Monday E-Design: Ikea & Target Deliver

Good Monday~  Hope you guys had a great relaxing weekend.  I had a super efficient and productive weekend - yes, I'm bragging.  Here's the list: 

- I cleaned up the paper mess up in the loft (threw away a lot of old bills because I realized, everything's online!); 

- finally organized my husband's cubbies (i.e. Ikea Expedit that needed baskets); 

- cleaned out my closet, which resulted in 5 bags of goods I no longer wear or carry; 

- installed a shelf inside my closet for shoes (tx, honey for using your long arms to do this!); 

- went to bikram yoga like a good yogi; 

- made some yummy and healthy nosh; 

- and this isn't work, but I finally splurged on my favorite table wear from Anthro, which I'll share with you later this week. 

AND, I worked on today's entry~ While online shopping this weekend, I noticed how stylish Ikea and Target have gotten in the past couple of years. And you can't beat the price, seriously!  

Here are my current faves from Ikea and Target: 

a. Ikea Varlig Lantern; b. Target Patterned Yellow Pillow; 
c. Target Iron and Wood Table; d. Ikea Strandmon Wing Chair; and e. Ikea Alvine Ruta Rug.

When it comes to decorating, I think it's all about mixing the lo & hi in prices.  You splurge on some really good pieces, but you save on pieces like above, that will leave some extra change in your pocket for your next splurge. (And I guess it's all relative too - for me, buying a $28 bowl from Anthro is a splurge. For some, it may be a small purchase.)

Hope you have a wonderful Monday and a great week ahead~~  

TGIF - Whatcha Up To?

TGIF~ Hope you guys are ready for the weekend and the snowstorm, for those facing storm Nemo.  I don't think it's going to hit Philly too much but we are expecting some snow and rain starting this morning.  Well, that gives me all the more reason to honker down and get some things done around the house this weekend!  And as always, the baker-wannabe in me wants to bake something this weekend. Something like this (especially with the upcoming Valentine's Day in mind).

The recipe comes from here, "Kathie Cooks" and appears to be somewhat simple enough for me.  You see, my other half loves chocolate + raspberry combo and over the years, I've grown to love it too.  So, with much ambition and hope, this shall be my weekend project :)  And I want to sneak in some time to play the piano and finish reading The Round House (so embarrassed that I started reading this post Christmas and haven't finished it!).  

Have a great weekend,friends :) 

Girlfriends to be...

Let me introduce you to my best girlfriends to be...

Aren't they gorgeous?! And they have the prettiest names, right?
Yeah, I just met them here, Dannijo.  You should meet their girlfriends who are just as gorgeous!  

Seriously, I can't believe how amazing these pieces are.  They are definitely going on my list of self-gifts to be :) 

Braids Braids Braids

Two hair cuts ago, I went to a new stylist who chopped my hair off in a very over layered kinda way.  I am still growing out the crazy layers and the length as well.  I tend to grow out my hair for like 6 months and then cut off about 3-4 inches to a medium length.  Isn't it always the case when you have short hair, you want to go back to long?  I know that I probably look better with shorter length but the girly girl in me at times really miss that long hair, especially when I keep seeing these tutorials on braiding everywhere!

 a.; b.; c; d.; e.  

So cute and lovely, right?!  Ok, I may have to start taking some serious horse pills to get my hair to grow now!!

Tribal Wear

Long long time ago, when I was in high school, and yes, that was long time ago, tribal wear was really in. I remember sporting a long winter coat with this crazy tribal pattern.  I also remember throwing it away at some point, thinking it looked so horrible.  Well, I think tribal fashion has stayed around a bit and is actually making a quiet come back.  But in a more subdued way, like these items I found below. 

a. Denim Clutch with Grey and Blue; b. Pendleton Moonlight Mesa Blanket; c. Navy Draped Collar Open Cardigan; d. Tribal Print Iphone 4 Case;  e. Tuttle VPL Cutout Booties.


Ok, so the booties are not so tribal.  But the colors and cut outs match well with any busy tribal pattern.  Man, now I wish I had kept that tribal coat.  It would have been very cool to give it a second round of wear, like in a vintage way too! 

Monday E-Design: Modern Love

Good Monday, friends~  I hope you had a great weekend!

I did a good amount of catching up on housework and bikram yoga (both Saturday and Sunday!!).

I also watched the Super Bowl with my husband, like millions of other Americans.  Nothing in the game perked me up more than Beyonce's half time performance, though.  Wow - did she give a show or what?!  And I loved the Destiny Child reunion, as brief as it was. 

So, I was thinking about all the little (and big) things I want for my house. And I realized that I favor modern design.  I love clean simple lines, with a pop of color or interesting patterns. I would love to see these in my house for a more modern and updated look.  

a.Display Ledge; b. Ironwork Flocked Window Panel; c.Wegner Wishbone Chair; d.Gold Pig Bookends; e.Faux Sheep Rug; and f.Expandable Pedestal Table 

This is such a bright and cheery look, isn't it?  

Hope you have a bright and cheery Monday :)  

TGIF - Whatcha Up To?

TGIF, friends! So glad the weekend is here. I am in a desperate need of catching up on some sleep as I've been fighting a serious case of insomnia lately.  So, what did I do at 2:35 a.m. this morning?  I found this crazy awesome blog:  Herriott Grace. A father & daughter blog, sharing among other things, their love of hand carved wood items (made by the father/Herriott and styled by the daughter/Grace), nature, good food, etc.  Coincidentally enough, here's a photo on Herriott Grace that reflect my current state of sleepiness:

Aren't they the cutest or what?!! Me, I'm not so cute when I'm sleepy. 

And these folks are serious foodies. Here's one of the very few pies they've tasted: 

Is it even plum season?  I don't know but I really badly want a taste of this!  Another recipe to add to my long list of "must make". 

How about you?  What are you guys up to this weekend?  Whatever you do or not do, hope you enjoy the weekend~