friday faves: 7.8.11

back to friday faves, my lovely readers!  and oh boy do i have some good ones this week!

design/decor

chic nook

this lil nook by designer melanie coddington is my idea of perfection - classy, simple, feminine, relaxing.  i could absolutely see myself curling up here and reading the day away...

 found on design*sponge

kitchen window nook

more nooks!  clearly i'm obsessed :)

that green color, the cream everything else, and that thick cushion that looks oh-so-comfy.  want.

from my home ideas

fashion

elle fanning in marc jacobs

the girl can pull off couture like no other youngin' and i just love her retro-pretty style.  plus she's just so pretty! {think if i compliment her enough she'll let me borrow this gorgeous dress?!  hey, worth a try!}

picture from getty images, via

SJP channels her animal side in D&G

at the 25th anniversary of "annie" where she presented an award

not always the biggest animal print fan, but when it's done right it's amazing.  and if anyone can "do it right," it's the superstar-fashionista sarah jessica parker herself!

{sorry, best pic i could find.  from rcfa}

p.s. the gown helen mirren wore a few months back was also animal print and also dolce + gabbana - they must be on a roll!

etc

le petit prince journals

all-time fave book in journal form = love

{you can buy it for me - and make my day!! - here}

i want to be a monkey

if i could be any animal, i'd be a monkey.  i would climb trees and enjoy still having fingers and show love by cleaning my friends... and hug little girls like this.  and be happy :)

i mean really, who wouldn't want to be a monkey?!

found on best week ever blog but first posted on cute overload
**correction: this is a sloth not a monkey!  but i would still be a monkey.  and i would still hug little girls and it would still probably be just as cute as this.

giveaways

i'm back to spreading the word about some GREAT giveaways in the bloggy world - whoo hoo!  here's a few ending soon soon soon, so get on it!

preppy personalized platters

 

by dani notes, selection found here.  the always fabulous kiki's list is offering up this giveaway.  if i were lucky enough to win, i would choose the prettypretty platter pictured above.  then again, i would be just as happy if one of my sweet readers one so head on over to enter for yourself :)

fabulous flower accessories

wild & precious always highlights the cutest things!  this time it is the etsy shop the lovely poppy, who makes truly lovely headbands and necklaces and other cute accessories with bright and pretty flower accents.  i definitely encourage you to check out this etsy site and to go to wild & precious to enter for the $20 gift certificate!

have a lovely lovely weekend!

i'll be spending it with my lovely friends downtown checking out a blues club i've never been to, then off to waverly island soaking up the sun.  oh, and then sunday at the office.  can't ever totally get away from my workaholic ways!

xx, kait

 

friday faves: 5.13.11

before going on to all the other pretty things i found this week, i must share how big & beautiful my tiger lillies have become!

last tuesday they had yet to bloom.  one week ago they were just starting.  and now?  they are the definition of full and vibrant.  by far the best thing about being cooped up in an office on these sunshiney days!

but anyways . . .  a few things that have caught my eye over the past seven days . . .

design/decor

~ perfect way to display coffee mug collection ~

pretty sure i need this type of storage in my life.  yup, definitely need! 

i love coffee mugs (and have a huge mis-matched and totally awesome collection myself!) but hate that they are typically stowed away in a traditional kitchen cabinet with - sigh - doors.  but this solution from a canadian quirky-candyland, a.k.a. amy and keith's fabulous home, is beyond perfect.

 fashion

~ my faves at cannes, thus far ~

karolina kurkova ~ shining in armani privè

salma hayek ~ gucci glam [première couture]

fan bing bing - atelier versace

diane kruger ~ calvin klein

gong li's purple perfection ~ roberto cavalli couture

uma thurman as the feather goddess in versace

can't wait for more!  all images from red carpet fashion awards

etc

~ but i like, really can't wait to see this movie ~

bridesmaids!  hopefully one day next week... pic from the super hilarious site, but you're like really pretty

lovely links

~ a super cool photo series of feet on vaycay [feet first]

~ tree branch + lace + wedding = simply love

~ can someone please buy me the dude's cardigan at this auction??!  if you do, i'll get you princess beatrice's fascinator in return...  deal?  deal.

a weekend reminder...

