Wine 101

After moving to Napa, it occurred to me that I knew NOTHING about wine. Luckily, in the last 6 months I've learned a couple things. Am I an expert? Definitely not. But I know enough to sound like I know what I'm talking about most of the time.

In college there are 4 kinds of wine: white, red, pink, bubbles. There's also expensive wine and Barefoot. For the love of God, step away from the Barefoot. Wine that costs under $10 is not a great deal, its yucky.

This guide should help you pick out a great wine for your guests for dinner parties, lunch dates, game nights... whatever.

My personal favorite white wine is Chardonnay. Some of my favorite memories include my Momma, chardonnay, and a pretty patio. My fav red is a nice deep cab... a glass of cab a day keeps the doctor away, or something like that.

 I am more than happy to give tasting recommendations to anyone traveling to the Napa Valley. Mine and Matt's favorite is Kuleto Estate.

Hope this helps!

xx, M

Mini-Cocktail Party

Can anyone believe it's November already? I sure can't. Like... what? With November comes more family gatherings, more nights with friends, more entertaining, more alcohol and candles (my least favorite part, clearly), and all the home decor we can get our hands on.

Making a small and temporary apartment space feel homey and entertainment-ready can be a real challenge. With a couple tweaks and tricks you'll be on your way to being an effortless hostess in a cozy party space.

Lighting is so so so important when having company over! Turn off the overhead lighting, it doesn't make anyone look good and it's way to harsh to make people feel relaxed unless you're lucky enough to have dimmers installed. For us less fortunate folk, candles, lamps and string lights will do the trick. If you haven't picked up on my copper obsession by now I've done something wrong so obviously I love this Capri Blue Iridescent Jar Candle found at Anthropologie.

If you're new to the entertaining game and don't want to take the pizza route I recommend serving drinks and snacks only. Having the perfect stemware makes the night a little more special and these Gold Stemless Wine Glasses are on sale and so so pretty! Try a yummy sangria recipe instead of a plain old wine.

Obviously, if you have a delicious cocktail to serve and cute glasses to serve it in then you need cute paper straws too.

I love this Stay Awhile wall hook for by your front door. It takes away the need for a cheesy welcome mat too ;)

If you're like me, there is absolutely no room for extra chairs just sitting around in your apartment and I will always say nope to tacky folding chairs, they're a serious ambiance killer. Floor pillows like these from Urban Outfitters will give your apartment a comfy "nest" feel when placed around your coffee table. Add a couple of these super cute fur throw pillows a fluffy throw or two.

Studio Mucci tassel garlands are now available at Urban Outfitters... I'm too excited for words. This tassel garland is a fun addition to fall decor and it gets major points for not being super typical fall colors. Wrap some white string lights from Target around it to add some extra fun lighting to your entertaining space.

A little extra surface space might be needed if your apartment isn't party friendly, set this accent table up in your living room with your sangria pitcher and extra cocktail napkins so there's plenty of space for your Cards Against Humanity game, snacks or whatever blows your skirt up.

Happy party planning!

xx, M

Little Loves 10.28.14

It's FINALLY feeling like fall in Napa. Took long enough.. Fall colors are amaze, but I'm not talking about the changing leaves. The flowers and the home decor are my favorite. Everything gets dark, moody and just gorg. 

My anniversary roses from Matt are perfect fall beauties. Usually, I'm 100% against yellow roses (give them to your grandma, not your girlfriend) but the combination of blush, deep red and canary really blows my skirt up. 

Real Simple magazine published "The Ultimate Holiday Planner" and it's pretty spectacular. I love all the little tips. 

 Matt & I have a tradition of picking out Papyrus cards for each other for all occasions but they're my go to for everyone else as well. If you're going to give a cheesy greeting card it better be cute and the cards from Papyrus are frame worthy.

 Some of my favorite packages come from Anthropologie. I mentioned these Eiffel Tower drawer pulls in this post, they're suuuuper on sale still. I can't wait to reveal the project I'm working on with these pretties.

Matt & I became fur baby parents this week :) Meet Rory. She has already completely stolen our hearts and I'm sure she will be the center of many more posts as I share how introducing a puppy into your home changes literally everything. I had a blast picking out her toys and her beds, and they're all color coordinated, obviously. That face though... 

We're over the moon with happiness about our spoiled little baby. 

