Guest Posting

Here are a few guest posts I've done lately. 

Sadie + Stella invited me over to share my favorite room in my house. 

Ali Henrie also featured some of my favorite style picks on her blog.

Stella & Henry asked me to roundup some of my favorite kid's products here.

I also shared some great baby proofing tips at e, myself and i. 

Shopping Therapy

While my kids were at camp and in between my other duties over the last week or so, I got to dart in and out of a few shops. Thought I would share some of the cool stuff I found. A lot of these things are NOT bargains - these weren't necessarily thrifting excursions - and I didn't really buy, just looked. Here's some of what I found . . . please excuse the quality, I just snapped these with my iPhone.

I really liked the dusty orange color of these velvet chairs and thought their shape was very unique and Art Deco. Or maybe they're just stuck in the 80's. I'm not sure, but they caught my eye nonetheless.

Please excuse my toes infringing on the this photo.

In the same consignment store (Consign 2 Design), I saw this stunning Chinese Art Deco rug. I loved the vivid colors in this one. Definitely would make a statement. It was large, 9x12 I think, and $2,500.

Next up, the Shoppes of Belle Meade, a local antique mall with very high end pieces . . .

My jaw dropped when I saw this acrylic Greek Key console table. How wonderful is this?

At this price, I don't think I'll be acquiring this lovely piece. But, a girl can dream.

A very pretty screen with some great, saturated tones.

Not your ordinary ballerina art. This one was striking and moody. Loved the colors. Sorry the photo doesn't do it justice. And it was very large.

Then, next door is a consignment store called The Stockroom that had some interesting pieces.

I thought these brass bookends were very Kelly Wearstler. Wish they were more in my price range. They would add glamor to any room.

Loved these chairs. They seemed primitive and refined at the same time, the shape of the back reminiscent of ram's horns.  The wood grain is beautiful.

 Great pattern on this vintage bargello needlepoint pillow. 

Next up, Remix Furniture Consignment where I found this . . .

Okay, call me crazy, but I love this custom daybed with the bold chinoiserie fabric. 

The pillows come off to reveal the daybed.

This could be the star of the show in a small space that needed to play double duty as living space/bedroom.

Spotted this cool dining table at the Habitat for Humanity HomeStore. It was marked "marble" although it looked a lot like travertine, but I'm not real up on my natural stone, so who knows. I really liked the shape, a very slender oval.

And lastly, I stopped in Southeastern Salvage and sound some great lighting . . .

I think all of these were under $100 each. Great deals!

So, did I get anything? Actually, I did. Just over the past couple of days I've hit up a couple of estate sales and snagged a couple of things for myself and to some to sell. 

Love this solid brass ice bucket. It's in really good shape, just needs some polishing. I actually got this at the flea market last Friday.

Love these onyx (?) horse bookends I found yesterday at a sale.

Great silver-plated lotus leaf candy dish, candle holder (whatever you want it to be) by Reed & Barton.

I will definitely be selling this brass cobra as my son is still afraid of snakes. But I just couldn't pass him up. Very cool.

Grabbed this vintage needlepoint horse pillow for my daughter who will resume her riding lessons soon.

Who doesn't need an acrylic caddy. Obviously great for utensils, napkins, etc. during a party but also thought I might use on my daughter's desk (or mine) to hold office supplies (tacks, pencils, paper clips, etc.)

Just can't pass up a portrait of a lady. Love the colors and her expression.

Speaking of selling, sadly my antique booth will be closing up in the next couple of days, but the good news is that I will be selling a lot of my smaller items online (either from my blog or Etsy or maybe both - haven't decided yet). And, stay tuned as there will be a Pop-Up Shop/Mini Flea/Tag Sale in the near future with lots of great stuff from some local bloggers including Modfrugal, Bri and me!

Hope you enjoyed my shopping round-up. Happy Weekend . . . I'm off to get my hair cut. Yeah!

Feature Friday: Project Home

Today I am featuring the home of Nikki from the blog Project Home. Here's how she describes her design style:

"I would express my design style as classic with a bohemian twist. I like textiles and texture that can co-exist with ease to enhance the emotion of a room. My goal is to design homes that are welcoming and not too fussy…a place where people are able to gather and are reminded of the simple joy of friendship."

Enjoy! 

Make sure you check out Nikki's blog here! 

If you would like to submit your home for Feature Friday please go here. 

Decoration

Interior Decoration of Home Decor is the art of decorating a room in order to make it great to look at and easy to use with the existing frame of the room. The goal of the successful interior design is to give the home owner a look for the room that reflects their personality. Interior decoration uses things like paintings, paint, wall paper, light fixtures, floor plans, curtains and carpets. They base the whole design on the room itself.

Most interior decorated rooms are based on themes. Some people like Louis XV, some like the Victorian era and then there are those that like the art deco designs. Each style depends on what the home owner likes. When you hire an interior decorator, some of them charge per room. So if you are looking for multiple room, some may give you a break on the price so before you decide on one person shop around. Every interior decorator has different idea and you may find you like one designer better than the other.

When you decide to go with an interior designer, make sure that you have some idea of what you want. Some designers come in with their own ideas and they end up creating a room based on their vision not yours and then you end up hating the style and either you end up with a look you like or you end up in court. Always have a design style, if you like contemporary then look on the internet and see what different styles you like and then as you are interviewing decorators show them what you want and make sure they have the means to get you what you want.

There are so many different ways to decorate your home. If you don?t want the whole kit and caboodle then you can have some one come in a design a simple room with paint and carpeting and maybe some art for the room. You can find out exactly what services are offered and then go from there. Make sure the company you are dealing with is reputable. Ask to see some designs that have done for other people.

Once you have commissioned a interior decorator you make sure you have a contract and that the contract lists everything that you want so once the job is completed that there is no questions to what was supposed to be done. Unfortunately there are many small claims cases based on that very thing. Get everything in writing and always get a receipt. Never give cash without getting a detailed receipt for what the cash was given.

The goal of the successful interior design is to give the home decorator owner a look for the room that reflects their personality. Interior decoration uses things like paintings, paint, wall paper, light fixtures, floor plans, curtains and carpets. They base the whole design on the room itself...