Triflin'

I need help picking a trifle bowl in which to serve this glorious masterpiece.

Pier One, $10:

Target, $9.99:

In days of old I surely would've picked Pier One's option, hands down. But as my style evolves, there are certain things about Target's version that appeal to me.

I like this Target version more, but they don't sell it in stores, and I need it for Tuesday:

So I'm taking a poll. Which one should I buy?

3 Cs: Confession, CocoCozy, and Chairs

Just in case you haven't already figured it out, here's my confession: I'm an avid blog reader. Especially design/home blogs. I was just introduced to a lovely blog two days ago and you guys have to check it out: CocoCozy. Coco says, "I am not a professional interior decorator or design expert - just someone who likes anything to do with house and home." Well, she's a lot more of an "expert" than I am, but I feel the same way!

I was flipping through her blog last night (can you flip through a blog like you flip through a book? hmm...) and I kept coming across amazing chairs she's featured in the past. Unfortunately, they're a teensy bit (ok, maybe more than a teensy bit!) above my price range, but think of it as some eye candy for your Thursday. Check them out:


















Windsor Smith Home's Marrakesh Lounge Chair
Isn't it lovely? (It's also $2550. Yikes.)
See Coco's original post here.
















CB2's Vapor Chair
Their website says it all: "No fabric, no leather, just one clean swoop of clear, thick acrylic exposing architectural chrome-plated square steel frame." Love it.
See Coco's original post (including a great "room shot") here.

[By the way, call me crazy, but I might like the Vapor Chair more than the infamous Ghost Chair. I feel sacrilegious saying that!]













Room and Board's Grace Chair
The legs; the look; the fabric -- I adore it. But I can't seem to find it on their website anymore! Sad.
See Coco's original post here.


















Urban Outfitter's Ikat Slipper Chair in Indigo (also available in Jewel)
Short and stout -- and so cute! But I think I might like it more if the design didn't "run." (I know, I know -- that's why it's ikat -- but still!)
See Coco's original post here.

$20 says my husband is astounded that I spend this much time thinking about chair design. Or maybe he's used to it by now?

Goodbye; Hello!

Say goodbye to my old, 7th grade lamp (literally -- I've probably had it that long!) and ghetto Target "nightstand":

(Say goodbye to a lot of things from that picture, actually -- I love seeing my home transform!)

And say hello to my new nightstand (with all the pieces this time, hooray!) and lamp from IKEA. Yes, the lamp's a little on the small side, but I think it's cute!

(Say hello to my unmade bed, too... whoopsies!)

Natural Elements: Yes, Please

I have to agree, Bryn, I'm not usually a fan of decorative balls... but I love these!

Check out this website for some neat finds... and add Bryn's blog to your Google Reader for daily inspiration!

A Hallway History

Let's take a peek into the 2.5 year journey of decorating my hallway, shall we?

It started out something like this. Creamy white walls (standard Village Manor color) with wayyyy too many things hanging on them. (What was I thinking?) Then we decided to paint the back wall gray.

(I know it looks purple... but in reality it's a blue-ish gray.)

Then I hung the dog picture back up on the gray wall. Then I took it down and hung a mirror up. Then I took the rest of the pictures down (finally!). Then I painted the rest of the hallway a creamy brown. No pictures were taken of those boring changes; sorry.

Then K and I tried to STRIPE (one "p," people!) the hallway, but we failed miserably.

Then we tried again... success!

Wes was a big help.

2.5 years later, I love it. Don't you?

Mirrors vs. Plates

I found a picture of the mirrors that used to hang above my dining room table!

Before:

After:

The first picture is a more accurate depiction of the color of the walls, and a better representation of the space in general (many have agreed that the plates look better in person -- that the angle of this picture in particular makes it look like there's too much blank space on the left... but in reality they're a good fit for the space). The mirrors were cute, but they've found a much better home as a grouping of 8 in the office. (Pictures to follow!)

I just love the plates.

Happy & Sad (But Mostly Sad) Story

My sweet friend Casey went to IKEA this weekend and brought me back a nightstand. The closest IKEA is in West Chester, Ohio -- about two hours away from Louisville. That is the happy part of the story.

It's cute, right? And it was only $59. ("Only?!!?!?" says my hubs. He doesn't know that nightstands can be crazy expensive!)

Here's the sad part: Wes started assembling it tonight... and two of the pieces are wrong. He couldn't build the drawer.

SO. SAD.

I've heard horror stories of that happening before... I just never thought it would happen to me! Thankfully, my MIL and FIL are coming down this weekend, and MIL wants to make an IKEA trip anyway. So while we're there, I'm going to get them to replace the pieces -- and replace a leg that cracked slightly when Wes tightened a screw (that's IKEA quality for you... it's cute, but we all know it's cheaply made!). Oh, and they can finish putting it together, too. I'm not driving 2 hours for nothing!

As a side note, I called the customer care center tonight to see if they would ship the pieces to me (just in case we don't make the trip). The woman said that if I bought it in the store, I would have to take it back to the store to get the missing pieces. This is the conversation that ensued:

Me: But I'm two hours away!

Her: I'm sorry; that's our policy.

Me: But your policy doesn't include the fact that I'm two hours away.

Her: I'm sorry... you just need to bring it back to the store and we'll take care of it for you.

Me: I'm sorry, too... but you're going to need to take care of it from two hours away.

Then she started asking me for receipt information, which I didn't have... so it sounds like I was getting somewhere. I was getting off the phone to call Casey and get the info she needed, and I said, "is there any way I can call back and speak directly to you?" She said, "Unfortunately, there's not." I'M SURE SHE THOUGHT IT WAS UNFORTUNATE.

Ok, I'm done venting now. :)

So all that's left in my bedroom are some accessories and a few more pillows. I'm getting so close!