Happy fall!

xx, M

The White Trend

Alright, dolls... have you noticed all the white decor recently? My favorite bloggers and companies all have one major thing in common: white, white and more white. The pictures are beautiful and the spaces are so trendy but is painting your whole home white realistic?

I was raised in such a colorful home. My mom is a serious jewel tone lover...  I wonder where I get that from? We had red walls up the wazoo and everything was warm and so homey, but there is a real beauty to these white walled homes and work spaces. The color accents are brighter, the gold just looks AMAZE (gold is everything...) and a white work space encourages such an inspired state of mind every day.

Now, lets get something straight, color makes my world go round. The perfect jewel tone color can completely turn my day around. BUT, being able to change which color blows my skirt up whenever I want to really works for me.

Balance is everything: in life, in home decorating, in... everything. So, I think the right amount of white is an amazing thing to add to your home. Who doesn't want a clean slate every morning? Add your favorite bright and beautiful colors to a white based room and BAM, the perfect living space because there is nothing but what inspires you.

This grog living room is a house-tour on The Every Girl. The entire home is amazing. 

This adorable shelf display is courtesy of Style Me Pretty. 

Look at that flower garland... I die. The Every Girl is perfect. 

That gold though. I would have a sequin pillow in every room if I could. The Life Styled has this adorable look down. 

So what do you think? Is the white trend for you? Do tell..

xx, M

Mondays Are Better With Sales

1. These gold votive candle holders would look amazing anywhere in your home. Gold accents make everything better... write that down.

2. If I could make my apartment a zoo I probably would. There's animals everywhere... maybe because I would give my right leg for a dog. Who knows? Anyway... this quirky deer vase is too cute. It's the perfect sunshine to sit on your desk or bookshelf. 

3. Yet another pretty vase... but can you really put a limit on places to put vases and flowers in your home? My favorite part about using blue to decorate? It works all year long. 

4. I bought these Crate & Barrel blue glasses forever ago at full price... of course. Buuuut now I get to share them with you and they're a steal! Mine live on my bar tray, the blues are just too pretty! 

5. I was serious about the previous zoo statement. This elephant pillow would be adorable in a reading nook, on your bed or on your couch. The navy is neutral enough to go with almost anything but elephants are cute and therefore, not boring. :)

6. How pretty would this framed shelf be in your bathroom? It could be extra storage space if you have a shared medicine cabinet like me or just adorable decoration.

7. I almost died when I saw these Eiffel Tower drawer pulls. They're going to star in a soon-to-be restoration. Stay tuned...

8. If you're not ready to commit to a full-on wine rack, this one would be perfect on your counter. Having a couple bottles of wine on hand is always a good hostess trick so you're not scrambling for refreshments. 

9. These cute little glasses also live on my bar tray. What better way to serve a gin and tonic than in one of these?

The C.Wonder and Crate & Barrel glasses on my own wine rack and bar tray at home. I have a thing for mixing gold and copper.

xx, M

Side Table Restoration & Styling

Annie Sloan is my girlfriend... but really though. Chalk paint is the best thing EVER and restoring furniture is totally therapeutic for me.

This side table I found in Consignment Warehouse wasn't awful by any means, but it wasn't what I wanted for my apartment color-wise and the previous paint job on it was a little sloppy. Just a side note, when you restore furniture, paint the INSIDE of the drawers too.

I kept the hardware, it was too cute to get rid of. Although, I am usually all for replacing the hardware on restoration pieces. It gives them a whole new life.

I had the perfect custom purple chalk paint color mixed at Embellish and Restore in Visalia, CA. It's an adorable little shop that offers Annie Sloan paint workshops, pre-restored, gorg furniture, wedding furniture rentals, and mini shops featuring local artists.

Shop my side table decor:

Gold Honeycomb Vase- Home Goods [[ Their gold accents are amaze right now! ]]

Decorate Fearlessly by Susanna Salk

Antique-ish Frame- I found this one on a Paper Source shopping spree :)

Tea cup, my most favorite lamp of all time (the happy little penguin) and the Capri Blue Volcano Candle are all from Anthropologie. 

Personal and livable touches are SO important in my home decorating. There's been a recent trend away from having personal pictures around the home but you couldn't pay me enough to take mine and Matt's pictures down. Always do what feels right in your home!

