What I Want: Library Card Catalog Furniture

I have always loved the look of apothecary cabinets and library card catalog holders. There's something about all those drawers and the possibility of what could be inside them. There was a shop in Chicago, Uncle Fun, that had an apothecary cabinet that was filled with different goodies in each drawer.
I love the look when they are incorporated into the home, too.  When done right, it can look amazing.

image via

This first piece can be found in designer Genevieve Gorder's home.  It's an old bait and tackle cabinet that she has used in different spaces in her home.

Here is the piece in the designer's home.
image via Genevieve Gorder

The next piece is from West Elm, and I love it!  I saw it for the first time in their new catalog, and I think it looks fantastic.

West Elm Librarian Media Console
$999

image via Emily Henderson

Doesn't this piece look like the one from West Elm?!  It is actually an antique card catalog that was put on hairpin legs, and then a mirror was added to the top.  Emily Henderson found it at a flea market for $250.  I'm thinking West Elm must have seen her post that this piece was featured in, and realized what a fantastic piece this is, and decided to recreate it and sell it themselves!  For a tiny increase of $750!  I love this piece; I think it would be a great replacement for the console table I have in my formal living room.  $1000 is not in my budget, however, so I guess I will just add it to my ever growing list of things to keep my eye out for!
I hope your Monday is going well!

Still Obsessed: Emily Henderson's Christmas

Only 9 more days until Christmas; are you ready?  I am actually pretty on top of gifts this year, having ordered almost all of the Cat's online, but as for decorating, I am not even close.  I got the tree up the day after Thanksgiving, got a couple of boxwood wreaths up, and even hung up this fantastic winter themed painting that I scored at the Salvation Army a few months ago.

But my tree, oh, my poor, pathetic little tree.  It isn't decorated- not even close.  I decided to update the tree to match the updated living room- I've added navies and greys and done away with a lot of the browns.  I want to add some other ornaments, too, maybe something from recycled book pages.

And I still can't get over some of the decorations Emily Henderson did last year for a Christmas special.

Via Emily Henderson

I still adore this.

image via Emily Henderson

And I still adore these snowmen.  I need to get off my lazy a$$ and make one of these bad boys.

I hope your Monday is off to a fantastic start!

Minor Obsession: Brass Menagerie

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I admit that I didn't see the brass animal trend coming, but I like it.  I like them because they are whimsical and sophisticated at the same time.  It is always helpful to have interesting accents for bookshelves and tabletops and these beauties always look at home.  There are so many to choose from, and just because they are in style right now, they can still be had cheaply if you know where to look.  

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In my hallway I often use these brass animals I got for a song as display items.  They are fun and pretty.

I'm thinking that this trio of horses will become something special for Gwenna's 5th birthday (horse themed). For now, though, they are fun in the office with a few appropriately chosen books.

A few brass animals for sale right now!

Lori's Bedroom: Paint

Here is a little sneak peak at what has been going on in Lori's bedroom project.  We have painted her walls a beautiful shade of grey-blue and the center portion of her ceiling (it is a tray ceiling) a gorgeous shade of teal in a super high gloss.  I am usually not a fan of glossy paint but since it is on her ceiling, and it is a dark color, it needs to reflect the light.  It helps it from feeling closed in or oppressive.  I love the drama the ceiling adds, but the light wall color keeps the room soft.  No pictures of the room yet!  It will be a surprise.

Pensive Sky

Here is the color "pensive sky" in a room.  I found multiple pictures of rooms in this color as it seems to be a favorite among bloggers and designers.

totally teal by Glidden

Remember that adorable post Lori did on designer Emily Henderson's Christmas decorating project with the snowmen family?  Well, I just found out that I chose the exact same color for Lori's ceiling as Henderson did for that room!

Online Gift Guides

A little while ago, I did a post on the Lovely Clusters blog and the online magazine that she puts out periodically.  There is a site called Issuu where pretty much anybody can create an online magazine.  Luckily, some pretty talented people like to spend their time putting together some pretty awesome gift guides and/or magazines.  Right now there are some great gift guides on there that you can look at to get ideas for gift giving (whether the gift is for you or for someone else), decorating, and crafting.  One of them is called The Holiday Guide by Emily Henderson.  The globe snowmen are featured in there.  Thanks to Rebecca's friend Ali, we got to go to the Long Beach Antique Show on Sunday where I scored an extra large globe for 25 bucks!  It is going to be the bottom of my very own snow-globe guy.  I looked on Henderson's blog later that day and discovered that Henderson herself was at the antique show the same day/time we were.  We didn't see her (maybe we did and didn't recognize her), but I am glad I snatched up that globe before she did!  Here is her online guide (just click on the pic for the link).

Here is another great online magazine available at issuu called adore.  And they have a pretty little blog here.

Gifted also has a pretty little online issue over at issuu.  This comes from the blog Creature Comforts, which is also fun to look at as well.

Not enough time wasting eye candy for you?  Have you checked out Lonny Mag yet?  I love looking through this one; they introduced me to the great Parisian Chic by Ines de la Fressange.   

Have fun looking!

~Lori

DIY Christmas by Emily Henderson

The other day I watched Emily Henderson's holiday special, in which she transformed a Southern California couple's large living and dining room into a winter wonderland.  Just kidding.  But she did restyle the room and then get it ready for the holidays and the upcoming Christmas gatherings the couple would be hosting.  She chose blues and greens to decorate the space, and carried those colors through with the Christmas decorations, since the couple didn't want anything too formal or classic.

The episode included a lot of do it yourself type projects that actually really seem do-it-yourself-able (to me, at least, diy projects end up being diy and then pretend you never did it and never show anyone the horrific results).  She made garland from styrofoam balls, Christmas trees from books and atlases, art from old maps, and perhaps most inventive and awesome of all, snowmen from vintage globes.  The snowmen are actually kind of weird, but I think that is part of the draw for me.  I love vintage globes, and I know Rebecca does too (she's collecting them for Britton's room).  I love the idea of such an iconic winter decoration done with such a cool twist.  These snowmen (although I think I will try for just a snowman) are definitely on my to do list.  I'm really hoping to go to the Long Beach antique show next Sunday, where I'm sure I could pick up some globes on the cheap (hint hint, Rebecca and Kim!).  

How cute are these guys?!

Cute little baby snowman

 The color scheme was carried over into the dining room, where they went with a darker wall color to make the space more inviting.  It also makes the accent colors really stand out.

 I love the set up on this side table (banquette?  not sure) in the dining room.  While I think the little gold deer is super sweet, I think it looks like it is going to the bathroom.  You can't tell in this picture, but it is doing a little crouching movement.  But still super cute.  What I adore in the picture above is that piece of artwork.  I love the soft, muted colors (see what I mean about the accents popping?!).  I want it. 

This is a picture of the tree (obviously) and some more of those gold deer.  I personally wouldn't want a peace sign wreath, but it's cute and creative for teens or kids (or this couple, obviously).  Maybe even more than the snowmen, I love, love, love this ship in a cloche with snow around it.  So simple, and so sweet!

I had a perfect little terrarium that would have been a nice home for a little ship (I don't have a little ship yet, but I already have one in mind that I have seen at a local antique store).  Notice that I used the past tense of had regarding the terrarium.  Unfortunately it broke, thanks to a little chick that turned into a rooster who was living in it for a little while (long story).  Oh well.  I guess that is just something else that I will have to keep my eye open for at the Long Beach antique show!

~Lori