Styling My Bar Cart

I have been wanting a bar cart for some time now (by that, I mean years).  During that time, my desire to own, style and use a bar cart for my various entertaining activities has also grown significantly.  So much so that over Thanksgiving this past year, I put together a needs assessment for my husband detailing all possible uses for the cart including the obvious bar service, dessert and coffee station, birthday breakfast in bed delivery, etc. By the time Christmas came around, I think everyone was just tired of hearing me talk about the bar cart because my entire family had offered to buy it for me.  

To my delight and somewhat surprise, my husband came down the stairs on Christmas Eve with a large wrapped box containing none other than the bar cart!  Literally I felt like a little kid again, wanting to "play with my new toy" immediately.  I did manage to get it assembled before we left for Utah, but it wasn't until we returned from our trip that I actually had the opportunity to get to work styling it.  

I must admit I did spend an excessive amount of time on Pinterest researching various ideas for how to go about outfitting my bar cart (see this board).   Once I had conducted a fair amount of research, the next step was to assess and collect the items I already had in my house that I thought could be used/displayed on my bar cart.  I knew that my Williams Sonoma Bar Tool Set, Kim Seybert Linen Cocktail Napkins, Diamond-Cut Mixing Glass, Gold Foil Coasters (similar here) and Vintage Nut Dish would all be excellent additions to the bar cart, but it was actually my bottle of Napa Cellars Saint Helena Cabernet Sauvignon (part of their V Collection- a must try!) that ended up being the inspiration for my bar cart color story.

The next phase was shopping.  First stop?  Target of course!  Let me just start by saying that Target is definitely on point this season with their home decor collection!  In an effort to incorporate a few non-bar decorative items of various textures and sizes, I opted for this faux plant,  a Threshold Casted Metal Steer Skull on a Stand and this round basket to hold fresh lemons. Next, I went to World Market for a set of these gold stemless wine glasses to place next to my wine service on the top tier.  Finally, to finish off both levels of the cart I purchases an array of unique and delicious bottles of various liquors including: District Made Vodka (love including a fab local find), Hangar 1 Buddha's Hand Citron Vodka and Hendrick's Gin.  

I can assure you that my bar cart will most definitely be making regular appearances on the blog in the future.  I am so over the moon with this fabulous entertaining vehicle. The endless possibilities it holds for all of my hostessing and decorating endeavors has me completely inspired for 2016.  Stay tuned as there will be plenty more bar cart themed posts to come!

New Den/Guest Room Reveal

When my husband and I first moved into our current home, one aspect that took us a while to wrap our heads around was what to do with all of the additional square footage we had gained.  Initially the focus was on fixing up the high traffic areas (living room, dining room, kitchen and bathroom).  Once those areas had been addressed we went on to tackle our master bedroom (see this post).  In essence, the first floor was the immediate priority and we decided to put a hold on addressing the upstairs until our downstairs was taken care of. 

Around the middle of July, with the reveal of the finished living room, our downstairs areas were pretty much done.  It was finally time to move onto tackling the upstairs.   To give you a little background on the upstairs layout, it is technically a loft space with one half of the floor opening up to the downstairs and the other half of the floor containing walls, closets and a half circle window (which I adore!).  This side of the upstairs was the obvious choice for the second bedroom.  

I know you are probably looking at these pictures and thinking, "where's the guest room?"  Well, the couch is actually sleeper sofa that pulls out to a queen sized bed.  Reason being, we plan to be in this house for at least 5-7 years, in which time we will most likely be adding a new family member to the mix (and no, not another bulldog much to Dolly's disappointment).  When that happens, we still want to have a place for guests to sleep, but won't have the space upstairs to accommodate a traditional adult sized bed.  Therefore, buying a sleeper sofa was a perfect solution.  It gives us a great sitting area and guest room all rolled into one.  

We all know that I have quite the ginger jar habit, so naturally I wanted to create a space that incorporated a splash of chinoiserie.  My overall vision for this space was inspired by the ginger jar, but morphed over time based on items I would come across while perusing various home stores (best decorating lesson- you've got to be flexible!).    White, gold, green and various shades of blue became the color story for my new guest room.  Below is a list of everything used + sourcing for each item. 

