Put a Ring On It.

This year in addition to having a color of the year I think I'm also going to have a jewelry item of the year.  I have tons of necklaces and earrings but I don't really have any rings that I wear regularly.

This one seems fun to me but if the ball was big and huge it might get caught on things.

I'm not normally a monogram girl, but there is something about this one that I love.

Stacked rings.  I love how each one is a little different...and you could totally change up they way you wear these.  Win.  Win.

Anthropologie Items of the Week

This isn't a new arrival but it caught my eye recently...probably because emerald was just announced as the Pantone color of the year.

Speaking of colors of the year...some of you know that I pick my own color of the year. Its usually just a color I want to incorporate into my life more.  Looking back my colors of the year have been pretty consistent with the Pantone colors of the year...but not on purpose.  So I guess emerald will be my color of the year too!

Wedding Colors

Last year at Christmas time Alex's sister asked what my colors would be when we got married and I remember thinking that sounded so 80's...do people still have colors for their weddings?  I'm still not sure I'm a fan of the idea but I guess it would help tie everything together. 

I'm not a pink kind of girl, but I am a girl who loves bright colors.  I especially like the idea of blue earrings for your something blue.  I came across these on Pinterest the other day...

 

and then this bouquet...

I love how bright it is and that it looks like a natural bouquet...its not too done/put together.  I think the little bits of blue in the bouquet would really make blue earrings pop don't you?

Bar Tray

I came across this picture the other day after Alex and I had a convo about how much he hated the tray I had on our coffee table.  It isn't so much that he hates the tray, just that he hates it taking up so much space on the coffee table.  I searched Pinterest for some additional inspiration and came up with my own version of the bar tray.  Turned out pretty well don't you think?  Yes, the pic below is really mi casa...want to come over for a drink?

Style Inspiration

I really want to try a braid like this...not sure I could do it myself and also not sure I wouldn't look silly even if I were able to do it...but I still want to try.

Obsessed with red and black buffalo plaid right now.  I love that's she's wearing it and looks so far from a lumber jack.

This was the deciding factor in me going to the store to get cream colored yarn for my next hat.  I also love the navy coat and the braid.  Perf.

Totes McGotes

With all the yarn and knitting tools I've purchased recently I've found myself in need of a new tote bag to lug it all around in.

I love the colorful patterns and fringe on this one...it could totally be DIYed

I love the climbing rope handles on this one.  It also has DIY potential.

This one is baggu from West Elm so naturally I love it.  I'm not normally a huge fan of monograms, but they showed it with a one letter monogram and I must say, I liked it!  You also can't really see from this pic, but it has a long handle as well.  I like the idea of different handle lengths!

Put a Lid On It

Some of you may know that I tried to take up knitting last year with the help of a knifty knitter loom (which I highly recommend).  I've since made two scarves, but truth be told making scarves gets kind of boring.  I recently tried out a round loom and have found my true knitting calling making hats!  Here is some hat inspiration I've been collecting recently.  If you want a hat of your own...send me inspiration!

Classic black and white.

Love this color combo...this is a straight up knit stitch.  FYI in case you try to learn...this one curls at the end so it works better if you want to cuff the bottom.  I've also had a difficult time fining these colors of yarn, so you might just want to go pick up the hat at Target for $11.99!

Made this exact hat but in bright blue.  The anthro one pictured above is $38.  Mine was free because I took apart a scarf I had made and used that yarn.  Its a garter stitch which requires by far the most concentration (took me 3 attempts to get through the whole thing without messing up) but it turns out so pretty.

This one is knit 1 purl 2...pretty easy, doesn't require too much concentration and looks much fancier than a straight up knit stitch. 

Next I'm going to try a band of knit 1 purl 2 with a knit stitch for the rest on the hat.  This would get around the curling problem (I think) but the one nice thing about the knit stitch is that you can decrease at the top of the hat so it gets smaller and doesn't end up so bulky.  For now I just cover up the extra bulkiness with huge pom poms also made by yours truly.

Looks I Love

Like the idea of mixing black and camel...not sure I'm a fur kind of girl though.

Chambray shirt tied at the waist with a skirt...can't wait to wear this look!

Their outfits all look so effortlessly cool.  I just know that if I happened to run into this group on the street they'd instantly be my friends.

This necklace has really been growing on me...especially now that its on sale.  A unique color combo that I think would be surprisingly versatile.

Want some skinny gold bands that I can stack or wear individually!

Prepare for a New Royal!

I wonder which of the two the baby will look like and what they'll name it!

Such exciting news!  Here was People.com had to say about it!


The Duchess of Cambridge, 30, is expecting her first child, the Palace has confirmed.

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby," read the statement released Monday. "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news."

"The Duchess was admitted this afternoon to King Edward VII Hospital in Central London with Hyperemesis Gravidarum," the statement continued. "As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter."

William is with her at the hospital, and the morning sickness is "acute," the palace says.

The couple have made no secret of their desire to have start a family. Prince William said in their joint interview on the day they announced their engagement that they'd move cautiously "one step at a time."

"We'll sort of get over the marriage first and then maybe look at the kids," he told ITN. "But obviously we want a family so we'll have to start thinking about that."

Now the thinking is over – and the speculation that has gripped royal watchers can end.

If it is anything like the couple's 2011 wedding, which was watched so intently and by hundreds of millions of viewers, the excitement is bound to build to the big day of the new royal's birth.


On Monday morning, Prime Minister David Cameron congratulated the couple, saying, "I'm delighted by the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby. They will make wonderful parents."

