By Sara Wow. So this is it, friends. Our last week of posting (for now). It has been a pleasure to see you here every week for the past few years, and I'm really going to miss you. Before I say goodbye, I wanted to share something I've finally checked off my To Do List. Let me take you back to 2010 and my desperate plea for help in dealing with our complete lack of storage in our entryway. Here are the photos I posted to show you what I was dealing with: You'll notice a lack of closets, hooks,... Continue reading

By Sara I'm always on the look out for pretty, sophisticated and well-made jewelry. Yes, yes, there is a place for a trendy find from Francesca's or Target but sometimes you just want something you know was made with a little love and good design. I stumbled across Flow Designs and really fell in love with some of the designer's pieces. They're classic, timeless and have that handmade element that I enjoy so much. Lido Necklace, $42 Sona Earrings, $34  Rialta Necklace, $46 Vero Earrings, $32 Let's just say I'm a sucker for a gold hammered finish and a... Continue reading

By Sara A while ago, I claimed that L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition mascara was the end all, be all of drugstore mascaras. Well, I lied. A lovely friend of ours, Marianne, one half of the duo from Looks Good From The Back, reviewed another L'Oreal mascara and I was pretty blown away by the results. See for yourself. That right there is the L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber mascara and I am here to tell you (again) that it really is amazing. This stuff lengthens, separates AND builds body into my meager lashes. I wore it to work yesterday and had... Continue reading

By Sara I'm completely 100% smitten with the Classic Pave Link Bracelet from J. Crew. I borrowed it from a friend a few weeks ago to dress up a casual outfit and it added the perfect touch of sparkle and trend to my look. Sadly, the J. Crew bracelet is $125 and out of my price range for a costume-y bauble. Isn't it so pretty? I would be sad but then I found a gorgeous knock off from T Plus J Designs for...$25 less. Not a GREAT discount but then add on a $10 off coupon for new customers and... Continue reading

By Sara Now that my wee baby is a walking, talking, sassing toddler I thought it high time to photograph her nursery for the memory capsule. Her room isn't perfect; it's small, it's usually a mess of books and stuffed animals but it's full of pieces made and collected over the years just waiting for this little girl. Welcome to Chloe's nursery. This dresser was in my nursery when I was a baby and was formerly a blonde wood that I refinished in a semi-gloss white. I love the faux bamboo detail so very much. The curtains are made from... Continue reading

By Sara This past summer my siblings and I decided to get together to have some professional photos taken to gift to our parents for their anniversary. My sister, being the clever Pinterest-obsessed girl that she is, came across a great idea: each person holds up a letter to spell out a word. We chose the word 'family' and the result was really pretty great,. We had the second version blown up and printed on a canvas (at Costco of all places! Great prices and super fast shipping.) My mother, the stoic woman that she is, had a little tear... Continue reading

By Sara Over the past few months I've noticed my eyebrows thinning and becoming rather patchy. I've always had dark, thick, somewhat unruly eyebrows that took regular grooming to keep in shape so this new development was unexpected. I don't know if it's age (early 30s), post-partum hormone wackiness (baby is one though...that ship might have sailed), or just A Thing That Happens. Regardless of the cause, I had to find something to make my brows look well-groomed and polished. A quick trip to Ulta and I snagged the Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyebrow Pencil. (image from anastasia.net) I love the... Continue reading

By Sara I was alerted to a new-to-me photo card site that is running some incredible deals right now, just in time for holiday card season. Cardstore.com has a nice, condensed selection of holiday cards ranging from classic and traditional to modern and contemporary. Cardstore.com has easy to navigate customization and the ability to upload any number of photos so you can "try out" different looks. Check back with them daily to catch their current deals! Continue reading

By Sara A while back I wrote about my three favorite lip balms and I still stand by that (short) list. In fact, I love one of the brands so much I now own it in four of the seven variations. Meet my new favorite: That's the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Passion. Passion is a sheer red that has an almost chamelon-like affect on different people. It reads bright and cheery on me and a deeper red on my sister. You can swipe it on for a light wash of color or layer it for a deeper shade. I... Continue reading

