Style Twins: Oscar de le Renta & Tobi Fairley

Remember a few weeks ago when I came across a chevron dress and duvet that were style twins?  Well, it's time for another set!  This time the similarities come from fashion designer Oscar de la Renta and interior designer Tobi Fairley.

 

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De la Renta's dress is from the Spring 2012 line and the room is Fairley's guest bedroom in her house.  The connection between the two is quite obvious - a heavily patterned look in black, yellow, and white.  The dress' yellow is slightly lime-ier than the bedroom, which has a more sunshiney hue.  Both the room and the dress are grounded in traditional design - a conservatively cut suit and historic-style furniture - but are made modern with bright punches of color.  This design technique is actually very common for Fairley, and one of my personal favorite ways to decorate.

I actually am generally a fan of the bumblebee color scheme, and have used it often myself.  I also really enjoy a good Oscar dress (Oscar at the Oscar's anyone?) and many of Tobi's designs, but unfortunately these both fall short for me.  So much pattern crammed together with such a loud color scheme makes my brain feel like mush.  But because I don't like being a total Negative Nancy, here are some looks these two have done that I think are beyond squeakalicious!

Oscar de la Renta



This one was actually found on Tobi's blog!



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Tobi Fairley



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What are your thoughts on the similar style pictures?  Are you a fan of Oscar and Tobi?
Comment and share your thoughts please!

Attitude of Gratitude - Week 10

We've made it to the double digits Squeaksters!  Week 10 is looking good, and here's why:

Oh Mucinex DM, how I love thee, let me count the ways. coughing, sneezing, stuffy nose...  You take care of it all!  Let me preface this gratitude bullet by saying that I am not a medicine person.  I will go days with a horrible cold and migraine before doing anything about it.  No I'm not a glutton for punishment, I just try to shy away from unnatural medicine as much as possible.  But sometimes you've gotta do what you gotta do, and working 10+ hour days when you can't breathe and feel like you've been run over with a bus just doesn't really work for me.  Last week I was hit with an awful bug and try as I did to avoid it, I had to take something.  After having this in my system for jsut a day I felt soooo much better and I kicked myself for not taking it sooner (which I do everytime).  So here is my official appreciation for modern medicine, even though we have a love-hate relationship, right now I am certainly more on the love side.



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My sick week was brightened by this emerald beauty.  A few months ago while suit shopping I found it and have been dreaming about it ever since.  Even though I loved it, I just couldn't stomach the $80 price tag despite its' good quality.  But my level-headedness paid off because when I went to the mall for the cooking class with Kelly last week I scored this little baby for half off!  Naturally I wound up taking two home so I still spent the $80, but I now got two tops for the price of one so I don't feel guilty at all.  Woohoo, shopping success!


I was also reminded how much I love weddings this past Saturday.  I work for a wedding planner part time and this past weekend I helped out at a wedding that was so different than others I've done before.  It was actually my first church ceremony (it seems to be a lot more rare these days) and the reception was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.  It had a very rustic yet elegant vibe that was so amazing I can barely do it justice with words.  Unfortunately we haven't gotten the pictures yet but I'm hoping to see them once the photographer shares them and once I get my hands on them I will definitely be doing a wedding feature on it because it was squeaklicious!

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What are you thankful for this week?  Share in the comment section!

Bucket List Check-In - 3x the Fun + 2x the Challenge

I'm happy to announce I can now mark three items off my bucket list this week!

1)   This past Monday, my friend Kelly generously invited me to a cooking class with her at Cookology in the local mall.  I had an absolute blast making three courses, all of which were amazingly easy and delicious!  We made vinaigrette from scratch, arroz con pollo, and then chocolate mousse from scratch topped with macerated berries.  My presentation skills were lacking so this photo doesn't do it justice, but I had a great time!  Not to mention we ended up with some leftovers so I had round 2 of deliciousness last night.

Take a cooking class.  CHECK!

2)   In addition to the 70+ fashion and design blogs I've subscribed to through my Google Reader, I wanted to "broaden my horizons" if you will with a few blogs on varying topics.  The goal I set out for was 5, which I've reached, though I hope to keep adding more on topics like psychology, etc.  So far the ones I follow include:

• Life After College - A coaching type blog set forth to cover topics about tons of life aspects like finance, career, goals
• From Shopping to Saving - A personal finance blog with an author who's voice I really enjoy reading
• The Daily Love - Posts about all things from motivation to love to losing weight along with daily quotes (which you know I'm a sucker for!)
• Get Rich Slowly - Tips on how to stay out of debt and build wealth (putting me closer to another bucket list item of finding out more about investments)
• Zen Habits - Articles on things such as simplicity, minimalism, and living in the moment

Find at least 5 blogs to follow that aren't style or design related. CHECK!

3)   Because I still am early on with my interior design schooling I've been sort of nervous to take the plunge and actually e-design rooms.  I'm not sure why it seems more daunting than designing one in real life since I do that all the time, but I finally decided to get over it and push myself.  So far, I've put together boards for two rooms: a nursery for my recently born niece Gabriella and a photo-inspired European dining room.

Design and post a room from scratch.  CHECK!

I also attempted to knock another one off the list, which was find good Chinese take-out in Leesburg, but so far no luck.  Sadly my Mongolian Beef was not as delicious as that of P.F. Chang's.  Maybe that's too high a standard...?

