friday faves: 4.1.11

as promised - a longer friday faves than last week's brief list! 

design/decor/DIY

~ ruler picture frame ~

 i don't have the actual directions for how to make this adorable clip-frame, but i think i just may be able to figure it out.  let's hope so because it's seriously fantastic!  from the fab blog, the lettered cottage

~ french canvas decor ~

that i super duper want.

these beautiful works of art are created with old french dictionary pages.  my fave is the "je rigole, tu rigoles..." one.  my years of french taught me just enough to know that this is the conjugation for the verb "rigoler" which means to laugh.

fyi - the first print is the conjugation of vivre which means to live [merci, michelle!] and the third print conjugates dormir which is to sleep.  adorable!

[from lily and lime, found on the blog dear designer]

~ framing chic shopping bags ~

but only when they are exceptionally chic and worth showing off - e.g. hermes.  (remember i wrote about my love of this idea here)

 image from the coveteur, via the decorista

~ scrabble pillows ~

i also adore the choice of "cozy" rather than "love" which seems to be ubiquitous.
found here but original source (unfortunately) unknown

~ this little breakfast nook ~

i heart nooks of all kinds, definitely including adorable little kitchen nooks such as this one.  i mean, can't you just imagine yourself sitting on the corner booth, drinking your morning tea and looking out through that lovely window?? i sure can :)

image found here 

fashion/shoes/accessories/etc.

~ turquoise fabulosity ~

at first when i saw this posted on the blog simply designed and etsy finds, i wanted the perfectly practical (yet still beautiful) satchel with all my heart.  then 5 minutes later all i could think of was those comfy-cute moccasins.  so i've decided - both are needed in my life.  simple as that.

available at Boden

~ more of mila kunis @ the oscars ~

yes i know i already declared this elie saab creation to be mila's best dress this awards season, but i just couldn't help but share another pic it.  i mean, she is just perfection.  the dress is too actually.  [image found on the vogue diaries]

~ jamie chung, beautiful in bright yellow ~
gown by giambattista valli.  drop.dead.gorgeous.  'nuff said.
it's no surprise she was voted best dressed of the week by both readers of red carpet fashion awards & the fashion critic blogger herself ~

best dressed of the week, indeed. 
~ michelle trachtenberg = marchesa goddess ~

it's times like these that i wish i were michelle t.  now only is she beautiful & talented, but she is wearing marchesa at a ball about ballet.  life crush times a million.  [from rcfa]
oh wait, she was also voted BDOTW @ red carpet fashion awards, the week before jamie chung!  guess we're all on the same page these days :)

fashion photography

~ a model & an elephant ~

 i mean, come on! - how could you not love this image?!  i just find it captivating.  honestly.  can't stop looking at it...

model samantha gradoville and unnamed elephant model.  photographed by sean & seng for pop magazine.  via.

 ~ b&w portraits ~

stunning.  
the gorgeous model eniko mihalik, shot by lachlan bailey in vogue china march 2009  [via]

giveaways

~ hip, hip, hooray! ~

hey remember back in the day (erm, just a couple weeks ago) when i posted about a fab giveaway from sandy a la mode??

well... i won!

this was honestly the greatest part of a not-so-great week :)

* now onto some great giveaways you should enter *

~ the double whammy giveaway ~

 both $100 for gas money and $100 for clothes??  count me in!

enter for yourself over at shasta ann

~ simply lovely necklace ~

by lisbeth jewelry.  silver & rose gold, the perfect mixture & perfect level of simplicity.  can't help but desperately want it!  this beautiful necklace is being given away over at caroline & the city.

~ say it sweet giveaway ~

in honor of reaching 150 followers, the sweet lori over at penelope blue is hosting her first giveaway.  the winner gets their choice of an 8 x 10 print from the great etsy shop, say it sweet.  my fave is the picture shown above because i just love the english words: "i love thee with the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach."  love, love, love.

anyways, enter the giveaway for yourself here!

now a personal note...

