Coastal Living {March}


I am super excited about this months Coastal Living review. The March issue is AMAZING! The kind of amazing that even when March is over it will sit out instead of being filed away with the rest. There were so many beautiful features that it was hard to choose which one I would feature, but I chose the one that featured a home that has 6 little ones.








Absolutely stunning, am I right? They also feature one of the girls rooms in the magazine that is breathtaking. It really is such a dream.

Oh, and did I mention Erika from Urban Grace has a 6 page spread on her kitchen designs. I could not be anymore excited for her!

Also Bobbi Brown shares what's inside her L.L. bean beach bag. Her list makes me think she and I were separated at birth. Except change her havaianas to rainbows and we are in business.

Really this is a must have issue. I can't get enough of it!

*and as always I do not get paid by Coastal Living to write a monthly review, I do it because I love this magazine and they asked if I would be interested in doing so. Nothing more than that.

Being Practical

I had a reader ask for some kid friendly breakfast/dining spaces ideas, aka something my child can't ruin within 5 minutes. Here are a few spaces I have saved in my own inspiration folder...


What I love is the gallery wall. It can easily be mixed up with adding your own child's art work. What child and parent wouldn't love that? I also love the easily cleanable chairs in a fun color. The chairs within the otherwise neutral palette makes it all not so overwhelming.

{via Elle Decor}

I love the magic of paint. Find any craigs list, yard sale, or flea market table and chairs and just add paint. I love how they used all different chair styles, but easily made them unite with a coat of black paint.

{via Decor Pad}

Hello chalkboard! This is either a love it or hate it thing, but I personally love it. I also love the oversize lighting and the simple seating. This space is great example of modern mixed with traditional.


This space definitely packs the punch, but again it does not feel overwhelming. I could definitely see getting a lot of use out of the dining area.

Well, I hope this helps a bit. Being kid friendly doesn't have to sacrifice on style. And for those who like a bit of a padded seat, using outdoor fabric is always an option. I plan on doing this in my own dining room, now just to make an appointment with the upholsterer. Hope our weekly small group/dinner group won't mind be seat less for a couple of weeks, yikes.

NYC Apartment







I know, I know this home has been featured over on Design*Sponge, but I really have become smitten with it. I try hard to be somewhat blog original, but sometimes I find things to be so inspiring I can't help myself. This is one of those times. That kitchen full of subway tile is such a dream. The inky black doors have me drooling. Oh, and don't even get me started on all the art work. You must check out Design*Sponge for more images and full write up of this home formerly owned by interior designer Ellen Hanson.

Dining in Style


I came across this image while browsing on this fabulous new to me blog. I adore the way the windows push out, the fireplace, the iron based round table, and the chairs. Oh, and don't even get me started on the mirror, chandelier, and floors. I would love to dine here minus the kiddos, I could only imagine what the lovely seats would look like after.

{via Holding Court, via Met Home}

A Cottage Kitchen






I posted this home when it was recently up for sale in my area. I was beyond excited when I started flipping through the March issue of Southern Living and found the same kitchen featured. The home is owned or was owned by the features editor Jessica Thuston. She really created a kitchen of my dreams. Yes, it's small, but I prefer small. Oh, and seeing another view of the dining room has me wanting a table just like that to paint. This issue is definitely worth picking up if you don't already have it. There hasn't been a day that has gone by that haven't picked up since receiving it in the mail.

{scanned from March issue of Southern Living}

Simplicity At It's Finest











Joni, from Cote De Texas, posted a slew of homes selling in California then asked her readers, "which would you choose?". Without hesitation this would be my pick. I love the simple palette and furnishings. I would never have to leave home with a backyard like that. I am going gaga over the wicker chairs in the dining room and kitchen. Really every detail is perfection. I could move right in without changing a thing. What I love the most is that the decor is doable even in a smaller home on a lesser scale. Oh, and that Hermes blanket is taunting me all over blog land. If I were filthy rich I would buy it in a heart beat, ha!

Hermes


The lovely lady from Blue Hydrangea posted this pic of Ivanka Trumps apartment awhile back and it went straight into my inspiration folder. What inspired me so? The Hermes scarf framed in the background is what. When I was small my grandmother gifted me a Hermes scarf with horses on it simply because I was obsessed with horses. Of course at the time I had no idea that Hermes was a big deal and I played with that scarf to no end. Well, as I got older it now sits in a drawer but the scarf still brings me great memories of my grandmother. I am thinking of having it framed like this so I can enjoy it on a daily basis.

Katie Lee and Sagaponack










After seeing a party feature with Katie Lee in the December issue of InStyle I knew I had to see more. She was dressed beautifully whipping up something in a kitchen that made me stop and stare. I did a bit a sleuthing and came across this home. It is a former home of Billy Joel's and her's when they were still together. It is on the market for a mere $22.5 million. It looks like a lovely place for a get together.

{home images via Luxist}

A Floor to Remember

While being the great real estate stalker I am, I came across this home and immediately recognized the floors.

They are the same floors from a past Cottage Living issue, March 2007 to be exact. This home office was a feature transformation of once editor Jessica Thuston's. Oh yes, I must really love you all to go back through my past issues just to find a date. Let me just say that's a lot of page flipping.


It seems the office is now a nursery. Not sure if she is still the current home owner, but it was still a treat to get a glimpse into this lovely home...








I then remembered this image from the Newlywed Diaries....


Looks like this could be the same dining room only staged for the magazine. What do you think? If so then I just might add that my home is open to staging for any magazine to use, just saying.

*Sorry for the small picture size, but they were too good not to share. That's what I get for ripping them off a real estate site. Blogger won't let me re-size them, boo. This also leads me to say, if any real estate agents would like to send me actual pics of fabulous homes that you know I would love then I will gladly accept them. It makes for a better post.