{ Sources-My Kitchen }

Good Morning! How are you all doing today? I started the morning off with a cup of french pressed coffee in bed. Today is my day off, and so far I'm enjoying every moment of it.

But enough about me. Let's move on to the good stuff. The Kitchen. If you're just now joining us, I'm going through the sources of where I got everything featured in my home tour for The Everygirl.  Hope you enjoy!

Table: An antique gifted to me by a family friend that I used to nanny for, because she had just moved into a new home and didn't have a place for it. I loove this table. First of all, it's on casters. My mom says that I love anything on wheels. She's right. This table is actually a full length, six person dining table. However, I just could not fit the darn thing in my apartment. There was no place for it. After going back and forth between selling it or sticking it awkwardly in a corner somewhere (because I really wanted to keep it) I decided just to tweak it a little work with the space. See, there used to be a leaf for this table, so the two ends of it were actually disconnected, and only attached by a piece of wood and some screws underneath. So, I unscrewed and pried the piece of wood off to detach the two pieces, giving me two separate tables. I use one of them in my kitchen (pictured above) and the other as my desk (photos to come soon!) The beauty of this arrangement is that it will be really easy to attach them again if I move and am able to fit a large dining table in my home. Phew.

Shelf: The actual shelf is from the "As Is" section of Ikea. I'm actually not entirely sure what it's use was supposed to be. It was just laying there with a bunch of other pieces of wood, but it was way cheaper to get this than to get the other shelves that they had in the regular section. I did pick up the brackets in that section though! I think overall the entire shelf probably cost somewhere around $10-12.

Pear Art: My mom found this at a garage sale back home in Texas, and I snuck off with it at Christmas :). Is it not the most precious thing you've ever seen?! I love it.

Latte Mugs: Originally from Pottery Barn, but I picked them up at a local thrift store down the street for around $2 each. I love them.

All other white dishes: from Ikea.

Ceramic Vase: Big Lots

Good Morning coffee mug: World Market ( I don't see it on their website anymore though :( )

Gold Bread Knife: This is actually the cheapest knife set that Ikea has to offer (you know, the ones with the plastic, colorful handles?). I just spray painted the handles gold!

I hope you guys found these posts useful! I've still got a post with tips and tricks up my sleeve, along with some examples of sources that I bet you haven't considered yet! Stay tuned :)

Thank you all so much for stopping in today. lovelovelove.

-C

All photos by Arielle Elise Photography for The Everygirl

See the full feature of my home tour here.

{ Sources-Living Room }

Why helllo there. Welcome to my living room. Have a seat. Stay a while. We're going to dive right in here because we've got lotsa ground to cover.

Couch-$399 Ikea Ektorp Sofa with white slipcover. For many people, this is a cheap couch. For me, it was the most expensive purchase I made for my apartment. I planned/saved up for it all summer, and I'm really happy with it. It's so comfortable, and being able to wash the slipcover is such a live saver. 

Rug- $35 at Big Lots. I know. I think it was literally the luckiest find anyone has ever found in there. A lot of people were surprised that Big Lots would have anything worth while, but I'm here to tell you, keep an open mind when you're looking for inexpensive furniture sources. You will be surprised at what you can find and where you can find it. More on that later.

Coffee Table-bought from a local consignment shop in Houston called The Guild Shop. Listen up Houston friends: If you have not been to The Guild Shop YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MISSING. It is my happy place. You can't really tell how neat this coffee table actually is in pictures, but  the top of it is this neat, aged herringbone wood pattern. I was totally fascinated when I saw it, and knew it had to be mine.  

Round side table-thrifted and and painted white

Bistro Chair: taken off the street by my boyfriend and given to me because he knows I have an obsession with bentwood chairs. We sanded it down a little so that it would be less glossy and have a bit more of a raw finish, and then recovered the ugly vinyl cushion in some pretty toile fabric on sale at JoAnns. I'm in love with it. I'll probably take some additional photos of it and do a separate post soon so you can see the fabric and details a little bit. Total cost of this chair=$7.

