Home Decor

Mea culpa. Long time. And all that other stuff. Life and work got in the way so the non-necessary blog had to wait.

But I took a wee bit of time off today, after dropping some jewelry to a local gallery, and managed to find (though not purchase...yet) some lovely home dec items that fit my aesthetic.

I *did* buy this:

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which I've been wanting for a couple of years. For one reason or another, I just hadn't gotten around to it. Probably because it's for the guest bedroom, which is one of the last rooms that needs updating or help. But I was in the area today and found out it was on sale, so I grabbed it! Can't wait to see it installed!

I also found, at the same place, this:

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 I've been looking for a coffee table for our living room for years and years. Pretty much since we moved in to the house. And I love wood...but the problem in the living room is that is has wood floors, a tongue-in-groove wood ceiling, and a rough-wood finish on one wall. That's a LOT of wood. So I had been hoping for a stone-topped coffee table. But when I found one, my husband wasn't with me. And after I'd talked to him about it, I went back and it was gone. And I haven't seen any others I like. I hate glass tops. They show every bit of dust and they always end up streaky when I try to clean them. So...I'm back to wood. This one has the rustic / modern feel I like and it's reclaimed wood, too, which makes me even happier. It may end up coming home this weekend...

Also this:

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I am thinking of this for the living room as well. Currently we have a few modern-ish dark wood lamps, but one is broken and I'd like to mix in some more metal in that room. The nice thing about this lamp is you can mix and match the base with a variety of shades. So I'd just need to pick out a shade and voila!

 

All the photos are from World Market, which I knew as Cost Plus for years and years. I remember shopping there with my mother when I was young. I love that store. Not everything is great but you can really find some special pieces if you try. I love to buy old furniture but sometimes I just can't get to the markets in Georgia, working as many weekends as I do, and even then...I don't want to buy interim pieces. I'd rather wait for the perfect item. And sometimes the perfect item, in vintage form, is very hard to come by. 

 

Oh yeah - almost forgot - I found these too. I really do NOT need any more candleholders but I couldn't resist. And they'll totally fit the vibe I have in mind for the guest room.  :)

 

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It's the little guy in the center that I bought. I wanted some tea light holders to put on the windowsill. 

 

AND 

 

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For the closet doors in the guest room. It's coming along...at least in tiny details. I'll get around to the other stuff at some point.  :)

 

 
 

New Favorites

Currently on the dream list, mostly from lowest to highest price:

The Kate Spade Robin, available here at $328.

On sale at the Kate Spade site for $208.

Also:

Versace pumps, $925 at Net-A-Porter 

 Or this bit of GLORIOUSness:

If only *any* of the Missoni for Target shoes could have looked even remotely like this...$1010, also via Net-A-Porter

And finally:

$2500 at Ralph Lauren. These are Mother-of Pearl and Python.

Derby Day

Despite having lived in the Southeast for nearly a decade, I've never been to a Kentucky Derby party....however, tomorrow I am attending one. Of course this calls for the appropriate outfit! Though it is not only a Derby Party, but a Cinco de Mayo party, and a birthday party all rolled into one. Our hosts are a tad ambitious, no?  :)

So I thought about wearing this:

but it seemed at bit loud. I had two other options:

A sweet sundress (the sash makes a bow in the back, which is what you see sticking out over my behind) but it seemed a bit casual. So here's my third option:

I bought this dress in Paris a few years ago, and it's been worth every penny. I have a DVF that doesn't even fit so well! The secret is in the details - a little button here, an extra loop there - that make it wrap and drape perfectly.  Vive la France!

Normally I would have worn something like these Nine West:

But the party is actually taking place at a stables. And somehow I don't think delicate suede, spiky heels, and stablegrounds will play nicely together. So I'm opting for a more practical shoe:

These are eons old but still going strong and exceptionally comfortable. Besides, all the drama of the Derby outfit is in the HAT, right?? And here it is!

Forgive the just-out-of-shower hair. But how much FUN is this?! I can't wait to wear it tomorrow! 

