I recently began a series here entitled, If My Blog Was A Room, where I found design inspiration around the look/aesthetic of my blog! I asked the readers, If your blog was a room, what would it look like? It has been so fun, and I’m happy to announce the next wonderful blogger up for the challenge! Dana from Southern Inspired is so sweet, and I’m happy she’s part of the series! If you haven’t been to her blog, definitely check it out! Here is her great blog header-

I love the colors! And here is what she came up with! Take it away, Dana:

Hi Simple Dwellers! I’m Dana from Southern Inspired and I’m so happy to be here on Amber’s beautiful blog today sharing my “If my blog was a room” with you! A little background on my style – I’m definitely a Neutral Nelly most of the time – grays, beiges and whites are my safe-haven. But I have been so inspired by colors and patterns lately that I am trying my very hardest to bring color into my life {and home!}


My sister is actually a graphic designer and graciously designed my blog logo for me. I gave her a couple of pictures to use as inspiration and she did an excellent job of blending my neutral style with bold colors I’m loving right now. If my blog was a room, it would look like this …

Thanks so much for having me, Amber! This was such a fun post!

As you may know, the new March/April Lonny is out, and it is jam packed with beautiful spaces! As someone who loves to blend different design styles, I fell in love with all of the interiors that do just that! From modern blended with traditional and vintage with new, I could find an element in each space where I could relate. Kitchens, dining rooms, work spaces and boutiques- this issue has it all! I also love the interviews featured- design icon Kelly Wearstler, fashion designer Stella McCartney and Dwell Studio’s Christiane Lemieux. If you haven’t seen this issue, definitely check it out! Here is a glimpse into the amazing Lonny-

A beautiful blend of modern and traditional. Image via Lonny. Designed by Colleen Locke.

A gorgeous traditional space with all the modern conveniences! Image via Lonny. Designed by Jennifer Dyer.

I love the wall color! Also designed by Jennifer Dyer and seen in Lonny.

A perfect blend of modern with traditional! Image via Lonny. Designed by Jennifer Bandier.

What do you think of the new issue of Lonny? Which space is your favorite?

If you frequent this blog, (which I hope you do!)  🙂  you may have noticed the new Joss & Main photo link on my sidebar. I am proud to announce that you can shop the premier, members-only site here! Before starting this blog, I wasn’t aware of Joss & Main, and I am so glad I am now in the loop! If you’ve never heard of this site before or want to know more about it, here goes: it’s a members-only site which showcases beautiful, amazing name brands for your home and life, at a wonderfully discounted price! And did I mention it was free to sign up?? Once you’re signed up and logged in for free, you’re able to access designer merchandise for up to 70% off retail price! Joss & Main partners up with premier brands and suppliers, which give us fresh design ideas and decor. If you see something you love on this site, act fast! The discounted sales change often and are only available for a short time. When you sign up, you will get e-mail updates on the sales of the moment, so you are always kept informed. When I logged in today, I found these great deals-

The first two images are beautiful wall stickers- earlier today, the antler wall stickers were almost sold out! I love both styles. The cowhide rug is a statement piece in any room, and the damask slipper chair seamlessly blends modern with traditional! This was just a sneak peek into today’s sales! Click on the cute peacock Joss & Main link on my sidebar to check out more!
When you take a look, please tell me your favorite deals!

Here’s a photo of the Joss & Main link (Isn’t it sweet?)

I recently wrote a post here about designing a room around the colors and design aesthetic of my blog. At the end of the post, I asked the readers to help participate in this fun design adventure! If you designed a room around your blog, what would it look like? The wonderful Carrie from Hazardous Design was first up for the challenge! Carrie has a great blog, which shows the beautiful renovations to her lovely 1880’s house. If you haven’t been to her blog, definitely check it out! Here is her blog header design:

And here is a glimpse into what she wrote and her room ideas: 

Images via Target, Room and Board and FTD. Great job and thanks for participating, Carrie! This room would be gorgeous. This is just a glimpse- to see more of her designs inspired from her blog, visit here.

This would be a fun series to continue! If you’re interested in participating, please let me know! I would feature your blog and design ideas as part of the series. To read my post for this series and more info. about it, go here! 

If you’re like me, you love a great before and after when it comes to interior design! When I saw the new issue of Ballard Designs, I saw just that. The wonderful Traditional Home magazine paired up with this amazing catalogue to give one lucky family a room makeover! This family’s living room had great bones to start with. The color of the walls, detailed moldings and pair of chesterfield armchairs were a superb start! The wonderful team for this project- Jill Sharp Brinson of Ballard Designs and Jenny Bradley of Traditional Home create a gorgeous, show stopping space. They also include the foyer in their design, which is directly off of the makeover room. The lucky winners wanted the space to feel inviting while they entertain, but also comfortable and a place to relax. The entire space was furnished with pieces from Ballard Designs. Without further adieu, get ready for an amazing before and after: 

And now for the after:

So needless to say, I had so much fun looking through the rest of the Ballard Designs catalogue that day. I love everything about this makeover- the colors, lighting, furniture and accessories! They hit it out of the park in my opinion! To read and see more of this before and after, go here.

What do you think about this before and after?

I recently changed the look of my blog using google and The Graphics Fairy. It got me thinking… if my blog’s design and colors were in a room, what would that room look like? When I went outside and opened my mailbox yesterday, it became clear to me! If my blog’s new design had to be incorporated into a space in my home, some items from Pier 1 Import’s spring collection would be its best friend! I love their use of aqua blues, turquoise and green. I was in awe of the pillows adorned with whimsical peacocks, butterflies, loads of texture and pattern. Their new catalogue is a coastal inspired treat, getting me all ready for spring! The pillows below inspired me to write this post. I think my blog would get along well with these colors and prints, don’t you?

