(image via Decor Pad) 
(image via 47th Street Supply Co.)
I LOVE beautiful packages. My mom is a gift-wrapping master and I've always looked forward to her beautiful presentation under the Christmas tree. Me on the other hand - not so much. I buy beautiful paper and grosgrain ribbon, and try with all my heart to replicate the wonderfulness I grew up adoring. Though, somehow, it's never quite the same. I'm convinced that my dining table has something to do with it. As if it's upset I use the space to take in another activity besides eating. If I had a dedicated place for such crafty things, however, I'm convinced I could do fabulous work. Or at least something close. And speaking of fabulous work, be sure and check out the other Fashion Forward posts today on Paper Pocket!
(craft station via Woman’s Day, board/craft shop by Lara Robby Photography, crafting closet by A Field Journal, image via Apartment Therapy, image via Anamama)
(image via Nitrolicious)
I like color. I swear. But I admit I’m drawn to some hues more than others. And, I don’t just want a blasé, primary color pillow on my sofa. If I’m gonna rock it, I need it to be rad. Like these book covers and this painted raffia top table. Oh, and if I’m gonna cook, I may as well have rad bowls in my kitchen to match my rad books in the living room. Don’t worry white; you’re still my first love. Though everyone has a price.
(book covers by Michael Kosmicki via Spagat, nesting bowls at the Moma Store, tini table lll at Oomph, image via A Creative Mint, jonas damon twice twice clock at Design Public, colored hand blown glasses at Toast)
I think a big misconception is that great style can’t be comfy. There are many people who believe a beautifully designed house will never truly be “lived in” and associate home décor with a sofa covered in plastic. The horror. I, on the other hand, feel the MOST beautiful homes are quite the opposite. They are the ones where you can put your feet up on the coffee table (maybe sans shoes, but still), or sit at the kitchen counter and laugh about your day. I believe homes need energy and life in order to really radiate – no matter how gorgeous the items inside! I wish I could jump inside today’s board, curl up in front of the fireplace (it's portable, by the way), and read all 10,000 books. I don’t know about you, but that house looks pretty stylish to me, and I suspect I’d be pretty comfortable there.
(dew drop coffee spoons and reef knot mug from Anthropologie, image frome Home Sweet Home, rattan pouf from Urban Outfitters, cashmere throw from White Home, portable fireplace from Fredrik Hylten-Cavallius via Decor8, genevalab sound speaker, medium, from Huset, velvet lined slippers from Toast)
My aunt who lives in Stockholm has an incredible black velvet chandelier hanging in her living room. I was 15 the first time I noticed it and have coveted it (blatantly) ever since. She’s an artist, and the fixture is an ideal representation of her daring creativity, great fashion sense and eclectic personality. Though the chandelier may seem out of place in my predominately white abode, I can say with absolute certainty that I would just make it work. You got that Aunt Ulla? I would make it work! I mean, in the event that you’d ever like to let me “borrow” it. I’m just sayin’.
Don't forget to check out all the great Fashion Forward posts at Paper Pocket today!
(black porcelain chandelier at Pieces, photo via Maggy Moon Interiors, vino wine glasses from Crate and Barrel, eternity band by bmjnyc on Etsy, modern herringbone blanket at Ortolan, photography by Bonnie Tsang via Snippet and Ink)
(LOVE the ornament Erin sent me! A little New York style from a New York style guru.)
(my ornament for YSL is a simple dala horse from Jayson Home & Garden. I looooove Swedish design and think this would be the perfect addition for any home. Hope she feels the same!)
Just want to give a quick shout-out to Erin at Slipcover Your Life for including me in her fabulous, month-long Ornament Exchange! Each day during the month of December she's exchanging ornaments with blogs that have supported and inspired her and I'm thrilled to be one of them. If you've yet to check out YSL, put it on your list - it's fantastic, beautifully designed, and FULL of great style and design we all crave!! 
For the most part, I’m a pretty casual gal. Any friends or frequenters of this blog know by now that as a general rule, if it’s not flip-flops and jeans approved, it’s out. Though I admit there are some days when 100% cotton and worn-in Joe’s don’t seem to cut the mustard. "Why?" I’ll find myself wondering. Well, I think I’ve finally realized that it’s my inner girly-self rebelling. “What’s wrong with silk sheets??” and “seriously, put down the microbrew and grab a glass of bubbly for ONCE!” I hear her exclaiming from time to time. While I don’t see myself trading in my ridiculously comfortable bamboo Target sheets (see previous post) any time soon, I figured a little visual satisfaction wouldn’t hurt anyone. That being said, girly-self, this post’s for you.
(calvin klein balsam jacquard bedding at Nordstrom, arteriors riviera hammered iron lamp at Quality Bath, image via This Is Glamorous, cupcake image unknown, champagne image via Snippet and Ink, platinum nina bed from Z Gallerie)
I love you. You are my home away from home. I will do everything in my power to invent a reason to browse your shelves of stylish bedding, bath and kitchen items, even if it means I return home with more paper towels than we will use in a year. However, you don't seem to stock the same caliber of furniture in the store where I happen to spend the most time. This makes me very sad. Especially after I see that online, you offer some pretty fabulous pieces. Like the chair above. The chair that would cost me less than $60. The chair that I paid substantially more for, only a couple years ago. To really hit my point home, I've posted a similar chair from Design Within Reach. A chair that costs $600. Though I certainly did NOT pay this much, I paid enough, and it was definitely more than $60. So Target, if you could begin enticing me in your stores as you've been doing online, I think it could really take our relationship to the next level. And while my husband may not be ready for it, I'll be waiting with open arms. 
I LOVE the idea of open shelving in a kitchen. I repeat, “the idea” of it. The sad truth is I’m pretty sure the world doesn’t want to see my mismatched coffee mugs and embarrassingly adolescent cereal. But then, an image comes along like the one above and I find myself longing to take the doors off the hinges and let it all hang out! (So to speak.) Those moments of abandon usually last, oh, five minutes, before I’m somehow reminded of the level of dedication to organization required to pull off this look. And friends, let’s just say it’s a level I seem unable to attain. Sigh. One can dream.
(sofa by Moroso via Spagat, porcelain vase from Klein Reid, eclipse nesting tables and brazo floor lamp at Design Within Reach, pom pom throw by Calypso Celle, image via Decor8)
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