Inspiration from All Places

Even though we completed the condo paint job last year (can you believe it's been just about a year since then?!), I am always looking for inspiration for the home in all places. Little updates like a new throw pillow or an accessory for the bookshelf can lend a new edge to a space without spending a lot of money.

Photo courtesy of Pulp Home

Part of why I love following other bloggers is that they can lead me to inspiration in unlikely places. Take this pretty living room above featuring six colorful prints. They can be found at Pulp Home, a design company and shop which I found following the yellow brick road over from Aspiring Kennedy. I love the prints and how they compliment the painted blue wall. They would look so lovely in my dining room, which is a similar color!

Source: changoandco.com via Katherine on Pinterest

Yesterday, another design shop caught my eye over on Charm Home, a local Atlanta interior design blog. Cristi showcased photos from Chango & Co., a NYC-based design firm. Look at that space they designed on the Upper West Side! Those windows remind me of my own; I love how they take such a prominent place in the room. Those built-ins are dreamy for smaller homes where closet space is at a premium.

Sometimes you just see inspiration by chance in real life, too. Remember this model home that I toured last year with some family? That curved couch still catches my breath, as do those colors. I should have asked that day who created that look for the builder.

Have you ever hired an interior designer? I usually like to tackle such home projects myself, using inspiration that I find from all of those places. But if I had the resources about me (aka if I was a real-life Betty...), I would like to hire an interior designer to help me with one home project in particular -- my window treatments. We have (hideous) long vertical blinds on all of the windows and the sliding doors that came standard with all the units in our building. They remind me of the ones you'd find in an office building. Not so chic.

By looking at the other units from the outside, I can tell that most of my neighbors haven't figured out a better option yet, either, but there are a few in the building that look to have upgraded theirs with new shades and curtains. I have done some research and it looks like there are a few vendors in the area ... but what if I could just hire someone to help me find the exact, right option for me? It's definitely on my home decor wish list right now :) 

Target and Neiman Marcus

I just scoped out the upcoming Target + Neiman Marcus collection that debuts Saturday in both brand's stores and online. The much-buzzed about holiday collaboration features over 50 limited-edition products from top American designers that range in price from $7.99 to $499.99.

Have you taken a look at the line-up yet? You can find the full round-up here, and below are a few of my favorites. That dress, in paticular, is to-die, and how great would that bar set be for the bachelor in your life?

Like the Missoni and Jason Wu special Target lines of past, expect these items to sell out FAST! Happy Shopping!!

Lela Rose for Target + Neiman Marcus, $99

Altuzarra for Target + Neiman Marcus, Shaker, Glasses and Tray set, $49.99

Prabal Gurung for Target + Neiman Marcus, $79.99

Robert Rodriguez for Target + Neiman Marcus, $79.99

Hiya, Fall!

Oh, I am so glad fall is upon us once again!

This weekend, I took full advantage of a few quiet afternoons to prep the condo for the orange leaves, pumpkins and pies ahead. This included a complete swap out of all the clothes and shoes for the new season ...

The shoe swap-out is always a hot mess mid-process.

And of course, some decor updates, too! Check out my new fall-inspired "mantel" on top of our bookcase and elsewhere around the space:

And then we celebrated at a fall-themed wedding :)

Hanging out with the co-best man ;)

Sibling shot! We think alike and matched by accident :)

I also did my own hair for the wedding (a girl whose date is the best man better show up lookin' put together, right?!). I started by curing all of the ends of my hair and teasing the crown for a little visual oomph from the front. I pulled the lower half of my hair into a mid-ponytail and then pinned the top, teased half to my head right above the hair tie. Then I re-curled a few stray pieces in the pony as needed, and sprayed it all with my fav hold-it-in-place-through-the-last-dance hair spray, Aussie Instant Freeze.

 

Here are the side shots: 

 

So easy to do, I promise! It only took two bobby pins on the top, and then two underneath the pony to catch the baby hairs at the nape of my neck. Anyone who can master a curling iron can do this look in about 20 minutes. The curls covered up the bobby pins just enough so that no one will know your magic :)

Yay, Fall! 

Falling Into Orange

Nothing like a day of college football to remind a gal that the new fall season is here!

Since I took up the relationship with this man over here many years ago, I not only continued my love of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but became a War Eagle-crying gal, too. I am not a quick supporter of teams, either, mind you. I already cheered hard for Clemson whenever I could (read: whenever they weren't playing Tech!) alongside good friends and my cousin. And a familial heritage tie-in with the Fighting Irish up at Notre Dame has given me mostly losing seasons (until this one, so far!) but I still wore their sweatshirt on cold winter days. Other than that, I have been cheering solely for the boys in gold and white every week of the fall for many, many years. Oh, and any team that's playing UGA, I guess ;)

Maybe it's because I already had a thing for tigers, or maybe it's because their team is historically a great one to watch, but I have really come to love me some Auburn Tigers! We have had a fun time cheering on our two teams each year and teaching each other about the traditions, songs and players that make each one unique.

