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: 6.24.11

first full week back in the u.s. of a.  back to the office and commuting and sleeping normal hours.  back to chatting on the phone  with my girls and wearing heels and straightening my hair.  oh, and back to my pretty things blog!  and back to the many pretty things out there in the blogosphere ~

design/decor

~ perfect entry way space ~

black & white beauty.  i especially love how the books match the color scheme!

from the always-incredible tobi fairley, in the may issue of traditional home magazine

{via the glam lamb}

~ watercolor walls ~

head over heels in love.

 by the crazy-talented black crow studios {via effortless style}

 fashion/shoes

~ craving WHBM ~

as all who know me are aware, white house | black market is pretty much my favoritest store.  and somehow it's been about 3 weeks (maybe even 4...woah) since i've shopped there!  chicka-whaaa?! so here are some of the many cute new items from WHBM that i would love right about now ::

black & white & accent love forever~

that's it for now -- off to iowa for my first weekend off of 2011!  whoo hoo!

friday faves: 6.3.11

can you believe it's june already?!  i sure can't...  june.  june as in beginning-of-summer, june as in no-more-work-on-weekends, june as in china.  yup, the time has come - i'm off to fly across the world the day after tomorrow.  hong kong, here i come!  it will be quite the experience and i will be sure to fill you in.  until then i will just have to try and calm my nerves and prepare myself for whatever china feels like throwing my way!

and until then, i will share with you a few tidbits found and bookmarked this past week ~

design/decor

~ books, books, books ~

i simply adore this little reading nook - a.d.o.r.e., adore.  love the plush cushion, the symmetry, and of course - the wall of books!  ohhh yes, adore.  my (future) child shall have his/her own little reading nook just like this one day.

from house beautiful, via shelter by julie richard ~ head on over to see more book-filled spaces

fashion

~ summery dresses from anthropologie ~

want.  and more.

etc.

~ a motorcycle ride ~

i like to try new things often but i am also a big fat worrywart so that can create some problems.  and i have always been scared of motorcycles.  let's just chalk it up to the time spent teaching first aid and watching scary videos.  but i'm proud to say that as of monday i can cross riding motorcycles off my bucket list.  and what's better...i loved it!  i guess i'm a bit like a dog - i loved the feeling of the wind against my face as we rode!  the best part was going through the country, just being surrounded by lush green everything.  oh, and it was a huge harley so that's even better!  can't wait to go again :)

[picture above is of the louis vuitton motorcycle.  oh yes, it exists]

giveaways

~ shopbop giveaways ~

{if i won, i would get this watercolor dress by free people}
lucky lucky time for us - there's not one but two $100 shopbop giveaways going on right now!  one is at the zhush [ends this sunday], and another on miles of styles [ends june 9]

link love

~ some seriously beautiful lace dresses [lovely happenings]
~ joffrey ballet in action.  pure beauty. [a spot of whimsy]
~ julianne moore's fabulous nyc apartment [design addict mom]
~ mirrors, mirrors - everywhere mirrors! [miles of style]
~ porch swings & pillows [6th street design school]

one last pretty thought . . . 

wednesday night my friend (actually, he's my high school boyfriend believe it or not!) and i went to the little lake in my neighborhood and just sat and watched the stars over the water.  i've been under massive amounts of stress lately - "lately" as in the past 6 months, and this is one of my all-time favorite activities.  we just sat and talked and laughed.  but the best part of it all was the new bon iver album that we listened to all night.  if you haven't just sat and closed your eyes and listened to bon iver while the rest of the world is silent, then you're really missing out.
and if you haven't heard bon iver at all before, then it's time to fix that!
let's start with calgary, off of the newest album --

have a lovely week!

friday faves: 5.27.11

friday faves... on sunday.   sorry!

