decorating our fireplace mantel.

our new apartment has a {working!!} fireplace, and i've been daydreaming about decorating it. i get especially giddy when i think about accessorizing it for the holidays—pumpkins, garland, stockings!! here are a few beautiful fireplace mantels i've found. i'm really digging the photo of the yellow mantel, but i'm not getting any crazy ideas...

photo credit:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

lights and other shiny things.

as much as a love my birthday, christmas is by far my favorite holiday!

the lights, the decorations, the treats, the smells, the SHOPPING—

what isn't to love about this season!?

that's why i decided to get started early this year!

 

the way i see it, as soon as macy's brings out their christmas decor and 

the holiday commercials bombard the airways, it's go time!

 

so last night, my friend bing helped me kick off the season

with a little christmas ditty as i baked cookies, decorated my charlie brown tree, 

and cut out snowflakes.

tis the season, folks!

common theme.

now that we've resigned our lease for another year, i'm hoping to add
a few design additions to the home.

one guess what'll be included...

from elouise.

 love the EasyChange wallpaper. used here.

pretty pattern.

beautiful. from james merrell.

new shelves!

A few weeks ago {here}, we went to Ikea to pick up some shelves I've been planning to decorate with for the last 8 months. It seems like these home projects just never end! Turns out they were a little too big, so we made the trek back to Ikea for an exchange.

I'm much more pleased with these babies!

{and it's an added bonus watching your man get down & dirty!}

i was the shelf preparer

screwing in the final bolt

ta-da!

DIY strainer chandelier.

For the past month, I've been fortunate to work as a design assistant for a woman opening her own cafe on the Upper West Side. I've been doing all sorts of fun craft projects such as decoupage and painting. I also had the chance to design this little gem.

I started with a strainer, spray painted some Fish's Eddy silverware copper and attached with wire, making a two-tiered chandelier.

Before:

After:

Shot of the restaurant still in progress

{aren't the light fixtures fabulous?}

The restaurant expects a soft open in a week or so, so if you're in the area you must go! It's the cutest cafe with the yummiest food!

63 Bites

5 W 63rd St

{and you'll have to take a look my decoupage sprinkled throughout}

Here's a little peek:

pretty pretty prints.

Beautiful. Bold. & Bright.
Just what I look for when decorating.

And with my family coming in town this season I feel like I'm in a race for time to finish my apartment.

If I could incorporate just a few of these prints, I'd be golden!

home makeover.

We've been planning on painting our place since we first got in but haven't had the time, that is until this lovely 4 day weekend arrived. Carly was my right hand (wo)man as we tackled this project in stride. And it ended up being so fun and easy! Currently the decorations are kind of drab but I've purchased long yellow canvas drapes to hang in each window and the right green wall will be leveled with floating wall shelves and decorations. Plus other canvas paintings on the other wall. Our apartment is always a work-in-progress, but hopefully I'll post some finished (is it ever really "finished"?) pictures up soon!