'Five Things" Friday - B. in the Know Edition

Happy Friday! Today's "Five Things" edition is by one of my new contributors, Brittany. Enjoy her fun round-up of 5 things and be sure to check out her blog! Have a happy weekend.

Hello, lovelies! My name is B of B. in the Know. It's so fun to be here sharing what I have been loving recently with you, to give you a little more of a look into the life of B...

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One. I am a huge lover of denim and cannot get enough of the denim on denim trend as of late. This is probably my favorite pairing - a good pair of dark skinnies with a light chambray shirt. I have been found meandering around the streets of Minneapolis in this look with my favorite pair of TOMS on a Saturday afternoon.

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Two. I love packing my schedule full, which often means making my day look transition to the evening without getting time to run home and freshen up. My best kept secret (well, until now) to make me look wide awake and fresh that I absolutely love - bright red lips. I never leave the house with at least one of my red lip options, though I typically have at least three options so I can choose according to my mood. Sometimes a lady wants a gloss finish and sometimes it is more of a matte night.

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Three. Rings, rings and more rings. I love them so much and have no problem stacking them on. I sure love a good arm party or pretty necklace, but rings are what get me every time. I love that with such a little accessory a person can share so much of their story. For each of my rings there is a story - and they always seem to strike up a good conversation with new acquaintances.

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Four. Frolicking outside in the sunshine is one of my favorite things to do in Minneapolis. We have to soak up every minute we get because it only last for so long. I am not a huge fan of winter, but one thing I do love about it is that it makes me that much more thankful for the sunshine.

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Five. I love elephants. They seriously melt my heart every time I see a picture. Though I typically stick to fashion, elephants always seem to find a way into a post from time to time. What I love about this picture is knowing that I hopefully will get to do almost this same thing in four short months when I go visit a good friend in Thailand.

Well, my new lovelies, it has been an honor to get to share some of my loves with you. What are you loving most these days? 

Much love,
B

P.S. Don’t be a stranger - I would love to have you come say hi and share more of my world over at B. in the Know.

DIY Project :: Fabric Wrapped Mason Jars

Fresh flowers are my absolute favorite and I really try to have them around my apartment as often as I can. My husband had flowers delivered to me on Saturday for Mother's Day and the arrangement of multicolored roses was beautiful! I left the bouquet in a large vase for a couple days and then decided to cut the roses down and arrange them in mason jars - my favorite way to display flowers. Ball recently came out with the limited edition Ball Heritage Collection Pint Jars to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Ball brother's "Perfect Mason" jar. I received a case of the gorgeous vintage-inspired blue jars and was asked to do something fun and creative with them. I have a ton of fabric scraps and samples in my design library that I can't bring myself to get rid of and decided this was the perfect opportunity to put them to use! The project was very simple and didn't take much time at all. It's great for one arrangement or 20, depending on the size of your event. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to create your very own fabric wrapped jars. And if you're interested in purchasing a set of these lovely limited edition blue jars, be sure to do so before they're gone forever!

The beautiful limited edition Ball Heritage Collection Pint Jars in vintage blue

1. Simple supplies needed: scrap of fabric / tacky glue (or hot glue) / raffia or twine / mason jar / scissors
2. Cut fabric strips wide enough so you can fold over each side to create a finished look
3. Glue down each side or use fabric hem tape - I used Tacky Glue and it seeped through the fabric right away (but it does dry clear, it's just a little messy)
4. Fold over glued sides to create a nice, even fabric band
5. Wrap the mason jar with the fabric and secure the 2 ends with glue (mine barely fit around the jar so it was tricky) / Wrap the fabric tightly with raffia or twine and tie in a knot along the seam where you glued both ends together (I double wrapped the raffia but you can do whatever you wish)
6. Finished wrapped jar - now we just need to add the flowers! 
7. I love using roses for small arrangements like this one. They look so beautiful when bunched together! I measured the stems to the height of the jar, leaving a little room to trim them down if needed. You don't want to cut them too short right away, or you won't be left with much to work with.

Voila! A simple, affordable and stylish way to dress up a mason jar or vase.

[ALL IMAGES WERE TAKEN BY ME, JULIE THIGPEN]

Spring 2013 :: High Point Trend Report

I'm ecstatic about today's post by one of my new contributors! Jeanne did an incredible job capturing her experience at High Point and after reading her post, I feel like I was there myself! I feel so inspired and excited about all of the new trends emerging in the world of design. Did any of you attend? What was a highlight for you? Enjoy! 

Hello there! This is Jeanne from Cozy•Stylish•Chic . For my first contributor post, Julie asked me to talk about High Point Market, the World's Home for World Furnishings, that takes place twice a year in High Point, North Carolina.  I could not be more thrilled, as market was such an incredible experience for me.  Never mind the tired and blistered feet. I had a renewed sense of what was going on in the world of interior design, and I returned to LA inspired!

 

COLOR 

Crisp black and white combinations

"The energizing power of black and white is not confined to apparel," says Ron Fiore, Bernhardt creative director, "Black and white combinations are easy to live with, grounding, and mix with any palette you've established."  This held true not only for Bernhardt, but for the majority of lines I came across. 

