over the weekend, so I am sure a lot of these are still available.

Coasters
Monogram Mug
Spray Paint

Current Obsession: Dinner Party China

I'm currently really into dinner parties. Having friends over, having wine, a great meal and nice cup of tea to end the evening is just so delightful. I have been recently looking at some nice china to have a more authentic, adult dinner party. My boyfriend built this amazing rustic over-sized table and it's just a shame for me not to have great dinnerware to compliment. I have realized that when it says $200...I means for ONE place setting. What a blow. So I am still researching for a great bargain.

I started my hunt at Bloomingdale (basically my to go for everything and anything). They have this amazing dinnerware link where you can select a dinnerware and it will show you how it will look on a table. I just love it. However, before I commit to anything, I usually try to find the china I want elsewhere to make sure I am getting the best deal. Word of advice: paying retail is just stupid.

I am currently going back in forth with having a six place setting set, having one setting of the same design and switching it up with other different settings to get me to my six, or just buying random consignment place settings and have it look really cottage chic and rustic. The latter seems more along my price range right now but I thought I would post some amazing dinnerware selections in case any of you have a registry that needs to be filled.

Just a word of advice, my tastes maybe not be for everyone but I will try to be as eclectic as possible. I love a good white plate as it really makes any dish pop. If simplicity if your thing, add a nice gold or silver trim for that elegance you may be seeking. If you're in to color, mix and match, or use something floral. Newsflash, floral isn't "grandma like" anymore. Very in and very timeless. Most of these link to Bloomingdale but be sure to Google these elsewhere. There may be some sales and coupons you are missing out on.

Links to browse and purchase below:

Wedgwood Renaissance Gold

Juliska Quotidien

Anna Weatherly

Haviland Symphony

Bernardaud Jardin Dinnerware

Raynaud Cristobal Dinnerware

Things Farah Loves (For the Home)

I am constantly finding ways to re-decorate my home. Of course, living with a significant other, it's hard to keep my home feminine. I always have to find a happy medium. This is why I usually purchase some feminine pieces to decorate while keeping the rest of my home consistent with dark cherry wood furniture and various rustic pieces.

Anthropologie has so many vintage pieces that I love! You can tell that a lot of my favorite items come from there. They are just great with floral and always carry my favorite combination: blue, white and gold. They currently have these decorative pillows (that are reversible) that would look amazing in any home that needs a quick pop of color. My current pillow combination is a little muted so I can't wait to purchase these to liven up my living room.

I own the smaller of the vases but recently purchased the tall vase. These look amazing with hydrangeas, sunflowers, etc....  The pitcher from Tory Burch serves more as a vase to me. It's a great centerpiece for a large coffee or dining room table.

The remaining items kind of go with the vintage look I constantly seek. I love a clean white plate to take the best quality photos of my kitchen creations. The Kate Spade set and the Anthropologie tea cup and saucer are just so timeless and classy. I can't wait to update my dining accessories with these items. The gold coasters are from Pier One Imports and just ties all these items together. If you can't tell, I adore white and gold!

If you are looking for some vintage, feminine pieces, hopefully these items give you some great inspiration. Happy Decorating!

Sources: KateSpade.com, ToryBurch.com, Anthropologie.com, PierOneImports.com

Fall Candle Spotlight - Nest - Pumpkin Chai

Im obsessed with all things fall and now my favorite fall candle is available to be purchased. Nest Pumpkin Chai smells amazing and lingers around the whole house. It's a combination of pumpkin, cloves. chai, spices, etc.... It essentially reminds me of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. It's a great gift for the holidays and an even better treat for yourself!

Nest Pumpkin Chai ($34)

New Obsession: Apothecary Jar Decor

My new obsession right now is buying apothecary jars and using it for storage and/or decor! The best places I have found to purchase these are at Home Goods or Marshalls (they run about $7.00-$12.00). I also go to Michaels and use their 40% off one item coupon to get the best deal! I do recommend going to the following places I suggested because some places charge upward to $20.00-$30.00. 

A few things I have done: cotton swabs in a jar and a beachy decor with sand and sea shells. 

Above are some images I have found that would look excellent and affordable for the home! 

Since fall is coming, I would recommend putting some mini pumpkins, squash and/or pinecones! Other uses are ornaments during Christmas, or just general storage for candy, sweets, etc... Great to use for a candy bar at a wedding.

I haven't created a terrarium yet but I love foliage and greens in a house. It adds that fresh vibrancy and looks great in a rustic home with dark wood!

