My Quarter Century Birthday

TGIF friends!  I hope your week has gone well.

Today I turn the big 2-5.  My mom was kind enough to call me at 7 am and tell me the story of my birth (once again).  Love ya for that mom!  Anyway, today I plan to take it easy.  Something along the lines of this....

I am looking forward to celebrating with friends tonight and tomorrow.  May the champagne continuously flow.

I can't wait for my car insurance payment to go down.  That does happen when you're 25, right?  Oh the joys of growing older.  Sorry for the short post, but I'm off to lazily do nothing.  Jusssst kidding.  I'll be studying.  I'm an adult, after all. ;)

Have a fab weekend!  

XOXO, Sam

{both photos via here}

Will Work for Pillows

With finals looming over my head, I haven't gotten to peruse my blogroll as much as I would like.  Now I know at first thought this might seem like a luxury task- to get to lazily visit my favorite blogs.  But not so!  To me, it's somewhat of a creative necessity.  Seeing what all you talented designers and fashion lovers have showcased inspires and reenergizes me.  As I was getting my daily dose of blogosphere late in the evening yesterday, I discovered that one of my favorite bloggers, Albertina of Mimosa Lane, launched a pretty little Etsy Shop.  Her shop includes adorable clutches and pillows, just in time for gift giving.  It got me thinking how many of my favorite online decor shops were started by bloggers- diverse individuals that seem to have one thing in common- an innate sense of style.  Lately, I have been on a decorative pillow kick, and not surprisingly, most of the pillows I lust for are from bloggers' shops!

1.) Chevron Fuscia Pink Pillow $45 2.) Leopard Velvet $62/3.) Chiang Mai Aquamarine  $102/4.) Ikat Pom Pom Pillow $85/   5.) Hexagon Purple and Gold $67/6.) Green Leaf Pillow Cover $38/7.) Leopard Lumbar $165

That first chevron print is from Mimosa Lane's new shop.  I know I said I was so tired of chevron prints, but.... I just can't quit them!!

If you see me by the side of the road with a sign that says, "Will Work for Pillows" do me a favor and toss me a dime.  It's for a good cause. ;)

Decor Crush: Robert Abbey Gourd Lamps

 It's no news that I tend to be a softer-color-kind-of-girl when it comes to my interiors.  I love a pop of color, but I like to leave it at that- just a pop!  However, every once in a while a piece comes along that is designed so beautifully that you can't help but want it in every color.  For me, that's Robert Abbey Goard Table Lamps.  The ceramic base gives it a delicious glossy texture.  The shape is playful.  And the color options are endless.

My two favorite designs are the triple and double gourd buffet lamp.

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I think the hardest part of buying one would be choosing a color...

Which color would you choose!?  Would you go with the brass, lucite, or black base? 

 So many options!  You can purchase the Triple and Double Gourd Lamps here for just over $300 a piece.

And... there's still time to enter the Charles Emerson Design necklace giveaway! 

I'm turning 2-5 this Friday and thought there was no better way to celebrate then with a pretty jewelry giveaway.

  

XO, Sam

 

8 Things I Loved & Learned Last Week: 6

Happy Tuesday!  I am thrilled to see many of you are just as in love with the Charlie necklace as I am.  Thank you for the giveaway entries yesterday!

So many wonderful things happened over my Thanksgiving holiday that I thought it was only fitting to do an "8 Things I Loved and Learned" post.  If you follow me on Instagram and Twitter, then you know I traveled back to Oklahoma City to visit my parents brother, and sister-in-law.  

1.) To start the break off, Sam & I went to our first OKC Thunder basketball game of the season!  It was so fun, and it helped that the Thunder beat the LA Clippers (barely) in overtime.  Unfortunately, there was no Khloe Kardashian sightings (her hubby Lamar plays for the Clippers).

After the game we got to catch up with some of my high school girlfriends.  There's nothing like the comfort of seeing old friends.

2.)  On Thursday we started out Thanksgiving with a glass of champagne at 9 am.  What can I say? We start things early! I also love my parents' leopard carpet.

3.) What would Thanksgiving be without a slice of pumpkin pie?  As a vegetarian, I could care less about the turkey or ham.  It's all about the sweets.

4.) My brother convinced Sam & I to go out to the gun range with him.  I was terrified!  They convinced me to shoot the gun a few times, and of course I had to document it.  I added the video too.  Just call me Annie Oakley! ;)

5.)  As I mentioned last week, one BIG reason I love going home is to see my parent's Great Dane- Graycie!  We joke that she is socially awkward because, well, she is.   Luckily she let me get a few cuddles in:

6.) I am continuing to work on the design for my parent's new build in Oklahoma City.  They will move in around next March, and we are currently working on merging their current decor with the vision we have for the new place.  There's been a lot of purging, which makes room for new pieces!  We fell in love with this piped yellow sofa & decided it had to go in the new house:

Isn't the shape beautiful?  

