What I'm Loving at... CB2

Oh CB2, how I've missed you! Where else can I get my fix of sleek, modern decor for reasonable prices?

Seriously, CB2 has been the best thing to happen to me decorating-wise since I bought my first Benjamin Moore fan deck. I might call my style "mid-century mash-up" -- a mix of mid-century and Hollywood glam with a eclectic mix of whatever else catches my eye. With the help of CB2, I've been able to gradually add enough minimalist pieces to start to make some sense of my home's look.

And, as I have to add every time I talk about CB2, there is an outlet right by my office! It's heaven. And it means I can score lots of smaller pieces on the cheap.

Pillows, vases, and other accessories pop up at the outlet regularly, along with artwork. I have a real soft spot for CB2 artwork. I have a large acrylic canvas of New York and a 5-foot-square Jackie O Warhol print that I got from the outlet, and I'm always on the lookout for more. CB2's buyers manage to find items that are bright and colorful but also somehow classic.

This one would be high on my list if I didn't already have two large cityscapes:

I am also loving this cheeky print. It reminds me of my son!

CB2 is also a great resource for (relatively) inexpensive stylish curtains. I'm thinking of trading out the gray Target panels I have in my bedroom now for these pretty blue linen sheers. However, though the current curtains aren't particularly pretty, they block out a lot more light than these do... sleep or style, which will win out?

I have this filing cabinet in white -- it's really nice quality at a fairly reasonable price. Now I'm wishing I'd held out for this sweet mint color. The orange is nice too...

I have wanted this bookcase since I moved into my house. I bought the (much cheaper) Ikea Expedit instead, but it never really satisfied my desire for the 3.14. Now that I'm moving the Expedit into my daughter's room, I think it's time I splurged on the one I always wanted.

Definitely check out CB2 next time you need lighting. They always have great designs at good prices. I still love my firefly pendant:

And this one is worth adding to the wish list, maybe for a reading corner?

And look at those rugs! I could spend all day at CB2, and my entire paycheck as well. We haven't even gotten to the holiday items!

I'll just leave you with a few more of my faves.

Gold bowls? Yes, please.

Gold and acrylic folding tables? Don't mind if I do.

Gold pig bookends? Why the heck not?

What's your favorite CB2 item? Happy shopping!

What I'm Loving at... PB Teen

Ah, catalogs, I've missed you! I love nothing more than sitting down with a big mug of coffee and a pile of home decor catalogs. Here in Australia, I'm limited to the weekly Target circular (Target Australia is a very weak copy of our beloved Target US, with none of our chic designer lines).

I've especially missed my favorties, CB2 and the ever stylish PB Teen, which is often overlooked by adults, but is one of my go-to sources.

Seriously, have you seen the Emily + Meritt line? (That would be Emily (Current) + Meritt (Elliott) of the uber stylish denim label Current Elliott.)

I'll take this gold metallic bedding.

These metallic pillows.

And my daughter's new room NEEDS this gold unicorn head.

PB Teen never disappoints. In addition to the Emily + Meritt line, I'm also loving...

The Peyton Duvet in Royal Navy

How great would that look with this upholstered headboard? With the pink and the gold accents, this bed has definite Emily Henderson influences. (Dear Emily, please come makeover my whole house. Love, Robyn)

I wonder if I can make space in my room for the aptly named Chic Vanity. Look at the storage! Much better than trying to put on makeup in my tiny bathroom.

That's all from PB Teen for now. Next up, CB2!

Top 5... Holiday Decorations

I don't tend to decorate with each holiday or season -- the most I do is change out my lightweight summer quilt for a heavier one -- but Christmas is an exception. The whole family gathers at my house on Christmas morning, so it's really fun to show off some different decor. I tend to gravitate to metallics over the traditional red and green -- shocking, I know.

I even have a gold Christmas tree. These aren't the best photos -- I can't remember exactly WHY there are balloons -- but you'll get the idea of how it looks close-up (I've miss my sweet cats so much while we've been in Australia -- aren't they cute?) and all decorated. As much as my OCD side would like to decorate the tree in stunning, coordinated gold and silver baubles, the kids would never go for that, so mismatched ornaments, some decades old, others handmade in class, cover our tree. And there's something just as gorgeous about that too.

Every year, I add a few new holiday items to my stash. Here's what I've got my eye on this year.

1. This disco gnome from CB2. It's hard to justify $129 for an 18" glittery gnome that I'll only use for a month a year, but he's so awesome that I might just have to leave him out year round. CB2 always has really great holiday items -- especially if, like me, you prefer metallics and white. 

Best of all, there is a Crate & Barrel outlet across the street from my office (!!!) so I can usually snap up items in January cheap for the next year. Ornaments get priced as low as 50 cents, so I'll grab a handful for gift toppers. The mini disco balls are great for all gift-giving occasions (and cute on the tree too, or stacked in a clear glass vase). They even come in gold now! Joy.