Images courtesy of google.com

Top 5 Thursdays! Coffee Table Books

So I decided on starting Top 5 Thursdays! I just love a good list and todays edition features my Top 5 Coffee Table Books in no particular order. I tried to pick books that are between the $10-$20 range which I think is pretty reasonable. I have seem some high-end fashion coffee table books that are about $50-$60... One day...

1. Lauren Conrad Style - Great book with amazing fashion tips and staple wardrobe pieces
2. Humans of New York - It's a conversational piece with amazing photography and compelling stories behind each photo
3. Dirty Side of Glamour - I love celebrities! Tyler Shields is a very unique photographer with some wild and crazy celebrity portraits
4. Post Secret Extraordinary Confession from Ordinary Lives - I just love the anonymity it offers with a gamut of feelings and personality
5. Lauren Conrad Beauty - (I know it appears twice but I'm just a huge Lauren Conrad fan) she offers great beauty advice ranging from makeup and just having that radiant glow!

Coffee Table Decor

We have a large rustic coffee table in our home which my boyfriend built. It's about 40 inches wide and desperately needs centerpieces and decor to cover up all that dark wood. Below I have some photos from my home which shows how arranging colorful decor the right way can make your coffee table beautiful and liven up your home!

I love to start off decorating my coffee table with a centerpiece. My centerpiece right now is my Anthropologie vase. (Since I actually staged it with two different decorating ideas). You can always add faux florals, but nothing comes close to a fresh bouquet of flowers. I used hydrangeas that I found for about $5.99 at Trader Joes. I love the neutral look which helps showcase and highlight all the other pieces. Everything else I picked as a decor complimented my central piece (my vase). I purchased some blue coasters, and kept my candles simple with white, gold, and a hint of turquoise so it didn't look over-cluttered with color overload! Note to self: Clutter is the ultimate enemy

The second photo includes more color. I'm really into blue, gold, white, and different shades of pink. I love the vintage look of gold with a touch of femininity of pink. The flowers were a gift from my boyfriend and were $9.99 from Whole Foods. As for the candles, I kept those more neutral to focus attention on the flowers and teapot. Now... the teapot. Seems like an odd choice, I know. It was given to me by my friend Jeni, and I never want to use it because it is such an awesome decoration piece. The white and gold chevron print really compliments the vintage, cottage chic look.

The remaining two images are actually ones I found on the web highlighting ways to decorate coffee table books and decorative trays. I just started my coffee table book collection, but websites such as Gilt.com offers great sales to allow you to stock up!

Images: Blue Coffee Table Decor, Decorative Tray Decor, Coffee Table Decor with Hydrangeas, Paris and Pink Hydrangeas

Crazy for Candles!

I love candles! I really can not get enough of them as I am completely obsessed with smell and scents. Here are some of my all time favorites. (The list is actually much longer, but I figured I should truncate it.. for the sake of not making this post a novel)

1. Nest Moss Mint: This retails for about $34 (mini is $15) and can be purchased on Amazon.com or Nordstrom.com. Its a light, refreshing scent that will freshen up the entire house. I know I cook a lot and this really helps eliminate those cooking odors. It may be a little pricey but definitely worth the money if you want a great staple candle for your home.

2. Diptyque Baies: The Diptyque candles are actually very popular and very expensive. These retail for about $60 (for the large size) and about $30 for a mini candle. Baies is a berry-perfumed scent which makes your home smell without it being lit! I know I usually prefer cleaner scents, but this berry doesn't give you a headache 20 minutes later and smells like a luxurious and light perfume. It's a great gift and stocking stuffer for the holidays as well. This can be purchased at Bloomingdales.com and Nordstrom.com

3. Voluspa French Lavender and Cade: This may be my favorite yet. It's a very clean, linen scent.. I would probably pair it with Nest Moss and Mint. Light and Refreshing. This retails for about $26 for a large jar, $18 for a medium jar, and $12 for a mini. Can be purchased on Anthropologie.com

4. DW Home Vanilla Bean: I'm a huge vanilla candle fan but am very picky. I don't like a strong buttery vanilla scent (e.g. cake batter, etc...) but prefer something lighter. This is it! It retails for about $7.99 for the large jar and can be purchased at any Home Goods or Marshalls location. Ironically, Harris Teeter (if you live in the South) as well. Make sure you stock up if you see these because inventory is never guaranteed. If you want a great vanilla scented candle, this one may be it!

Images Courtesy of Google.com