pinup pretties: halloween edition

happy halloween!

photo credits: pictures 1,2,3 : by gil elvgren.com [via]; 4 via; 5 via

design: dining room love

a dining room i could definitely see as my own:

why:

- white, white, white [but somehow without being overwhelming]

- beautiful blue color of the chairs

- huuuuge mirror with incredible white molding frame -- i wouldn't necessarily want to watch myself eat, but this massive mirror just captures my heart

- huge window

- chandelier!!  i mean, really - are you surprised that i love this crystal & intricate chandelier?!

yeah, i love it~~

from decor pad [via] 

celeb style: blake lively & her [slightly] edgier side

my lovely blake took a fem & ruffly christian dior dress & toughed it up a bit by adding a cropped leather jacket.  my opinion?  LOVE. 

as a leg-conscious lady, i also love blake's addition of black tights -- it shows women everywhere that tights can be classy & fashionable.  [tights can also go incredibly, incredibly wrong, which is why i'm extra happy to see her show how they can look great!]

now, my fave blogger over at red carpet fashion awards [where i also obtained the pic] wasn't a fan of this look, so i understand it may be not be well-received by all.  either way, i'm on the "love it" side of the debate.

pretty picture: living with nature

welcome to the world of glamorous women, beautiful gowns, & breathtaking woods - a.k.a. the world as photographer rus anson imagines it.

my absolute fave photo [& gown!!]

i wish i knew who designed this beautiful & romantic red number...& that i could ever afford it...& that i had an occasion to wear it.... lots of wishes today!

props to amanda of lace & tea for introducing me to these photos.

see her post here.

reblog: where would kate spade live?

thank you, thank you to a diary of lovely for highlighting kate spade's london store, aka "what kate spade's house would look like."

my fave bits?

this sweet pillow:

the incredibly eclectic gallery wall.

especially her trademark pink ampersand artwork!

thank you for being so fabulous, kate spade, my dear name twin!

design: dreamy & woodsy bedroom

there is so much i love about this romantic cabin bedroom - the wood panel ceiling that matches the wood panel walls, the many windows, the wood vase... oh, & the dreamiest woodsy bed ever!

i'm fairly certain it's impossible not to love this bed.  it is truly effortlessly romantic.  & one of the most incredible canopies i've ever seen.

i have no idea where this bedroom is, but i really hope it is: a) nearby; and b) a bed & breakfast i can go visit.

sigh.

via tiptoe butterfly

i want: object frames

lots of love for these simple & fab frames.

i would put daisies in the vase, my beloved bible on the mini-shelf, and my fave cream scarf [all the way from turkey, a present from my bestie/other half]

although incredibly out of my [strict] bujay, the amazing frames can be purchased here.

thank you to charlotte of lottie loves for showing me these.

pretty pictures: most incredible gowns

by zuhair murad f/w 2010-2011:

lovely model + intricately incredible & feminine dresses + paris background =  

wow.

love.

 & now for my fave, the ultra fem, ultra extravagant, ultra glamorous pièce de résistance....

love the hi-low skirt, love the feathery frills, love the shoes, love the model's pose, love the corset bodice.

did i mention that i love this image/gown?!

yup.

thank you for the inspiration  & beauty, mr. murad.

& thank you for showing me this, sara klassen.

oh, & thank you for the images, mario sierra.

lots of thanks today :)

quotation: statement vs. story

clothes make a statement.

costumes tell a story.

                                                                                         -mason cooley 

whether you're making a statement or telling a story, 

                  have a fun & safe Halloween weekend!

color matching

 

Being an artist means I'll be doing some color matching for the walls of my next place. (I'm fussy when it comes to color) I'll be color matching my favorite nail polish. Essie's Mink Muffs for sure.

paint: benjamin moore. photo's metropolitan home, design darling

reblog: celebrity halloween costumes

i sort of fell in love with this post over at fabsugar this morning ~ take a look & you probably will, too!  it highlights the top 20 celeb halloween costumes, everything from a peacock to a pink puff!

there are so many costumes i love, but my fave has to be christian siriano as cruella de vil:

need an idea for this sunday?  here are a some more picture galleries of celeb halloween costumes:
hollywood goes trick-or-treating
stars in halloween costumes ~ check out seal & heidi klum!
haunted hollywood! celebs in halloween costumes
celebs as other celebs for halloween
hollywood goes halloween ~ 120 pics!! & i may or may not have looked at all of them.... my vote for best is ellen degeneres -- just look:

hope you enjoy the inspiration!

ikat in unexpected places

I have ikat placemats in my dining room, for an unexpected pop of ikat. 

