Happy Belated Blogiversary

Since my posting has been sparse, I missed an important date last month.  My 2 year blogiversary!  Although this year hasn't been my best for blogging, I do still enjoy the creative outlet it allows when I get a moment to post.  I wanted to take a moment to appreciate you readers who keep coming back despite my absence!  Hope to be more present on the blogosphere...

*Image via Pinterest

Sweater Season

A new boutique opened in the area called Cotone, and I was introduced to the Italian label Brandy Melville there.  They have the most comfortable oversize sweaters that are one size fits all and super reasonably priced too.  I picked one up and I am kind of obsessed.  The temperatures have dropped and   in the morning nothing looks more enticing to put on than a comfy sweater.  I love to pair it with leggings and flats or boots for the day, but it's versatile enough that you could definitely dress it up for a date night too like this:

Sweater | Pants | Bag | Shoes | Necklace

Sleeping on a Cloud

I think a lot about sleep now: when will I get to sleep; how can I maximize my sleep time; will I really ever feel rested again.  So when my brother placed comfortable bedsheets as a top priority to purchase for the condo he is in the process of buying, it got me thinking too.  I always find myself wandering Bed Bath & Beyond trying to buy a very high thread count sheet that is reasonably priced only to find that they are not very soft or special.  

Love this bed and how you can close yourself off to the world...total blackout!
image via Lonny

In search of the perfect bedsheets, we were recently recommended Jennifer Adams sheets.  They retail for $425 but have a roadshow at Costco stores around the country where a King set sells for $100 (smaller sizes are less costly).  I immediately looked up the dates to my nearest Costco and put it in my calendar.  I picked up a set and it is like sleeping on a cloud--impossibly soft and warm.  If you have a preference towards unbelievably soft sheets I highly recommend them but if you like sheets more crisp this might not be your ideal.  You can check when the roadshow hits your nearby Costco here.

Checking in and a Sock Bun

Now that I have gotten my daughter on a more predictable nap/sleeping schedule, which took me 9 months I am hoping to be able to post more regularly.  Her naps have allowed me to delve in to some important endeavors such as perfecting the art of the sock bun.  I had always fashioned my hair in to a bun by myself but bought one of these things hoping to make it thicker and look more finished:

Although I really couldn't figure out how to use it until I saw this:

Have you seen this video?  Apparently a lot of other people think perfecting the art of the sock bun is important too since it has over 2 million views.  Such an easy go to for your hair!  Hope to see you back here again soon...

Library Update + Instagram

Wow!  Has it really been this long...my x benches arrived and here they are in the library.  I also just joined this century and got an iphone and that means I now have instagram (cue photo above).  My instagram name is travelkate11 if you want to follow.   I am much better at taking photos than blogging right now!

House Tour: Dining Room

Since I showed you my study, I figured I would continue on our house tour this week with the dining room.  I was recently inspired by Caitlin Wilson's dining room to hang a similar oil painting that I have:

via Caitlin Wilson Design

My husband and I purchased it while we were dating on our first vacation together in Puerto Rico.  It was painted by a local artist.  While it isn't something I would necessarily be drawn to now, it represents that wonderful vacation together and always makes me smile. I had the painting framed years ago and it was a non distinct silvery-gold color.   I like how Caitlin Wilson put it in a large gilded gold frame, which inspired me to spray paint the existing frame gold:

Study Reveal

Yes, I see that the additional shelf prongs can be seen from the side...definitely taking those out now

I plan on replacing some of the photos I took in Egypt with some personal photos and of course I will be tweaking what is inside the shelves for scale, but I am so pleased with how the built-ins turned out.  I am also ordering 2 X benches in this beautiful leopard fabric for additional seating to be placed in front of the desk.  The dark navy portion is velvet.  I'm in love with this fabric as well as the price:

Library Shelves Styling

I messed up!  My library shelves are finished, but it may be a year before I actually finish filling them up in a way that is aesthetically pleasing.  I should have taken a photo before I started placing items in them up but I forgot to do so.

Styling shelves is definitely not my forte.  Maybe if I had an endless shopping budget and could start from scratch but that really wasn't the point here.  I had them built in order to house the books and items that I already own with maybe just a few added accessories here or there.  It is hard to master scale and proportion with such large shelf openings.  I only own small hardcover books, and very few coffee table sized books that would serve to fill up the space better.  Here are some photos I am garnering inspiration from:

Source: velvetpalette.wordpress.com via Kate on Pinterest

Source: knightmovesblog.blogspot.com via Kate on Pinterest

Source: knightmovesblog.blogspot.com via Kate on Pinterest

Source: lilikoikanoe.blogspot.com via Kate on Pinterest

Source: lonnymag.com via Kate on Pinterest

Source: brabournefarm.blogspot.com via Kate on Pinterest

I am going for a collected global feel.  While I usually prefer to decorate rooms on my own...this is an instance where I would love to hire an interior designer to help me!  Nonetheless, I will share with you what I have done so far next week.

Inside Weddings Feature

Here is the magazine feature via Inside Weddings I mentioned last week, and let me tell you as beautiful as these photos are it looks even more amazing on the glossy magazine pages:

I spotted myself-- on the far right!

La Costa Wedding

I can't believe the summer is coming to an end!  We just came back from a trip to San Diego to celebrate one of my best friend's weddings at the beautiful La Costa Resort.  Even though going to San Diego is a vacation itself, the La Costa Resort was a vacation from our vacation.  We enjoyed hanging out at the pool and seeing friends from all over amidst all of the wedding activity:

Friday Night Dinner

Relaxing at the Resort Pool

Celebrating with the Gorgeous Bride

The breathtaking ceremony
via Cary Pennington Photography

via Travelmoon

Speaking of weddings, remember the fabulous Dallas wedding of one of my besties that I posted about (here) last year.  It was just published in a magazine...which I will share next week!

