Seeing Neon

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

photo

Yesterday afternoon, I treated myself to a bit of retail therapy and was surprised to see each and every store overflowing with neon goodies. While I don't think I'm ready to sport full-on neon apparel, I'd proudly rock a bright accessory here or there. Case in point, #7 above: the polka-dotted Marni delights. I need those in my life. Not want. Need. We're talking full-on obsession, people. Too bad the price tag is just shy of my half of the rent... c'est la vie.

How about you? Will you be adding neon to your spring/summer wardrobe? Which item above would you most like to see show up on your doorstep?

If Christmas Came in April...

...these items would be on my wish list.

In other words, Alaina has blogger's block today and can't think of what to post. So here are some random goodies!

For me

DVF African Sugar-print Bag

In your dreams, A. - says my subconcious

Jelly Thora

Have these. Love these.

ZigZag Earrings

created by a Chicago jewelry designer and they're zig zag. what's not to love?

Lois Dress

ooo lala perfection

Chino Shorts in fun colors

to spice up my collection of black tops

Hoola Bronzer by Benefit

because I pinky swore to myself I'd keep my skin out of sun (less than I used to)

Lip Slip

I have this - it's the bomb diggity.

Kate Spade makeup case

for the gagillion weekend trips I'll be taking to see friends and family wed

For my home

Vintage Keys

to hang on my black wall

Sun-tipped Silverware

to replace my 40-pieces for $50 Target collection

SATC bookmarks

because I need to get through some more books this summer and because I am SO psyched for the sequel

Stripey Straws

for drinking lemonade

French Ferris Wheel

like the scene in The Notebook : )

What's on your summer wish list?

Spring Layers

I just spent way too much time over at The Sartorialist, a site I've heard so much about but never really took the time to explore in depth. I was searching for inspiration as to how fashionable people stay looking fashionable on rainy days, given the recent weather around the country and the fabulous thunderstorm we had here last night. But instead, I realized how my love for fall and spring wardrobes stems from the need and practicality of wearing layers. Not only do they keep outfits more interesting by allowing folks to mix and match colors and patterns, but they're essential on days like yesterday - 70 and sunny at noon, cool and rainy at 4pm.

Note the recurring pieces in these images:

spring jackets

scarves

leggings

and lots and lots of skirts!

I love spring.

*all images via The Sartorialist*

Makes me want to go out and buy a trench coat and a bunch of skirts.

Who's your fave?

Mine, of course, is the yellow with stripes at the top.

West Elm + PATCH NYC = LCY GIVEAWAY

Hurrah for spring! As part of their new seasonal line, West Elm has partnered with the very talented New York artists and designers, John Ross and Don Carney of PATCH NYC. You may already know them for their gorgeous collection of jewelry, scarves, and home knits (if you don't, check it out stat - I want a scarf in each color!). And you can see a collection of Carney's original ink drawings here:

According to the PATCH website, "Carney uses a unique assortment of tiny brushes and eyedroppers to create the precise variation of line quality." What?!? Eye droppers?! What?!? (If you're wondering, this is me speechless.)

And here are some of Carney's detailed, nature prints reproduced for West Elm!

the thistle and rose prints are 11.5" x 14" and the smaller, grey prints are 12.5" x 10" and come in these high lacquered black frames - not bad for the $34 and $29 price point, respectively

You can also find the PATCH-West Elm collection on white ceramic dishes with black silhouettes...

...and on these beautiful linen pillow covers with metallic graphics!

And guess what, dear readers.

West Elm is offering a pillow cover to one LCY reader!

And the winner can choose which cover they want - black w/ pidgeon, green w/ thistle, or beige w/ rose.

Oh, how I love this store!

In order to be considered for this giveaway, you must:

1. Follow this blog (in the left-hand column) AND

2. leave a comment below

(make sure to leave your email if you do not have a profile account with an email listed!!!)

You can enter again if you:

1. Tweet this giveaway

2. Blog this giveaway

3. Facebook (status) this giveaway

(each of these three items that you do means you get another entry - but that entry comes in the form of you leaving a comment about it! Otherwise I won't know!)

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED MONDAY MORNING!

Click here to see the West Elm-PATCH NYC collection online!

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?

Side by Side: J.Crew summer dresses

Loving J.Crew's vintage zebra-stripe Blakely dress. Not as much a fan of the Delphinia gown. I mean, really. Where would one wear this?

Add gold T-strap sandals and a brown leather belt. I can think of a gagillion uses for this ensemble.

Bippity Boppity Boo: a Cinderella story

So we all remember what my living room looked like two days after moving in? See above. Ehh.. it's good. Not great. My original goal was to do a neutral space. Mission accomplished, I'd say. But it ended up a bit drab. I wanted more drama. And surprisingly, I wanted more color. But what color, I did not know. So I sat on it. Or in it, I should say. And nearly two months have passed. One thing - non-color related - became clear very quickly. We needed more seating. A couch and a chair was good for seating three comfortably. But Nate and I constantly found ourselves grabbing a chair from the dining room to accommodate our visitors. Enter my favorite Chicago thrift store.

I found this beauty for $28. It's a sturdy piece, and the lines reminded me of pricey, designer Danish pieces. Yes? No? Doesn't matter. The upholstery was less than ideal, and there was zero padding to cushion keisters.

Enter a trip to JoAnn Fabrics. I've recovered chairs before, but never added new cushion. This process was all a guessing game, but I figured I'd document the project in case I messed up (and in which case I'd ask all of you for help!) Anywho, I bought a piece of one-inch foam for $5, traced the seat, and cut. Simple enough.

Then I grabbed my uncle's trusty electric staple gun (that I've had on loan since December - thanks, Uncle Greg!) and went to town on the batting. My thought was that this would secure the foam in place. So far so good.

I bought a yard of two different fabrics, both on on sale, both of which I loved. Nate cringed when he saw the zebra (said it looked like a dead animal). I liked it and it went with our neutral room, but I tried the second fabric.

It was a funky geometric pattern and it was PINK! I have nothing pink in my house. NOTHING. And for some reason I was drawn to this. Nate's response? "These are our options?" I laughed. This is how helpful he is. And for one reason or another, I decided on the pink.

Of course that meant I had to change out the pillows for some lighter colored ones. Add in a few fresh flowers, wave of my wand, and Bippity. Boppity. Boo!

It's SPRING in our living room! Magic! Isn't it pretty?!?

This is me happy. : )

So, what's you do this weekend?