Kara Smith of the Home Study has been working with me at Juniper Studio for the past few months. She is a very talented designer and recently finished building a beautiful new home with her husband in Gilbert. Kara is getting ready for a couple big events at her new house so we offered to…
Kara Smith of the Home Study has been working with me at Juniper Studio for the past few months. She is a very talented designer and recently finished building a beautiful new home with her husband in Gilbert. Kara is getting ready for a couple big events at her new house so we offered to come over as a team and help her knock out some of the styling and take (a ton of) photos of her stunning kitchen!
Blue Apron had recently reached out to see if we wanted to have some meals sent to us at the studio as a way to kick off the new year in a healthy way (like, did you hear about their Whole 30 program in January and February?! Sign me up!). We used the field trip to Kara’s new house as an excuse to make their yummy shrimp taco lunch for the team!
I’ve used Blue Apron before and I love the concept! Delicious, chef-designed recipes with farm-fresh, high quality ingredients are delivered right to your doorstep in a refrigerated box and you’re sent everything you need in the exact right portions to make your meals. No waste and no need to go to the grocery store! I love it.
We ordered the Family plan for our team lunch at Kara’s and chose Jerk Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage & Orange Slaw. It was SO good and super easy to throw together while we were styling Kara’s beautiful shelves!
Isn’t this kitchen perfection? I’m obsessed with all of it – down to the wood-look tile floors, the leathered black granite countertops, the marble backsplash, the custom cabinetry and of course the AMAZING lighting!
I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have such an inspiring team! HUGE props to Kara for the stunning job designing her new home. And of course, a big thanks to Blue Apron for feeding us lunch and giving us a great excuse to hang out in Kara’s beautiful home for an afternoon. Don’t forget about the $30 off with this link here! It’s only for the first 50 readers, so don’t wait too long!
One of my obsessions is really great bedding. I’m the person that checks tags on sheets in guest rooms and at hotels – I’m constantly on the hunt for the perfect cotton sheets that are soft, cool and that wash well! canopy bed // rug (similar) // blue plaid ottoman // pom pom throw armchair //…
One of my obsessions is really great bedding. I’m the person that checks tags on sheets in guest rooms and at hotels – I’m constantly on the hunt for the perfect cotton sheets that are soft, cool and that wash well!
I’ve heard a lot of great things about Brooklinen bedding (over 12,000 five-star reviews on Google speak for themselves!) so when Brooklinen reached out, I jumped at the chance to try their luxurious bedding and to do a mini makeover of our bedroom!
Brooklinen helps you save money by skipping the middle man and selling exclusively through their website to people all over the globe. Brooklinen bedding is made with five core qualities in mind: long staple fibers, single ply yarn, 80 and 60 yarn threads, quality thread count, and unique finishing, all explained here for those of us that really love these details!! :)
You can buy Brooklinen bedding pieces separately, but you can save more by buying bundled sets. I chose the Luxe Hardcore Bundle which has a sheet set with a fitted and flat sheet and two pillow cases and also a duvet cover that comes with two additional pillow shams. The Luxe bedding is just that – incredibly luxurious, and at an accessible price point.
One of the things I love the most about the bundled sets is you can mix and match colors and patterns. We have a dark blue Chinese rug in our bedroom and I thought the powder blue sheets would be such a pretty combo and a fun change from all white bedding!
The SUPER cool grid pattern duvet was love at first sight and reminded me of the curtains we did in the One Room Challenge reveal! I love how perfectly this pattern mixes with other bedding like the vintage throw on the foot of the bed that I dyed that rusty red color and the long lumbar pillow that we’ll be selling soon at Juniper Studio!
For this little makeover I also sewed these leather straps onto the linen curtain panels and hung them from our canopy bed. You can see more of this tutorial on my Instagram story highlights. I love the softened look and how it helps fill in that blank space above the headboard!
I also painted those abstracts for this makeover and I love how the hints of blue in the paintings looks with the new Brooklinen sheets! So soothing and peaceful! They are now available in Jenny’s Print Shop!! I hope you love them as much as I do!
So, I’d love to know, which bedding pattern is your favorite? I almost picked the small stripe for our room. I love our new bedding so much I’m going to grab a set for our guest bedroom! The great news for me and for you is Brooklinen is kindly offering $20 off and free shipping with the code LGN! Just click here to redeem your discount!
I hope you loved this little makeover! As always, please leave a comment in you have any questions about what I did here in the bedroom or the sources! I had a blast making all these small but mighty changes and I’m blown away at how it feels like we have a completely new bedroom by mostly just changing the bedding!
A HUGE thanks to Brooklinen for sponsoring this post! As always, all opinions are my own. :)
REVEAL PART 2: #JuniperStudioDeckMyHalls Dining Room Giveaway with Overstock!
Are you ready for Part 2 of our EPIC Living and Dining Room Makeover Giveaway?! If you’re just joining us, here is Part 1 where we revealed the living room makeover! We partnered with the incredibly generous Overstock.com to make this giveaway a reality and we couldn’t have done it without all of their beautiful…
Are you ready for Part 2 of our EPIC Living and Dining Room Makeover Giveaway?! If you’re just joining us, here is Part 1 where we revealed the living room makeover! We partnered with the incredibly generous Overstock.com to make this giveaway a reality and we couldn’t have done it without all of their beautiful furniture in these spaces! Thank you, Overstock!