2. White faux-fur tree skirt from West Elm. I have wanted a faux-fur tree skirt since I got my gold tree in 2011. I even shopped around for a faux fur throw I could wrap around the base, but this tree skirt is much better and a good buy (at $69, it's nearly half the price of the almost identical one offered by West Elm's big brother, Pottery Barn). It will get cat hair all over it -- the kitties love hiding under the tree when it's all lit up -- but that's why we have washing machines.

3. We usually add a few special ornaments to our tree each year. I'm bringing home a nice little silver Sydney Opera House ornament as a souvenir, and while I'm at West Elm, I'll grab a couple of the bottle brush ornaments, especially the little fox. My daughter and I both love foxes -- we have a "pet" fox who lives in our backyard woods -- so she will love this. Maybe the little polar bear for my son?

4. I've been half-heartedly looking for new stockings for a few years now. I like the style of the ones we have now, but not the color scheme (green and dark pink/magenta). The trouble is finding ones I like (stylish, white or at least neutral, personalizable, and still cute enough to appeal to kids). I think I've hit the jackpot this year at Land of Nod. Look at all the options! Please don't show my daughter the fox design! The gray cable knit is my current favorite, maybe mixed in with the Lacy Stocking as in this photo? They aren't able to be customized, though....

5. OK, this isn't strictly decor, but I've got to include it for some comic relief. Every year since their dad and I split up, the kids and I have gotten matching Christmas pajamas. 2013 will the the fifth year we've done it, and someday I plan to make a quilt out of swatches from all the different pairs. It's getting harder to find options that are suitable for a little boy, almost-tween girl, and an adult woman. We've had luck in the past with Lands End, Garnet Hill, and LL Bean, but this year we just couldn't find something both kids liked. Until we hit Hanna Andersson. 

I was thinking we'd go with their classic striped long johns, but then my son spotted this Star Wars-themed pattern.

Oh, too bad, I told him, the kids' size won't fit me. Surely it doesn't come in adult sizes. Look, mama, it does!, he replied, pointing to the "Match with Family" photos below. His sister loved it too, so I will soon be the proud wearer of Star Wars Christmas PJs. I did manage to convince them to let me get just the pants and pair them with a nice solid red top. Gotta maintain some style where you can.

What's on your holiday decor wish list?

The (Soon-to-Be) Triumphant Return of Amateur Decorator

I'm back! Well, almost. You see, I have a totally legit reason for my latest absence -- I've been living in Australia!

It's been fun -- I'm sure we'll talk about it more in future posts -- but we're heading back to the USA next month and I can't wait to get back to my house! I've been living in a furnished condo in Australia (on the beach, but still!), so I've done no decorating, and more to the point, no home-related shopping at all! Not buying furniture is a great way to save money, but it's torture for someone like me, whose main hobby is messing around with things around the house.

My Pinterest is full of wish list items, from new wood floors to a Garnet Hill bedspread I've been eyeing for years, to a inspiration photo for the dining banquette I'm planning.

2014 is shaping up to be an expensive year. Here's what I'm coveting...

1. A new room for Lulu. I promised her when she was 7 that I would redecorate her room for her when she turned 10. I can't believe that day is so close! She wants an aqua room with a black chalkboard accent wall with zebra-stripe bedding. We're going to sell her little-girl furniture (from the awesome Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic line at Target) and use the money to buy a storage bed and headboard from Ikea. I'll give her my Ikea Expedit shelving and get the desk extension that goes with it for her craft projects. I'm really excited to give her a modern, 'pre-teen' look!

2. Wood floors, wood floors, wood floors! I've been patiently waiting, but it's been more than three years since I bought my house and the time has come. I WILL get new floors this year! I've also got my heart set on, er, heart pine, but with a concrete slab, it may not be possible. I'm hopeful I can find a good engineered look-a-like.

3. New rugs for said new floors. I'm craving white cowhide in the living room, either a traditional shape or perhaps something like the woven one below from Serena & Lily, which is more cream and gray than the tannish color it looks here.

4. A dining room banquette. At some point this year, I want to take down the wall that separates the kitchen from the dining room. Eventually, I envision an island/peninsula there, with stools for the kids to sit and do homework while I cook. To keep the dining room from being too cramped, I'm planning to create a corner banquette kind of like this one, with drawers or shelves under the bench for storage.

5. A new kitchen, though this will likely be a project for 2014. I am thinking gray Ikea cabinetry on the bottom, open shelving on the top, and quartz or granite countertops that mimic gray and white marble. I'll carry the wood flooring through the kitchen from the dining room.

That's all for now, though I'm sure the list will get longer once I get back in the house. I'm already thinking I'll move around all the artwork and play with some different furniture arrangements. There will be lots to show you soon!