Succulent Love

I definitely don’t have a green thumb, but I still enjoy having greenery in the house. Solution: succulents. While searching for new ideas on displaying succulents, I came across Succulent Love, which sells complete arrangements (delivered to your loved one in lieu of bound-to-die-in-a-week flowers), easy-to-assemble kits (bowl, soil, succulent included!) and bulk favors (for your next party).

Chair Socks

Saw these Personality Socks for chairs (or any furniture with legs). For about $18, it’s a quick way to spruce up a simple white chair. Love the argyle ones! Oh…and they also are great for protecting hardwood floors.

Fashion Trend: Crossbody Bag

I see crossbody bags. Everywhere. The current trend is crossbody bags that also have satchel-like handles, so you wear the long strap across your body or carry the bag by the short handles. Versatile, indeed. And perfect for summer: wear it across your body during the day with a comfy tank and use the handles for night with a flashy dress.

Row 1: (1) Tevin - Small Leather Satchel, $450, Tory Burch (2) Melanie Large Convertible Shopper, $99, Nine West

Row 2: (3) BWEAVE, $98, Steve Madden (4) Simply Vera Vera Wang Bowler Satchel, $89, Kohl’s

Row 3: (5) Rebecca Minkoff 'Classics - Mini Rikki' Crossbody Bag, $575, Nordstrom (6) Lizette Crossbody, $118, Fossil

Reader Question: Zebra Chairs in the Living Room

Last week, I received a specific question about incorporating zebra chairs into a modern living room. My input: DO IT!

But please don’t OVER do it. Less is more: one or two zebra accent pieces will be plenty to add some fun and style while still preserving the sophistication and class of the overall design.

With that said, I love the idea of adding bold prints to any room. Zebra print works well because whether it’s black/white or cocoa/cream, it’s a neutral and can be mixed in with any color scheme. Giraffe print (LOVE) also works just as well and is even a bit more unexpected.

The main objective when adding bold elements to your already existing room is to make sure to keep the style of the room intact. For example, if you have a modern/sleek/fresh style, make sure the chair or rug or ottoman also contains the clean and straight lines.

Here are some possible zebra chair options. Note that even if the chair leans a bit into a “contemporary” style (rounded off edges, hardware accents), you can still work it into a modern room by positioning and styling it appropriately.

Row 1: (1) Gibson Zebra Armchair, $795, Williams-Sonoma (2) Dolce Zebra Print Lounger Chair, $160, Target (3) Brookside Chair, $1,550, Williams-Sonoma

An alternative to adding zebra chairs is adding zebra ottomans, benches or stools. They still provide seating area, but can also work as the stylishly-printed focal point of the room.

Row 1: (1) Zebra Cocktail Ottoman, $999, Macy’s (2) Crosby Stool, $1,550, Williams-Sonoma
Row 2: (3) Presidio Settee, $2,250, Williams-Sonoma

Whichever zebra piece you choose, I suggest picking an option that can work in multiple rooms: accent chair in a living room, sitting area in a bedroom, head of table in dining room. This way, you can switch up your style/rooms without breaking the bank. I leave you with some great ideas on how to incorporate zebra print into your home. Hope this was helpful!

Essie and Shellac

I was feeling Barbie-pink this week (must be the hot summer weather), so I tested out a new Essie nail polish: Mod Squad. Love how dark the pink color came out.

On a side note, have you heard of the CND’s Shellac polish? It’s this new nail color system that uses of a base coat, color coat and top coat with a UV lamp (to dry the nails) to create a flawless manicure that last for TWO WEEKS. Here is a video explaining the product/process. And here is a story about one girl’s experiment with the Shellac polish (check out Day 14 pics).

I spy modern gardening

I was watching a backyard decorating show on HGTV (can’t remember which exact show it was) and saw these tall square planters used to house perfectly squared-off shrubs. LOVEly. This is my type of “gardening” – all you have to do is water and trim the bush every now and then with small shears. This is also my type of style – simple, modern and striking.

