As I mentioned,I previewed two sales for Gilt, so today, lets talk about the Man Cave Essentials. We can’t leave the fellas out! From my dad to my BFF’s hubby, every man I know has a man cave; you know, a little space to call their own. I like to think of the Man Caves as the grown up version of the No Girls Allowed sign, because no lady that I know spends an extended amount of time there. However, along with clubby furniture, huge TV’s and booming sound systems that blare Call of Duty, these men have style and sophisticated tastes. They appreciate a few accents that reflect their personalities. Here’s a essentials curated by Gilt Home to cozy up the cave.

The Throw:

The Pillow:

A Sophisticated Floor Lamp:

The Rug:

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of going to a  Gilt Home preview of two summer sales, Summery Brights and Man Cave Essentials. Well, today the Summery Brights Sale starts! So, I picked a few yummy faves that I saw from the sale.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been spending a lot of time doing two things, playing in the sunshine and decorating. I’ve found myself drawn to lots of  rich and intense color, which is why I loved more than a few things from this sale, including this Missoni Rug:

Yes, I’m totally in LOVE with this gorgeous rug. This adds a ton of personality to a neutral room. And here’s a few more pops of color  that I loved…

Art is a great way to add a touch color especially if you are a renter and can’t paint or are a little shy when it comes to full walls of color. I’ve been drawn to pinks lately, so you can imagine the joy this piece brings me.

Also, for me, a throw is an absolute necessity as I’m always cold. To snuggle under this bright throw would instantly bring me some warmth and happiness while reading or watching TV on the sofa.

Check out the rest of the sale ,where you will find a lot more summery brights, including more fun accents. Enjoy! And let me know if you pick up something bright from the sale!

Also, Stay Tuned: Wednesday  is all about the fellas with Man Cave Essentials!

I’m totally in love with these messenger bags from IkaBags. One of these handmade bags (made in Paris no less) would be perfect for toting around my camera , pencils and notebook.

Etsy gets me into sooo much trouble… Now, which one do I choose?

Whenever I go to look for pieces, I look for furnishings and accessories that have a bit of personality to add flair to a room. These picks from Pearl River are perfect for just that.

1. Cantik Chair;   2. Teak Z stool; 3. Teak Two Seater YuYu Bench, 4. Tibetan Magazine Bucket 5.Dome Shape Bamboo Bird Cage ; 6. Chinese 3 Drawer Console

How can you not love these pieces? I want them all…

Because it was a short week  on the blog i decided to do something other that Wednesday’s Perfect Room  and the Frock Star of the week. They will be back next week for sure. But there’s so many things to talk about between ICFF and other stuff. Let’s begin with the other stuff, shall we?

I found paradise and that place comes in the form of  Potterton Books. My boss kept telling me we had to go to this Fab book shop. And of course, I couldn’t say no to that! The slightly hidden and well respected, friendly gem on the 1st floor of the D&D building, is a wonderland for treasure hunters, design lovers and book fiends alike.

{i was enthralled with books and forgot to take pics. image via home design with  kevin sharkey}

Design books  come new and used, in print and out of print. Sometimes the books are signed due to the proximity to the studios of several renowned designers . You can find anything from  books  on textiles design, floral and event design and of course, furniture, interiors and architecture. I could have stayed their all day just reading  and looking around but we had to leave . Luckily, I can purchase books on-line too.

So what book did I score? I picked up a signed copy of Albert Hadley’s Drawings and the Design Process , but I have a few more on my list to purchase from Potterton. It’s my new favorite shop!

Recently, I was perused Jonathan Adler’s site only to see a few items that I absolutely just adore. After all, no one inspires anti-depressive living quite like he does.  With that in mind, here is my edited list of happy must haves from his store (and yes it could be much, much longer).

The Sea Horse Lamp

I feel like I’ve seen every animal turned into a lamp and for the most part I really like them. But this Sea Horse Lamp… yeah, I’m in love. Two of these on a dresser, buffet or one on an end table would be DIVINE! And they are just quirky enough to inspire conversation in any room.

Greek Key Wallpaper

I love a Greek Key and this graphic wallpaper is perfect to dress up with fun accent colors like sunshine yellow or a bright green. Also, I know the trend right now is also for matted down metallics, but I think it  would be fun to add some accents of silver or super shiny like chrome. If you want to feel glam or even like a rock star, you should probably start at home. P.S…It also comes in white and taupe.

The Channing Console

I heart Channing! I first saw this I thought, “this is soooo old-Hollywood”. Then,I read about it and saw that this console is named after Margot Channing, Bette Davis’ character from All About Eve. Ummm… that’s only one of my favorite movies! No wonder I connected to it! I want it in a glamorous bedroom ASAP! Every detail is fabulous… those legs, the white lacquer finish and the lucite knobs! Oh and check out the desk and buffet. They are equally beautiful.

