Monday, May 29, 2017

How To Make Summer Changes In A Room!!

 

June is just a couple of days away and if you are like me that marks the beginning of SUMMER!!

There are so many things I love about summer but I must admit the high temps are not my favorite so I like to create a cool atmosphere in my home.



Since I use a lot of blue in my home it is pretty easy to have a cool and relaxing look, but there are other ways to add a Summer vibe to our homes other than adding blues.




 Declutter!

The very first thing we all need to do is to DE-CLUTTER, we want to open up our spaces and let them breathe. Remove all accessories, only leaving your furniture and main pieces that will not be changed out.

Once you have a clean palette you can begin to see the bones, or base pieces of your room. 

While you are de-cluttering don't forget to put away heavy throws, and an over abundance of pillows. Remember we are letting our room BREATHE!!

 CHANGE ROOM ARRANGEMENT
This is a good time to  change the arrangement of the furniture to a more open look .....



 CHANGE OUT YOUR RUG!

 If you have a heavy rug in your room try for a lighter more airy rug such as a sisal which is a great neutral base for any home.....







 The sisal rug is not only neutral for just about any room, but it adds the element of texture to your room as well.





When thinking about a rug for the summer, think of lighter, brighter, more airy keep your colors in mind and choose an accent that can bring more life to your room. 


It doesn't have to be neutral to look summery. A brightly colored, fresh looking rug can be fun as well. Think of a beach towel laying on the neutral sand.





PILLOWS 

Since we are letting our rooms breathe less is more, even in the pillow category. Things to keep in mind are your color scheme, and how you want to lighten and brighten it up. There is a bottomless pit of pillow choices, so only use your favorites.

Keep in mind you want lighter, happier, brighter looks for your room.

 Add at least one solid white or ecru to your mix to brighten things up. Use only one thematic pillow in your mix if you love that look, and then one patterned pillow.

In my own home I add all blue and white here is a picture of our previous home in the summer time.....

I used one very long lumbar pillow on my ticking sofa. I had this professionally made.

  In my chairs I used a large print and trimmed it out in the blue ticking like my sofa.....

 Here is a close-up of the trim.

 Notice I have palm fronds in a beach glass bottle, a stack of books with ONE shell and two bubble balls. Not a lot going on, but it still looks summery.

 

CHANGE LAMPSHADES

Adding lighter, or more colorful lampshades can be a fun addition to your summer room. In the winter I use black lampshades on a couple of my lamps. It gives a rich, warm ambiance to the room, but for summer putting lighter, or more colorful shades on your lamps can lighten up the feeling in your room.




Don't forget to check Target or Homegoods, you can always find good deals there on lampshades.
Sometimes they will have a lamp with a fabulous shade and it is actually worth the price of the lamp to get the spectacular shade then donate the lamp!! I am on the hunt for some new shades myself so I will be out there looking too!!
ADD MORE WHITE AND CLEAR DECORATIVE ITEMS
If white is not a color that mixes with your home choose a light ecru or cream, always keeping in mind to lighten, and brighten your home for summer.
This is a room full of neutrals. Notice the elements, the summery themed pillows, the ship, the lantern. Even though this room does not have one bit of blue it still makes me think of the beach.
Here is another very neutral room that still evokes summer. I would change out the ottoman to something more open and airy. 
Notice the basket, the ship, the large glass bottles with sea grass. I am not sure but I think the two pictures on the wall might be shells, if not picture sand dollars in those two frames, and addition of a little white and a beach themed item.
DON'T ADD TOO MANY KITSCHY OR THEMATIC ELEMENTS! 
I will have to stop here and mention you need to be careful to not have too many beachy, kitschy items in your home. That look can look contrived, dated and over done. 
Try to choose 2-3 items, or areas to concentrate your thematic pieces. More is not better when decorating a  room with a theme.
Personally I like to keep my elements more natural such as using greenery. Nothing says beach or summer like palm fronds, banana leaves or beach grass. 
Look around your room and see where you can add them. Greenery always brings life to a room. 
 In this room there  are actually only a few summer touches and yet this feels like a each house to me.
 This room is actually a bit too thematic for my taste, however I think if they took away one of the themed pillows and put the dough bowl tray on the coffee table the room would look better, at least to my minds eye. 

The elements on the coffee table in such close proximity to the pillows is a bit kitschy in my opinion.


Beach hats and Baskets

If you have a coat rack in your home add your favorite beach hat for the summer!

This might be a bit over board for most, but just look at the wonderful texture and presentation. Sometimes doing things en masse can be better than having them scattered throughout the room.




BOTTLES 

Keep your bottles clear and the colors of summer.

 Adding a touch of greenery always gives a cool summer look.

Demijohns are so easy to find now, just about anywhere, they are not originals but the large shape and colors will give you the look.

Last but not least!.......

ARTWORK!

By taking favorite vacation images and framing them in all the same type frame you can create a wonderful wall grouping!

