austin daze + books to adore

The longer I am in Austin, the more I remember the Texas weather moods. Haze filled mornings and an easy breeze fills my days here at home. Sipping my favorite coffee and catching up on some of my new decor books has been such a nice indulgence for me. The best part? Gazing at this incredibly beautiful bouquet of my favorite flowers from a very dear friend. Domestic Bliss at its finest.
Books I am loving now...

Wall color wonderful!

Deep, saturated jewel tone hues are going to be all the rage this coming year. I have always been a lover of gorgeous color on walls, but this beautiful shade of teal had me swooning for more. This lovely London home is gorgeous. Elements of traditional are jazzed up to perfection... notice the gorgeous green fabrics on the chairs. The gold lighting in the library literally took my breath away, so creative and chic.

How beautiful does Colette Van Den Thillart look in her london digs? She is the creative director for
NH Design. Her taste is absolutely incredible... a well deserved House + Home feature! 
full house

tablescape tuesday: tabletop decor ideas for your nye bash

The ending of 2010 is all about glamour. When decorating for your New Years Eve, take a cue from the ever so stylish Olivia Palermo and try a mix of black, white and silver!
 {don't be afraid to be heavy with the metallics}
You can even throw in an accent color for some fun. A fabulous color combo for a fabulous fiesta!



images via here + here

Masculine chic: a perspective on sofas

After talking over design with the males in my family over the holidays, I quickly learned that men love interior design, too. In fact, I never knew the men in my family had such decor opinions. As we looked through some of the design magazines I was devouring over the holidays, I learned this...
men absolutely go crazy over chesterfield sofas. 
I love masculine chic decor, it definitely inspires me as well as anything feminine and these gorgeous buttery leather chesterfield sofas are just winning me over. 


images: pinksofa, shelter, fullhouse

Style-icous Sunday {bohemian luxe}


The warm and lovely essence I feel when I am in Austin, my hometown, is intoxicating! catching the chic boho luxe look around this town just makes me know I'm home... so very similar to LA, too. Flowy fabrics and exotic prints fill the city as well as an abundance of earthy elements flattered by insence and fresh air. If it wasn't so cold here I'd be wearing a lovely long and flowy caftan and big sunnies as I shop my favorite spots today. Post-Holiday shopping is always madness, but I love being out on the town, having brunch at the very chic Austin hotspots and shopping down on so-co. 
Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas! 




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now I'm off to Austin, Texas...

My short and super sweet time in Dallas has been so lovely but now I am off to my home city, Austin.
I love Austin, it's a beautiful town, reminds me a little bit of Los Angeles (I am missing LA like crazy). The thing I love about austin & la is the gorgeous greenery throughout the city...
oh and the fantastic views to boot.

This is one reason I love LA, the beautiful modern design + gorgeous view.
However, I won't be missing out too much. Austin has gorgeous views of its own. Take for example this fabulously modern lake house designed by Kasey McCartey.
The wood walls are majorly hip,  and the views are obviously killer.

Tablescape tuesday {a southern shabby chic christmas}

Being back in the south, I am quickly reminded how old shabby chic style vintage boutiques are so prominent around here. The smells of maple and hazelnut fill the small town diners and family owned stores. I love being back in the south, especially the people with such southern charm!
To inspire you today I found a beautiful vintage store/shabby chic-ish theme tabletop. The pretty pastel colors and embellished vintage items set the perfect tone for a southern charmed holiday dinner or breakfast.Notice the floral chintz table runner mixed with charming detailed mason jar candleholders. Too cute.
Everything you see can be found at your local thrift and makes it oh so easy to throw together!
How amazing do those Vanilla Belgium Waffles look? Would be absolutely divine to dive into those on Christmas morning. Don't you think? Here is my personal favorite recipe...

Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
2 stiffly beaten egg whites

Directions:
Preheat waffle maker. Put all ingredients except egg whites in large mixer bowl. Beat on low until moistened. Increase to medium, mix until smooth. By hand, gently fold in beaten egg whites. Pour 1/2 cup batter over grids. Close waffle maker, bake until steam no longer escapes, about 3-5 minutes. Repeat. Serve hot with your favorite topping.


Variations: 
Pecan or Macadamia Nut Waffles: Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. finely chopped pecans or macadamia nuts over preheated waffle grids. Pour 1/2 cup batter over nuts & close waffle maker. Bake as directed.

Blueberry Waffles: Fold 2 c. fresh blueberries into batter. Pour 3/4 cup batter over grids. Bake until golden.

Chocolate Chip Waffles: Fold 1 cup chocolate chips into batter. Bake as directed.


recipe

The Art of Living: gorgeous gallery walls

So, I've landed in Dallas, Texas...the first stop on my traveling tour...yay!
Tomorrow, I get to visit Nest Dallas to hang with the beautiful Beth Doloto and I am so excited.

My favorite part of being back in my home state is seeing all the photos all over the walls of our family. Years and years of memories displayed perfectly for my enjoyment.
Which makes me realize how beneficial gorgeous gallery walls are. 
These stunners have really caught my eye and now I'm totally inspired to create a gallery wall for a new e-decorating client of mine. 
It's perfect to fill up an entire entryway like above, I truly adore the look.
{There is a method to the effortless looking madness.}

Style-icious Sunday {soft & modern Glamour}

It's a rainy Sunday here in Los Angeles, nothing like ever before. Rain makes me think of glamour for some reason. Burning candles, soft sunlight through the windows and watching old black and white romantic movies...sounds like a blissful day to me! 
Today I am reveling in the magic of soft yet modern glamour decorating. Makes me want to get all dressed up for church today...maybe a little overdressed would be perfection.
Aren't these rooms so lovely?




houzz, hautedesign, weheartit, citified