one happy girl...

this afternoon my parent's neighbor dropped by with a bag of figs, freshly picked from their tree. in my opinion...this little bounty is even better than a bowl of halloween candy <3

image: sincerely, cecelia

BOO!

image: matt bites

scenes from saturday

 

early wish list

is it too early to be bookmarking for my christmas wish list?

i don't think so...and these beauties from kate spade are too precious to pass up.

dear santa,
i could definitely use a new pair of chic stud earrings this christmas/birthday (yes my birthday is on christmas day) and these ones would do just the trick. <3

love,
cecelia

pining over...

this gorgeous cardigan in the most perfect shade of mustard yellow...

image: madewell

on the table

image: bobbi fabian for hgtv

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what's on your nightstand: sarah of twenty something cupcakes

today's nightstand comes from sarah of twenty something cupcakes. sarah's lovely blog is filled with incredible recipes and entertaining ideas. in fact...she had me just about drooling over her pumpkin bread post on sunday morning. i came very close to picking my sickly-self up and heading straight for the grocery store until my sensible fiance stopped me and told me to keep resting (we've decided to make the pumpkin bread on thursday during our day off together *big smiles*). 

anyway...sarah is a genius in the kitchen and you should definitely check out her blog for loads of cooking inspiration. i promise you won't be disappointed by her recipe arsenal.

A nightstand is a special thing. It's probably the last thing you see before you go to bed, and the first thing you wake up to - at least as far as furniture is concerned. I like to think of my nightstand as romantic, yet functional. And while I'd love to say that I keep fresh flowers next to my bed, well...I don't. You're more likely to find a glass of water, and maybe a hair tie or a few bobby pins.

{All in the name of keeping it real}

Every nightstand needs a fabulous lamp, and this one comes from Z Gallerie, one of my favorite sources for furniture and home accessories. Next to the lamp is a photo of my boyfriend and I taken about two years ago when we first started dating {also seen here}. It's a silly photo, and that's what I love about it - it's us. Next is my baby Eiffel Tower, which I purchased in Paris after graduating college. Paris is my absolute favorite city; I love the food, the culture, the language, the architecture - everything. On the far right side is my funky-looking alarm clock. I bought it from Hammacher Schlemmer - you know, that gadget catalog they have on airplanes - and I think it's pretty great. You can wake up to either gradually increasing light, stimulating aromas, or peaceful nature sounds.

Reading materials and candles also make the cut. This candle is made by Voluspa, and the scent is one of my favorites: it's Makassar Peach + Ebony, and it was a limited edition. My reading materials usually include at least one cookbook, and this one happens to be a new one I picked up from Williams-Sonoma called Cooking for Friends: Fresh Ways to Entertain with Style. This has to be one of the most brilliant cookbooks I've ever come across - it's put together menu-by-menu, both seasonally and by occasion. Everything in it is so perfect and so chic. And last but not least, you can usually find at least one magazine somewhere 'round these parts. Pictured is the September issue of Elle, but you could also find Harpers-Bazaar, or maybe a - gasp - Us Weekly. Don't judge.

;) SAS

hangin' in there...

somehow i managed to catch a nasty cold. i've been fighting it the past few days and i'm hoping to get enough rest over the weekend so i can get back here with some lovely inspiration. bare with me... <3 in the mean time...if you're a lauren conrad fan check out her new book lauren conrad style. jason surprised me with it yesterday and it's definitely been good company during my sickly-ness.

p.s. for a sneak peek at the current state of my nightstand (i'll be posting for realsies soon in my what's on your nightstand series) head over here...

image via: unknown

on etsy | whitney smith pottery

i feel like i've blogged about this spectacular pottery before...but i think i've just been admiring it for a while. whitney smith is insanely talented and she happens to be a bay area neighbor based in oakland! whitney's handmade pottery would make the most brilliant hostess/christmas gift this holiday season...i'm even tempted to start my own collection. head over to her shop to check out all of the gorgeous/colorful/whimsical designs.

on the table

in light of this post from last week, i've decided to add a new feature to the blog. from now on tuesdays will be dedicated to tablescapes and going forward i'll be posting inspiring table settings to get you through the holidays and beyond in style. i'll start you off today with the following gorgeousness from dwell studio...

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what's on your nightstand: trina of a country farm house

today we get a peek into the elegant life of trina burke. trina's blog a country farmhouse is filled to the brim with simplicity and sophistication and every post contains images that look like they could be straight from a shelter magazine. i read daily for updates on the farmhouse remodel, delicious recipes using fresh ingredients and for baby news! if you didn't know...trina and her husband are expecting twins! congrats trina and thank you so much for contributing!

I'm afraid that my nightstand may be a bit boring! This is a cleaned up version. Lately it's been covered in Kleenex from a cold I can't shake! I bought this stand at a flea market for about $100. As you can see, it's quite small so I've gotten into the habit of keeping it pretty sparse. I do own an alarm clock but my husband steals it (for backup). The other items include a landscape piece by my favorite artist Eric Jacobsen and a lamp. I also try to keep a small vase of flowers (from the garden or from the grocery store) to keep things fresh.

I've thought about switching out the Eastlake table for something that could hold books or other items, but I really like having the marble tabletop to put vases of flowers on and a glass of water when I go to bed at night - no ring marks when you bump your water in the dark! 

The chair next to the nightstand can accumulate my latest readings but I tend to do most of my reading, list making and other organizational tasks on the couch downstairs or in my office, which is literally less than a dozen steps away. My husband's nightstand is another story! He has to read before he goes to bed each night so he has quite the stack of magazines and books on his. Because of this, his nightstand is bigger and has a shelf for storage. Although the floor accumulates a stack or two as well - perhaps his nightstand would be more interesting! 