Small chest in the corner nook-Picked this up during some dumpster diving. At the end of the school year, everyone is moving out of their apartments and they just throw everything they don't want on the streets or around the dumpsters. When I moved in I had very little furniture, so when I saw this little guy I felt like I could use him. I'll probably still paint him one day, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. The bottom drawer was missing when I found it, so I put in a brown wicker basket in its place and it works great! 

Okay, lets talk accessories:

On the coffee table: Striped tray from Ikea. Round mercury glass candle holder was gifted to me by my best friend since 3rd grade at Christmas- she purchased from Home Goods. 

On the round side table: Design Sponge at Home book, and Ikea Lantern

Pillows on the couch: (from left to right) Ikea, Big Lots, Home Goods, Target, Pier One 

On the chest of drawers in the corner: Two Champagne Glasses from West Elm (gifted to me by my boyfriends amazing sister and boyfriend), two books (The One Hundred by Nina Garcia and Nate Berkus' Home Rules) Lamp from HomeGoods. Peachy/Pink Ceramic Cannister from HomeGoods.

Wall Art: Made by Girl I Love You Blogs and Coffee Print (gifted to me by my awesome cousin!), silver and gold mirrors were purchased from a thrift store for a dollar each (real fast: I LOVE the way it looks to combine the silver and gold. lends a playful touch. have fun with your decorating!) The New York City Map print on the other side of the wall is from Ikea, but I couldn't find it on their website so they may not have it anymore.

Okay, lovely readers, I think I may have underestimated how much we had to go through here, so this series is going to continue into next week. On Monday we're going to talk kitchen, and then I have a whole special post coming your way with my favorite surprise sources to find treasures, and what suggestions I have for you to find your very own budget finds. Stay tuned. It's going to be a good time.

I'm off to work. Thank you all so much for stopping in today. lovelovelove and a happy weekend to each of you!

-C

All photos by Arielle Elise Photography for The Everygirl

{ Sources-My Boudoir }

Good Morning, ladies! (and gents...if you're out there)

I'm sharing sources for my bedroom today. I have to say, when I was about to move in, my bedroom was the room I was most nervous about. It's teeny tiny and there was really only one option for how the layout could go, so I knew I had to make it work. There are actually some additional nooks and crannies to the bedroom that I'd really like to share with you guys, so I'm going to have another post on this soon. I think it'll provide some good tips on working with small, awkward spaces.

But enough chit chat. Let's get to it!

Bed-the bed is actually this bed from Ikea. However, the only place for the bed to go was in front of these windows and I hated how high the headboard was against them. Lucky for me, it was removable. So, I took off that piece of the headboard so it was just a plain white frame. The posts on the bed looked unfinished because the white finials (that were on the additional piece of the headboard that I took off) couldn't fit anymore. So, I bought four unfinished finials from Lowes for about $2 each, and spray painted them gold. I thought at first about just doing white, but I knew it would drive me crazy if the spray paint didn't match up with the white that was already on the bed.  I'm actually really glad I chose the gold in the end. It gives it a little somethin'. After spray painting, I literally attached these to the bed with some hardcore super glue. It's an $89 Ikea bed, so I didn't think twice about it. And now, it works so much better in the space. 

Bedding- Duvet is also from Ikea. To me, there is nothing like clean white bedding. It's perfect for every season and you can switch up the look of your throw pillows as much as you want. It's a staple for me.

 End of the bed throw- Purchased from a local consignment shop. Don't worry, I washed it! But isn't it darling? It cost me all of about $6 and it adds a great pop of color and pattern to the otherwise pretty neutral room.

Throw Pillow- This was on clearance at Pier One. Originally it was $24, and I can't remember exactly how much I paid for it but I think it was somewhere around $15. I love it! It's great quality, and the other side of it is a neutral fabric with a subtle shimmer. I like to mix it up and use both sides. 

Bedside Table-thrifted and painted white by my talented mother. 

Bedside Lamp- Ikea. I like it because it breaks up how girly the rest of the bedroom is. I felt like I needed something to balance out all the pink and feminine details so it wasn't all on one note. I actually "stole" this from my boyfriend. It used to be on his desk. Hehe. He doesn't mind. Too much.

