Window Shopping

Came accross this window decal today at my favorite furniture store here, Mudo Concept:

I love it, I want it! But I dont know where I would put it. Perhaps our bedroom? I recently resumed my bedroom makeover project which was on hold all Winter.  Now that Spring is here I've been feeling motivated to work on it again. We have one free wall where I could put this decal, but I just wonder if it's too juvenile for the look I'm going for in the room? Oh well, a little bit of whimsy cant hurt the space :)

Color me Spring!

Left and right I've been receiving welcome reminders that today marks the first day of Spring. What better way to celebrate and embrace this breath of fresh air than to share my archived inspirational looks from my favorite apparel brand, J Crew.

To help me get through dragged-out winters (like the one we just had), I occasionaly peruse through their monthly catalogs and archive my favorite pairings. I guess you could call it closet therapy. It gives me something to look forward to and takes my mind off the dreary weather. You'll see what I mean in these images.

Ikat Invasion

Not all interior and fashion trends in the States make their way to Turkey. The color 'grey' for home interiors, and Pantone's color of the year 'honeysuckle' for example have remained on the other side of the pond, for now anyway. Hence I was really surprised to see a lot of ikat prints appearing in shelves of home and fashion stores around here. Bathing suits, tea cups, trays, rugs, you name it, its got ikat all over it.

I think more than any other print this season the ikat stands out the most to me because I studied the technique in a Textiles class. I won't bore you with the details (well, that and I cant remember the exact process), but naturally when I walk into a store the print is the first thing that catches my attention. Anyway, here are pictures of some ikat items that I've come across in my window shopping expeditions, starting with a bikini below...

A catalogue picture of the bikini

Repurposed Furniture

I have a thing for side tables with metal frames. I like the industrial-chic look and the juxtaposition of the warm wood and the metal. Also the streamlined design helps make any small space appear larger which is just what I need for our multi-purpose living room!

Crate and Barrel Atacama Side Table

Crate and Barrel Frame Side Table

West Elm Framed Side Table

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find this style of side table in any of the furniture stores here. So I decided to reuse our old IKEA Lack side table to create a similar look.

We unscrewed the legs of the table, and handed the top surface to a metal shop for them to build the metal frame. I drew a quick sketch of how I wanted the metal portion to look, I hope they're able to create it exactly as I envisioned. I thought the job would take at least a week so you can imagine my excitment when they told us it would be ready by tomorrow! If this little project is a success I'm going to have them build a similar frame for a dining table.

Here are cute pictures of my two men taking the table apart. Noah looks so serious in the first pic and I got a good chuckle out of the second photo where he's bossing his Poppa around.

Check back in a few days to see how our family project turns out!

UPDATE: If you want to see the final result click here.

Updates for the Week

Since I haven't posted in the last few days I thought I would share with you what I've been up to lately.


First and foremost, I tackled my first sewing project in decades (yes, I'm that old!). I've been wanting a sewing machine for years so 2 weeks ago hubs and I finally picked one up. Here's a pic of Noah assisting us with our sewing machine purchase.

My first sewing project was to add a removable fleece lining to a JJ Cole Bundle Me Lite which I got on sale. The fleece lining will allow Noah to continue using the bunting bag through the winter. The project took a couple of days but the results are pretty impressive, especially considering the last item I sewed was probably a Barbie outfit when I was 10 years old. I'll have to take a picture of it soon but for now here is the JJ Cole bunting bag which matches our infant car seat and our stroller's red seat cover.

In other news, I just had to share this fantastic find. We recently bought curtains for our living room and these tie back hooks would be perfect for them! I got them for a mere 5YTL (approx $3.50) each at a flea market. The metal tone and texture will compliment our new curtains. If you want to see how they look installed check out the last picture in this link.

 Don't you just love the glass balls?

 

And then this evening the family stepped out for dinner at a nearby resto called Midpoint. Here is a photo of moi and Noah entertaining one another, if you can make us out in the dark.

  

During dinner Noah did something new for the first time. He was pointing at objects that he wanted to bring to our attention. Noah loves all kinds of lighting so he was pointing out the lovely chandelier above us. Apparently while I was finishing up my sewing project yesterday, hubs was teaching Noah how to point at a toy he wanted, and hubs would give it to him. So this is where this act came from. My boy learns fast!

After I put Noah to sleep, I re-organized our shoe closet and had a little bit of fun photographing Noah's teenie tiny Puma sneakers next to mine. It's been pretty chilly lately so we bought Noah a pair of Pumas for him to wear out in the cold. Socks are no longer enough to keep his feet warm and we couldn't wait for his shoes to arrive in the shipment.

 And then I thought it would be fun to add Papa Bear's sneakers into the mix. I think M's Pumas are in the shipment but these Hugo Boss shoes get the point accross.

Here is a priceless picture of M's shoes next to Noah's. Looks like it belongs to a giant, doesn't it? Wouldn't it be brilliant to document Noah's growth by photographing his shoes next to his dad's as the years go by? And then maybe for Noah's birthday each year we can include it in his birthday album.

That's about it for now. Stay tuned for tomorrow - I'll be posting Noah's pic of the week.

Noah in his first Zara gear

Just wanted to share with you photos of Noah in the Zara peaked hat and sweater we purchased last week. They make him look a young man, in the cutest way possible.

Here's my little man in his new sweater, helping me get manly tasks done before stepping out.

Here he is wearing both.

Layering the sweater and posing hard.

So precious sleeping with the hat on.

Here's a foreshadow of what he'll look like in a few years - doesn't he look like a pre-schooler in this outfit and pose?

