Cheap and Chic of the Week: Chic Christmas

Hello All! A week and a half ago, WWB and I went to get our first Christmas tree together! A big endeavor indeed, not only because we were getting our first tree together, but because it was our first tree for both of us individually. This meant that we had to go shopping for ornaments. 

This silver mistletoe ornament from Crate and Barrel was quite nice. Then we went to Gracious home and picked up some filler ornaments. But it wasn't until we were walking home on the Upper East Side that we spied the absolute best ornaments at one of our favorite stores - Roberta Roller Rabbit! 

You all know how much I love their home accessories, as I have mentioned them in previous posts here and here. The tablecloths, napkins, and place mats are fabulous and some of my favorite "go to" home accessories and gifts. 

The pillows are also a favorite, WWB and I have two of these in the apartment. 

And let's obviously not forget the thing that we all came to know and love Roberta Roller Rabbit for, her amazing beach cover ups. However, the Christmas ornaments are definitely my new favorite thing about Roberta. 

And, it gets even better, they start at $8. They are hand painted papier mache cylinders with all of our favorite Roberta Roller Rabbit patterns, in two sizes. Tres chic! 

The picture quality could be better, and you can't see the detail of the Roberta Roller Rabbit ornaments,  but you get a sense of how the tree turned out. We couldn't find a star or other tree-topper that we loved, so we decided to buy some ribbon and tie a large bow. We got three Roberta ornaments, but honestly I'm thinking I may have to go back for more ... What do you all think? 

Cheap and Chic of the Week: Coastal Living & Pier 1

I can always count on my great Charleston friend Mary Beth to have a Coastal Living in her beach bag - and I always ask to take a peak. On our most recent beach mission last month, Coastal Living had a spread that lead me to find a piece of cheap furniture that I had been looking for EVERYWHERE. 

The Dunmore Beach Club. Harbour Island, Bahamas. Just restored/redecorated by Caribbean local decorator Amanda Lindroth. 

And here it is ... the photo that solved all my apartment decor issues. Looking at this picture it might not be clear what in this photo "saved me." Bottom right hand corner, the slipper chair covered in Quadrille's  "Petite Zig Zag" fabric in brown. And under the photo it read "slipper chair from Pier 1." 

I have to be honest, Pier 1 may be one of the only decorating discount opportunities that I always forget about. Everything in there is always so over decorated, that I would rarely think of Pier 1 as a place to buy staples or basics. But here it is -- the Audra Slipper Chair. Just what WB and I needed in the apartment. And I got two of them for $139 each!

Now eventually the plan will be to upholster the chairs--skirted, but for now they are sitting in the apartment "naked." (sorry for the dark photo, a little cloudy in NYC this am) So to jazz them up whilst they remain white and uncovered I bought some $40 pillows from Roberta Roller Rabbit, and voila, a seating arrangement. I am thrilled with this "find," what do you all think?  

photos via Coastal Living

Attempting to be Cheap and Chic of the Week: LBD

Audrey Hepburn

What is it about the "little black dress"? Its so iconic, so stylish, so simple, and yet seemingly unattainable. 

Grace Kelly

I have an event coming up in NYC that is a black tie event for which I have absolutely nothing to wear. Obviously being the poor student that I am, this causes quite a problem because I am not exactly rolling in the dough. So, buying a long, true "black tie" dress was out of the question, because I won't exactly have many occasions to wear it in the near future.  Anything I buy needs to work for many different things over and over again.  

Marilyn Monroe

I decided that what I needed was to get a little black dress that was black tie appropriate, and could be worn to many cocktail parties over the next few years. In essence the perfect LBD. 

Audrey Hepburn

Who knew that something so seemingly simple, could turn out to be so exhausting, and not nearly as simple as one would think. 

Twiggy

I started my search on the low end ... scouring the likes of Ann Taylor Loft, Ann Taylor, and Banana Republic, hoping to find an amazing deal on a diamond in the rough. It was not to be. 

