MY NEW SHOES

It wasn't my intention to skip this morning's blog post but this week just got away from me. Lots of meetings, new projects, and an evening event on top of the usual workload... Let's just say I'm happy the weekend is finally here, even if it just means a couple extra hours to catch up on my inbox before Monday. Phew!

So here's all I've got for you: a pretty new pair of pink shoes. I'm of the opinion a girl can never have too many — I also own these (on final sale!) and these and can't wait to wear them all spring and summer. (Maybe even tomorrow? 55 degrees!) They'll be great with dressy shorts, white jeans, and summery skirts and dresses. Sunshine, bring it on.

I'll be back next week with a new career feature (any guesses?!), more outfit posts, and hopefully a new spring in my step! I've been looking forward to tonight's double date all week and can't wait to log some quality time at the dog park tomorrow morning. What are you up to? Whatever it is, have a good one. Here's hoping we all get the rest, relaxation, and vitamin D we need! xx

It wasn't my intention to skip this morning's blog post but this week just got away from me. Lots of meetings, new projects, and an evening event on top of the usual workload... Let's just say I'm happy the weekend is finally here, even if it just means a couple extra hours to catch up on my inbox before Monday. Phew!

So here's all I've got for you: a pretty new pair of pink shoes. I'm of the opinion a girl can never have too many — I also own these (on final sale!) and these and can't wait to wear them all spring and summer. (Maybe even tomorrow? 55 degrees!) They'll be great with dressy shorts, white jeans, and summery skirts and dresses. Sunshine, bring it on.

I'll be back next week with a new career feature (any guesses?!), more outfit posts, and hopefully a new spring in my step! I've been looking forward to tonight's double date all week and can't wait to log some quality time at the dog park tomorrow morning. What are you up to? Whatever it is, have a good one. Here's hoping we all get the rest, relaxation, and vitamin D we need! xx

INTRODUCING SWAPDOM

 Living in New York (or a studio apartment anywhere) means being strategic about which pieces you have closet space for and being proactive about getting rid of items you no longer wear. You've seen my apartment so you know how little space I'm working with! I adopted an official "one in, one out" rule early on to keep my one closet edited to pieces I'm most likely to wear: for every item I purchase, I consign, donate, or sell another. If you're feeling overwhelmed by a closet full of clothes you almost never wear, I highly recommend this strategy!

Needless to say I was pretty excited to learn about a cool concept called Swapdom. With a lot of consignment options, you drop off your items and wait until they sell in order to receive credit or payment. With Swapdom, you actually offer one of your items in exchange for one of someone else's. If the other person doesn't want what you have, no problem! Swapdom's algorithm arranges a circular swap with someone who does, no negotiating necessary. This way, you're the only person who puts a price on your items and you get something you actually want in exchange. (There's a ton of J.Crew, Madewell, Ralph Lauren, etc.!) It's the "one in, one out" strategy gone global. Pretty cool, right? 

Sign up for Swapdom here and check out a few of my listings here. Maybe you'll find something you can't live without! ;)

*This post is sponsored by Swapdom. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Design Darling!

 Living in New York (or a studio apartment anywhere) means being strategic about which pieces you have closet space for and being proactive about getting rid of items you no longer wear. You've seen my apartment so you know how little space I'm working with! I adopted an official "one in, one out" rule early on to keep my one closet edited to pieces I'm most likely to wear: for every item I purchase, I consign, donate, or sell another. If you're feeling overwhelmed by a closet full of clothes you almost never wear, I highly recommend this strategy!

Needless to say I was pretty excited to learn about a cool concept called Swapdom. With a lot of consignment options, you drop off your items and wait until they sell in order to receive credit or payment. With Swapdom, you actually offer one of your items in exchange for one of someone else's. If the other person doesn't want what you have, no problem! Swapdom's algorithm arranges a circular swap with someone who does, no negotiating necessary. This way, you're the only person who puts a price on your items and you get something you actually want in exchange. (There's a ton of J.Crew, Madewell, Ralph Lauren, etc.!) It's the "one in, one out" strategy gone global. Pretty cool, right? 

