Date Day

I seen to be on a role with outfit posts as of late. A few of you have mentioned missing them so I thought I would give it a go again. For those who can't stand outfit posts I apologize in advance and let's be honest I am awful a holding down a series for very long. I call it the "I need to be comfortable at all times" look. HA. Every Friday the Mr and I have day dates while the kiddos are at school. Being on staff at a church means he does not get Sundays off so he takes most Fridays off or is suppose to anyways. The Mr grabbed these as we were about to go have lunch and run by the grocery store. We are romantic that way. 

And the outfit works without a hat too. I kid and I am sure you know that. I'm just partial to them, but I wasn't having a bad hair day so it had to be documented. My hair LOVES the lower humidity levels and cold.

GET THE LOOK:

Leggings: lulu, but these I honestly love just as much. | new favorite top: want one in every color | bag: you have seen it before and I am sure will be seeing it years to come | hat: found mine at TJ Maxx at the beginning of summer, but this one is very similar | Shoes: REALLY old OTBT's {I will share similar feels below}

P.S. It also has come to my attention that my search, contact page, and old blog links aren't working. Also do you happen to be a subscriber? I hear that's not working either, but would love to know if it is or is not working for you and the "service" you are using! Hoping to have it resolved quickly!

The Dining Room

The dining room is finally complete! Well as complete as it is going to get for the time being. I knew I wanted this space and the rest of the house to be a combination of modern and traditional styles. I wanted to keep true to the 1931 house, but at the same time give her new life. My starting point was this most amazing brass Park Studio LA Ames chandelier. it just may be my most favorite piece in the house.

The table came from our old house and JUST fits. Our old chairs were too large so we downsized those. The side chairs were from West Elm, however I can't seem to find them currently, but these are similar. The end chairs were a craigslist find and I could not be any more happy with them.

Here you can tell how the table can not be centered to the light fixture which is why I needed to go with something that didn't hang too low. Thankfully the ceilings are really high so I didn't have to go the flushmount route in here.

Is this chandelier not stunning?!?!? The ceiling medallion here is new although it did have one originally. Unfortunately the light fixture that once hung here was not done properly so it ended up badly warping the original. To be honest unless you have a trained eye you can't tell the difference. Replica's sure can be tricky these days.

The vase came in that I shared the other day and it was just what this room needed. The candle sticks I found at West Elm at the beginning of the summer. The DW Home candle in Tobacco and Suede is quite divine. They have had them at HomeGoods lately! The bread board I bought locally long ago, but this one is quite similar.

The final addition to this space were the curtains. It took me forever to decide exactly what I wanted. In the end I decided this room needed another layer and some softness. I really wanted pinch pleat curtains with rings, but they just were too far out of budget for this rental.  I did the old age trick of using ring clips and making faux pleats with West Elm curtains. The rods were a bed bath and beyond find. I bought them in matte brown which looks more cast iron to me that the black ones. The rings I bought in another brand that were smaller than what this brand carried. Gave me the look I wanted for much less. As you can see I can be cheap. HA.

My fiddle leaf is going strong for over two years now! I thought I was going to loose him in the move, but alas he hung on strong after some babying. I water it about once a week and besides that I try to leave him alone. It does need to be transplanted and I could not be more nervous to do it!

With the living room being open to this space I knew I needed something simple for this wall so it would not compete with the living room gallery wall. I had this convex mirror for quite sometime and it added just enough to the space. This one would be kind of amazing! The stools I have had forever and provide extra seating when needed. I think these could be fun and add a punch of color, but for now the free route wins out.

Oh Park Studio LA you just get me... {insert smiley face with heart eyes}

This is how the space looks from the living room. The gallery wall is behind the chair to right if you recall. This piece of art I did may have to move on. I can't seem to find a spot for it although the longer it sits here the longer I don't mind it there. The marble set is real life. For a split second I thought about moving it for a better picture, but I try to keep this blog true to my life and well I have kids and a lot of kid things around this house. HA.

GIFT GUIDE {travel}

I officially have Christmas shopping on the brain so for this month I will be sharing various gift guides featuring all my favorite finds. Today I am starting with gifts for those who love to travel. We are those people and with an upcoming Disney trip in February and our past year full of adventures I thought it would be a perfect place to start.

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favorite travel shoes: Ballasox | A soft blanket that can store easily in a carry one | a monogrammed carry on for him or her: Pottery Barn | A toiletry case that is made for him, but I always find myself stealing the Mr's: Pottery Barn | A passport case that would make anyone cheery: J.Crew Factory | a perfect spritz for thirsty skin: Tata Harper | A coloring book that could keep boy Ellie and I entertained | as much as we like to say we can go electronic free let's be real: ipad mini case made in USA | bought the headphones for the Mr last year and he doesn't leave the house without them | by far my favorite mascara for this allergy sufferer {keeps eyes from looking tired}