Small glass vase with flowers-A few cents at the thrift store (you can never have too many of things like this, I've used it to store pens, make up brushes, flowers, etc) 

Sparkly, vintage cigarette holder- I do not actually use this to store cigarettes. I don't even smoke. But it was given to me by a family friend when she was moving and getting rid of some things she had lying around. It's pretty and sparkly so I keep it on my bedside table and use it to store packets of aspirin or any other unsightly things that can fit into it, since my bedside table doesn't offer any concealed storage.

Tomorrow is gonna be a big day around these parts. We're going through the kitchen and living room, so make sure you check back. I'm going to wrap up with a second post tomorrow (thats right, two posts in one day!) with my best tips and tricks to scour for treasures. Stay tuned ;).

And thank you all SO much for stopping in this week. I'm so happy to have you here. You are making my week with all of your sweet comments and emails. Have a great Thursday. It's almost the weekend! lovelovelove.

-C

Photos by Arielle Elise Photography for The Everygirl

{ Sources-My Entryway }

Good Morning! So happy that you've stopped in.

As per your requests, I'm putting together some posts this week that review each room that was featured on The Everygirl and am going through the sources for each item. Here's the thing: I rarely shop at places that I can just link to for you to buy online, because almost every purchase I make is at a thrift or discount store. But this will at least give you an idea about where I go to find items and what I do with them once they're purchased. I think you'll enjoy this little series!  Kapeesh? :). Okay! Let's get started. With the entryway. Naturally.

It wasn't very long ago that my entryway looked like this:

ugh. shield your eyes.

I need to make a disclaimer: I KNOW that the faux fur throw looks totally silly in my little red carry-all, but I had just bought it and was so darn excited that I decided it needed to be in the picture. Lesson learned, guys, lesson learned.

Moving on. Let's look at something a little more aesthetically pleasing, shall we?

Ah. thats better. Okay. Let's break it down.

Firstly, use The Everygirl's Tips on How to Style an Entryway. It's the perfect formula. Alaina is the bomb.com when it comes to lots of things, but especially styling. 

1. The Table- One of the main differences in the photos is obviously the table in the newer look. It's actually the same one, just with a few tweaks. See, my mom picked up this little guy at a thrift store a while back for probably less than $10. It was covered in butterfly stickers. I tried to sand it down and paint over it, but good lord, t was taking for.ev.er and my patience was wearing thin, so truth be told, it just never looked very good. It was painted but you could still see the outline of the butterflies all over the top of the table. And it was driving me BONKERS. So, I took myself to Lowes and bought a precut, unfinished piece of wood that was ready for paint. I'm pretty sure it was around six or seven dollars.  I removed the old tabletop, painted the new one with leftover paint that I had from the project before, and voila! No more butterfly stickers staring at me. For a moment I thought I was finished, but then I got a wild hair and decided to spray paint the drawers with some gold Rustoleum spray paint. Suddenly, my sweet little table started lookin' a little more sassy.

2. Lamp-The base is from a garage sale, the shade is from Target. I'm still wanting to add some trim or something to jazz it up a little. Or leave it plain? you tell me. 

3. Mirror-On clearance at HomeGoods for a little under $20. I love it. It was the perfect size, as something too much bigger would have dwarfed the table and made it look goofy. Pay attention to scale. (but have fun!)

4. Vase/TJ Maxx, Bowl for keys/Anthropologie (no longer available according to the site, but I think they have ones similar), Gold Letter "C"/on clearance at Tuesday Morning for $4, spruced up with gold Rustoleum spray paint.

5. Red Carry-all/TJ Maxx

6. Throw blanket-Target (similar)

7. Coat hooks-Lowes. I knew I wanted some type of coat hanging apparatus, but most of the coat racks that I liked were out of my price range. These were only a couple bucks each, and I love them. Clean and Simple. 

8. Paint Color- Silver Sage by Restoration Hardware. I admit, this was a little bit of a splurge. My mom has used this paint color ten thousand times-I love it and the paint is such good quality. We tried to get it matched in a less expensive paint before and it just didn't look the same at all. It was much greener. What I love about it is that it can look more grey, blue, or green depending on the light and the colors you pair with it. Perfect for someone like me who has a serious case of design ADD.

