fashionista || keep it simple

taking notes on some of these easy-breezy looks today:

1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5

hope your friday's happy, casual or not! ox

Home Solutions for Your New Year's Resolutions

It's a new year, which means it's that time again: resolution time. We have all made and broken resolutions year after year. But have you ever enlisted the help of your home in accomplishing your yearly goals? Here are a few common resolutions and ways your home can be of assistance....

1. Get Fit: Probably the number one resolution on most people's list, but there is a reason why gym attendance spikes in January and tappers off as the year presses on. We are all busy and it's just tough to find time to make it to the gym. What if you made the gym come to you? Here are a few stellar home gyms that leave no room for excuses...

2. Get Organized: This is a biggie. No one wants to be featured on the show Hoarders and we can all get a little overwhelmed by the day to day onslaught of things (mail, laundry, school papers, work papers, toys - the list goes on and on). One great way to get organized is to enlist the help of built-in storage and management centers like these...

3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: It's never too late to become environmentally conscious and there are many ways your home can help you become an eco-friendly consumer...

Create a recycle center for your home - it keeps you organized and can give your household clear guidelines for what is recycled.

image source: http://www.hometone.com/entry/green-nest-going-green-with-recycled-glass-countertops/

You can find many home building products that are made from recycled products like the above recycled glass countertops by Verazzo. Bottles, lamps and wine glasses are turned into beautiful mosaics that make up kitchen and bathroom countertops.

You can also use recycled metal products in your home. Metals like steel, aluminum and copper are made into framing, siding and roofing products.

4. Spend Less, Save More: Due to an increased number of people looking to accomplish resolution #3, there are now plenty of resources you can use to save money in your home...

Energy Star apppliances like dishwashers, washers and dryers use 20-30% less energy than federal standards and can give you significant savings on your monthly utilities.

source: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=FU

image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Star

Furnace efficiencies are reflected in their annual fuel-utilization-efficiency (AFUE) ratings. To qualify as Energy Star, furnaces have AFUE rating of 85% and 90% or higher, making it up to 15% more efficient than standard furnaces. Since heating and cooling makes up roughly 54% of your utility bill each month, you can see how quickly savings will add up.

sources:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/heating-cooling-and-air/gas-furnaces-703/efficiency-matters/efficiency-matters.htm

http://www.energysavers.gov/pdfs/energy_savers.pdf

5. Learn Something New: As Benjamin Franklin once said, "a house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body." Make sure you have a place in your home that is conducive to learning...

6. Spend more time with family and friends: This is my favorite resolution because it's one that is enjoyable to accomplish! The natural place to spend your time with family and friends is your home, so why not make it a place that makes it easy to entertain.

Open floor plans like this one allow for great spaces to entertain - hosts and guests can mix and mingle in the kitchen, dining room, living room and sun room.

This screened porch and pool area provide a perfect party zone.

What better place to spend time with friends and family than in a delightful game room like this.

Friends and family can enjoy cocktails, table games and the latest sporting event on TV in this lower level entertaining space.

The billiards and bar area in this lower level is perfect for holiday entertaining

May your home be a solution for your New Year's resolutions in 2012!

interiors || for the office

i have several rooms to decorate in the new house, no doubt. ideas were flowing over the break, but one room i just can't settle on a direction for in the slightest is the office. light and airy or colorful and dramatic? because it's the one room that's allowed to go super girly in an otherwise neutral decorzone, this little vignette has me quite inspired . . .

and that artwork is even available here via cozamia! score.

type tuesday || ampersand love

kind of obsessed.

images via ampersand design studio

so simple. so perfect.

type tuesday || brevity

several months ago while perusing everyone's favorite website, pinterest, i came across some stunning hand-calligraphed pendants and likely let out an audible gasp.

images via brevity shop

as i have been a long time fan of the very talented crystal kluge, i was completely taken with this spin on the classic name necklace, and promptly forwarded them to eric. not one to miss a blatant hint slam on the head twice, i got a very special something under the tree this year. happy dance!

you can score one of your very own (or an assortment of other beautiful jewels) from the sweet anna at brevity.

MoDiv Grand Opening

The Shops @ MoDiv will have their grand opening later this month! Stores including Haworth, Wolverine Company Store, Vue Design, Eastern Floral, Sofia Bella Couture and others will open their doors for business as part of this retail incubator project on the corner of Monroe and Division.

Congratulations to Rockford Construction on a job well done bringing the design to life!

Here are a few of our original design concept sketches...

Check out MoDiv's website for a full list of retailers - www.shopmodiv.com.

decor || basketweave

hellooooo, 2012! hope everyone had a great time ringing in the new year! we celebrated with friends by treating ourselves to an amazing meal and then going back to the house for games and one too many glasses of bubbly. in true form, my year was off to a slow start yesterday. but it's always worth it, right? :)

i'm also coming off quite a long break from routine with a few fun bits to show off around the house. so stay tuned for a little bit of that soon.

because i don't have said photos for you today, let's just talk about wicker, shall we? my mom has always had a thing for wicker, and i'm not going to lie (sorry, mom), i'm not sure i really had an appreciation for it until more recently. but it's turning my head more and more these days. i like the texture and warmth it brings to a space. plus, it's relatively easy to come across and often inexpensive, so you don't have to fret over ruining a piece by painting it. because what's better than a piece of furniture that you can repaint over and over again? not much.

exhibits:

1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9

what do you think? do you get down with a little bit of wicker?