Let’s jump in with the before photos! Our giveaway winners have a dining room and kitchen that are open to each other. They felt a little unsure about the space planning in here and they were specifically unsure about what shape and size table to use.
We started the makeover by painting all the walls the same bright white color we used in the living room. We also decided (with the owner’s permission) that the island could use a little color and contrast, so we painted it a deep navy with green undertones (the color is Benjamin Moore Newburgh Green). If you plan to paint kitchen cabinets, its a really good idea to wash them thoroughly first with Sanding Deglosser and then used an alkyd enamel paint.
While the island was drying (we rolled on three full coats with drying time in between), we installed picture rail moulding we bought online just using nails and a hammer, old school style! It was super easy to do and after caulk and a coat of paint, the picture rail gallery wall was ready to hang!
I used 16 gauge steel wire from the hardware store to hang the art from the hooks. It takes a little bit of trial and error to get the lengths right so that the frames hang at the height you want them to, but it really wasn’t hard!
The end result is worth all the extra effort! I LOVE how the lines of the wire adds extra interest and somehow feels modern even though it’s a very traditional way to display art!
And aren’t these fabulous lattice front credenzas perfect in the space? We placed two next to each other and I think it helps ground the big picture rail gallery wall. The pattern on the doors is so very cool.
When it came to selecting furniture for the dining space, we definitely felt there was room for a larger table, so we picked this beautiful farm table from Overstock that fits the room better and can grow with their family. And now they can have friends over for dinner! Yay! :)
We used this large flatweave rug to help define the dining area and to help break up the tile. I love the subtle color and pattern!
This brass chandelier was another amazing Overstock find. Great lighting is one of the easiest ways to make a space feel more designed and finished. The great news is you can find pieces that don’t necessarily cost thousands. This one was affordable and makes SUCH a big statement!
The lighter blue elements in the space, like the captain’s chairs and the rug, really tie into the island color. They’re all different shades of blue and navy, so they really work well together without feeling matchy-matchy!
We also made sure to weave bits of blue through out the accessories to help move the eye around the room and to balance out the brown color of the tile and granite.
Did you notice we swapped out the kitchen hardware too? We thought black hardware would match the dark appliances a little better than the brushed nickel and that the black hardware would add a modern touch to the traditional space. I love how it coordinates with the dining chairs and the curtain hardware too!
Do you know what I LOVE the most about this giveaway makeover? It’s that we were able to make such huge changes in the feel and function of the space with just paint and furniture! We didn’t tear out the floors, we didn’t move walls. I think there is so much truth to the old advice of start where you are. Make small investments here and there in your furniture and accessories. Tackle weekend projects like these bookshelves or the picture rail gallery wall. You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a home that makes you proud! I know that I am proud of what we did in this space!
I’m so happy for this wonderful family and so grateful they were 100% trusting of me and my team! I hope they love these design decisions we made for them this week for many years to come!
And of course, I have to thank Overstock again for being SO WONDERFUL and so incredibly generous. They donated all of the furniture, rugs and lighting for these spaces and I couldn’t imagine a better partner for this project. When I visited their headquarters a few months ago it was immediately apparent that they are a company that cares deeply about people, especially their employees and their customers. I knew they would be as excited about this giveaway project as I was and the passion they showed throughout this process was nothing short of heartwarming to me. Thank you Overstock!
REVEAL: #JuniperStudioDeckMyHalls Living Room Giveaway with Overstock!
Eeeeeeeps!!!! I’m bursting with excitement over here because on Monday we gave a beautiful, sweet family a brand new living room, dining room, entry and kitchen makeover!!! Here’s a little back story: In early November I sat down with my team and we talked about how everything was going after moving to the new studio…
Eeeeeeeps!!!! I’m bursting with excitement over here because on Monday we gave a beautiful, sweet family a brand new living room, dining room, entry and kitchen makeover!!!
Here’s a little back story: In early November I sat down with my team and we talked about how everything was going after moving to the new studio space and with all the additional projects we took on this year. It’s been SO good and fun, but admittedly, it’s been a little crazy. We brainstormed some ways we could edit a little for next year and refocus on the areas of the business that are the most rewarding (and fun!). We thought it would be so great to do something now in 2017 to sort of wipe the slate clean in preparation for the new year’s mentality. We came up with the idea of doing a huge, HUGE giveaway for a local family for the holidays. I mean, what better way to press the reset button than to figure out a way to give back, right? We were all VERY excited.
I knew we could handle everything with the design and renovation work but that we were going to need some help getting a lot of the furniture together in time for a reveal before the holidays. I loved working with Overstock.com for their Design Challenge and #OverstockStyle Weekend and they obviously have the most ENORMOUS selection of beautiful furniture, that can adapt to any style, which was a must for a project that had to adapt to fit every family that entered. I crossed my fingers and toes and emailed them to see if they would be up for donating the furniture for this giveaway and Overstock was as excited about giving back as we were. I knew we had found the right partner! They have truly been amazing to work with this whole project. Asking a team to rush a whole house worth of decor and furniture during the holidays is such an oversized request, but they (literally) delivered in every way. Yay Overstock!
When it came to picking a winner, our team combed through the hundreds and hundreds of local applications through Instagram and talked for DAYS about each of your beautiful posts! (We laughed, we cried, we want to be your real life friends.) There were so many that we loved and that we wanted to help with! In the end, each of us on the team picked three applications (and, to keep things fair, they couldn’t be people we were related to or that we knew well) and then the final winner was selected at random.
