Dining Nooks

I confess. I love a fabulous nook and I don't mean the ereader kind. Whether it is for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or to cozy up with a cup of coffee doesn't matter as long as it is cozy and/or chic. Nooks are a great spot to make a bold statement.

What makes a nook a nook? There actually appears to be some confusion about this. When I googled "dining nook" and "breakfast nook" I got all sorts of search results that were of dining tables in kitchens. There is a difference between an eat in kitchen and an eating nook (I find the word becomes a bit annoying after saying it enough times, but I love them too much to care).

In my opinion, a nook is a space that is typically very small. It can either be a separate room or the small area of a kitchen, but it would typically be hard to do much with. I generally think there should be a built-in element to a nook, although it's not always required.

A nook always should be cozy and intimate.

I don't have a nook anywhere in my house right now, but someday I dream (like most) of expanding my kitchen quite a bit and putting a wonderful nook with a backdrop of windows to the west where we can look out onto our gardens, watch the sunset and see the ocean in the distance while sitting cozily in our kitchen. Oh, to dream.

Images via
Elle Decor, Element Interiors, Coastal Living, Southern Living, and House Beautiful

A Brief Moment of Glamour

Recently, I was honored to be asked to be a "mom blogger" for TLC's new (yet to be officially named) parenting blog that is launching next month. I am really excited about this opportunity and it's going to be a great place for me to combine my experience as a designer, a parent, and my last job before becoming a writer as a buyer for a children's boutique. I am thrilled to be able to dive back into the fun world of kidstuff and share my trials, tribulations and successes as a parent as well as the coolest new products on the market.
Last Thursday I got a call to see if I could bring my kids to New York for a photo shoot for TLC. It was short notice-we needed to be there Sunday- and I had a busy Saturday already planned, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity so at 6 a.m. on Sunday I loaded the kids (and my mom who I am forever indebted to) into the car and we headed to the city for the shoot.
I am not the type to wear make-up and you are lucky if you've caught me with my hair any which way but in a ponytail. In fact, I could not be more low maintenance. My husband really has no idea how lucky he has it. I digress...anyway, after an hour in hair, make-up and wardrobe, we had our still photos shot. Above is a sneak peak at some of them. Following that, I was interviewed on camera and then the kids came in to join me in the interview and some additional footage was taken of us playing.
I have worked on my fair share of photo shoots, although rarely as the subject, and there is a LOT that goes into every photo you see in every magazine, catalog, or television spot. It was so amazing to get to work with a high end crew that kept things moving and made everyone feel so comfortable. A few years, maybe even months ago, I would have been a nervous wreck to do this sort of thing, but while I doubt there is a future in television for me, I was amazed at how calm and comfortable I was throughout the day. And I surprisingly kind of really want to have someone follow me around doing my hair and make-up and touching it up every 5 minutes from now on.
This year I've committed myself to saying "YES" to every opportunity that comes my way. What do I have to lose, right? I don't know if our still or video shots will end up being used or not, and it's actually one of those things that I'll probably be lucky if I even catch them in action if they are, but it was a great experience for both myself and my kids. So keep an eye out, let me know if you see them, and just say "Yes". So far, it's been a great year, and I think there is lots more good to come.

BHLDN-Weddings by Anthropologie

Yesterday, Anthropologie launched their new wedding web site, BHLDN (Beholden). While I have to say that I understand the name, I know there must have been a better choice in the bunch than to go with that abbreviation. Luckily, what really matters-the goods- are quite fabulous. The site offers wedding gowns, bridemaids dresses, shoes, lingerie, jewelry and more all with that special Anthropologie touch. And what makes it doubly as fun, is that most of it would easily translate to events other than weddings so those of us who have already walked down the aisle or never plan to can still enjoy this new venture!

I didn't want to bombard you with ALL of my favorite pieces from the collection, but here are a few. The Pleated Fantasy Gown (top) is a-maz-ing! Fun, flattering and unique. And is there anyone ready this that is dying for a pair of the Moonlit Peep Toe Heels (above)? Every woman should have a pair of these even if only just to know that you have something so fabulous in your closet.

I'm not typically a fan of the bubble dress, but I find the Twirled Sweetheart Dress to be fun and sweet.

The Deco Beaded Clutch is another must have in your closet. You don't need a lot of different bags in your life, but one like this is to give you many happy years together.

And for those who don't want to go the veil route, this Botanical Garland Headband adds a little sparkle while still being delicate and not too fussy. To check all their offerings, go to BHLDN.

Kitchen Ladder Lust

I swoon every time I see a nice tall ladder, particularly on a track, in a kitchen. I don't know if it is because I love the look or am envious of the amount of storage one must have in order to need a ladder to reach it.

Whether you have open shelving or closed cabinets, a kitchen ladder adds a bit of character to a space and works in both modern and traditional homes.

A lot of people have dead space above their kitchen cabinets because builder's don't want to make the cabinets too high for people to reach, but a nice kitchen ladder solves that problem.

The only thing that concerns me about them is that in a situation such as in the above picture it seems the ladder might be in the way and you'd constantly have to move it. I would suggest doing one if you have storage on a wall opposite your work space or if you have at least a thin strip of wall where the ladder can be stored when not in use so that you can access all of your cabinets without having to move it regularly.

Images via:
The Casting Dock, Flights of Whimsy, Peter Pennoyer, and Hegebee 57

High Gloss Magazine Has Arrived

The much anticipated newest launch in online design magazines hit the web today. High Gloss Magazine was founded by blogger Paloma Contreras of La Dolce Vita and includes many well known design bloggers on its editorial team. Just a few of them are Erin Gates of Elements of Style, Kyle Knight of Knight Moves, and Lauren Rauter of Rock Paper Scissors. While I really want to drop everything and read the entire magazine right now, I have only had the chance for a quick perusal of it, but I must say that it looks pretty awesome so far. With great graphics, bright colors and a full range of topics from fabulous interiors to the best clutches a girl can buy, High Gloss has all you need to know about living the good life jam packed into 181 pages of reading pleasure. I must admit that I am not a big fan of reading magazines online, but I'm pretty sure that I will be learning to love it with the launch of this one. Hmmm, maybe a good excuse to get myself an iPad.