Sign up for Swapdom here and check out a few of my listings here. Maybe you'll find something you can't live without! ;)

*This post is sponsored by Swapdom. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Design Darling!

KATIE KIME'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

As if I needed another reason to love the internet.

I got an email from Katie Kime a few months ago introducing her furniture and paper goods. I clicked over to her site and realized her furniture designs looked super familiar. In fact, I had seen them on someone else's blog years prior and tried to track them down many times since to no avail. Seeing them land in my inbox was the best surprise!

Well, it turns out that Katie is kind of the cutest person ever. She's insanely talented (I want literally everything on her site), super sweet, and I can't wait to meet her when I head to Austin next month (so excited!). When she offered to send photos of her blowout 30th birthday bash, I didn't miss a beat. Ummm, Katie's birthday + the launch of her furniture rental company + every glimpse I've ever seen of Hotel St. Cecelia = no-brainer for Design Darling. And when the photos arrived earlier this week, I was not disappointed. Every last detail was sheer perfection!

Pom pom birthday save-the-dates. Yes please.

The chicest bar duo I've ever seen. These can be rented for your next soirée!

The darling Katie!

A close-up of the pillow situation. So good.

An invitation no one could resist.

The finished set-up. As you know, I'm majorly coveting these birdcage chairs.

Party ready! Note to self: buy red shoes for summer.

Be sure to check out Katie's designs here and contact her if you need any chic furniture rentals in the Austin area. Huge thanks to Katie for sharing her birthday with all of us and for inspiring me to want to do something fun for my 25th this summer! And thank you to the glorious internet for introducing me to another fabulous, talented, kind, smart new friend. My favorite part of blogging for sure! xx

As if I needed another reason to love the internet.

I got an email from Katie Kime a few months ago introducing her furniture and paper goods. I clicked over to her site and realized her furniture designs looked super familiar. In fact, I had seen them on someone else's blog years prior and tried to track them down many times since to no avail. Seeing them land in my inbox was the best surprise!

Well, it turns out that Katie is kind of the cutest person ever. She's insanely talented (I want literally everything on her site), super sweet, and I can't wait to meet her when I head to Austin next month (so excited!). When she offered to send photos of her blowout 30th birthday bash, I didn't miss a beat. Ummm, Katie's birthday + the launch of her furniture rental company + every glimpse I've ever seen of Hotel St. Cecelia = no-brainer for Design Darling. And when the photos arrived earlier this week, I was not disappointed. Every last detail was sheer perfection!

Pom pom birthday save-the-dates. Yes please.

The chicest bar duo I've ever seen. These can be rented for your next soirée!

The darling Katie!

A close-up of the pillow situation. So good.

An invitation no one could resist.

The finished set-up. As you know, I'm majorly coveting these birdcage chairs.

Party ready! Note to self: buy red shoes for summer.

Be sure to check out Katie's designs here and contact her if you need any chic furniture rentals in the Austin area. Huge thanks to Katie for sharing her birthday with all of us and for inspiring me to want to do something fun for my 25th this summer! And thank you to the glorious internet for introducing me to another fabulous, talented, kind, smart new friend. My favorite part of blogging for sure! xx

SNAPSHOTS

My pretty-in-pink new bicycle!

Crazy for chinoiserie: ginger jar and ottoman tray

Love me some Loren Hope

A new home for nail files: a classic mint julep cup

The best is yet to come (photo source)

The perfect pink pumps (so excited about these)

Rory's feeling his new lime green raincoat

Love how Molly styled her turquoise tassel earrings

A beautifully styled coffee table featuring Design Darling coasters and matches (photo source)

Every desk deserves a monogrammed business card holder (photo source)

Adorable cocktail napkins with my monogram and social media icons

...a few of the fun little snapshots I've shared on Instagram over the past month. Follow me here for lots more! 