By Sara A lovely reader, Brandi, recently wrote in with a great question. Her parents have recently moved to their retirement home and have sold the home where they raised their family. Brandi wants to gift her parents with an illustration or painting of their old house and forever imprint their home in their hearts and on their wall. When the question came in, I immediately thought of Patricia van Essche of PVE Design. Patricia's work has been featured around the web and in the blog world for years and I've always adored her hand drawn and whimsical interpretations of... Continue reading

By Sara We all have drawers and closets full of stretched out, snagged, and stained tees. You know the ones. You can't toss them without replacing them and you'll probably just buy more cheap tees on your next run to Target. To which I say: PERFECT! I found a really great slim fitting tee option that is perfect for layering under cardigans, blazers, sweaters and jackets. At Target! I know we've all taken the Don't Buy More Cheap Crap Challenge (DBMCCC) at some point when we get fed up with the cheap tees pilling and stretching out. I promise you... Continue reading

By Sara I've been on the lookout for ring drawer pulls to update our plain jane (and ubiquitous) Ikea Hemnes dresser: (Image: Ikea.com) I like the clean lines on the dresser but the faux iron drawer knobs are just...boring. While searching I found this beautiful update from JessLively.com: (Image: JessLively.com) So pretty and the knob swap really takes the dresser to the next level. I liked her choice of drawer knobs but at $6.65 a piece I was looking at a pretty expensive upgrade to an inexpensive dresser. I have a total of 18 that need to be replaced. Continuing... Continue reading

By Sara LUSHERS! I need your help! Time is of the essence! I'm going away in a few weeks to see some (ok, 59!) friends in New Orleans and I have almost all my outfits planned. The one key piece that is missing is a pair of skinny ankle-length black pants. You know the kind: looks fantastic with heels, flats, AND tucked into boots. They probably also have a bit of stretch to them to so they don't sag in the rear halfway through the day and don't emphasize the tummy. Preferably not black denim since they tend to fade.... Continue reading

By Sara I feel a lot of love for my city of Chicago. I also feel a lot of love for San Francisco and New York City and Austin and Portland and Seattle...the list goes on and on. Imagine my happiness and excitement when the most recent Land of Nod email arrived in my inbox: Art prints you'll hang on to . Inside that email was the most perfect Chicago art poster. This is a beautiful letter press print from Firecracker Press Design. The colors and handmade nature of the print are really what sold me. Plus, it comes unframed... Continue reading

By Sara We know you all come here to see what you can do with mason jars. What stylish lady (or gent!) doesn't love a good use for a mason jar? I bet you already searched Style Lush and read this and this. Now, how about this: What's that you ask? Why, that is the Cuppow! (CUP-POW! Said with the Lightning McQueen inflection like KA-CHOW! (Someone help me.)) The Cuppow! is a spill-proof top that turns any mason jar into a travel mug for any drink of your choosing. It's BPA free, reusable and made from recycled plastics. There is... Continue reading

By Sara I fall into the "animal prints 4-eva" camp but I know many people fear they can look trashy or too flashy. Animal prints, and especially leopard, have been in style for a number of years and when done right can act as a great neutral. Take a leopard flat for instance: Ona Leopard Print Flat, Target, $14.99 The Sidewalk Skimmer in Leopard, Madewell, $135 French Sole India, ASOS, $124 Steve Madden Stroll in Leopard, $90 Leopard flats can add some punch to a basic tee and jeans (rolled at the ankles, stylishly slouchy this season), a crisp white... Continue reading

