Home Decor: Wall Decals

As an apartment renter who can't paint her walls, I'm a big fan of wall decals. They give me the option to cover a large amount of wall space and add some color without putting holes in the walls. I also have really high ceilings for a studio apartment, so it's been a challenge for me to fill up all of the wall space I have without painting!!

The first wall decal set I put up was a tree with many branches and little birds. I bought it at Urban Outfitters last year and it's unfortunately no longer available. I used it to fill up the space in my living/bedroom area to the left of my TV and dresser. It took hours to get all of those little branches up in the right spot without ripping them, but it was worth it in the end!

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Last week, I decided I wanted to add a few more wall decals to the main room. I ordered these whimsical Victorian Hot Air Balloon decals from tweetheartwallart on Etsy. I fell in love with them immediately because I've always dreamed of riding in a hot air balloon! I also really loved that you could choose the colors of the balloons to fit your decor. My room is decorated in black, white and jewel tones, so I went with turquoise, gentian and violet. I decided to put them up above my TV over the weekend and wanted to share the final result with you.

Style Inspiration: Blair Waldorf

Okay, I realize she's a fictional character, but I can't help being inspired by Blair Waldorf's style. I love her feminine dresses, luxe handbags, gorgeous jewels, and of course, her headbands!! She always looks classy, polished and perfectly girly. I would love Leighton Meester's job for just one day - if only I had the budget to own all of Blair's clothes! :)  Here are some of my favorite Gossip Girl looks.

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DIY Glitter Wine Glasses

**NOTE: If you don't want to make your own glasses, you can buy a set from me on Etsy!**

Hi everyone! I took last week off from blogging because I was visiting my dad in St. Louis. We had a great time catching up, visiting museums, riding to the top of the Arch and seeing the Bruins beat the Blues!

When I got home this weekend, I had some free time and decided to put my leftover glasses from the chalkboard wine glass project and my new Martha Stewart glitter set to good use by making these pretty glitter wine glasses. This project hardly takes any time at all and the results are fantastic! These make great housewarming gifts and many people have told me that they want to make them for their bridesmaids as well :)

Friday Inspiration: Quotes I Love

Have a great weekend, everyone! :)

Sparkly Vernis Giveaway - I Won!

A couple of weeks ago, I entered an amazing giveaway on Sparkly Vernis's nail polish blog. I was so shocked and excited to find out that I won!! I always enter giveaways and I pretty much never win, so I was thrilled. :)

My loot consisted of the following:

Chanel Dreams

It's no secret that I am a big fan of Chanel accessories. Last time I was in Paris, I spent all of my money on a vintage Chanel necklace and I occasionally splurge on Chanel nail polishes and perfumes. I dream of someday owning the 2.55 jumbo flap bag in caviar - it's the handbag I drool over most!!

I realized that I'm constantly pinning pictures of Chanel bags, jewelry and makeup to my Girly Things pinboard so I wanted to share some of those images I found with you. *swoon*

Design Inspiration: Relaxing Baths

I don't know about you, but I love taking baths! It's the perfect way to relax and get some peace & quiet. I also love adding bubbles or bath bombs for a little aromatherapy.

Here are some of the prettiest bathtubs I've seen - which is your favorite? I tend to favor romantic claw-foot tubs, but I'm not picky!!! :)

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

This weekend was a good reminder that sometimes things don't always turn out quite the way you plan when you bake! I really wanted to make this marbled red velvet cheesecake brownie recipe by The Novice Chef for a party I was going to on Saturday night, but I ran into a few bumps along the way.

First of all, I used the wrong sized pan to make these heart shaped brownies. The pan I used was too short and the heart cutter I had was too big, so I would have only been able to cut out about 8 hearts from the pan!! My brownies were much thicker than they were supposed to be, so I had to cut them into little cubes in order to make enough for everyone at the party. I was able to make two hearts for my boyfriend though. :)

Friday Inspiration: Quotes I Love

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

(all images found on Pinterest. follow my boards here!)

Handmade Cards & Notes

I think it's a nice gesture to make someone a handmade card. Not only can you personalize it just for them, but it shows them that you took some time out of your day to do something special for them because you care! This weekend, I made two cards and one note to celebrate and thank the people in my life. All three recipients were truly grateful and excited to receive my handmade cards, which in turn made me happy. :)  You don't need much time or energy to create a beautiful card for your family and friends, so let's get crafting!

What you need...

