Nifty...

Call me a little behind on this one, but I was at my parents' house looking through one of their catalogs and I saw an ottoman that folds out into a bed. I am not shocked that this has been invented, but I think it's an awesome idea for anybody who lives in a small apartment in NYC and frequently has out of town guests :)

Photo: Treehugger

Cutest Coffee Tables

One of the most useful pieces of furniture in our apartment (and I believe everybody's household) is a coffee table. I know this because sometimes ours gets overwhelmed with so much stuff and I have to clean it off at least once a week. It's also, most of the time, the center of the living room so it's important to have it looking tidy.  A lot of times when I think this place is so overwhelmingly messy, I start my cleaning on the coffee table and, once that's finished, it feels like I have already done 50 percent of the cleaning in here.  Oh, coffee tables, where would we be without you?

Lakemont Gallery

indulgy.com

I am totally loving the way these coffee tables are decorated.

losangeles-ca.showmethead

imarbletablest.blogspot.com

Our Quaint Getaway

So, for the hubby and I's first anniversary I made reservations out on the North Fork of Long Island for the summer because I have always been meaning to go there with my husband since we were dating and we totally had a blast.

We stayed at an inn right next door to a lavender field, so the whole entire time we were there we had the smell of lavender wafting up our nostrils and it was delightful.  I even tried lavender ice cream and it was the most awesome thing ever (although I think it might be more of a chick flavor because my husband hated it). We also hung out on the beach and drove around.  It was just a fun little getaway for the weekend and was only a couple of hours away. I now want to get a bunch of lavender candles so that the whole apartment can smell super nice all the time.

Colorful Quilts

I started having an interest in quilts ever since my husband and I were dating and I met my mother-in-law for the first time on Thanksgiving.  We were at my husband's aunt's house in Connecticut and my mother-in-law bought over bags full of fabric, which she was sewing together.  It turns out she makes quilts as a hobby and the colors she was using were just so pretty.

When I finally saw my in-law's house in Maine, I saw all of the quilts she made and they were gorgeous.  She made one for each of her son's (she has 4! can you imagine???!!!).  The first of her quilts I actually saw was at our old condo in Connecticut.  My husband had used it as his bedding and it was ripped up horribly and I did the best I could to repair it.  In retrospect, it probably should have been wall art instead of bedding.

Anyway, her quilts are amazing and next time I go to Maine I am going to have to take pictures of some of them and post them on here.  For now, here are some other amazing, colorful and beautiful quilts that I found on the net:

Photo: brendapinnick

Photo: Notes From The Quilt Lab

Ahhhh! Gerber Daisies...my fave!

Photo: Quilting Kat

And...hold the phone...I don't have any kids, but I always dreamed I would have a girl or two. That is, up until I saw this. Notice the little piggies on the corners?  Thanks, PokeyDotQuilting, for making me dream of having boys.

Photo: pokeydotquilting

A Zen Bathroom

I recently went to Kohl's and I saw all of the really cute bathroom decor.  I believe a bathroom should look clean (of course) and have a spa feel to it.  When I am expecting guests, I make sure to have plenty of clean towels and products to freshen up so that they can feel right at home. The bathroom is a place of rejuvenation and cleanliness, so the elements should be zen.

You know all that crap in your bathroom where you end up just putting anywhere because you don't really have a place for it? Well, getting one of these cute little wicker baskets is the solution for it.  You can throw all of that stuff in here, it will look tidy, and you can easily move it when you want to clean!

Above photos: Kohl's

A great and easy way to bring a zen feeling to any bathroom, no matter how big or small, is to add candles.  They will keep your bathroom smelling nice and, when lit, will give a romantic feel.

Photo: favim

Blown Glass: A Favorite

For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with blown glass jewelry, vases, plates, etc. This obsession grew since the hubby and I honeymooned in the Cayman's and we came across a blown glass studio where I picked up some really awesome items.  I still go to their website just to look at the awesomeness of it all.  Here are some awesome blown glass items from their website that I admire very much.

Last, but certainly not least, we actually have a piggy that is very similar to this exact one that we bought as a souvenir for ourselves.

Getting the 1960's/Bohemian Chic Look

I am absolutely in love with the 1960's/Hippy/Bohemian Chic decorating styles. I would like to (and already sort of have) add a little of this into my own decor for this apartment.

On to some inspirations:

http://vi.sualize.us/view/7c506fa876dc9d2ae7379dce31e34023/

Photo: Arcadian Home

Photo: designsourcect

While looking at these photos, I realized that the best way to pull this look off is artwork, perhaps blown glass pieces, colorful abstract paintings and pillows. The furniture also has a major part in this, but I just bought leather couches and that's not changing.