Sweet Dreams!

images and text via: a country farmhouse

sunday morning

there's something sort of magical about a first rain and this morning i'm enjoying our first rainy day in napa. i've got a few organizing projects planned (sort through fabric samples i've been hoarding for "future projects"), i'm dying to bake a batch of cookies (even if they are just break and bakes) and i think i may even get some online christmas shopping started. hope you're having a lovely fall weekend <3

image via: flickr

sweet paul

i've totally fallen for this dramatic (yet simply styled) dining space featured in the current issue of sweet paul. the matte black wall color makes that spectacular pendant pop while the burlap tablecloth and (unpressed) ombre napkins give off a more relaxed vibe. i'm also obsessed with loving the combination of the vintage china with the modern silhouette of the bowls, vases and stemware - absolutely divine.

image via: sweet paul - fall 2010

on etsy | halloween

if you're not in the halloween holiday spirit by now...these handmade/vintage items are sure to get you there. which items are your favorite? i'm partial to the burlap bunting and little family of brass mice :)

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rue | west coast launch party

last night i attended the rue magazine west coast launch party at kate spade in corte madera - it was my first blog event and i ended up going solo. it was lovely to chat and meet new people from this incredible design/blogging community, and now that i've got one under my belt...i'm totally looking forward to attending more blog meet-ups. unfortunately i didn't take any pictures while i was there, but we were given these fabulous gift bags...let's just say, kate spade "twirl" is most def going on my christmas/birthday wish list!

what's on your nightstand: maggie of maggie rose

today's nightstand belongs to maggie of maggie rose. her blog has some lovely inspiration (i.e. tips for how to create a fab home office) so be sure to check her out! thanks maggie for contributing!

My nightstand has a tendency to attract clutter, so I try to keep it pretty clear most of the time. I do keep a notebook close because I always tend to get my best ideas while trying to fall asleep. I use my iPhone as an alarm (I am a notorious snooze-hitter though!) and I always have a glass of water nearby. Whatever jewelry I've been wearing lately ends up there, and hair ties (I try to be careful about these because our kitty thinks they look like hunt-ables!). Sometimes I light a candle for a little atmosphere - this one is soy and was a gift from my friend Jackie (www.sweetiepiepumpkinnoodle.com).

Unattractive stuff gets stashed in this white box - chapstick, a book of sudoku puzzles, extra pens, a packet of tissue. I love to read my magazines in bed - I subscribe to about seven publications but I only keep copies of House Beautiful, Martha Stewart Living, and Sunset and they usually end up here or in my office (yep, there are more somewhere). My lamp is from Ikea and was about $10 (I have my eye out for something a little more posh, but for now they'll do). The nightstand is from Target about two years ago. The duvet cover and shams were an Overstock score. The necklace on top is the "Dream Bigger" necklace from Jess LC, which I love.

image and text via: maggie rose

what's on your nightstand: ana of rearranged design

today's nightstand belongs to ana of rearranged design. ana's blog inspires me daily with her incredible thrifting/flea marketing/diying skills, which make blending styles/eras look like a breeze. if you're unsure about the whole vintage shopping thing...(get it together! vintage is "green" aka healthier for our environment (opposed to buying new) and the charm totally makes a space) be sure to check out rearranged design and i'm sure your mind will be changed for good. while you're at it...check out her fab etsy vintage/textile/photography print shop - and if that isn't enough to fill your free time, this girl also works it in the kitchen. stop by her newly launched fudge shop mother fudger for some delicious treats :)

 

.................................................................................................................

So welcome to my bedroom! My husband and I always dreamed of an attic bedroom and with this house we finally got one. It has it's pros and cons but we really do love it. I bought our nightstands at a salvage store for $6 a piece and they too have their pros and cons. We'd both prefer drawers but I think the lack of them forces us to cut down on the junk that accumulates.

I want to be honest with you so I took two pictures, one how my nightstand normally is and one styled. The honest one is a dumping ground: the book I'm currently reading (Lord of the Rings), hair ties, my glasses case, the TV remote (I love my Robot Chicken and Forensic Files before bedtime) and two clocks (I'm trying to decide which one works best on the nightstand).

 

On to the clean, streamlined, design blog worthy picture: glasses, remote, book, clock, iPod (which is totally attached to my hand at all times. It's the last thing I look at at night and the first thing I look at in the morning, besides my husband, natch), a little orange dragonfly keychain which has a very long story behind it but ultimately it's a symbol of love from my husband and finally a Jonathan Adler Bug. My husband took me to The Parker in Palm Springs, CA as a 30th Birthday present and on the night of my Birthday we ate at Mr. Parker's and right behind me was a giant version of this same Bug.

Underneath my nightstand is a bin in which I keep random junk; magazines, a flashlight, hand lotion etc.

Thanks for taking a look and thanks to Cecelia for inviting me to share!

images and text via: rearranged design

vintage . bar cart . bliss

this little gem came home with me this morning - it's missing the bottom piece of glass but that's an easy fix. did i mention it was $30? yeah. so basically, the alameda flea market is my new bff <3

hello autumn

happy friday! it is officially my favorite season. the weather here in the napa valley has been ultra hot lately, but today it took a gorgeous turn into fall. the air was warm yet crisp and i'm beginning to notice leaves taking on a slight variation of fabulous autumn hues. tomorrow i'll be busy designing/installing flowers for a wedding at domain chandon, and sunday i'll be attending my beloved alameda flea market. ooooh i can't wait. this time i'll be going it alone (jason has to work *sad face*) but i'm determined to be there at 6am with my coffee and ipod in hand, in search of fabulous treasures. is it weird that i'm already considering christmas gift giving? anyway, i hope you all have a fabulous and relaxing first weekend of october! xo

image via: flickr