Happy {Homebody} Weekend

Ahhh, the sweet smell of Friday. Don't you just love it. This weekend I  want to do nothing more than lay back, unplug and luxuriate with a stack of glossies and good books.





I might rearrange my inspiration board too. It's the perfect way to hit the refresh button.

I may let myself back online to wish Emily Henderson good luck with her new show, Secrets from a Stylist. There's going to be a HGTV hosted Twitter party with Emily Henderson at 6:00 pm PT/9:00 pm ET on Saturday night which should be a ball. Hop on and use the hashtag #HGTV. I hope to tweet you there!

Oh and here's a sneak peak of what you'll see on the show.

Till Monday luvies,
*Mrs. E

images via thrifty solutions for an urban girl, toast uk and inside the loop

A MODERN DAY CHRISTMAS

I know, I know. It's not even December yet! But Thanksgiving is over and I've been waiting oh so patiently to share this space with you...

Back in October, I put together this photo shoot for HGTV.com with the concept of creating a modern day Christmas setting in a friend's bachelor pad. I took his very neutral furnishings and warmed them up for winter with a fur throw and metallic pillows that stayed true to his style while adding some shimmer and texture!

It didn't quite feel like holiday without a bit of colour, though, so I decided to add in one of my current favorites - a bright pop of citron green! Apartment living can always be a challenge when decorating for the holidays (I barely have room for shoes, let alone a Christmas tree!) and this room definitely didn't have a lot of options. Instead of creating awkward space issues with a large tree, we opted for this simple tinsel tree that still allows us to peek at the stunning view, tucking presents into the bookshelf.

Hot cocoa, anyone? The simple addition of a gold serving tray and a bowl of baubles is enough of a holiday touch without too cluttered.

Behind the sofa is my favorite part - the bar!! Ok, so maybe a feather wreath doesn't scream 'manly' but I know plenty of men who would appreciate it! Champagne, a stocking full of presents and the glow of candles set this scene perfectly.

I couldn't make it Christmas without some kind of greenery, and these mini trees for the entryway were the perfect compromise to make up for no real tree. We wrapped them in cozy fabric to dress them up a bit, lit some candles and created an area to display all the Christmas cards! (Such a popular guy, our bachelor.) The artwork happened to lend itself well to the idea of glowing city lights on cold winter nights!

The best part of the online article, though, is that it features a gorgeous tabletop by Manvi at Mochatini as well as a fabulously fun retro holiday styling by Mrs. Lilien! To check them out, hop on over to HGTV.com. How will you be decorating for the holidays??

*photography by brandon sawaya, and a huge thanks to bethany, maggie and jennie for all their help with the shoot!

New York Weekend Recap {And A Jo Handbag Giveaway!}

Our jaunt to NYC flew by so quickly, I can hardly keep track of everything that went on. In a mere 48 hours I think I saw all of lower Manhattan while networking my little blogging butt off.

The festivities kicked off with an uber-glamorous dinner party thrown by the uber-glamorous lifestyle expert Kelley L. Moore. The lady outdid herself on the tabletop, I'm tellin' ya. Did you spot the personalized pop-art place cards?? Bah-nanas!



photos by me!

Not only was the whole Rue Crew and Cassandra there, but I also had the pleasure to meet Will of Bright Bazaar and Julie of Create Girl. Let me tell you, when bloggers get together, the good times flow ~ I've even got video to prove it!

On Monday, I had the privilege to go to HGTV headquarters for a hosted lunch with an even broader contingent of design bloggers. The best moment was listening to Melissa, the brilliantly hilarious mind behind the Lil Bee read her birth story to the whole room. It includes going into labor while in the midst of an HGTV interview!


design star emily henderson, rue mag founder crystal, melissa of lil bee

After lunch it was time to get gussied up and off to the Rue Magazine launch party! Another fabulous opportunity to put faces to blogger names. Here I am with Coco+Kelley and High Heeled Foot in the Door! I was also so thrilled to meet Mackenzie of Design Darling and Brook of Fabulous Doodle, among others.


 high heeled foot in the door, cocokelley and me, dress by Meme shoes from Aldo!


Caitlin and i, and the required shoe shot!

The husband and I did manage to squeeze in a romantic dinner at Mario Battali's Otto Pizzeria before we jetted back home.

Sadly, I didn't do any shopping in NYC for myself. However, I did pick up a giveaway for YOU, dear readers! New York based Jo Handbags have graciously provided my absolute favorite Niko bag to give away to a very very very lucky Apartment 34 reader.




So, run, don't walk to leave a comment on this post my dears. Be sure to include your contact info. Tweet about the contest and you'll get a second entry!

A winner will be chosen at random at 9:00 am on Monday, September 27!