crave or save: kelly wearstler imperial trellis fabric

BW and I are so lucky because our house has an amazing outdoor space. Rather than going with the typical outdoor table, umbrella, lawn chairs, yadda, yadda, I wanted to create a second living space with comfy, lounge-y furniture. We finally found pieces we loved - the World Market set below (which we bought on sale!). I've spent the last few weeks trying to find some outdoor pillows to pull the space together. Thanks to Pinterest, I fell in love with the Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis fabric and decided I'd order a few yards and whip up some pillows. Until, of course, I noticed that the Kelly Wearstler fabric is $134 a YARD! As someone who thinks $20 is a lot for a yard of fabric I think $134 is absolutely insane. After some searching I found something pretty darn close for $9 a yard. It's from fabric.com and as far as I can tell it's identical. I'm hoping to find a few other patterns and accents to toss into the mix, but the KW inspired fabric is definitely a start.

{ our World Market furniture }

Then, I found theses puppies on target.com. $25 for TWO pillows! I should just order them call it a day, but these are only 16" and I really want something a little bigger.



To wrap thing up, check out some of these beautiful rooms showcasing the Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis pattern. Maybe you'll be inspired to order some of the "save" fabric for yourself! Also, I've pulled together an "inspiration board" for the feel I want to create for the outdoor space. I will be sharing that soon!

{ all images via pinterest }

cinco de mayo

This past weekend BW and I hosted a Cinco de Mayo party. Partly as an excuse to get friends together and partly as an excuse to show off our new place. Having spent way too much time on Pinterest meant there were several things I was dying to try. My bff, who happened to be staying with us last week, was bullied into so sweet to help me decorate. So our evenings were spent in front of the TV cutting out tiny mustaches and tissue paper. Here are a few pics of our handy work and the very festive fiesta.

{ our invite via paperlesspost.com. so many adorable invites, you'll never use evite again. }

{ admiring our handy work }

 { DIY pom poms. tutorial here. }

{ the most adorable ruffled streamers. tutorial here. }

{ My DIY chevron painted runner. tutorial coming soon! }

Keep reading for recipes and more pictures!

b&a: guest bedroom dresser

This post is LONG overdue, but... I bought this ugly thing off Craigslist about a year ago. BW reluctantly accompanied me to a very sketchy storage unit where we met a one armed man (seriously) who was thrilled for us to take it off his hands...er, hand? Either way. I had no place to put it, but at $40 it was such a bargain I couldn't pass it up. It sat in my sunroom untouched until, ironically, it found it's way into another storage unit.  Several months and a new city later, it finally has a home. We needed a dresser for our guest bedroom and this puppy fit the bill. But before it could make it's way in to Kendall... it needed some help.

SIDE NOTE: How cool is that fan in the background? It was in the attic when we moved in and I made BW lug it down stairs. It weights close to 30 lbs. and it must be at least 50 years old. And it still works!

1. It was covered in the most disgusting red candle wax. No clue how/why that happened, but with little bit of elbow grease I was able to scrape it all away.



2. The back of the dresser (basically a sheet of pressboard) was practically falling off. I didn't get a picture, but it didn't take long for BW to tackle that one. With some new screws we were back in business.

{ I put BW to work while I was busy snapping pictures }

3. These awful (almost as awful as my manicure - or lack thereof - in this picture), dirty plastic pulls. Which I quickly swapped out for some pretty ones purchased for 50% off at Hobby Lobby.



4. It needed paint. Bad.

I was very eager to use my Annie Sloan chalk paint, which I actually ordered back when I bought the dresser. It too has been sitting in the storage unit. So much for completely projects in a timely manor. The beauty of chalk paint is that it doesn't require priming or sanding, which is an idea I can get behind because it means quick and easy. After filling in the extra holes left from the old drawer pulls with a little wood putty and sanding to make sure everything was nice and smooth, the whole dresser got one coat of paint. It wasn't quite the coverage I was hoping for, so I opted for a second coat.*

I sanded it at the corners and edges to give it a distressed look. I decided not the paint the top of the dresser. I just liked the look of the natural wood against the blueish green color. We popped on the new knobs and voila!







*The first coat went on nice and smooth, however the second coat seemed to go on a little thick. After some sanding it turned out just fine. I was planning on using chalk paint to paint our kitchen cabinets (another project for another day), but after using it on the dresser I definitely think I will take the 'ole paint and prime route. I am just looking for a cleaner, smoother, as little brush strokes as possible finish on the cabinets.

Oh and also, just about everything I've read about chalk paint says that you need to finish it off with wax. I have yet to do that. I was too eager to get it back inside. But when if I get around to it, I will be sure to give you an update.

shades of grey

I definitely go through color phases. Right now I am in a grey phase. I am just drawn to the color, especially when it comes to paint. Since we are currently painting almost every room in our house, the entire thing could end up grey. The living room/kitchen got fresh coats of Behr's Perfect Taupe - which is a very misleading name because it is most certainly grey. Not taupe. Pics of the new color are on the way! And I am dying to put a darker shade of grey in the master, maybe Martha Stewart's Flagstone? Still debating.

There is a good chance grey will be showing up in my office and a perhaps some other rooms, as well. Here are a few grey rooms that I'm absolutely loving.