Friday, March 30, 2012

Fashion Friday: For the home...

I've mentioned a few times lately that I'll be moving this summer...  I'm hoping to buy a house sometime in the next year (fingers crossed), but in the meantime I need somewhere to live!  My roommate is getting married in July and our lease is up in mid-June, so I spent a good chunk of my spring break apartment hunting.  I tried to find a combination of my preferred part of town, a decent apartment, and a place that was within my budget.  I'm pretty sure I've found a place that meets that criteria.  Unfortunately, I'll be downsizing from a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house with a 2 car garage to a 1 bedroom apartment with no garage!  I hope that downsizing and cutting back on some expenses will pay off for me and I can speed up the process of getting me into a real home.  

I've always said that if I wasn't a teacher I'd be an interior decorator...  I used to play school and then go watch HGTV when I was a kid at home for summer vacation.  I'd love to be able to get into something decor related over the summers someday...  Like home staging or something?  I feel like that would be a cool summer job!

I don't think my home is one that you'd look at and think, "Wow, she's got some style and talent!"  But, I do feel like I've got a pretty good style and have done a decent job of working with what I've got.  It really drives me nuts that I've had to live within the limitations of being in a rental and can't really personalize certain things.  There's also the budget thing, too.  What I want and what I can realistically afford on a lone teacher's budget are two different things.   

In preparing to move, I've been thinking of giving myself a small decorating budget to get a few goodies for my new apartment.  Obviously I'm also going to be looking for items that I will want when I get in a more permanent establishment and that go with what I already have.

On a related note, one of my biggest spring break projects was organizing my decor pins on Pinterest...  I had over 800 for home decor alone.  I broke them down into more specific boards, so that I can find my pins a lot easier!  It was actually a lot work and took hours, but I'm so glad it's done!

I wanted to share some of my favorite pins of some new items I'd like to buy, make, or recreate for my own home!




Source: etsy.com via Conolley on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Conolley on Pinterest


  1. My latest PB bedding obsession...  Vanessa Floral.  I'm not usually a blue person and I really didn't like it when I saw it in the catalog or online, but I fell in love when I saw it in person!  I've got a couple PB gift cards to possibly assist with this purchase.
  2. I've recently become obsessed with yellow AND chevron.  Yellow chevron?  Yes, please!  I have some really cute pillows form Target, most of which are floral-y patterns, so I think one or two of these would be a great contrast! (BTW, my newest addiction is Esty.  I don't know why I just now realized how much awesome stuff there is on there!  I've found a ton of cute yellow chevron things on there!)
  3. I picked this mirror up at Target last weekend.  I'm leaning towards using it in my bedroom, but I'm not totally set on that.  It may migrate toward my entryway table area.
  4. I love vintage / antique accessories.  I really want to start going out and getting more awesome finds like these.  I actually plan on hitting up The Cottage Collective's grand opening tonight and hope to find some neat accessories!
  5. This pic from Maple & Magnolia (one of my favorite decor blogs) was kind of what got my yellow kick started.  (Actually I've always loved yellow, but this got me inspired to extend it more into my living areas and kitchen!)
  6. I've wanted one of these shelves for a long time, but just haven't made the purchase yet.  There are so many versions of it from a lot of different stores.  I love the styling with the white plates and the black frames.  I'm totally going to recreate this with my own spin if I get one of these shelves.
  7. More yellow in the kitchen!  I love the pops of yellow with the other neutral colors and the greige walls.
  8. I don't have a headboard and have been looking into doing a small gallery wall above my bed in the meantime.  I thought this arrangement was cute mixing photos with art.
  9. Another beautiful bedroom...  I was drawn to this one because of the mix of furniture.  It makes the whole hodge-podge thing totally work!
Here are my boards in case you're interested...  If you like my style, please follow me because I'm always pinning new pics!  :)

Home Decor Ideas - This is my board for general decor ideas, living rooms, common areas, or wall ideas.

My Heart Belongs to Pottery Barn - This one is dedicated to my favorite home decor store ever.  

I Could Make That! - This is my DIY board.  I've actually followed through and made a few of these things.

'Tis the Season - My Christmas decor board...  I love bright, non-traditional Christmas colors!

Autumn Awesomeness - My board dedicated to decorating for my favorite season.

Bright Ideas - This is kind of like my DIY board, but this one is more helpful tips, tricks, and hints.

...Because My Closet Will Never Be Big Enough - This board is all about storage and organization for clothes, shoes, and accessories.

Wash & Dry - This is my board for laundry room ideas and cleaning organization.  I never wanted a pretty laundry room until I got on Pinterest.  

Places to Get Pretty ~ Bathroom Ideas - Here are ideas for pretty bathrooms and storage ideas.

Curb Appeal - This is is for exterior ideas...  Not all that practical for me right now, but some great ideas for when I do have a real house.

Dreamy Bedrooms - I have a complete addiction to bedding (particularly from PB) and it's kind of apparent from this board.

Beautiful Places to Cook & Dine - This one is for kitchen and dining room ideas.  I'm on a huge yellow kick right now!

Springtime! - This is another seasonal decor board.  I've never really decorated for spring, but I love this inspiration!

I hope you've enjoyed and get a sense of my home decor style!  If you have any cool decor boards on Pinterest, I'd love to follow you, so please add your links into the comments section!

Have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful spring weekend!



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