• blank cards & envelopes or cardstock for small notes (I got mine at AC Moore)
• wood alphabet stamps (I use these ones from Inkadinkado)
• wood stamps with images of your choice
• black and silver ink pads
• glitter (I use Martha Stewart glitter)
• glue and thin paintbrush
• small rhinestones for accents
• colored pencils

The first card I made was a birthday card for my boyfriend's sister. I used glitter & rhincstones around the edges and alphabet stamps to spell out the message. In the center, I used a cute cake stamp which I colored in with pencils and accented with a yellow heart rhinestone for the candle flame. I left the inside blank so my boyfriend and I could write our messages.

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The second card I made was for a friend who is starting a new job. She loves birds and birdcage designs, so I picked out these stamps especially for her. I approached this card almost the same way as the birthday card but added a few more glitter accents. I used a small paintbrush and glue to add pink glitter to the heart and purple glitter to the two birds in the cage. I stamped a message to her on the inside and added birds and flowers with silver ink.

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I also made a quick thank you note using a small piece of pink cardstock and a cute envelope I got at Paper Source. All I did was stamp the message and the skeleton key and use a paintbrush with glue to make the key sparkly. Easy and beautiful!

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Overall, I'm really happy with how these cards turned out! Do they look as professional as the cards from Papyrus? No. But I think they have a nice vintage charm, don't you? I'm thinking of making a few more for Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day Gifts for Him

Ahh, the age old question: "What the heck do I get my boyfriend for Valentine's Day?!"  Valentine's Day is a holiday that's definitely geared towards women, so buying your boyfriend a gift can be really difficult. Most guys (including my boyfriend) would say they don't want us spending money on them, but sometimes it's nice to treat them to a small token of your affection. In my gift guide, you'll find ideas for all types of guys that will fit any budget.  V-Day is just one week away, so start planning now!


Cologne - prices vary. Have you noticed that your boyfriend's favorite cologne bottle is nearing empty? Maybe it's time to buy him a new bottle of his favorite scent! If you need an idea on what to pick out, my favorite men's cologne is definitely Jean Paul Gautlier Le Male ($62 for 2.5oz). It's masculine but subtle - just strong enough for you to smell it when you get close to him.

Case-Mate® Brushed Metal iPhone 4 & 4S Case - $38. This sleek case will keep his phone protected, whether it's knocking around in his briefcase or shoved in the back pocket of his jeans. It's impact resistant, so if he tends to drop his phone often, this is a great gift for him. :)

Baseball Cufflinks - $60-$170. If your boyfriend wears cufflinks and loves baseball, I've found him the perfect gift. The Baseball Fan Shop makes really unique cufflinks at many price points for all of the MLB teams. Go with his team's logo, like these Red Sox Enamel Cufflinks ($60):

Or splurge on his team's authenticated game used baseball cufflinks ($170) which feature bits of baseballs used during MLB games. He can log on to his team's site, enter the holograph number and find out which game the ball was used in. Any die-hard baseball fan will love wearing a little piece of history on his sleeve. :)

Fossil 'Nate' Stainless Steel Watch in Smoke - $145. If your guy wears watches, it may be time to buy him a new one. I like this Fossil watch because it's not too shiny or over the top and the wood face makes it really unique. It can be worn to work or with casual weekend outfits. There are hundreds of great watches to choose from out there at all price points, so find one that's perfect for your boyfriend!

Romantic Weekend Getaway - prices vary. If you have a bit of extra cash, treat your boyfriend to a romantic weekend getaway. Choose someplace close to where you live so you don't have to spend money on flights, and check sites like Living Social Escapes or Travel Zoo Local Deals to find the perfect trip near you! Many of their packages offer hotel discounts, spa & restaurant credits and classes. It'd be the perfect way for you two to recharge and spend time time away together.

Bake him something!  Take it from me - guys love to eat our homemade baked treats. My boyfriend would take a dozen of my cupcakes over an expensive gift any day! I really like this marbled red velvet cheesecake brownie recipe by The Novice Chef for Valentine's Day - it's cute and sweet without being over the top!

If your boyfriend is more of a chocolate lover, try out this chocolate banana peanut butter cupcake recipe by Your Cup of Cake. There's no way you can go wrong with that one!!

DIY Deck of Love cards - I posted this on my Valentine's Gift Guide for Her, but I also think it'd make a perfect gift for boyfriends as well. Follow this tutorial from PaperVine to make him a book filled with the reasons you love him - it's sweet and romantic and he'll have it forever!

Friday Inspiration: Quotes I Love

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

(all images found on Pinterest. follow my boards here!)