The Elephant in the Room

I can't believe it. Summer vacation is officially over, and I am officially back in the classroom with 30 new students.  4 didn't show up, but we'll see what happens when parents realize summer vacation just isn't as long as it used to be!  So the night before school started, the Cat and I went to the mall to get a first day outfit for her to wear, and I picked up this beautiful scarf for her from Tilly's.

Paisley Elephant scarf, on sale for $4!

Currently the Cat has a thing for elephants, so when I spotted this scarf for $4, I couldn't pass it up.  When you are wearing it, it just looks like a paisley pattern, but when you look closely, you can tell that it's actually more than just paisley.

Close up of print on scarf.

Of course, now that she's in to elephants, I've been seeing them everywhere.  To get all of this stuff would be absolute overload, but in the right settings, any of these things would be cute additions to your home!

Hygge & West

Let's start with this Hygge & West wallpaper designed by Rifle Paper Co.  I mean, come on, how adorable is this?!

And how about this ridiculously cute hamper?

Home Decorators

Elephant Bank

Maybe this sweet little Jonathon Adler piggy bank will help you remember to save your money.

Elephant Garden Stool

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  Our plans include pedicures and a shopping trip in LA.  What are you up to?  Any exciting plans?
Lori

Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice

Abbot Kinney Blvd.

A couple of weekends ago, we went down to Venice for the day.  We started off on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, an eclectic little street that has a cool mix of restaurants, shops, and even an art gallery or two.  I have been to Venice several times, especially when I was a teenager, but it was always the stereotypical trip to Venice's Ocean Front Walk, with its long stretch of sidewalks, crazy street vendors, and its iconic muscle beach.  I'm not saying that Abbot Kinney is an unknown little niche; far from it.  I had never been before this though.  It isn't too far from that long stretch of craziness that is Venice Beach , but it has a lot more relaxed vibe.  After we had parked the car and passed a brightly painted food truck, I thought this place was going to be full of hipsters, but it wasn't.  It was a little more granola than hipster, and it was fun, walking up and down the street, peeking into some amazingly curated shops, and stopping for lunch at a little coffee bar/sandwich shop, Abott's Habit, that has been around forever and with good reason: it was Delicious.  With a capital D, mind you.  I had the caprese sandwich and now I am getting hungry just writing about it.
Anyway, one of the shops we went into was this amazing antique store called Bountiful.  When you first walk in, there is a huge glass display case that houses one of a kind necklaces made from found pieces.  To the left are stacks and stacks, towers, really, of soft colored cake stands.  As you go further in, through a doorway and past a little kitchen area, you start to get a feel for how big this place is, and how thoroughly jam packed with amazing finds.  You go up staircases, over thresholds, through little doors, and on and on.  Just when you think you've reached the end, no, there is another doorway.  You have to sidestep and step over and around all of the amazing finds.  You have to look up and down and everywhere so you don't miss anything.  We had the added pleasure of hearing the caw of a bird that had perhaps nested somewhere in the attic region of the shop.  That lone caw just added to the coolness of the place.  This store is truly amazing, and if you ever find yourself in Venice, I recommend going over to Bountiful on Abbot Kinney and losing yourself for awhile. 
After some window shopping and that yummy lunch, we headed down to the marina.  The weather was perfect, so my little white dress, cropped jean jacket, and vintage Dior snakeskin belt ended up being the perfect outfit for our day trip to Venice.



dress: Dillard's
jean jacket: Chelsea & Violet
belt: vintage Dior
shoes: Zara

Bountiful- image from http://www.abbotkinneyonline.com/

image  http://www.abbotkinneyonline.com

www.bountifulhome.com

White Elephant

 Sneak Peek

I have two really fun projects that I have been working on for the past few weeks.  A friend of mine has an adorable 2 year old little girl, and is expecting another baby girl in January.  I was thrilled to be asked to help decorate their rooms.  So far we have chosen the color schemes, painted both rooms, and added chair rail.  The homeowner chose the bedding and curtains for the toddler room, so that was the inspiration for the colors and animal elements (I am always reluctant to do anything "themed"), but they can easily be changed later when the room needs to "grow up."  I was shopping for myself at a local antique store when I came across this sad looking elephant.  I thought that it would be an interesting side table for an outdoor patio, either painted black or white.  I would have passed it up if it didn't have a purpose and was only decorative.  When I saw the bedding for the toddler room, I remembered this elephant table and knew it would be perfect for the toddler room; it is the right scale and is quite heavy (so little sweetie won't knock it over). 

 At first glance this little guy is very ugly and cheap looking, but it doesn't take much imagination to realize that it is a perfect find for a room in need of personality and an element of fun.

Here it is!  Painted white so that the intricate floral design takes on a subtle appearance, making it look more like sculpture.  I can't wait to see it in the room with a sippy cup or stack of books on his back!  Stay with me so that you can see the finished room too.