My goal was to give the entry a makeover for under $50. It ended up costing about $42. I mostly worked with things that I had, but added in a few extra items (like the mirror, and decorative accessories) to tie everything together. 

Before you run out and buy all new things, asses what you have. I was dying to buy a new entryway table until I came to terms with the fact that it wasn't in the budget, so I better figure out someway to live with it. Being realistic doesn't mean you have to hate what you have, it just means you need to be more creative with your problem solving ;). If you're having any design predicaments that you need help solving, or if you're in the process of making over your own apartment, feel free to shoot me an email. I'd love to see!

Tomorrow we're heading into the bedroom. oo la la. 

Thank you all so much for stopping in today. lovelovelove.

-C

P.S. After I finish with sources, I'm going to wrap up with a post on Friday about how I spend my money, what I splurge on, and an overview of my best tricks and tips for creating a cozy, pretty apartment on a ramen noodle budget. Be sure to keep checking back! :)

{ Sneak Peek of My Home Tour! }

As mentioned in a previous post, my little apartment is being featured on The Everygirl on Monday! I am so, so excited to see the feature, and can't wait to share it all with you. Here's a couple of sneak peeks:

Be sure to check it out on Monday, when the tour goes live :).

The last couple of months have been totally surreal. I can't believe the opportunities I've been so lucky to have. I just continue to be so thankful to be learning and growing each day. Thanks to each and every one of you for inspiring me on a daily basis. I hope you all have the happiest of weekends.

lovelovelove.

-C

Photos were taken by the amazing Arielle Elise Photography

{ A Colorful Welcome }

via overstock

via overstock

via urbanoutfitters

Something is happening in my old age. Im normally so drawn to neutrals (and while I still consider them my number one boyfriend) I've been eyeing up lots of color lately. I think this whole "neon" trend might be getting to me. Im considering switching out my current entryway rug, and these were calling to me as I was perusing the interwebs this morning. Nevermind that most of them won't work in my home. Just notice how lovely they are. 

Thoughts?

Also, did you all check out The Everygirl yesterday? It's more than I imagined it would be! I love the features so far, and I'm also a big fan of the Handbook PDFs that they're providing! I printed both the budget and the kitchen essentials one yesterday. Truth be told I haven't filled the "budget" one out yet because I'm not sure I want to face reality just yet ;). In due time, in due time.

Thanks for stopping by today, y'all. I hope you have a wonderful day. 

lovelovelove.

-C

{ how I spend my days off }

Tuesday's aren't entirely a day off because I do have morning classes, but it's the only day of the week that I no longer have to go into work, so I get to spend my afternoons with uninterrupted errand/homework/happy time.  Today I spent my free time restyling my kitchen, going through old issues of House Beautiful and burning a vanilla scented candle. Even though I'm definitely ready for Spring (though most days it barely feels like Winter has come) I can still appreciate these cozy days at home. Isn't that Pear picture just the cutest thing you've ever seen? My mom found it at a garage sale (or thrift store, I can't remember which) and I snuck it home with me when I drove back after Christmas. It makes my heart happy.

How do you guys like to spend your days off?

Thanks so much for stopping by y'all. 

lovelovelove.

-C

P.S. Don't forget that The Everygirl LAUNCHES tomorrow. I will be springing out of bed the moment my alarm goes off. No snoozing for me! Check out Alaina and Danielle's blogs for the links to all of the sneak peeks that hit the blogosphere today!

{ Tour my Home + Happy Friday! }

Good morning, everyone!

Since I've picked up a few new readers recently who may have missed my apartment pictures in the past, I added a new page to the navigation bar titled "Tour My Space" with a few new (and some old) sneak peaks. I'll keep you posted as I update with more pictures. I think I have FINALLY figured out what bar stools I'm going to get for my kitchen area, but I'm not sure when I'll be getting them. I'm putting myself on a bit of a spending freeze right now to save more money for upcoming ventures. I'll give you details Monday ;).

via

By the way, are you following me on pinterest and twitter? If not, you should. Let's stay in touch :)

Thanks for stopping in, everyone. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

lovelovelove.

