Open for business

Growing up I owned a retail store. In my parents' basement. We sold fine items like stickers, empty Chanel perfume bottles and an assortment of random shoes (mostly belonging to my mom, of which I intercepted before they ever made it into the Goodwill pile). With an inventory like that, I was nothing short of imaginative.

I took great pride in setting up the store, displaying the items and changing out things seasonly. My sister occassionally worked for me. But most times she was bagging groceries at the register in our dining room (which incidentally became her part-time job in high school...minus the dining room, of course). And when I decided to close shop for the day, I'd work in my cousin's basement store...Pier 2. I don't remember her inventory, but man...that shop name! I really felt she was onto a possible franchise there...

But now that I'm an adult, owning a store is way more involved than opening the basement door & "working" whenever I want to. It's about a business plan, managing employees, ordering inventory, budgeting, payroll, advertising, and getting real people--not your parents--to buy your stuff (and like, really buy it...none of this fake money business...).

So for now, I'm living vicariously through Tori Spelling. Because if I had a store, this would be it. Tori is taking all of her finds & selling them at her store InvenTori. Pure genius. She shops & then sells her goods. How's that for a business plan?

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I often find myself thrifting for fabulous things that we just don't have the room for. Aside from purchasing a new & bigger house to hold all of those goods, a store sounds like a more appealing option...right husband?

Hey, at least I have the retail experience.

I've got nothin'...

...but a big headache & a to-do list a mile long.

But I have some inspiration and it's in the form of this transformation...

The Before:



YIKES. Anyhoo, here's the after...

Amazing, right? The interior is quite impressive too...

I'm loving this accent wall in the master bedroom. Hmmm...the wheels in my head are already spinning with a possible (soon?) bedroom makeover. Baby steps Katie, baby steps...

And isn't this bird mobile in the nursery sooooo cute? I'm bookmarking this image for future nursery inspiration (with no baby in immediate sight...but it's good to be inspired, right?)...

You can find all of these photos (and more) over at 4 Men 1 Lady, as well as info on the builder & designer HERE. Pretty impressive, right?

And that, my friends, is all she wrote!

Sarah 101

This weekend was a good one...lots of ice cream, grilling out with friends, sitting poolside, and catching the U.S. premier of Sarah 101. I'm a huge Sarah Richardson fan...her designs are are swoon-worthy, and the dymanic between she & Tommy are the icing on each episode.

Can you believe that mirror? Gorgeous! Though I'm guessing it's not in yours truly's budget...

While Sarah rarely does anything on the cheap, her designs are definitely inspirational. If I'm taking anything away from her, it's the ease at which she mixes patterns, especially with fabric. I've been drawn to lots of fabric, textures & patterns lately, which probably explains the recent living room pillow update. I've learned it's okay to take a step out of the 'ol design box & mix it up a little.

Like these two-toned chairs. Brilliant!

Some more mixing & matching of fabrics on chairs. I would never think to pair these particular fabrics together, but it works!

Wallpaper & accent chairs that make a perfect combo...

Yellow & red, yes please!

The wallcovering in this room might seem a little scary, but again, amazingness...

Loving that the accent chair, window treatments & storage ottomans are all working together...


How's that for a little post-weekend inspiration? Next weekend's episode can't get here soon enough!

I'm a smart girl...

..but when it comes to understanding the cost of wallpaper, well, apparently...I am not.

I remember helping my mom wallpaper my bedroom when I was younger. The process didn't appear to be easy, but she was pretty darn good at it (I don't really recall what my role was, other than to watch what a great job she was doing). I do remember going to the store to order the wallpaper--and I'm going out on a limb here--but I'm guessing that whatever we chose was far more cost effective than (my favorite) Kelly Wearstler's Imperial Trellis wallpaper.

I know the verdict is out as to whether or not this pattern is overdone, but I for one love it. It's not going anywhere, anytime soon as far as I'm concerned. We have a small front entryway that would be perfect for this print...but since we don't have the funds to shell out over $200 for a roll (the thought alone makes me sweat), I'm instead posting some fabulous inspirational photos to hold me over.