Sophia Loren

Material is an issue when you are looking for a black tie dress, as the material needs to be formal enough.   Many of the dresses I came across were jersey or a cotton blend ... neither which are really appropriate. So I decided to set my sights a bit higher and start looking at some other stores that specialize in "party dresses" per se. 

Angelina Jolie for St. John

The trouble with looking for a simple little black dress, is that no one makes a really simple little black dress. All the styles either have some embroidery, a ruffle, a belt, one shoulder etc ... and when you're planning on wearing something as much as I planned on wearing this dress, memorable is not exactly what you are going for. In fact, you would prefer the less memorable the better, something that essentially acts as a vehicle for jewelry, hairstyle, or a clutch--that way people are less likely to notice that you have been wearing the same dress for every occasion year after year. 

BCBG Max Azria

First stop, BCBG. Love this dress, but a little on the risque side for the more conservative crowd at the benefit I will be attending. Too bad, because I think its terribly sexy. 

French Connection

Next stop: French Connection. I have had great luck at this store over the past couple years, and there are always gems to be had. I really like this dress, but I think that it is lacking in the sophistication factor that is required for the type of event I am going to ... Too bad, because this is a great basic LBD.

JCrew

On to JCrew, where I determined that this was the dress that I should buy. Perfect, not exactly cheap at $250, but it could have been worse. I love the ruffle neckline, and the cinched waist--great for a conservative crowd and a great dress for a fun necklace. Oh, but wait, this won't ship until the end of June! Bummer! 

Milly

Final stop, Milly. And the dress I bought. It has ruffles, and one shoulder, two things that I think are too memorable for the "go to" little black dress, but what's a girl to do, I had officially been on every website, and I'm in the middle of finals and shouldn't be focusing on this! This one really topped out my budget. Oh well, I did get a big tax refund this year ...  

Cheap and Chic of the Week: Light on Target

So for this week's Cheap and Chic of the Week, I thought I would put the spotlight on lighting. Based on previous posts, clearly I think that lighting is really important to a room--and limiting the use of overhead lighting in favor of table lamps is a major portion of creating nice light in a room. I thought I would check out the often underutilized target website to see what I could find in terms of cheap and chic table lamps, and I thought I did pretty well! 

Here is the Crystal Lamp Base, for only $19.99! A chic lucite-esque lamp base, Target does not provide a shade, so you can shop for your own. I would go with a crisp, white barrel shade ... which you could also most likely purchase from Target. 

At just $29.99, this Tripod Lamp Base would be perfect in a den or study, or as a desk lamp. I know that other stores, such as Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware have sold similar lamps before, but never at such a wonderful price! Again, here you get to purchase your own shade, which is often a blessing in disguise, because many of the shades that come with lamps are not attractive. 

I know this may seem kitschy to some of you, but something about the architectural nature of this Eiffel Tower Lamp, really caught my eye. It has a real vintage feeling, which is often hard to find in a lamp at its price point.  This is an example of a shade pairing that just doesn't work for me. The shade makes the lamp have a more dowdy quality, I would get a more modern lampshade to emphasize the architectural quality of the lamp. 

And finally, because I have recently been having some sort of affair with mid-century modernism, is this Stacked Geo Table Lamp also for $39.00. In this case, I think that the shade that comes with the lamp is appropriate and works really well. I cannot vouch for the quality of the wood, but you know what? If you don't like it, lacquer it! 

Cheap and Chic of the Week: Ahoy There!

It seems as if I haven't done a Cheap and Chic of the Week in quite a while! I have been having a hard time finding something worth the title ... however, this week I am thrilled to discover that something I have been admiring for months now has finally become affordable. These 22" square pillows from Wisteria were originally $69, and have finally come down to the affordable price of $27.60! 

These pillows were inspired by nautical signal flags, shown above. What I love about them is that although they make an historic reference, the pillows themselves have a bold, graphic, modern quality to them. 

Although I love the colors in the signal flags, I like the reinterpretation for these pillows. Obviously I love the ones that incorporate turquoise. 