The family whose name was drawn turned out to be the SWEETEST, most gracious people in the whole wide world. They could not have been easier to work with or more grateful! They are both teachers and they recently bought this cute little ranch home. They put in a new kitchen after moving in, but they were ready for some additional updates and new furniture and lighting! We met with them, took some measurements and notes about what they wanted in their new spaces and then we were off! We made our design plan, ordered all our items on Overstock in a snap and then it was time to get to work!
For starters, the homeowners don’t love their tile floors, but we had some good tricks up our sleeves for making the tile less of a focal point in the space and I think we really pulled it off! The color of the walls was a good starting place. They had picked a really pretty bluey-gray wall color when they moved in, but it seemed to only exaggerate the yellowy-brown color of the floor. So we painted the walls a bright, clean white and instantly the floors felt more neutral!
After the walls were painted, I got to work installing floating shelves in the living room. I recently discovered a local lumber yard (Timber in Mesa) and realized how much better the selection was compared to the big box hardware stores! For just a little more than the cost of construction grade pine boards, I found 2″ thick boards of 14′ long pine that were perfectly straight and had a lot less knots. And best of all, the lumber yard milled and sanded the boards for only $20 extra! AMAZING. I picked them up basically ready to stain!
The nice people at my local lumber yard also recommended this gel stain for pine, which can be finicky about accepting stain evenly. Gel stain sits on top of the grain more and worked beautifully for this project! I used a clear sealer as a top coat and after a night of drying, the boards were ready to install!
I picked up corner metal braces at the hardware store along with L-brackets. I found the studs and marked out my entire wall, drilled in the brackets, set the boards and secured the boards to the brackets by screwing them in place from underneath. Can I tell you, I was pretty confident this method would work well, but it worked SO WELL. Those heavy boards are so well supported and are so sturdy!
You could only slightly see the metal braces from underneath the shelves when you were sitting on the sofa, so later we decided to touch up the brackets with a little bit of matching acrylic paint which helped a lot.
These shelves were such a win! I spent only a few hundred dollars in materials and Michael and I hung them together in a night. They make the space look so much more finished! And how about this new lighting?! Isn’t it amazing?! We hired an electrician to come in and install this chandelier and these three sconces along the bookshelf wall. I LOVE the look. Never underestimate the power of great lighting! It’s even better when the fixtures are as affordable as these from Overstock!
I was SO excited to style those shelves and get all the furniture moved in the next morning!
And here is the gorgeous space now, after all of our Overstock finds were moved in!
The sofa was our starting point for the design. Our homeowners wanted something a little more traditional but with clean lines. We found this BEAUTIFUL roll arm sofa from Safavieh on Overstock that is upholstered in a heavy weight oatmeal color linen. I have a similar fabric on my sofa at home and it has held up to my kids’ abuse wonderfully!
One of my favorite things to do in a living room is to use one large round table with a big lamp rather than two small side tables. I think it adds interest and height to the space and helps break up the boxiness that can sometimes happen in a living room layout. We used this small dining table from Overstock (with the coolest legs ever) and I love how it looks with our sofa while floating in front of the pretty shelves!!
We also knew we wanted a few leather benches to layer under the new shelves. These tufted benches from Overstock with those gorgeous modern legs completely fit the bill!
From there we picked a rug. This was another way we helped to minimize the presence of the existing brown tile in the room. We layered two large sisal rugs with this gorgeous 9×12 rug. I LOVE all the colors in this pretty rug!
I had my seamstress make the gorgeous blue linen blackout curtains and loose woven linen sheers. This large front window gets a LOT of full sun. The homeowners had only blackout curtains hanging here before which made the whole house feel dark. The double curtain rod that allowed us to hang blackout curtains and sheers together gave the homeowners a lot of flexibility and the most light and privacy possible. I love the look too! Isn’t that blue color so pretty?
I love how the pale blue curtains play with the colors in the rug and the gorgeous navy tweed arm chairs we got from Overstock. They’re comfortable and sturdy and I love the dark fabric that brings some much-needed contrast into the space! On that same note, the white coffee table played an important role in really lightening the room up! We also loved that this table was round (no sharp corners for the little one!)
The circle shape ended up being a bit of a recurring theme in this home. I found these vintage frames (you can see them in the first photo here below), sanded off the glossy finish on the frame and spray painted the old circle cut mats for a fresh new look! LOVE!
The homeowner sits at that desk every morning to teach English to online students, so she requested an alphabet print on the walls. I commissioned Angela Hardison, a local graphic design genius, to design it and she knocked it out of the park! The file is available today in the print shop! I love this for a children’s room or play space obviously, but I also love it for main living areas for a graphic pop!
The desk was a vintage find that I painted off-white (the little brass knobs make my heart sing!). The desk lamp and leather chair were both Overstock scores.
In the entry we had these gorgeous sconces installed and we hung a vintage brass mirror over my favorite wooden bench from Overstock. It has a slim profile and is PERFECT for small entry ways! I love it!
I’m SO happy with how this giveaway space came together. It was one of those whirlwind/stressful/exhausting/completely amazing experiences that I will forever treasure! Seeing this sweet family’s reaction to the space was THE BEST. So many happy tears!