All pillows are from Pier 1 Imports. The last peacock pillow would look much better in person! This white background probably doesn’t give it justice. That was fun- I love that store! Now to take this design a little further, I also found great furniture and decor from Pier One, to finish the room’s look. (To make design larger, click on design board.)  

This store has it all for spring! Now, if I could find a fabric print exactly like my blog’s background, I’d be all set!
If you designed a room around your blog, what would it look like? Please let me know if you would like to take part, and I would gladly post your blog link with designs.
Your design could include as little as two items, or as much as a design board.    

There’s still two days left to enter the CSN giveaway! Enter here!

Now that blogging has become a part of my daily life, I was getting a little bored with my blog’s look and wanted a change. My latest hobby has been trying out different backgrounds! So, if you happen to stop by my blog a few times over the next week, you might see some changes! If you have any opinions or ideas, I’m all ears! One of the latest additions is the chic e-mail button I found at The Graphics Fairy.

I thought it was a cute way to let readers know they can send me a message if they have any design questions!
I am also trying out new google backgrounds. I might keep this brown/blue flower design up for a while!
The other option I have been considering, is working with a blog designer to customize my own look. I came across a wonderful source… Little Blue Deer. Her work is amazing, and I have found some fabulous blogs and bloggers through her site. 

There are so many great fabrics out there that work when trying to blend modern with traditional. The new fabric print for me, that I would love to include in our home is… Chevron! I love the modern simplicity of the zigzag lines, and the color options are endless! I have seen chevron in so many unique ways: pillows, drapery, rugs and furniture! I cannot wait to include chevron in my own home! I plan to start with pillows, and I have my new source on etsy– this little home. When searching through etsy’s site for some chevron inspiration, I came across this wonderful shop! This little home has beautiful chevron pillows, curtains and many other chic designs at fabulous prices! I am thinking about the light blue/white chevron pillows- but there are so many other color options to choose from! Here are a few photos from her site, which she graciously let me share with all of you. (Thank you!) Also included, are some other fabulous ways to include chevron in your home, sourced from two amazing online magazines! Enjoy! 

This last pillow is my favorite and would work well in our home. And chevron curtains… how amazing would that be? The above 3 are all from This Little Home.

Chevron on furniture… I am in love! From Lonny. Designed by Laura Day.

Also from Lonny. Designed by Michelle Adams.

I love this space! From High Gloss. Photo by Rachel Meiring.

What do you think of Chevron? How would it fit into your home?

When I find an amazing deal, I can’t wait to share it with others! I have been on the hunt for a larger rug in our front entry for a while. We had a small, 2×3 sisal rug that was too small for its purpose. When people would come in through the front door, trudging through the snow of the northeast, there wasn’t much room for their snowy boots. And since this winter seems to be lingering on forever, I needed to make a change! I wasn’t sure what I was looking for- I just needed it to be at least 3×5 and work with the decor. The foyer is off the living room, which is painted Mink (a deep brown) by
Benjamin Moore. Our foyer is painted Powell Buff (creamy gold), also by BM. I wanted a large print rug, a change from the solid sisal that was there before. So with the neutral, more traditional backdrop, I wanted to make a modern statement to change it up a bit. And there it was- not only a cool rug with the right dimensions- it was also a steal of a deal at $19.99! I found this steal at Target! I love that store!  

Couldn’t pass up that opportunity! This girl always loves a stylish deal!

So while on the topic of snowy Northeast weather and purchases to help out the snow boots, I thought I would include a DIY project to help me think of spring! I always love to deck out the chandeliers in our house, for the holidays. Over Christmas, I bedazzled our kitchen chandelier with twine and evergreen. So for the new spring look, I decided to keep the twine- I thought it looked a bit like a nest!

Maybe, this will help spring arrive a little sooner. If the weather is warm where you are……….. please send a little our way! Enjoy the week! (Do you see the snow in the background- crazy!)

For me, there’s nothing I enjoy more than relaxing with family and friends, spending quality time together. So, why not also combine that with chic linens and beautiful entertaining! I recently came across an amazing shop that does just that- it blends meaningful gathering time with chic designs for your kitchen and home. The shop is
Hen House Linens, and I am a fan! Jenny, owner and creator of Hen House Linens, grew up in North Carolina with true southern hospitality. She has always treasured meaningful gathering time with her family and wanted to pass the tradition on to her children. Her philosophy is gracious living everyday, and she creates beautiful linens for practical, everyday use. Some of her wonderful line includes tablecloths, runners, cocktail and dinner napkins and pillows- just to name a few! Her line has been featured in several wonderful publications and can be purchased at her site here, or a nearby retailer. I have done both- I found a small boutique nearby, which carries some of her amazing line, and I also love to shop directly on the site! And what I love best are the beautiful designs are practical and affordable! Here is a glimpse into the beautiful Hen House Linens!

I love the beautiful prints! The designs all blend together so well! I have the above cocktail apron in this fabric below, which is called Tapestry Ocean:

I absolutely love it! It’s so pretty combined with the large black ribbon, tied in a bow! For a gift, I purchased beautiful cocktail napkins in this fabric below, which is called Ornamental Scarlet. It was a Christmas gift, and I included them inside an entertaining basket:

If you haven’t been to Hen House Linens, definitely check it out!

After this post, I feel inspired to whip up a batch of cookies and spend time with family!