7.)  If that wasn't good enough for one day of furniture hunting, we also found a pair of upholstered python chairs.  I mean.... seriously??  

You know how animal prints make my heart melt.  I am thrilled about these finds.

8.) Lastly, I got to meet Sara Kate of Sara Kate Studios at the Myriad Gardens Pop Up Shops on Black Friday.  She's the lovely stylist who has been featured in Lonny and Matchbook Magazines. Of course, she was just as cute and creative as I imagined.  And how pretty was her little shop??

So many fun, interesting finds and wrapping goodies.  I picked up a few vintage books for my shelf.

How was your break?  I hope you enjoyed a little time off!

If you didn't get a chance to enter the Charles Emerson giveaway, you have until Friday to do so.  Click here to leave your comment to enter to win!

XO, Sam

Jewelry Giveaway!!! Charles Emerson Design

Happy Cyber Monday, lovelies!  Have we digested all the turkey and pumpkin pie??  Are we needing some space from crazy Aunt Edna?  Worry not.  I've got something fabulous for you today.  A reason to celebrate.

I am sure you are inundated with a million sales going on.... but wouldn't you much rather have something for free?!  I thought so.  It's GIVEAWAY time!!!

One lucky reader will win this ultra chic statement necklace- "The Charlie"- courtesy of Charles Emerson Designs!!

Charles Emerson Design is the creation of blogger Erin from Richmond Thrifter.

Obviously Erin knows my style, because when she showed this piece to me it was love at first sight.  I am a big proponent of oversized baubles, especially if they are a bit edgy.

To enter:

It's very simple.  No jumping through hoops.  Just leave a comment below 

telling me what your favorite piece of jewelry from Charles Emerson Designs is.  Their pieces are all stylish, unique and affordable. 

But... if you want to increase your chances, 

you can leave an extra comment for each of the following:

1.) Be a follower of The Peak of Très Chic on GFC.

2.) Follow The Peak of Très Chic on Twitter.

3.) "Like" Charles Emerson Designs on Facebook.

4.) "Like" The Peak of Très Chic on Facebook.

5.) Tweet about the giveaway (please include @peakoftreschic and 

@rvathrifter so we know you tweeted!)

You have until this Friday at 6 PM CST to enter.  Winner will be chosen using Random.org Friday night.

Can't wait to purchase a few baubles?  Erin has graciously offered POTC readers 20% off throughout the week using coupon code GIVEAWAY20.

  Good luck my sweets- and happy shopping!

Mad World

Happy Friday!  I hope you had a wonderful turkey day.  My parents host Thanksgiving for our entire extended family, so I didn't leave their house the entire day.  It was glorious.  I ate way too much, got in my PJs at 3 pm, and napped all afternoon.  It reminded me of this scene from  Eat, Pray, Love:

 

 

Listening to Liz (played by Julia Roberts) talk about the wonderful people in her life in this clip reminded me once again how grateful I am for this online community.  As a matter of fact, her speech at the beginning is exactly how I feel about the people I've met through blogging. 

 

 

I found this pin on Pinterest and felt it described perfectly the role you guys play in my life.  I'm so thankful for you.

 

I've seen a lot of commentary lately discussing the absurdity of Black Friday.  One day, you are surrounded by your loved ones reflecting on all you have to be thankful for.  The next day, you are up at 6 am fighting crowds of people for material possessions.  It is a little silly when we think about it like that, isn't it?  That's why I titled this post "Mad World."

Don't get me wrong. I love shopping as much as the next girl, but I want to make a bigger effort of being intentional about my purchases.  So today, instead of sharing a million pointless Black Friday flash sales, I thought I'd focus only on those brands that I truly love and I think you'll love to.

 

The Aestate is offering 20% off her entire Etsy shop with coupon code BLACKFRIDAY.  You may remember me posting an instagram of my new lips print I purchased a few weeks ago:
 

 

 

Well you can scoop it up for 20% off here.  Another favorite from the shop is this bad boy:

 

A {Thankful} Note from Me to You

Happy Thanksgiving, all! What a wonderful holiday: a time to reflect and give thanks for experience, friends, family, health, new beginnings, and more.  I value the holidays because it forces you to slow down and reflect.  In past holiday seasons, this hasn't always been a pleasant experience for my family- especially in years where close family members passed away.  Nevertheless, I think it is vital to slow down and find gratitude,

regardless of circumstance.  

And with that, I would like to say "thank you", to a community of people who brighten my day, encourage me, make me laugh, and continually challenge me to do better.  I am so grateful!  Sharing with you my thoughts, inspiration, and work on a daily basis is an intimate act, and I value it dearly.  

I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and valuable time with friends and family today.

Enjoy the turkey and don't think twice about having another slice of pumpkin pie.

XOXO!