Side note: I laughed so hard when I realized I was full-on twinning with the homeowner (literally, right down to our shoes) on reveal day. But I also had the thought it was a pretty good sign that she was going to like the things I picked for her house. :)
Wouldn’t it be weird to walk in to YOUR OWN HOUSE and have everything completely changed? I mean, pretty cool, but also a little weird, right!? We tried hard to incorporate family heirlooms and colors and themes that were meaningful to this family so they could feel at home as soon as possible! We tucked some wood blocks in this little basket on the bottom shelf for their young daughter so would maybe be distracted by all the changes in her spaces for even a minute! :) Ha! She was a champ though and I think she liked it all as much as we do!
Right before they got to the house for the reveal on Monday, we rushed to put up a Christmas tree and doesn’t it just complete the space? We couldn’t be happier for this sweet family! They were the best in so many ways and I hope they love everything we put in their new living room and entry! NEXT UP: the dining room and kitchen reveal!!!!
This entire giveaway was made possible and sponsored by the EXTREMELY generous, kind friends at Overstock, a company I love and fully stand behind! Thank you, Overstock!!
Office Makeover with BEHR’s 2018 Color of the Year!
I’ve been wanting to paint my little office at Juniper Studio, but our ceilings in here are 15ft high (!), so I’ve been holding off. But recently I saw this image and decided a color blocked wall would be SO cool in here, so when BEHR asked if I wanted to use their 2018 color of…
I’ve been wanting to paint my little office at Juniper Studio, but our ceilings in here are 15ft high (!), so I’ve been holding off. But recently I saw this image and decided a color blocked wall would be SO cool in here, so when BEHR asked if I wanted to use their 2018 color of the year (which happened to be INSANELY on brand with our Juniper colors!), I jumped at the chance to paint my office!
BEHR’s 2018 color trends are SO GOOD. Check out how beautifully all these colors play together! All of them are available at Home Depot now. Some of my favorite color combos are here – blush, olive, forest green, rust, coral and then of course this beautiful blue-green-gray color that they picked to be their color of the year. It’s called IN THE MOMENT, and I’m obsessed.
My office before was a boring sea of white and desperately needed some color and life!
I picked up a gallon of IN THE MOMENT (T18-15) at my local Home Depot and a roll of painter’s tape. To get that color blocked look, I measured 72″ from the floor and marked every three feet or so with a pencil. Then I taped all around the room using the marks to keep the tape as straight as possible. The best way to make your paint lines are SUPER crisp is to first brush on a coat of the background color (the bright white we have on all the walls in the studio, in my case) on the bottom edge of your painters tape. This seals the tape and ensures if there are any leaks under the tape, it will be the background color!
Once the sealer paint is totally dry you can finish rolling on your main color and you can remove the tape to unveil the most perfectly crisp paint line you’ve ever seen!
I used Behr’s Marquee paint line, which is a paint and primer in one, so I only needed to roll on one coat! We busted out this project in about an hour!
Did you know that Home Depot carries a lot of decor items now too? I picked up this really cute (and affordable!) rug for my office there too! Isn’t it pretty with the new wall color?
The IN THE MOMENT color is such a happy pop of color in our white studio. I’ve been loving working in this space and I can honestly say it is a super soothing, easy-to-live-with color!
Thank you to BEHR for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own. View BEHR’s 2018 Color Trends here, available at Home Depot now through the end of 2018!
cheese board (similar) // white plates // white bowls // gold wall sconces Today is SUCH an exciting day! The Gentry project is finished and I am so thrilled with how all of these spaces turned out, but I especially love the kitchen. When the time came to choose the appliances for this space, I…
Today is SUCH an exciting day! The Gentry project is finished and I am so thrilled with how all of these spaces turned out, but I especially love the kitchen. When the time came to choose the appliances for this space, I knew we wanted to go with something modern, beautiful and most importantly, high quality. I was thrilled to get to partner with Bosch and Domino Magazine on this kitchen and I hope you caught the video series we posted on Instagram the past couple of weeks. We had a lot of fun with this collaboration!
Okay, should we dig right in with some crazy before photos?? Check out that funky tile! :)
The footprint of the original kitchen from the 60s was small and cramped. We gutted everything in here and bumped up the insanely low ceiling and took out a few walls to make the space work better.
Once the new walls were up and the white oak floors were installed, it was easier to get excited about the kitchen’s potential! :) To help keep things bright and airy in here, we decided on white cabinets. We landed on an olive color for the island and pops of black in the hood surround, the backsplash grout and the cabinet hardware to contrast against all the white.
Brass accents in the lighting and the faucet as well as the wood open shelving helps to warm up the space. The warm gray veining in the Cambria quartz countertops also really helps to add interest and character!
When we started working with Bosch on this kitchen build out, I was so thrilled to learn that their Benchmark series dishwasher accepts ready-made cabinet fronts (our cabinets were not custom) for a seamless look in the cabinetry. This really helps to make this kitchen look even bigger I think! And check out this video to see how cool the dishwasher is inside! The tines that hold up the dishes are adjustable, the bottom rack holds all sorts of big, bulky items (like HUGE popcorn bowls and stock pots!) and there’s the MyWay Rack that allows you to accommodate deeper items that you usually never have a place for! I’m OBSESSED with this dishwasher!
When I posted about this dishwasher on Instagram a lot of you that have this same model mentioned you LOVE the whisper-quiet aspect. I love it too, especially for the Gentry house kitchen because it is so open to the living and dining rooms. It’s so quiet you can run a load during a dinner party and none of your guests would realize it! :) You can literally be standing right next to the dishwasher while it’s running and not hear a thing.
