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: 3.25.11

not much this week - sorry sorry.  hopefully next week will have more!

fashion

~ collette dinnigan RTW fall 2011 ~

a few of my fave looks:

lacy LBDs & intricately designed minis - love!  [want more collette d.?  see my faves from her collection last fall @ melbourne fashion week here]

pictures from style.com

~ my kind of bag ~

 

i mean, really, how perfect is this?!  tote by anya hindmarch [discovered on dilly dallas]

design/decor

~ little reading nook ~

read.  'nuff said.  [via] 

etc

~ a teapot for me ~

beyond adorable!  this teapot definitely belongs in my kitchen :)

discovered here

giveaways

~ a lovely shabby apple dress ~

your choice!  between Da Vinci (on the left) and Spanish Steps (right)

 offered on the great blog, grayson.

~ natural-chic serving plate ~

i'm trying t  get rid of the mismatched plastic plates and usher in a new set of quality (and adorable!) kitchenware... and this willow server would be absolutely perfect!  of course this giveaway is being offered by greige design :)

okay, sleep time.

friday faves: 2.18.11

it's been a rough week, but here are some pretty things that gotten me through ~ ~

~ i won the greige design giveaway! ~

one of my fave blogs, greige, hosted a giveaway a while back and i actually won! lucky lucky me now gets a burlwood plank server - perfect for a Midwestern gal such as myself :)

~ french cluster ring ~

crazy sparkly without seeming pretentious.  [from erie basin; via]

~ quirky pinwheel earrings ~

from mxmjewelry on etsy [discovered via i am a greedy girl]

~ sparklemotion shoes ~

 

no idea where to find them, but i superduper want! [via]

~ book wall art ~

totally love this. [via]

~ a valentines day pin up ~

it may be belated, but better late than never! [image via]

~ dianna agron's profile ~

she is just stunning.  [image via]

~ speaking of dianna agron... ~

...check out her beautiful outfit on jimmy kimmel live! [image from red carpet fashion awards]

~ this pink wool coat ~

no such thing as "too feminine" [buy it here; discovered on lace & tea]

** really awesome giveaways going on right now **

necklace from starfish designs, courtesy of holly matthews interiors

 if i won, i would choose this sophia necklace!

enter for yourself here

tote from bayan hippo, courtesy of the cute blog moon face

 see more details of this perfect carry-all from bayan hippo - here

enter here -- NOW! (ends tonight @ 10PM pst)

** i wish you the most productive of all fridays, and the most relaxing of all weekends **

~kait