The Herringbone Rug

I have always love the Herringbone pattern; it’s graphic and classic at the same time.The rich vibrant color of this rug adds a fun pop to a classic  and would enliven any space you put it in.Love the pattern and not the color? No Worries.  Adler has a Design Your Own program that lets you customize many of the  hand-woven items he sells to suit your room.

If you haven’t been ever or lately, I highly recommend you make an online visit to Jonathan Adler’s shop! I promise that you will have too much fun! And while you are there read The Manifesto.

It’s Monday. I’m really not sure what to say about that except that the weekends always seem to fly by.

Anyhoo, I feel a deep sense of inner joy because my absolute favorite store in the world is showing up stateside in my local Target on March 14th!! SWEET JOY! Can you imagine just how happy this makes me?  

See, you feel happier already right? I do… In case you are wondering how Liberty and I got so close, I had the most fabulous tea time/shopping experience ever in that London Department store during my summer abroad studying 20th century design (I shopped  only during study breaks, of course). 

I have been dreaming of the perfect cake stand forever! Also, I see  dresses, tea pots, tea cups, bedding,  a bike  and what ever else Liberty can put a floral print on in my future! YAY!!

Hello There! Here we are at the dawn of the weekend.Thanks you for spending another week with me!

Today, however, I’m about serious business. One question: have you finished your holiday shopping? If you are like me, the answer is no. Well no worries;  if you are in DC, NYC or San Francisco,  Target has set up Target-TO-GO,  this weekend only, to help you deal with the holiday gift giving season.

At these urban pop up shops, you can shop ’til you drop anytime between 10am-8 pm, from December 11th-13th..  If you are in DC, the store is located on the corner of M Street and Wisconsin Ave, between the old Riggs bank and the restaurant  Old Glory. I’m not big on shopping outside  in the cold but, I would (and did) definitely make an exception for Target-To Go.

Everything is wonderfully effecient, displays  are organized by price and upon entry you are given  a clipboard with all the available items in stock to mark off your gifts items as you go. It goes something like this: #3 for you, #40 for me in (insert size here), #8 for you, #17  for me (results may vary).

 The merch ranges from toys and electronics to beauty products and accessories. And there’s even a special surprise. There are a few pieces from the Rodarte for Target line, which officially aren’t available until December 20th.

Both of these dresses are available as well as the ribcage dress.

This is me, happily purchasing my Rodarte slip dress (above on the left). And there’s on more surprise, there are oversized Target gift tags hidden all over NYC, DC and San Francisco, worth up to $500!  Follow them on Twitter to get the latest info: @TargetToGoDC, @TargetToGoNY,  and TargetToGoSF.

On and DC,  Curbside Cupcake was outside of Target-To-Go enticing me with deliciousness and won. Hopefully, they will be there over the weekend too.  If they are, run to this pink truck and get a cupcake STAT!

That’s it for me, I’m off to work then off to do some holiday shopping. This weekend, I wish you lots of cupcakes and holiday fun!!!

xoxo, Jessica

These gorgeous windows at the French shoe shop,  Repetto, which specializes in shoes for dancers :

{image  via design inspiration}

{image via paris atelier}

I’m not sure if it’s because of yesterday’s Frock  Star or the fact that I’m ready to dance (or perhaps both), but I just think these store windows are divine! I regret that I didn’t stumble upon this shop myself during my trip. Oh well there’s another reason to book another trip.

The other day, I took some time to head over to Miss Pixie’s Furnishing’s  and Whatnot along DC’s 14th street Corridor. It’s a wonderful shop filled to the brim with vintage furnishings.  When I walked into the pink-walled store, it was abuzz with a combo of helpful shop assistants,  old soul music and Miss Pixie herself.  I really felt like I could have spent all  day  there (and believe me I tried).

This little birdcage stole my heart.  My  head filled with ideas  on what to  do with it (hmm…light fixture…centerpiece…garden decor) but I resisted  buying it (le sigh).

This is the perfect vanity chair.  I spent way too long staring at it, dreaming of a space to put it in and thinking about making a fabulous new cushion for it.

How cute is this table and chair set? I could picture myself someone having a lovely morning cup of tea while sitting there.

These wicker chairs in size tiny made me wish I had a little girl’s room to design and decorate. I’m not always crazy about adult sized wicker, but something about the mini version makes them irresistable.

I went over to 14th Street looking for fun sources and styling ideas. I’m never disappointed when going to Miss Pixie’s. This the perfect place to shop if you want to inject a bit of personality in your decor. You can find many of the items for sale in store on the site (click on Window Shop) and it’s updated regularly.  Unfortunately there is no online shop but you can contact them if you are interested in  specific pieces.  And if you are in the DC area, make sure you stop by for a little vintage fun!