Zara is our new baby clothes destination

My visit to Zara Home the other day prompted me to peruse through Zara's online baby collection. My do they have THE most adorable girls outfits! The boy's collection isn't too bad either but its the girls that makes me want to have a baby girl pronto! Here are some of the looks:

That plaid skirt is too cute for words. All I would add are leggings and this outfit is ready for the catwalk. Anyone want to lend me their daughter so I can dress her up?

This outfit reminds me of Sienna Miller, very boho chic. How precious are the fringed booties!

Love the peacoat and the ribbon detail on both the shorts and shoes.

This is what the website had for Boys looks.

How handsome is this outfit? And that sweater is so snuggly.

This would be Noah's geeky look. Only accessory missing are glasses. He's off to do some research at the library in this outfit. Or maybe correct exam some papers at school tee hee.

This is Noah off to run errands on a weekend. Comfy and stylin!

I couldn't resist but check out these clothes in person at my local Zara store. I was tempted to purchase the sweater in one of the photographs above with the jeans, but knowing that our shipment is still making its way accross the Atlantic Ocean I figured before going crazy buying I should wait until Noah's Fall clothes arrive. Of course after drooling over the baby clothes I couldn't leave empty handed so I bought Noah a winter hat which he so needs, and a classic V-neck sweater in gray. Easy to mix and match with other tops we already own, and it picks up the stripes in the hat. Can't wait for our shipment to arrive so I know what else I need from Zara.

Window shopping adventures

Yesterday Noah and I spent some time at a nearby mall while hubby was out car shopping. My goal was to get an idea of what's available for home furnishings to decorate our home with. Took some pictures of items that gave me some ideas/inspiration. Thought I would share what I've found so far.

PS photos were taken with my phone's camera so quality may not be the best. Also, I'm never sure if I'm allowed to take pictures in stores (most likely not) so these were taken in a rush, I apologize for poor styling/composition. Here they are:


Stepped into Zara Home. Until I came to Turkey I had no idea Zara had a Home store, did you? I love the texture on this bleach white bathroom set.



We are in desperate need of curtains at home. At the present time we have borrowed curtains installed. I've been debating on whether to purchase neutral colored curtains or add a pop of color. Saw the tan striped curtain in the middle (top photo), and the light mocha on the very left (bottom photo) which both work with a neutral color scheme, however prices are not cooperating - I think they were selling at $100 each! I thought the concept behind Zara was trendy yet affordable?!


Also need to replace our light fixtures for all our rooms. The trend in Turkey seems to be crystal chandeliers which is too formal for my taste, and prob wouldn't mesh well with my not so high-end furnishings. I'm looking for a simple, oversized pendant lamp shade. Saw these lanterns in Pasabahce (our version of Crate and Barel) and thought it would be fun to convert the tall, round lantern into a pendant light fixture. It's not a lampshade but it's oversized which is what I'm looking for. Wouldnt that bring character to a room?


This picture makes me wish I had taken a proper camera with me because it doesn't do the colors on the mugs any justice. Color and pattern would make a great jumping off point to decorate a room.


This display was at the entrance of the mall. Good thing Noah was napping when we passed this because he would have been terrified for life at the sight of these maneqins or whatever on earth they are. My guess is this is a display on the history of fashion, but for heavens sake, are those monster-like mannequins necessary? Check out the arm on the left dummy and the Egyptian cat face on the "lady".


Here's a pic of my local GAP store. The display is a bland black and white, a far cry from the colorful window display I'm used to at Copley Mall. Hey at least we have GAP right!


Last but not lease, a pic of mama + baby taking a coffee break. The barristo made my day - when asked how old I was I asked him to guess and he said 24! Hey at least he didn't say 15 which is what the guy at my (former) local CVS said.

Buying Things in Multiples

Do you have a favorite piece of clothing you love so much you just had to purchase it in several colors? This summer every time I hit the J Crew outlet in Wrentham, I left the store with a different color of J Crew's corsage t-shirt. I now own it in Breeze (minty green), Dark Mushroom (Khaki), Charcoal, and Ivory (more on the white side). These tees are so versatile and can be worn with almost anything, the splash of florals on the neckline add a little bit of interest, it's comfortable and fits perfectly. I have gotten so much use out of these shirts, no regrets in buying it in 4 other colors.


This is the second time that I've had a lot of luck with purchasing the same item in multiple colors. Two years ago I purchased two pairs of Nine West sandals in 2 different colors. I wore them until the soles disappeared and the straps came off (and I used tape to keep them in place).

Tell me about your experiences in buying the same item in several colors.

Feeding Gear

Now that Noah is eating we have stepped into the world of feeding gear - from futuristic high chairs to adorable bibs, it seems like there's no end to the options available out there.

I was deciding between the Bloom Fresco, Boon Flair, and the Svan Anka high chairs. My favorite design was probably the Bloom Fresco, but at a starting price of $400 I had to keep looking. Anka is a nice wood high chair, simple, but maybe too simple for the price tag of $170. Boon was a good alternative - still had the modern design, easy to clean, swivel wheels etc and I found it for the same price as the Anka. So the Boon Flair it was. I was thrilled when I received it in the mail, I set it up right away. Pretty simple installation process. Here is a pic of Noah enjoying it:



I have a good story to go with my Boon Flair purchase. Initially I had posted an ad on Craigslist to see if anyone was selling theirs used. A lady responded to me, I was giddy with excitement when she said she wanted to sell hers for only $25, and it was just purchased last year! I went and picked it up, it was in decent condition, just needed a bit of cleaning. I did just that when I brought it home. It looked brand new again, and then it occured to me that I could probably resell it for much more than what I paid. So I gave it a shot and posted it on CL for $130 and what do you know, the next morning a couple purchased it from me, no questions asked. So I made a $105 profit which I felt guilty about (I felt like I robbed the lady), but that soon went away when I used the money I made to buy the same chair brand new! Here is a pic of Noah sitting in the one that I sold.