We couldn’t choose a gas range in this house, so we used Bosch’s beautifully designed app to easily and quickly find the perfect 30″ slide-in electric range. Isn’t it gorgeous? We really needed the range to not have a back panel to work with the quartz backsplash design, and Bosch came through for us! We also chose a Bosch hood insert above the range in the custom surround our contractor made. I’m SO happy with how this whole range area turned out! It’s functional AND beautiful.
We also used the Bosch app to source the 36″ wide French Door counter-depth fridge. I love the sleek design and the organization of the interior components. The French Door design is a huge space saver and makes it easy to have a lot of people in the kitchen at the same time.
Our goal with this whole house renovation was to choose unique, beautifully designed elements that, most importantly, help this home function well, but that also look great. Bosch is known for making appliances that have quality that is both lasting and noticeable, and I know that the future homeowners will see and feel that from Day 1 here in the Gentry Project kitchen!
Holiday Shopping with RetailMeNot and a $500 Giveaway!
*UPDATE: Contest is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Thank you for entering!* This post is sponsored by RetailMeNot. All images and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting our sponsors! sofa // coffee table // rug // leather ottoman sconces // green pitcher We did a little sprucing up around the…
*UPDATE: Contest is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Thank you for entering!*
This post is sponsored by RetailMeNot. All images and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting our sponsors!
We did a little sprucing up around the studio recently to get ready for the holidays! RetailMeNot invited me to see what kinds of deals I could find using their HOLIDAY DEALS page, and we really hit the jackpot! I’ve used RetailMeNot for many years, both online and with their app, to get additional coupons or promotion codes before checking out. But what I didn’t realize is RetailMeNot can also be used as a sale search engine, with thousands of coupons and cash back offers. You can hop on their site and see in one place where the deals are! It’s honestly such a great tool for saving money around gift-giving holidays.
I hopped on the HOLIDAY DEALS page on RetailMeNot and found all sorts of coupons, major promotions and cash back offers to some of my favorite decor sites, like to Pottery Barn, World Market, Crate & Barrel and West Elm. Also you can combine coupons and cash back offers! Like they have a 20% off World Market coupon plus $20 cash back deal running right now and I am going to order this faux Sea Grape tree for my house this weekend! Speaking of faux plants, I used the RetailMeNot app at Michael’s to get 20% off my entire purchase of a TON of holiday decor, like these magnolia leaves!
I also got a bunch of frames with the Michael’s coupon so I could hang a few of our newest Jenny’s Print Shop releases – another great gift idea! (And by the way, RetailMeNot is letting me give away a $500 Visa gift card to one of you this week! To enter, click here to sign up for RetailMeNot, browse their website and comment back on this post with the deal you’re excited to use for holiday shopping this year! I’ll pick a winner on Sunday night!)
*UPDATE: Contest is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Thank you for entering!*
I have been eyeing this adorable tassel pillow from Pottery Barn and when I saw there was a 25% off coupon on RetailMeNot, I pulled the trigger! Isn’t it a great layering pillow? I think this would make the cutest gift!
I just noticed on the RetailMeNot site that this Overstock rug that so many of you have also ordered and loved is 20% off right now with an additional $15 cash back!
I picked up this greenery at a couple local grocery stores and made these modern wreaths using metal hoops, floral wire and ribbon from Michaels. Aren’t they sweet? I love them all hung together on a wall like this! It makes a big statement for not a lot of money (especially when I used my coupon!).
I love that we were able to add some fun holiday touches to the studio without breaking the bank! RetailMeNot is a forever addiction and there’s not much better than getting a great deal (especially when there are a lot of gifts on the To Buy list!). I’m super excited to help one of you with you holiday shopping this year too, so don’t forget to enter the $500 Visa gift card give away! To enter, click here to sign up for RetailMeNot, browse their website and comment back on this post with the deal you’re excited to use for holiday shopping this year. I’ll pick a winner and notify them by email on Sunday night. Good luck!
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 Gold Cactus Trinket Dish – You don’t have to be from the desert like I am to love a little bit of cactus in your life! This trinket dish is so cute in a bathroom, on a console table or…
Gold Cactus Trinket Dish – You don’t have to be from the desert like I am to love a little bit of cactus in your life! This trinket dish is so cute in a bathroom, on a console table or on top of a stack of books.
Leather Tote – I have and use this leather tote every single day. I love its simplicity and after three years of daily use, I can vouch for the quality! It’s great gift for yourself and others!
Hair Pins – I get asked about my bobby pins every time I’m wearing them in my insta stories. I wear them three or four times a week probably and I LOVE them! They stay put really well and don’t rip your hair out either. I get constant compliments and questions about them, which means they’re great gifting material!
Tassel Earrings – Inexpensive but nice looking statement jewelry is always a good gift idea, I think. These adorable tassel earring definitely fall in that category! I have been surprised at how often I wear them considering I don’t usually choose dangly earrings! I LOVE them.
“To Be Continued…” Bookmark – I love low-tech gifts, don’t you? I’m ready to throw my phone away and read a book in a hammock for the rest of my life.
Gold Circle Necklace – Other than my barrettes, my gold circle necklace is probably my most commonly asked question in my direct messages folder. It is handmade and real gold so I wear it every day, all day and it still looks brand new! It layers so well with other jewelry but is pretty on its own, too!
2018 Planner – Perfect gift for teachers and coworkers!
Narciso Rodriguez For Her Perfume – Have you smelled this perfume yet? It’s a winner. I have been wearing Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille for years, and it’s my favorite, but I had been looking for another scent to mix things up a little. My friend Jenna introduced me to this (surprisingly affordable) perfume and it’s a really good one! My husband loves it and I get compliments often when I wear it!
