I know spring officially began last week, but out of respect to those who are still buried under nine feet of snow, I thought I would hold off on celebrating for a few more days...

But yesterday I spoke with some friends back in Boston, and--as you can imagine--they were happy to report that there are finally some signs of spring in the air, so I'm hoping it's safe to flaunt some pretty flowers on the blog today (...like the ones that are blooming in my back yard--shhhh)!

I thought I would share one of my favorite ways to display flowers--don't get me wrong, you know how much I love ginger jars, but another fun and festive alternative to the traditional vase is a teapot, and in particular, an elephant teapot! Not to mention these little ellies are an easy way to incorporate some chinoiserie style in your home this spring ;)

The following are pretty examples of how to style your blooms in elephant teapots (and--if you are more talented then me--garden stools!) at all of your spring soirees--bridal showers, baby showers...and, of course, the occasional rainy Tuesday:

 House Beautiful

Luxe Report Designs

Maharani Weddings

Source Unknown

The House That Lars Built

Kristen Loken

Instagram

And some cute and affordable elephant teapots (and one garden stool) that would be perfect for sprucing up your spring flowers:

$12.99 from World Market

$15 from Etsy


$35 from Etsy

Etsy

$59 from Pottery Barn Kids


$59.95 from ZGallerie

Happy spring!

Our home is still coming along slowly but surely--"slowly" being the key word. Although we have found most of our furniture, I have become overwhelmed by the process of selecting lighting and many of the other little accents that are so important to pulling a space together.

One room that I have been hemming and hawing over is our downstairs powder room. So far I have covered the walls in Thibaut Tanzania and placed a large gold mirror above the sink:

Check and check.

I also found a small bamboo plant stand (which I spray painted gold, of course) and a fuchsia orchid to place upon it for a pop of color. And although I have yet to settle on a towel rack, I bought some beautiful embroidered linen hand towels from TG Hatfield Company (aka Splendid Sass) on Etsy:

But that's all I have in the powder room. Well, that and a potty!

So as you can imagine, in addition to a towel rack, I have been searching for a fabulous light fixture, and I think I may have finally found one!

Behold the beautiful Olive Leaf Light:

Anne Hepfer

Shades of Light

Lighting by Lux

Shades of Light

Shades of Light

Shades of Light

I am confident this gilded fixture will look stunning against the white ceiling, as well as compliment the other decorative accents in the powder room. I think.

The main reason it has taken me so long to select a fixture is because I am one of the most indecisive people you will ever meet--I mean, there are so many options out there! On that note, one of the other fixtures I had been considering was this drum pendant/crystal chandelier which I found on Overstock:

Overstock

I think a flushmount will work best, as I wouldn't want the light fixture to compete with my mirror, but I suppose I could affix this drum pendant quite close to the ceiling...

Feel free to chime in with your ever-so-helpful and kind comments! They always make my day!

I think it is obvious to all of us that what I should really be wishing for is more hours in the day! I cannot tell you what a welcomed break blogging is from all of the scrubbing, lifting, unpacking, and organizing that has dictated the last few weeks of my life! I have missed my little blog so much, and I have missed all of you, too (*insert virtual hug and air kisses here*), but--following a third and hopefully final visit from Comcast--I can say with confidence that I am back!

As I write this first post from our new home (!), I am feeling especially excited about what's to come on shell & chinoiserie. Perhaps my excitement is intensified by the paint fumes wafting up to my bedroom (which is still the only room that has a surface for me to sit on), or the gas that lingers in the air from finally having our range installed yesterday (don't tell my husband--I have been enjoying having date night every night.). Or both. But in all honesty, I am so excited to share our progress with you over the next few months...and--as I am learning--more likely, the next few years! However, until I find my USB cable in all of this chaos, unfortunately today's photos will not be of my own home, but instead of other homes which look a lot more beautiful than mine does right now!

In addition to a fresh coat of paint throughout, another quick and easy way I have been updating our new home is by switching out all of the dated light fixtures. One particular fixture is especially effective for taking a home from 1997 (*cough*) to fabulous, and that fixture is the Sputnik Chandelier.

