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No I haven't quit the blog... but I have been on a break... it's not you... it's me... No really. This happened... WOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!  We're engaged!!!! It's been SO exciting, and SOOO fun, and we literally could not be happier.  Kris has already taken to calling me wifey which makes me laugh every time, and I've been trying to remember to introduce him to people as my FIANCE (so fancy) -  not my "boyfriend". A gratuitous ring shot for you guys... While the excitement around being newly engaged is reason in itself for me to be taking a little break from the blog world... this is also happening... No... not a baby - despite what the box says - our apartment has become a little storage facility, filling up slowly with boxes on top of boxes. We're moving. Soon I'm a stressed out little bunny. With every box that gets packed, I look around and feel like I've hardly made a dent.  I mean, seriously??  How did we get SO MUCH stuff?! To a...

It's time for another installment of one of my favorite games... splurge or save. This week, we're talking coffee tables.  What is it about this week??  The theme here seems to be "living room inspiration"... I just can't get enough!  Well I'm going with it, to let's talk about glass topped coffee tables, shall we? I love a good glass top coffee table - super elegant, and simultaneously modern and traditional.  Clean lines, but a bit feminine at the same time... Can you guess which is the splurge and which is the save?? I think these are perfect if you have an amazing rug you don't want to hide, or a smaller space that you want to visually open up... since you can see straight through them, they sort of fade away and let other elements in your living space shine... They are also really easy to clean which is a bonus (Windex and a paper towel), but not ideal for a house of kids (cracked head anyone?) or for a pack rat.  You've got to be able to keep...

Sooo... yesterday we talked about the look of worn rugs acting as a neutral background for a slightly more traditional living space... While we're on the topic of rugs, let's talk about animal print... kind of the opposite of "traditional" Source I'm a fan. My favorite pair of flats are leopard print, and I wear them like a neutral - literally with everything.  Could I do a leopard print rug?? Or antelope?? Contemporary Staircase  by  Houston Interior Designers & Decorators   Sally Wheat Interiors Or cheetah?? Contemporary Entry  by  Ballwin General Contractors   Terra Nova Construction Modern Living Room  by  Burlington Interior Designers & Decorators   Cynthia Taylor-Luce Eclectic Hall  by  Burlington Interior Designers & Decorators   Cynthia Taylor-Luce I mean if it's good enough for the editor of Real Simple... Source And it's good enough for Erin Gates... It's amazing, right?? Well, I came across this bad ...

Ok people - the tree is down, the holidays are over, and I'm back from my short hiatus - ready for some fresh design inspiration for 2014.   Let's start with this living space... Source I love, loovveee, LOOOVVEEEE this space. Everything about it is perfection.  The wall color, the mirrors, the white tufted sofa, the rug... oh that rug. Traditional but worn.  Quiet, neutral colors so it tones in with the wood floors and wall color.  It's a soft background of pattern, and isn't the focal point of the room. It totally reminds me of the rug that Jenny from Little Green Notebook got for her Brooklyn flat living room. Right?? Amanda Carol also used this same rug in her dining room... I'm just totally obsessed with it... This rug ended up being discontinued, but I found it's evil twin online, and want to pull the trigger on it SO BADLY. The bad news?  Kris isn't sold.  He thinks it looks old, worn, and is not a fan in general, but I'm determined to change his...

We're 3 days into the year, and so far so good!  I'm a little late to put pen to paper and actually write down my resolutions for the year, but better late than never... I saw this resolution list on Pinterest and thought it was an amazing place to start... some simple, easy, attainable goals (drink more water, which I desperately need) and some aspirational but still easy resolutions (hug the ones I love, find the best in others). It got me thinking about what I want 2014 to be... This year, I want to simplify. Refocus. Be less stressed. Enjoy the little moments. Be happy. Do something active. Every day... ...and not beat myself up when I miss a day. Focus on making time for the people I love.  Quality time.  Reaching out.  Being proactive about making the people closest to me know how important they are to me. I want to get a dog.  I will get a dog. I want to focus on trying new things... Try one new restaurant a month. Plan small weekend trips with friends an...