Luxe for Less: Artwork!

One big thing we've realized since moving into our new house is that we didn't have nearly enough things to fill up all of our walls!  We got advice to avoid rushing to fill every room right off the bat, and to instead invest in special pieces over time, but in the meantime, we don't want to live with blank walls so it's time to get creative!  We want to find things to put on our walls that will feel homey without breaking the bank, and then we can add nicer pieces into the mix as time goes on.

Enter Home Goods.

Let's call a spade a spade, I get a legitimate rush of excitement every time I am about to walk into a Home Goods store, I'll admit it.  The fact that I might stumble upon something great, at an inexpensive price, makes me really eager to start looking around to try and find some goodies!

One of my recent Home Goods finds was these gold frames.  I immediately loved their pizzazz, but they had matching watercolor quotes in them that said "EAT CAKE FOR BREAKFAST" which I wasn't too crazy about for our living room.  There were 2 important details I looked for:

1.  The openings were a standard 4x6 size.

2.  Their backs weren't sealed so it would be easy to put new artwork into them.

I decided to order two vintage postcards showing places that have sentimental value to us - one is from Nantucket and one is Biddeford Pool, Maine - and, voila!, they turned out great!  I found a wonderful selection of vintage postcards on a site called https://www.cardcow.com/    

Here was what they looked like before:

And here is what they look like now:

{close-up of Biddeford Pool, Maine postcard}

{close-up of Nantucket sailing fleet postcard}

Aaaaaand I'm back!

Hi!  It's been three years since I last posted on Ins and Outs and Whereabouts, but I've decided to resurrect this labor of love and start blogging again!

One big reason I am excited to start blogging again is that PRG and I recently bought a house in the burbs, and this little blog will be the perfect place for us to document the experiences that unfold as we turn this house into our home, one project at a time.

To kick things off, here we are in front of our new house -- it snowed the day we moved in!

Welcome to Ins and Outs and Whereabouts 2.0!  I hope you'll come in, put your feet up, and hang out for a while!

Thursday 3

{true!}

{amazing butler's pantry}

{pretty!...wish I knew where this is from}

Luxe for Less: Bamboo Bangle

I came across a gold bamboo bangle on Pinterest and loved it immediately so tried to find where it was from.  Turns out it was Gucci and costs a whopping $4,359 at Saks.  Ummm kind of out of my bangle budget to say the least.  I knew I had to be able to find something with a similar look and feel for less so I started to hunt around. I found it at C.Wonder for $28!  I'd say that's a pretty big difference.  Granted, it's not Gucci, but I'll take it anyways!  And the C.Wonder bangle comes in lots of fun colors making it perfect for stacking.

Gucci bangle                                   C.Wonder bangle 

Thursday 3

I've seen some other bloggers do a "Friday Favorites" post series so I thought I'd start a series like that of my own! Here is my first installment of Thursday 3, showing 3 images that have caught my fancy:

Can you tell I've got elephants on my mind?

{Painting by Caitlin McGauley}

{Plate from c wonder}

{Garden stool from one king's lane}

Keep home close to you no matter where you go

Here's a great gift idea for someone who is about to move far from home...or for anyone who takes great pride in where they live, where they have lived, or where they're from.  Such a fun way to keep your roots close to your heart, no matter where you may travel.  

Maya Brenner's state necklaces:

{had to represent with my home state of CT!}

{for those who want to add a little bling}

{for those who prefer silver}

The perfect laptop bag for traveling!

I do a lot of traveling for my job, and one fun item on my 'to do list' has been to find the perfect laptop bag for traveling.

I had some very specific criteria this bag had to fit:

• had to be lightweight
• had to have a shoulder strap
• had to be durable and not stain easily
• had to have a top zipper
• had to fit nicely beneath an airplane seat without having to be put it on its side
• had to have multiple compartments to keep my belongings organized
• had to easily fit my laptop, tablet, wallet, etc without looking too bulky
• had to look professional so I can bring it into client meetings

I'm happy to report that, after going into countless stores and spending lots of time browsing online, I finally found it!!  I present to you, the perfect laptop bag for traveling, MZ Wallace's Bedford Nylon Bag in black:

{side 1}

{side 2}

{love it!}

This bag has:

• 4 outside zip pouches of all different sizes
• durable shoulder straps plus a detachable cross-body strap
• 10 interior pockets to fit everything from your cell phone to your business cards to your iPad
• a detachable mini purse
• 2 side pouches to hold your drink or an umbrella
• gold hardware and a red interior to make it stylish
• and the list goes on....

