Spring Has Sprung!

It's finally starting to feel like spring in NYC, and we are loving it.  We're so happy that this great weather showed up over a holiday weekend, and really hope it is here to stay.  Even though outfits like these probably should have left us too traumatized to enjoy Easter, it's always been one of our favorite holidays:

The holiday and beautiful spring weather have us feeling inspired, so we pulled together some spaces that are perfectly springy:

Today we're enjoying Easter brunch and family time-- if you celebrate Easter, we hope yours is a great one.  Wishing all of you a wonderful Sunday!

Copycat Bedroom: Lauren Liess

Did you guys get a chance to see Lauren Liess's bedroom featured on La Dolce Vita? It is beyond beautiful-- we love how serene and comfortable it seems.  We think your bedroom should feel like an escape, and that's just what this room is:

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Want to get this look in your own bedroom?  We've pulled together a copycat version of this room that we think is pretty dreamy:
We'd use this bed from Home Decorators (that we posted about here):

With this bedding from Target:

These bedside tables from Ikea perfectly balance out the brass bed and provide ample storage:

We'd top one bedside table with this brass pharmacy lamp from World Market:

And the other with this lamp from Ballard Designs:

We'd go to West Elm for our favorite jute rug:

Which we'd layer with this cowhide from Ikea:

In terms of accessories, we'd use this chandelier from Overstock (don't like the silver? Hit it with a little Rub n' Buff in Antique Gold...this stuff is amazing!):

These sheer curtains from Ikea (only $4.99 for a pair!):

And this convex mirror from Etsy:

Here it is all pulled together:

Do you love the tone-on-tone look of Lauren's bedroom as much as we do? If you have other inspiration rooms that you'd like us to source/copycat on the blog, email us and let us know!

Gift Idea: Box of Sunshine

One of our favorite things to send off to a friend in need (or anyone we're thinking of) is a box of sunshine.  Basically, anything yellow can go into the box, and you can personalize it based on the interests/hobbies/personality of your friend.  For a friend that loves to cook, think of sending them yellow measuring cups or pretty yellow bowls from Anthropologie.  For a fashionista friend, you might include a yellow bracelet like this one from J.Crew.  You get the idea-- it's so much fun to hunt for pretty yellow items to include in the box! Recently, Julie hit up our local Target to put together a box of sunshine for a friend.  The Target dollar section is actually a great place to start when building your box of sunshine--Julie found this mesh basket to use as the base for hers:

In this box of sunshine, Julie included a soy Illume candle, Burt's Bees hand lotion, lemon drops, Eos lip balm, Juicy Fruit chewing gum, a journal, and a bar of chocolate. 

 Julie ended up finding most of her items at Target, but got the card at one of our favorite Brooklyn boutiques, Pink Olive.  The card is from Rifle Paper Co and we're in love with the gold-foil lettering:

Lemon drops are one of our favorite candies to include in a box of sunshine-- they're classic and pretty (and delicious).  We like to transfer them out of their plastic package and into a cellophane treat bag, which we tie with yellow and white twine.  We think this little step makes a big difference in terms of presentation:

Once she gathered all of her items, Julie stuffed the yellow container with tissue paper and then got to arranging:

Here's the box, ready to be shipped to Illinois:

Can you think of someone in your life who could use a little box of sunshine? We hope you'll spread the cheer!

Jonathan Adler for JC Penney: Happy Chic

JC Penney is a place we always check out when considering a redesign for any space.  In the past, we've looked to JCP to provide solid, neutral pieces that we can build a room around (Julie's last couch was from here).  But recently, JCP has undergone a complete transformation and now features some great designers and lines, which make decorating beautifully affordable. When we heard that JCP was partnering with Jonathan Adler, we were so excited. He's one of our favorite designers, and we never pass on the opportunity to wander around his store in NYC.  We love that his spaces feel happy, use color unexpectedly, and are the perfect marriage of old and new:

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Even though we were excited to see his line for JCP, we were a little skeptical.  So often, these discount lines can be a bit of a letdown.  Thankfully, we were pleasantly surprised with Happy Chic, and can't wait to get our hands on some of these goodies for our apartments.  We've rounded up some of our favorites below:

We'd love to see this coffee table in a more traditional space (the modern lines would keep the space from feeling stuffy).  The mirrored top, curved shape, and thin legs mean it won't take up visual space, either.

This couch. is. so. pretty:

This console table would look great in an entryway or in any nook needing a little color (comes in 5):

We'd use a pair of these chairs in a living room (they come in navy or mushroom):

This ribbed table lamp would work well on a desk or dresser (we love that it's a little bit retro):

We haven't tired of Greek Key (yet), and think these plates are a sophisticated take on the pattern:

We'd use this stool next to a glider in a nursery-- so sweet!

We definitely have a bowl-hoarding problem (we use them as pretty storage), which is the only reason we haven't snatched up this pedestal bowl.

We don't want to spoil all the goodies for you, so head on over to JCP to check out the line for yourself.    Are there any pieces you're eyeing for your home?

Framed Agate: Julie's Dining Room

We're drawn to the use of natural elements in design, and love all of the agate/geodes that we see popping up in home decor:

On a recent trip to HomeGoods (we swear we shop at other places), Julie snagged two framed red agates for her dining room:

They are absolutely beautiful in person-- very heavy, framed beautifully, and the colors (which don't exactly show up on an iPhone picture) are amazing-- a really deep rust color.  At $35 each, these were a complete steal! Quatrefoil Design sells beautiful framed agates, but at $375 each, they aren't exactly budget-friendly:

Want to get this look in your own home? We'd take inspiration from Moth Design, and frame some agate coasters (genius).  We recommend using these coasters  from West Elm and popping them in this Target frame (Julie has this frame and it is beautiful).  You can either paint the back of the frame or place the coaster on a neutral cardstock of your choosing-- we'd go with cream to contrast with the mat.  You'll want to use pretty heavy-duty adhesive to attach the coasters to the back.

Even though Julie bought both pieces, she only needs one for her dining room-- she'll be propping the piece up on her buffet.  She couldn't decide in the store so brought them both home...which of the two would you choose?