By Sara My mom loves to regale me with stories about how she made my Halloween costumes every year and how EASY it is to make them. She made a strawberry (darling! with a vine hat!) and an M&M (in orange! and green! overachiever!) and a gypsy in fifth grade (no midriff baring top so not entirely up to par in my book (the nerve!)). I, however, am less inclined to spend time making these kids' Halloween costumes with my near zero sewing experience and lack of time although I appreciate all my mother's hard work Instead I canvass the... Continue reading

By Sara Ok, give it to me straight: Do white slipcovers REALLY make sense when you have children and animals? We're going to be remodeling our basement into a playroom/rec room in the next couple of months and I'm beginning to gather ideas for couches and seating. I need a sofa bed because we are out of extra bedrooms and I keep coming back to the Ektorp sofa from Ikea: The price is right at $650 and the slipcover can be washed and bleached. I'm not interested in investing more money in a better sofa because eventually it will have... Continue reading

By Sara I *think* I have finally convinced my husband to buy a new dining table and chairs. We've had our current set since our early days together as a couple and it fit in our modern loft condo pretty nicely. We have since moved from the modern loft condo into a charming, vintage (cough*old*cough) house that is much lighter, brighter and tighter in dining space. So it's time to sell our current set and buy new. To say I'm excited is an understatement. Here is our current set: It's in near perfect condition but just really black and too... Continue reading

By Sara I'm on a Lands' End kick these days, aren't I? This is what happens when I get the catalog, open it, and have to flip back to the cover because are you sure this stuff is from Lands' End? I don't know what's going on but I like it. A lot. Take this fantastic double knit blazer: Lands' End 2-button Double Knit Jacket, $95 The details are impeccable: twill tape trim, high hip length, double button that visually slims and elongates, classic notch collar and lapels. Just the all around perfect blazer for the weekend to keep you... Continue reading

By Sara I know, I know. Most of us use our fancy smartphones as our alarm/clock in the bedroom. But if you're looking for something a little bit nicer to class up your nightstand look no further than L.L. Bean. Enter the Big Ben: This lovely is just $39.95. It comes in nickel, ivory, blue and green. The best part is that it's battery operated so it's one less thing taking up a plug next to your nightstand. I want one for myself and think it would make a great housewarming gift for anyone. (Photo from: LL Bean) Continue reading

By Sara I don't know about you but I have the WORST time finding a high heel that is polished and professional, doesn't cost $300, and is comfortable to wear for hours every day. I've bought countless pairs of shoes that are just fine but don't last or stretch out or just look crummy after one season. I felt like Lands' End was talking directly to me when these showed up in the latest catalog: Ladies, meet the Ashby Essential High Heel. It's leather (or suede) with the perfect almond-shaped toe that will always be in style, a great heel... Continue reading

By Sara Last weekend my husband and I had a rare night out with friends and before we headed home we stopped by their new place to check out some renovations that had recently completed. After we oooohed and aaahhed over the polished concrete floors and well-chosen paint colors we made our way to their patio and were stunned to meet this little beauty: That, my friends, is the Element Grill by Fuego. Isn't she adorable? And modern? And almost like sculpture? Can you even believe I am waxing on about a GAS GRILL like this? The Element is the... Continue reading

By Sara I have this super fashionable friend who has ultra fashionable friends and they should all be writing for this site instead of yours truly. Let's not dwell on that though, shall we? My super fashionable friend has been in wedding after wedding these past few years and has seen her fair share of bridesmaid dresses. From blah to boring to "I'll really never wear this again...ever", she's got a closet FULL of dresses (mine included). However, this past spring she was in a wedding and when I saw the photos my jaw dropped. The bride was obviously stunning... Continue reading

By Sara I am going to admit something terrible to you all. It's hard to type these words. I feel a little nervous putting this out there. Ok, here goes: we canceled cable. We Cut The Cord. We ARE cord cutters. Whew. I feel better just saying it outloud. Look, I know people have lived without cable for YEARS, decades, even. For us, this was a really hard decision to make and it wasn't until we were driving on the highway one afternoon and simultaneously saw the billboard for the Roku box that my husband and I decided it was... Continue reading