Shoe Hall of Fame

We all have our holy grails.Yes, I know. Shoes are not necessities (beyond what keeps your feet protected when you leave the house, durr). But if I lived in that fantasy life where money was no object, winning lottery ticket, got a star's salary, all that never-gonna-happen-but-HEY-a-girl-can-dream stuff...these are what I'd own:

Behold the Fendi Chameleon. In silver (which just happens to be one of my favorite shoe colors. Evah. The details, gorgeous, gorgeous details! Not my usual style, but they are some serious eye candy.  From Saks, where sadly these are no longer available. Originally $900 plus. Want to see more?

Loving the heel detail as well. This is the Italian "no stone left unturned" aesthetic that I adore (being, as I have mentioned, a bit obsessed with details myself).

Next up, a double header from Giuseppe Zanotti:

Oh my...I've been on the hunt for the right pair of rhinestone shoes for...well, probably my entire life  :)  and these would have done nicely. As would:

These. I can barely stand it. Sadly, also no longer available anywhere I look. Commence gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair. Or is it rending of garments? Anyway, whatever best signifies deep, deep anguish. They're perfect. PERFECT.

But enough with the tease of the shoes you just can't have because they're all gone. Let me show you some current lovelies that make my spine tingle and my toes curl! And yes, if your budget permits...purchase away. Just don't forget to share so that I may live vicariously through you.  :)

Valentino, of course. I know you've seen this EVERYWHERE, ad nauseum, make it stop, enough already...but to me this is as iconic as the Tom Ford-era Gucci corset shoes - a defining moment in fashion history. Not familiar with the corset shoes? Let me refresh your memory:

Note the the signature bamboo heel. And the way they hug ( or should I say caress! your foot, with their clingy satin straps. Everything about Tom's Gucci reign was hot. And these are scorching. Oh, I would love, love, love to have these in my collection! I'm showing you the black first, but wait...they came in other colors as well:

images via thepurseforum.com


They also came in a much harder to find aqua, which would be my first choice. So far the best (and only; it took me literally hours of interwebs hunting to find these shots - yes, sometimes my life is very lame but I manage despite that) photos I can find of the aqua are these:

image via starstyleinc.com


and these:

image via thepurseforum.com

The were perhaps the first of the "unattainable" shoes that really captured my attention. And they remain, for me, the holiest of holy grails. But I am a pretty soft touch for Gucci. And Tom Ford Gucci is right up there with '70s Gucci for me - truly the best of the best.

Anyhoo, back to the Valentinos - I feel that they are in the same iconic arena as those Gucci corsets. They changed the fashion landscape in a major way, ushering back in pointy toes, and even (gasp!) lower heels. And given the subject of my last post, you know I'm thrilled about that).I know they come in a variety of colors, heel heights, and styles (platforms, cage booties, flat sandals, kitten heels) but I love the above version the most. Feathers? C'mon. Who could resist?

Okay, last pair - currently available and sellling for $2445.00 (yeah, you read it right) at Neiman's:

Oh boy. I am not the biggest fan of French fashion (yeah, so sue me). Chanel...nice, but...Dior...take it or leave it (mostly). Hermes, even...I know, I know, but it just doesn't excite me. Sorry - I love me some Italians. What's that you say? You didn't notice that every shoe posted here (until the Loub) is Italian? I know, I'm subtle like that.  :)   But these particular Louboutins (image via Neiman Marcus) hit me in the gut. I AM a fan of bling, and these are just "all in" for me. Literal hotness, flame design and whatnot.

So, there you have my votes for the shoe hall of fame. And who knows...someday one (or more) of them could be available (eBay, no?) with the cosmic confluence: right place, right size, right price. A girl's got to dream! In the meantime, I leave you with this quote, attributed to Manolo Blahnik:

"About half my designs are controlled fantasy, 15 percent are total madness, and the rest are bread-and-butter designs."

Nobody ever said the man was a fool  :)

Glimpses

Just a brief post about things that I'm enjoying right now.  :)

A gorgeous red rose in a cracked glass holder. Sent two weeks ago (as part of a larger bouquet)  from one of my best friends and STILL thriving. Which is practically impossible in our chilly house in the middle of winter. I smile every time I pass by it in the living room.

