Road Trip Style with Chelsie, Darling

Today, as I wind down on my Australian getaway (we head back to the states on Sunday), I am thrilled to have Chelsie guest posting.  Chelsie, of Chelsie, Darling (formerly Mossypants blog) is a fellow Houstonian with a big dose of style.  From a unique outfit post, to sharing the latest in fashion and beauty, her blog never disappoints:

**************************************************************************

Hello! I'm Chelsie over from life + style blog, Chelsie, Darling! I'm honored to be today's 'The Peak Of Très Chic' guest poster...

Sadly, I'm not jet-setting across the world this spring, ahem, like Sam..  jealous ;) ...but that doesn't mean weekend getaways aren't about to happen! I've got a few road trips up my sleeve and I'm already eyeing lots of fun must-haves... like a new book from my favorite HGTVer, some sunnies, stripes and oh.. more stripes! 

01. Kule Mariniere Top // 02. J.Crew Candy Anchor Top, Bottom // 03. I Brake For Yard Sales Book // 04. Madewell Hepcat Sunglasses // 05. Madewell Beach bag// 06. Social Proper phone case // 07. Loren Hope Petra Tri-Color Necklace // 08. Missoni Espadrilles 

Thank you Samantha for letting me guest post - such a privilege! x Chelsie

An Italian Escape with Mimosa Lane

Today the lovely Albertina of Mimosa Lane blog is sharing one of her favorite lust-worthy escapes.  Albertina manages to be a fashionable mother, businesswoman, and now designer to fabulous clutches and pillows.  What can't this girl do?

*****************************************************************************

I'm so glad Sam is going to Australia for a few weeks! It is so necessary for the soul to get away, recharge, relax, and reconnect with those close to us.  I can't wait to hear all about her beautiful trip.  Of course this has me daydreaming about one of my all-time favorite spots in the world- Portofino, Italy.  It is a tiny town in the Italian coast.  The color of the ocean is spectacular, the little town is so charming nestled beneath the mountains, the food is amazing and the sunsets are out of this world as well.  If I were to visit Portofino this summer this is what would be in my ideal packing list.

{ 1 , 2, 3 , 4 }

{ tunic, necklace , biniki , white top, tote, jeans, earrings, dress, shoes }

That bikini is so cute!  And don't get me started on Tory Burch's tunics and adorable prints.  When you are in such a beautiful place you really don't need much....just a few perfectly beautiful simple things and you are ready to go.

What lovely places are you dreaming of escaping to?

Pattern Play with Sadie + Stella

Today we have the wonderful Lindsay Dress of Sadie + Stella fame sharing her take on an eclectic, patterned living room vignette.  Lindsay is a real-life best friend whom I initially connected with through the blogosphere (yes, true love can happen via the internet!)

**************************************************************************

Hi Peak of Très Chic lovers! I am Lindsay from Sadie + Stella Design. I am an insurance broker, a designer, a blogger, and real life friend to Sam. She is my ride or die chick. When she asked me to take the wheel while she was sunning and funning in Australia, I was peanut butter and jelly but put my envy aside to help a girl out. I adore Sam obviously... I mean who doesn't?

I have been going 250 mph lately but I have to say, once I came across this space, my unbelievable pace came to a screeching halt. Major pattern, texture, color, layers and overall amazing design aesthetic. Naturally, I gravitate towards patterned, collected and eclectic spaces so this look was an automatic "yes" for me. What is not to love? 

{Robert Passal}

So true to form, I was desperate to recreate this look. I know that stacking and layering patterns is intimidating, but really it is a must. While I did reversals on some of these pattern schemes, it is easy to get the same look. 

Get the Look: 

Leopard X-Bench/Lucite Coffee Table/Rug/Emerald Pillow/Navy Velvet Pillows/Sofa/Lamp/Vase/Pillow/Marble Box/Console Table/Art/Lumbar

See. That wasn't so bad. If you feel like getting pattern happy and crazy with me, make sure you come and play with me over at Sadie + Stella. Loves! 

XOXO,

Mini-Bedroom Makeover with Designstiles

Happy Monday lovelies!  Today Irene of designstiles is sharing a few pieces to spruce up your bedroom for spring.  You're in good hands, because this lady is talented.  She was recently featured in Apartment Therapy for her delicious home office.  I'm lucky enough to know her in real life and she is just as hilarious as she is stylish!

    ****************************************************************************

Hey Peak of Très Chicers, it's Irene from designstiles. It's a pleasure to be filling is for Sam while she's away in, um, Australia!  For those of us in the US of A, it's the most wonderful time of the year, if you love spring. Spring is definitely my favorite season and I think it's the perfect opportunity to freshen up with new decor. Just a few simple items that can transform your space into a happy, colorful home.