Happy decorating!

xx, M

Halloween Part 1

Happy October! Fall is the best time of the year, now if it would only cool down up here in Napa. We were nice and cool all summer and now that October is here we are in the 90s... Anywho, I die for fall but the scary crap for Halloween doesn't really do it for me. 

For me, Halloween is an excuse to have unreal amount of candles lit at all times, wear black, like all the time, and have as many metallic accents in your home as possible. What's new right? 

1. My most favorite accessory for any holiday: a tissue tassel garland. Fingers crossed that this trend is here to stay. This Spooky Sparkle Tassel Garland is from the tassel queen herself, Studio Mucci.

2. I love love love trick-or-treaters, so I NEED the perfect candy bowl. The gold studded look just does it for me and it is so easily reusable for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

3. Like I said, the scary part of Halloween isn't really for me, but skulls stopped being scary when they became a fashion statement a couple years ago. These skull candles are totally witchy lady-esque.

4. Changing all the pillows on your couch is completely unrealistic for every holiday, so pick a spooky accent pillow to add to your collection. Bovine skulls are kind of a thing right now so instead of taking the hang a skull in your apartment approach, this pillow is the perfect halloween touch.

5. It's my personal opinion that big fluffy wreaths are over-done. This Boo Wreath from a cute little Etsy shop is the perfect welcome into your spooky little apartment. Bonus points if you get crafty and make it yourself :)

6. Add some cute striped paper straws to your bar area. After all, it's the little accents that count. These would be purrrrfect for those witchy cocktails you'll be shaking up while watching Hocus Pocus.

7. These pillar and taper candles from ZGallerie are amaze. Can you imagine a little set up of the skull candles and these? Spooky perfection.

xx, M

Kitchen Lovin'

Kitchens are tough cookies to decorate. Especially in an apartment or rental home. You can't control the counter tops, cabinets, sometimes even the appliances. So what can you control? The cute little stuff!

So here's 8 adorable accent pieces to brighten up your kitchen and just as an added bonus, they're all under $50. Thank me later.. :)

1. These oven mitts would be adorbs hanging above your stove. Cute and functional... weird, right?

2. Let's be real, bar carts, no matter how cute they are, are a fad. An expensive fad too.

 I love love love them but this Gold Mirrored Tabletop Tray is the perfect middle ground. It can go in your kitchen, your dining room, on top of a wine rack... anywhere really, to display your pretty glasses, liquor bottles (Am I the only one who picks vodka based on how cute the bottle is?) and cute paper straws without a serious investment.

3. Copper and gold are everything. Copper and gold Moscow Mule mugs? Everything and a half.

4. This mismatched blue flatware would be too perfect for a night of entertaining. Can you imagine your table set with these little nuggets? Oh and pair them with the dip-dyed napkins from this post. Perfection.

5. Invest in proper serving utensils early to avoid being caught hosting a party with a regular fork in your salad bowl. Messy, messy. And seahorses are cute, it's a win-win.

6. Booze for breakfast anyone? I kid... most of the time. Definitely homemade almond milk lattes for breakfast in this cheeky teacup.

7. These punched metal coasters might be the cutest coffee table/kitchen accents ever. They make even the most boring of tumblers look adorable and they double as decoration because you'll want to show them off all the time.

8. How cute would these crochet placemats look on your counter, set with your favorite dishes and glasses? The cutest.

Happy decorating!

xx, M

Vintage Vanity Restoration

So in addition to my online shopping I call a blog, I restore antique pieces of furniture. My obsession with chalk paint is a serious one. 

Anywho, I painted this gorg vanity a couple weeks before the big move to Napa. I've had it in my bedroom since I was a teenager and it sustained some heavy wear and tear through the my-hair-needs-to-be-as-straight-as-humanly-possible and pile-all-the-makeup-on-my-face-at-once days but it was still a beautiful piece of furniture and I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving it four hours away.

Graphite chalk paint and metallic gold spray paint fixed this little beauty right up. The fabric on the stool is from Hobby Lobby and the hardware is from Anthropologie.

xx, M

Sales: Because Tuesdays are Mondays' ugly cousin

1. Water Color Wildflower Pillow $35: This little baby will add some sunshine to your home as we head into the cloudy fall months. Water color anything is basically life right now and this pillow would just kill me on a desk chair or nestled in a reading nook.

2. Dip-Dye Napkin Set $19: I'm currently drooling over these pretty little napkins. They would be perfect with my cobalt blue dishes for a splash of something just a little different. 

