T O T A L L Y O B S E S S E D: Orange and Blue

So, for whatever reason lately, I've been obsessing over navy blue and a combo with pink, orange, salmon or anything in those tones.  I'm thinking I might use the new "temporary" rug in the dining room to test out this color combo in la casa.   I'm having technical difficulties uploading pics of the new rug, but hopefully tomorrow.  We're in the process of giving it a good clean now.  It's not my dream rug by any stretch, but for $45...I'll make it work for a while.

Here's some of my inspiration pics.


I would give my right arm for this rug.




I like the brown up in the mix. 

-jd

T O T A L L Y O B S E S S E D: initial charm necklace

I'm totally one of those women that would get their kid's name tattooed somewhere on their body, but unfortunately {or fortunately} Drew doesn't really dig tats and I have promised him no more.  So, the next closest thing is an initital necklace with a little A that I been in search of for about a month. 

Here are some of the contestants in the running:


I like that this esty necklace from madebysam has more than just the initial, but worry that it might be a tad too busy.  You can choose your stone though which I'm digging {I think I would go with the coin pearl}


That same seller also makes this one...I dunno.  It's still not there for me...


This one from moncadeau on etsy is so cute and dainty.  You can get both the heart and necklace in silver or do the heart in yellow gold as shown in this pic....hmmmm....


Oooooh, this one is cute and only $28!  It's from LuxeAdornments on etsy.

Luckily, jewelry is soooooooooooooooo low on my priority list, so I have a while to look and obsess over which initial necklace to settle on ;) 

Any suggestions?

-jd

T O T A L L Y O B S E S S E D : Moulding

I have been toying with the idea of trying to bust out some 'faux' paneling on the many columns in my house as well as the blank wall in the living room that will hopefully soon house the TV. 



As a homeowner of a new home, I lack architectural interest.  I love my house, but it has minimal details, no fireplace, no moulding details, etc.  We installed crown moulding in the entire house a couple of weeks ago {pics soon to come} and it made SUCH a big difference especially for the money we spent by buying MDF moulding.  It made me wanting to add more and more. 



I think I'll take the 'paneling' up to about 6' on the columns and then do a full wall behind the TV.  The columns will be painted white, but I might paint the full wall either the wall color in a higher sheen or a couple of shades darker...


I think the key, no matter what, is to paint the moulding the same color as the wall.  When it is accented in white like this, it just looks cheap {to me}.


ooooooooooooooh  la  la.

-jd

T O T A L L Y O B S E S S E D : Robert Pattinson

I don't know if I can write any words to do him justice, but here you go.....

Y U M

OH.  MY.  GAWD.

H O T

T O T A L L Y  O B S E S S E D

-jd

T O T A L L Y O B S E S S E D : ethnic

I love the look of a collector's house; someone who has traveled the world and brought back finds to add to their decor...to tell a story of where they've been to make their home uniquely theirs.  I try to throw in a few 'ethnic' pieces into every room...not that I have the money or time to travel, but I like for my house to have that 'look'.

Some of my favorite ethnic things at the moment are:

I K A T

This picture incorporates quite a few of my favorite things.  First, the Ikat fabric in a soft and subtle pattern that will never go out of style.  The custom tablecloth table is a must have in an entry.  It's a great way to add color since the typical wall decor includes a mirror.  You cannot go wrong with an alabaster lamp--it's classic and matches all styles of decor. The linen shade adds a certain 'restoration hardwareish' appeal. Trays are a great way to tie together smaller accessories and give them a base and since the vase with pink roses (which also look good anywhere) is kind of tiny; they've propped them up on some books!  L O V E

This Ikat fabric is from one of the best online sources for that splash of ethnic;  Uzbek Alive, but be careful as most of the fabrics are only 12" wide.  I can see this hemmed and thrown over a sofa back or at the end of the bed.

S U Z A N I

This sofa from Material Recovery on etsy is my dream.  On hardwood floors with a big gaudy gold mirror above it and soft black walls.  YUM

This pillow from Elegant Touch is a great suzani, but still neutral enough to work with any decor.  Sometimes ethnic prints are loud colors, but not this lovely!

Zebra is a surprisingly sophisticated and modern way to add a wordly look to the casa.

This is a room designed by

T H E  D E S I G N E R

of all designer's

K E L L Y W E A R S T L E R

I love how this eclectic mix of antiques can still look so fresh and colorful.  She is the S H * T

Another one from Kelly W. --just the simple texture of the black chair back and 'head' make this room seem cultered.  It could be anywhere in the world and still seem chic.

I am dying to own this fixture.  It was discontinued from Global Imports and I can't find it for under $340, but I'm not giving up!  It will hang over the Downs Dining Room!

I hope you appreciate this ethnic and cultural style as much as I do and let me know what great finds you stumble across on your travels...whether they are by train, plane, or internet ;)

-jd

T O T A L L Y O B S E S S E D : zinc

I just figured out I love zinc about 6 months ago and since I figured it out, I've been totally obsessed with trying to find an affordable piece.  No luck so far, but I'm gonna keep my eye out. 

I have seen tables like this at some of my junk stores--my dream dining room or patio table.

Gotta love anything with an "X" base

Look at this cutie zinc dresser from Restoration Hardware

How cute would it be to have zinc countertops in your kitchen?!?  Not sure if the material itself is what's expensive or the labor it takes to work with or both...

-jd

T O T A L L Y O B S E S S E D : zebra

For an unknown reason, I am drawn to animal print. Not in a teen/dorm room fuzzy leapord print kind of way, but like the inspiration photos below.  I currently have no animal print in my house, but trying to find a way to work in in. 

This zebra rug just adds a little sum sum, don't you think?

This is a little more Holywood Glam, but I love the boldness of it.

I love this picture and am currently trying to recreate this type of "feel" in my house.  The blue of those chairs is perfect.

l o v e

This rug looks timeless yet still so stylish in this more traditional home. 

What are you totally obsessed with these days?

T O T A L L Y O B S E S S E D : black and white stripes

I love anything with black and white stripes.  I feel like it's classic, yet edgy and somehow can act as a neutral.  What do you think?

I was infatuated with this black and white awning and even had them priced out on my new house.  Who knew canvas draped over a metal rod would be so expensive???  So instead I'm planning on black and white striped umbrellas in my picnic table for about 1/6 of the price....

you can pick up a version of this beauty at Ikea!

www.ikea.com

Usually I'm not a fan of black and white with red, but the soft turquoise of the walls mutes the red enough to make it just a pop of color instead of the garish "red, white, and black" combo from the 80's. 

If I knew where this place is, I would go there all the time--how glamorous.

I can see this as a table in a chic Miami wedding. I like the mix of the black and white stripes with the brass/gold color.  I think people are still stuck on the "stainless steel is hip and modern", but I think the gold metals are making a come back!  At least they are at the Downs Abode.