Today I have what I call, the mini-bedroom makeover. From light, cotton sheets to cool and fun art:

shop this look: scalloped sheet set // orangerie rose pillow // bali stripe pillow // ikat blue rug //

woven wall mirror // artwork // ceramic snail // lamp

Thanks for having me Sam. Enjoy your trip. Don't forget to try some kangaroo. Ha!

White Chocolate Snickerdoodles with Mimosas in the Morning

Today the lovely Allyson of Mimosas in the Morning is here to share an irresistible recipe.  Allyson is a fellow Houstonian, and one of the first bloggers I started following religiously when I jumped in to the blogging world.  She's as sweet as she is pretty, and can make a killer cookie.  What more can you ask for in a girl!? 

*********************************************************************

Hello Peak of  Très Chic readers! It's Allyson from Mimosas in the Morning and I am so excited to be guest posting on Sam's blog today.  I mean, who could ever turn down the opportunity to send a fashionable group of readers into a cookie-induced sugar coma? 

Let's start with a little trivia. Did you know generally the only difference between a sugar cookie and a snickerdoodle is rolling the dough in cinnamon and sugar as opposed to just sugar. WHAT THE WHAT?! When I started researching and planning this recipe, my mind was completely blown. I normally focus my confectionery efforts on chocolate chip cookies—I've made at least three variations on my blog—so I was excited to venture out of my comfort zone and try something new. When I think of Sam, I think stylish and chic, and what could be more fitting than White Chocolate Snickerdoodles. Like her blog, these were too sweet to resist. I try to avoid eating too much of the desserts I make, but these were practically screaming my name from the counter. Four cookies in one day does not a bikini body make. Follow the recipe and you are sure to capture the heart of anyone you make these for. That is, if you have the will power not to eat them all yourself.

White Chocolate Snickerdoodles by Mimosas in the Morning

recipe adapted from Thirty Handmade Days

Ingredients:

1 C butter

3/4 C white sugar

3/4 C sugar in the raw

2 eggs

3 C + 4 tablespoons cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

2 Ghirardelli Premium Baking White Chocolate Bars (chopped randomly into chunks)

1 part sugar (for rolling) - I eyeballed these measurements

1 part Cinnamon (for rolling)

Instructions

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs together. Add in vanilla. Sift flour and then add into wet mixture along with baking soda. Finally, mix in white chocolate chunks. Combine the sugar and cinnamon on a cutting board. Using a cookie dough scoop, scoop out balls of dough and then roll in the mixture. Think Playdough from grade-school. You want them completely covered, so my tactic was to roll them around until the cinnamon mixture had completely covered the ball and I could not pick up anymore. Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet with parchment paper, then flattening the cookie with your hand (your four fingers pressed together, not the palm). In between batches, leave the dough in the refrigerator so it is easier to mold and roll. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Enjoy fresh out of the oven because they are irresistible warm. Store in an air tight container with a slice of bread to keep fresh as long as possible. 

**********************************************************************

My mouth is watering just reading this recipe and seeing the pictures....let's be glad I am off at the beach and too concerned about my beach body to give in to these.

Thanks for sharing with us, Allyson!

Spring Trend Favorites with One Stylish Day at a Time

Hello loves!  At this moment I am in route to Australia, but while I'm away a few of my favorite bloggers are stepping in to bring you the latest in fashion, design, food, and wedding goodness.  First up we have the lovely Miranda, of One Stylish Day at a Time.  We  bonded over our love of Mumm Napa, and I am always checking her blog for her latest outfit post (they never disappoint):

******************************************************************

Hi there! My name is Miranda and I blog over at One Stylish Day at a Time. I'm filling in for Sam while she vacations down under with her guy - aren't you jealous? I know I sure am! Well don't worry Sam, I'll hold down the fort here while you're away by talking about my four favorite spring trends: floral, lace, lucite, and metallic. And the best part about these trends? They easily translate into clothing, accesories, and shoes. See below for some inspiration and pieces you can add to your collection for spring.

{Image 1 / 2 / 3 / 4}

{Zimmerman Bikini / Tibi Lace Skirt / CC Skye Lucite Clutch / Charles David Sway Pumps}

What are you looking forward to wearing this spring?

The One Room Challenge Reveal!

Happy Wednesday my dears!  Today is a very exciting day- the One Room Challenge reveal.