Bright, green & lovely in Chloe Sevigny's home...



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Black & white in Monique Lhuillier's bathroom...

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Loving the bright contrast of colors (and of course, the gallery wall)...

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A perfect way to line the back of your bookshelves...

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Black on black, very chic...

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As an accent wall...

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Forget the costly wallpaper, how about the impressive DIY stenciled wall over at Hello Gorgeous (oh, the patience!)...

And last but not least, some fabulous dining room chairs thrown in for good measure...




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 And that chandelier ain't too shabby either.

And with that bit of inspiration...I'm off to enjoy the weekend!

Bedroom Inspiration...the Cinco de Mayo version.

I've decided that 2011 is the year of the master bedroom makeover. Our bedroom is in need of an update & this year seems like the best time to go at it. That is, according to my 2011 resolution/to do list....of which, about 1 item has been completed (so take what you will from that bit of information). It's definitely not something we'll get to right away, as outdoor projects are high on the priority list right now. But it's for sure on the radar.

So in honor of Cinco de Mayo, I give to you my five (current) bedroom inpiration photos!

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This room is fabulous. But if I'm taking one thing away from this space, it's that the wall color--Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray--is pretty fabulous. And mostly, I noted that for my own reference, but your welcome. Let's face it, remembering where I "filed" that info will be the thing that likely stumps me....


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I absolutely love this room...the pillow, the tufted headboard, and well...everything else. I'd be one very happy & well rested girl here.

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I've loved this bedroom ever since I saw it in the pages of Country Living magazine. In fact, I have it filed in my inspiration folder...under "The Husband Won't Like, Keep Dreaming" tab.

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Just perfect. This is definitely husband friendly. And definitely one of the photos I'll be referring back to when it comes time to tackle this remodel.

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One of my faves. I've had this photo saved for quite awhile now. And hmm...would you look at that, another tufted headboard! Notice a theme here?

And just for good measure, I'm tossing in a nook photo. Because who doesn't love a good bedroom nook? I certainly do...especially when they look like this!

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So happy Cinco de Mayo to all! I'm celebrating by relaxing with an entire dinner of nacho chips....after that 5-mile run of course. Ole'!

Jillian Harris

I've been a fan of Jillian Harris since her Bachelorette days, so it's no surprise that I'm a fan of her home as well! Jillian's interior design background & expertise can also be seen over on Extreme Home Makeover. After watching this weekend, I'll be tuning in regularly!

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Check out Jillian's website for more good stuff!

Somewhat of a hiatus...

Yep, that's apparently where I've been lately. I took a little hiatus from the 'ol blog. I could go on & on about how busy I am (chairing a fundraiser taking place in 2 weeks, training for a half marathon next month, and...oh yeah, that thing I call a full time job). Honestly, when we have kids, I really hope I'll be laughing at my current "busy-ness". It's ridiculous, but not that ridiculous.

At any rate, I thought it would be much cooler to say that I'm occupying my time over at Pinterest. I know I'm late to the party. Which I can't quite believe, given this visual goodness over there...

all photos via Pinterest

 Lovely & inspiring, huh? And here I thought I spent too much time over at Etsy...

Spring fling

It's rainy, and cold, and anything but spring around here. Which is probably why I'm in need of a little inspiration these days...

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I'll admit...I've recently fallen out of love with Pottery Barn, but this is some good stuff! I'm loving the fabric inspiration boards. Although, if these particular pin boards are anything like the 'ol useless corkboard (from the scrap room), then I highly doubt they're holding all that fabric...let alone much of anything.



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Oh, West Elm....how I love thee! For starters, there are no words for the bird melamine plates. Other than to say that at $20 (for 4 plates) these might be making an appearance in our home sometime soon. And the owl measuring cups (that I'm sure I wouldn't use as measuring cups)? Yes, please! The Modernist bowls are something to write home about too...specifically our home (for anyone who didn't catch my drift)?!



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And when all else fails, a little Essie polish (in e-nuf is e-nuf!) should do the trick!

Don't keep me waiting spring!