Hello! I'm Suzannah, a serious DIYer and mom of two little ones. Follow along with my DIY fixer upper house renovations, sewing and crafty projects, real food recipes, and de-stressing goals.
I believe you can love your home just the way it is, AND have the power to design and make big changes to make it better.
I've known for a long time that vintage rugs are the highest in cool factor, and there's no substitute for a natural fiber rug. But can be overwhelming and hard to get started shopping for them, and committing to ordering something online you know would be tough to return.
Well, I dove in recently... I had a couple of projects happening at once and bam! suddenly I'd ordered three vintage Turkish rugs within a couple months, all from the same shop I am so excited about!
There is nothing like a real vintage rug for adding character, class, and (versatile) style to your home, and they don't even have to be expensive. I feel like I've cracked the code and can't wait to need another one!
My birthday is coming up, and I've decided from here on out for birthdays and Christmas I'll be asking for the same thing: beautiful coffee table books with inspiring interior or lifestyle images, that look beautiful styled on shelves or a coffee table! There are few things more relaxing than flipping through a big paper book of lovely homes and decor, drinking tea, time to myself... plus, they look so nice on a shelf, mantel, console table, etc. in my own home!
I've rounded up my 9 favorites - some I own and some are on my wishlist - for beautiful mostly modern traditional decor inspiration, lifestyle/entertaining, home organization, and more. You'll love these, too!
9 best coffee table books for styling interiors
Big, hardback books look so beautiful on open shelves, a bookcase, a side table, a buffet... anywhere!
Here are my 9 faves--they have great content AND look beautiful as part of your decor!
Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating. This is a best-seller for sure and you'll see its spine in almost any styled shelf with coffee table books. It's also a fantastic book with lots of helpful decor principles from Lauren Liess, who always creates beautiful, unique spaces. I got this one from the library but should have bought it!
Down to Earth: Laid-back Interiors for Modern Living. This is Lauren's second book and features several different homes she's designed recently, so shows off several variations of her style plus how to get the looks. I own this one and love it!
Make Life Beautiful. This one is available for pre-order now and I'm sure will be so popular on Christmas lists. Studio McGee has an incredible story of fast, authentic growth in their brands; they share about their story plus how they create spaces for intentional, beautiful everyday living. Their spaces are high quality but also so livable.
Made for Living: Collected Interiors for All Sorts of Styles. Amber Lewis of Amber Interiors has finally written a book and I would buy it no matter what it was about, but this one looks gorgeous and useful, too! It's about layering and styling and features some of her most recent incredible projects. Also pre-order and will be on everyone's Christmas list this year if you don't already have it!
Pacific Natural: Simple Seasonal Entertaining. This one is also really popular on styled shelves, etc. by lots of designers, but looks so beautiful to read through as well. Dreamy styled picnics, organic tablesettings for outdoor dining, California vibes... it's full of recipes but also decor/party styling tips.
The New Southern Style: The Interiors of a Lifestyle and Design Movement. Also brand new/pre-order, this one looks so beautiful and fresh. It shows off 30+ homes of creatives and designers in the south and southwest (including Shea McGee, even) and talks about the changing style and culture of the south.
Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home. This is more than an organizing book... the ideas in it are more glamorous than your typical minimalist organizing guide, as well as high on function. She walks you through five simple steps and talks about home as a place for hosting as well as living practically.
Live Beautiful. This one includes design more on the high-end side than most of the others on this list, but features quite a few real homes of designers and others (like Jenna Lyons) that are really visually inspiring and exciting.
Old Home Love. This is the oldest book on the list but historic homes are timeless! This couple has so much experience renovating old homes and really keeping their charm.
Hope you enjoyed this list! Add to your wishlist or check back on this post for gift ideas this holiday season or for a design-loving friend's birthday or housewarming!
