I’m not big on hugs. Let’s just get that out of the way right now. I am, however, big on rugs.

Our kitchen update was finally complete a couple of months ago. I have been wanting to post photos, but have been on an endless search for the perfect rug and tea towels to make the room complete. I’ve been looking for something that is relatively neutral, yet still interesting and unique. I know that doesn’t sound too hard to find, but for some reason it is. Our walls our grey, appliances stainless, and everything else is white. So whatever I chose is going to be somewhat of a focal point. Ahh, the pressure! So while I continue to search, I thought I’d share some of my top picks so far.

(If you’re ever trying to sell me a rug, photographing it with a dog will definitely help your cause.)

Circle Fret Tufted Wool

1. Moroccan Medallian Rug 2. Grant Design Dark Gray 3. Ferris Rug 4. Plain Tin Charcoal Wool Micro Hooked 5. Diamond Black/Ivory 6. Windy Leaves Rug

I have been looking for some shelving units for our living room. Something large scale that can go on each side of the window. I want to house all of our books, magazines, photo frames, etc in one place. I also want to mount our flat screen between two shelves and set the components on the shelf below. In a nutshell, I want to organize all of the clutter in our room and make it look purposeful and organized.

So I stumbled across a shelving unit from Design Within Reach. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Design Within Reach is not actually within reach. To accomplish the set up I’m going for it would cost nearly $3K. Yama hama! So I called a couple of local carpenters to see how much it would cost to have it built from scratch…. only to find I wouldn’t be saving all that much. So I decided this is the perfect opportunity for a DIY project.

Over Labor Day weekend I was visiting my parents in northern Wisconsin. My dad and I went to the lumber yard and picked out some pretty cedar pieces. The lumberjack working there was nice enough to cut the pieces to the exact size I need. My dad was nice enough to stain all of the wood to look like the photos I showed him. And now Jack will be nice enough to cut the notches and mount the pieces to the wall.

And in the meantime, I’ll just kick up my feet and stare at these photos:

Now that the hot and humid summer is coming to an end, we can finally turn off our A/C and open up the windows. Jack can tell you how much I LOVE having a cross breeze in the house. I love how airy the house feels when the window panels and curtains are whipping around in the wind. (is that weird?)

I’ve noticed that windows can often get ignored when it comes to decorating. I see a lot of solid colored window panels, or even just plain white mini-blinds. In my opinion, windows are a great opportunity to add texture, color, and personality to a room. It can also set the mood of a room. If you’re going for cozy, you can opt for wool panels. If you’re going for casual, you can go with relaxed roman shades (which are also super functional). Even something as simple as a sheer white panel can work. One friend of mine has them on every single window and it makes her whole place look fresh and inviting.

If you’re looking for an affordable place to find unique window treatments, check out Urban Outfitters. They surprisingly always have lots of options and get new items often. They come in fun prints and colors and at a price that allows you to change them up if you get tired of them. West Elm also has a lot of good options. And if you just happen to have a money tree in your backyard and are on your way to Barney’s in NYC, pick up some of Madeline Weinrib’s textiles. Then have me over so I can drool over them.

Here is a picture of our master bedroom. I found these roman shades at Pottery Barn. And while they don’t exactly “match” our bedding, they are neutral enough to go with just about anything. And if you like to sleep in (like I do), these shades block out the light like it’s nobody’s business.

And here are a couple great uses of window treatments:

1. Via Design Sponge 2. Apartment Therapy 3. Apartment Therapy

So, um, I’m obsessed with our dog. And she wants to go outside and play right now. But I can’t, because I’m working on my blog. So I figured I could do at least one post somewhat related to her… pet accessories! Specifically bowls and beds.

Nothing can turn a house into a home quite like a four legged friend. At the same time, nothing can detract from a great looking room like a hot pink cat house or cheesy “woof woof” dog bowl. If you go into the typical pet store, everything is usually covered in a paw-print pattern and only comes in bright gaudy colors. Then you go into the high end pet boutiques and everything costs and arm and a leg. Unfortunately, I don’t know of a happy medium. So my opinion is that when picking out the few accessories that will be on constant display, it’s worth the investment to pick out something that matches the decor of your house. I know what some of you are thinking, “$100+ on a dog bed, really?” Come on, isn’t Pickles worth it?

Here are my top picks:

Rectangle Dog Bed in Japanese Petals, Echo Dog & Cat Bowls, Tan Dog Bed, Porcelain Cat Bowl, Enamel Bowl, Dog Bed in Sunset, Luxury Cat Dish in Jett Finish, Rectangle Eco-Friendly Toile Pet Bed, Kittypod Classic, Rectangle Dog Bed in Funky Mutt, Everyday Cotton Pillow Dog Bed in Houndstooth, Premium Cotton Pillow Dog Bed in Azul , SmartCat Peek A Prize Toy Box , Happy Cat Bowl, Double Pet Feeder

What’s that? You want to see a picture of our dog? Oh, of course! Here’s Fern.