Bedroom Updates

Over the Holiday Break, I plan on finally making some serious progress on our bedroom!  Yep - it only took me a full year of inspiration boards, varying color combinations, and swearing up and down that this room was next on my list.

Yesterday, our BEAUTIFUL new rug arrived after being back-ordered for a month.  Remember this post where I agonized over the creme colored rug vs. the navy??  Well, my practical side won this fight, and I ended up opting for the creme colored trellis, and as undecided as I was in the moment, I could not be happier!  It is super luxe in person, and I can't wait to roll it out in the bedroom.  RugsUSA - I heart you.  I really do.

If you like this rug, you can find it here

An update on our bed... Kris and I have decided that a new mattress will be our Christmas gift to each other.  I had no clue that a good mattress ran around $4K, so while it's no puppy with a big red bow around it's neck, it's dang good present in my humble opinion. I'm so excited for a good night's sleep, and no back pain when I wake up (god, I sound like I'm 90 years old saying things like that!)

The other part of this present for ourselves??  New bedding!

I ordered a few options during Macys' Friends and Family Sale last week - did anyone else hit them up for 60% off??  Holla!

Everything has shipped, so the bedding should be arriving towards the end of this week!  Yippy!

First option is the soothing creme colored bedding.  This would mean that our entire room would be light colors with creme colored carpet, creme drapes, and creme bedding.  Hey, we don't have kids... we can do things like this!!

I'm not a huge fan of those faux french looking throw pillows, but I love the quilt-like comforter and European shams.  Definitely looking forward to seeing this one in person...

Option number two is actually one I've had my eye on for a while - its an abstract paisley with a pale blue background.  I love the quilted coverlet in this photo as well, so I was sure to order that too.  This option definitely lends more visual interest with the pattern, but I'm not sure how these colors will translate in person.  Is that tan going to look olive in person?  Gold?  How will the fabric feel?

Regardless, since we are upgrading our mattress from a queen to a king, we'll need new bedding one way or another, so at least we have some initial options!

Here's how I see the room coming together with each...

What do you think? Yay, or nay?  Should I keep looking?

I think I need to see the fabrics in person, and get everything in the room to really decide which one is the keeper!

Holiday Fashion Guide

The month of December is most obviously one of the busiest times of the year, where my social calendar is packed with festive get-togethers, holiday shopping, and spiked eggnog around every turn.  The last thing I want to worry about is what to wear at the last minute, so I've put together some holiday fashion inspiration, to keep me focused despite the chaos.

Holiday Lunch:
Whether it's an upscale lunch with friends downtown, or a swanky client lunch for work, a head to toe look with winter white is chic, and simple to pull together.  Look for a creamy white in luxe fabrics like silk, silk-cashmere blends, and cashmere.  These fabrics will keep you warm in chilly weather, and the fabric will drape in a really pretty way.  One thing to be cautious of is cheap fabrics - since it's a monocromatic look, poor quality will be very easy to spot.  Also, when doing all white, do not go for anything too form fitting.  It will accentuate every flaw, and nothing looks cheaper than tight, white clothing.

Holiday Lunch by beckyc1923 featuring lip makeup

Moschino wool shirt / Tulle Clothing / 3.1 Phillip Lim / Vince Camuto taupe high heels / Estée Lauder lip makeup, $29

Office Holiday Party:
You may be attending a fancy dinner or cocktail hour for your Office holiday party, but do not forget for a moment that you are with co-workers, and you are still essentially "at work."  This means, if you wouldn't wear it in front of your grandmother, then you shouldn't be wearing it at all.  A good rule of thumb: nothing too low (ie: cleavage bearing), nothing too short (your skirt shouldn't be more than 3" above the knee), and nothing too tight (this is pretty self explanatory).  A classic red sheath dress is still festive and feminine, classic pearl accessories will pop against the bright color, and a little leopard clutch never hurt anyone.  Trust me when I say, nearly every office has that one person who is going to break out the too short, backless ensemble - do not be that person!

Office Holiday Party by beckyc1923 featuring pearl jewelry

Roksanda Ilincic wool crepe dress, $1,255 / Forever New , $94 / B Brian Atwood peep toe pumps / Dorothy Perkins clutch handbag / Kate Spade pearl necklace / Majorica pearl jewelry

Christmas Shopping
I think we've all made this mistake before - wearing your very cutest "It's Christmas-time in the City" outfit to hit the stores, only to regret those stiletto boots an hour into your shopping expedition.  If you haven't, you are one of the lucky ones, but take it from me - there is NOTHING worse than aching feet, when tromping from store to store.  Comfort is key - flat or nearly flat boots with good support will be your best friend, and I am a huge fan of leggings with a long tunic sweater or sweater dress.  You will be super comfortable, and chic enough to stop into Nieman's for a quick latte mid-day.

Christmas Shopping by beckyc1923 featuring high heel shoes

Fat Face knit top, $72 / Green coat / Oasis legging, $18 / Clarks high heel shoes / Barbour leather satchel handbag, $320 / Dolce&Gabbana dolce gabbana, $515 / Estée Lauder lip makeup, $29

Christmas Dinner
I know a lot of people who spend Christmas Day in their pajamas, and everyone wears their elastic waist pants to dinner.  If that's your family, you can skip this part, because I am a firm believer in making Christmas dinner a special event.  Evening gowns not required, but I think a cute sweater dress, patterned lace tights, and a pair of these gold capped pumps would make the perfect ensemble to gather with family, open gifts, and eat a delicious meal together.  It's church appropriate, comfortable enough to get through plenty of that roast, and the tights will help save your legs from the cold during the annual after dinner walk through the neighborhood to see the lights.

