THE PERFECT GRAY CHAIR

This post is sponsored by SIXPENNY.

I must confess a big home design mistake to you all. It's one that I made two times over. I have purchased two sofas for our living room without reading any reviews or much research. I based my choices purely on the advertised pictures. I didn't even measure my space beforehand. I just eye-balled it with full confidence everything would work out. Well, it didn't. The colors weren't right and the sizing was off. But, I have learned from my old ways, and I no longer go with just aesthetics. I only buy from trusted, quality furniture companies, and that's why I love SIXPENNY.

They are a furniture company that not only offers beautiful, modern designs, but guarantees satisfaction and quality. Each chair and sofa is made to order. Mine was shipped to me within a week of my order being placed. They also have a 30 day satisfaction guarantee and no restocking fees. That's so rare in the online furniture buying world.

I love online shopping, but the other challenge I face is figuring out if the colors are true to the photos. With SIXPENNY, what you see is what you get. I got their ARLO chair in the gray wool, and it was exactly what I thought it would look like in person. I love it because the seat is deep and you can really lounge in it.  Right away I could tell it was well made, and it's now my favorite seat in my living room. 

The only thing is that this chair is going to be moved upstairs into our bedroom/office space soon. So, I guess that means I will have to buy another one. ;) If you're looking for modern, quality furniture at great prices, definitely check out SIXPENNY. 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

ARIZONA OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING

This post is sponsored by Hayneedle.

The best thing about living in Arizona is the weather. It's dry and sunny almost every day of the year. Even during our high temperatures we find ourselves outdoors because we have a pool, and also because we have a backyard that feels like a sanctuary. Last year, we got patio furniture so we could enjoy the space more, and this year we finished decking out our outdoor grill area thanks to Hayneedle. 

Hayneedle offers the best outdoor decor and entertaining essentials and great prices. You better believe we will be enjoying some margaritas and carne-asada this week for Cinco de Mayo. We love using our grill, and we are able to sit and enjoy each other's company while we cook using these woven bar stools. I selected these because they appeared durable, more heat resistant than metal, and brought texture to the space. I freshened them up with some color using outdoor pillows with blues and aqua. 

We also put up a living wall to cover the ugly block wall we have, as well as to have a space to plant herbs and spices. Since the area gets sun all day long and the hot days are coming, I planted lavender and rosemary for now. They will grow in almost any weather. 

We also added some green with our big planters and covered some of the boring beige stucco with our log hoop. It's functional and it adds some interest to the space.

I thought adding some lanterns to the area was a pretty way to make the bar come alive. It's also functional for evening entertaining, and the lanterns won't blow away (something to think about for outdoor styling). 

Shade is important in Arizona, so we ordered an umbrella for the bar. I like the striped pattern for interest, but I stuck with the white and tan so it didn't over power the space.

Being able to eat poolside is amazing, but safety is important too. I ordered some durable plastic plates and other entertaining essentials. You can see the rest of my selects on the Hayneedle's blog. 

Photography by Rennai Hoefer

Shop Shine

Shine Home is an online furniture company that sells what I would like to call "Victorian, mid-century modern furniture." This style is pretty trendy these days. Bright colors mixed with black and white...Ornate designs mixed with clean and simple pieces. Shine is pretty pricey, but it's always fun just to get ideas, right? 

FIDM Update

This past weekend I had the privilege of taking a mini vacation with Ryan to sunny Los Angeles/Santa Clarita where our dear friends the Merrell's live. We left early Friday morning so that we were able to catch a tour of FIDM L.A. Can I just say that the initial feeling of walking onto the campus was SO peaceful, satisfying and exciting! Everywhere I turned there were guys and gals with incredible fashion sense and creativity. Granted, I was probably one of the oldest people there because most of the students are directly out of high school, but what does that matter...I'm coming into this with a great background and experience of business, marketing and communications...right? haha...won't lie..it intimidates me a tad.

After chowing down some tasty Quiznos, we started on a tour that has lead me to a big decision (I'll get to that later). We passed by classrooms with industry standard sewing machines, pattern tables and dress forms. It was incredible! Then we headed into what I can only some up as library bliss...Just imagine every fashion magazine past to current kept for inspiration. I'm talking from the very first issue of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar until now! They even have a historic preservation room where you can read these old issues...It's the largest fashion library on the west coast.

Every floor had window displays of sketches, furniture, dresses, etc. that students have created. They even had a famous Dior "New Look" dress recreated from the original pattern kept by one of the original dress makers sent by the fashion house of Dior! I think I was so in awe I forgot to take a picture, but it was incredible!

We moved on up to the fifth floor where we got to see more of product development and their creations...Here is where everything turned around for me...All of the designs were computer generated. Not super surprising, but when the student tour guide continued explaining more of what the major entailed my heart sank. I thought to myself, "There is hardly any creativity within this major." Basically, the curriculum focuses finding price points, textiles and what it takes to get a garment to sell.

After talking with the tour guide, my adivsor and some other students, Ryan and I both thought it was very clear that Product Development isn't what I'm really seeking. It's ultimately design. I think what has detoured me from pursuing it originally is my lack of sewing experience. The students explained, however, that no one in the classrooms has ever used a industry standard sewing machine, and therefore, everyone starts at sewing 101.

So, for the next five days (two have already passed), I'm praying about this decision to make sure this is really the right one. Now, you're probably wondering why I didn't realize this sooner...I'm not sure if it's because product development is the newest major at FIDM or because they simply haven't sat in the classes, but I feel like my adivsor simplified product development down to the thought that it's what people that have a business sense should do and fashion design is for someone that wants to be behind a sewing machine forever, but talking with students one on one brings everything into a new light.

I'll keep you posted as to what I finally decide, but please pray for clarity for Ryan and I. Also, Ryan and I have already booked a plane ticket to San Francisco to go visit that campus in order to figure out where we should concentrate our efforts on finding employment.

CB2 - Contemporary Furniture

Even before I began working with architects I have loved contemporary interior design. Like mother, like daughter they say...Growing up my mom has always incorporated contemporary furniture into our living spaces. When Ryan and I got married we got a load of amazing furniture from my parents because they couldn't fit it all in their new place, so naturally we have decorated our apartment accordingly. I wish CB2 had been around when we got married because we are in love with this store! Crate & Barrel started CB2 - a line of furnishings that's affordable and contemporary - two years ago. It's not as affordable as Ikea on some things, but the quality is definitely better and it's comparable to West Elm.

Make sure to sign up for their free catalogs if you like this style. Their sale prices are pretty good and we haven't had an issue with anything we've ordered (there isn't a CB2 in Phoenix). Here are some photos from their recent catalog and some items I love.