Red Matte Balm – Another frequently asked question in my DM’s is about this red lipstick I wear on the regular. It’s a matte lip crayon and it’s SUPER cheap. It can go on in a thin layer for just a hint of color or it can layer to look more like traditional red lipstick. If I had to only have one lipstick on me, this would be it because it’s so versatile!
Gold Stud Earrings – These go-with-anything bar studs make a great gift for that friend that feels in a fashion rut. I gave a pair recently to a friend who was feeling a little bored with her clothes and general look. These earrings felt a little bit adventurous to her, but not too risky at the same time. She loves them and wears them often! (and I wear mine all the time too!)
Plaid Top – The perfect holiday/winter top for all of us that are overeating this season! :)
Leather Watch – I know I put this on the Men’s guide, but I’m honestly considering this watch for myself! It’s a STUNNER.
Fun Socks – Never enough socks around our house! Michael loves to get fun colors and patterns to mix up his work wardrobe every day, which makes for an easy gift for me! :)
Backgammon Game – I grew up playing backgammon with my parents and siblings, so I’m nostalgic for the game anyway, but how gorgeous is this set? It’s BURLWOOD!!!!
“Lost in NYC” Book – Have you heard about this city travel guide series? Straight from the description: “Getting lost in the city is not about throwing away the map. It’s about surrendering yourself to the essence of the place. The sights, smells, flavours and sounds that make it unique. The photography, the art, the creativity that provide its individual inspiration. Getting lost is diving headfirst into what makes each city its own.” Sounds amazing right? Ready to hop on a plane right now and go explore!
Key Ring – Modern and cool are two descriptors you’d never pick for a key ring, but this one is both of those things! LOVE.
Notebook – Get a gorgeous handmade notebook and support Public School Art programs?! Double nice!
Dollhouse – I know we’ve all seen it, but it’s too good to not mention here. Margot is getting a dollhouse under the tree this year and I can’t wait!
Star Wars Planters – I mean, guys, they’re Star Wars planters! HA! I actually don’t even really love Star Wars, but I still think these are so fun!
“Home” Book – I love this book and how it portrays different concepts of what home is. It’s a great conversation to have with kids, helps them learn about the world around them and usually ends up with everyone feeling grateful, which is never a bad thing!
Play Kitchen -I dare you to try and find a cuter modern play kitchen! It doesn’t exist! :)
Razor Mini Scooter – One of our neighbor’s daughters got this mini Vespa-esque scooter for her birthday earlier this year and as far as I can tell, every single kid in the neighborhood will now be getting one for Christmas. It will be like a hilarious little scooter gang racing around our streets! Hahahhaha! They are pretty amazing and well-made for the price (they hold up to 170 lbs so there might be a mom or two joining the scooter gang every now and then!!).
Pink Ballet Dress – Always my girls favorite dresses to wear! They are gorgeous and wash SO well.
Wooden Cocoa Set – The cutest spin on a play tea set! Play hot cocoa! :)
Velvet Hair Bows – I love velvet bows for making regular kids clothes look fancier for holiday parties and church.
Headphones – These are so handy for travel or even just in the car on long errands days!
Instax Instant Camera – Still our family’s favorite toy. We have albums full of these snap shots and they are priceless to me!
“A Poem for Every Night of the Year” Book – I’ve declared that 2018 is the year we slow down as a family. I want to work less, cook more, pick up gardening, throw out our TV and play games together or read together instead. This book has a poem for every day of the year (Angelou, Shakespeare, Whitman, etc) and a little paragraph before the poem to provide context. I know my girls will love discussing over dinner or after baths before bed! Bring on the slow times! :)
Wooden Baking Set -Margot is suddenly VERY into all things imaginative play. We already have a play kitchen, but this little baking set would be right up her alley!
Pom Pom Beanie – I love this little beanie and I love that it is black! Very city kid, very cool!
HAPPY SHOPPING! What have you found this year that you can’t live without?! I’d love to hear!
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 Buffalo Check Dog Bed – Linus needs a new dog bed this year and I think I’ve found a winner! :) Spiced Cider Candle – Candles make the best hostess gifts. This one is perfect for the holidays….
Buffalo Check Dog Bed – Linus needs a new dog bed this year and I think I’ve found a winner! :)
Spiced Cider Candle – Candles make the best hostess gifts. This one is perfect for the holidays. It smells warm and cozy!
Candle Tool Set – If you want to give a candle but want to take it to full-gift status, add a few little things like a cute box of matches this candle tool set to make it feel a little nicer.
Gold Planter – We have this planter in the studio and get asked about it all the time. It looks SO expensive, but isn’t! Bonus gift points for adding a beautiful plant like a fern or succulent. A small Norfolk Pine would be my pick!
Ceramic Hand Vase – I LOVE cheeky accessories and this one fits the bill without being too juvenile or silly! I’d love this filled with eucalyptus branches sitting on an entry console (or anywhere, really!).
“Dinner in an Instant” Book – After hearing enough of my friends rave about the Insta Pot, I finally caved and bought one, though I’ll admit I haven’t done much with it yet. I just got this book and it’s beautiful and is making me SO excited to get adventurous with my Insta Pot!