This can be a bit tricky to change out. I am not telling anyone to take down their original artwork, but if you have a wall or two where you can add some seascapes, beach scenes or nautical pieces the summer time is a great time to add them. Places like Homegoods has inexpensive pieces all the time. 



If you look online you can even find FREE printables to make a wall grouping.....


I also love etsy to find original artwork. 


I have given you a lot to think about today. 

I find it helpful to make a list of elements that I like and then decide where I can put these in my room, always remembering to do it judiciously.  

Remember your objective is lighten, brighten, and let your room breathe!!!

SUMMER ELEMENTS LIST

Baskets
Summer greenery
Coastal artwork
Lighter lampshades
Textural rugs
Pillows
Beach glass bottles
More white or cream
Seashells 

Now go out there, have fun and....

Enjoy the Process!
Of summer decorating!
 
 

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Spring/Summer On-Trend Shoes



One way to pump up our wardrobe is with accessories. I wrote about the statement earring in my last post and I also mentioned shoes.

This years on-trend shoe style is a favorite  of mine and I am so glad to see them come back on the scene!

CUTE AND COMFY

The mule, slip-ons and block heels are on trend!

Today I am going to show you several pairs that I have my eye on.



Marc Fisher LTD Whitley:


This first pair is probably my favorite because it evokes a preppy style which I love to wear. It is nice and neutral and could mix with many colors as well.


Steven Farren

By adding a block heel these can dressed up or down. Love the block heel when it is not too high, it has much more stability!!

Anne Klein Salome 



Tassels are another on-trend element, and I love the look. These are a nice neutral shoe that would go with so many outfits. 

Dolce Vita Karlo 


These slip on sandals are a nice neutral, 
go-with- anything shoe.

If you are looking for some that are more on the fancy side, an embellished slip on is a great choice.....

Discover Fashion Online:  





These are  a summer staple in my book, they are fun, casual, and current.

These are just a few of my favorites. I am still trying to decide which pair would give me the most usage in my wardrobe. 

If you would like to see more of the choices I like you can go HERE on my shoe pinterest board.

 
 

Friday, May 19, 2017

Pumping Up Your Wardrobe With Statement Earrings!



With each new season I like to pump up my current wardrobe with some new and fresh looks.


In my looking at some of the outfits I like I was noticing a recurring theme in what was making even a basic outfit look in style for this season.

It was all about the accessories!!

The statement earring
Great looking bracelets
Statement necklaces
Mules or slide shoes
Great looking purses.

30 Statement Earrings That Will Make Your Outfit Instantly Chic #theeverygirl:
The two accessories that I seemed to notice the most that made even the simplest of outfits look current and complete were earrings and shoes.

I started thinking about the most basic of outfits, jeans and simple or plain tops and what would elevate these pieces into an outfit that was fresh and current.

Simple? Yes, fun and current?YES!!



Find More at => http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/amazingoutfits/~3/dwjRdoS9w9I/AmazingOutfits.page:  

We have all worn something similar to this, but look at those great earrings, now all of the sudden the basics become elevated.

Elements of Style Blog | Fashion Friday: Spring Dressing With Halsbrook (and A Big Sale!) | http://www.elementsofstyleblog.com:  

I won't wear an off the shoulder top, but I definitely wear my share of white blouses or t-shirts. Just the addition of the fun bubble earrings makes this look like an in style outfit! 

An even more casual outfit that includes skinny blue jeans, a gray sporty sweater and blue electric brogues. Style it up with statement earrings, an oversized leather bag, a sleek ponytail and a classic coat in camel or gray.:

via

Am I making a believer out of you yet?





"Relaxed & Making A Statement" by angela-reiss ❤ liked on Polyvore featuring Victoria's Secret, J.Crew, Zara, BaubleBar, Rare London and Karen Walker:
EASY FORMULA TO FOLLOW

 I see somewhat of a formula developing here. If you look at most of the above outfits. They keep one of accessories neutral, like a sandal or a purse. If the earring has a bit of color in it, they try to put one of the colors in the form of a shoe.


Let me point out here that you want one star and one understudy. In this case the star is the statement earring and it's under study is the shoe.

STEPPING OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE!

Wearing a statement earring is really out of my comfort zone. On any given day if you were to see me, I would have on my pearl studs, gold bangle bracelet and wedding ring which is also gold.

Sometimes it is good to step out of our comfort zone and try something new.

Now I am ready to choose a few pairs of statement earrings. 

Things to keep in mind.....

shape
size
colors 

This chart can be helpful in selecting the right shape for the shape of your face......


via

 As far as size goes, I found I like nothing too long, something right around 2in. or less.

Color choices are easy for me because I seem to work with cobalts, navy, black and white, yellow, pink and green.

Here is a selection of earrings that could work in my existing wardrobe. I tried to keep all of my selections under $50.....


All of these can work for me so now I will compare sizes and prices. Then I will tell myself.....


Remember the main goal is to have fun with your wardrobe and to try new things. Can you see yourself wearing any of the above earrings?