snail mail

1//2//3//4

If you're like me, you eagerly check your mail box and hope for snail mail. More times then not, it's dumb direct marketing and mail for the old tenant. 

le sigh. 

I never get excited for emails (if you do, props to you), but I get oh-so-excited for pretty letters. There is something so old-fashioned and thoughtful about a handwritten card. I make any excuse to send a pretty card in the mail, in hopes it makes the recipient just as happy. 

Aren't the above thank you cards très jolie? I know the last one isn't thank you specific, but it was just too cute not to include. 

Merci beaucoup.

wedding wednesday

1. Beer Tasting, 2. Chair and Shoes. 3. Escort Wall, 4. Magnolia Leaf, 5. Gold Flatware, 6. Large Floral Table Runner 7. Chevron Coasters, 8. Cake, 9. Cheese Display, 10. Beignets in Paper.

In honor of my brother's upcoming wedding, I just had to share their amazing wedding planner's, Anne Book, inspiration board. 

The hardest thing for the bride to decide on was color. Once she decided on shades of blue, teal and gold, Anne worked her magic, and created this beauty. I think color is such an important part of a wedding, and if their October 6th nuptials are anything like this board, I'll be in for a real treat. 

P.S. I'm over on Luxury Garage Sale's blog today talking about my personal style. I recently consigned with them and made some serious $$$ - I HIGHLY recommend their services. 

apartment sneak peak

I've decided to share some sneak peaks of my new Chicago apartment today! 

I say sneak peaks because these are iPhone photos I took last night, so they are:

a. SUPER low quality

b. not artsy

c. a photographers nightmare

But hopefully you still like them anyways. I'm hoping to have someone with camera skillz come take better shots soon. 

In the meantime...

bottom of console table

one of my coffee table cubes - find them here.

sunburst (or mama monster as I call her) here.

Trina Turk Greek Key rug - here.

who says you can't style a radiator?

bookshelf styling 

my fave new Jonathan Adler pillows from Alex (perk of being friends with an interior designer).

Similar style here.

Hopefully your first reaction wasn't, "can someone please tell her how to take a photo?!" but if it was and you live in the Chicago area - I'll happily accept lessons. 

guest post: life on the squares

Good morning everyone, this is Stefanie from Life on the Squares! I am so thrilled to swap posts with Julia, AKA The Urban Slant! Julia & I attended SMU together, and although we are on different sides of the USA, we still remain in touch and are connected through the blogsphere! For my guest post, I picked out 14 hot items under $100... because I LOVE a fab find for a great price!

Check my fab finds out below:
1. BaubleBar Necklace 2. TOPSHOP Dress (seen on me here)** 3. ASOS Heels 4. Essie Nail Polish 5. TOPSHOP Clutch (ONLY $28!) 6. J.Crew Bikini 7. Adia Kibur Necklace 8. Rebecca Minkoff Coin Purse 9. TOPSHOP Dress 10. DANNIJO iPhone Cover 11. Pendelton Towel 12. Chanel Book Set 13. TOPSHOP Dress 14. Michael KORS Bracelet

**Topshop runs small, I sized up 2 sizes in this style

Again, I am delighted to swap with Julia! Check out Life on the Squares for her lovely post, and to view my fashion tips & personal style.

Best, 
Stefanie

what i want...

....according to Pinterest.

A cheesy quinoa casserole.

A bright pink chaise.

A glass of lemonade.

To be crafty. Like Grace. My fave DIY-er.

To make my favorite food group - dips.

To be in Paris. le duh.

What does your Pinterest tell you lately? Mine apparently says that I like food, decor and travel. 

P.S. It's 7/11 - go to your nearest 711 for a FREE slurpee! 

artist spotlight: kevin lucius

I've lived in New York, Dallas, Paris and now back to Chicago (where I grew up). All these places have a special place in my heart, and I wanted to find a way to incorporate them into different pieces of art in my apartment. When I found Kevin Lucius on Etsy, I knew his art was perfect. 

He creates maps and graphics of cities, and mounts them in frames, or on wood. 

Ah-mazing. 

I have a Chicago and Dallas map in my entryway, and one year later, they still make me smile (a true test of art). Below is a new graphic of Dalla (love), and a map of NYC. 

