It was quite the work out!! Final reveal coming soon…. Installing the cabinets today! Eeekkk!!

…a seriously messy, MESSY job! The light shown in the above picture will be moved to be centered with the island, which is only a few inches over, and then eventually replaced with a chandelier. We are also adding recessed lighting flanking the island.

We picked up 2×4 planks of wood tonight — and I’ll be spending all day tomorrow framing it out.

The first shop was 50% off everything — which, naturally I took as a challenge to locate every piece I ever admired. The owner is a very sweet lady that runs the shop out of her beautiful Victorian home. I am enamored by the perfectly aged, silver-leafed wallpaper cascading each room, almost as much as the meticulous care she puts into each piece. Each dainty little hanky is washed and pressed prior to being put on display at a sticker price of $1!

I managed to scoop up as many crystal prisms from her secret stash as I could with the remaining cash in my pockets. They glimmer just so in the sunlight. I can’t wait to put them to use.

The next shop stocks incredible furniture pieces – of which, I have many. My jaw dropped at the exquisite detailing of this ornate tufted chair. Every great queen needs a great throne… So I made her mine. I’ve got big plans for this one.

Browsing through West Elm tonight, I stumbled upon the dinnerware of my Arctic dreams!  How cute are these Harp Seal dessert plates? My heart melted when I saw them…I quickly scooped up six plates and ran to show Bear.

…and lucky us, we found the perfect cereal bowls to match. We opted for an icy grey shade, but there are more colors available.  The geometric shape reminds me of an igloo — the perfect complement to Harp Seals.

The Harp Seal plates are part of a collection of Winter Solstice Animal Dessert Plates, which also includes a penguin, a polar bear, and an owl. The bowls are a collaboration with South African artist Mike Haigh. — All of which are on super sale right now!

Now, off to find the perfect gold flatware. West Elm has a nice option here.

Which leads me too….   this post!

My heart literally melts for these Isabel Marant ‘Manly’ boots.

I would rock these every. single. day.  Appropriate weather or not.  Well, maybe not.  But with a price tag nearly double the tuition per graduate credit, or equivalent to my bathroom remodel — they are untouchable.  Seriously, that’s how I equate the US dollar nowadays: in grad credits or trips to the home improvement store.  Girl can dream.

Jeffrey Campbell ‘Taro’     Jeffrey Campbell ‘Tory’     Steve Madden ‘Mohavee’

These alternatives are just as swoon-worthy and all under $200!  The SM bootie is even on clearance for $104.98!

I’m often teased for my lack of cooking skills, and even more so for my complete lack of wanting to learn how to cook!  At this point in life, PBJ and Cliff Bars are no longer an acceptable or healthy meal.  So I resort to preparing a meal with as little cooking/directives/ingredients as possible, and make sure whatever it is has enough of the protein and nutrients I need to keep me going.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but far too frequent are the days that I am so invested in a reno project that I go hours and hours without eating.  SO unhealthy!  I’ve made EAT breaks a part of my routine — and have to make sure I am getting enough protein.  As a somewhat freshly pescatarian, salmon packs as much protein as a serving of chicken, plus has many additional vitamins.

I picked up this Salmon Roast with Cranberries and Goat Cheese from WholeFoods.  It only took about 12min. in the oven at 275degrees.  After baking, I put it atop a bed of fresh whole spinach leaves.  Seriously, delicious meal with little to no effort.  Just my kind of eatin’!

Inspired by a recent terrain trip — which, by the way is quite possibly the most inspiring place ever — I dug out my collection of tiny vintage apothecary bottles that I picked up a while back in Tampa.

How to:

1. First make a loop at the end of the wire and wrap securely — I opted to not cut the wire, but rather work with it on the spool to attain accurate length.

2. Then, leaving some space from the loop, begin wrapping the wire around the mouth of the first bottle.

3. Continue for the remaining bottles.

4. Leaving space again, make the final loop as the first.

5. Fill with water. Hang using hooks. Add a few blooms. And enjoy!

If you prefer the Terrain version click here.

So excited to be back in PHILLY!  And better yet – we bought our FIRST home together in our favorite neighborhood by the Art Museum. ♥

When we began our search we looked at quite the array of homes..  settling on an estate that’s over one hundred years old!  We knew immediately, or shall I say, I knew immediately.  It may have taken a little convincing on my part to win my guy over.  I adore the exquisite detail and charm of an old home – that simply cannot be replicated.

And so here we are, in the messy middle of renovations.  We are doing the work ourselves, with the help of dear family and friends, so it’ll take some time, creativity, learning, and patience — Can’t wait to share my home with you!

With love,

M

To keep things simple, I wore a playful silk romper from JCrew. It allowed for a momentous deviation from my day that easily transitioned back to reality an hour later — Adding a light pullover sweater and a winter coat, sans sand, to get on a plane to a much cooler climate.

With a recent monumental birthday, I’ve vowed to make this year an incredible one — filled with spontaneous adventures, lasting memories, and undeniable happiness!

The first impression of a home’s character is often made based on entry.  A foyer area is a great place to express personality, in all its brazen glory!  A long-time favorite is an ultra-glossy, shallacked pop of color – not unlike my high-gloss pink hallway in my previous home!  My entryway shares a common wall with the formal living and dining space so I decided to make a statement in the detail, instead of use of bold color choice.

Using a muted lavender, a washed-over chevron on a neutral beige palette allures with subtlety – screaming for a double take!  Adding multiple finishes to the mix (flat pattern on top of satin base) the most beautiful change in sheen occurs with time of day – In the afternoon/evening, that part of my home is filled with a rich sunshine glow and the color pops!

On first look, guests frequently think it’s wallpaper and feel the need to run their hand along it — surprised to hear it’s a simple paint technique.

I continued this technique through the hallway walls..  stay tuned for a how-to!

I would love to see what your entryway looks like!

Email me at melinda@thelovelylife.com