Style File: Rustic Romance by Lea Placek

There are few design styles that create such a felling of overall serenity, and Rustic Romance is on the top of my list! Think wood beams, natural elements, creamy whites, and soft textures. There isn't a room pictured below that I couldn't plop myself in and never want to leave!

As a designer and artist, I have always been drawn to color. My watercolor and oil paintings are very vibrant and colorful, but even the most deliberate colorist needs an escape, a retreat! That is exactly what this style represents, the perfectly peaceful Retreat!

Have a design question, does your room need inspiration or a full blown makeover? I am here to help! Send me a message at leaplacek@gmail.com or post a comment with your contact information and I will contact you directly about your project and my services.
Enjoy the lovely room pics...Lea

infoteli.com

4inspireddesign.com

houseofanais.com

homefurniturecatalogs.com

houseofanais.com

source: shabbychic.com

laylagrayce.com

source:interiorholic.com

Jill Brinson’s Rustic and Luxurious Design by House Beautiful

bethwebb.com Buckhead Manor

cotedetexas.blogspot.com
To check out current projects and my design inspirations follow me on Pinterest

The weekend

I hope you all enjoyed the weekend! I had a great but exhausting weekend. Our dear friends were in town so I got a head start on Thursday with a day of shopping(I scored that cute yellow blazer from Friday's post!) and dinner and drinks with my girlfriend. We stayed in the city Thursday and Friday night so I took the train in and out to work on Friday followed with another dinner and drinks.

B and his company put on an amazing charity event on Saturday, so Saturday morning was spent walking for a very good cause. It wasn't the warmest day of my life but at least the rain held off. Today was fun as we went to watch our friend play at the Sox game. It was certainly not the nicest weekend here in Chicago, but I am so thankful to have spent it with such great people! I hope you all had wonderful weekend as well!

We were starving after shopping all day however was WAY too much food for two girls at Paris Club!

Saturday morning charity walk by the lake

Baseball game outfit today required numerous layers!
Frye Boots, green jean(anthro), Express jackets, Forever 21 sweater, Louis Vuitton scarf

Fun time at the game! And stayed plenty warm in all of my layers!

Have a great week!

XO

Friday's Fancies

Happy Friday! This week I have decided to be part of Long Distance Loving Friday's Fancies.The theme is an outfit date night! Going to dinner tonight with friends and this is what I will be wearing. I'm heading to dinner straight from work so all I have to do is swap out the current shoes I have on and add a little gloss and mascara and will be on my way! Enjoy your weekend!

Snapshot of my version today!
XO



Trending:Palazzo Pants

I gave in and purchased a pair of palazzo pants yesterday. They are black and look very similar to a long pleated maxi skirt if you didn't know better. I love how flattering,versatile, and not to mention comfortable these babies are!

To avoid looking like I have my pj's on, I plan to wear them with a pair of wedges, a tighter white top, and little blazer or jean jacket. Will share pictures soon! What do you guys think of palazzos? Is it a do, or a don't for you?

Love the blush color! Find them here

Brooklyn Blonde in palazzo pants

XO

Mother's Day Shopping Made Easy

I know Mother's Day is still a couple weeks away, however, the day always tends to sneak up on me and I am left gift less!  Let's plan ahead this year ladies!

I have an easy and relatively inexpensive DIY gift for all mother's who love cooking, gardening, and flowers!  Herb and flower pots!

What you will need:
Flowers, herbs, flower pots, planting soil, and some clothes you don't mind getting a little dirty.

Step One:

The Flowers and Herbs
Go to your local garden store(Or even Lowes or Home Depot have good selections) and choose your favorite fresh herbs and flowers.
The Herbs: I always love basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. All are wonderful for the "cooking" mom since they can be used in so many dishes. Chives and cilantro are also good options.

The Flowers: I would go with petunias, geraniums, marigolds, and a few spikes for the centers of the arrangements. All of these come in numerous colors so choose what make sense for your own mom.

Step Two:
The Flower Pots and Planting Soil
I would just buy a standard clay pot. You can find them at Lowes for $1! Can't beat the price, however they usually have some cuter options at higher price points. Also, make sure you buy flower pots that have a drainage hole for water. If not, you will have to make one yourself with an electric screw driver. Much easier if one already exists!

For the herbs,  I like to use a window box. That way you can plant numerous herbs without worrying about them growing on top of one another.

For the planting soil I like to use Miracle Gro Organic on my herbs since there is a very good chance I will be adding them to my meals! I would just use a standard potting soil for the flowers.

The ideas are endless!

