Category: Filing Cabinet

Animals in Outdoor Decor
I’m thinking ahead ever-so-slightly to when I can get outside and work on the garden. Spring is coming to Chicago, and it comes up fast once it finally arrives! I want to make some changes outside and do a little refresh, and I’ve been noticing an animal trend in outdoor furniture and decor. I’m here for it! Are you into it too?
1. Heron Bistro Chair, Frontgate
  Why do I, a person afraid of birds, love them so much in design? I’m so drawn to this chair.
2. Betsy Bistro Chair, Anthropologie
  So sweet! There’s also a floral version and cute matching bistro table if you like the delicate lines and white finish but say no thank you to all of this animal business.
3. Outdoor Bird Tree Pillow, Pottery Barn
  More birds! They’re awfully cute.
4. Admiral Butterfly Indoor/Outdoor Pillow, Wayfair
  I appreciate that this is just one huge butterfly. Like boom, no missing it! Would be cute with solid or small-scale patterned pillows.
5. Hummingbird Woven Dining Chair, Pier 1
  I’m going to be honest, I came across the flamingo version of this chair first and thought nope, hard pass. But there’s something sort of abstract and painterly about this one that works for me.
6. Springbok Rattan Bench (Left and Right ), Anthropologie
  Every year, I want these benches! They are impractical for our climate and I don’t have a good spot for them, yet every year, there they are calling to me. Curses!
7. Monogrammed Swans Outdoor Pillow, Frontgate
  For your best caftan-wearing sipping drinks by the pool life.
8. Jungle Love Outdoor Pillow, World Market
  RAWR.
9. Faux Boxwood Garden Dog (Peabody, Casey, and Moxie), Grandin Road
  Peabody! I kind of love him. I’m not about to put in the years and years of dedication to topiary to make a peeing dog, but as a little fake tucked into your garden? I think it’s a delight.
I know they’re not for everyone, but dang those benches are amazing.
March 14, 2019
The Library’s Column Gallery Wall
This post is sponsored by Artfully Walls.

I’ve had this little strip of wall between the windows and bookshelves in our library that I kept meaning to add art to. There was already a tall skinny frame with a little canvas resting on top, but they were kind of lonely and not taking up enough visual space.

The little canvas original I already had is by Tali Yalonetzki, and I remembered that there are other prints by the same artist on Artfully Walls! I started my new art search there, adding the canvas Moth print, then finding a few more pieces to create a column gallery wall.
Cute! I often go for BIG statement art, so I’m happy to layer in some smaller finds. The pieces I used and more of my favorites are below.

My daughter was in the room when my order arrived, and I called her in.

I love it.

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February 26, 2019
Pink and White Mushroom Lamps

Yes, I’ve shared several mushroom lamps before, but I feel it is my duty to let you know that a few new contenders have entered the arena. And they’re real cute.

The white and silver lamp from Target is $50, and the white and pink lamps from CB2 each go for $179. They also have a floor lamp version for $249.

If I didn’t already have similarly shaped lamps in our guest room, I would buy a pair of these immediately. (Pink ones. Would definitely choose the pink.)

January 11, 2018
Merry Christmas!

The tree is up, the garland is draped over our banister, and the fireplace mantle decoration is a little lacking. It’s Christmas, 2017 style! Mostly good, but with some disappointments. Such is life!

(Honestly, the home feels warm and cozy, and will even more so when friends and family arrive.)

Things are very much as they were last year. A few new ornaments that the kids made are on the tree, but the rest are the same. The background has changed slightly, as we have our lovely rugs in the double parlor and custom pink linen curtains behind the tree. I am planning to have a custom curved curtain rod made for that bow window, so the too-slender rods that are there now are only temporary, but the effect is still so pretty.

The presents under the tree are looking cute too. White wrapping paper with gold foil (Sugar Paper sent some over and I liked it so much I went and bought some more) plus ribbon in various widths and shades of pink, coral, and red complete the scheme.

The library doesn’t need much more for Christmas, but I do tuck a some greenery and berries on top of the secretary on the other side of the room.

The stairs look as they usually do this time of year. They’re at their best for Christmas.

The fireplace, well. I was trying to work with the decorations we already had, but also to come up with something I haven’t shown before. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen the earlier incarnation in my Stories: white bottle brush trees a’plenty. I took them all away, changed it up to some greenery and my peacock, and called it a day. It’s a peacock forest scene? Not my best work, but what I really had in mind needed a beautiful, huge mirror.