But I'd take this material or these plates in a heartbeat.

photo source unknown, plates dandelion sf.

design: ruffley beds

i love, love, love frilly & feminine ruffles in fashion so it's only natural that i love ruffles in home decor as well!  & can you think of a better place for ruffles than on beds?  i can't!  here are just a few examples of ruffley bedding ~ ~

duvets/throws

incredible ruffle duvet by urban outfitters

the always fabulous blogger ish & chi bought this duvet in white for her bedroom revamp.  take a look:

another ruffle duvet from urban outfitters, this time mimicking a neapolitan ice cream bar:

dark purple throw

find more colors on overstock.com found first on purple punch


duvets

 by delias [found on everything turquoise]


pillows

john lewis [found on style & the city]

 rufflely rose pillows by angella eisman [found on the blue house]


ohhhh how i love ruffles!

-kait

link love 10.27.10

fashion
- all sept 2010 vogue covers from across the world
- fashion meets decor: olivia palermo edition = lots & lots of style

design/decor/architecture
- fashion meets decor {black lace bliss} = soo much loveliness
- some beautiful lake houses 
- unsure how i feel about the ysl fall 2010 rtw collection & it's nun-esque feel.  
- the sweetest pillow ever
- ikea eye candy
- just in time! : halloween chic decor 

photography
- lovely, lovely photographs with umbrellas 
- unbelievably beautiful [& talented!!] actresses featured in this latest issue of elle magazine 
- october 2010 vogue covers worldwide 

etc.
- lace cut-out carved pumpkins that are almost too pretty to handle!
- i really need to print out these nine quick tricks to identify clutter & read it every time i get overwhelmed with the amount of *stuff* in my room
- simple words to live by 
- lovely b&w collage of pics 
- soooo much beauty [of all kinds] in this post
- an ode to one of my fave movies, moulin rouge 
- i seriously love high buns

wedding wednesday: different but the same

bridesmaid dresses

typically, bridesmaids stand next to the alter like a uniformed army of friends ready to obey their captain's [brides'] ever command.  hold your flowers?  yes ma'am.  smile for 1230984 pictures?  happily.  wear this ugly dress?  of course -- it's my duty.  

it's a long-running joke that brides make their ladies wear hideous dresses to take any potential attention away from them, and onto the newly mrs.  fortunately, i [personally] don't see this as a current trend.  bridesmaid dresses are now, more often than not, chic & flattering.  brides appreciate their friends & reward them by choosing beautiful dresses.  

still, the whole "all bridesmaids wear the same" deal isn't really my scene.  [once again, i remind readers that i am nowhere close to getting married -- i just happen to think about weddings way to often]  instead, i prefer the "different but the same" look : identical styles, different colors; identical color palette, different styles; identical flowers, completely different dresses even!

just take a look at some images i have compiled from real weddings, via wedding blogs, etc. :

photographer lane dittoe via style me pretty

by libby lewis photography via the blue house

by celeste duran of Danielle Gillett Photography via style me pretty 

by photographer anda marie via style me pretty
 

via bippity boppity boo

by david crane photography via style me pretty

by jeff & julia woods via style me pretty

by erin hearts court via style me pretty

by caroline joy via ruffled 

by photographers benj and maddie haisch via green wedding shoes

by jessica rai of gray photography via elizabeth anne designs weddings


via bippity boppity boo 

these bridesmaids
 even had different but the same shoes!

by olive juice photography via style me pretty

now, once again i remind whoever may be reading this : i am nowhere near marriage.  but... if my wedding were tomorrow, my bridesmaids would wear a soft yellow color dress, in whatever style they choose/best suits them.  [yellow, similar to the second to second picture i posted here, because the theme will be daisies - my all-time fave flower.  sigh.  wish i could say i didn't have this all planned out since i was 16!]

happy hump day!

-kait

better together: leather armchairs + navajo rugs

Two things I am obsessing over lately: leather armchairs, and navajo rugs. People may disagree, but to me these two go together just as well as pb & j. I'll be picking up either two leather armchairs for my new space OR one long distressed sofa. I am leaning toward the chesterfield styles but am open to your suggestions.

 and i think they look even better with these rugs.

 tradercity.com, stylistik.com.au, sweetpeaandwillow.com, treadwaygallery.com, archiexpo.com