Summer is my favorite season by far!! It starts so late here in Oregon we really only get part of July and all of August for warm weather and wearing cute summer clothes before the fall stuff takes over. And I've been very pregnant all spring and summer so I haven't had much chance to enjoy wearing cute dresses and sandals (been wearing thigh high compression socks and maternity yoga pants instead).
This baby is due any day now, so I'm already thinking about enjoying another month or so of warm weather, and celebrating with shopping for some comfy, pretty late summer dresses!!
Perfect late summer dresses under $40!
I rounded up my faves from several sources, plus some great earrings. I looove classics like white eyelet and chambray, all natural fibers when possible, and easy-to-wear colors like blue and variations on earth tones. Loving girlier shapes like puffy sleeves, flounces or ruffles, and ruching!
I was thinking recently about big purchases. It can take months to decide on a big-ticket item like a rug, mattress, statement light fixture, etc. It usually takes me ages, too!
When we moved into this house 2 years ago we were starting from scratch on a lot of things. We sold a bunch of furniture and moved the rest of our stuff into a storage unit after selling our last house, while waiting on this one. It was pretty empty here for a while! It took some time to find the right items to replace old stuff with, but now when I look around our house I see quite a few pieces I'm really happy to own.
Favorite big-ticket home decor purchases/items
Let's start in the living room. This is one of our newer home decor items--I replaced the rug we had in here with something more neutral and I love it! (I shared about it here, and here's a link to this exact rug.) It's actually more tan than the beige-ey grey it looks in these photos. I love the neutral brown/tan and little bits of blue. It looks kind of like an old vintage Turkish rug with low pile. This brand/line of rugs are really popular right now but I don't like having the same exact product as everyone else, so I chose this one for something a little different (I haven't seen this one around Instagram as much as some!)
My first pregnancy, I was too thrifty and didn't get many nice maternity pieces that I felt good in. Not this time!! I'm still shopping affordable sources but I've bought myself four new pairs of jeans that I love (big upgrade from the super cheap ones I had before), made sure I had enough maternity yoga pants, and am enjoying some pieces I can wear after pregnancy too (like comfy but cute wide shoes).
I've had some questions about my fave brands for maternity pieces, too. Sharing those and the pieces I have/love or am considering in this post!
Best affordable maternity clothing brands
First, favorite brands. There are a lot of cheap quality options for maternity clothes out there! Yes, you only wear them for a few months, but most of us stick to a capsule wardrobe for maternity which means we wear each piece a lot. They need to hold up to a lot of washing! I didn't love the quality of a lot of the ones I had last time.
I've been disappointed in the maternity jeans from Target, but ordered several pairs from a few different places and ended up keeping 4 pairs from Gap! I still like Target for tees and other basics, but I really recommend Gap for bottoms and things that need to be a little sturdier.
I also like sticking to non-maternity pieces for accessories, jackets, vests, sweaters, etc. (this works unless you're very pregnant during a cold winter). It's just not worth it to me to invest in a whole new set of quilted zipper vests when my non-maternity ones work fine just not zippered, over a maternity button-up for work.
This spring, since I'm only 21 weeks pregnant right now I've been wearing non-maternity tees and sweatshirts just fine. That'll change this summer, for sure, so I'm making sure I have enough basic v-neck tees and tanks. There comes a point in pregnancy (will be pretty soon for me) when non-maternity tops fit, technically, but are just NOT flattering!
Another spring/summer consideration: last pregnancy I was wearing maternity jeans December through April, so the full panel style that adds an extra layer on the belly was welcome. This time around it'll be August when baby comes, so I ordered demi-panel (wide covered elastic band low rise) and inset panel (triangles of exposed elastic at the sides, very low rise) jeans and they have been super comfy!
I'm working from home this spring so dress pretty normally on top most days but wear yoga pants basically every day!! I have three pairs of capris and two pairs of full-length ones. Maternity yoga pants are the most comfortable pants ever. I like these in full-panel because it helps them stay in place better (they're stretchy and move around by nature).
