Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Instagram, who knew?

True story: I just realized that Instagram was not just a photo editing tool. I have had it for at least a year and just realized that everyone can see your pictures after you edit them. 

That being said, I am obsessed. 

My user name is jlepley. 
Who are your favorite people to follow?

Patio Furniture

A couple of people contacted me about our new patio furniture.
It is from Home Decorators Collection. I had been eyeing it for a while and eventually it ended up in their outlet. They are always offering a coupon code and free shipping.  Unfortunately, they do not have this in stock but they do have something similar.

While looking for patio furniture I did quite a bit of research. If you are looking for affordable and cute, you should try...

Monday, May 28, 2012

Weekend Recap: DC Wedding

This weekend we went to DC to see one of my best friends get married. 


Doug and I at the rehearsal. 


Bridal Party

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids Luncheon

Jordan and I 

Cheers!

Lindsay looked stunning. 

Her dress was out of this world. 


Thursday, May 24, 2012

Wedding Weekend

I am off to DC to celebrate Dave + Lindsay's wedding.
I leave you with my favorite wedding of all time.
Lauren Santo Domingo, featured in Vogue in March of 2008.
I was no where near thinking about getting married but this wedding has always stuck with me.



Skirted Tables

I am on a weird skirted table kick. When I get something in my head I get completely obsessed.

They look great in an entry way...

What about an office?

Great way to hide ugly pipes in a laundry room.

I especially love them in a bedroom.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Life Recap

I have not done a weekend recap in quite some time. We have been crazy busy trying to get our life back together after a kitchen renovation. I had every intention of showing yall our kitchen this week. I am not trying to make it dramatic. Things are just on back order and it looks like our hardware is not going to be in until the first week of June.


This weekend we celebrated out first anniversary! It was so special. Doug was very thoughtful and we did some of our favorite things. We went to the Farmer's Market...

 He surprised me at work with my favorite flowers. It has only taken him 4 years to remember my favorite flower. I get super embarrassed whenever he sends flowers to work, which would explain why he always does it... 


He really surprised me with a sweet little ring. Before you start judging and gagging, you must know I am helping design a jewelry store.  More on that in the near future. They are amazing at what they do. They made my engagement ring, wedding band and now this...


                                              We had a little dinner to celebrate Mother's Day...

I have been packing for a huge weekend in DC. My favorite people in the world are getting married...

 
We have been busting our butts around the house. We power washed our deck and got some patio furniture. Doug and I spend more time outside than we do inside once it starts getting warm. From now until October we will probably eat dinner outside every night. Since we did the kitchen I can see myself wanting to stay here for a while. I am figuring out how to make it more comfortable and utilize the space we have.

Twinkle lights went up...
         Our last project is finishing the dining room. Grasscloth was installed yesterday. No one can understand how happy this makes me. I have talked about wallpaper
for 3 year and it has finally happened.  
As you can see, we have more projects going on than we can count. I am looking forward to finishing up and enjoying the rest of the summer.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Currently Obsessed: Summer





One Year...

Happy Anniversary to my favorite person in the world!


Friday, May 18, 2012

Dream Kitchen: Rachel of Excellence as a Habit


Last but not least is a real life and blog friend, Rachel. We bonded over our love for estate sales and Craigslist. She has a really fun blog called, Excellence As A Habit. She is hilarious, has amazing taste and loves her some Corgi's. 
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Hi everyone! My name is Rachel and I'm so flattered that Jessie asked me to contribute to her blog. Her amazing style, both for home design and fashion, is one that I try to emulate in my own home and closet. I hope I don't embarrass her on this beautiful and popular blog of hers! 


As a renter, I don't have much freedom with my kitchen design- which is why I love reading blogs and saving ideas for the future. Thank you, Pinterest. As I gathered up my favorite images, I realized that I tend to gravitate towards light-filled, white kitchens that have entertaining spaces like bars, banquettes or small breakfast nooks with colorful bistro chairs and upholstered seating. I find that no matter where you live, people tend to gather in the kitchen so it's important to make it beautiful and comfortable at the same time. 


I'm a huge fan of warm pendant lighting above bars like the brass ones you see in a few of these pictures. I also love the idea of using an unconventional subway tile, like the charcoal one you see here. I think this would mask stovetop messes (ie: bubbling spaghetti sauce or splatters of olive oil) better than its white alternative. I also like incorporating traditional elements like oriental rugs in the kitchen- it makes it feel more like a family room than a working area. 


One thing I've seen lately is painting kitchen cabinets a color other than white- I love the nautical feel of the blue cabinets. It is fresh, inviting and again- probably masks the greasy fingers/food remnants better than light-colored cabinets. Beauty and function! 


I've also included some of my favorite kitchen tools and accessories here. If you don't have a set of Laguiole steak knives, consider investing. We use ours practically every night and they make your table look so pretty. I also swear by the basketweave woven Williams Sonoma kitchen towels- they are the most absorbent and are the work horses that you need when you are faced with a pile of dirty dishes. Mini colanders seem silly- but they are perfect for rinsing fruit or vegetables when prepping meals for one or two people. One of the wedding gifts we use the most is our All-Clad stainless 12" fry pan- it cooks food evenly and quickly, and holds up well over high heat.