Instant Pot – I like my crock pot in theory, but the problem is that means I have to be thinking about dinner at like 8 am. For someone who doesn’t like to think about, see or smell food until about 10 am (I inherited this unfortunate trait from my mother), the insta pot (which can do the same work as a crock pot in a literal fraction of the time) seems too good to be true. I’ve used mine a handful of times for rice, a roast and shredded chicken for tacos and so far it is holding up to the hype! Do you have any favorite recipes, cookbooks or websites for the Insta pot?
Salad Servers – We all have kitchen items we overbuy. Mine are most definitely salad servers. I love them and I don’t care who knows it. They’re just SO pretty and these horn servers are DEFINITELY coming to my house (and probably a lot of friend’s homes) this season.
Echo Dot – I don’t actually have the Echo Dot, but I want one. The (more than 60,000!) reviews are hard to ignore and now’s the time to snag one when they’re basically half off!
Compact Ice Maker – Pebble ice is life. We wanted to install an undercounter ice maker when we renovate but they are notorious for leaking/flooding so it felt hard to pull the trigger. Enter this little beauty. It’s pretty cheap, small and works like a dream. ALSO there is no need to have it hooked up to a water line!! You just pour a bit of water in the machine and it spits out 1.5 pounds of pebble ice very quickly! I make a batch every couple of days and throw it in one of these ice holders in my freezer! Easier and faster than making a run to Sonic. :)
Buffalo Check Rug – I’m OBSESSED with this check rug. It looks cute in any (and I mean ANY) room. Laundry, bath, entry, bedroom, living room, you name it. It especially looks cute layered under a coir mat at your front door!
Marble Salt Box – Little marble salt cellars and butter keeps are my other kitchen collectors items! :) This salt box it too good and would make a great gift with some truffle salt or pink Himalyan salt!
Cheese Board & Knife – Okay, this is the BEST little bread/cheese board I’ve seen at the under $30 price point!! It comes with a knife and it’s the PERFECT size for leaving out on the counter. I bought three of these to have on hand for holiday and year-round last minute gifting. The wood is the perfect color and finish and looks more expensive than it is!
White Nesting Bowls – I have these and LOVE them. They are helpful to have and use and they look great on open shelving!
Gold Chain Frame – You guys know I am obsessed with brass chain frames! I used them here and here and want to pretty much use them in every room redesign going forward!
Oil & Vinegar Bottles – I have these on my little spice shelf in my kitchen area and I use them everyday. They are are handy and gorgeous! I’d love to give these along with this amazing salad cook book!
Wall Clock – I love, love, love clocks that hang from the side like this one! Perfect for mudrooms and kitchens especially!
La Compagnie De Provence Soap – My favorite hand soap! I mean, who doesn’t want to feel more French just generally in their life?! It’s the perfect price point to make a special gift.
Lounge Chair – Months later, still obsessed with these armless chairs. The price and the caning on the back!!! SO GOOD.
Indigo Tassel Pillow – I just got this pillow in the mail and the tassels are SO CUTE!!! It makes a great layering piece!
White Dutch Oven – My insta pot might be quickly taking over the place in my heart currently held by my Dutch oven, but also maybe not. :) I guess I’m just a traditionalist when it comes down to it and I literally can’t think of anything better than making a big pot of vegetable stew with my girlies on a chilly night. (Bonus points for the more affordable price point and the beautiful chalky white finish on this pot!)
Woven basket with Tassel – I LOVE a good basket, like, SO MUCH. I especially love them for planters! And how cute is this one with the green tassel?
Faux Sea Grape Plant – If you’re wanting to make the basket a very special gift, I’d get one of these faux Sea Grape trees too! I love that this is tree sort of a fun twist on the fig tree trend, but is different enough to feel fresh!
Tabletop Easel – I love using easels to style a console table or shelf! It is a beautiful way to display your smaller art pieces and prints in a unique way.
Handmade Planters – I love these handmade little planters from one of my favorite etsy shops, Her Name is Mud! They make beautiful gifts (and so do her personalized ornaments!!)
Insulated Water Bottles – These are so pretty and make great gifts for teachers, kids, coworkers and friends! I keep them all over to help me try and kick my Diet Coke habit. :)
Gold Tape Dispenser – Another obsession of mine is quirky, beautiful office supplies! This brass tape dispenser is VERY HIGH on my want list!
Geode Coasters – These little geode coasters look amazing on a coffee table tray and would make the perfect hostess gift! I know I’d love to get them!
STAY TUNED FOR OUR FASHION and BEAUTY GIFT GUIDE THIS WEEK! xo
source This weekend we started decorating for the holidays around the studio and at my house. I have a sliiiiight allergy to real trees so we’ve been using our faux white tree for the past couple of years, but this year my girls have been begging for a big, real tree since basically July. I…
This weekend we started decorating for the holidays around the studio and at my house. I have a sliiiiight allergy to real trees so we’ve been using our faux white tree for the past couple of years, but this year my girls have been begging for a big, real tree since basically July. I gave in and will just pop a couple extra Benedryl for the next few weeks. :)
At home and at the studio, I’m keeping it simple this year. I’ve been drawn to more modern holiday decor to add to my more traditional Christmas items I’ve collected over the years. I’m most excited about making these wooden bead garlands and a few simple wreaths! Also our friends over at Sonoran Handmade sent us this amazing modern acrylic nativity that I really love!