Barnsley Dining Table, Bernhardt Interiors

Not only was black and white well represented in the Bernhardt Showroom, but inlay also seemed to make an appearance in each room I walked into.  Each inlaid furnishing was intricately detailed and outfitted with a simple, almost architectural base that was equally as stunning as the inlaid detail above but surprisingly did not detract from its beauty. 
 

C.R. Laine

According to C.R. Laine, "Black is back" and there is no in between. Here, black and white is paired in stark contrast to one another with a little chartreuse accent to add a little bit of pop.

 

Stanley Furniture

The white lacquered Charleston mirror from Stanley is such a treat when displayed as a group and put against a black background, as seen above. 

 

Bernhardt Interiors

More bone inlay from Bernhardt, but that's a good thing, because I can't get enough of it.  Often seen in ethnic Indian furniture designs, Bernhardt makes bone inlay look contemporary and chic by pairing it with a chrome X-base chair, a herringbone sofa, and black and white photographs on the wall.
 

Worlds Away

Glossy black lacquer against white - a glamorous ensemble from Worlds Away.

Bright, Saturated Oranges and Corals

Oranges and corals are used as accents in the home either as an accent chair or with accessories to add a touch of color and vibrance to a room.

Stanley Furniture

This beautiful coral lacquered  bedside table from Stanley Furniture would be equally at home in a traditional setting as it would in a more contemporary or eclectic setting, which is why this is one collection to keep an eye on. Notice how the handles on the bottom drawer are offset -  it brings a little whimsy to the table, which I love.

Studio A

Bright, glossy accessories from Studio A - used in conjunction with bone and gold, and other neutrals to give a little pop of color.

Bernhardt

This look from Bernhardt integrates orange accessories into a classic room of browns with brass trim.

 

Bungalow 5

Orange and brown lacquered trays and accessories with a nod to classic Hermès. 

 

Festoni

Other notable color trends:

• Blue (cobalt and peacock) is the new Emerald • Lavender/Thistle and variations of Purple

 

TRENDS

Tufting Following in the footsteps of the wildly popular tufted Chesterfield, but now incorporating new contemporary styling, color, and materials.

Kim Salmela Atelier

The color of this chartreuse ottoman from Kim Salmela Atelier lights up the room with its presence.

Image from Wesley Hall

Emerald, Pantone's color of the year gives this traditional shape a contemporary twist.

Image from Wesley Hall

This pair of Martini chairs is from Wesley Hall, and is seen upholstered in "Keyhaven-Vintage", an exclusive print from Ian Sanderson Textiles.
 

Wesley Hall

I adore the quilting on the sides and back of this buttery soft leather tufted sofa.  Wesley Hall went the extra mile to make this piece a stand out .  The bright canary yellow color makes sure that this sofa does not go by unnoticed.

Return to Classical Antiquity- Busts and Portraits

Both two and three dimensional busts and portraits were seen throughout market in a range of styles, time periods, and mediums.  

Global Views

Stanley Furniture

Global Views

Woodson and Rummerfield House of Design for Stanley Furniture

This room in the Stanley Furniture showroom, which pays homage to classical antiquity, was designed by the dynamic design duo, Ron Woodson and Jaime Rummerfield of Woodson and Rummerfield's House of Design.  Two photographs of ancient Greek statues are shown on the center wall, in profile and facing one another as though in conversation, and several busts are gingerly placed  atop the dressers and armoires that line the perimeter of the room. Classical antiquity was definitely on Woodson and Rummerfield's minds when designing this room!

Chinoiserie Chinoiserie has always been a staple of fashionable interior decor. It is a European style which reflects the Chinese artistic influences on the western world. Even though blue and white ginger jars seem to be an ongoing trend for the last 30 years, this season marked a renewed interest in Chinese artistic influences on the west, with styles being pushed to the limit with more flair and sass than before.  It marked the return of high gloss lacquer, but this time in bright and saturated colors,  the presence of pagoda shapes, hand painted wallpaper, and  porcelain reproductions, all hallmarks of classic Chinoiserie.

Bungalow 5

Bungalow 5

C.R. Laine

This red lacquered pagoda top mirror and pair of birds seen in the C.R. Laine Showroom gives this room that little bit of "oomph" it needs.  

Four Hands

Blue and white ginger jars in a contemporary setting at Four Hands Showroom.

Stanley Furniture

Stanley Furniture uses classic blue and white ginger jars to accent pieces from the Charleston Regency collection.  Traditional yet at the same time, contemporary.

Other notable trends seen at High Point Market:
•Morocco - a little touch of ethnic, but with a twist of modern  
•Hexagons and Honeycomb patterns
•Lucite - either alone or mixed with other materials such as cowhide, leather, and velvet  
•Animal Kingdom - antlers, animal heads, hides  
•Inlaid bone furniture  
•Quatrefoil shapes

I hope you enjoyed my recap of the trends from High Point Market. If you haven't already, I'm sure you'll start to see these same trends pop up all around you.  Until next time, ciao!

Unless noted, all images are my own.