I haven’t bought a mirror in a very long time. In fact, I don’t know if I have ever bought one for decorative purposes. It looks like I’ve been missing out. After seeing all of these great finds, one thing is for certain: the current mirrors we have in our bathrooms have got to go, stat. And in due time, I would love to fill the entire wall leading to our upstairs with small antique mirrors.

There are so many ways you can display a mirror. Hanging a large mirror as a focal piece can really make a room look larger. Or, you can cluster a couple of smaller mirrors together and use them as wall art.

Here are some great examples of mirror placement:

And, if you’d like to buy me a present, any of these will do:

Driftwood Mirror, Gold Circles Mirror, Collected Memories Mirror, Sunburst Antiqued Gold Wall Mirror, Oyster Mirror

For those that don’t know me well, I can be somewhat of an… um… organization freak. I love making lists. I love making spreadsheets. And lately, I love making style/mood boards. I’ve found it to be incredibly helpful in keeping me organized and on track when it comes to all of my decorating ideas. Here is the mood board I created for our living room (which is joined to our dining room). So far, we’ve painted the walls and purchased the couch. This week I am working on painting our bookshelf tomato red. After that, we just need to win the lottery, and the room will be complete!

Bolster Pillow,Antoinette Damask Curtain,Indian Jewel Bouquet Curtain,Cluster Pendant,Eva Colored Glass Table Lamp,Wells Sofa,Mushroom Stool,Himalaya White Rug,Zebra Wool Rug,Cloud Birds Fabric,Truman Coffee Table,Cubist Throw

As I continue re-decorating our living room, I’ve had my eyes peeled for wall art that will look good against our freshly painted blue walls. I’d like to cluster some interesting pieces together in mix-matched frames. This look always appears so effortless and easy, but I actually think it’s tricky to pull off. I’ve tried it myself in the past and failed… It just looked sloppy and forced. So this time around, I’ve decided to collect some examples I like, which will hopefully guide me when I attempt to put it all together.

I came across this home tour on Apartment Therapy, and absolutely LOVE what he has done with his art. Even though each piece of art is so different, it looks so cohesive and purposeful. Looking at this home tour makes me super anxious to get our bare walls covered, but I am going to try really hard to be patient and deliberate when picking out prints and frames. Hopefully it will pay off in the end.

Ken’s Mixed Media Dream House (via apartmenttherapy.com)

Oy. I’ve got a major case of the decorating bug lately. A couple of weeks ago I ordered the finishing touch for our newly redone kitchen: a pendant light for above the sink. Well unfortunately, the little bugger has been on backorder and you can imagine how anxious I am to get it in the mail. Okay… maybe you can’t, but let’s just say I curse the light that is currently above the sink every time I have to use it. As I continue to wait until “mid-November,” I have found myself consumed with finding more unique pieces to replace the existing lighting in our house.

Most of the fixtures we inherited from the previous owners are pretty traditional, the kind you don’t even notice. But since I’ve discovered this wonderful world of lighting, I hope to change that. It will take time, and probably a couple of electrical shocks, but someday I hope to rid our house of all the boring sconces and pendants.

Here is a pic of the lighting I ordered for our kitchen (just one):

Artecnica Bright Side Lights

I want to buy this pendant for above our dining room table:

Cluster Pendant

The birdie light I wanted to get but would apparently give Jack “nightmares”:

Early Bird Pendant Light

And some more favorites:

Industrial Hanging Light

Melon Mini-Pendant Light

Vintage Blue Ball Canning Jar Pendant
(like the kind of jar my Grandma O. used to make pickles in)

Yesterday we finally bought the perfect couch for our living room. I had thought I found the perfect one a couple of weeks ago, but then it was delivered and I realized that even thought it technically fit, it looked monstrous in our small living room. So it had to be returned. But yesterday, after literally months of searching, we found the perfect fit. I love it. Jack loves it. Fern… doesn’t seem to know the difference.

Anyway, now I’m on the hunt for a coffee table. I have never had much luck in the past finding what is considered to be a “traditional” coffee table. So I’ve improvised with alternatives such as an upholstered ottoman, a set of low stools, and an antique trunk. But this time around, I’m hoping to find an actual table.