-C

Apartment Tweaks

It's amazing what a little styling and a few extra details will do. My little entry table has been switched up a few times over the past 4 months. First, it was spruced up for fall, and then it transformed into Christmas, though I didn't snap any pictures of that (doh!), so for now, we'll just go with Fall:

Not terrible, but pretty sparse and boring if ya ask me. 

Thanks to a few new Christmas goodies and a little elbow grease, the entry table now looks a little somethin' like this:

Firstly, the little painted ee cummings quote was created based off of this beauty (created by the lovely woman in the picture):

See the process and her blog  here.

I saw this picture several months ago and fell in love with it. I've always loved this poem, and I thought this creative idea was a perfect blend between a painting and a print. I obviously did mine on a much smaller scale, but its perfect for my little table. I also added a page of colorful, graphic paper behind it in the frame to give it a little more interest. For the actual words, I just bought a little black bottle of acrylic paint from Walmart, and used a spongy eyeshadow applicator to write out the words. Easy as pie. I know it might not be everyone's cup of tea, and I admit that the larger scale painting packs a little more punch, but for my personal space, this fits perfectly. 

Other new additions: 

*The smaller lamp that lived on the table before is now living in my bedroom, and this new one was a hand me down from my mom, who probably got it from a thrift store. I love that it's all shiny and glossy and is a bit bigger in size. In person, the lamp shade is more off white and linen-y than it appears in the photo. 

*The awesome silver candle holder was gifted to me by my dear best friend Beth for Christmas, and I believe she picked it up at homegoods. I love it because even though it's a candle holder, it's also sculptural and shapely, so it adds a little something extra than a regular ol' candle. The yankee candle "Jack Frost" is currently burning in it right now, and it smells mm mm good.

*The Design Sponge book was also a generous Christmas gift from Trevor's parents, and I'm officially obsessed with it, as is the rest of the blogosphere (and for good reason!) I love sifting through it over and over again. Next to it is the Nate Berkus Home Rules book with the cover taken off (so it looks a little fancier :))

*Next to that is just a stack of magazines (mostly House Beautiful, Elle Decor, and Lucky) and a cute little bowl that I picked up a few months ago from Anthropologie for 8 bucks. I use it to throw my keys in mostly, but also my watch or a bracelet from time to time.

Lastly, I added a bedside table to my room! Hallelujah. The last time you all saw it, it was lookin a little something like this:

I actually really liked the little chair as the bedside table, but I really needed to use it elsewhere on a daily basis. Luckily, my mom was sweet enough to pick up this little guy for me at a resale shop, and painted it a glossy white with a little gold on it's feetsies at the bottom:

Sorry for the weird lighting and styling on the table. It seems a little awkward to have two candles on one table but I didn't realize it until after the photo was snapped! However, how lovely are those blooms? $3.99 at Trader Joes and they just make the whole room a little happier. Plus, I got to use my new copper vase from The Guild Shop. 

Anyway, that's all that's happening over here. It's amazing how the little things can make such a big difference. 

Now I'm off to get dressed and head to lunch with Trevor and a couple of friends. It's going to be a wonderful day :) Happy weekend, everyone! Thanks so much for stopping by. lovelovelove.

-C

{ Life Lately}

I started getting my apartment gussied up for Christmas, and it feels wonderful. There's nothing like a home for the holidays.

(next time I'll take a picture with my real camera so it's better quality. Iphones are just too dang convenient)

I'm terribly sorry for my silence here on the blogster lately. Life is officially crazy as I prepare for finals, write papers, work, and get ready for a benefit that I've been organizing this quarter (more on that in another post) that will finally be going up this Friday. In the midst of the craziness, I'm finding it calming to come home, light a candle, and listen to some Christmas tunes.

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season so far. lovelovelove.

-C

{ Rooms to inspire }

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

I've been doing some more brainstorming for my home lately,

and these photos have been inspiring me as of late. I'm still working on the actual execution part (thank you, college student budget) but will keep you guys posted as things progress. I'm aiming to have some pictures up on Friday.

One. I love the bold rug with the galvanized steel accents and clean white finishes. Simple and effective.

Two. Coming home to those yellow doors would cheer up any dreary day.