This was the vision.

Still weird, but a prettier weird. So I think a giant Louis-Philippe-style mirror is in our future? Time to make that fireplace really shine like I should have from the start. (Not just for Christmas, obviously. The mirror will be a welcome year-round addition.)

And then outside the house looks like this. Hey there, roofers!

We have some house stuff to discuss, but that’s a story for another day.

Merry Christmas!

December 22, 2017
Our Dining Room, Set for Christmas
Our old metal dining chairs were great for kids. Indestructible and easy to clean! So what did I replace them with? Wooden chairs with easily stained beige upholstery seats. Brilliant!

(I don’t intend to keep the stock fabric on them forever. Keep reading.)

Someone spotted the new chairs in a recent post, but here they are in full.

I had been saving up for a long time for new dining chairs and I’d had my eye on either Noir’s Abacus or Redford House’s Abigail. Noir discontinued the Abacus dining chairs earlier this year though, and before I could get them quickly enough at the clearance price, they were gone. But then I found these on Overstock.

And then I realized that the manufacturer, Baxton Studio, has two outlets — both in Chicago. I was able to get the chairs for just a little over $100 each while they were having a big sale.

Until I can get some more kid-friendly fabric on there, I bought a couple of these waterproof dining chair covers to protect the kids’ seats. They blend well and aren’t terribly noticeable (and they really work). The seats are not the easy to recover kind that are just screwed on, and I’d like to replace the nailhead detail with piping. They’ll need a trip to the reupholsterer when I’m ready for a change.

The table is set with with Ballard Designs’ Jacqueline dinnerware. I photographed the dining room for a holiday campaign they’re running, and I was able to chose a bunch of my favorite pieces to shoot and keep. We always host Christmas dinner, so this is what our table will look like this year! The cups and saucers will be especially cute when we have coffee with dessert.

A few things are no longer available, but here are the direct links to everything I used from Ballard Designs (and a near match for the vintage silver candle holders on the table, too).
- Marseille Red Linen Napkins
- Bunny Williams Paris Flea Market Flatware (Antique Silver)
- Thai Ikat Tablecloth (no longer available)
- Bunny Williams Spiral Glassware Goblet and Tumbler
- Jacqueline Dinnerware Collection
- Vintage Sterling Silver Candle Holders
- 12″ Taper Candles
- Florence Charger/Buffet Plates (no longer available)
I have so many ideas in mind for where this room could go! I’m loving the mix of traditional/Victorian with more modern and unexpected touches throughout the rest of the house, but I’ve yet to really bring that in here. The new chairs are a great start.
December 19, 2017
My Sims 4 Pink Victorian House

It’s a mix of twee and cute with creepy and sinister elements. Much like my own house, hey-o!

A few of you had asked to see my Sims house when I shared our 2017 video games recommendations, and I’m happy to oblige. I’ve shared my Animal Crossing home before, but the building mechanics here are so much more open, meaning I could make a much more interesting and true-to-life house!

This one isn’t completely ‘done’ since it’s my active household. As my family makes more money, I remodel and add on. The social interactions and leveling up of abilities in the The Sims 4 are fun, but I play the game as a big virtual dollhouse and the building/decorating aspect is my favorite part.

The living and dining room are open to each other, and the kitchen is at the rear of the house.

There’s a back door that leads out to a porch and the yard.

Back inside on the first floor, there’s a hallway with a bookshelf at the end, leading to the first floor bathroom on one side, and an art studio on the other.

There are two more bathrooms on the second floor that look very similar, so I’ll just show the one.

The art studio! Ah, this is my fantasy. Painting in my jammies while my well-behaved toddler dances cutely beside me. (So close to real life.)

You can see from the floor plan that there are stairs heading down to the basement. It’s mostly empty down there for now. Then I learned how to make the attic usable while building a different house, so I did the same to this one. The exterior is a tiny bit different from these screenshots since I popped up the room along the sides with their Victorian dormers.

Up to the second floor! Three bedrooms, two baths.

I wish I could upload this to a sharing gallery, but I’m playing on our Xbox and they don’t have that feature. It also means that my builds have no CC, just base game, Vampires, and Vintage Glamour Stuff content. (I have zero interest in playing as a vampire but the furniture and decorations are the best.)

I hope it’s still fun to see though, even if it can’t be added to your Sims’ town. (And even if you don’t play The Sims!)

December 13, 2017