I am also very drawn to this pillow, as it combines turquoise and orange, which is a color that I have been looking to incorporate into my decorating scheme, and have yet to figure out how. Perhaps this pillow is just the hit of orange that I am looking for. 

While the turquoise color is fun and upbeat, the natural tone of the linen adds a very sophisticated element to these pillows. As a result, what has the ability to be kitschy is more calm, cool and collected. The pillows do not immediately scream "nautical signal flag!"--especially if you pick your favorite pillow and buy a few of those, instead of mixing and matching. 

Just remember to measure the piece of furniture that you will be "throwing" these pillows on to. They are 22", which is no small pillow. The couch or chair that you add them to has to be substantial enough to support these large pillows, you wouldn't want them overwhelming your love seat! So go to Wisteria, and check out these Nautical Signal Flag pillows, on sale for $27.60--I think they would be a great addition to any room, however, don't buy them all before I can order a few!

Cheap and Chic of the Week: Danish Delights

I have fallen in love ... with a small leather goods company. Baekgaard has been around for fifty years, but their accessories and colors are so chic and fresh. After the company's founder passed away, the company is being run by his wife, Barbara Bradley (of Vera Bradley fame), and the designs are too fab. Most importantly my lacquered lifers, is the price point of the goods. This chic chic chic address book, which comes in a variety of luscious colors, costs $28! 

Who doesn't need a fab cover for their lip gloss?  This "Gloss & Toss" costs $17, and again the color options are really wonderful. 

Going on a vacation to somewhere exotic? Take this high gloss passport holder for $21. 

And while you're at it, for all your jewels to travel safely, their jewelry roll is only $42. 

Going on that all-important interview for that "to die for" job. Take this portfolio with you and they are sure to be impressed! $46.50.

After you get the job, this card case would be great to stash all your sexy new business cards!--I just ordered one for myself in this fab kelly green, only $10.50! And this green was on sale for $7.88! 

For those tears in the hem of your chic cuffed pants at the office, this sewing kit has it all! $12!

For the picture of you and your man on your desk at the office!--this is $22.50. They also have a 4x6 version which is cheaper!

And finally, for us Lacquered Lifers who are constantly scoping out furniture in stores or steals by the side of the road, a chic tape measure! $12! The site is also great for gifts, and they also carry the Vera Bradley men collection, which has really cute pocket squares, cufflinks, and ties! Be sure to check out www.baekgaardltd.com and have a happy Wednesday! 

Cheap and Chic of the Week: Starter Home

I know, I know typically I do "Cheap and Chic of the Week" and scour the internet for the best deals of the week, but this week I wanted to post on recent college graduate Lauren McGrath's first apartment which was featured in this month's issue of Traditional Home. Lauren's apartment is a perfect example of how you can make a chic space, while spending very little money--cheap and chic.

The most expensive piece in the apartment is the Odette sofette from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, otherwise the rest of the furniture are family pieces, discount store bought, or Craigslist finds.  The cane chair was found on Craigslist, and then re-upholstered in a chic discount fabric.  

This teeny Brooklyn apartment has an amazing outdoor space, which was the selling point for Lauren.  The curtains are from Ikea, and the dresser is a family piece that her grandparents gave to her parents when they got married.

These shelves are from Ikea, and she painted the backs of them so that her objet would stand out.  My favorite part is that she took simple, white, ceramic pottery and spray painted it with mercury glass for an eye-catching look.  Don't you just love a good DIY project? Also, I must remind everyone what a difference fresh cut flowers make in a small space.  Notice the vases filled with flowers in Lauren's apartment--they add color and life to her apartment. 

Here Lauren created a vanity out of a street find, a damaged mirror from Anthropologie (cheap!), and a fabulous lucite stool.  I love Lauren's mix of old and new, purchased and inherited.  People like Lauren, and myself, are lucky to have design saavy mothers with basements full of pieces we can "borrow"--but for those of you who don't, ebay, Craigslist, and the street can be great places to find some more traditional and "loved" pieces into your apartment.  

photos courtesy of Traditional Home