DESIGN SPONGE // SNEAK PEAK

Today a sneak peak of my sweet little craftsman house is on Design*Sponge. Design*Sponge was one of the first blogs I read and loved, so I am thrilled to get to share my space on there. I truly adore this house and still feel excited every morning I get to wake up here. I hope you'll fall in love with it, as I have. 

 *Make sure to come back tomorrow because I'll be sharing photos that didn't make it in the sneak peak.

 {thanks to kimberly genevieve for snapping that photo of me!}

NESTING PROGRESS


I can't believe it has been ten months since James moved in! I haven't been updating you on our nesting progress, because to be honest there hasn't been any progress. As I'm sure you know, trying to redecorate while staying within a tight budget takes a lot of time. One of the items on the top of our list was a new bed. James was insistent on having a headboard, while I was insistent that it be modern and low to the ground. The only bed we both seemed to agree on was the Tate Bed from Crate & Barrel. After many failed craigslist searches, we finally lucked out and found it yesterday in near perfect condition, for an amazing price. It feels so good to check off one item from our list. I promise once we find a couple more pieces I will photograph the whole house! 

{photo of our bedroom via my instagram}

SNEAK PEAK. MY OFFICE

I realized it had been a while since I photographed the progress of my office/dressing room so I thought I would share a little sneak peak. I must say I have completely slacked off at making it a functional room I actually want to be in. I hate sitting at a desk and tend to do most of my computer work on our living room sofa. This room has really been more useful as a dressing room. I've even considered turning my desk into a dressing table so I don't have to do my hair and makeup awkwardly infront of my credenza. As soon as it feels a little more put together, I promise to share photos. You may even see a Style at Home feature from me on Glitter Guide one of these days. 

LATELY

It's time to take a deep breath 'cause the weekend's here! I find that on particularly busy or stressful weeks it's important to take a moment and think about all the little things bringing a smile to my face. Last weekend while my guy was away I got so  many things checked off my to-do list, which for this virgo resulted in lots of smiles. My office/dressing room finally started to come together thanks to a few new additions. Now all I need is a tall bookshelf, the Moroccan pouf I ordered from Joss & Main, and this garment rack I hired a friend to build. I can't wait to share the finished product with you all. For today, here's a little photographic sneak peak in to my life of late and a few more things bringing me smiles...




  • Wire and paperclips holding up what's inspiring me right now on my office wall {thanks to lauren's suggestion}.


  • My bestie Teissia, who recently moved to New York City in town for the week. There is nothing better then morning trips to starbucks and late night chats with a dear friend.  




  • Ingredients for my favorite cocktail the 19th Century: bourbon, créme de cacao, lillet rouge and lemon juice. 





  • A set of graphic thank you cards from Target. Sending a card means so much, especially these days when most correspondence is through the Internet. 
Do you have anything fun planed this weekend? I plan on spending time with my friend and house guest Teissia, taking a bike ride and cooking meals in my sweet house. See you next week! Happy Weekend! xx

LATELY

Things have been more than busy over here, between getting ready for the launch of Glitter Guide, moving the boyfriend in, doing photo gigs, blogging and trying to keep up any semblance of a life. But guess what? I kind of love it and It's important to remember that. Ok, I don't love how some days I am lucky if I get to brush my hair, but I love spending my days doing exactly what I feel passionate about. But don't get me wrong, it's not always a passion/inspiration-fest. Sometimes I have "bloggers block" and nothing seems to get me going and other times I feel like I might explode I have so many ideas. And every now and then, I just don't have time to make my ideas come to life. That is kind of what I am dealing with now. So please bare with me for the next week until we launch. For today, here is a little photographic look into my life of late, and the sweet things that are reminding me to smile...

  • My favorite flower- peonies, brightening up my living room along side "my issue" of Martha Stewart Weddings. 
  • Macaroons from our double date night at Bottega Louie and First Fridays at the Natural History Museum. My favorite flavors are salty caramel and rosewater. 
  • A little vignette on my entry table, greeting me when I come home.
  • Summer fruit, like apricots that have started filling up my kitchen.
  • His clothes. A reminder that the boy actually lives with me now! {big smiles on that one}
  • My new office/dressing room. So far from being decorated but already has changed my life having a proper work space. 
  • My new clothing rack {a stand-in until I find the right one}. It has been so amazing having space to get dressed and to be able to see my clothes! I have re-fallen in love with clothes I forgot I had. Now I just need a dresser so I can show you the other half of the room. Right now it's just a messy pile of clothes. 
  • A fun discovery in the back of my garage. Some photos of me taken by my father, draped in my grandmother's costume jewelry. Yes I was a glitter girl even then. {i also had just woken up, hence my awesome hair}
  • The beginnings of my inspiration board that will hang behind my desk and keep me feeling creative. Now I just have to figure out how to hang them all. Ideas??? 