Like William's in 1982, the birth will be heralded not just by headlines at home but around the world. Even if William and Kate's baby is a girl, she can expect to inherit the throne from her father, irrespective of whether any other child the royal couple has is a boy. Until a recent rule change was signalled, boys took precedence.

One thing is certain: They have a wonderful palace home to move their family into when the baby is growing up. The couple will be relocating into the 20-room Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace in early 2013.

In the meantime, they are mainly based in a four bedroom farmhouse at an idyllic location on Anglesey, North Wales, so William can be to his base at RAF Valley, where he's a search and rescue helicopter pilot.

Randoms

Since its been awhile...here are a few inspiration pics I've been saving...

From now on all the snail mail I send will be addressed like this.

Love the gray and green color combo.  May have to get some of those storage bins to fill with Sadie toys.

Want to attempt to do something like this to an old chair I have but I'm sure it will be very difficult to make something look this distressed...we'll see.

Hair Inspiration

Two side brades are even better than one!

Side twist into a braid.

I saw another take on this somewhere...it was a loose/messy topsy tail (remember those) that went into a braid it and was really cute!

Murple Flowers

Loving bouquets of all the same flowers in maroon/purple aka murple.  Moody, interesting, unique and beautiful, don't you think?

Swoop There It Is.

I really want to master this swoopy barette look.  It is much harder than you'd think it would be.

Boll Weevil Decor

Alex has long talked about opening a brewery called Boll Weevil.  I've reminded him on several occasions that he might want to consider actually learning how to brew, but that is beside the point.  The point is that, when the time comes I'll already have saved all kinds of ideas on how to decorate so that part will be easy peasy.  I'm thinking a southern/industrial chic look is going to be just perf.  Here are some ways we can incorporate cotton into the brewery...I might even have to steal a few of these for my home while I wait on Alex's brewing skills to improve!

Cotton displayed in galvanized steel buckets (not sure about the chalkboard label though...pretty sure Alex will reject that part after my failed attempt to turn an old platter into a chalk board).

Cotton in mason jars...minus the candles, those make it look way too weddingy.  Come to think of it, beer will prob be served in mason jars, not pint glasses.

Cotton wreath.  Love.

Cotton in big jars on trays...I'm thinking bottles of all the Boll Weevil brews could be displayed on these trays too.

Cotton boutoniere...not for the brewery but just to prove to you unbelievers out there that it can be done in a classy way.

My Fantasy Thanksgiving Table

If I were hosting Thanksgiving my centerpieces would look just like this...assorted gourds and greenery/flowers in vases and mason jars.

Unfortunately with a tiny kitchen and dining area that won't be happening any time soon, but at least when the time comes I'll know exactly what I want my Thanksgiving table to look like!

I also really like the idea of using vintage plaid blankets for table cloths...but with a busy pattern like that I think you'd have to simplify the centerpiece quite a bit.

Blue Velvet

So many of the bloggers I follow have been posting about blue velvet.  At first I thought it was silly, but I have to admit, its growing on me.

I found this image on Pinterest...it claimed the chair was from Ikea, but I haven't investigate to find out if that's actually true or not.

We do not have room for another piece of furniture at our current house, but...

My parents have a pair of chairs that are almost identical to this one.  Right now they live in the storage area of their basement and are covered in a not so pretty peach and sea foam green 80's floral.

They've been claiming that they were going to put their house on the market for at least 10 years, but now that they have a lake house the want to retire to I think they actually might.

Even though they are in the process of putting an addition on it, it is MUCH smaller than their current house.

That means they're going to have tons of furniture they don't want any more, just waiting for me to makeover and put in my future larger house.

Put You Party Hat On

This pic really makes me want some gold party hats. 

These are a must for NYE this  year...

and probably my birthday party too!

Clog Cravings

I feel like every time I post an outfit I love I also comment that its not BMT appropriate.  At nearly 30 I think I've finally found a style that suits me and know how to dress my body, so just because I moved to a little mountain town I'm not going to go and change everything, but I've realized I need to make some small changes.

For heels this means no more stilettos.  That last post got me thinking about heels I could wear that would still look appropriate here and I've decided clogs are the way to go.  The style is still growing on me but I think its worth looking into.

First I found these, the Ugg Chrissie.   Let me just tell you, I am the queen of finding obscure things on the Internet and these can not be found except for in HUGE sizes.

Then I considered these, the Ugg Kaylee, but I feel like I would walk right out of them.  I do like the braided detail though.

These are the Frye Naiya clog, I liked the idea of a back strap, but these are just too tall.  I try to stay under 4" even with a platform.

I think these might be the winner, the Ugg Dafni.  I have cognac colored boots so I figured I didn't need another pair of brown shoes for the winter.  These have a back strap and the right sized heel.  In my head I think they could be worn with tights...but we'll see!

One last thing, I should probably be taking this as a hint, but all these styles are 30 - 40% off on Zappos!

Style Inspiration

Shoes are a little to masculine for me, but I love the little cuff.

This is how I could look dressed up but laid back in BMT. I've been wanting a pair of sandals that tie and I like that these have a wooden clog-ish heel for a little bit of height while still being comfortable!!

Love it all.  This pic has brought to my attention how much I NEED a camel colored cardi.  Seriously.  It's on my Christmas list now.

Anthropologie Items of the Week

I like the idea of blue earrings as your something blue for a wedding.  All of these would be great options:

Bold blue.

These are described as mint so they might not look as blue in person.

This last option is much less fancy, but could work for a rustic wedding and would be more likely to be wearable in everyday life.