My pretty-in-pink new bicycle!

Crazy for chinoiserie: ginger jar and ottoman tray

Love me some Loren Hope

A new home for nail files: a classic mint julep cup

The best is yet to come (photo source)

The perfect pink pumps (so excited about these)

Rory's feeling his new lime green raincoat

Love how Molly styled her turquoise tassel earrings

A beautifully styled coffee table featuring Design Darling coasters and matches (photo source)

Every desk deserves a monogrammed business card holder (photo source)

Adorable cocktail napkins with my monogram and social media icons

...a few of the fun little snapshots I've shared on Instagram over the past month. Follow me here for lots more! 

10 FINDS UNDER $100

Just dropping in with a few affordable finds from my favorite sites. I'll take this and this, please and thank you!

P.S. Everything here is under $100.

*image

Just dropping in with a few affordable finds from my favorite sites. I'll take this and this, please and thank you!

P.S. Everything here is under $100.

*image

NEW YORK CITY GUIDE: THREE BROADWAY PLAYS I SAW AND LOVED

So far my New York City Guide has consisted entirely of brunch spots (most of which are just as good for lunch, dinner, etc.). Now I love brunch as much as the next girl (read: a lot)  but I'm pretty excited to have more daylight hours in which to photograph my favorite spots for cocktails, dinner, and dessert throughout the spring and summer. Totally worth the lost hour of sleep, right? Right.

But today I'm switching gears entirely and sharing a must for any proper NYC guide: Broadway! My sister Reilly studied theater in college so our family has always loved musicals and plays — and I'm no exception. I wrote "see three Broadway plays" on my new 101 in 1001 list and I was able to cross it off this past weekend! (Though I'll definitely see more within the next ~2 years!) I thought I'd share what we saw and what I loved about each in case any of you are planning a trip or just a local looking for a recommendation!

Beautiful

My boyfriend's parents gave us tickets to Beautiful for Christmas and neither one of us was sure what to expect. And we loved it! We didn't know much about Carole King going into it (and were definitely the youngest couple there!) but we recognized way more songs than we thought we would and ended the night dancing to "I Feel The Earth Move" with the rest of the audience. If you want to hear killer singing and walk away feeling totally inspired to immediately download every one of Carole King's songs, this one's for you.

Recommended for: bringing your parents (you'll love it as much as they do)

The Book of Mormon

One boyfriend, two Broadway shows in one month. He's a trooper! I gave him tickets to The Book of Mormon for Valentine's Day after my sister declared it the funniest show she's ever seen. It's written by the creators of the show South Park so it's hilariously inappropriate. The dance numbers are seriously catchy and the entire audience was in stitches for the whole play. 

Recommended for: girlfriends, siblings, and significant others (probably not your adorably conservative grandparents!)

The Lion King

My Christmas present to my mom and sister and definitely my favorite of the three. All I can say is whoa. The costumes were out of this world and the child actors literally took my breath away. The opening scene gave all three of us goosebumps — there really are no words. The singing wasn't as powerful as, say, Beautiful but the choreography, lighting, and special effects were extraordinary. If you only see one show this year, this gets my vote.

Recommended for: kids and kids-at-heart (everyone!)

- - - 

Next on my list? I've heard great things about Matilda (I loved the movie growing up!). Have you seen any Broadway shows lately? What's your all-time favorite?

So far my New York City Guide has consisted entirely of brunch spots (most of which are just as good for lunch, dinner, etc.). Now I love brunch as much as the next girl (read: a lot)  but I'm pretty excited to have more daylight hours in which to photograph my favorite spots for cocktails, dinner, and dessert throughout the spring and summer. Totally worth the lost hour of sleep, right? Right.

