just wanna

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dance!!

if u haven't stepped outside fellow nyc friends you must. it makes you want to dance your way down the street.

a nice little tease mother nature :)

xoxo

elle.

nate berkus

my mom was visiting all week and we had so much fun!! lots of walking and talking and shopping, loved on the dogs at the westminster dog show on monday, worked on many projects around the apartment, and found time to see a taping of the nate berkus show.

katie lee joel's west village home

in honor of our wonderful experience yesterday i thought it was fitting that i share a few (of my MANY) favorites by nate. his style and mine seem to go hand in hand. comfortable rooms with classic straight lines, slightly masculine hints, yet calm, clean and a touch modern. never wimpy and always making a statement i find my love for his style growing stronger and stronger. and after seeing him on the set of his show with his charming blue eyes it didn't help my situation :)

nate's new york home

a hampton's home

a florida home

nate's chicago home

i will let you all know when the show we saw airs (you might see us!!). it should be in the next week or two. he showed fun ways to add new life to household objects and did some great room facelifts for a few customers he found at lowes.

so talented and quite the inspiration opening his design firm at the age of 24 years old nate is definitely one to watch!

xoxo

elle.

make mouthwash pretty

when i travel, i like to bring back "souvenirs" that aren't actually souvenirs but something for my home that i purchased while away. when in paris last summer, i probably bought to many somethings for my home, but my fave purchase was a crystal decanter from the marche aux puces de clignancourt flea market (worthy of multiple blog posts all on its own).

we have a silver tray on our front table where we keep some decanters we got from our wedding and others i have purchased from the good will and various antiques stores. my husband asked if that is where we were going to put it, but i had a better idea. i thought it'd be more fun in our bathroom with mouthwash, a la something eddie ross would do.

so we brought it home and a few months later i see this in lonny:

see how pretty it is?

well i never got around to actually putting mouthwash into my paris decanter because it was hard to clean... so it sits on the window sill in my kitchen, empty. but still loved.

i recently learned that lead crystal decanters can actually leach lead of dangerous levels into the liquids stored! you can read more about that here. basically the longer it sits, the more that is leached. not good in any way, especially for kids and preggo ladies.

and that's too bad because there are super cheap options that can be found on etsy and ebay for storing all kinds of mouthwash and scotch.

etsy via rhapsodyattic

etsy via hoolahoopvintage


ebay

but! there is a solution for pretty mouthwash (and scotch) sans lead:
glass decanters.

sure they aren't as sparkly but i'll take a tiny bit less sparkle for alot less lead any day.

here are some fab options from big box stores (read easy to find and easy to buy):




providence decanter from zgallerie

i'm loving the crest, instant heirloom.

kair decanter from crate and barrel

a cleaner look than cut glass or crystal, but still far from boring-- thank you, bubbles.

bohemian decanter with lovely details, from pottery barn, for her.

(almost looks like the real deal)

and this super masculine square decanter also from pottery barn, for him.

home goods also carries lots of options, just be careful to get the lead-free glass :)



now pick your favorite color:

...and have a prettier bathroom.


JILL

this salad has changed my life.

i don't want to be selfish and save it all for myself! i left it in the comments section the other day for our friend, christina. verdict is in: she liked it as much as i do ;)

so, i thought it deserved more attention.

it's ina garten's greek panzanella salad. de.lic.ious. and it's healthy to boot.

you can find the recipe right here.

my one suggestion, since there is only 2 of us and it makes a big bowl, i keep my bread separate and add it in when i eat it. that way when i make it for dinner and then eat it again at lunch, i'll avoid soggy bread. because, who likes soggy bread?

JILL

gold overhead

this image has been in my inspiration files forever for a number of reasons- the wall color, the jade green, the black curtains with the gray walls, the dining chairs with white upholstery and gray arms...but the biggest is the ceiling. that gold ceiling gives this room an added feeling of luxury. and with that crystal chandelier...how divine :)

a friend recently asked about a painted ceiling and i immediately thought of gold.

here are a few more inspiring rooms with painted gold ceilings. hmm...where could this be added in my place?!

{images via house beautiful, thelenoxx, mofattballie, developing designs}

xoxo

elle.

spring trend: toe power

looks like neon is making its way into spring one foot at a time.

show everyone who's boss with a lively pair of these ballet flats from j.crew and kate spade. paired with jill's pants from the other day and a classic trench they look like a cheerful way to dive into spring...

xoxo

elle.

fiesta de color

let's take a little trip down south for a tasty color explosion. our weather right now seriously, is just what the doctor ordered in terms of my mental health... and i am all about color {even more than my usual every other day obsession ;) }

the above images are making me long for sunshine and cocktails on a beach, but even more than that, the color used rocks my socks. they're from the latest australian vogue, via coco + kelley


and a fruity cocktail never hurt anyone either. citrus colors always send me back to mexico or long days at our lake house. either way, they = sunshine in my opinion.



mexican papel, via everythingfab

seeing how it is valentine's day, i thought i'd also let you in on a little somethin somethin. it's no secret. but i have a soft spot for the country in my corazon because it's the place i met my husband!


that and i like their beers. kidding. it's just for the fate that brought me to meet my husband. kidding. sorta.


we were 2 high school seniors from different parts of kansas on a spring break trip, not knowing when we arrived that we'd be meeting the person we were going to marry. ahh. so romantic right? haha.

it was cute and innocent and we were besties until we started dating a couple years later. the rest, as they say is history.

here's us on a trip back to cabo, 5 years later to the day we met.

i like him. and plus-- it's a good story for the grand kids ;)

on a side note totally unrelated: here's my 2 cents on the grammy's.

a) i was totally obsessed with gwyneth's outfit. the uni, her shoes, her hot pink feathered earrings. delighted. not to mention her vocal talent. is there anything this woman can't do? honestly.

b) still not sick of this song so it was awesome x 2.

cee lo green with gwyneth.

and lastly. the opening tribute to aretha franklin by these ladies was
amaze. ing.

now that is singing... (take notes mylie cyrus)

(and mylie fans, don't get upset. just my opinion)

florence welch, jennifer hudson, christina aguilera, martina mcbride, and yolanda adams.

whatever your plans, with whomever they are with... i hope you have a great day.

JILL