LOVING: H&M HOME

I'm having a bit of fun nesting into our apartment. We have been there a year but with all the wedding plans and a busy year in general, I failed to make our house a "home", if you will. I'm apparently really late on the H&M home bandwagon (let alone H&M now being online -what!) but am in love with their current choices. A little industrial, a little rustic, a little glam, affordable - sold. My favorite picks at the moment include:

1. Hand Towel $72. Hanger 2-Pack $10
3. Linen Pillow Cover $18
4. Clear Candle $7
5. Fox & Owl Candles $4
6. Linen Tablecloth $50
7. Storage Basket $15
8. Metal Jar $13

KEEPING IT SIMPLE: BATHROOM

Bathrooms and kitchens really overwhelm me if they are too busy. I've been guilty in the past of buying things with a gazillion different patterns and styles just because they were cute - kitchen towels, containers, dishes, knick knacks, you name it.

In the past few months I've been trying to simplify a lot of things in my life and clutter is definitely one of them! My goal is to get rid of a lot of my mismatched pieces and develop one simple palette that I can stick to - with storage to hide the uglies. Greys and whites seem to be my go-to for simple colors and that's exactly what inspired my new bathroom mood board. Well, with a little splash of gold, of course.

And really, what would Don Draper do?

sources: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

STEAL VS. SPLURGE: GOLD TRIANGLE GLASSWARE

I've had my eye on this DwellStudio glass (left image, $63) for a while now and was so excited to find this (right image, $6) look-alike candle holder at Target the other day for a fraction of the price. You can't deny the shine that the real DwellStudio glass has but the Target version is a great option for those on a budget!

Pardon the photo quality of the Target version photo - I can't find it online but found mine in the store near their other candles and home decor.

ROCK THE ROOM!

When I first set eyes on this room from Canadian House & Home last year I became a little obsessed. I'm a huge fan of mixing a bold gold with natural materials like is done here with this jute rug. The mixture of hard and soft is done perfectly. So, why not make it into an outfit? Here I've given it my best shot. Rock that room!

Get the look:

• Ponte tank
• Pink skinny jeans
• Gold feather bangle
• Pack punch sandals

DESIGN LUST: BRASS LIGHTING

Living in a new place, I'm trying to make my interior choices a little more, ahem, grown-up. I've ventured out and had a lot of fun with color in the past few years but when I sit back and look at what colors my place is comprised of, its honestly a bit of a mess when it comes to colors and consistency in colors.  Another problem I'm having is lighting. The natural light isn't as strong as it was in my old place which makes me a little sad. Oh, and did I mention there is track lighting? Yup.

So, while perusing around for new lighting fixtures I'm definitely being drawn to classic, simpler colors. Not going to lie, the whole stainless steel, silver everything just doesn't do it for me. Something about brass fixtures seems so elegant and unexpected to me. I'm hoping to incorporate something along these lines into my mix and simplify my decorating act a bit.

01. diy brass lamp by weekday carnival
02. via elle interior
03. copper pendant lamp, urban outfiters
04. mushroom lamp, sadie & stella

THE SHOPS AT TARGET

The Shops have taken over Target. I've been hearing about this new collaboration where Target is making selected boutiques from around the country accessible to everyday people like myself and had to check it out. Sometimes their special designer lines get me all hot and bothered (like the Missoni line) and other times I can do without. Last night I took a little field trip to see if it was worth the hype. Note: taking a late night trip to Target with no shopping list is never a good idea. Wallet beware.

The Privet House (numbers 1, 3, 6 & 7) was by far my favorite line. They have some high-quality interior and exterior gems. The Connecticut-based boutique has patterns that are fun and the colors are bright. I picked up some of their jute white chevron place mats for my new pad. As tempting as the poufs were, I had to walk away.

The Webster, a Miami boutique (number 5), had some fun summer clothes with loud patterns- notably dresses. Sadly they were all too short for my nearly six foot height.

Boston's very own Polka Dog Bakery (number 4) was my other favorite. I got Otis some branch chew toys and a new collar- spoiled boy. The colors were great, which I will continue to pretend he cares about.

There are two other brands included in The Shops- Cos Bar from Aspen and The Candy Store from San Francisco (number 2). I unfortunately didn't see either of these at my local store. Probably a good thing because, hello my name is Marit and I'm a candy addict.

If you pick anything up from this line let me know, I'd love to hear what every one else is feeling about it.

BRIGHTS & WHITES

As I mentioned Friday, the moving bug has officially bit me. I'm so excited to get into my new place and start decorating from scratch. There is nothing I hate more than moving out of a place but there isn't anything I love more than moving into a new place, a blank canvas! Here are some photos of some things that will be inspiring the vibe of the new place. Loving lots of brights mixed with a whole lot of white.

Ps. Have you seen the pictures or been to the Hotel Saguaro in Palm Springs? Put it on my weekend getaway list...

Sources:

Vintage Hints, Apartment Therapy

Feminine Touches, Ikea Live  

Cozy Nooks, Amber Interiors

I Spy Wallpaper, Lonny Mag via Decor8

California Cool, Saguaro Hotel

Pops of Color, This Is Blog from Elle Decoration

shots all around! ascaso espresso machines.

I truly can't get over how beautiful these Ascaso espresso machines are.  I can only imagine the homes that they live in and how lovely their mornings must be. A girl can dream, right? Don't think the copper and brass one could be any more gorgeous... nope. I bet it pours gold flaked espresso!

live sparkly: society social rolls in

         

photos from societysocial.com

"It's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring" & "live sparkly," these are the mantras behind the adorable online shop Society Social. Launched just a few months ago, this entertaining-centric design line is full of glitzy bar carts, tables, chairs, couches and vintage-inspired hostess gowns.

Each piece is handmade with love and would be perfect for that over-the-top cocktail party you have only dreamed of hosting. It's more affordable than you would think for such uniquely-crafted pieces. I've been drooling over the Sedgewick bar cart (bottom middle), Marilyn sofa (top) and the folding Dinner Party table (bottom right-how handy is that for an apartment). Might need a bigger place just so I can fit all that I need, errr want, from here.

Make sure to read their about us section. A company after my own heart...

Doesn't it just make you want to kick off your heels, shake up a dirty martini and call up Don Draper?  

Cheers! {m}