But today I'm switching gears entirely and sharing a must for any proper NYC guide: Broadway! My sister Reilly studied theater in college so our family has always loved musicals and plays — and I'm no exception. I wrote "see three Broadway plays" on my new 101 in 1001 list and I was able to cross it off this past weekend! (Though I'll definitely see more within the next ~2 years!) I thought I'd share what we saw and what I loved about each in case any of you are planning a trip or just a local looking for a recommendation!

Beautiful

My boyfriend's parents gave us tickets to Beautiful for Christmas and neither one of us was sure what to expect. And we loved it! We didn't know much about Carole King going into it (and were definitely the youngest couple there!) but we recognized way more songs than we thought we would and ended the night dancing to "I Feel The Earth Move" with the rest of the audience. If you want to hear killer singing and walk away feeling totally inspired to immediately download every one of Carole King's songs, this one's for you.

Recommended for: bringing your parents (you'll love it as much as they do)

The Book of Mormon

One boyfriend, two Broadway shows in one month. He's a trooper! I gave him tickets to The Book of Mormon for Valentine's Day after my sister declared it the funniest show she's ever seen. It's written by the creators of the show South Park so it's hilariously inappropriate. The dance numbers are seriously catchy and the entire audience was in stitches for the whole play. 

Recommended for: girlfriends, siblings, and significant others (probably not your adorably conservative grandparents!)

The Lion King

My Christmas present to my mom and sister and definitely my favorite of the three. All I can say is whoa. The costumes were out of this world and the child actors literally took my breath away. The opening scene gave all three of us goosebumps — there really are no words. The singing wasn't as powerful as, say, Beautiful but the choreography, lighting, and special effects were extraordinary. If you only see one show this year, this gets my vote.

Recommended for: kids and kids-at-heart (everyone!)

- - - 

Next on my list? I've heard great things about Matilda (I loved the movie growing up!). Have you seen any Broadway shows lately? What's your all-time favorite?

APARTMENT "BEFORE" PHOTOS

I can be a bit of a perfectionist which is why it's tempting for me to only show you the "after" photos from any given project, particularly my first apartment. But it took me months to get it looking like that and I thought it would be fun and different to share more of the decorating process with you this time around. So here it is: my new apartment as it looked when I moved in a week ago!

Here's what I'm loving:

1. When it came time to choose between a studio in my favorite neighborhood and a one-bedroom in a neighborhood I didn't love quite as much, I opted for living in a studio again. This one is a tiny bit bigger than my last place and I'm already so happy with my new neighborhood. It will be even better come spring and summer!

2. The hardwood floors. 

3. The kitchen is way nicer than the one in my last place. Incentive to cook!

4. The window trim. My last apartment was pretty much devoid of any architectural detail (so I added my own with pieces like this mirror and the pelmet boxes!).

5. The little alcove for the fridge. The fridge in my last place was kind of in the middle of the living room (to the right of the sofa) so I like that it's a little less in the way here.

6. The light. This is so, so important when you work from home!

A few challenges:

1. A few of the less expensive pieces (think Ikea) from my first apartment got pretty banged up during my first year in New York and the move. Think chips on the tabletop, dings on the bookshelves, etc. It's not realistic for me to try to replace everything at once so I'm referring to my own advice and keeping an eye out for replacement pieces from Craigslist, family members, etc. And I think I'm going to find a table skirt for my round dining table — a way to totally update the look (and hide the chipping paint) without spending a fortune. I'll keep you posted!

2. The layout is almost exactly the same as my last apartment. I tried to avoid this when I was looking at apartments but this layout really does have very little "dead space" and accommodates all my furniture well. That said, I really want to move things around so it feels different to me (since I spend so much time here!) and so it photographs differently when I am eventually ready to share the finished product. 

So that's where you come in: what would you do with this space? Color palettes, furniture layouts, pieces to add or subtract from my last place? I'm all ears!!!