Before I show you my top picks for coffee tables, I HAVE to share this adorable mushroom stool I found. I want to get this and use it as an end table:

Mushroom Stool

Okay, now for the coffee tables. Here are some options I like. I’m also including a couple of stools and end tables that would work if used in a pair.

Petrie Leather Ottoman,Wicker Ottoman,Moss Grellow Coffee Table,Mango Wood Round Stool,Storage Ottoman,Bello Albero Coffee Table,Sevilla Ottoman

I used to have an unhealthy obsession with bedding. When I lived on my own, I would switch it up every couple of months. I owned so many duvets and sheet sets that when Jack and I moved in together, we literally didn’t have enough room to store them in our linen closet. Since most of it was pretty cute and girly, I ended up selling it on Craigslist. Yeah, I know… who buys used bedding? Anyway, now that Jack is in the picture and I am limited to more gender neutral options (which are harder to come by), my bedding purchases have reduced to a more healthy level.

Still, anytime I stumble across a great patterned top sheet, my heart rate increases. I love mixing and matching throw pillows, sheets and duvets or quilts. Here are a couple of examples of bedding that I think is all mixed up (in a good way).

via Apartment Therapy

Some more finds:

Chinoiserie Pearl Bedding

Organic Seedling Duvet


Ducks!

Tesserae Sheet Set

Cirrus Sheet Set

Coyuchi Sheets

Honeycomb Quilt and Shams

Be still, my beating heart.

This may just be the find of the year for me: A tea towel. With a Wagoneer on it.

I’m sure this doesn’t excite any of you like it does me, but I had to share it. Growing up, my family had three Wagoneers, and now I drive a smaller version (’87 Cherokee Wagoneer). I absolutely adore their wood paneling and vintage charm.

When I was browsing Etsy and stumbled across this, I could hardly believe my eyes. My tea towel search is officially complete.

Jeep 4×4 Screen Printed Kitchen Towel

me + my fam circa 1984

My current car, “Tootsie”

When done right, I am a huge fan of ikat. It definitely isn’t for everyone. And there are definitely some ugly versions out there. But when the color combination is just right, I think it’s fantastic. I love how some patterns can be incredibly upscale while others look more rustic and organic. I also love how vibrant and colorful the patterns can be, so just one piece can have a dramatic effect on a room. Here are a couple examples of my favorites…

Slipper Chair

An example of ikat looking sharp and sophisticated:

Essex Sofa

And a couple of earthy examples that remind me of sitting by a cozy fire up north:

Terai Folding Chair

Balboa Storage Ottoman

Hand Woven Ikat Pattern Rug

I owe a big THANK YOU to whoever decided to make an art form out of tea towels. Most people probably don’t give much thought to what they use to dry their dishes, but after seeing these fantastic towels, I hope your mind will be changed. I’ve found Etsy to be a great source for this kind of thing. Everything is one-of-a-kind and I like supporting artists trying to sell homemade stuff. Check out my picks and be sure to look at the other items in these artists’ shops!

Amazing Anatomical Brain

Whales Tea Towel

ZZ Twill Handwoven Towel

The Heated Owl

50 State Animals

Coffee Lover Floursack

Block Print Bird Towels

Whoa Nellie! I have been searching for unique wall decor for our living room and stumbled across this amazing piece from Anthropologie. It is a gazelle made from recycled cement bags and vintage book paper. I live for this kind of stuff!

Savannah Story Busy

First off, when it comes to home accessories, anything involving an animal will get my attention. Second, I love the homemade organic look and feel of it. And third, since we don’t have anything three dimensional in our living room yet, this is a MUST HAVE, There are a couple of other animals for purchase too (giraffe, elephant, rhino), but this little guy is my favorite. Our house has a lot of animal-inspired art and accessories (and I’m not talking about cheesy zebra rugs). In moderation, I think they can be super charming and unique. Here are some fun finds I’ve stumbled across recently.

Chinoiserie Multi Placemats, Deer, Love Birds Rug in Corn, Mirror Image Rug, Rabit,Owl Lamp,Owl Letter Holder,Antique Whale Print No. 3,Sealife Collection Plates,Gladiator Bird,
Binoculars