it's ben a crazy week and i still have a  crazy week ahead of me - my store officially closes for the season today, then it's off to h'are for a speedy 2.5 day vacay, then back home to do a ton of prep work for the big trip to china.  this past week has been a lot of tying up loose ends and shockingly not very stressful.  i think i'm finally learning to leave my work at work and relax when off the clock.  well, at least a little.  i really hope that i can carry over this less-stressful mind state to the next two weeks, as i am very worried i will get overwhelmed with the pressure.  so for now, i'll just focus on the beautiful and inspiring and calming.  here are just a few ~

design/decor

~ a bright & relaxing bedroom ~

i'm really just drawn to this space -  i love the big window, the built-in shelving, the colors and print-mixing, and mostly the huge huge bed piled up with pillows.  my own bed may have a massive pillow mound, but it is currently broken so i am sleeping on an angle.  but this bed?  this bed is glorious.
moral of the story: i want to live here.

from house beautiful, march 2008 [via housebeautiful.com]

fashion/shoes

~ bright coral shoes ~

i own these.  and they are magical.  i put them on and somehow feel happier, prettier, sassier.  

[from white house black market, of course]

etc.

~ california dreaming ~

huntington beach, CA ~ summer of 2008

ohhh california, how i love thee... whenever i get stressed i find myself looking through old pictures of mine from california summers and i instantly calm.  i think it's about time i return...

[photo taken by me while suntanning]

~ this song ~

listen & love.

{i was made for sunny days}

friday faves: 5.20.11

i was sick most of this week with what can pretty much be described as a non-stop migraine.  ugh.  when i wasn't drugged up, asleep, or whining in pain, i've been working on some long-term plans currently in the works.  lots of big life decisions coming up, to say the least....

but anywho, between all the researching and phone calls and hours spent in bed hurting, i did happen to find some fabulous pretty things to share ~

design/decor

~ a great diagram to help start your gallery wall staircase ~

as you may remember, i love me some stairwell gallery walls! but as incredible as i find these spaces, the work of actually creating such a masterpiece seems, well... daunting.  where to start, how to make it just right, try to balance the difference size frames... ugh.  but this post on everything fabulous, filled with lots of beautiful stairwell gallery walls, gave me this handy dandy diagram!  appareantly the trick is to: "measure the same distance from the collage to the stairs every second or third step, to keep the distance consistently."  not so daunting anymore!

~ surprisingly chic yellow striped walls ~

i never would have expected to like yellow striped walls anywhere other than a nursery, but man do i love the way the soft yellow pops in this living room!  absolutely lovely.  [via hooked on houses]

fashion

~ everything about this outfit/image ~

everything.  i love all of it, especially tiiu kuik's fabulous pose - & laughter! she is such a talented model [remember this editorial? and she was laughing in that one too!]  but it's not just the model/pose, it's the great outfit - especially those nude lace heels by azzedine alaïa - perfection ~

photo shoot from marie claire australia, march 2011, shot by walther chin [via]

~ fan bing bing in lavender ~

man i must really have a girl crush on fan bing bing!  or at least on her stunning fashion choices.  i love lavender, i love elie saab, i looooove fan bing bing in this gown!  stunning 

[image via red carpet fashion awards]

etc. 

101 followers of pretty things

 

 chicka-whaaa?!  

this is even better than a dalmatians!  

i started blogging about a year ago but kept it all to myself.  it wasn't until mid-june that i decided to do it "for real."  i created a new blog called pretty things and made it open to the public.  i didn't tell any of my friends and thought no one would ever find it - i just figured these pretty images would be out in the middle of nowhere, seen by no one but myself.  and really, that was fine with me, because the whole point of blogging for me was to create a virtual scrapbook where i could stow away all things i find beautiful for the one day i may need it.  but somehow you all found me!  and now, 101 followers?!  wow!  thank you to all you dear readers for making me feel so special today and every day :) 

link love 

 ~ gorgeous ladies in red [my faves = dianna agron in michael kors & brooklyn decker in escada] ~

~ speaking of red, a stunning ODLR dress that is exactly my style! ~

~ some beautiful beautiful mantles ~ 

~ the origin of the bathing suit ~

~ messy buns galore ~ 

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 :)