I can be a bit of a perfectionist which is why it's tempting for me to only show you the "after" photos from any given project, particularly my first apartment. But it took me months to get it looking like that and I thought it would be fun and different to share more of the decorating process with you this time around. So here it is: my new apartment as it looked when I moved in a week ago!

Here's what I'm loving:

1. When it came time to choose between a studio in my favorite neighborhood and a one-bedroom in a neighborhood I didn't love quite as much, I opted for living in a studio again. This one is a tiny bit bigger than my last place and I'm already so happy with my new neighborhood. It will be even better come spring and summer!

2. The hardwood floors. 

3. The kitchen is way nicer than the one in my last place. Incentive to cook!

4. The window trim. My last apartment was pretty much devoid of any architectural detail (so I added my own with pieces like this mirror and the pelmet boxes!).

5. The little alcove for the fridge. The fridge in my last place was kind of in the middle of the living room (to the right of the sofa) so I like that it's a little less in the way here.

6. The light. This is so, so important when you work from home!

A few challenges:

1. A few of the less expensive pieces (think Ikea) from my first apartment got pretty banged up during my first year in New York and the move. Think chips on the tabletop, dings on the bookshelves, etc. It's not realistic for me to try to replace everything at once so I'm referring to my own advice and keeping an eye out for replacement pieces from Craigslist, family members, etc. And I think I'm going to find a table skirt for my round dining table — a way to totally update the look (and hide the chipping paint) without spending a fortune. I'll keep you posted!

2. The layout is almost exactly the same as my last apartment. I tried to avoid this when I was looking at apartments but this layout really does have very little "dead space" and accommodates all my furniture well. That said, I really want to move things around so it feels different to me (since I spend so much time here!) and so it photographs differently when I am eventually ready to share the finished product. 

So that's where you come in: what would you do with this space? Color palettes, furniture layouts, pieces to add or subtract from my last place? I'm all ears!!!

OUTFIT: KATE SPADE TRENCH

Kate Spade trench (also available here)  //  MiH sweater c/o  //  Rag & Bone jeans

Kate Spade bag c/o (available at the Madison Avenue flagship, similar bag here)  //  Kate Spade boots

Say hello to my new favorite item of clothing: this killer navy trench from Kate Spade. It was literally love at first sight. I spotted it at their flagship store, tried it on, and just couldn't leave the store without it. I knew it was exactly the kind of classic piece my closet would thank me for. Luckily I had a gift card to make it a little more affordable — and luckily for you, it's now on sale! I'm telling you: this is the perfect jacket for spring and fall. It cinches at the waist for a super flattering shape and has the cutest bow detail on the back of the collar... Yup, it's definitely love!

*Rebecca Dale Photography

Kate Spade trench (also available here)  //  MiH sweater c/o  //  Rag & Bone jeans

Kate Spade bag c/o (available at the Madison Avenue flagship, similar bag here)  //  Kate Spade boots

Say hello to my new favorite item of clothing: this killer navy trench from Kate Spade. It was literally love at first sight. I spotted it at their flagship store, tried it on, and just couldn't leave the store without it. I knew it was exactly the kind of classic piece my closet would thank me for. Luckily I had a gift card to make it a little more affordable — and luckily for you, it's now on sale! I'm telling you: this is the perfect jacket for spring and fall. It cinches at the waist for a super flattering shape and has the cutest bow detail on the back of the collar... Yup, it's definitely love!

*Rebecca Dale Photography

WEEKEND WARDROBE

shirt  //  lipstick (so many new shades!)  //  bangles  //  tote (want this so bad!)  //  heels  //  jeans

I can't tell you how happy I am this weekend is finally here! This was really the week that went on forever. As much as I love my new neighborhood, moving is definitely a pain in the you-know-what. On top of that, I came down with a nasty cold — winter, please get lost. But on a happy note, I've been counting down to this weekend since giving my mom and sister tickets to the Lion King on Broadway for Christmas! We're seeing a matinée tomorrow and I'm so excited — I've heard great things! 

