Painted Dresser

I finally received the hardware for my black painted dresser in the mail, so I can finally share before and after pictures. I realized I neglected to take a photo of the old hardware, but trust me it was ugly. I'm pleased with the transformation and glad I decided to give this old, beat-up dresser a second life.

Leopard and Suede

Skirt: Forever 21, top: Gap, tights: Hue, boots: Botkier, belt: Charlotte Russe, necklace: homemade, scarf: Express.

I picked up this cute little suede skirt on Black Friday and have been wearing it like it's going out of style ever since. On this occasion I decided to keep it casual by pairing it with a plain black t-shirt and flat riding boots. I decided to add a pop of colour with the hunter green tights and threw on the leopard scarf to bring out the browns and tans in my skirt and boots.

Painted Bookshelves

Well, I'm finally finished with the painting I was doing in my home office, which is great because my garage was getting just a wee bit too cold to paint in. The room is almost complete; I am just waiting for the hardware for the dresser to arrive in the mail and I have a few pieces of artwork to hang. It's finally starting to look like a room as opposed to a random collection of mismatched furniture. Here are the before and after photos of the bookshelves I painted.


Before: mismatched, cluttered, and cheap-looking.


After: sleek, modern, and organized.

Book Displays

I have wanted to find a way to make my cookbooks more accessible for some time now, as having them on a bookshelf in my office was a less than convenient spot for them. I hadn't displayed them in the kitchen because I'm a person who doesn't like clutter; but I finally decided that I had enough counter space to display them flanked with a set of cute bookends. I came across this set of apples this weekend and was sold. I set up my cookbooks on a diagonal on my countertop and couldn't be happier with how it looks. I also picked up a set of bird bookends to display some of my books on the dresser in my office. I decided to display all of the books I have that have pink covers to pick up the pink in the desk I painted recently. Below is a sneak peek of the dresser I painted black; I'll post before and after photos as soon as the hardware comes in the mail.

Belted Blouse

Blouse and denim leggings: Lauren Conrad for Kohl's, boots: Botkier, necklace: Hilary Druxman, belt: Charlotte Russe, bag: Coach.

I've been playing around with different ways to wear my blouses lately and love how this one can be worn three different ways: loose and flowy, belted, or tucked into a high-waisted skirt. Often, when I've found a new way to wear an item I get that excited feeling that I get when I'm wearing something brand new, which I've found to be a good way to trick myself out of buying anything for a while. Do you ever get that 'excited feeling' when you've remixed an outfit in a unique way?

Bathroom Makeover

I had been wanting to redo my bathroom decor for quite some time and finally got to it this weekend. Before it was boring brown, white and tan. I had planned to paint my cabinets dark brown so I decided to leave a few chocolate brown pieces and add a nice aqua blue colour to brighten things up. I added a bowl of decorative balls, a new patterned shower curtain, and a dried flower arrangement in a metallic vase, and it seems like a totally different room. I'm still not quite finished though; I'm still looking for the perfect piece of art to put on the one empty wall and I'm waiting for the hardware on the wall cabinet to come in the mail. I might also paint the walls a richer camel colour. Since the room is essentially finished I couldn't resist sharing a few before and after pictures.


Before: boring brown.


After: a splash of colour.

Pretty Plaid

Plaid shirt: Relativity, denim leggings: Lauren Conrad for Kohl's, boots: Botkier, belt: Charlotte Russe, handbag: Coach, necklace: Hilary Druxman.

I've been loving plaid shirts lately. They are just so comfortable and it's easy to create both casual and dressy looks with them. I picked up this cute studded shirt on Black Friday and wore it for the first time today. I decided to cinch it in at the waist with a skinny brown belt. Do you own any plaid shirts? If so, how do you wear yours?

Office Decor

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was productive, but seemed to fly by. I spent the majority of the weekend painting both my bathroom cabinets and dresser in my office (I'll post pictures of both once they are completely finished). As mentioned here and here I am in the process of a major painting project in my home office. I'm slowly transforming it into a space that is actually inviting to work in. Here are a few of the pieces I've picked up to accent my black, white and pink furniture.


Modern black lamp (Walmart, $15!)


Paper tray (Forever 21)


Pen Cup (Home Sense)


Decorative storage boxes (Target)

Feeling Blue

Blouse: Forever 21, denim leggings: J Brand, handbag: Coach, boots: Frye, necklace: ? (0ld).

I picked up this blue blouse this weekend at Forever 21 during my Black Friday shopping spree. I did manage to find most of the items on my wishlist, which I was thrilled with. I didn't have this specific top on my wishlist, but I was looking for feminine blouses and this fit the bill. Stay tuned in the next week for more of my Black Friday finds. Have a great weekend!

Ricotta and Spinach Manicotti

Sorry I've been MIA lately, I've been crazy busy this week and haven't had a chance to take any outfit photos. Tonight I finally had the night at home so I decided to make a batch of manicotti. I made the pasta sauce first and let it simmer while I was boiling the shells and stuffing them with spinach, ricotta, onion and spices. I don't use a recipe but if I did it would be something like this. I just made a basic pasta sauce this time with crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, mushrooms, basil and black pepper.