Step Three:
Plant!
This is the fun part! I love preparing my flower pots for the year. I love mixing and matching the different colored flowers and creating a gorgeous arrangement! Once done, don't forget to water.

Planting could also be a great project for you and your mom to do on Mother's Day together if you prefer to wait! On a side note, keep in mind that if you live in a cooler area I would wait to plant these for another couple weeks!

Such a thoughtful, fun, and easy project! Let me know if any of you do this for your moms. Would love to see pictures of the finished flower pots! And if your mom isn't into this, go with one of the spring scarves I featured yesterday!

XO

Lusting Lately:Lovely Spring Scarves

Hello to you all! I hope you enjoyed yesterday's first of many, "Style Jems" Brooke. She has such a cute style and was so happy she was willing to share! If any of you would like to be featured as the next "Style Jem"please leave a comment below or shoot me an email at morgan@thejemboutique.com

On another note, I am lusting lately over spring scarves! So many gorgeous scarves rolled in at work yesterday and I had a blast merchandising them through out the store. The weather has been so up and down lately and I like the idea of adding a scarf for an extra layer of warmth. Yesterday, I fell in love with a white chiffon scarf with navy polka dots. I paired it with an adorable white ruffled dress in the front window. Too cute! Here are some other scarves I am lusting over.

Jcrew Floral Print

Oscar de la Renta
Similar to the one I fell in love with yesterday

Bindya

Nordstrom

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Hope everyone's week has started out well!

XO

Style Jem

Hi Jem readers! Brooke here from Decorgreat on this Monday morning! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend; you can see a recap of mine here. I am at The Jem Journal today to share with you 'my personal style,' as it relates to wardrobe and design. When Morgan asked me if this was something I would like to do a guest post on, I couldn't pass it up... I am a style junkie - fashion and design!

When it comes to my personal style, there is no one-word answer I could give you. I suppose I would classify my style as "boho chic," as I love to mix and match. Some days I'm feeling extra bohemian, while other days I'd prefer to get glammed up! I don't like to spend a lot of money on clothes, because I simply get tired of them after a few wears...so I typically stick to these 'staple' stores for clothes: h&m, forever 21, zara, and urban outfitters. One thing I'm not afraid to splurge on would be accessories - mainly purses and shoes. I am willing to spend more money on these items because they can be worn much more than a piece of clothing, without feeling redundant. I also like to have classic pieces that I will be able to keep forever. Here are a few of my favorite pieces that live in my closet -- you can see which items are more 'boho' and which are a bit more 'chic.'

Louboutin Pumps   Minnetonka Boots   Burberry Coat   Gucci Boston Bag   Ray Ban Aviator  Scarf   YSL Clutch

My design style is very much like my personal style, in the sense that I love to mix & match. I'm not set on ONE design type, I love many -- traditional, contemporary, Hollywood Regency, etc...I would classify it as "transitional." Below are a few of my favorite pieces from my home. What's your design style? 

Seeing Red

Happy Sunday to you all! The weekend flew by as it seems to always do, don't you think? We had friends in from out of town yesterday and ended up going into the city for the night. Our evening included dinner, the Bulls game and plenty of drinks to follow. Everyone had a great time, but I have to admit, I have been moving a bit slow today(shouldn't have had that last wine!) Most of the day was spent watching movies on the couch with B and my pup. Everyone needs a movie day on occasion, right?

This is what I wore to the city last night. Me and my red top fit it nicely at the Bulls game! And I was so thankful I grabbed my trench coat last minute. It was freezing this weekend!

Free People Jeans, Similar here
Ark and Co Top, Similar style here
Calvin Klein Trench Coat
Forever 21 jewelry
Armani Sunnies
Louis Vuitton Purse

Have an amazing week!!
XO

Boutique of the Week: Singer 22

Hello and happy Friday! I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to my weekend! Heading into the city tomorrow to get together with some friends in from out of town and maybe a Cubs game on Sunday. With that being said, I am trying to gather some inspiration for some weekend wear outfits, and this week's Boutique of the Week has done just that.

The online store is called Singer 22 and it is full of stunning men's and women's clothing and accessories. The store was launched by husband and wife team, John and Alicia Singer. Singer 22 is known to be THE place to check for new emerging designers and have become very popular amongst numerous celebrities. I found some great looks that are very weekend wear appropriate. What is everyone up to this weekend? Will any of these looks be appropriate for your plans?


Current Elliot Boyfriend Jean
Emerson Thrope Rise and Fall Hemline Dress
Iro Olathe Jacket
Rag and Bone Skinny White Pant
Show me your Mumu Black Maxi Dress
All images via www.singer22.com

Enjoy your weekend!!

XO