the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

- eleanor roosevelt

p.s.  sorry for no giveaway tips this week!  i'm sure there's some fab ones going on right now but i just haven't had the time to search around.  hopefully next week all will be back to normal :)

friday faves: 4.22.11

how the heck is it friday already???  don't i get more time to prepare?  or relax?  [also, i just now realized that i completely skipped over wedding wednesday.  i promise, i'll make up for it next week!]  ohhhh boy...  but anyways, here is a small sampling of this week's prettiest of the pretties ~

design/decor

~ dream kitchen organization ~

remember when i posted about that pretty rental the other day?  i began designing it from a dirty mess to what i envision to be one day a gorgeous retreat.  and it would be organized as beautifully as the above picture.  oh yes, yes it would.

via vintage home tumblr [original source unknown]

~ dream house in SF ~

truly a kait-dream of a home.  just head on over to desire to inspire to completely fall in love.

fashion

~ zhou xun wears my fave chanel flapper-esque dress ~

i'm still totally in love with this dress - i mean, this is the THIRD post it has made its way on to! [see: 1, 2]  not to mention that i love chinese actress zhou xun's styling for the 2011 hong kong film awards about 1,000,000 times more than the model's runway look.  gorgeous.

image via red carpet fashion awards

~ helen mirren is a baller ~

and my current fashion icon for being able to pull off this look.

clearly i'm still loving the look of dress + leather that i included in last week's friday faves.  and man does helen mirren rock this leather jacket over a flowy leopard print dolce & gababana gown!  seriously blown away right now...  [found on RCFA]

~ pretty pretty necklace ~

worn by amanda seyfried at the red ridding hood premiere in london.  

necklace by by tom binns.  [via the vogue diaries]

etc.

 ~ super cool merchandising ~

found in the store of Perrin Paris, via haute design by sarah klassen

definitely something to stow away in my "maybe one day" book . . .

 giveaways

~ barberry & lace store credit ~

one beautiful item from barberry & lace, in honor of creator/blogger miss leigh ashley having 800+ followers!  whoop whoop!  so head on over to her blog to enter & also take advantage of one of the many ways to get extra entries ~

p.s.  if i won, i would get one of her gorgeous new headbands!  swooooon.

~ jewelry set by ten things ~

... that i am absolutely in love with.  daydream lily is hosting this incredible giveaway where one (very!) lucky winner gets both the earrings and the necklace - my personal fave - shown above, by the etsy jeweler ten things.   i am majorly crossing my fingers for this one!

one last thing...

~ i won! ~

the adorable cake holder i included in last week's friday faves giveaways section.  all i have to say is thank you thank you to both cassie over at moon face for hosting the giveaway, and to the etsy shop stands for all seasons for offering it!

i think i'm going to end up putting my fave perfumes in it or something because i definitely want it in my room, not the kitchen.  it all depends on how large it ends up being... i'll keep you all updated!

well, that's it for this week.

a bit briefer than usual, but hopefully still enough to add some color and inspiration to your life :)

design: dream apt - kitchen

confession #1:  i am a craigslist junkie.  i scan through the available apartments religiously, and ever since my company starting talking expansion, i've found myself on the 'list more and more.
confession #2:  i found a place i *love* in another town
confession #3:  although i will likely not actually move here (everything is still completely up in the air), i really really really want to start cyber-decorating it!
confession #4:  so i'm going to . . .

* the kitchen *

cramped, dark, and completely uninspirational, yes.

potential?  oh yes.

the goal

something more like this ~

steps :

1. cabinets: remove drawers & paint dark wood an ivory.

actually, i think i'd try a pretty yellow

or maybe just yellow on the inside of the cabinets...

2.  add pretty wallpaper like the one shown above, to brighten (and un-bore-ify) the space

3.  organize everything in pretty containers

4.  give the lighting a little ooomphh

 5.  and, if there's room, add some pretty wicker baskets above the cabinets

then again, i will definitely need a step stool for this!

of course,

i believe the best decorating is done when actually in the space itself - this is just a start.  

a start on a place where i may or may not ever reside...

oh well!

more to come...

photo credits:

1.  pretty inspiration kitchen from Michael Penney at house and home; via poppy talk (go for more tips!)