 God is throwing quite a bit at me these days and this upcoming weekend of work will be the greatest test of my patience and endurance.  i am a strong believer that we are not given any more than we can handle, but that doesn't mean the "handling" part will be easy.  i know i will get through the weekend, but i also know that it will take nearly every inch of my energy.

so please, dear followers & visitors, send me some happy thoughts.  that's all - just some happy thoughts please :)

decor: we are so good together

do you love this?

because i definitely do.

[oh & did you notice the pillowcases spell out love? awesome.]

~ the bedroom of boutique owner lara collins ~ 

discovered on design*sponge

design: ruffley beds

i love, love, love frilly & feminine ruffles in fashion so it's only natural that i love ruffles in home decor as well!  & can you think of a better place for ruffles than on beds?  i can't!  here are just a few examples of ruffley bedding ~ ~

duvets/throws

incredible ruffle duvet by urban outfitters

the always fabulous blogger ish & chi bought this duvet in white for her bedroom revamp.  take a look:

another ruffle duvet from urban outfitters, this time mimicking a neapolitan ice cream bar:

dark purple throw

find more colors on overstock.com found first on purple punch


duvets

 by delias [found on everything turquoise]


pillows

john lewis [found on style & the city]

 rufflely rose pillows by angella eisman [found on the blue house]


ohhhh how i love ruffles!

-kait

link love 10.27.10

fashion
- all sept 2010 vogue covers from across the world
- fashion meets decor: olivia palermo edition = lots & lots of style

design/decor/architecture
- fashion meets decor {black lace bliss} = soo much loveliness
- some beautiful lake houses 
- unsure how i feel about the ysl fall 2010 rtw collection & it's nun-esque feel.  
- the sweetest pillow ever
- ikea eye candy
- just in time! : halloween chic decor 

photography
- lovely, lovely photographs with umbrellas 
- unbelievably beautiful [& talented!!] actresses featured in this latest issue of elle magazine 
- october 2010 vogue covers worldwide 

etc.
- lace cut-out carved pumpkins that are almost too pretty to handle!
- i really need to print out these nine quick tricks to identify clutter & read it every time i get overwhelmed with the amount of *stuff* in my room
- simple words to live by 
- lovely b&w collage of pics 
- soooo much beauty [of all kinds] in this post
- an ode to one of my fave movies, moulin rouge 
- i seriously love high buns

to do: throw pillows

check out these super cute pillows made my blogger, my backyard eden :

she got the idea from pottery barn, who produced these:

not only are her pillows just as adorable, but she painted the words with stencils rather then embroidering them, meaning i might actually be able to do it too!

maybe i'll make some for my bed, using bright colors like yellow & aqua instead of red.  hmm...

* tutorial *

etsy spotlight: be still

fun pillow/cushion covers

i especially love the "dot" pillows :

pink dot, purple dot, cyan dot

FYI: deliciously organized is hosting a fabulous giveaway to give a be still product to one lucky reader!

i, of course, entered immediately.

if i won, i would get :

kalaidaspoke linen cushion cover

even though i really do love the dot covers, the kalaidaspoke one is super fun & totally unique - it would look perfect on the black leather couch in our den~~

shop

on facebook

idea: international love heart

check out this pillow:

it's by urban outfitters but is unfortunately no longer available.  i was pretty bummed to find this out after just falling in love with it, but then i thought that maybe i could recreate the image somehow - possibly put it on a totebag?  definitely something to try and figure out!

[first found on the blog globetrotting bride]

decor: paper cloud fabrics

paper cloud products have the greatest prints - they are so simple & pretty & evoke images of nature without being so overtly in-you-face "nature" [does that make sense?  it does to me.  sorta!]

not to mention paper cloud products are handprinted and made of organic materials.

is that good enough justification to buy every one of their pillows?!

paper cloud website

pictures courtesy of poppytalk