This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Bloomingdale's. All opinions are 100% mine.
Ready to unleash your inner handbag designer? Well, in honor of Earth Day, Bloomingdale's is giving you the chance to go online and create your very own custom tote bag, submit it to a panel of fashion savvy judges, and win the chance to have your design produced by the fabulous Rebecca Minkoff! The winning tote will be sold exclusively online at Bloomingdales.com!
I whipped up this little design just to try things out, and it's totally fun, quick and easy! You can create a pre-made image to upload, or use the design tools they offer to create it all online. I decided to go with the watercolour trend and create a bag I'd actually carry - watery leaves with a sweet little message: {love your green}. Hey, there's nothing wrong with embracing your inner tree hugger!
Ummm... wish granted!! Not only that, but Royal Apothic is now carried at... (you guessed it)... Anthropologie! We just got our shipment in the other day, and I have to say that I loved every one of these extracts - on their own, but also paired together to create a custom blend.
Exotic, chic and preppy prints cover her notebooks and planners, and the quality is fantastic...
I've been toting around the grey houndstooth planner for a couple of weeks now and have received several compliments on it already! My favorite part?
Each week comes with a happy little quote to cheer you up on Monday. So, are you ready to tote a pair of your own around? Simply pop over to the Pretty Chic etsy shop, check out all the fun patterns, and let us know which one is your favorite by leaving a comment below. The winner will be drawn on Friday and will receive one notebook and planner of their choice! Good luck!
Inspired by the fabric overlay (a sample of a gorgeous pattern that used to be available through Schumacher), I pulled the saturated reds, golds and deep chocolate browns into all of the tabletop elements creating a very rich palette! The large dishes are actually a very deep plum from Ikea, the gold decorative dish is from a Japanese shop in our International District, and the napkins I created myself from leftover fabric.
I rummaged through the silver bins at a local antique store to find the mismatched silverware, and once again emplored the use of my kaarsKoker decorative candlestick sleeves to add another layer of pattern that complimented the fabric perfectly! The smokey glass vase was much more ideal than a clear vase in this case.
I had to have a splash of sequins for my birthday table, so I used them to wrap the napkin, and topped it with this cute decorative ribbon out of my stash. Then, evoking a bit more fall, I tucked in the brown velvet leafs to top it all off.
All you need to do is pop over to the kaarsKoker website and browse your sleeve options, then let us know which one is calling your name by leaving a comment below (be sure to leave your email as well so we can get in touch with you!). Or, if you're ready to purchase your own pair, use the code COCOK for 20% off at checkout (good through 12/25). kaarsKoker will also be including a pair of 6" ivory tapers with every pair of candlestick purchased through end of year! Can we say excellent hostess gift for the holidays?
Well, let me tell you, my dears, this book reads like my manual for design. Annette is a genius at pulling together beautiful inspiration boards and then turning them into perfectly styled rooms based on genres like bohemian, classic, modern, resort, romantic and more! We're talking serious inspiration.
The book walks you through the process of taking cues from your wardrobe and turning them into rooms - and it has AMAZING photos. I'm telling you right now - you are gonna want this book on your shelf! Which is why we're giving away one signed copy this week... signed by Annette, of course!
So here's the question to answer in the comments below: If you could design a room based on any piece in your wardrobe, what would it be? The winner will be drawn Friday afternoon.
Next Tuesday the talented entrepreneur, designer, and now co-founder of Lonny Magazine (is there anything this woman can't do?) Michelle Adams will be hosting a little gathering at Calypso Home (hello, fantastic!!) to talk about how to be a stylish, eco-friendly gal and, of course, show off her line of Rubie Green goodies.
Not just gorgeous as bedding, the eco-friendly Rubie Green fabric is fantastic for upholstery... like, oh, I don't know.. say a pink zig zag chair? (Yes, please!). And, it's is even more swoon-worthy in person. Which is why we're sending seven lucky readers seven pairs of tickets to the event next week! Yes you and your BFF will meet Michelle, sip champagne, and take home goodie bags worth bragging to your friends about.
Since Michelle will be offering her own little tips throughout the event (like the ones above!) to enter for the tickets, we're asking you to leave a comment below giving us your own favorite tips for designing and entertaining in a stylish, eco-friendly way. 
20 years ago in October, Elle Decor put out its first issue and Margaret Russell's title was Senior Editor. Today? The Anniversary issue is out and gorgeous as ever, and Miss Russell is Editor in Chief.
For me, the Dec/Jan '95 issue is one that strikes my memory - I believe it was one of the first issues I bought off the stands (at the age of 14!) and devoured every page of. I still have that cover room in my inspiration files. And, more recently, a cover that demanded I sit down on the couch right then and there just seconds after I pulled it out of the mailbox so I could see more of this stunning space. And when you look at these two, they're quite a contrast, don't you think?
To those that evoke awe, inspiration and envy (definitely another favorite editorial!)...
With so many stunning spaces to drool over, it was a must that they all be collected in a beautiful book to mark the occasion... and we're giving one copy away!
While the rest of you can pick up your personal copy of Style and Substance on October 28th, one lucky winner will get their own advance copy, signed by Margaret Russell herself!
Anyone can enter, but the room you submit must be unpublished. Simply send up to five shots of your entry room to allthebestcontest@gmail.com, and be sure to include some details!
The grand prize winner will receive a set full set of Celeste Sheets by SFERRA. Second place winner will receive a pure cashmere Dorsey Throw by SFERRA. Third place winner will receive a Marquetry Throw by Kelly Wearstler for SFERRA. And, there will be three (3) honorable mentions.
All of my favorite scents have to do with two of my most memorable places in the world - the cliffs of Sorrento where the lemon groves mix with salty sea breezes, and growing up in California where the sunshine made everything better...
If I had to pick only one though, Rosemary is probably my most favorite scent in the world. If I happen to walk by a bush, I always rub my fingers through it to make the scent linger with me through the day. It reminds me of my parents' garden and my father's cooking...
I love everything about the ocean, but the fresh scent of being out on it (not sitting in a stinky harbor) when you can feel the salt settling into your skin, mixing with sweat and suntan lotion... it reminds me of growing up on the beaches of California and my summer in Italy.
I recently rediscovered my love for Geraniums - their distinctive scent evokes warm summer days spent in the backyard of our family's home in Venice Beach.
This fabulous company offers a collection of Interior Perfumes and hand-poured Luminarie Candles whose scents were blended from the ancient formulas found within the pages of the apothecary and Sean's own vivid memories of travel and childhood.