Here are the four jeans I bought and love, some great cute/comfy sneakers (I wear wide widths all the time but that's extra important in pregnancy when your feet can get wider!), and more that are filling out my maternity wardrobe this spring/summer.
Hope this helps! Take it from me the second time around, it is worth it to buy a few pieces that you love and make you feel good. Nine months is a long time (even if it's just 6-7 months in maternity pants and maybe 4-5 in maternity tops) and you don't want to hate getting dressed every day that whole time. Good luck!
This post may seem a little frivolous given everything that's going on right now--I am aware of that. But, it seems everyone wants a little creative escape sometimes and I have some really beautiful eye candy to share!
I've been seeing this trend (caning on furniture) around a while, in high-end design as well as DIYs and IKEA hacks. But now there are affordable options to get this look in your home, and I'm sharing some favorite inspirations for how to do it!
Caned Furniture Inspiration
First, just the most gorgeous image for you. This home by Amber Interiors is a gorgeous, rich mix of modern and traditional, with beautiful colors and layering. I love every shot of this dining room!
I’m excited for the holidays, but I also get anxious around all of the shopping opportunities this time of year! I am a little bit compulsive about getting the best deal and saving money sometimes, but that means it I can really overthink it and stress out about Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping. But, over the past few years I’ve developed some tools that help me get good deals on stuff I want and need, but still keep this time of year festive and fun rather than just stressful.
I do spend more money this time of year than any other, not only on gifts but also on home decor items and clothing for me and Jason. It’s tempting (and really it’s just practical) to wait a couple weeks if you know that there will be a good sale on something coming up. But don’t go crazy about it… And, don’t be irresponsible with your spending and lured by all the retailers' shiny deals.
I’ve put together 5 key tips for how to responsibly shop Black Friday and cyber Monday sales online!
Make your list beforehand. Common items to go on great Black Friday sales are electronics, toys, cozy winter clothing/slippers/accessories, bigger-ticket kitchen items, home decor, and tools. Favorite items in retailers' "My Favorites" lists or your shopping cart, and if/when they go on sale the prices will update automatically and you can just finish your order. I also track specific retailers... I know from previous years that Old Navy often does 50% off everything, and other places I shop like Abercrombie and Target will also do big sales. I pick out things I might want ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Week to save time and keep me focused on what I actually want--not just what's on the biggest sale!
Make your Christmas gift shopping list beforehand. Wouldn't it feel so good to get your holiday shopping almost entirely done on Thanksgiving weekend, and know you got good prices on everything?! I've never achieved that, but by starting my gift ideas/actually purchased list (I use Google Sheets so I can track how much I'm spending as well) early, I can check the list while looking at BF/CM sales.
Set a budget for Black Friday and Christmas at the same time. Around this time of year I buy gifts but also holiday decor and things I've been holding off buying for me and Jason. Be prepared to spend extra money November and December, and set aside money if you can. Don't forget about those extra non-gift purchases when thinking about your Christmas season budget.
Set aside time on your calendar for checking purchases off your list so you're not frantically scrolling and trying to type coupon codes from your phone (in bed Thanksgiving night, in the car on the way to Thanksgiving dinner, or when you'd just rather be spending time with family). This used to mean putting "Early Bird sales" on your calendar from 6am-10am on Black Friday... thankfully it's 2019 and you can skip the stores and crowds and fit it in whenever you want--most sales start Thanksgiving Day, and retailers will have some deal or another through Tuesday or Wednesday of Cyber Week.
Don't worry too much. If you miss a sale because you forget to finish an order or check a favorite retailer during Black Friday weekend, don't stress about it. There are tons of sales during the holiday season and you'll probably get a good deal just about any time between now and Christmas. Also, remember, it's not a good deal if you don't need it,so don't over-analyze potential purchases or feel the pull of the sale too much.
Hope these tips are helpful and hope you have a peaceful, productive, anxiety-free shopping season this holiday!
