All Eyes Pointed North West

She's here. Baby North has made her debut. Love them or hate them, no one can deny that the spawn of Kimye is pretty darn adorable. But then again, was there ever really a doubt?

 

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Royal Baby Fever

It’s been quite the week for celeb babies. Penelope Cruz quietly gave birth to baby #2. Jimmy Fallon became a dad, and also proved that he’s really great at keeping a secret. Oh yeah, and Will and Kate welcomed the new heir to the throne. George Alexander Louis was presented to the world last Tuesday, golden easel and all. Proving that the “Kate Middleton Effect” is genetic, George’s blankets and various baby accoutrements have been selling out all over the UK!

For everyone out there still suffering from Royal Baby Fever, have no fear. You can still pamper your little prince or princess in Royal fashion (and thanks to some very American designers).

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Save the Date

Hello lovelies. It’s been a while since my last post, so if you’re still reading…THANKS! Way back in January, I promised myself that I would get better at this blogging thing. Or at least more consistent. But, alas, life gets in the way. In my case, it’s wedding planning. Remember back in August when I casually mentioned getting engaged? Of course, it’s all very exciting in the beginning, but we immediately decided to wait until February 2015 to enjoy a very long engagement. With grad school, home renovations, and running a store, waiting seemed like a necessity. That all changed a few months ago thanks to my mom. Out of the blue, she asked why we were waiting so long. I reiterated all of the “busy” excuses, but it was too late. She had already planted the seed. I ruminated about it for several weeks and after a fateful weekend in Seattle, we found a perfect venue and the date was set! We are getting married in just 232 short days on February 1, 2014 (our 7 year anniversary)!

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Thinking Outside the Carton

Easter Sunday is fast approaching! For a little inspiration, I’m posting some of my favorite finds from across the web. Today is all about the egg. This year I’m trying to think a little outside the box (or carton in this case)…

Chalkboard Eggs

 Eggs with Mustaches

 Needelepoint Eggs

 Pantone Eggs

 Polka Dot Eggs

Painted Eggs

 

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The Luck of the Irish

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Julia's Picks: Wonderful Wizard of Oz

 

I know the Wizard of Oz was released nearly 74 years ago, but a remake still feels “too soon.” Regardless, I LOVE the Wizard of Oz and couldn’t resist pulling together some of my picks to create the perfect Oz inspired nursery. I especially love the Blazing Poppies wallpaper!

For the Walls: Anthropologie Blazing Poppies Wallpaper $148

Furniture: Room & Board Moda Crib and Dresser $1099 & $1499 | Land of Nod Retro Rocker $375

Accessories: Pediped Red Glitter Maryjanes $38** | North American Bear Topsy Turvy Doll $28**

Reading Nook: Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair $79 | Clothbound Edition Wizard of Oz $16.99**

For the Floor: Capel Rugs Jagges Yellow Stripe Rug $628

**Coming Soon to French Toast!!

Etsy in Real Life

Etsy.  If you haven’t heard of it by now, I can’t begin to imagine where you have been for the last few years. Etsy is the go-to place for all things handmade and vintage. It’s a crafter’s dream, or for those of us who can be craft-challenged, it’s a great place to find those things you dream of making, but just…can’t. Maybe I’m the one that’s been living under a rock for the last few months, because I just discovered one of the best things that have ever happened. Ok, maybe that’s overhyping it a little.  

This last holiday season, Etsy opened a pop-up retail shop in SoHo. Now, my first thought was, wha?? So, how does that work? They had artists creating work right there in the shop. They ran crafting workshops. And had guest curators, like the Queen (Martha Stewart), selecting a wide variety of Etsy items to showcase.

I love this idea for a couple of reasons. As a business owner myself, I can attest to the greatness of the internet. You can get your products to a seemingly infinite number of customers, who can purchase at any time. But you miss the interaction. My favorite part of owning a business is interacting with my customers, learning about their lives, and sharing wonderful items with them. You just don’t get that over the internet. I also love instant gratification. Sure, I order stuff online, but only because I have to. If I can go pick up an item I want, when I want it, then I’m always more likely to buy. The Etsy Holiday Shop marries these two ideas perfectly. It gives the opportunity for customers to have face-time with the shop owners/artists, and creates an impetus for future online shopping! So genius. I hope they continue to create pop-up shops, maybe all over the US. Watch the second video to see a few of the showcased artists.

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Oscar Gold

Award season is getting ready to wind up with the biggest event of the year…the Oscars! I love award shows. I’m a sucker for the heartfelt speeches, and of course, the fashion. This year’s awards have been all over the map in both fashion and actual award winners, so I’m anxiously awaiting the final judgment to be handed down this Sunday. Until then, I’ll just continue to plan my perfect Oscar’s party and wish I was as glam as the Queen, Meryl Streep. Pictured above at the 1979 Academy Awards.