Slightly blurry shot of NYE silver crackle nail polish (since removed, because I can only stand to have my nails done for like, two days). One of my other friends applied this just outside the restaurant - I had forgotten to do my nails, so we went to a CVS and bought this, sat down at tables outside a restaurant and she painted my nails. Then one of our other friends showed up and she painted her nails. Never underestimate the value of an impromptu manicure!

And while I'm on the subject of hands and hand-related things:

This ring was a gift from one of my best friends (the down-n-dirty manicurist referenced above). She makes jewelry and I fell in love with this...and it showed up on Christmas day.  Two glorious pieces of chrysoprase and her own metal work.

And last but by far not least, one of my Christmas gifts from my husband. Purchased from another jewelry artist at the Tempe Arts Festival in early December. It was the stone that sold me - such gorgeous color! And green is something I wear often, so this and the ring above will get a lot of outings. Plus, though I didn't know it at the time, this ring is a great counterpart to these:

They'll be gorgeous with white pants, chocolate brown, black (of course)...I love rich colors!  :)

2011 in Shoes

I've already written a little about how my 2011 went...the second half of the year was (or at least, felt like) a near-total loss. The jaw surgery in June started the downward slide, especially since the recovery is taking waaaay longer than expected. Then my Dad's illness, and now (as of two weeks ago), a second surgery for me...and this week I will be starting PT on the mouth since I can't open fully. It's more of a problem than you'd think! Sandwiches are out, as are steaks and the like...I'm still eating mostly soft foods. And since it's been almost 7 months since the original surgery, my doctor says PT is necessary. Boo.

So...I'm going to just focus on the surface stuff and recap my shoe purchases from last year, while I try to get  life back on track.  :)

I own a LOT of summery shoes and sandals, (that's what happens when you spend 25 years in a super-warm climate) so I didn't buy much early in the year. The first shoe purchase was totally unplanned - I was in Arizona for a festival and went shopping with a friend. I was debating these (forgive the quick and dirty sink shot):

Until my friend mentioned that she had bought these:

 
Just the week before. And since SHE had a pair...well, I wasn't going to leave that brightly colored goodness of a wedge on the shelf any longer. :)  They are Qupid brand, which I've never heard of. But they're easy to wear and didn't cost a fortune. A good impulse purchase. :)

TThe other spring purchase was these:

Seychelles. I'm still trying to build some sort of black shoe wardrobe, so they were practical as well as fun.

And then shoe shopping came to a halt (as did everything else) until the fall. First up were these gorgeous Nine West heels:

Gorgeous, comfortable, and sexy - possibly my favorite shoe purchase this year.

But possibly my second favorite purchase this year was the Badgley Mischkas (it's very, very close):

These lovelies had some great fun out to dinners and also on New Year's Eve.  :)

And then there was the little run of buying very late in the year

Nine West again. Just as comfortable as the suede in the same style. First worn to my husband's birthday dinner...and we both enjoyed their initial outing.  :)

And these:

Which were lovely, and quite comfortable, but just a little...off. The pointy toe was almost *too* pointy, and the heel was probably only a half inch lower than my other pointy toed shoes, but that was enough to make them not quite right. So back they went. And these came home instead:

I've really been wanting color-blocked shoes this year, and finally found some in the right colors! I can't find these online anywhere, and I suspect they might be made just for DSW (which is where I bought them). As with most Nine West, they are supremely comfortable and easy to wear. They haven't been worn yet, but I'm thinking maybe next week. I'd wear them this week but the weather is in the 30's right now, so boots are trumping any kind of open-toe shoe.

And these showed up for Christmas, from one of my best friends:

They are actually a lighter and brighter purple than the photo shows. And you know I've been looking for purple shoes...I'd actually seen these back in September and my friend got them for me for Christmas. She is a good Santa.  :) 

So not a bad shoe year at all. It's been hard to find styles I really love since the "stripper shoe style" took over (more about that in a future post), so I was glad to at least see that color and animal print held their own this year.

Next on the list are some cute but practical boots!