I am excited for this trend!! Been seeing it around quite a bit lately and I think it’s one of those patterns that can dominate or make you feel like you don’t need to do anything else to have a an outfit or room look finished--but there are also some great ways to complement that can make you feel really stylish and complete.
3 ways to style windowpane check
These will work for clothing for home decor!
1. Steer into the 80s.
Some of the sweaters I’ve seen in this pattern or have dropped shoulders and mock turtlenecks, and an oversized fit. You can totally picture them with shoulder pads, right? This look is not new, it’s coming back, but it really does look good with gold hoop earrings and high-waisted jeans.
On this one, just don’t overdo it with a statement necklace on top or clear plastic oversized glasses--unless you want to look like you're a high school front desk lady from the 80s. (That’s just when I picture.) This look is actually my favorite because it’s simple and the pattern really gets to stand out on a large canvas.
2. Mix (and stick to) neutrals.
Most of the windowpane checks I’ve seen have been black and white or camel and white. When your statement piece is also a neutral, you may want to add more texture and colors of neutrals to make it interesting. A black and white pillow against a white couch with white walls and a light colored rug can look very stark and modern.
I prefer to see this pattern with some other textured or patterned pillows also in a neutral color. So at least, add a textured soft colored scarf or throw blanket.
Something about plaids and checks! Windowpane, too, just feels so perfect for the holidays when you pair it with red and green or velvet! In sweater form, it’s cozy for an evening holiday dinner, but you can also go a little sleek here and make this a really fun alternative to just a black skirt. Out of velvet blazer and slightly sparkly necklace… So unique and festive!
The pieces: Get the look: Windowpane
Linking some favorite pieces in this pattern for you here!
I've noticed myself so drawn to this color these days, for home decor and fashion. I'd almost go so far as to say camel is the new grey!! That's a big deal for me, longtime cool neutral lover... move over, cool tones!
Today I'm sharing with you some inspirations and my favorite pieces to get make this trend work in your home or wardrobe!
A couple weeks ago on my birthday, I shared on my Instagram stories I shared a goal for myself for this year... I need to take care of myself more, but not just by taking time to read, relax, all that--I need to buy myself the clothes and makeup I need in order to feel put together.
This form of self-care is an area I've really struggled with for a long time since I hate spending money. But I'm really trying to be more balanced about it and buy myself things I need!
With that in mind... I'm sharing a few items I'm really excited about and have bought or am seriously considering for my fall wardrobe!
Faves so far are that camo sweatshirt (wearing it as I type this--the perfect at-home comfy piece that still makes me feel current and cute), and these jeans are so, so flattering! I am 100% on Team High Waisted Jeans and have been needing some new ones that aren't skinny in the leg. (Love them--you should also size down in these!) It's hard to find cute jeans that don't have raw hems these days, so both of the pairs in this collage are a little more versatile than the raw ones.
I definitely struggle to find cute shoes for work as my requirements are tough: real leather, relatively flat but not frumpy, come in wide widths (I have wide feet), and affordable. These fit the bill!
Love/hate Black Friday, anyone??! I don't have tons of time to spend chasing deals, but I do tend to save up shopping during fall waiting for some sales around Thanksgiving. Plus, every year I dream of being done with the Christmas shopping early! So I am doing a little Black Friday shopping this year and sharing my method (and favorite sales) with you!
Nowadays, Black Friday starts even before Thanksgiving. I know that doesn't make sense, but you'll see "Black Friday deals start now!" on tons of websites.
A funny thing happened when I emerged from 9 months of growing a big baby belly last spring: slowly my jeans started to fit again, but I no longer liked any of them because the high-waisted jeans trend was now in full force! (I know people were doing it last year, to, but I am a tiny bit slow on adopting jeans trends! (The 2006 transition to skinnies, anyone?))
Especially as I went back to work in July, I realized I really needed to buy myself some jeans that I felt good in and flattered.