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Valentine's Cards by Rifle Paper Co.

Happy Valentine’s Day!! I’m so in love with these awesome cards from Rifle Paper Co. They are one of my favorite things in the store!

Valentine's Day: The Pretty Stuff

 

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Valentine's Day Ideas: Love Doughnuts??

With less than two weeks until Valentine’s Day (my favorite holiday), I thought I should share some of my favorite Valentine’s ideas and inspirations. Let’s get real, holidays are made great by their food and Valentine’s Day is no exception. If you don’t have a lot of time or cash this year, why not indulge in some “love” doughnuts? Stop by Krispy Kreme for some of these sweet confections, then pair with some letter cookies to spell this simple message!

Image via Krispy Kreme

Super Bowl 2013: Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh

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It's Super Bowl weekend and that marks the END of football season. Maybe not a huge revelation for most, but for someone who spends countless hours listening to her fiancé talk about college football, sports blogs, and fantasy football…it’s a big deal. After six years of this, I’ve actually absorbed quite a bit of football knowledge, or at least enough to follow what’s going on. But, let’s be honest. Like most girls who watch the Super Bowl, my highlights will probably rank in the following order:

1.       Beyonce’s much anticipated half-time show

2.       Commercials (thanks to last year, my expectations are low for this one)

3.       Watching to see if Alicia Keys messes up the National Anthem

4.       Yummy Food

5.       The Game

We’re still debating whether or not to have people come over to watch. If I can replicate this adorable, simple tablescape (pictured above), then I might just have to invite some peeps over! Most setups for football parties or tailgates are borderline tacky, so I was thrilled when I happened across this photo. Enjoy the game!

Little Girl Blue & the Cover of GQ: Part II

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Let’s take a quick minute to celebrate the other woman in Jay Z’s life, Blue Ivy! She turned one on the 7^th, reportedly ringing in her new year with a $200,000 party and an $80k diamond encrusted Barbie doll. Not sure if that’s true, but clearly, being the daughter of the highest paid celeb couple has some perks. Overall, 2013 seems to be treating the Knowles/Carter family well. 

Little Girl Blue & the Cover of GQ: Part I

In case you didn’t already know that Beyoncé is one hot mama, the new issue of GQ is out to remind everyone. If you’ve been on the internet over the last few days, you may have seen the new cover. Everyone seems to be going a little crazy over it. Yes, she looks freaking AMAZING, but is she the hottest woman of the 21^st Century? Well, the editors over at GQ seem to think so. Click the photo link below to read the full story.

Left: T-shirt, $40 by Nike. Panties, $490 by Agent Provocateur. Earrings and bracelet by Lorraine Schwartz. Body chain by Manon. Necklace, her own.

Right: Top by Azzedine Alaïa. Panties by Dolce & Gabbana. Earrings by Lorraine Schwartz. Chain and rings by Manon, Bracelets by Tom Ford. Heels by Versace.

Photos: Terry Richardson

Time to Pack up the Tree

With 2012 officially behind us, it’s time to pack up what’s left of the holiday season. My mom and I spent days packing up the holiday decorations in the store and throwing together our new display window. As we struggled to spray paint MDF letters reading “THE REALLY BIG SALE” in twenty degree weather, it finally hit me that we survived our first holiday season in our own store. Sure, we’ve had an online store for a bit, but it feels much more real now. This didn’t happen overnight. I spent nearly two years planning, researching, and being told no before I finally got the brick-and-mortar store off the ground. From the moment we signed the lease back in late August, there hasn’t been a second to reflect on the magnitude of what we’ve been doing. I’m immensely proud of the business we are building, but with the last few days to reflect and look forward, the fear has finally started to set in.

This is my first post-holiday season that I haven’t worked for a corporate retailer, so I don’t really know what to expect. All I know is that it’s that weird, in-between time of the year when the sale shoppers come out and customer loyalty goes away for a month or two. Those of you who have worked in corporate retail know what I’m talking about…the “sale shopper.” You know, those people who would never set foot in the store on a normal day, who venture out in the frigid winter months with one thing in mind: steals and deals. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a good deal as much as the next person, but the “sale shopper” takes it to a new level. I’ve had customers try to haggle over blazers, barter beds, and my favorite, the ones who intentionally damage items to get a deeper discount. Yes, people actually do this.