3. Anthropologie Candle $19.95: Candles will always make my world go 'round. I spend more than I care to admit on candles, like all the time. 

4. Geometric Galaxy Duvet $79.99: This makes me want to lay in bed aaaall day long. Sweet dreams are made of duvets like these.

5. Pearlescent Canister $12.95: The possibilities are endless. I love pieces like this that can fit in any room and hold any purpose. That's money well spent... right?

6. Jingle Pillow 2 for $60: They're called "Jingle Pillows" and that just gets me all excited. They come in three colors, go crazy ;)

7. Mercury Glass Candle Holder $9.99: It's a candle holder but I think it belongs on my desk, holding my favorite pens. 

8. Desk Lamp $69.99: I love the idea of a clamp-on lamp because that leaves more room on my desk for activities. I never have enough room on my desk because everything has to be perfectly laid out so this pretty little number really blows my skirt up.

This Mid-Weed Pick Me Up features finds from:

Anthropologie | Urban Outfitters | Furbish Studio

Enjoy!

xx, Meg

Current Obsession: Blue & Peacock Couches

I could kick myself for not realizing my obsession before recovering my Grandma's cane-back couch for my apartment. 

As I've said, jewel tones blow my skirt up. These particular jewel tones are just neutral enough you can get away with them on such a central piece of furniture and just loud enough to send me into a happy little tizzy of color. 

Oh, and they're just perf with my other obsession: metallic gold. 

They're a little modern and little vintage and little AMAZING.

Now I know for most of us, picking up a brand new piece of perfection like this from Z Gallerie is out of the question. Moving is expensive. 

Let me introduce you to one of my secrets: www.fabricguru.com 

Finding a place to get furniture recovered only sounds intimidating. Ask around, go visit places and fine a business you can keep coming back to. It's so much cheaper than buying new furniture every time your style changes. (Especially, if you're like me - once a week.)

I looked up this little nugget for you: Blue Velvet Fabric $9.95/yard

Happy decorating!

xx, M

Perfect Office Pieces Under $100

The perfect office is the place where you feel most inspired and that means that the perfect office looks different to everyone. Today, I'm sharing with you some components of my perfect office and some tips to find what makes those juices flow for you.

There are SO many ways to decorate an office and SO many themes you could love. I happen to love jewel tones (they pretty much make my world go round), quirky little animals and just a little bit of zen. 

The puzzle pieces to your perfect office are:

1. The desk...duh. White desks are trendy right now but for me they're more than the hottest office accessory, they're a blank slate every day when I sit down to work. I love love love the idea of blank page to sprinkle with your daily creations!

2. Fun comfy pieces that make it feel home-y! I'm a pillow freak but if you're more into a crazy rug then go for it. This cheetah pillow is just puuurfect. 

3. A little tranquility. You can never have too many candles, ever, and this turquoise hobnail candle from the Furbish Studio does it for me. 

4. The perfect chair, because no one has ever been inspired by a frumpy black office chair, ever. I'm into acrylic chairs like this one right now. In fact, that's the exact office chair I just ordered and I'm in a tizzy of excitement for it to get here. 

Your chair can be anything from a bright print, to a chic statement like mine. I opted for chic to balance out the earthy feel to the rest of my perfect office. Balance is everything, especially if you don't want a Madonna Inn-esque nest. 

5. To style a space from floor to ceiling, a rug is a must. I like this one because it balances out all of the other bright pieces. The natural feel of this rug adds a little zen for me and who doesn't love being relaxed while they work?

6. Poufs are a thing and I love it. From Target to The Furbish Studio, everyone's doing poufs. Why do I want a pouf in my office? Well first, it's cute. Second, I'm weird and don't always like to face my desk so having something to put my feet on works for me... but mostly it's cute.

7. Quirky book ends! These Foo Dogs are precious and zen in a weird way. Maybe book ends aren't your thing, just pick something that makes you smile! 

8. I'm loving this zebra inspired jewelry dish. Jewelry is my new favorite thing to decorate with because it feels personal and if your jewelry isn't pretty, you're doing it wrong. 

There you have it, my most favorite office pieces. And they're all right around or under $100. Your perfect home is a collection of pieces over time so invest in a piece here and there and it will be so gratifying when your space is finally exactly what you pictured in your head!

xo, M