And, to top it all off, it's made from a durable nylon that is both water and stain resistant!  You could use this as a baby bag, a gym bag, a laptop bag, or just as an every day purse.  It doesn't get better in my book and I couldn't be happier with my purchase!  

The Perfect Bubble Necklace!

There's not one thing about this necklace that I don't love:  its chain, its clasp, its blue color, its length - I LOVE it all!  This piece could seriously add some quick pizazz to any number of outfits, including your New Year's Eve outfit! 

{Dabney Bib Necklace}

Front Door First Impression!

Last summer, while PRG and I were down in Madison, CT for our friends' wedding, we walked by this lovely door and I had to snap a picture!  Don't you just love it?  This photo recently became the backdrop of my laptop so I can admire it during the work day.  I'm so curious what the home is like behind this beautiful door!  I bet this door looks even more inviting all decorated for the holidays. 

Here are some front doors decorated for the holidays that really make me want to go inside and have a hot chocolate!

{Pottery Barn}

{Country Living}

{Martha Stewart}

Stylish iPad Cases

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving!  My long holiday weekend included a friend's birthday celebration, spending my first Thanksgiving with PRG's family, enjoying some post-Turkey Day R&R with my family, and going to our friends' engagement party last night down in CT.  It was a whirlwind of four days but everything was so much fun!

I started my Christmas shopping last week and, while I was out and about, I noticed that Bloomingdale's has a great selection of iPad cases.  Some cases include little stands, some include shoulder straps, and some are purely for fashion, but they all will protect an iPad nonetheless!

I snagged the #5 Ralph Lauren case below for my own iPad in a fun kelly green color - I couldn't resist.  The stand on it works well for reading in bed or browsing thru Flipboard while relaxing on the couch, two of my favorite nighttime things to do.  And I like how it has a professional look to it in case I end up using my iPad in client meetings.  Merry early Christmas to me!

 

1 - Kate Spade

2 - MARC by Marc Jacobs

3 - Burberry

4 - Lodis Accessories

5 - Ralph Lauren

6 - Tory Burch

7 - Marc Jacobs

8 - InCase

9 - Juicy Couture

10 - Bodhi

Thankful

I'm thankful for so many things, but especially for my amazing family & friends, my job, our new apartment that already feels like home, and a life filled with health and happiness.  What are you thankful for?

Fantastic Dabney Lee!

I first heard about the Dabney Lee site about a year ago, and I am a big fan.  I really like how everything they sell is customizable - there are countless prints and color combinations to choose from. 

Here are some goodies that I have received as gifts. 

First, this is my Dabney Lee calendar that spruces up my desk at work.  It arrived with a little lucite stand and I really like the variety that each new calendar brings.  I particularly love the contrast of the fuchsia and orange for the month of November:

PRG and I received this Dabney Lee lucite picture frame and this monogrammed Dabney Lee lucite tray as wedding gifts and they are awesome!  You can customize them to say any name or monogram you want. 

{large lucite tray}

{small lucite picture frame}

As you can see, Dabney Lee offers countless patterns and styles to choose from which makes it really fun to pick something out as a gift (or for yourself)!  Any of the Dabney Lee products would make excellent birthday, holiday, new home, new baby, engagement, or wedding gifts! 

 

Yes, Please for Some Society Social!

I have been wanting a bar cart for a while now but just haven't found one I love enough to buy.  I've particularly been wanting a faux bamboo one but all of the ones I'm finding are totally break the bank material.  Enter Society Social.  So many great ones to choose from in so many good colors!  Don't these make you want to throw a party? 

{Society Social}

Loving Flipboard!

I just got an iPad and so far I'm loving it!  I was asking some friends about what apps they would recommend and my friends LW and CG told me about Flipboard, and now I'm obsessed with it!  It turns all of the blogs you follow, including those in your Google Reader, into an electronic magazine that you can flip through - genius!  Apparently it also can bring in your Facebook, Twitter and Flickr feeds as well.  I would highly recommend it!

{Flipboard iPad app}

Tasty Fall Latte

When I came across this light pumpkin spice latte on the "With Style & Grace" blog, I couldn't resist!   Nothing says fall like a warm pumpkin spice latte - mmmmm.   And, as someone who is allergic to dairy, the fact this recipe is dairy free makes it even better! 

{recipe and photograph from With Style & Grace blog}