With its burst of space-age shine, the Sputnik is a funky fixture that can add a contemporary touch to an otherwise traditional space, but also translates seamlessly into a spectrum of different decors:

Marcus Hay

via House Beautiful and La Dolce Vita

S.B. Long Interiors via La Dolce Vita

Grant K. Gibson

via House Beautiful

via Elle Decor

via Bob Vila

Annette English

via House Beautiful

Lucent Lightshop on Etsy is a fabulous resource for reasonably priced Sputnik Chandeliers, such as the following:

$375

$299

$199

I may have bought that last one, but I suppose we'll have to wait until I find that darn USB cable to find out for sure! ;-)

Between meeting with contractors, gathering estimates, picking out new finishes and fixtures, finding furniture, and preparing for our closing tomorrow, it has been a busy couple of weeks! Unfortunately I think all of the running around has caught up with me and I have been a bit under the weather for the past few days...and what weather it has been! I admit I am happy that another ice storm has given me the excuse to stay home today and finally think a bit about what I would like for Valentine's Day! I am willing to bet that any one of these lovely little items on my wishlist would make me feel a lot better:

Red Zebra Scarf
Gold Elephant Earrings
Rose Quartz Coasters
Plum Pretty Sugar Robe
Pink Agate Coasters
Hanky Panky Roses

Diptyque Baies Candle

PBTeen Pom Pom Pillows
Bobbi Brown Beach Body Oil
Narciso Rodriguez Perfume

Laduree Macarons

I have been busy! I just returned from a fun trip to Boston to visit family and friends, and now that I am home in Charleston and all of the holiday traveling is behind us, we are finally getting back to our house hunt! 

But until we have a home to decorate, my lofty ideas will have to remain on my Wednesday wishlist...

Today's wishlist item is the spindle (or spool, or bobbin) chairs. These sturdy chairs are traditional, but add an element of interest to a room with their textured arms and legs, and can become even more fun with custom upholstered cushions:

Massucco Warner Miller

via Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper

Laura Motley
via Coastal Living

Caitlin Creer

Margaret Donaldson Interiors

Home Bunch


Renae Keller

Melissa Ervin

via Lauren Leonard Interiors

Layla Grayce

Enjoy!

Emilie

Over Thanksgiving, I travelled to Las Vegas with all 24 members of my immediate family to celebrate my father's 80th birthday in style. While considering locations for the occasion, Las Vegas was originally brought up as a joke (by yours truly), but the idea caught on and soon the T-shirts (also my brilliant idea) were in production:

My poor father...

But things weren't that bad for him, as he had a beautiful suite in the Bellagio to which he could retreat when Vegas got to be too...Vegas:

Suite view! ;) Although my favorite part of this pic? The sunburst mirror.

Anyway, while my family caught-up and created new memories, I ran around the suite, incessantly snapping photos of its style, which had moments of clarity in its attempt to be Mid-century modern.

Enter this selfie, which was not so much intended to be a photo of myself, but rather of one of the suite's beautiful bathrooms. I "grammed" it up and voilà:

I loved the bold contrast between the black and white, which was kept far from boring with its mix of shapes and shimmering surfaces.

The mirror is Jonathan Adler's more modern take on the Queen Anne style of mirror, which--like much of this movement's furniture from the mid-1700's--incorporates curving shapes and pad feet:

Jonathan Adler's "Queen Anne" mirror

Adler describes his design as "a modern twist of the 17th Century opulence in a mod-tastic lacquer finish. Its clean and curvilinear silhouette is a pared down take on traditionalia..."

The mirror made the rounds a few years ago, but it stands the test of time and has landed on my wishlist. 

Here it is in all its glory:

Lily Z Design


All Modern

Chango and Co.

Manuel Canovas

Jill Litner Kaplan

Lonny

Lilly Bunn

For Chic Sake

Sally Steponkus

Horchow carries a similarly stunning mirror with a faux-horn frame, called the "Chippendale"--I like the sound of that!:

Horchow

Lee Ann Thornton

Suzie Allain

Horchow

Enjoy!

Emilie