This season, we are lucky enough to get to attend two Auburn games along with our season tickets to Tech. I love that Atlanta is just a short two-hour drive down to Auburn, plus you gain an hour going there with the time change. That meant that we could easily make yesterday's 11AM CST game in Auburn with tailgating time to boot by leaving Atlanta at 8AM EST!

Because I am a girl, and because game day attire is something that is VERY important in the South, navy and orange attire has been top of mind for me. These young girls down in Auburn have a totally different sense of game day fashion, and it involves mostly dresses and cowboy boots. The boots thing, while popular at many southern schools for a long time, are not something Georgia Tech girls wear a lot of, so I will be choosing to just skip that and pull on the flat boots instead. But I do have a dress that I will be wearing for the next game!

Here are some of my favorite navy and orange looks going right now. While many of these could be a great game day ensemble, I also think they all would look perfect for fall, no matter what team you cheer for! Orange and navy make it easy to combine late-summer looks and breeze right into fall.

For example, I totally have a jacket like this. It can take a summery orange dress into fall-wear that is perfect for the office.

Source: street-model.tumblr.com via Lauren on Pinterest

This orange maxi would look great with a blazer like above, or with a denim jacket to keep things more casual.

Source: net-a-porter.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Atlantic-Pacific always knows how to pair poufy stripes with a bold color choice appropriately.

Source: atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com.br via Júlia on Pinterest

I am loving the layered combination of chambray and the scarf here!

Source: Uploaded by user via Allessia on Pinterest

Orange and navy wedding themes are so adorably preppy!

Source: groomsoldseparately.com via Cristina on Pinterest

You know my love of a good polka dot!

Source: blog.purehome.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

This skirt and these boots ... !

Source: edopter.com via Jamie on Pinterest

Or this skirt and these boots!!

Source: rosealamode.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Do you have any favorite orange and/or navy looks that you are eying for the fall ahead?

Globally Inspired

Part of what I have come to love about writing this blog is that I am often told about all sorts of cool local things that I get to pass along to you all to enjoy, too! This one is no exception.

Credit: SEEN Global

I heard about SEEN Global a month or so ago and have been following along with them ever since. This local Atlanta accessories company appealed to my fashionista side with their cool, travel-inspired lines, and when I learned that their products are all fair trade, I knew they were going to see success.

Credit: SEEN Global

SEEN Global's mission is to infuse culturally inspired accessories into everyday fashion, while highlighting the talent and tradition of international artisans. The ethnic and tribal designs are fresh and unique, and everything is handmade, which means one-of-a-kind collectables in your jewelry box. While I love traditional jewelry (you will never see me without my two rings, for example, and I often throw on a good pair of pearls), I love jazzing up an outfit with statement jewelry, and SEEN Global's lines are just what I look for -- something unique that you won't see anywhere else.

Here's a little information about SEEN Global's newest line, the Vintage Sari Bracelets by Green Sewn:

Credit: SEEN Global

The latest addition to the SEEN Global collection is a line of vintage sari bracelets handmade from the softest, prettiest vintage saris in New Delhi, India. These new sari bracelets are chic and unique! Each bracelet is one-of-a kind, as the fabrics are cut from different parts of the sari and then hand woven into a bracelet. Hand dipped 14k gold chains or tiny crystals add a fashionable flair to each bracelet, so take your pick! 

Credit: SEEN Global

Credit: SEEN Global

I think this idea is so cool. Saris are the traditional dress of Indian women, and I have seen so many gorgeous ones at the weddings and events of some of my Indian friends. They are usually made out of silk, and the colors, patterns and textures are amazing. What a fun way to combine culture with a fashion statement piece! 

"These vintage sari bracelets are the perfect way to infuse culture into fashion, which is what SEEN Global is all about!”

~ SEEN Global’s owner and buyer, Natalie 

Lucky for us, we can shop these new sari bracelets online and get $5 off any order of $25 or more through August 31. Just use the promo code GLOBALGAL. 

Thanks, SEEN, for keeping us in the know about the latest and greatest in global fashion!

Disclosure: I was provided information for this post but was not compensated in any way.

OOTD: Virtual Girls Night

Girls and their clothes. It never gets old creating outfits and having fun dressing up! It's well known that girls don't dress for boys, either -- they dress for other girls!

Tonight, I had one of two Girl's Nights scheduled for the week, this one with a dear friend from college. Meet Lindsay, my partner in crime from our six-week Madrid study abroad program.

Side note: Oh Fanta from Spain, you are so much better than Fanta here in the States. Why can't they replicate that recipe here?! 