Shoe Clips

Want to extend the life of a shoe? Add one of these fun clips to your shoe for a new and fun look. 

Row 1: (1) Hemispheric chiffon shoe clips in dark navy, $32.50, etsy.com/shop/lemonring (2) Most Adored-Peony feather pouf shoe, $28, etsy.com/shop/FeathersandFrills
Row 2: (3) Romantic mesh bow shoe clips, $15, etsy.com/shop/lemonring (4) Elegant Sword Peacock Feather, $23.50, etsy.com/shop/sofisticata
Row 3: (5) Cottonball and Powderblue Shoe Clips, $30, etsy.com/shop/LindenLovebirds (6) Off White Flower Shoe Clips, $18.50, etsy.com/shop/ryeleighrose (7) Royal Peacock Feather, $22, etsy.com/shop/sofisticata
Row 4: (8) Black Tie Affair , $12, etsy.com/shop/DaintyButton (9) Coral pink chiffon corsage , $8.99, etsy.com/shop/lemonring
Row 5: (10) B. Poetic Limited Edition Shoe Clip Bouquet, $30, etsy.com/shop/bpoetic (11) Classy Black Shoe Clips, $30, etsy.com/shop/LindenLovebirds

Z Gallerie lovin’

Why do I love Z Gallerie? Simply because they put out a ton of new (and pretty) accessories weekly, it seems! Walking through the store or browsing the collections online is inspirational and aesthetically pleasing. I want to be a Z Gallerie buyer!

Here are the latest interesting pieces:

Row 1: (1) Destination Boxes - New York & Paris Set of 4, $119.80 (2) Tierra Frames, $12.95-14.95 (3) Seeded Dandelion, $41.70
Row 2: (4) Kemper Lanterns, $19.95-39.95 (5) Ceramic Rhino, $39.95 (6) Venezia Umbrella, $199
Row 3: (7) Bling Spheres, $16.95 (8) Yennas Candleholders, $14.95-24.95 (9) Boot Umbrella Stand, $49.95

Instant curb appeal

It’s easy to rate houses on curb appeal simply by looking at them. Clean, updated and well coordinated exteriors are aesthetically pleasing and very inviting.

But upgrading your own house’s curb appeal might seem overwhelming and better left to the pro’s. Well….not really. Once you break down any front door entry design, you will notice that there is a clear (and easy) formula to follow that ensures instant curb appeal.

I will not get into the big projects that influence curb appeal, such as siding and landscaping. But I do want to show you pictures of houses with high curb appeal and point out the similarities for each design (it’s like a color by numbers game…without the coloring). Try upgrading your house’s curb appeal by infusing your own style into each one of these elements, one at a time.

1. Upgrade the front door – Buy a new custom door to dress up your house or just paint the existing door. A contrasting or bring color is a quick way to update the façade.

2. Add strategic lighting – New lighting fixtures, symmetrically straddling the front door, add an architectural appeal during the day and a soft and welcoming glow (especially if you use those efficient GE bulbs that glow a pretty white/blue) at night. Additional path lights or suspended lanterns also add to the character and appeal of your house.

3. Grow an instant garden – Adding fun and even matching planters with foliage is a great way to add freshness to your entry. Plants can be suspended from the canopy (if you have a front porch) or placed in tall planters surrounding the front door. Another option is adding window boxes to your house.

4. House numbers – I think this is such a big element for any house – please don’t skip it! Numbers come in so many different styles (metallic modern, etched glass, stickers) that it would be easy to make a style statement even before anyone enters. Placement of numbers is important: above the door, in the middle of the door, on the garage, on the glass next to the door (if you have that), among many other options. Have fun!

5. Mailbox – Not only a necessity to receive the daily mail, the mailbox is also a style statement. It can say “I’m neglected and embarrassing” or “I’m updated and stylish”. There are so many different mailbox options, whether you want to hang it by the door or prop it by the curb.

6. Doormat – Probably the least expensive element of curb appeal, the doormat can be utilitarian and fashionable. They come in different sizes, colors, design, material… and with a low price tag, feel free to change it up often.