Playing the Blues

Ok, so I’ve curated lots of cool blue items while on my search for the perfect deep blue, velvet sofa – some of which might make excellent gifts for your loved ones, BTW.

I’m not sure blue ever goes out per se. Luckily, for those of us that adore all things blue, it seems there’s a trendy shade in the lineup of popular pantones pretty much every year.

But I’m particularly into a jewel-toned sapphire hue, which looks even richer when paired with the hot metal of the moment – gold.

 

Falling for Seasonal Décor

It’s suddenly turned cold here in Middle America and it has me considering how I might mix things up when it comes to my home décor. My color scheme is pretty light with pale blues, greens and a creamy white the rest of the year. However, overcast skies, cool rains and dropping temperatures make me want to make things a little cozier inside.

So how do I do this without trading in all my light-colored furniture and accessories for deep, rich colors and plush fabrics? Luckily, I have a few ideas that won’t break the bank or force me into redecorating my entire home.

1. Throw pillows. Why not pull all my polished cotton and linen-covered throw pillows in turquoise and green, and swap them out for plush velvet or even silk with some embellishments?
2. Fall tablescapes. Green sprigs, Satin ribbons, brilliant fall fruits and plenty of candles are all good ways to transform your home for the season. If you’ve got a set (or two or three!) of inherited dishes packed away like I do, pull out the ones with the gold bands or festive apples on them to use for the season.
3. Welcome mat. Welcome friends and family with a fall or holiday-inspired mat at your front door.
4. Faux fur throws. Make sure there is the plushest of covers draped across your favorite reading chair or a sofa you love to stretch out on. It should be convenient enough to grab if a chill suddenly comes on.
5. Blooms. Mums or any other fall flowers in deep reds, oranges and gold are perfect for your front porch or your dining table. You can always create a really dramatic arrangement for your mantle too. Combine them with gourds, pumpkins and apples for even more color and texture.
6. Candles. Choose tons of white pillars in multiple heights or light a single holiday-smelling candle in your kitchen. You can also put a bunch of tea lights out in a variety of candle holders – notice the cored out apples!
7. Indoor rugs. Your everyday rugs might be very expensive or hard to move, but if they aren’t or you just want to swap out some of the smaller rugs around, this is an easy way to add fall shades to your home. Places like HomeGoods have rugs of all shapes and sizes at affordable prices. You may even want to keep them out all year  ’round.
8. Outdoor spaces. Use your porch or a sunroom as an extension of your home’s square footage. You can always add throws, pillows and rugs to those areas, as well as pretty potted plants in seasonal containers. Plus you can show them off to all the neighbors too!

Hopefully, I’ll tackle some of these in the next few weeks. How about you? What do you do to get your home ready for colder weather? Share some of your favorite ways to welcome the new season into your home in the comments.

Daily Covet: A very Target Christmas

With two-ish weeks to Thanksgiving, I am already anticipating the pulling out of Christmas crap I use to decorate my home for the holidays each year (and I mean “crap” in the nicest way.) But really, it’s a collection of ornaments, towels, lights and much more that I have accumulated on the way to being a grown up – some items even belonged to my long deceased grandparents once upon a time.

But like all the rooms in my house, I’m itching to just blow them up and start over with a more thoughtfully curated collection of holiday paraphernalia.

That brings me to the Target holiday aisle…the one they put closest to the large aisle that takes me to the part of the store where I actually buy things we need. How on earth can I not stop for a peek at all the fun new things that have been out for the holidays since before Halloween… because that’s necessary.

This year I’m loving all the turquoise, metallics and cream that is being shown for the holidays. My tree has been decorated in turquoise for years so it’s nice to see that Target is finally catching up with me!

Here are a few of my absolute favorites:

Daily Covet: Interior Makeover

There are days – especially this time of year – when I get sick of looking at the same, old stuff every day.

These cold, gray days just make me want to toss everything in my house and start from scratch. Or maybe it’s the tent full of plastic balls, the BatBot or the stack of school papers…

It’s a good thing I have Polyvore, where money is no object and I can find virtually anything I need and want in my dream room. So here is what I’ve been working on.

Some favorites? Those Louis loveseats covered in Belgian linen and the glass console table with blue “X” stools tucked underneath.

Like some of these items or want to see other rooms I’ve spent winter days “mocking” up? Check out my Polyvore page here.