How do you pay homage to where you've lived, or live? Be sure to check out Kevin's shop -- he'll customize any city for you!

guest post: the short and sweet of it

Hello Urban Slant readers! It's Alexa from The Short and the Sweet of It. I was so excited when Julia asked me to come by and share some of my favorite Etsy shops. Honestly, it's hard to choose, but here's a roundup of my Top Eight.

1. Petitor. I am mesmerized with this gold slithering serpent. I would love to have it dangling from my neck. (In jewelry form of course).

2. Sycamore Street Press. This lemon print would be the perfect accent to any kitchen, don't you think?

3. The Paris Print Shop. I have always loved Nichole's Paris photography. I'm particularly drawn to her series in lavender. 

4. Modulem. My house always has room for books. Victor Hugo's Les Chatiments, Lewis Carroll's Tout Alice and Les Paysans de Languedoc by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie would be great additions to the shelf.

5. Sir Tom. I love, love, love this coin purse. How cool would it be to pull that out of your purse?

6. Hash & Chez. Little known fact: I don't have my ears pierced. These earrings might encourage me to make the effort.

7. Red Tile Studio. Just about the cutest iPhone cover ever.

8. Peggy Wolf Design. I cannot speak highly enough of Peggy Wolf. I pretty much love every single one of her gorgeous prints.

Thank you so much for having me, Julia! Make sure to come by The Short and the Sweet of It anytime! xo

cheers!

It's no surprise that I am obsessed with Society Social. 

I posted about it here...and here...and here.

The best part? Ms. Roxy - the lady behind all the brilliance and booze, has become a dear friend of mine, and kindly featured my pieces in the newest Manifesto Magalog. 

Pop the champagne, and celebrate with me! 

I was so in love with the Marilyn Chair and #livesparkly pillow, that I knew they had to be mine. 

Here they are in my old NYC apartment, and as featured in the magalog. 

And, here they are in my new Chicago apartment! They are the happiest pair, and I know they'll stay with me for a long time. 

Now pour yourself a drink (even if it's 9am and you're at your desk),  and curl up with the newest magalog.  I promise you won't be disappointed.

splurge or steal?

I was at The Container Store the other day, and had a serious moment. 

Organizational pieces + fabulous prices = perfection

Throw in some lacquered pieces, and you might as well send me to heaven a happy lady. As I was walking aimlessly, I had to stop and ask myself, "Wait, am I in Jonathan Adler?" No I wasn't,  but might as well have been. 

So now I ask, splurge or steal? 

Left: Jonathan Adler

Right: Container Store

To me, this a no brainer. The Container Store has several different sizes and colors starting at $6.99 a PIECE. Hello, lover.

Also, I can't believe it's June 1st. Holy moly time flies. I've officially been in Chicago over a month. Wow.

wedding wednesday

With my brother's fiancées bachelorette party this weekend (yay), I thought it would be fitting to participate in a Wedding Wednesday. 

I love giving gifts. When I was younger, I would get so excited to give people their birthday and Christmas gifts, that I had a very difficult time waiting until the actual day, and usually gave them early. What can I say, I've been told I'm a really good gift-giver (or people are just really nice and afraid to tell me I suck at it; either way I'm okay with it). 

With Jackie and Ted's wedding fast approaching, I've started making my list of possible gifts. I've decided that this is completely necessary. I'm thinking for a bridal shower, or a "just because" gift. 

A custom return address stamp for all their thank you notes. 

Brilliant. 

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I just love them all. Decisions, decisions, decisions. 

In other news, I fell in love with Phillip Phillips last night on American Idol. I mean, this song? Amazing. And yes, I'm probably still the only person who still watches this show at 23, but I don't care.

interior design obsession

Since I moved back to Chicago, I've been actively searching for jobs. Well, to learn about the interior design industry, and keep busy, I've also been working part-time for Alexandra Berlin Design. 

Ah-mazing. 

It has been so fun learning about the industry, getting lost at the Mart, and most recently perusing a marble warehouse for a client's bathroom - where I fell in love with cararra marble. I love the clean lines and simple colors of white and grey. And did you know that according to the sales lady, it is also the most affordable of the marbles? I'll take two slabs, please.

Here are my favorite spaces using this perfect material.

Sources: 1/2/3/4

Do you just drool for that chevron tiled floor? It's unreal. And, I would just love getting ready in that bathroom every morning. 

scarves as art

I've recently been obsessing over scarves, framed, and used as affordable art. What more could be better? The bold colors and patterns are just up my alley. 