Here are a few other modern Christmas decor items I’m loving this holiday season! Also if you haven’t checked out Hearth and Hand collection yet, you must! So many great, affordable pieces!
lights // rug // stools I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving!! I’m up at my parents’ house with my family, enjoying the cooler weather and stuffing our faces. We all just woke up from our Thanksgiving naps and now we’re all talking about Black Friday sales! There are a couple of general sales to…
I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving!! I’m up at my parents’ house with my family, enjoying the cooler weather and stuffing our faces. We all just woke up from our Thanksgiving naps and now we’re all talking about Black Friday sales!
There are a couple of general sales to be aware of – like Overstock’s 15% off (my mom’s bar stools are from Overstock! Love them) and West Elm’s Buy More Save More sale (you can snag my favorite office chair in the world for 30% off!). In an effort to help you save time, we rounded up some of our favorite and most asked about items from that we used throughout the year – that also happen to be a part of some awesome Black Friday sales!
These weren’t the original sconces we intended to use in this space, but this last minute change ended up being one of our absolute favorite elements of the room!! These sconces are so beautiful and look SO much more rich than the $44 price tag!
We still get SO many questions about this blue overdyed rug. This color and pattern are also perfect for families with kids and pets – it hides everything!!!
Everything in The Vintage Rug Shop is 30% off! If you are in the market for some gorgeous vintage rugs, now is the time to grab one! Use code YAYBLACKFRIDAY!
Framebridge’s Black Friday sale is awesome – 20% off all of their black frames using the code BLACK20. Such a great deal! Also – we got so many questions about the two new prints we used in the One Room Challenge bedroom! MERCER and COTTONWOOD will be available in the Print Shop at midnight on Sunday night. We are doing a HUGE Cyber Monday sale that will launch at the same time, so be sure to sign up for the newsletter and to follow us on Instagram for the announcement this weekend!
source Thanksgiving is somehow upon us already. I was pretty sure it was still August and then I blinked and here we are! Between the Gentry project wrapping up, the One Room Challenge, getting new prints and products lined up for the shop and holiday sales, and the beginning of a couple new house renovation…
Thanksgiving is somehow upon us already. I was pretty sure it was still August and then I blinked and here we are! Between the Gentry project wrapping up, the One Room Challenge, getting new prints and products lined up for the shop and holiday sales, and the beginning of a couple new house renovation projects, we have been slammed around here. I’m so grateful for an amazing team of go-getters and can-doers! Now I just need things to slow down a tiiiiiiny bit so I can soak it all up and enjoy it a little more. :)
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Earlier this week week we put together 5 table settings for your holiday table. There is a lot of inspiration here! We used a good mix of affordable and vintage items to create some really special looks. Click here to see the full post!
And for a throw-back, remember this Fall dinner party I threw a few years ago? I still love that skinny wreath!
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Last year I shared some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes and I’ve got them on repeat again this year because if it’s not broke, don’t fix it!! I’ll be wearing my best pair of stretchy pants and will be getting seconds (and probably thirds if we’re being honest)!
Cut three or four large sweet potatoes in half the long way and place them face down on a baking sheet. Bake them at 400 degree for 40-60 minutes until soft. Let them completely cool on the baking sheet and then simply pull the skins off! Mash the sweet potatoes in a bowl and add 1/2 c melted butter, 1/3 c milk, 1 c sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and two beaten eggs. Spread this mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan and then mix the crumble topping. Toss together 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 c flour, 1 c pecans and cut in 1/3 c melted butter until the mixture is crumbly. Spread the mixture over the top of your sweet potatoes and bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Sometimes I like to sprinkle a handful or two of mini marshmallows over the top for the last few minutes until those get toasty. YUM!
–MAPLE GLAZED CARROTS–
These carrots are super tasty! If you can find smaller carrots in different colors with the stems on, it makes for a prettier presentation! Just peel and trim about a pound of carrots, sauté the carrots in a tablespoon or so of olive oil until they start to brown up. Then add a tablespoon of maple sugar and salt and pepper. Then finish the carrots in a 400 degree oven for about 15/20 minutes, until they are cooked though and caramelized!
–PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED ASPARAGUS–
If you wrap your veggies in bacon, does it still count as healthy? Probably not, but worth it. Simply wrap one thick or two thin asparagus spears in a slice of good prosciutto and sear in a skillet on medium high heat until crispy. Serve warm!
–PUMPKIN PIE–
My mom is the queen of Thanksgiving pies. She makes five or six different kinds every year and they are all amazing. Her crust is my favorite and it’s super simple: 1/2c shortening pulsed in the food processor with 2 1/2 c flour, 2 T sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Once that mixture looks like sand, pulse in 1 1/2 c of cubed and chilled unsalted butter until the mixture looks like crumbs. In a mixing bowl, cut in three tablespoons of ice cold water and add additional tablespoons as needed until the dough starts to stick together. Be careful not to over mix though! Form a ball and cut into two halves. Flatten in a disc and wrap in seran wrap to refrigerate for at least an hour.
This recipe makes a double crust – just roll out and fill however you like! Chicken pot pie, sour cherry pie and pistachio nutella are my favorites, but this recipe for pumpkin pie filling is pretty amazing! The maple syrup and fresh ginger really make it special. It tastes best after a day or so, so make two and keep enjoying it for the rest of the weekend!
Speaking of pie, our friend Krista of Her Name is Mud made these super adorable and hilarious pie toppers for the holidays! We can’t get enough of these!
And now that it’s finally cooling down here in the desert, I’ve been only wanting to wear the coziest, warmest pieces. Here are some of my favorite recent finds, just in time for Thanksgiving!