If you are new to the challenge, let me catch you up to speed.  Myself, along with 19 other bloggers, have spent the last 6 weeks creating or re-creating a room and sharing our progress along the way.   I talked for months about how wonderful it would be to have a home office to blog from and to do my design work.  Mostly I work from a coffee shop, my kitchen table or my sofa!  Not always conducive to productivity.  Despite me dreaming and scheming for months, my extra bedroom remained in a dire state- completely empty:

But this challenge gave me the opportunity to put together an inspiring space.  My typical aesthetic is rather traditional with French influence and a little pattern mixed in.  For the office, I decided to have fun and go with a broad color palette.  Here's the "after" shot:

The blank wall I shared in the first photo became the perfect spot for a fun seating arrangement (thank you to everyone who gave me their input on this purchase last week!).  The leather chairs were purchased from Z Gallerie, and the table lamp was a gift from Lulu & Georgia.  The occasional table was a High Fashion Home find.  

I am a big fan of details and had a fun time accessorizing my desk and console:

Can you tell I've looked at my Allegra Hicks book a few too many times??

This console is very functional and holds my printer/fax, paint samples, and all my fabric baskets. I worked with a friend of mine, Rob Regan, a fellow interior designer and interiors photographer, to shoot the office.  Don't let the clean look here fool you- since getting everything finished and having a chance to work from my new space, I've managed to make  it rather chaotic.  But that's the best way to get inspired, right?

I hope you like my space!  It was definitely a labor of love.  A big thank you to Linda of My Crafty Home Life for inviting me to participate and to Rob Regan for taking time out of his busy schedule to photograph the room.

Now let's go see the other participants' fabulous final reveals!  

Chattafabulous 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Classic Casual Home 

the Cottage Mix 

Cottage & Vine 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

Everything LEB 

Hodge Podge 

Kim Macumber Interiors 

Little Black Door

Matters of Style 

Calling it Home

Nicole Scott Designs 

Pacific Family Homes 

Pawleys Island Posh 

the Peak of Tres Chic 

the Pink Pagoda 

Powell Brower Home 

Simple Details 

Needing, Wanting, Loving: A Decorative Bust

Happy Monday my dears!  Did you have a fun St. Patrick's Day?  I worked on projects for finals this week but managed to sneak out last night for a few hours to down a frozen green margarita.  The good news is finals will be over Tuesday and I can resume my normal social life, at least until next term gets crazy!  

Today I wanted to share my love for decorative busts.  As an advocate for mixing antique with modern, there's no better way to add a touch of classicism than with an antique bust.  They can be placed on an entryway table for all to revere, or serve as a necklace holder for a quirky touch:

{Miles Redd}

{And George}

I had a moment when I spotted this bust in one of my favorite local stores, Kuhl-Linscomb:

{via my instagram}

Covered in geodes and seashells?!  What could be better?  Unfortunately the price tag was more than I could bear, but every time I visit the store I stop by and say "hi" to my favorite little lady.  I wish I had the funds to adopt her but I trust she'll find a good home.

What's your take on decorative busts?

{all images above, unless otherwise noted, via Lonny Magazine}

Gypset Style

Last week I purchased a new coffee table book, Gypset Travel.  I've always been drawn to boho-inspired fashion a la Kate Hudson and Sienna Miller, and couldn't resist the cover picture:

  

Figuring out who the girls on the cover are led me to find their blog and jewelry shop Spell Designs- the brainchild of sisters Elizabeth and Isabella.  Here's a little about them taken from their About page:

For as long as Elizabeth and Isabella can remember they’ve been enamored by the feeling created when you combine feathers, leather and turquoise – and more recently, other natural materials like shells and bone, crystals, silk and cotton.

In the 1960s and 70s their father was a leather craftsman and their mother was a potter, painter and wove brightly coloured threads on a loom. It’s no surprise that they’ve ended up here, in a creative little community called Byron Bay, living a passion that flows from their family.

Elizabeth and Isabella are immensely proud of this blog, a visual manifesto of all that they’re inspired by as well as an ever evolving visual diary of the creations born from their fashion and accessories label Spell & the Gypsy Collective.

The sisters are the two in the front, and were honored to be featured in a photoshoot for the Gypset Travel book.

Here are a few of my favorite gypset-inspired finds:

Shop This Board:

Eugenia Kim Wide-Brimmed Hat $390/Red Paper Pouf Chandelier $150/Tangerine Maxi Dress $64/Tijoux Embossed Wallet $58/Ombre Fringe Tote $298/Zara Ethnic Slippers $49.90

What do you think of gypset style?  Happy Friday my loves!  

{photos via Spell Designs}

Things That Inspire

Sometimes I wish I had a Tumblr, because occasionally I'll have a day (like today!) where I just want to share pretty things.  Images that catch my eye; things I find inspiring or beautiful.

{via Pretty Stuff Tumblr}

{via Cognac and Coffee}

{via A Perfect Gray}

{via Sharon Montrose Photography}

{via Shelterness}

{via Atlantic-Pacific}

{via Michael Pancier Photography}

{via Design Fabulous}

{via Anna Louise}

Have a great rest of your Thursday...

XOXO!