January 31, 2013
(Photographs: M Pemberton Design on Flickr | Lonny October 2012 Issue | Gonzalo Machado for architectural digest | Andrew Boyd for Heart Home Magazine)
Last week I talked a little bit about finding and styling secondhand furniture, but I recognize that one of the main challenges this poses is not having a good idea of what your interior design style is. Like any design project, you want to first approach your subject with a vision, but nailing that down can be hard—even lots of designers have a hard time identifying exactly what they want!
So, I wanted to follow up on that first post with some tips and tricks to finding your own personal interior design style. It’s gonna be easy and fun. Ready?
Continue reading “Finding Your Interior Design Style” »
January 22, 2013
I’m excited to put together a little series on something I am pretty passionate about: finding and styling secondhand furniture and housewares. One reason I love thrift and antique shopping so much is for the uniqueness that it brings to a space or closet. Secondhand pieces oftentimes have loads more character than their new sparkly counterparts and can be bought for a fraction of the price. For me, an ideal space pairs the two seamlessly for a look that’s comfortable, personal and welcoming.
To start out this series I thought I’d bring in a real life example. Above is my bedside table, which I found at Saver’s this past weekend for $14.99. Want to see how it looked in the store? It ain’t pretty:
Continue reading “Grown-up Shoes Guide: Secondhand Furniture” »
January 15, 2013
(photograph by miguel gomez)
The other night I stepped out of the shower, hair still wet in my pajamas and started sobbing “I’m not doing a good job at anything!” to poor Adam. That’s not how I really feel, but it was a moment of being overwhelmed by a lot of different things. Luckily for me, he took it like a champ and told me I had just taken on a lot and to make a cocktail while he turned on the new episode of Downton Abbey for me. All of which worked by the way and is highly recommended. This feeling of being overwhelmed has come to a head because in this past year I’ve prioritized work over almost everything else and I see now that it’s not working.
Continue reading “Learning My Balance” »
December 27, 2012
Hello again, friends! I hope you had a nice little break. I had a wonderful birthday and Christmas (except that I got sick for a few days!) and am already looking forward to the New Year. One of the posts I’ve been wanting to put up for months was something about the items I’ve bought this year that I’ve absolutely loved. I do a lot of posts about products that I want on this blog, but not a lot of follow up after I get them. I don’t know about you, but I rely heavily on reviews before buying anything, so I thought this would be a fun feature on GUS.
So, here they are . Eight things that I use practically every single day of the year and heartily recommend:
Continue reading “Best Buys of The Year” »
December 17, 2012
Even after perusing all the beautiful gift guides that come out each holiday season, finding the right thing to give to everyone on your list can be tough. Personally, I typically only buy things for Adam and my family, but I usually wish I had a little something for my wonderful friends as a small token of my love for them. Last year my friend Anne gave me some lavender hand salve that she had made, simply packaged and a delight to use. It’s still sitting on my bedside table. I love the handwritten label and, it might sound cheesy, but whenever I put it on before bed I always feel a little extra love. Likewise, a dear friend gave me some beautiful room spray she made this year and I’ve loved spritzing it around our little house—there’s something so special about these simple handmade gifts and the people they come from.
So, this past week when I was at the grocery store and saw a small piece of paper next to the Epsom salts with instructions on making your own salt scrub, I knew this would be the year I (try to!) start a new tradition: making a batch of something simple and handmade for people I love.
Affordable, really easy and a delight to use, here’s how to do it:
Continue reading “Holiday Guide // Easy Salt Scrub DIY” »