I've also added two new items to the list:

• Learning how to tie a man's tie (A skill everyone should know before becoming a wife.)
• Go ziplining (If the OC Housewives can handle it then I certainly can.)
• Participate in the 30 for 30 challenge

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What are some things you would suggest to add to my list?

What's on your bucket list?  Comment below and share!

Thursday Thoughts - Being Yourself

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Tuft it Out

 

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There's something about tufts that just makes any piece of furniture look divinely comfortable.   Maybe it's because tufts are usually used when there's lots of cushion or maybe my brain is just playing silly tricks on me to make me believe tuft = comfort...  Either way, I dig it and I look forward to owning a giant, ultra comfy, tufted couch one day.  Preferably in a crazy color or print.


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Nick Olsen's infamous couch screams comfort.  His DIY tufts make this blue beauty a winner!

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May I just say, this is quite possibly the coolest chair I've ever seen. The
suitcase for the traveler in me and the tufted seat for the designer in me; it's all perfection.

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Headboard (and footboard) heaven is awaiting you in this bedroom.  The minimalist
decor lets the tufts take center stage, a fully deserved spot in my opinion.

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Take about luxurious!  That jewel-toned tufted ottoman makes me want to take my
shoes on and off several times a day just for an excuse to park my rump on that baby.

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When Amy Morris used this zebra tufted R. Hughes' Porter chair she
created the ultimate dramatics.  Have you ever seen such a showstopper?

If you're as taken by tufted furniture as I am, then you should check out I <3 Tufted Furniture, which I found while writing this post.  An entire blog dedicated to this Rococo design detail, can you believe it?!  Or if you're looking to purchase, I've heard good things about Horchow, a Neiman Marcus furniture affiliate.

What's your take on tufts?  Share some of the beauties you've come across.
Got another design detail you're obssessed with?  Please comment & share!

Photo Inspiration - The Best Things in Life are Free



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This photo came to me via what I can only conclude is fate.  Of course, it didn't present itself like a little gift-wrapped package To: Katharine  From: Fate. It used Katie from Running on Happiness as the mortal transmission.  She, without a doubt, has some of the most beautiful photography I've seen from a blog, present photo included.

I could ramble on forever about how beautiful and amazing this picture is, but I'll spare you and just cover the highlights.

• A great quote (gets me every time!) that stands proud in focus.
• Rusted wrought iron goodness.
• Hello beautiful sunshine with lightly visible rays!

The print on the card immediately reminded me of Santorini - the ultimate depiction of blue and white, while the rest of the photo brings a very Italian vibe (it was taken there after all...).  This picture inspired me to create a classic, yet interesting, dining room that looks a little something like this...

1. A Currey & Company Primo Brass Chandelier is the perfect way to shed a little light in this European-inspired room.
2. These Williams-Sonoma Dinner Plates are a touch of simple elegance that can work in any dining space, but coordinate perfectly with the Santorini colors.
3. The Le Souk Stella Wrought Iron Table serves as the stage for intimate dinners and family breakfasts alike.  Tell me you don't love the shape of those legs; I know I do!
4. To bring a little cheer into the room, Valspar's Sunset Boulevard would look amazing.  I picture it popping nicely against a clean white chair-rail molding with wainscot beneath.
5. A nice medium-toned hardwood floor like the one pictured brings warmth to the space.
6. Jill Sorensen has so many great products, including this Katherine Chair, which I would love even if it didn't have such a fabulous name!  As soon as I saw it I knew it would be the perfect addition to this space.
7. Last but not least, a simple DIY from Chelsea at Two Twenty One adds a touch of fun to the table.

Have you been inspired by a gorgeous photo like this one?
What do you think of the dining room I've created?
Leave a comment to share, I'd love to hear!

Attitude of Gratitude - Week 9

Man oh man, another week of Just Squeaks and I couldn't be happier with my little labor of love.  I'd definitely say this is a match made in heaven, and I'm looking forward to watching those week numbers growing.

This week, I'm especially thankful for:

1.  My decreased stress level!  If you've been following my posts you can probably gather that things in my life have been a whirlwind of crazy and pretty tense at times.  Last week I felt a release of pressure and I finally felt like I could breathe a little easier.  I'm not really sure why the switch, as things haven't honestly changed all that much from weeks prior, but I feel much more calm and at peace, which is always something to be thankful for.  Not only does it make life happier, but healthier too!

2.  Pinkberry  Is there really anything as glorious as this delicious treat?  I'm pretty sure the response you're looking for is not a chance!  I'm not ashamed to admit that this amazingness has been added to my Tuesday ritual.  Every week after skeeball the roomie and I make a pit stop for some delicious fro-yo (Original with fresh strawberries & brownie bites, in case you were wondering) and a little recap of the night.

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3.  Dancing  When I was 14 my sister started teaching me how to salsa dance and even though we didn't do it often, I loved it.  I continued doing it throughout college, learning lots of other latin dances such as bachata, merengue, even a little tango.  Although I've only been twice in the past year or so, it still is a hobby of mine that I really enjoy.  It is so much fun, not to mention a great workout, so I'm hoping to get back into dancing very soon, especially once wedding season calms down.  Maybe one day I'll look like this...

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What are you thankful for this week?