Gotta Love No. 48 - Top Hats, Thanks Jeeves!

You've gotta love inspiration! It can come from something as simple as a top hat! Truly! These top hat lights make me smile and dream up some great possibilities.

A man in a top hat seems to me to be someone who loves details, the classics, the proven, the can't go wrong. Every good designer has these very same qualities.

Shows that "trend" of menswear design it isn't a trend after all.

Dapper, dapper, dapper! I tip my hat!

Image Sources: Ralph Lauren, Jeeves and Wooster, One Kings Lane, Pinterest, First Dibs, Elle Decor, Lamps Plus, HGTV, Zsa Zsa Bellagio, Tumbler

House Crush No. 7 - This One Got A Different Side of Me!

This House Crush grabbed a side of me I didn't know I had. I love color, layers, animal print, statement pieces, architecture, mix and match, and a nod to vintage. This crush is on the other side of that rainbow! Or is it?

The layers are there, they are just subtle. The statement pieces are there, they are just quietly elegant.

The architecture is there, it is just so well blended. The color is there, it is just soft.

The nod to vintage is there, it is just partnered with a neutral palette. The mix and match is there, it is just presented in an calm whisper.

And the animal print...every home has a "to be continued" phase!

Image Source: Interior Bunch

When it Could be a Don't No. 7 - Go Ahead Break a Rule or Two!

Swedish and Mid-Century Modern? Yes!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are no design rules that can't be broken! So in this post I recognize and cheer on the rebels!

Chesterfield and a contemporary cocktail table? Yes!

An acrylic chair and a zebra rug at a traditional dressing area? Yes!

Marble top chest, crystal chandelier, and those chairs? Yes!

Furniture with those clean lines and Federal mouldings? Yes!

An inherited chandelier, traditional buffet and that table and chairs? Yes!

Bergere chair with a chow leg vanity? Yes!

Image Sources: House Beautiful, Eclectic Revisited, Zsa Zsa Bellagio, Windsor Smith, Belle Maison, Pinterest

Gift Giving No. 7 - Gift Wrap Ideas for Love, Springtime, and Celebration

It is bitterly cold here now so I am reminding myself that it is only 57 more days until Spring! Which inspired me to offer some great gift wrap ideas for love, Springtime, and celebrations coming our way!

Valentines Day is right around the corner, followed by Springtime weddings, birthdays, Mother's Day, and other special occasions! And warmer weather means antique and vintage shopping for gift wrap embellishments.

Image Sources: Etsy, Pinterest, One Kings Lane

Well Dressed Home No. 50 - The Vanity

I was driving in busy morning traffic the other morning and was cut off my a woman multitasking by applying her mascara while maneuvering the roadways. And it made me wonder whatever happen to, what now seems like, the luxury of readying ourselves for our day in style.

There are too many beautiful ways to add a posh vanity or dressing table to our homes to be enhancing our looks in a vehicle.

Why pass up the opportunity to use vintage hotel silver to hold our makeup tools and tricks?

You will find that when you start planning a place for this little luxury it will amaze you how little space you will need. And the fun of selecting just the right vanity table, mirror, and seating will make you wonder why you waited this long to set aside this area for yourself.

Whether you are redesigning your bath to include this must have space or finally realizing that empty corner is actually the perfect spot, remember you deserve this!

There are some essentials you need to remember. 

ESSENTIALS WHEN PLANNING YOUR VANITY/DRESSING TABLE AREA

*Perfect lighting - natural or artificial or both!

*Customize the height of the table to meet your comfort.

*Try seating for the vanity/dressing table until it is perfect for you.

(After all proper posture is a must.)

*The mirror you choose has no rules - but make sure it is hung or slanted just right.

*Take an inventory of your makeup and aroma essentials to make sure

you have enough tabletop space and storage for it all.

Be sure not to limit yourself to the conformity of a piece of furniture referred to as a vanity/dressing table. Think outside that and the possibilities will be beautifully individual. Your signature! Just like the color of your lipstick.

Pucker up buttercup. It's the same makeup regime it only feels more special!

Image Resources: Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, Enchanted Home, Pinterest, Veranda, BelClarieHouse, Brabourne Farm, Better Home and Garden, Polyvore