NESTING. OFFICE/DRESSING ROOM

Well now, somehow it is May already which means the boy is moving in in less than a month! My adorable roomie is still living with me so I can't actually start making changes to my new office/dressing room until next month. But, I have a few ideas- here is my inspiration}. I will be using some pieces I already own mixed with some new pieces and some practical pieces {it does have to be functional after all}. So far there is a lot of white, which will be nice to highlight some more colorful accessories and textiles. Especially since a lot of my clothing will have to be out on rolling racks. I also plan on making an inspiration board to hang magazine clippings, graphics and whatever else is making me smile, so that is sure to add color...
 
1. Zig Zag Rug $69
Remember this beauty I blogged about last week? Well it already arrived and I am madly in love.
This pendant is whimsical and fun and lets face it, the price is right.
3. Parsons Desk $299
I already own this desk and I love it. I will be moving it from it's current home in the kitchen.
4. Kassett Box $5.99 for 2
I love the idea of getting a bunch of these to hide papers and accessories. They also fit perfectly in #6.
I have a few of these chairs with arms around my dinning table, so the armless version would fit right in. I might throw a sheepskin on top to make it extra comfy for long hours in front of the computer.
I might have to get two of these to store books, shoes and whatever trinkets I want to display.
This is not my ideal, but I already have something very similar in my garage. We want to be able to have guests come and stay, so this little pull out couch will be just the thing.
This lamp comes in so many fun colors. The room is looking a little too white on white so a pop of color like this is very needed.
I collect vintage matchbooks because I am constantly inspired by the colors and graphics. I just purchased a few without the matches inside to hang on my wall.
This chair reminds me of my high school days, but a tad more grown up in cognac leather.

NESTING. LIVING ROOM

So as I told ya last week, my guy and I are movin' in this June. Yeah, we've got a few months to go, but all kinds of ideas are spinning through our heads. We both can't afford to go crazy changing everything all at once. It will have to be a slow process, with lots of craigslist searches. But it sure is fun to think about! I thought I would show you some recent photos of my living room and some of the changes we want to make...

I love my beautiful crystal chandelier, but we're wanting something a little more modern and playful. This bubble chandelier is just what we're looking for. 
2. Aiden Coffee Table $279.99
Ta-da, our new coffee table! We bought it a few weeks ago and with a 25% off coupon. What a steal! It looks way more expensive then it is. I love it more and more everyday. 
3. Glass Cloches $78-225
I would love these grouped together on a new credenza. They are such a lovely way to display something meaningful.
These floor cushions would fit perfectly next to our new coffee table. They are great when you need extra seating, but don't have room for a chair. And they add a nice pop of color.
5. Feather Tray $42
You might remember this from here. I think it's pretty clear I just love feathers.
6. Air Plants $6
These plants are beautiful and low maintenance. Love.
7. Credenza Contact for price
We are on the hunt for something like this to replace the table in our entryway, but man these guys can get expensive. I will just have to wait and keep patiently searching cragslist.
8. White Paint
Pinterest is awesome because it's how I discovered I was drawn to white spaces. Almost 80% of my home pins are of white rooms, so I decided it's time to paint the living room.
9. Kilim Rug $199
We both agree that if we paint the living room white, it would be nice to add some texture and color with a fun rug. The problem is we need a large rug to fill the space which can be expensive. This one is a little too small for us, but I sure like the pattern.
10. Bookcase $299
The red TV stand I have now is on loan to me from my friend, while we search for just the right one. This bookcase is not exactly right, but we would love to have something modern and simple that can hold the TV and some of our favorite books. 

COHABITATION

I've got some exciting news...this June the boyfriend is officially moving in! I couldn't be happier to share my beautiful home with him, but it's going to take a little getting used to for these reasons...

1. He is not quite as tidy as I am 
2. Sometimes our taste REALLY differs 
3. I have to make the house I have lived for five years a bit more guy friendly

In some ways I am thrilled to rethink my style and rearrange. You get stuck sometimes, in a certain "look" and change just doesn't occur to you or seems daunting. I am excited to have an excuse to get rid of some things. I am pretty sure I have drawers filled stuff that hasn't moved in five years. On the other hand, it is the end of an era. I have never lived with a guy before.

We have plans to paint a few rooms, change out some furnishings and combine our artwork. I do look forward to making it "ours." The best part {other than living with my love} is that I get to turn the extra bedroom into my office/dressing room. Yeah, pinch me. Having a designated place to work and get ready in the morning will mean so much to me. All kinds of ideas are spinning though my head. Here is what the room looks like now...



