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what goes at the foot of the bed?

an email from my mom about decorating my bedroom for our senior year house (it sounds like she's already been picking up a few things — lucky me!) has me thinking about the layout of my room. she says she found some inexpensive suede storage cubes at target that might work for the end of my bed. an easy enough purchase at $17 apiece, i'm too detail-oriented to make the purchase sight unseen. here are some rooms that might prompt me to make the right choice:
i love the simplicity that this old wooden trunk brings to a room otherwise brimming with bold fabric choices in typical kathryn ireland fashion.
two small ottomans neutralize a turquoise bed skirt and orange throw pillow.
i love these x-shaped benches! how cute that one provides seating and the other features a tray for collecting what we can only assume are more of the homeowner's pretty things.
doesn't the scale of this bench seem a little at war with the grandeur of the canopy bed? still i had to include this bedroom for all the features that work: the subtle moulding, the sunburst mirror, the perfection of those throw pillows...
not that my collegiate bedroom will sport a fireplace, but isn't the idea of putting a loveseat at the foot of your bed a nice one? the mix of chairs keeps the sitting room from being stuffy, though i'd worry that the loveseat would merely become a new destination for my clothes.
{domino}
there's something so delightfully un-decorated about this space from blogworld's favorite (and sadly folded) shelter magazine. leave it to domino to make an askew throw blanket and a messy stack of mail on one of two yellow garden stools look like the epitome of effortless style.
a long bench that runs the width of the bed mirrors the color on the walls and offsets the prominence of the bed curtains and patterned fabrics.

what do you have at the end of your bed? do any of these inspiration rooms speak to you? i always love to hear your thoughts and i would love some advice from my stylish readers!

desk du jour

the refurbished childhood desk of university of minnesota student anna kohler. the desk is nice but i love the lamp and that blue and white silhouette. like her style? read the ten things she can't live without on la dolce vita.

suit up

since you ladies loved the idea of rent the runway, i thought i'd bring you another smart shopping find: hautelook has rachel pally swim on sale today and it's full of pretty spring (and summer) things! click the link above or the button on the right under "you're invited!" to join for free and then take your pick of mix-and-match tops and bottoms and pretty cover-ups for more than 60% off. here are some of my favorites:

belize maillot, retail $180 / hautelook $68

rio top, retail $90 / hautelook $36

malibu top, retail $90 / hautelook $32

short catherine dress, retail $234 / hautelook $84

long cameron dress, retail $229 / hautelook $94
for those equally interested in interior design, the candice olson lighting collection is also on sale today. i hope you'll decide to join the site — with new sale events every day, i know you'll find something you love!