Oh and the best part? It's supposed to hit 50* here tomorrow which means spring must not be so far off after all. I'm using it as an excuse to trade my winter coat for my field jacket and throw it over an ensemble like the above: classic silk shirt, an armful of tortoiseshell bangles, and a dash of pretty-in-pink lipstick. (P.S. Have any of you tried Tory Burch's lipstick? The packaging has me head over heels!) Have a good one, friends. xx

shirt  //  lipstick (so many new shades!)  //  bangles  //  tote (want this so bad!)  //  heels  //  jeans

I can't tell you how happy I am this weekend is finally here! This was really the week that went on forever. As much as I love my new neighborhood, moving is definitely a pain in the you-know-what. On top of that, I came down with a nasty cold — winter, please get lost. But on a happy note, I've been counting down to this weekend since giving my mom and sister tickets to the Lion King on Broadway for Christmas! We're seeing a matinée tomorrow and I'm so excited — I've heard great things! 

Oh and the best part? It's supposed to hit 50* here tomorrow which means spring must not be so far off after all. I'm using it as an excuse to trade my winter coat for my field jacket and throw it over an ensemble like the above: classic silk shirt, an armful of tortoiseshell bangles, and a dash of pretty-in-pink lipstick. (P.S. Have any of you tried Tory Burch's lipstick? The packaging has me head over heels!) Have a good one, friends. xx

INTRODUCING HIGH FASHION HOME

As you know, I moved into a new apartment earlier this week and have been figuring out exactly how I'd like to lay out the furniture to give this place a different feel than my last apartment. Although the space is similar, I do have a little extra room to play around with new accent tables and lighting options, which is why I was extra excited when I got an email from High Fashion Home. The Houston-based home retailer also happens to have a great website that's super easy to navigate, allowing you to sort by price and even whether a piece is made in the U.S.A. I could spend hours browsing the site (their brick-and-mortar location is four stories and 125,000 square feet!) but I've rounded up a few of my top picks for my current apartment and beyond:

chair  //  end table  //  sofa  //  pillow  //  ghost chair (always wanted one!)  //  desk  //  lamp  //  side table

Really pretty, right? I'm obsessed with the Greek key lamp. Oh and I love, love, love their unofficial motto: buy only what you love. When it comes to decorating, I think that's literally the best advice there is. If you love something, you'll always find a home for it! (Which means it's definitely time for me to buy a ghost chair, right?) Check out High Fashion Home and let me know what you think! P.S. If any of you are in Houston and have actually been to their retail location, I want deets! 

*This post is sponsored by High Fashion Home, a brand I hand selected as a good fit for Design Darling. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

As you know, I moved into a new apartment earlier this week and have been figuring out exactly how I'd like to lay out the furniture to give this place a different feel than my last apartment. Although the space is similar, I do have a little extra room to play around with new accent tables and lighting options, which is why I was extra excited when I got an email from High Fashion Home. The Houston-based home retailer also happens to have a great website that's super easy to navigate, allowing you to sort by price and even whether a piece is made in the U.S.A. I could spend hours browsing the site (their brick-and-mortar location is four stories and 125,000 square feet!) but I've rounded up a few of my top picks for my current apartment and beyond:

chair  //  end table  //  sofa  //  pillow  //  ghost chair (always wanted one!)  //  desk  //  lamp  //  side table

Really pretty, right? I'm obsessed with the Greek key lamp. Oh and I love, love, love their unofficial motto: buy only what you love. When it comes to decorating, I think that's literally the best advice there is. If you love something, you'll always find a home for it! (Which means it's definitely time for me to buy a ghost chair, right?) Check out High Fashion Home and let me know what you think! P.S. If any of you are in Houston and have actually been to their retail location, I want deets! 

*This post is sponsored by High Fashion Home, a brand I hand selected as a good fit for Design Darling. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!