Color Love: Cognac

Happy Monday!

I hope your weekend was amazing! I still have one more day until I head back to work, so I plan on being productive with a bit of spring cleaning. I have a hard time being creative when I’m not organized, and my home could definitely use some TLC. Living in a small space has it’s perks, but it’s also easy to build a mess very quickly. I have my fingers crossed that I can create an organized space again, that way I can focus more on blogging and my moodboards. (Work has been busy lately, and I definitely miss working on my projects!)

 Tomorrow I will reveal some of my bedroom space and I can’t wait for you to see it! In the meantime, I thought I would share my recent love for the color cognac. I purchased some boots last week from Matisse, and I am just going to be honest and let you know that I’m a bit obsessed with them. They are the cutest cognac colored ankle boots, and I’ve received so many compliments on them in just the past week. You can check them out below:

Isn’t cognac just the best color!? Since I’m obviously obsessed with the color, I thought I’d share my favorite designs using cognac. Maybe if I get enough people obsessed with the color we can start a fan club. I’ll make the t-shirts!

Hope you have an amazing start to your week!

B

Want a pair of Matisse Dodge boots?
Find them here.

 

Wish I Was Here: Morocco

Happy Friday!

My Friday will actually begin after 5pm tomorrow when I clock out of work, but let me just pretend for now. I find myself on most weekends here in Vegas wishing I were somewhere else. Las Vegas has it’s perks, but our weather in the summer is definitely not one of them.  I could definitely use some 70 degree weather right now. Do you know where I can find that weather? Morocco!

If you haven’t noticed already, Moroccan themes have made a huge comeback in the interior and fashion world. Like I’ve mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of color, so I am definitely on board this Moroccan band wagon! I love the pom-poms, Moroccan wedding blankets, the lanterns, and of course the beautiful bright colors that come along with the package. You’ll be seeing a little more Morocco on my blog in the next couple of weeks. I can’t wait to share some projects with you.

Until then, would you like to go on this Moroccan adventure with me? I’ll buy the first round of mint tea!

Have a great weekend lovelies!

All images can be found:
Pinterest

Moodboard created by: Brandi H.

Top 5: Candles

Hey guys!

I don’t know about you, but one of the first things I notice when walking into a home is the smell. Nothing is more soothing and warm than a good smelling home. You can have the most stylish home around, but if it smells like fish or something nasty, then it can completely change the vibe of your home. We definitely do not want to have our guests running for the hills when they visit, so I’ve created a list of my top 5 favorite candles.  I usually lean towards white flower scents, these usually make my home smell very light and clean. I love nothing more than the smell of clothes after they’ve been washed, so I feel like that’s why I lean towards those softer scents. What are some of your favorite candles and scents?

1. P.F Candle Co. :  I currently own Summer Breeze, Gardenia and Coconut, and I have Teakwood & Tobacco. I love them all so far! I’m excited to try the Teakwood & Tobacco in my home, it’s a more masculine scent, which I haven’t tried before.
2. Mara Hoffman for Anthropologie: I don’t think I could say enough about this candle! I absolutely adore the ceramic holder and the smell of Sandalwood Teak (saffron, cinnamon, clove, and dark teakwood). This candle completely brightens the room once it is lit, I would definitely suggest giving it a try while you can.
3. Ilume for Anthropologie: I currently own the Peonies and Jasmine scent. It’s a light and fresh scent that keeps my calm when I decide to work on art projects.
4. Voluspa Mokara: Every time I go into Anthropologie I pick up this candle and fall in love. For some reason I have put off buying it, but that’s not going to happen this weekend. While I do not own the candle yet, I know that I can already tell you that this will be a favorite of mine. This candle has a fragrance made up of Mokara Orchid, White Lily, and Spring Moss. Doesn’t that just sound lovely?
5. Small Gunns Rise & Shine: I currently am obsessed with this shop called Bud & Vine right down the street from me. I’ve been a few times in the last two weeks, and I have picked up this candle several times. I love the light citrus scent and it definitely lives up to it’s name. I’m looking forward to buying this one soon.

Like what you see? I would suggest also taking a look at:
P.F Candle Co.
Small Gunns
Bud & Vine

Coffee Table Design: Pop of Color

Hello lovelies!

If you haven’t noticed already, I’m a little obsessed with adding color into a home. Now I’m taking my obsession to the coffee table. While I love a neutral coffee table/tray set-up, I would love even more to add some color to the spot. The design of a coffee table/tray set-up can can be the visual target of your living room, so why not draw your visitors to it’s beauty? Here are some tips on how to make your coffee tray design the talk of the town!

1. Succulents- low maintenance and adds some green/natural vibes to your space
2. Candles- A great smelling room is something that everyone loves. Find your scent! I’m loving P.F. Candle Co. in: No 15. Gardenia & Coconut
3. Wooden/Colorful bowls: Gives your centerpiece a beautiful natural look. The bowls are also great place to hold snacks, candies, and other items!4. Wood Carving/Antler: Who doesn’t love a rustic piece like this!?
5. Cookbooks: I love books about fashion and interior design, but I know that people love looking at a beautiful cookbook. There is nothing better than snuggling on the couch with a good cookbook in front of you. My choice? Thomas Keller cookbooks!
6. Table Runner/Tea Cloth: Another great way to add a pop of color to the table.  As you can see, I’m still loving the indigo right now!
7. Serving Tray: A great place to hold those beautiful trinkets, candles, and books that will be on the coffee table.