Lindsay and I spent a lot of time "studying" in Spain way back then ... at the bar across the street from our dorm. With "Bluuuudy Maryssss" as the bartender called them. Don't be fooled -- we went to our fair share of classes and local business visits as part of our program. But we also ran into some famous people while out on the town at nights:

Oh hi, Ice-T! Or "Mr. Ice-T Sir" as we addressed him, ha!

Lindsay is a blast, so I never pass up the chance to hang out with this old friend! I made sure to put on a nice outfit this morning in honor of the occasion, and you know, maybe blow out my hair rather than wear it dirty ;)

Dress: Target, Blazer: LOFT, Shoes: Nine West, Belt: JCrew

I also threw on some fun earrings, just for the occasion.

Earrings: Stella and Dot

Sadly, my friend has had a crazy day come up at work, so we have to postpone our evening. Now we are both sitting here in cute outfits today, with nowhere special to go tonight.

Doesn't this card just sum it up perfectly? :)

Source: someecards.com via Katherine on Pinterest

So instead, we took shots of our outfits and texted them to each other and had a virtual mini "date" at work, ha! I am loving Lindsay's ring. And her manicure - check this out!

Lesson learned: don't let a "wasted" outfit day get you down! Even if you can't publicly post about your outfits like me (ha!), share them with friends or snap a shot and recreate the look later. It'll be just as good the second time around. And virtually is better than not at all!

Have you "wasted" an outfit recently?

And to Lindsay: Can't wait to see you next week instead!!

 

Dots, Then and Now

I love how fashion trends always, always come around again. You just have to give them time. This whole neon and one-shouldered look going on right now? Slap on some jellies and you are sitting in 1991 all over again! It's definitely not my favorite trend to relive, but it sure is nostalgic.

It's the classic looks that stay always trendy, though. Check out this shot from a J. Crew Style Guide from 1989 -- this looks like it could have been taken today!

Polka dots are in my plan for our upcoming engagement shots, scheduled for the 10th right here in Buckhead! I can't wait to show you how they turn out. Brad and I don't have a ton of "nice" photos together from recent years (I blame the fact that I stopped bringing my circa-2003 camera to most events!) so it's going to be wonderful to capture some share-worthy images :)

In other quick wedding update news, it's been more fun planning now that I have the big things like the church, venue and dress out of the way. Now we are getting into the whole Save the Date, invitations, registry and flowers part. I love getting to use my creativity bone once in a while! I can't wait to show you how our first craft project, a star in our engagement shots to come, turns out!

Happy Friday, everyone. Have a great weekend!

Wedding Rentals

Remember Rent the Runway and that fabulous dress I snatched up (just for one night!) for my birthday bash two years ago?

I am a lover of RTR -- they provide great customer service, and, when you do your homework on the dresses (tip: read the reviews, they provide HUGE insight into the fit of the dress on different body types!), you are bound to get a winner.

You might think about RTR when you are planning a big event like a birthday or a cocktail party, but did you know they also have a ton of options specially selected especially for wedding events like bridal showers, formal and semi-formal weddings, bachelorette weekends ... and even white dresses for the bride herself? It's pretty awesome! Instead of feeling pressured to buy that $400 designer label dress, why not just rent it for the weekend instead for only $100? That is a Buckhead Betty on a Budget MUST.

Check out, for example, this swank short number. This would be perfect as a date to a wedding, especially one where your S.O. is in the bridal party and might be wearing a tux! Dress to the occasion!

Or how about this long number for an elegant black-tie affair? Yowza for only $125, compared to $500 retail!

I love love LOVE this short party dress for a dressy bridal shower or a day-to-night wedding. Of course, you know me, I love a good party dress, especially ones that rent for $75 instead of $440 retail, geez!

Um, as proof that this dress rocks, guess who I actually randomly recognized wearing it in the RTR reviews section? My gal pal Lowrie from college! Girl's got great taste :)  Hi, Lowrie!!

With all of the busy wedding season still under way (and my own right around the corner), I love that you can add a second dress to your order for only $25. That makes attending all of those showers and events a breeze!

This cut-out LBD would be a great dress to wear to a bachelorette party, where often the gals are asked to wear black while the bride-to-be wears white. Plus, it's only $60 to rent, $325 retail.

Lastly, say it's your own big day. Why not grab a white frock to help celebrate, either as a rehearsal dress or an exit dress? RTR is so cute - "let us be your something borrowed," aww! This Christian Siriano find is $200 to rent ... compare that to the $1,750 retail, wow!

Have you been renting from RTR? What have been your experiences? I know I have blogged about them before, so who knows what else has been upgraded since then! I'd love to hear your feedback.

Disclosure: I was in no way compensated for this post. I am just loving me some RTR these days :)