Christmas Dinner by beckyc1923 featuring long sleeve dresses

rag & bone long sleeve dress / Hooded cape coat / Forever 21 patterned tight / Mango cap toe pumps, $115 / Hermès yellow gold bangle bracelet / Alexis Bittar gold bangle / Love Rocks chunky necklace / Enamel jewelry

Weekend Recap

The holidays have arrived at our house - at least partially!

I had grand plans to get all of our holiday decor up over the weekend, but that changed as soon as the stormy weather hit.  Like a spell, all I wanted to do was hibernate under a blanket with my new US Magazine (Jessica Simpson is pregnant again?!) and a marathon of Honey BooBoo.  It was amazing.

Despite the fact that I stayed in sweats for the vast majority of the weekend, I did manage to get SOME of the Christmas decorations put up.

Case in point - my pretty boxwood wreath!

Isn't it just lovely??

I got some pretty gold ribbon, and hung the wreath from the curtain rod to avoid putting more holes in the wall.  As a side note, wouldn't it be lovely if our dining room had beautiful double windows like this? Alas, it's just a reflection from our floor to ceiling mirror.

While most of my ornaments are still in storage, I had a few new ones from my mama, that have made their way into a few small bowls in the living room.  And if you look REAL close, you can see the reflection of me... in my sweats.  Shocking, eh?

My honey came home on Friday with some red roses, that looked very Christmas-y next to the ornaments and some greenery.  The greenery is actually from a tree on our street that blew down in the storm - it was REALLY windy, to say the least.

And our tree - we managed to get out of the house after the storm passed. We get our tree from the school around the corner from our house, and walk it back home like true city dwellers.

Now, I'm not sure if the Noble Fir weighs significantly more than the Douglas Fir that we normally get, or if this tree was completely waterlogged after three days of rain, but it was HEAVY.  No joke - this thing is probably close to 100 lbs.  Luckily we got it home, up the stairs, and into our apartment without killing each other, and after a few tries, finally got it straight in the stand.  Fingers crossed I don't come home tonight to find it toppled over like last year.

I am happy that the rain has passed, and that our house is starting to look (and feel) like Christmas!

Happy Monday!

Frenchie!!

I've tried to resist, but I think it's time to give in!  Jcrew's little frenchie sweater has made it's rounds in all the magazines, blogs, and must-have lists this fall, it's not hard to see why!  He is just the cutest!

Source

I especially love how StyleScribe styled it with a cute navy mini and oatmeal coat draped over the shoulders.  Is there anything more "east coast collegiate" than a wool coat draped over your shoulders??

Source

I kind of feel stalkerish posting this photo from The Rose Record, but Katie's little frenchie could not be cuter, and the striped button down underneath the sweater is awesome - espeically with the sleeves rolled up.

Source

And how is this for adorable??  A bright yellow pencil skirt, a large print navy checker shirt, and brown leather accessories!

Source

I think it's final... I NEED this sweater (and a yellow pencil skirt!)

Moroccan Inspired Dining Room

Isn't this the most lovely dining room???

Designer, Matthew Patrick Smythe went to town on this Manhattan apartment, featured this month in Elle Decor.  The apartment covers a range of styles from modern to eclectic, but somehow it works... I mean... quite obviously it more than works, but of all the rooms, this dining room was my favorite.  It's visually striking with graphic navy and white wallpaper, a pretty Capiz chandelier, and luxe velvet chairs.

If you couldn't tell, the wallpaper is Schumacher, and if you ask me, it MAKES the room.  The delicate lacy detail reminds me of an intricate Moroccan gate, leading into a serene courtyard garden.  It's absolutely amazing, but I don't know if I could pull the trigger on it myself.  Since wallpaper is hard to install, even harder to take down, and can get really pricey really quickly, I'd try to recreate this look using paint.

If you love this room, then you are going to love the affordable inspiration board I've drawn up.

I'd start the room off by painting it a dramatic navy with grey undertones.  Buying multiple wood carvings and hanging them in a grid will break up the wall, and simulate the beautiful detail of the Schumacher wallpaper. The ones in this inspiration are from Target, and at roughly 12" square, nine of these would create quite a large grid. 

Check out the where to buy guide if you want to try this look out on your own, and for more inspiration, look through the rest of this lovely apartment at Elle Decor!!

WHERE TO BUY:

Capiz Chandelier from West Elm

Wood Carving from Target

Pedestal table from Terrain

Square Back Louis Side Chair from Ballard Designs

White Ornate Wall Mirror from Wayfair

Console Table from Olioboard

Clear Glass Lamp from Lamps Plus

Wool Cable Rug from RugsUSA

Side note: the wood carvings are wood, but if you want them to be white, a quick coat of paint would do the trick!  

I'd also spend the extra $7 for the spray attachment if you are going the spray paint route... it will save you some major finger cramps (plus, you get to pretend you are in Charlie's Angels... which is pretty awesome, and well worth the extra $7)