Side by Side: Lorick dresses

I've worn my Minnie pants and navy Tory Burch blazer to pretty much every event, family holiday, and wedding shower I've been to this past year. It was my comfortable go-to outfit. Please don't tell me I'm the only one who has one.

But now that summer's here and I feel like showing you photos from some of the events I'll be attending, I think it's time to change up my attire. These two adorable Lorick dresses were just on Gilt for very reasonable prices - the strapless was $109 and the one on the right is $89. I bought both to try on and will likely end up returning one (odds are the strapless, which I have a difficult time pulling off). But I loved the colors of both! They remind me of a cool summer evening, and I think they'd both look smokin' with bronzed skin.

Which would you prefer to don at parties this summer?

Spring Ahead

Yay - it's spring!! It's officially light out at 5pm! And I hear birds chirping first thing in the morning! And I can run outside to let the puppies out without spending an extra 5 minutes putting on my mittens... and boots... and hat... and scarf... and the dogs' coats... etc. In celebration of this glorious first Monday of spring, I present to you a compilation of some of my FAVORITE rooms ever, all of which share a similar theme of light, happy colors that scream "SPRING!" In fact, just yesterday, while flipping through the Domino book, I said to my girlfriends that the living room shown above is one of my top five favorite rooms of all time. I love the mix of colors and styles of furniture and eclectic chachkas. So lovely. So spring!

pink rooms

teal rooms

more pink rooms!

light blue rooms!

yellow rooms!

you get the picture...

Read more about how I celebrate this lovely season over at Peppermint Bliss, as part of the "Thank Buddha, It's Spring" series.

So what about you, Dear Reader? What plans do you have for your home this spring? Any spring cleaning or big projects underway? Or just adding some fresh flowers here and there?

The chandelier that left me agog.

Simply gorgeous, yes? I can't stop staring at it.

As featured in this month's color issue of House Beautiful. You can read the reaction of the designer, Tobi Fairley, and how it feels to be featured on the cover of a magazine here on her blog.

*photos from House Beautiful*

If your planning to fit new amazing lights like these then make sure your electrics are up to safety standard. Contact www.expert-electrical.co.uk today for a saftey check.

Small Space, Big Style

Studios are quite the practicality when it comes to urban living on your own. And they are not just for the underpaid, recent-college grad. Rashida Jones - daughter of Quincy Jones (can't quite fathom how much that man is worth) - resides in a one-room+kitchen in Manhattan. Does she have another house in LA? Yes. But that's besides the point.

I think studios are great because they force you to get creative with the space and furniture you have. You've got to think practically. It forces you to trash the pieces you've been hanging on to but really have no use for. And perhaps the best thing about it is that you're forced to keep it tidy. After all, it is the one and only room your guests will see. Unless you really don't care, in which case, why are you even reading this blog?

That being said, I am confident declaring Rashida's space the best designed studio I have ever seen. Allow me to introduce you...

Readers, meet Miss Jones.

You've probably seen her in The Office, NBC's new Parks & Recreation, and the hit comedy I Love You, Man, opposite Paul Rudd.

The Layout

The doorway on the top right of the drawing is the entrance to the apartment. The door on the top left is the bathroom. Notice that the way the bed is placed against the wall, sort of like a daybed, allows it to double as seating for guests.

The Room

Behind the blue curtains next to the window are shelves for more storage. I think it's genius covering them up. Otherwise it just adds more clutter to an organized space. Plus it doubles as a window treatment.

Love, love, love this couch.

What would normally be considered an uber-fancy design is made more casual by the fabric and bright pillows. A white or neutral color is always a good decision for a sofa because you can change the look of the room by switching up the accent pillows and throws. See here for pillows.

I like the vintage details -- the fan and the table it's on, as well as the lines of the chair.

Another item of note: it makes perfect sense having the two white tables because they can be placed together to act as a coffee table in front of the couch or you can move one closer to the chair as an end table. How very practical!

The black Panton chairs give the room a much-needed contemporary vibe to counter the French-styled sofa and chair.

Great lighting of your studio can create depth and space, try Bright Lightz to get the lighting look.

A closer look at the details

Storage behind the curtains. Even though it's hidden, it's organized and looks chic in the colorful boxes.

And more storage. So pretty you almost don't need to hide it.

Before and After

I found these on another blog and found them so very inspirational. It has kind of a trash-to-treasure thing going on, no?

I think both photos show less is more - particularly when looking at the cluttered mantel in the before photo.