Cute Nursery and Kid's Spaces

With the second royal baby of Kate and Prince William arriving any second, I felt it was a proper time to pause and discuss nursery and kid's rooms. Because I know my mom reads my blog every day and because I know she will soon text me and ask, no, I am not pregnant! I just happen to enjoy a well-designed nursery.  And speaking of well-designed, how gorgeous is this serene space created by Ashley Goforth?  I love everything from the soothing wall color, to the Chelsea Editions table skirt, to the Greek Key trim design on the cornice.

 {Ashley Goforth}

I almost never see a table skirt I actually like and don't think looks dated, but Ashley did a great job on this one.  I think the larger buffalo check feels a bit more contemporary than smaller plaid patterns would.  

I also adore this upholstered bed she created for one lucky little boy.  It's interesting that she chose not to put a back on it, in order to make it a proper daybed, but instead created that effect with the pillows and stuffed animals: 

{Ashley Goforth} 

This daybed does feature an upholstered back, and a convenient side table that can be pulled up to use as a nightstand while sleeping.

This happy little girl's room includes a cool brass bedside reading light:

This nursery features another soothing wall color with touches of green.  I like that a traditional blue or pink scheme was avoided.  This nursery feels like it would work great for a boy or a girl:

{Laura Covington Interiors}

Here is another soothing nursery space- I love the natural wood chandelier, and the changing table with the faux bamboo legs looks a lot like my new dresser!

{Helen Davis Design}

Green carpeting is a BOLD move to make, but it feels Palm-Springs-cool in this kid's room.  The loop coffee table used as a side table is another fun touch:

 {Cuff Home}

I love the details of this upholstered bed.  The slight sides on the base and headboard create an interesting look.  The touches of pink and green work nicely together!  I would happily take this room now!

{Wear Willow}

Kid's rooms deserve to be chic, too- don't you think?

Monday Morning Inspiration: Blue and White

Another weekend has come and gone so quickly!  Did you guys do anything fun this weekend?  The weather was so pretty in Houston, so my roommate and I laid out by the pool on Saturday and showed a new friend around the city Saturday night.  On Sunday, I got some work done and did a Define spin/body class.  I loved ending my weekend on a relaxed note at home; it always makes me feel much more prepared to take on my week.  While pinning over the weekend, I kept going back to a palette of blues and whites.  As I've stated many times before, it's one of my favorite combinations and is both effortless and timeless.

{McKenna Bleu}

{Lonny Mag}

{Chinoiserie Chic}

{Sequins and Things}

{Barefoot Blonde}

I hope you guys have an amazing week!

XOXO,

Sam

My blue and white picks:

Reading List

Last night, I finished reading What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman.  Kristin has written for many popular comedy sitcoms including How I Met Your Mother and That '70s Show, and her memoir shares what she learned while putting off settling down in her 20s and most of her 30s and choosing to travel the world instead.  I loved her insights and stories, and of course all her travels gave me a healthy dose of wanderlust. 

Throughout the book, Kristin grapples with her desire to roam free as a single woman and see the world, while society seems to be pushing her to get married and settle down:

"Life is almost never about choosing between one thing you really want and another thing you don't want at all.  If you're lucky, and healthy, and live in a country where you have enough to eat and no fear that you're going to get shot when you walk out your door, life is an endless series of choosing between two things you want almost equally as much.  And you have to evaluate and determine which awesome thing you want infinitesimally more, and then give up that other awesome thing you want almost exactly as much.  You have to trade awesome for awesome.  Everyone I knew, no matter what they chose, was at least a little in mourning for that other thing," Kristin says.

I loved reading her perspective and found it gave me a lot to think about.  And, of course, I added about 10 new places to my travel list.  

Next on my reading list is Daring Greatly by Brene Brown:

I first discovered Brene Brown through her popular TED talk, "The Power of Vulnerability."  If you have a few minutes, I highly recommend listening to what she shares here:

I then heard about her book, which compiles all her research on vulnerability, while listening to a Mating Grounds podcast.  Truthfully, I am embarrassed to admit this because The Mating Grounds is a website geared towards helping men have better relationships with women.  So why do I love listening to their podcasts?  Who knows.  Probably because I feel it allows me to see dating and relationships through the lens of men, which is pretty interesting!  Recently, they started a series focused on helping a 26 year-old guy Joe, who lives in Austin, have better success with women.  In this particular podcast, they begin to tap in to Joe's vulnerabilities and fears that have resulted from painful experiences in his past and rave about Brene Brown's Daring Greatly. 

To keep up with my New Year's Resolution of reading 1 book a month, I have about 7 days to  finish this book.  I've been a little behind on my reading mainly because work has been crazy, but I've heard the book is so good that I'm sure I'll want to take my time absorbing everything Brene has to say.

You can go here to see what other books I've read this year and also what my other New Year's Resolutions were.

So tell me- do you have any good book recommendations? 

Current Moodboard

Last night I went to a launch party for LJ Creative House at Cakewalk Style Shop, and it was so good to see and catch up with a lot of my blogger friends here in Houston. While there, I also scooped up this off-the-shoulder Tibi top and I can't wait to wear it out.  The party was thrown by Julie of From Prosecco to Plaid, and let's just say I took advantage of the open prosecco bar.  That girl knows how to throw a party!  I always love to mingle with the fashion blogger crowd because they seem to have such an innate sense of style and aren't afraid to take fashion risks.  Anyway, I was too tired from mingling all night to put together a proper post, so I thought I'd just share what's on my current moodboard:

{A bedroom by Kate Rheinstein marrying my two favorite colors- turquoise and pink!}

 {Loving these ripped jeans + black heels combo.  And the nail color is so chic- it looks like my favorite, Lincoln Park After Dark}

{white blonde hair with a few purple highlights}

{a serene entry designed by Peter Block Architects}

{A lovely bedroom designed by Suzanne Kasler}

{A leopard coat + red lip combo always wins in my book}

 {Therese Murdza}

{Current mood.  #annawintourforprez}

 Happy Wednesday!!  I hope your week is going well!

