100+ Carats

I saw these oversize gems from Kristen Hassenfeld on Design Crush the other night and I fell in love. I want a strand for my apartment!! 

originally via the jealous curator

Wine and Dine Me

In San Francisco we are certainly lucky. The architecture of the houses is one of the really special parts of San Francisco. I am lucky enough to live in one of those traditional 20s classic apartments. The problem is though that it is sooo easy to slip into "traditional" mode with all of the details in this setting. I personally am prone to girly, traditional accents so it is hard for me to seer a little more modern.  


In my quest to modernize my aesthetic a bit, I have taken a hard look at everything in my space to really identify what it making it feel less than modern. Now let me clarify, I am not going modern modern, noooo that would never be me, just adding a few more modern touches to prevent my apartment from looking like it is the roaring 20s. 


Right now, if you recall my "dining" room looks like this(with a slightly different rug)...

The thing is though that those chairs aren't that comfortable and that table isn't that big. Love the plant, love the rack. (Oh, and that linoleum isn't going anywhere!)


I have been looking at a few options for dining combinations. I was inspired by these looks...

I am looking for something industrial using mixed materials (wood and metal) with a little hint of coziness. 

I love the idea of having a big table to work at with a little bit of personality.


Which of these four options do you like best?

Option #1: chairs, table, rug 
Option #2: chairs, table, rug 
Option #3: stools, table, rug 
Option#4: chairs, table, rug 


West Elm and CB2 were a huge inspiration for these four ideas! 

NYC Decorating

As you can imagine New York is full of decorating inspiration. I made sure to snap lots of pictures to make sure that I could carry a little bit of NY style home with me. Here are my favorite things that I saw (decor-wise)


1. Full on Glam


This was at the restaurant at the Mondrian SoHo. The decor was stunning. I like how they mixed layered chandeliers with terra cotta pots. They also had these amazing blue metal chairs that added a little quirkiness to the place. 

2. Collection of White Stones and Votive Holders at ABC. 

I just love how they lit this. It looks almost like an art installation. And you know how much I love natural stones. 

3. Glass Serveware at Fishes EddyEven before I stepped into Fishes Eddy I loved it. I had received a few wine glasses from my sister from there and I was so excited to see it. This display of glass cakestands and pitchers was by far my favorite. I would love to own one of the mint green cake stands one day. 

4. Decorative Paper

My friend and I spotted these fabulous hand crafted papers and I thought that they would make the perfect artwork. At around $3-$4 each they are very affordable too. Or course I found the peacock pattern. 

5. Bold Colors at the Met

Surprise, surprise my favorite part of the Met was the decorative arts area. They had entire rooms that were transported from Europe and re-built. These amazing pieces grabbed my attention. How fabulous are these colors--proving that everything always comes back in style (except overalls hopefully). 

Nightlife in NYC

New York after dark. The lights are sparkling around the city. There is a buzz of anticipation for the night to come. 


New York is known for its nightlife. I can't say that I really partied it up while staying there but I did have a pretty incredible meal and had the opportunity to see the city glowing at night. 


I wore my favorite Madewell sequin dress. Wearing a sequin dress to dinner in SF would definitely stand out in a sea of denim but in New York it felt right. Also that swatch of wrapping paper seemed perfect for night time. It was deco and sparkly and fit the glam city atmosphere. 

Places visited from left to right clock-wise:
1. Walking around Upper East Side
2. Dinner at L'Artusi
3. Chandelier at the Mondrian SoHo
4. Paper in SoHo
5. Building on the Upper West Side

Afternoon in New York

Continuing on our journey throughout the day in NYC--we come to the afternoon. While I was there we were lucky to have beautiful sun. In the afternoons the golden light spilled over all of the gorgeous architecture of the city. It was my favorite time of day. 

Places visited from left to right clockwise:
1. Building on the Upper East Side
2. Empire Hotel (as featured on Gossip Girl) on the Upper West
3. Yarn at Union Square Market
4. Building on the Upper East Side
5. Apples at the Union Square Market
6. Skyline from Central Park

Morning in NY

While combing over the hundred pictures I took this past weekend in NYC I was thinking about how I would organize them and share them with you. 


New York has so many personalities. There is traditional Upper East Side, fashion-forward Soho and on and on. What I loved about my pictures was that as the day went on the city kept changing. My pictures in the morning were so different than in the evening. 