I’m not really afraid that anyone would do these things in my store. It’s more a fear that I don’t know what the next year will bring. Working for someone else, I generally knew what to expect every day. I could merchandise a room or count a till in my sleep, but it feels different now. Owning a business is hard. There, I said it. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t help but think about one of the more poignant episodes of Gilmore Girls (one of my favorite shows). When Lorelei is struggling to open the Inn, she vents to Luke about her business woes and asks him how long it took before he started having fun at his Diner. His response: “about a year.” Well, I am having fun, but I totally get what he meant. There’s a feeling of ease that comes when you are having fun…and I’m not there yet. I guess I’ll revisit this topic in 41 weeks when we mark our one year anniversary, but in the meantime, I’ll get back to packing away the ornaments at the store and (maybe) get started on the ones at home.  

Ho Cho & Kitchen Renovations

Why is it that no matter what age you are, we all feel the need to ask the proverbial question: what did you get for Christmas?? Even as an adult, we still compare notes after the holiday. At work, my fiancé and his coworker compared Home Depot gift cards. My BFF and I discussed iPhones and coffee makers…a far cry from the days of Nintendo games and ‘NSYNC cd’s. Even though the gifts might change as we get older, the sentiment still remains: we want to make sure we got better gifts than our friends.

This year, we were thrilled to find that Santa brought us a Keurig coffee maker. It sure was a surprise considering neither my fiancé nor I drink coffee. But ever so thoughtful, Santa was sure to include Hot Cocoa! We were also lucky enough to get a minor kitchen renovation for Christmas, so we spent the last few days sipping hot cocoa in our beautiful new kitchen (the first finished room in the entire house). Please enjoy a look at the “original” kitchen. Last year when we bought it, this is the sad sight that greeted us. I’ll post pics of the “new” kitchen soon!

 

The Brothers Grimm

I have a slight obsession with books. Not just reading, but sometimes with the books themselves. If it’s pretty, I’ll probably want it. My house is full of chunky coffee table books, design books, cook books…and a healthy collection of kids’ books (or unhealthy depending on how you look at it). To me, books are like flowers in a room: they just complete the look.

It’s been 200 years since the aforementioned German bros published their first collection of folk tales. In honor of this anniversary, Taschen has created a beautiful collection of twenty seven fairy tales of The Brothers Grimm. Yes, after 30 years, Taschen has published its first kid’s book! This is one of the most beautiful kids’ books I’ve ever seen, so I hope they continue! The illustrations are killer.

Everyone needs a copy of this gorgeous book. Even Martha (the Queen) said so on her show earlier this year. It will be available at French Toast this Spring, but in the meantime, get it here (if you must).

Julia's Picks: Breaking Dawn Part 2

I’m not ashamed to admit that last night I went to see Breaking Dawn Part 2. Yes… I went to see it opening night. While the first movie remains almost unbearable to watch, I must report that the final installment was quite entertaining. Aside from a few campy moments (the love scenes, the “hunting” scenes, and every moment the Volturi were on screen), I was happy to see that Breaking Dawn didn’t take itself too seriously.

Since Edward and Bella become parents in the final chapter of the Twilight Saga, it seemed fitting to draw inspiration for a nursery. My personal fave is the modern crib. It would look perfect in the ultra-modern Cullen residence.

For the Walls: Anthropologie Woods Wallpaper $198|Enzo Mari, Uno, La Mela 1963 $550|Larry Keahey Seattle Print $188

Toys: Wolfpack $8 to 22|Rattle inspired by Bella’s Ring$85|Little Sapling Toys Wooden Blocks $28

Lighting: Antler Chandelier $1917

Furniture: Spot onSquare Roh Crib $1522|Nurseryworks Empire Rocker $800**

For Mom: Timi& Leslie “Charlie” Diaper Bag $159**

**Coming soon to French Toast

Thanksgiving Countdown: 7 Days Left!!

Well, we have a week to go before Thanksgiving arrives. I know people say this all the time, but I really can’t believe how fast the Holiday season has come this year. This year, for the first time, my fiancé and I are hosting Thanksgiving for my family. I’m pretty sure my Grandma (who usually takes care of everything) thinks we are going to fail since she keeps offering lots of help! With only six prepping days to go, I’m starting to think we are going to need it! Luckily, the mister loves to cook, so this will be a fun adventure. My contributions are usually more of the baking sort, so when I found these adorable mini pumpkin pies, I just had to share! Tiffany over at Offbeat & Inspired posted this adorable idea last month. Check it out here, for the full recipe and more great pics!

It's Election Day

Happy Election Day!! Or, for half of the country, it will be a not so happy election day. Well, whichever political side you fall on, why not celebrate voting with these adorable cupcakes! These delightful confections are created by the ladies over at Georgetown Cupcake. Don't forget to vote!