What do you like seeing in a coffee table set-up? I’d love to see what you’ve done with your space 🙂

-Brandi

Moodboard Created By: Brandi H. (Me)

Home Sweet Home

While I’m all about exploring different colors right now, there is always something so warm and calming about neutral colors in a home. While I’m not sure if my Gemini brain will ever have the capacity to stick to a neutral palette in my home, I can’t help but love the idea of creating this theme in another persons space. Are you more for neutrals or bright colors in your home?

Hope you’re having a great weekend so far!

-Brandi

Moodboard by: Brandi H. (Me)

Color Love: Indigo

Happy Saturday!

The blue palette has and will be essential for the summer, fall, winter 2014 season, in both interior and fashion design. I’m sure you guys have seen a lot of blue vibes in design lately, and I hope you are as excited as I am about it. As an aspiring California beach bum, I love coastal-cool colors. 

I’m loving the new indigo inspired housewares brought to you by Anthropologie and these gorgeous indigo mud print pillows from my favorite Shoppe. What are some of your favorite blue + indigo inspired designs as of yet?

-Brandi

Moodboard created by: Brandi H. (Me)

Interior Design: Never Underestimate the Power of Pink

 

Hey guys and gals!
I’ve recently become very inspired by shades of pink. The wonderful Amber Lewis from Amber Interiors has used this color in her designs forever, but I never actually thought about making pink a staple color in my home.  However, I have changed my ways! I was always worried about shades of pink coming off too girly, mostly because I do share my home with my man. Luckily, after scrolling through hundreds of blog posts and pins, I’ve finally realized that you can add pink to your home without it coming off to feminine. My guy has already given me his blessing on my pink design ideas for our lofty space, so I will keep you updated on my progress. Unfortunately, he is still not on the Moroccan Pom-Pom craze that I’m loving right now, but I’m hoping he’ll be persuaded otherwise in the near future.

The moodboard I created includes some of my favorite pink hued designs from blogs and pins. You may have seen some these designs featured on Amber Interiors or sfgirlbybay. Don’t you just love them!? I wish I had buckets of money so I could recreate some of these beauties. Alas, I will take it just one design at a time.

I hope you are now just as inspired by the color pink as I am! Which one is your fave??

Have a great Taco Tuesday!

Brandi

 

Design Monday: Kitchen Edition

This is a mood-board I created with ideas for my dream kitchen. I hope to one day have a big warm kitchen were I can create amazing meals for Tyler and I. We both love entertaining, so we want a big enough dining space for those types of gatherings. I hope you enjoy!
P.S
Don’t you just love the color palette!? I’m obsessed!

Sleep Well!
B

Sunday Inspiration

A mood-board I created using some of my favorite colors at the moment. I was watching a ton of home renovations yesterday on HGTV, a great way to inspire me for future design projects.

Have a great Sunday!
B

Green Machine Monday

Happy Monday!
Last night I spent a few hours in the kitchen preparing my lunch for the week, trying to come up with a meal that will leave me feeling healthy and not bloated. I recently found the recipe for Gwenyth Paltrows Mexican Green Goddess dressing on The Wednesday Chef, and I immediately fell in love with the recipe consisting of so many fresh ingredients. I’ve always been the biggest fan of cilantro, so the more cilantro in a recipe, the better. Now that I had the salad dressing, I was in need of the perfect salad. Thankfully the blog entry also included a recipe for the chopped salad that should accompany the dressing. Being a girl that likes to add variations to recipes, I decided to add a twist to my salad. Below are the ingredients for the dressing and the salad, and my special little twist!

Mexican Green Goddess Dressing:
-1/4 Cup Goat Milk Yogurt
-1/4 Cup of Cilantro
-2 Scallions
-1/4 Cup of freshly squeezed lime juice (I used 3 limes)
-1 Whole Jalapeno
-1/2 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-1/2 Teaspoon Salt
-1 Tablespoon Honey

Chopped Salad:
-2 Hearts of Romaine
-14 oz can of black beans
-1/2 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes
-4 Scallions
-1/4 Cup of Cilantro
-1 box of Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous **my twist**

Sometimes after eating a salad without protein, I feel hungry about an hour later. To save myself from starving during my work day, I added couscous to the chopped salad. Instead of hand chopping the ingredients for the salad, I added the cilantro, romaine, and scallions into my Kitchen Aid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper. Once I processed these ingredients, I added the black beans and couscous into the mixture. Processing the the first three ingredients into the food chopper gave the salad the texture of tabouli; a Lebanese salad made of bulgur, parsley, and tomatoes. Now with the salad almost finished, I was looking to find a way to package the salad without it becoming soggy during my work day. Just like most blog lovers, I love pinning my day away. I have seen a ton of people storing their salads in mason jars, so I did just that! So low and behold, the anatomy of my Green Machine Monday mason jar lunch:

1. First add the salad dressing to the bottom of the jar. Add as much or as little as you want.
2. Remember those halved cherry/grape tomatoes? Add those next!3, Add the salad mix

Remember to pack a spoon or fork, and when it comes time for lunch just shake the jar until all of the salad is thoroughly mixed! I packed the salad last night and had it for lunch today, and it was amazing. There was no soggy mess and it was great for storing leftovers later.

When it comes to this salad, I have seen a few variations that include adding avocado and corn. I would love to try quinoa the next time I make a batch. I would suggest trying out different ingredients to find the salad that fits best with your lunch style. Do you have any ideas for lunch prep? What’s your lunch style? I’d love to hear some new ideas and try some of your recipes.

Have a great Monday! Stay Classy,
B