My design inspiration...


melanie acevedo/decor8/rue

I'll make sure to update you with photos as things start to change around here. I am warning you I might go a little office pinning crazy the next few weeks.

A SWEET HOUSE . MY HOUSE

As you know my house tour was posted on Apartment Therapy this last Friday, and I am thrilled with all the lovely comments and constructive criticism. This was my first time photographing an interior and I have lots to learn I am sure. I love my home and I feel lucky to wake up there everyday. There has been a lot of interest in my paint colors. I happen to be up in the bay area right now, but as soon as I am home in LA I will post them. If you haven't seen Jessie's Vintage Modern Bungalow yet, here it is (plus a few exclusive photos that weren't in the tour)...

Upon opening the gate to my 1923 bungalow, you're immediately surrounded by lush greenery, trees, and a marvelous red front door. It's hard to imagine that it was not always a “sweet thing" — when I found the place it was dilapidated, but I saw potential. It had beautiful bones, it just needed some love. 
It's a warm space with color on the walls, lots of light, dark wood floors and a wonderful mixture of old and new furnishings. I wanted to honor the authentic vintage aspects of the home and still bring in some newer more modern elements. I immediately added dark floors and the look-through from the dining room to the kitchen to give it a more open feel. When I am entertaining I don’t want to feel like I’m hiding from my guests.
My father’s rock and roll photographs of Nico, The Mamas and the Papas and The Rolling Stones adorn the walls. Music and photography are very important to me. I think that is reflected in my home. I am a big believer in taking your time to find the pieces you really love. I still feel like my house is a work in progress, but every year it gets closer to being a truer reflection of me.
 
Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Vintage-Modern and a little bohemian
Inspiration: My dad’s rock and roll photographs, my mom’s hippie modeling photos from the 70’s, old Issues of Domino Magazine, The Ace Hotel Palm Springs, Apartment Therapy Small Cool.
Favorite Element: My favorite element has got to be the side porch. I try to be out there every second I can be, even in the rain. My friends have even named my house “the porch.” We have spent many a night out there with a bottle of wine (or two).
Biggest Challenge: When I first moved in it was kind of a nightmare. It had been rented for the past ten years by the same couple. They had not done a good job of keeping it up. Every plant outside was dead, the walls were cracked, the floors white washed, the kitchen had not been touched since the early 80’s. I knew I had a job on my hands, but I saw the potential. The challenge was money and time. I renovated the place in three weeks on a very limited budget. Thanks to my mom who is diy queen and a bargain shopper, we made it happen.
What Friends Say: They say it's cozy, creative, stylish.
Biggest Embarrassment: Ha, well right now I am in the process of looking for a new TV cabinet, so I guess I would say my stand in. I covered the stand with a lovely Pendleton blanket to hide what’s underneath. You don’t want to see what’s under there.
Proudest DIY: Installing dimmers on all of my light switches and painting a chalkboard wall in my kitchen. I felt so crafty.
Biggest Indulgence: My two-drawer dishwasher. It’s brilliant and saves loads of water.
Best Advice: Collect things over time. Search craigslist daily. Don’t be afraid to mix and match eras.
Dream Sources: Morocco, Flea Markets, Etsy, Room and Board, ABC Carpet and Home, Dwell, John Robshaw, Anthropologie

Resources of Note:

Appliances: Kitchen-Aid (dishwasher), Frigidaire (fridge and washing machine), O’Keefe and Merritt (stove)

Kitchen Cabinets: Cabinet Factory Outlet

Hardware: Anthropologie, Home Depot

Furniture: Craigslist (Couch, Bed), Sofa U Love (Two Living room Chairs), Yard Sale (Dining Table), Ebay (Faux Bamboo Chairs, Eames Molded Plastic Chairs), Antique Stores (Vanity Table and Dresser), West Elm (Desk, Outdoor Tables, Desk Chair), CB2 (Peekaboo Console), Ikea (Kitchen Cart), Pottery Barn (Entry Table), Target (Outdoor Furniture), Found the Suitcases on the Street.

Lighting: Ebay (chandeliers), Schoolhouse Electric (kitchen), Urban Outfitters (lamps)

Rugs: Urban Outfitters (bedroom), West Elm (zig zag kitchen, jute living room)

Knickknacks: Etsy, Urban Outfitters, Ikea

Art: My Father’s Photographs (guywebster.com), My Photographs, Family Photographs, Etsy, Ebay, Postcards, Ork Posters, David Settino Scott (apple painting)


Thanks for looking! More resource info (paint colors, flooring) when I return to LA!