2. paint color found on house beautiful; it is Donald Kaufman Color Collection's DKC-30

3. items from anthropologie = spice jars, utensil jar, butter dish, bubbled cone pendant

4.  lots of jars from world market

5.  wicker baskets from pier1

friday faves: 4.1.11

as promised - a longer friday faves than last week's brief list! 

design/decor/DIY

~ ruler picture frame ~

 i don't have the actual directions for how to make this adorable clip-frame, but i think i just may be able to figure it out.  let's hope so because it's seriously fantastic!  from the fab blog, the lettered cottage

~ french canvas decor ~

that i super duper want.

these beautiful works of art are created with old french dictionary pages.  my fave is the "je rigole, tu rigoles..." one.  my years of french taught me just enough to know that this is the conjugation for the verb "rigoler" which means to laugh.

fyi - the first print is the conjugation of vivre which means to live [merci, michelle!] and the third print conjugates dormir which is to sleep.  adorable!

[from lily and lime, found on the blog dear designer]

~ framing chic shopping bags ~

but only when they are exceptionally chic and worth showing off - e.g. hermes.  (remember i wrote about my love of this idea here)

 image from the coveteur, via the decorista

~ scrabble pillows ~

i also adore the choice of "cozy" rather than "love" which seems to be ubiquitous.
found here but original source (unfortunately) unknown

~ this little breakfast nook ~

i heart nooks of all kinds, definitely including adorable little kitchen nooks such as this one.  i mean, can't you just imagine yourself sitting on the corner booth, drinking your morning tea and looking out through that lovely window?? i sure can :)

image found here 

fashion/shoes/accessories/etc.

~ turquoise fabulosity ~

at first when i saw this posted on the blog simply designed and etsy finds, i wanted the perfectly practical (yet still beautiful) satchel with all my heart.  then 5 minutes later all i could think of was those comfy-cute moccasins.  so i've decided - both are needed in my life.  simple as that.

available at Boden

~ more of mila kunis @ the oscars ~

yes i know i already declared this elie saab creation to be mila's best dress this awards season, but i just couldn't help but share another pic it.  i mean, she is just perfection.  the dress is too actually.  [image found on the vogue diaries]

~ jamie chung, beautiful in bright yellow ~
gown by giambattista valli.  drop.dead.gorgeous.  'nuff said.
it's no surprise she was voted best dressed of the week by both readers of red carpet fashion awards & the fashion critic blogger herself ~

best dressed of the week, indeed. 
~ michelle trachtenberg = marchesa goddess ~

it's times like these that i wish i were michelle t.  now only is she beautiful & talented, but she is wearing marchesa at a ball about ballet.  life crush times a million.  [from rcfa]
oh wait, she was also voted BDOTW @ red carpet fashion awards, the week before jamie chung!  guess we're all on the same page these days :)

fashion photography

~ a model & an elephant ~

 i mean, come on! - how could you not love this image?!  i just find it captivating.  honestly.  can't stop looking at it...

model samantha gradoville and unnamed elephant model.  photographed by sean & seng for pop magazine.  via.

 ~ b&w portraits ~

stunning.  
the gorgeous model eniko mihalik, shot by lachlan bailey in vogue china march 2009  [via]

giveaways

~ hip, hip, hooray! ~

hey remember back in the day (erm, just a couple weeks ago) when i posted about a fab giveaway from sandy a la mode??

well... i won!

this was honestly the greatest part of a not-so-great week :)

* now onto some great giveaways you should enter *

~ the double whammy giveaway ~

 both $100 for gas money and $100 for clothes??  count me in!

enter for yourself over at shasta ann

~ simply lovely necklace ~

by lisbeth jewelry.  silver & rose gold, the perfect mixture & perfect level of simplicity.  can't help but desperately want it!  this beautiful necklace is being given away over at caroline & the city.

~ say it sweet giveaway ~

in honor of reaching 150 followers, the sweet lori over at penelope blue is hosting her first giveaway.  the winner gets their choice of an 8 x 10 print from the great etsy shop, say it sweet.  my fave is the picture shown above because i just love the english words: "i love thee with the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach."  love, love, love.

anyways, enter the giveaway for yourself here!

now a personal note...

 God is throwing quite a bit at me these days and this upcoming weekend of work will be the greatest test of my patience and endurance.  i am a strong believer that we are not given any more than we can handle, but that doesn't mean the "handling" part will be easy.  i know i will get through the weekend, but i also know that it will take nearly every inch of my energy.

so please, dear followers & visitors, send me some happy thoughts.  that's all - just some happy thoughts please :)