Details:

• Sleeper Sofa- Pottery Barn Buchanan Square Arm Upholstered Sleeper, White Twill
• End Tables- West Elm Terrace Side Table, Antique Brass
• Lamps- Ralph Lauren Farrah Crystal Lamps, purchased at Home Goods (similar here)
• Throw Pillows- Northern Parker Interiors
• Throw Blanket- Sferra Brushed Cotton Herringbone-Weave Throw, Moss
• Coffee Table- Vintage Find (similar here)
• Accent Chair- Restoration Hardware Professor Chair, Indigo Belgian Linen
• Chair Pillow- Kelly Wearstler Bengal Bazaar Lumbar Pillow, Indigo
• Coffee Table Books- The Houses of Veranda, India Hicks: Island Style, Domino: The Book of Decorating
• Green Coasters- Holly Stuart, Saxon Green
• Coffee Table Tray- West Elm Small Rectangle Lacquered Tray, Gold
• Hurricane- Simon Pearce Revere Hurricane
• Star Burst- Target Sea Urchin or Small Spike Decor Sphere

 We plan to build a wall with double french doors in 2016 to turn one half of the upstairs into a true guest room, but until the space still affords a degree of privacy to anyone staying upstairs.  I love the way this space has come together and dare I say, it might even be my favorite room in our house.  It is so bright, cozy and the perfect spot to enjoy my morning cup of coffee while watching my morning dose of Robin Roberts on Good Morning America.  

I will keep you all updated as we continue to fine-tune this space.  But for now, I am pretty ecstatic with the way everything has come together and am looking forward to having our first house guests staying up here for Thanksgiving (my sis and brother-in-law).  The nightstand water has been set out along with the fresh flowers, so now I just need to get working on making up their bed.  Now it's time to get back to prepping for Turkey Day!   

Host a Fall Picnic

I recently came across the most fabulous picnic basket from West Elm, complete with wine holder (it was an immediate must buy)!  The moment I spotted this ultra chic picnic basket, I knew I not only needed to buy it, but also began brainstorming different ideas for how I was going to use it/incorporate it into a blog post.  Since I had purchased this picnic basket over the summer, I originally thought that a summer picnic could be a cute idea.  The more I thought about it I realized that the summer was way too hot for dining "Al Fresco."  When it's hot and sticky outside, the last thing I want to do is consume wine and cheese.  

Fast forward to planning for our weeklong trip in the mountains--It wasn't until we started planning the various activities for our North Carolina vacation, the lightbulb went off and I realized that hosting a romantic Fall picnic for two in the mountains would be a perfect way to break in my new picnic basket.  So I immediately got to work mapping out the details of the menu and picnic location prior to our arrival in North Carolina.  Our mountain accommodations are next to a lake and there is a perfect stretch of grass with the most beautiful mountain views in the backdrop.   It is truly picturesque.  

Unfortunately, this initial venue idea was cancelled due to the heavy rain we have been experiencing all week.  Determined not to let a little rain spoil my picnic plans, I found a 2hour window the other day to put out the spread and finally enjoy a little time outside with my husband sipping delicious wine and enjoying a few cocktail nibbles. Below is a breakdown of what I used to create this most delicious spread. 

Picnic Essentials

• West Elm Picnic Basket (Currently on Sale!)
• World Market Olive Wood Cheese Cutting Board
• Caspari Albemarle Hall Paper Cocktail Napkins
• Waiter's Corkscew
• Sur la Table Classic Soft Cheese Knife
• World Market Hammered Metal Tiffin Lunch Box
• World Market Mini White Ceramic Jar with Spoon
• Govino Shatter Proof Recyclable Wine Tumblers
• Rustic Picnic Blanket

The Menu

• Black Creek Sharp Cheddar Cheese Aged 9 months
• Cypress Grove Sgt. Pepper Chèvre Cheese
• Fresh Thyme (garnish)
• Pepita/Pumpkin Seeds, Roasted and Salted
• Somersaults, Sea Salt
• Dried Tart Cherries
• 34 Degrees Crisps, Rosemary
• Simple and Crisp, Pear
• Phantom by Bogle Wine, Red Blend

It was so nice to finally have a moment to enjoy the gorgeous scenery of the mountains (even if it was from our back porch, with the rain threatening to start up again at any second).  Whether you are looking to set up a romantic party for two or entertain a large group, I love the idea of hosting a picnic during the Fall. The weather during this season really can't be beat and throwing together a delicious spread like the one pictured in this post is relatively easy (i.e. no cooking required!).  So if you are looking for a fun way to entertain this Fall season, I highly recommend hosting a Fall picnic.  

Designing My Bed

Today's post is all about my bed.  Why?  I have noticed that in the pictures I share of my bed on instagram, you can get an idea of how I have created the overall aesthetic including where certain pieces of bedding can be purchased, but assembling my dream bed has taken way more thought and effort than my photos can detail.  There are so many factors that need to be considered when making decisions regarding the comfort, longevity and decor of your bed, so today I am diving into this topic and sharing my most important tips for assembling a dream bed.  

