fabric find 2 for 1: more robshaw and a little david hicks

Remember when I found John Robshaw's Danda for only 23$ a yard? Well I guess time was all that was needed for more of his Duralee collection to find it's way to the masses, because today I stumbled upon not one, not two, but 21 of his gorgeous offerings on housefabric.com. Better yet, every single option is under 25$. Booya.

I would very much like one of these puppies to make its way home to me:

Or maybe all three. Cuz I'm fancy like that.

Honestly though, I'm wondering if these might be good options for my living room dilemma? Thinking one of the first two could be in the running for covering my dining nook pendant light too (instead of the palm print), but worried that they could come off as too childish. Thoughts?

And just because I'm feelin' extra sweet today, I thought I'd throw another Fabric Find into the mix for you luvlies! Not sure I should do this, cuz it might mean less pretty for me, but here goes: ever heard of the Decorator's Backroom on Etsy? It's a great place to check for deals on top designer fabrics.

Like, um, this hotness:

Yep. That's David Hicks' La Fiorentina. And she's hawking three colourways folks.

The prices don't seem that great at first glance, but if you look closer they're actually for 2 yards instead of 1! Plus she often has extra yardage available. That beauty above is 80$ for two yards, and she's got 25 yards of it in stock. That's enough to cover a whole damn sofa if you're so inclined.

And let's be honest, who in their right mind would not be so inclined? All the cool kids are doing it . . .

{fiorentina pics: 1/2/3/4/5}

pillow indecision - in serious need of opinions!

First I want to send my thoughts and prayers to everyone dealing with the hurricane today. I've only lived through one hurricane (it left my street looking like this) but from what I hear that was kittens compared to this, so stay safe!

Secondly, I'm gonna go ahead and apologize for the mess in the next couple of photos. These were only meant for my own reference purposes while at fabric stores, but I'm sharing them because I'm honestly at a loss and need your help!

A few months ago I decided that my living room bored me and I wanted more colour, so I started switching stuff up. I moved some art. I bought a Kantha quilt. I found a plant I might not kill (maybe). All was going well until I hit the roadblock that is my cushions.

Here's what it looks like now (again, please pretend that I'm not a dirty slob. Also, the art and mirror are getting moved down several inches and slightly to the right. Whole reason I painted the chair rail.):

That poor tray table should start charging for labour. 

Here's the thing: I love my Lee Jofa Hisari pillows. They are super pretty, and were an absolute steal from BeStillShop on Etsy. The quality (of both the fabric and workmanship) is outstanding, and I don't want to put them in a closet. I also didn't want to replace the lamp because I have two in the room and the other one really works with the art on that side of the room. 

These are the reasons I chose those colours for the Kantha. And they're good reasons, but it's created a bit of a problem when it comes to finding a replacement for the pink lined pillow and a fourth friend to round it all out. 

Why? Well, because 1) I'm actually not a huge fan of blue, so I don't want to bring even MORE in there in the form of pillows, and 2) The difference in intensity of the colours in the pillows and in the quilt is enough that it makes for a bit of a balancing act. Get pillows that are too dark and the whole space becomes jarring and you lose the softer toned pieces. Get ones that are too soft and the Kantha takes over the whole show. 

See my issue?

I've played around with lots of pinks (since it's my fave and I know I will use it in other spaces down the road no matter where I move) but I'm having issues finding the perfect ones. Here's an example of a couple I played with last month: 

The fuchsia Ikat is good but maybe too vibrant? Also the background is much whiter than the white on the Hisari pillow. 

At this point I've spent HOURS and HOURS scouring Etsy (after nixing the stock at my local fabric haunts), and while I have a full favourites folder I just can't choose! I need your help peeps, and I need it bad.

Here are a few options I'm considering. I'm pretty sure I want a different one for each side rather than another matching pair:

A couple of things to keep in mind: I'm worried about the tones being off, particularly because we all know that monitors and lighting conditions while taking pics can change everything. A few of these pics were very clearly more exposed than others. Also, I'm fairly certain that the pendant light in my attached eating nook is getting covered in the green palm fabric of option #5, so it may make sense to bring it in even if it's just as a smaller lumbar. I think it'll look great with the rug in there:

So what say you?? Any opinions would be super appreciated! Also, what do you think of the changes in general? Got ideas on how to zhush up that lamp shade? Let's hear it people!

halloween = possibly the only time I'll show orange a little love

Since it's that time of year, when pumpkins are lighting up porches and costume stores are totally cleaned out (seriously, I can't even find a witch's hat people), I felt compelled to put together a little roundup devoted to Halloween's official hue: orange. And I gotta say, this is probably the only time you'll catch me doing that. 

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate orange. I'm just not a huge fan. If it asked me out to dinner I wouldn't tell it to fuck off, but I might politely let it know that I'm seeing other colours. Like pink and black and gold. And my relationships with those shades are keeping me more than satisfied (they're pretty hot and heavy).