Perfection.

I saw this first image and nearly drooled. Vintage Hermès equestrian scarves?

Yes please.

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Then I searched for more inspiration and loved these as well.

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I'm thinking when I get my next apartment, I will scour the vintage markets for an Hermès scarf, and frame it in the hallway. 

Thoughts? Do you like this trend, or should scarves be strictly for wearing? 

P.S. Liz is coming to my house today to help my Mom clean/organize/shop her own closet. I'm seriously SO excited, and cannot wait to report back. I know it will be nothing short of fabulous.

signature style

Two shows that I can watch over and over again are, Madmen and Sex and the City. Not only do the actors portray the characters brilliantly, but also the costume design is like none other. 

We all know that the fashion from SATC was out of control amazing, and extremely expensive. However, the one thing Patricia Field's really focused on was having re-occurring items. 

Like the Carrie Necklace. 

Didn't it make you feel like Carrie's lifestyle was accessible, if even for a second? 

Madmen is also doing this with Joan's Pen necklace. 

Amazing.

I like to think of these items as signature items. Pieces that you think about when you think of the character. 

I'm still defining my style, but the one thing that I cherish the most is my vintage jewelry collection from my Grandmother. All classic, and timeless pieces that I treasure.

What is your signature item?

pretty paintings

I kept seeing these images on Pinterest, and on other blogs, and never knew who the artist was. Well, after some research, I discovered it was the incredibly talented Michelle Armas.

Holy talent.

I'd like one of her paintings in every room in my future apartment. Please, and thank you. 

living room

Happy Thursday! Today I'm over at shop talk sharing my dream living room. 

I'll give you some hints: it features my favorite designer, Jonathan Adler. 

And this perfectly pink chair.

Make sure to stop by and show Erika some love! 

dreaming

As a girl, my wish list is miles long. Always.

It is mostly filled with more affordable items, that I can eventually justify.

However, there are some items that I call "a girl can dream" items, that will only become a reality when I win the lottery and/or inherit a large amount of money.

These are timeless, classic and completely necessary to own one day. 

What insane items do you dream about?

goldddddd

When I was younger my family took a summer vacation to Spain. I remember my Mom being obsessed with anything Lladro, a porcelain company that you've probably seen in your Parent's/Grandparent's house. 

I wasn't a HUGE fan of their pieces, a little too grey for me, but I did get to pick out a beautiful piece that one day will be my own. 

iPhone photo courtesy of my Mama

I was reading Traditional Home magazine when I gasped at one of the advertisements. It was a sea of gold goodness, and I was in shock that it was ALL Lladro pieces. 

Holy makeover.

Here is the collection. 

I'll take one of each please.

Starting with the salt and pepper shakers.

1. Tray

2. Salt + Pepper shakers

3. Candlestick

4. Wine stopper

5.Vase

6. Bowl

Which piece would you like to have?

white bedrooms

I'm drawn to color. The more color the better. I own more patterns then I can count, and my closet is a sea of colorful chaos.

Well, sometimes I just wish everything was neutral in my life. Color and pattern are great, but there is something so ethereal and refreshing about ALL white. 

White bedding.

White furniture.

White accessories.

Everything. 

So, I looked to Pinterest and starting finding some angelic bedrooms that tickled my neutral fancy. 

The result? Clean spaces with just a POP of color.

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Here's how you can get this look. If you're like me, and are dreaming of white and ignoring the fact that you're clumsy and will dirty it. 

Headboard//Lamp//Bench//Pillow//Nightstand//Bedding

What kind of bedroom have you been dreaming of lately? 

And, a HUGE congrats to Giovanna of Olive And An Arrow for winning the Madison Elizabeth giveaway! I hope you enjoy your new goodies.

bad reputation

When I saw this picture, I pinned it. Why? Because it's gorgeous. 

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But when I clicked through the picture, I learned it was a bunch of...CARNATIONS. 

Wait. What? Carnations? You mean women's most hated flower? 

Yes. 

So then I searched for more carnations, and was blown away. I actually fell in love with this cheap, accesible flower. 

I mean, look at these arrangements. Carnations have had a bad reputation because they are easy to find, and are super cheap. Well, I'm officially starting the petition to get their reputation back on track and give them a credible spot in the flower shop! 

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Join me? 

Also, be sure to enter my Madison Elizabeth giveaway! You have until midnight tonight.