Three. A prime example of how all neutrals can be just as interesting as a space full of color. I particularly love the marble tulip side table (drool) against the wood paneled wall. 

Four. Clean, white, fluffy bed with floral print accents. Fit for a lady.

Five. I'm a huge fan of open shelving. I love the casual, simple elegance it offers. My own kitchen has open shelving as well, but it does not have all of that amazing copper cookware or that incredible sink. 

 (sorry for the poor quality photo)

I've got a busy week ahead! Have some fun things for the blog this week so stay tuned :)

Hope you're having a great week so far. Thank you so much for stopping by. lovelovelove.

-C

{ a simple pleasure... }

Coming home from a long day and seeing your bed made and ready for you to dive into.

{Casa de Caitlin: an update}

Hey darlings.

How is everyone's week going so far? 

My Monday felt long and tiring. No matter how much coffee I drank, I just couldn't wake up.

Hopefully tonight I'll get to bed at a decent hour, because tomorrow will be another doozy.

I know I've been promising updated apartment pictures, so I'm here to deliver. Sadly, the photos aren't great quality because my camera and I have not been getting along. But at least they'll give you a general idea of what's new. All of the major stuff (like chairs for the living room, barstools for the kitchen/bar area, maybe a dresser for the bedroom) is still in the works, but I have picked up some smaller things in the meantime.

Oh, and by the way, you'll see my little french bistro chair from The Guild Shop in a few different positions. She's being a pal and standing in until I get more furniture. Currently though, I'm enjoying her as a little nightstand in my bedroom :). 

A little reminder of the Before.

And here's how it's looking at the moment. I still plan to add more art and mirrors to the wall, and some living room chairs. I want to bring some printed fabrics in somehow too to mix it up a little bit.  I'll keep ya posted ;).

Speaking of art, here's a closer look at the new print thats in the corner there:

Trevor treated me to this print when we made a little stop at Ikea a few weeks ago. I adore it.

I also added a few new throw pillows to the mix that I had laying around. I still need to get a few new coffee table books and accessories. Also, pardon the lack of fresh flowers in these photos. There were slim pickins at the grocery store last week. 

Also, here's a quick snapshot of the entry table as it looks right now:

I can't wait to gussy this baby up at Christmas time :)

Now let's head to the kitchen:

I added some storage/counterspace to the kitchen with a new shelf and table. The shelf was from the IKEA As-Is section for about 4 dollars, and the brackets were about 7 dollars. I think. But don't take my word for it. It's past 8pm and I have the energy of an 80 year old woman right now. Moving on. The table. Does it look familiar? You may remember my dining table from before?

(sorry for poor quality picture. i believe this was taken with my iphone in dim light)

Anywho,  I found a way to divide the leaves into two separate tables, because I lovelovelove this piece and really wanted to keep it for after graduation even though it was simply too darn big for my living room. So it's divided in two at the moment, but should be pretty simple to put back together as one when the time comes. The other half is serving as my desk:

*side note: see that little wooden box with the collage inside? that's a jewelry box Trevor Treasure made me for our first anniversary. One of the hinges is loose so it's not entirely functional at the moment but it's one of my favorite things I own. I love seeing it on my desk :).*

Now that my desk is wood, I'd like to get another desk chair. I'm considering a modern white, molded chair with metal legs to add a little contrast to the antique table:

We shall see!

But back to the kitchen. Here's the side facing the little extra nook:

It's pretty boring over here, but it's clean. I have since changed that kitchen towel which spruced things up a little bit. But I do actually really love that rug. I got it at Ikea for about 4 smacks, I believe. 

Now, follow me to the bedroom...

(I apologize for the blurriness. Again, my camera and I were disagreeing)

This room still has a ways to go, but I actually really love it. It feels so cozy and I'm really enjoying sitting in bed at night with a book and tea and letting the stress of the day fade away. The end of the bed throw is from a local thrift store and cost a little less than $4. I think it's precious.

Well, lovelies, that's all I've got for you today. I'm very ready to relax with Sex and the City, a cozy blanket and a cuppa tea. I hope you all do something equally relaxing this evening. See you all tomorrow. Thanks so much for checking in today :).

lovelovelove.

-C