Library In Progress

After discussing and figuring out what we wanted to do for our library bookshelves they are finally in progress!  Here is a little sneak peek of what will be making an appearance:

I will update along the way!

Monday Escapes: Designer Collaboration Heaven

I have been gone for too long again.  We took a great trip to Florida where Riley got to meet her Great Grandparents and see her Great Aunt again, and also got to meet her Great Uncle and cousins!  I am back, because I had to mention the collaboration that I had read about a few weeks ago.  Target and Neiman Marcus are teaming up with not just one designer in time for the holiday season but 24!  The lines will be available at both Target and Neiman Marcus come December 1.  Here is the list:

Alice + Olivia
Altuzarra
Band of Outsiders
Brian Atwood

Carolina Herrera
Derek Lam
Diane Von Furstenberg
Eddie Borgo
Jason Wu
Judith Leiber
Lela Rose
Marc Jacobs
Marchesa
Oscar de la Renta
Philip Crangi
Prabal Gurung
Proenza Schouler
Rag & Bone
Robert Rodriguez
Rodarte
Skaist-Taylor
Thom Browne
Tory Burch
Tracy Reese

What?? That is designer overload.  If the Missoni for Target madness reached such frenzied levels, I can't even imagine what craziness this will bring out in people!  

via NY Mag

Summer Lovin'

I always enjoy people's posts of products/items that they love--it always gives me new ideas of things to try.  I thought I would post my own (random) list that runs the gamut from interiors to exercise to gelato and inbetween of things I am loving this summer:

1. GHD Flat Iron-I have been getting my hair Japanese straightened for years.  It cuts out the frizz, the drying time of my hair, etc.  And I haven't been able to do the process for quite some time being pregnant and now nursing (I don't want to risk it with the chemicals).  This straightener has been a life saver.  It is pricey but worth it as it works and in half the time too! 

2. White Skinny Jeans-These have been my go-to for summer as they can work from day to night with flats or wedges.

3.  Siviero Maria Gelato-I have been searching in the States for Tiramisu gelato (my favorite) that rivals or even comes a distant second to the gelato I had in Italy and finally (over 10 years later) have found a true winner!  

4. Crate & Barrel Wine Glasses-After breaking several of our Riedel wine glasses we received for our wedding, I invested in some of these glasses.  Don't ge me wrong I still love them, but at $3 a glass these unbreakable and dishwasher safe wine glasses are great for parties when you don't want to be handwashing glasses praying they don't crack into the wee hours of the night.

5. Nike Shoes-These are so light weight they barely feel like you are wearing shoes...I am waiting for my custom pair to arrive in the mail!

6. Sunburst Mirror- Normally I wouldn't run out to get a sunburst mirror but I like this one in gold for the price of only $35!  I put it in our game/play room upstairs on a wall and the room is finally starting to look dare I say kind of finished.

7. Prince Tennis Racket-I have been playing tennis recreationally for a few years but stopped while pregnant and have been itching to get back to playing...after watching Wimbledon, I brought out my racket and my husband and I finally made it to the courts!  This is an updated version of my racket.

Chevron Round-Up

Just when I think I might be sick of chevron forever I fall in love with it all over again.  Here is  a round-up of some chevron items I have been loving lately:

1.  Storage Bins-I bought some black chevron storage bins at Target for my closet, which appear to be sold out (at least online), but these on Etsy are even cuter!
2.  Pillow-I love the thin chevron pattern and the coral color of this pillow from Caitlin Wilson's line (Really I love all of the pillows in her collection.)
3.  Romper-This is the perfect breezy outfit for this hot Texas summer.
4.  Tray-I bought this beautiful lucite tray (also for project closet organization) to place some of my
go-to jewelry and nail polish. There are so many beautiful lucite tray options here as well.
5.  Magnets-I still like to put invitations, birth announcements, and the like on the side of my fridge and these magnets add a little style.

Happy 4th!

Things have been really busy around here, which is why I haven't been blogging.  Just stopped in to say:

Master Bedroom Art

I am so excited about the new addition to our Master Bedroom--we finally hung art above our nightstands.  As I have been explaining along the way, art has been the finishing touch we have been adding to each room, figuring it out as we go when the right piece catches our eye:

I purchased this art from Sarah Swanson of Flourish Design + Style's Etsy Shop (She also featured my bedroom on her blog here).  Her art pieces cost $10 each...you read that right--$10 for original art.  I purchased some Ikea frames and a large custom matte...and voila we finally had some big statement pieces that I really love!

There are so many great paintings to choose from in Sarah's Etsy Shop (all are $10) and so many ways to use them-- you can't go wrong.  You can visit here.

Trina Turk for Banana Republic

Trina Turk created a line for Banana Republic, which debuts this week on June 7th.  The price point is a bit lower than what you find in her regular line and they are full of her classic colorful graphic patterns:

Lookbook via Glamour.com

I am definitely interested to go check it out in person and perhaps pick up something myself.  Wonder if I will have to get there when the doors open?

Chihuly at the Arboretum

Over the holiday weekend we spent Sunday morning at the Arboretum where they are currently showcasing a Chihuly glass exhibit.  Even though the weather is quite warm now, with a slight breeze and plenty of shade in the morning, the Arboretum felt just so summery and perfect.  The glass sculptures amongst the flowers were exquisite.  The highlight was surely the glass boats in the infinity pool overlooking White Rock Lake:

Images via Travelmoon

The exhibit is here until November, so if you are in the Dallas area be sure not to miss it!