Bedding Basics

• Feather Bed or Mattress Topper- My mattress has a built-in pillow top but that didn't deter me from purchasing a featherbed!  Featherbeds are a great way to give the surface of your bed that pillowy/fluffy look.  In addition, if you are currently sleeping on a mattress that is just a little too hard or maybe it's an older mattress, a featherbed or mattress topper (hypoallergenic alternative to the feather bed) can work wonders!  I purchased my featherbed from Pottery Barn and absolutely LOVE it, but here are a few other options to consider if you are looking for a hypoallergenic alternative (Option 1 and Option 2).
• Pillows- My husband and I both prefer firm, down feather pillows.  Note- if you are going to purchase good quality down pillows they are definitely an investment (but in my opinion totally worth it).  Since we have a queen size bed at the moment we are using standard sized pillows, but if you have a king size bed, I would suggest looking into king size pillows as they tend to fit the scale of the bed much better.  For more economical pillow options, I would suggest looking into down alternative and memory foam pillows.  There are so many  options to pick from when it comes to pillows, my best advice is to go to the store and test the pillows (even if it's just touching them) before you buy them.  
• Duvet Inserts- Just like pillows and mattress toppers, duvet inserts are available in both down and down alternative.  My one piece of advice here is to buy a duvet insert and NOT a comforter.  Why?  It is so much easier on you and your washing machine to wash a duvet cover as opposed to a big bulky comforter.  Bedding should be washed every 1-2 weeks and having to tackle cleaning that comforter with that kind of regularity is not easy.  

Linens

• Sheets- There are so many facets to selecting sheets and I will be honest with you all, I am not an expert when it comes to the various ins and outs of bed sheets.  What I do know is that it is absolutely critical to know the depth of your mattress plus featherbed/mattress topper (if you have one) before you go and purchase sheets.  Fitted sheets come in an array of depths and the last thing you want is to find out after you have purchased and washed the sheets is that they are too small for your bed.  In addition, like pillows I think it's important to go in person to see the sheets before purchasing in order to feel them yourself and determine which are the most comfortable.  You really can't trust thread counts as an indication of the sheet's comfort since they can vary so drastically in feel depending on where you go to purchase.  I am personally in love with the Wamsutta Dreamzone Sheet Set from Bed Bath and Beyond.  They are comfortable, deep, easy to wash and with a Bed Bath and Beyond Coupon I can buy them for 20% off!
• Pillow and Mattress Protectors-  Pillows and mattresses really only need to be cleaned every 6 months.  The reason?  Pillow and mattress protectors cover them and most high quality protective bedding covers are water and dust resistant.  Washing these covers regularly will keep your pillows and mattress in better condition and require cleaning only every six months.  
• Blanket-  My husband and I are both fans of sleeping in subzero temperatures.  As a result of this preference, we have opted for a cotton blanket (here) as the middle layer between our flat sheet and blanket cover.  If your are someone who prefers additional warmth, I would suggest looking into a wool blanket (like this one).  Wool blankets are also a great way to "winterize" your bed, as they add an exceptional layer of warmth.  Personally I am a fan of white blankets because a) you can't see it and b) I wouldn't want a red blanket (for example) giving my matlesse a pink tint.
• Matelasse, Coverlet, Blanket Cover, Quilt- I have always grown up having a matelasse covering my bed.  I love the classic clean look and that it affords me the ability to have the duvet folded at the end of my bed (as opposed to always being pulled up).  It is a great alternative top cover during the hot summer months and a definite must-have for my bed.  The matelasse I ended up selecting for our bed is the Marcus Collection Cane Matelasse Coverlet.  To add additional continuity to the bed I also purchased the matching european sham covers.  The european pillows also give the bed a little extra height, which I am a fan of as well! Tip- If you sign up to receive Horchow emails, you can get a 20% off your entire purchase coupon (yes please!).
• Duvet and Pillow Shams- My duvet cover and standard shams are my pop of color.  While perusing various catalogues and websites last year in preparation for our move, I came across the most fabulous duvet and standard sham set from Dwell Studio.  Since the base color was citrine, it was a slightly daring move, but since the rest of my bedroom color palette was so neutral and subdued I felt ok being a little daring with this particular pattern.  

Decorative Accents

Pillows and throw blankets are essential for giving your bed a completed "look."  For my bed, I opted to include a bold pop of regal blue with these velvet studded pillows from West Elm.  I have also included images of my bed when we first moved in and our bed was decorated with a monogrammed boudoir pillow.  I love the look of a boudoir pillow on a bed, however this pillow had to be retired due to out of date initials (my maiden name).  At the foot of my bed, I have draped this Sferra Brushed Cotton Herringbone Throw on the diagonal to give my bed that perfectly imperfect touch. 

While it may seem silly to think that there are so many different components to building the perfect bed, they are all aspects that are worthy of consideration.  Next week I will be sharing my tips for how to care for the various aspects of the bed and ultimately increase your bed's lifespan, so stay tuned!