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday my friends!  Did you all have a good weekend?  I had such a busy week of work that I kept my weekend pretty low-key and focused on getting a few things done around my house.  I'm still trying to finish up redecorating my bedroom, and my new dresser from Jasper Kane Designs finally arrived!  If you recall from this post, I updated the paint color to Benjamin Moore's Soft Chamois (OC 13) cut 50% and had the cracks and imperfections touched up.  For $400, I definitely feel I got a great piece!

 I accessorized the dresser with Aerin Lauder's Morton Table Lamp in Burnished Silver, a few coffee table books and framed pictures, and a vase from Area.   It was rainy most of the weekend here in Houston, so I had to pick up some fresh flowers for around the house.  I added these pretty hydrangeas to my bedside table (vase is from Target, but I bought it a long time ago):

 I also popped in to a few decor store this weekend, and was pleasantly surprised to see some great things in West Elm.  I'm usually not that impressed with their offerings, and feel like their furniture really only caters to the mid-century modern crowd.  However, I was delighted to find these cute pom pom pillows, and had to grab a few in the turquoise color:

 {Jay Street Ashti Pom Pom Pillow in Pale Harbor $54}

They come in other fun colors too, though!

{Jay Street Ashti Pom Pom Pillow in Platinum $54}

 {Jay Street Ashti Pom Pom Pillow in Rose Bique $54}

While out and about, I also stopped by Buffalo Exchange and sold some clothes I no longer wear or want.  While I was waiting for them to go through my bags of clothes to trade-in, I took a look around the store and was surprised to find some cute pieces!  I walked away with this Express romper and these Zara heels for free- thanks to my trade-in cash!  To add a little color, I paired the outfit with my favorite Design Darling tassel earrings:

Saturday night I had a few friends over and then we went out to check out a new bar in downtown Houston called Bovine & Barley.

 I loved this neon-lit Edgar Allan Poe sign inside the bar.

How was your weekend??  Did you do anything fun?

Summer Must-Haves

While home last weekend in Oklahoma City, my mom and I did a little shopping at Lush Fashion Lounge.  I almost never clothes shop for myself these days, but would rather spend extraneous funds on things for my house.  So it's always nice when my mom will treat me to a little shopping trip.  While at Lush, I ended up purchasing 3 pink dresses that I have since worn on the reg.  I don't know why, but wearing a bright color really helps to elevate my mood.  So, I've decided to expand the bright hues in my wardrobe this summer- including my bathing suits!

Shop this Board:

Crochet Overlay Dress $90/Cynthia Rowley Dress $269/Mara Hoffman Embroidered Dress $260/J. Crew Gathered One Piece $88/Vix Bikini Top $95/Vix Bikini Bottom $60/Riot Metal Trim Heels $85/

A hot pink wrap dress paired with chartreuse heels?! Yes please.

What's on your summer fashion wishlist?

Needing, Wanting, Loving: A Contemporary Area Rug

Today while perusing around the internet for some rug inspiration, I stopped by one of my favorite rug sites of all time- The Rug Company.  I hadn't checked out their site in quite some time, and was immediately impressed by the unique, gorgeous designs gracing their "contemporary area rugs" tab.  I get so tired of seeing the same type of rugs again and again- the chevron patterns, the small medallions, the basic stripe.  Rugs can (and should!) be seen as a work of art that helps to set the mood of your space.  The Rug Company often teams up with design and fashion moguls to create pretty spectacular designs, and I had to share a few of my favorites with you:

{Flaunt by Kelly Wearstler}

{Reflections by Allegra Hicks}

 {Atlantis by Allegra Hicks}

{Hummingbirds by Alexander McQueen}

{Marble by Rodarte}

{Carnival by Paul Smith}

{Ponti Blue by Suzanne Sharp}

{Palette by Fiona Curran}

{Magnolia Black by Vivienne Westwood}

Why not utilize your rug as a piece of art and make it the focal point of your room?  I am dying for that Palette rug by Fiona Curran.

Go check out The Rug Company's full website to see their other offerings.

Monday Morning Inspiration

Happy Monday!  Did you guys have a good weekend??  Mine was so relaxing.  My roommate and I cooked a homemade meal together on Saturday and then did a Netflix binge on Sunday.  I also did a spin class at Define on Sunday afternoon, which always seems to start my week off on a high note.  I spent last night perusing Pinterest for awhile and kept finding rooms that were so beautiful and inspiring.  So today, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites!  There really isn't a rhyme or reason to them- just a collection of spaces I thought were so good that I had to stop and stare. 

{Elle Decor}

I always love to see a bold powder room.  This powder bath is covered in Quadrille's Arbre de Matisse wall covering, and I love the chartreuse accents.

{Domaine Home}

Daybeds with storage underneath are perfect for rooms with minimal space.  I love the chinoiserie feel of this headboard, as well!

{Design Dump}

I've hardly ever seen the Scalamandre zebras used in the purple colorway.  What makes this space even more special is the canary yellow lantern and the blue mirror.  Talk about bold, fearless color!  Perfect for a powder room.

And lastly, a gorgeous blue and white room designed by Vicente Wolf:

So calm, tailored, and relaxed.   Perfect for a Monday morning!!

Have a great week, everyone!