{image via Tiffany Eastman Interiors}

Perfectly Imperfect

Well guys, I've mentally checked out and am in full out holiday vacation mode.  Today I am flying home to OKC to spend Thanksgiving with my family.  I am so excited for the comforts of home, & to see my favorite Great Dane, Graycie.  Here's an instagram picture (sorry for the blurriness) of her when she came and visited me in Houston, posing beautifully in my chair:

Too cute! With all of my excitement, I can't seem to focus my creative energies.  Instead, I thought I'd share a few bits of beautiful I've found lately.  The common theme seem to be florals, bold color, animal print, and coffee table books- just a few of my favorite things!

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Hello beautiful upholstered headboard!

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Delicious, no? Happy Wednesday & safe holiday travels.

Stay tuned for a few fabulous giveaways & lots of great Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals! 

 XOXO, Sam

A Quick & Easy Thanksgiving Tablescape

If you're anything like me, then you still haven't started planning your Thanksgiving tablescape.  I admit it- I'm a table setting procrastinator!  Thankfully, I'm going home for the holiday and my parents are doing the cooking.  Still, I always love to do the tablescaping.  Since we are flying in Wednesday night, that doesn't leave a lot of time for preparation and planning.  Thankfully, I have a few tried and true tips that create a festive table in no time.

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1.) Pick a color scheme.  I like to mix colors and don't pay a lot of attention to "traditional" holiday hues.  Just because it's Thanksgiving doesn't mean you can't do a poppy pink or orange!

2.) Gather vases in varying shapes/sizes.  I recommend sticking with the same color here to give a little continuity.  Fill them with your favorite flowers.  Glitter Guide recommends choosing different types of flowers but in the same color in the video below.

3.)  Add a metallic accent!  My favorite is gold, but champagne is pretty too.  Whether it be small figurines, faux branches, or flatware, a little shine creates added visual interest.

4.) Don't worry too much about matching glassware, flatware, and dishes.  When everything matches, it can feel stuffy.  Make it fun!

Matte Mint Bud Vase $20/Golden Fig Vases $82/Gold Cabana Striped Place Cards $14/Helianthus Goblet $8/West Elm Gold Flatware $23/Feather Napkins $58/Kate Spade Sonora Knot Plate $24/

Here's a few more tips from the Glitter Guide:

Happy dining, friends!

The Big Gift Guide of Chic (Under $100!)

Gifting is such a personal and intimate act.  What do you get for the girl who has everything?  Something extra chic, of course!  

It can be a challenge to shop for the frequent party-thrower who always manages to look flawless in Kate Spade sparkly peep toes and has Missoni pillows on her couch.  I have quite a few stylish friends, and I love to hunt for unique items to surprise them with- things that are beautiful and useful.  Here are a few of my favorite hostess-with-the-mostess finds:

1. Yummy Mummy Leather Notebook $80/ 2. Ikat Thank You Notes $6.75/ 3. Gold-Dipped Flatware $38/ 

4. Driftwood iDock $98/5.  Mrs. Lilien's Cocktail Swatchbook $14.95/ 6. St. Barth's Coffee Table Book $45/ 7. Mr. and Mrs. Cocktail Glass set $16/ 8. Jonathan Adler Home Holiday Hearth Candle $38/ 9. Tartan Cocktail Napkins $18/ 10. Zhush Python Tray $57/ 11. Kate Spade Morningside Heights hand towels $20

Happy Monday, & Happy holiday shopping!

PS- Today I am guest posting on Freckled Confessions in the "From the Desk of" series. I hope you will check it out! 

My One (And Only) Outfit Post + In Her Shoes Feature

TGIF my friends.  I've had a whirlwind of a week. The decision to wear 5" heels last night to Fashion Houston has me a little regretful today, but nonetheless I'll continue to suffer for fashion.  Before heading to the Wortham Theater, I stopped off at Therapy Hair Studio to get glammed up for the night.  Aubrie did my makeup, and Kelsey gave me some serious volume and curl.  They gave me just the confidence I needed to walk the red carpet.

Here I am with Monica, a dear blogger friend of mine that blogs over at Classy & Fabulous, before the shows started:

{On me: BCBG Luke Jacket/BCBG faux leather leggings/Christian Louboutin platform pumps/Aldo handbag (old), similar here}

Monica is in Jerri Moore, an up and coming Houston designer that showcased her Spring 2013 collection last night.  It was full of bright poppy color and loose draping, which I love.

The highlight for the night was seeing the Monique Lhuillier collection. I did my best to get good shots, but not too much luck my friends:

A big "thank you" to On the Mark for sponsoring me.

In other news, today I am showing a peek in to my life on Effortless Style blog.  Camila is a 

talented (and sweet) interior designer based near NYC, and I've been a fan of her blog 

(and her work!) for a very long time.

Have a wonderful weekend!