So I decided to group my pictures by time of day. And then one of just decorating because I did quite a bit of research on that over the weekend. 


So enjoy New York week on live.happy.inspired


L


Morning is magical in the city. I am used to the hustle and bustle of a city that has already gone on a run and done their grocery shopping by 10am. NY wakes up much later and in the morning the city is peaceful. The smells of warm pastries waft from tiny bakeries. People are walking their pampered dogs in Central Park. 

Places visited here left to right clock-wise:
1. Central park
2. Levain Bakery 
3. ABC Carpet (amazing bed) 
4. Central Park
5. Clinton Street Baking Co. 

NYC Bound

This weekend I am headed to NYC. I cannot contain my excitement to see the city since I haven't been there in 12 years. 


Here's my inspiration for my chic but warm wardrobe (bundle, bundle, bundle!).

I will be tweeting from @livehappyblog and making sure that I upload plenty of pics from the weekend. Follow along and have a lovely weekend!

L

Image 1, Image 2, Black Coat, Olivia Palermo, Rachel Bilson, New York, Images 3&4, Image 5, Ace Hotel

Perfect Pairing

Navy is just so stunning. I love these two images together.  

dress, mirrors 

Flat Out

I have been on the lookout for new spring flats. There are some fabulous ones out there ranging from classic to edgy. Here are my absolute favorite ones (can I have all of them?!)...

Calvin Klein Black Cutout, Report Blue, Vince Camuto Black, Ivanka Trump Leopard, MeToo Flat, Madewell Patent Flat, DV Taupe Suede Flat, Pour la Victoire Pink 

Happy Love Day

Let me first say Happy Valentine's Day to you, my lovely readers. 


To be completely honest with you I am not a Valentine's Day girl. It falls just after New Years Eve as my least preferred holiday. But there are just so many darn cute things around Valentine's day that I have a soft spot for the holiday. Pink donuts, heart confetti, sparkly headbands--yes please. 


I hope you enjoy the day no matter who you spend it with. We all are loved by someone in our lives, let's take this day to celebrate that fact. 


xo L 

Coconut Pink Donuts, Heart Glitter,  Anthropologie necklace, Heart shaped dress, Heart Macaroons, Pins, Headband, Pink Cupcake, Couple Picture     

Mint + Tangerine

With spring quickly approaching my favorite colors are starting to pop up again. I have always loved mint but pair it with tangerine and bam! (in the words of Emril Legasse) you've got an awesome combination. 


It works just as well in clothing (and food!) as it does in interiors. 

Look at these gorge interiors...

Lastly I found this amazing mood board on Pinterest. Love.

necklace, donuts, dress, dining room, living room, bedroom, mood board

In the Stars

I saw these astrological ID bracelets on Anthropologie and couldn't help but think that they would make the perfect personalized present. 

Tiny Pets

Yesterday I got 4 new pets. No they aren't cats (yikes!), not dogs, not fish, not gerbils...it is a self-contained ecosystem. 


I have been thinking about one of these little worlds since I saw it in a store years ago. 


It called a eco-sphere and it was created by scientists working with Nasa. Little shrimp live inside and eat the algae that grows on the coral. Since I love science and nature so much I was very excited for it to arrive.


Now I am thinking of what to name the little shrimp! What about Sebastian, Alice and Tim/Tom (for the two tiny identical ones)?

Images from Google

Neon Sign

I don't know what it is lately but I have been attracted to neon like well a moth to a flame. I'm not even sure why...I have never worn it but would love to incorporate it in small doses.


I am drawn to the citrusy shades like tangerine and bright lemon as well as hot pink. 


Check out these stunning neon photos. 

Dress, Bed, Sweater, Pink Dress, Yellow Dress, Earrings, Makeup, Bracelet

Hook Me

I can't take credit for discovering these Miansai bracelets--J.Crew beat me there! They have a few bracelets on J.Crew but when I went to the Miansai site I fell in love. 

Their bracelets are so unique and perfect for a sea-faring fashionista (such as myself!) These also would make a wonderful gift for the man in your life. I had a hard time only picking these ones but here are my favorites...

Land Anemones

This weekend I bought some anemones at the farmer's market. They opened beautifully--the colors and the contrast are striking. 

When I took a look online I found some lovely pictures and ideas for this full, saturated flower.

I think the white ones with the dark blue centers are my favorite.

Image1, Image2, Image3, Image4, Image 5, Image6, Image7, Image8