Thanks for having me! 

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Dream Kitchen: Natalie from Natalie Merrillyn

Natalie was sweet enough to share her dream kitchen with us. I could not wait to see what she came up with. We tend to have really similar style so I was not surprised that her dream kitchen would be filled with lucite and gold accents.
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Hello Long and Short of It readers! I'm Natalie and I'm thrilled to be here discussing one of my favorite design topics -- kitchens. {P.S. Isn't Jessie's kitchen going to be incredible? I can't wait to see how everything turns out!}

A few must-haves for my dream kitchen:
  • bright + open
  • something lucite
  • elements of sage + gold
  • cool lighting

Get the look:

ONE KitchenAid 5-Quart artisan stand mixer in pistachio {have + love! -- $350} TWO Lucite bar stool {$119} THREE Gold mirror {$3,465 -- steal! Find more here or here.} FOUR Thomas O'Brien large Hicks pendant {$525} FIVE Midas Collection gold glassware {$30-$85} SIX Bust planter pair {$550}

Thanks so much, Jessie, for having me! And please be sure to stop by Natalie Merrillyn for more inspiration!

images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Dream Kitchen: Shannon from I Love Your Crazy

Shannon is a girl after my own heart.  Her blog is the perfect mix of new and old. I knew her dream kitchen would be a fun, modern take on a classic kitchen.  She is an amazing writer and just added designer to her resume. 
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Hi Shannon Darrough here, from the blog I Love Your Crazy. Jessica asked me to share my dream kitchen on her blog today. Currently, my kitchen is in a current state of limbo while I finish up some other rooms, so I'm more than happy to share my ideal kitchen. 
Here goes ... 
I love the Thomas O'Brien Hicks Pendants and the all white counters and back splash in this photo.
I long for a cozy little eating area like Kate and Andy Spade's.
A big sink is essential ...
... And good light. The more the better, in my opinion.
I'll let you know when I get around to building an all white kitchen. Until then I will keep my dreams alive on Pinterest.
Thanks for having me today!
xoxo,
Shannon Darrough
Shannon Images via: Style at HomeZoldan Interiors in Better Homes and Gardens, Apartment in Paris

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Dream Kitchen: Alex from Things That Sparkle

I am so excited to share Alex's dream kitchen. Not only does she have some amazing design skills, she is so sweet. She sent me resources for hardware during the kitchen renovation and I cannot thank her enough. Enjoy!
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Hi all, I am Alex from Things That Sparkle & Alexandra Berlin Design, and I am so excited to be here today talking about kitchens! I love my kitchen, but I can't help but dream about if I was able to design my dream kitchen from scratch. Here is what I have in mind...
Campaign corner hardware & pulls, white subway tile backsplash, Carrara marble counter tops, Persian rug, white mission style cabinets, pendants over my island, and this beautiful artwork. There's a really feminine, somewhat boho vibe that I love. What would your dream kitchen be?

Monday, May 14, 2012

Dream Kitchen: Julia from Pawleys Island Posh

Hey guys! This week I have a special treat for you. In honor of our recent kitchen renovation, I have lined up some of my favorite bloggers to share their dream kitchens. First up, Julia from Pawleys Island Posh. I recently started following her blog and I cannot get enough. She is an amazing photographer and she recently started selling some of her fabulous paintings.
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Hey lovelies!
I'm Julia from Pawleys Island Posh and I'm thrilled to be guest posting today.
Jessica's blog has quickly become one of my daily favorites.
Girl's got taste and style aplenty and ideas I can relate to and implement myself.
She's got me currently lusting after blue willow ginger jars which I plan to swipe from my parent's house just as soon as I can squeeze them into my diaper bag.
But I have to say, when she first contacted me about guest posting on kitchens I got a bit nervous.
My kitchen is in much in need of a real overhaul.
**Le Sigh**
And there's really not much to show.
So I decided to put together a little inspiration board of of my dream kitchen.
Thankfully my husband loves to cook so a new kitchen reno tops our necessities list.

Here are the things that top my list:
Lots of white.  
White Marble countertops, white cabinets, and a white black splash.
Dark wood floors and a dark wood island.
Floating shelves full of white dishes.
An awesome graphic runner like this one from Amber's Shoppe.
A built-in coffee station with pretty mugs.
A big adjacent sitting area with some cool wingback and a tulip table.

What do you think?
What's in your dream kitchen?



Friday, May 11, 2012

Friday + Lonny

The new issue of Lonny Mag came out yesterday and I have to say it was my favorite issue to date.
I loved seeing a Raleigh home by Jamie & Furbish! I have had the pleasure of working with Furbish on completing my dining room and Jamie really is a freaking genius. Just walking in Furbish makes you want to go home, rearrange pillows and buy fresh flowers.


You can shop the Lonny shoot and get 15% off with the promo code "lonny".
Make sure to stop by next week. Some of my favorite bloggers are lined up to show you their "Dream Kitchens". It is really good, if I do say so myself.