But the spaces below might just make me reconsider orange's offer. A few of them may even persuade me to give it a second date. And two or three, just two or three (I'm looking at you sexy Ryan Korban bedroom), could earn it a visit home to meet  the folks . . .

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ribbon romance roundup: a million uses means a whole lotta' pretty

One of my absolute favourite elements of the inspiration shoot that we just got published on Green Wedding Shoes (did I mention how giddy I am about that? Yes? Ok then.) was the dip dyed chandelier. Made out of ripped pieces of fabric for the look of ribbon at a fraction of the cost, it was just so feminine and whimsical, and I couldn't stop staring at it throughout the day of shooting. Standing there watching it blow in the breeze, I decided that every wedding could use a touch of ribbon romance. 

In that spirit, I've put together not one, not two, but three ribbon roundups, each one showcasing how this humble little material can be used to make your day drop dead gorgeous - no matter what look you're going for! From classic and classy, to neutral and organic, to bright and playful, there really are no limits to the ways in which you can use ribbon to pump up the pretty. Plus there's nothing saying that this inspiration can only be applied to weddings! Do I hear the call of a backyard dinner party? Oh yes, I do believe I do . . .

So what do you think? Would you use any of these lovely ideas to add some romance to your next event? If so, be sure to check out the links below. I've done my best to track as many of these pics as possible back to their originals, where you'll find more detailed photos (and maybe even a d.i.y. instruction or two)! 

Until next time luvlies!

Refined: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Rustic: 8/9/10/11/12/13/14

Vibrant: 15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22

Pops of red and a grounding of black (+ a new puppy!)

Hey there luvlies! Hope your week is going swimmingly!

I had a nice, big, choc-full-o'-pretty round-up planned for today, but it's been a long week, and I must admit I'm pooped. More importantly, my parents just adopted a new puppy (our sweet Paddington Bear - my father's best friend for 15 years - passed away recently) and I've spontaneously decided to go home for the weekend to meet the little fella! Which means I'm packing rather than posting :)

That being said, I couldn't just leave you with no pretty at all, so here are a few pics I've been drooling over lately. These babies feature my colour combo obsession du-jour: pops of moody red against sumptuous black. I honestly can't get enough of these two together right now. It can be done so wrong, but it can also be done so, so right:

{images via 1/2/3/4/5}

Gorgeous, no? I would 100% pick up and move into any one of those spaces. Like a bullet. 

And while I realize I may be the only one that cares, I can't help but post a pic of the new munchkin. I really can't. And really, who doesn't like puppies? Bad people, that's who. 

His name is Quinn (after Bob Dylan's song "Quinn the Eskimo") and he is so. damn. cute. I am bursting at the seams to get home and squeeze his fat little belly. 

See you on the other side of what is sure to be a ridiculous smother-fest!

peonies & brass featured on green wedding shoes!

I am so excited/elated/beyond chuffed to say that our Underwater Garden Wedding - the latest inspiration shoot styled by yours truly and photographed by the talented Miss Dallas Curow - is featured on Green Wedding Shoes today! This project was truly a labour of love, and I feel positively tingly all over knowing that it's getting love from others too! For more pics, details and sources, please visit my original post about the shoot and/or Dallas'.

If you've come to this site by way of GWS and are here for the first time, then welcome! I hope you'll stay and look around a while. Here you'll find everything from styling trends and tricks to d.i.y. tips to inspiration pics, and almost everything girly in between!

If you're a regular reader and have no idea what Green Wedding Shoes is, be sure to check it out. GWS is one of the top wedding blogs in the world, but you don't need to be getting married to appreciate the pretty!

If you'll excuse me, I'm off to do a little happy dance  . . .

pumpkin pretty: no-carve alternatives

Every year when Halloween is approaching I get really excited for pumpkin carving. I get myself all psyched up, dream up beautiful designs, and make a day out of picking out the best ones before trucking them home with visions of masterpieces in my head. 

And every year, when I'm finally finished hacking away and I step back to take in my creation, with orange goo all over me, I am met with a pumpkin that looks like a drunk two year old went to town on it with a pair of pliers. 

And I don't even like pumpkin seeds. 

So this year when I started seeing no-carve alternatives pop-up I was intrigued. A can of paint and a glue gun? Now those crafting projects I can handle. Even better, these gorgeous d.i.y's have upped Halloween's girly quotient by a million, and you know I'm on board with that!

So here's a little round-up of awesome pumpkin projects that don't require any carving (and only a couple even need scooping). Almost all of these would make gorgeous halloween party decor, so if you're throwing one I hope these'll help! Make sure to click on the links at the bottom of the post for step by step instructions  for each and every one. 

My faves are 2, 4 and 20. How about you?

P.S. If you like this post, be sure to follow me for more!

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