I have now found several pairs I love, ordered them and multiple colors, and figured out some tricks for ordering and wearing high-waisted jeans to be the most flattering! My favorites and some great mom outfits for fall that I have been wearing lately coming up…
I shared in this post some of the chandeliers/dramatic light fixtures that I'm thinking about for our dining room, and I've been doing a lot of research in that area lately! We are going with a bit of a "modern traditional" style in this home, different than my slightly boho, slightly Cali contemporary look of our last house... a nod to our 1937 home's historic nature but not taking it back to what it used to look like! I love the old + new mix and tons of neutrals in the modern traditional style. (Emily Henderson defined it well in this post.)
So, I've collected quite a few light fixtures--chandeliers, flush mounts, sconces, small pendants, the works!--to help you get that "not-quite-minimal-not-quite-country-a-little-modern-monastery" (Emily's words) look on a budget. These are gooooood, too! I wish I had a place for more of them! And meanwhile, I'm still deciding on our dining room fixture!!
This post contains affiliate links.
First, some inspiration. I LOVE these rooms and they are inspiring me as I decorate several rooms in our house!
I have been online shopping long enough to know the difference between what you can find on the web (and what deals) versus in-store. And there are SO many good options online now for all kinds of things, but it's just not the same as walking into a beautifully curated store!
Some relatively recent news in online home decor shopping is there is now a great shopping experience online that used to be in-store. I am sharing some favorites, plus what I ordered, recently below!
You probably know that HomeGoods is a very fun place to spend an afternoon. Lots of different decor styles, lots of unique pieces, even hard-to-find things that are practical but still exciting (like my paper towel holder that hooks over the cabinet door toward the inside so the paper towels are hidden!)... all affordable, too. But, you can't shop HomeGoods online.
You CAN, now, as of recently, shop TJ Maxx online! It's the same company so you'll find the same variety and quality pieces, though a slightly smaller selection of home stuff specifically because they also have clothing and other departments.
One downside is their filters/categories are not great, but no worries for you because I have been really having fun flipping through alllll the pages of home stuff to see what's good! I've assembled all my favorites here, but you can also see a few of the things I just ordered!
First, this pillow. I decided it is high time for new couch pillows--I would like a new sofa soon, but we don't know what we want yet and in the meantime, I can get a fresher look with some accents! So this is the first part in that new collection. I think I am going for more muted than the bold black/whites we have.
This pillow has a zipper so you can change out the insert. Also that soft outer fabric is lined with a white woven liner. Nice quality for $16.99!!
I hope to be doing a lot of this myself soon!! They say every room needs at least one cool vintage piece, right?!
This week on the Your Home Story podcast, Ashley and I share about finding great vintage pieces from the comfort of your home. We talk about which pieces we’ve bought online, how to search and buy online, what to expect to pay, and what sites are the best to look at. Ashley is pro at this and shared some really good tips.
I have been excited to decorate a nursery for a long, long time now, and we will finally be moving into our house in a few weeks! We've made it this far (8 weeks with Otto) without one--we store extra baby stuff in the hall closet, and his changing table/dresser is in a corner of the living room--and it's been fine, so I was questioning recently about what else we'll need.
I picked out a rocking chair months ago when I was making mood boards, but now I was questioning if we needed one more big thing and if it would be useful past the newborn stage. I shared that question on this post on Instagram and the response was overwhelming--YES!!! So many people said they loved theirs and use it every day, even for bigger babies and toddlers.
But I've also seen comments that it's hard to find rocking chairs that are more affordable than the chicest $800+ ones... lucky for you, I've been comparing options for months for our nursery and I have lots of ideas!
There are lots of options for stylish rocking chairs under or around $300, if you know where to look. I found all 14 of these and linked them in the graphic below at the lowest price sources I could find. There are a couple splurges on there, but nothing as expensive as the ones you see in designer portfolio nurseries.
Only problem is, I was sure I was set on rocker #1 for Otto's nursery, till I did some more research for this post and found a few more choices!
Rocker or glider? Exposed wood or hidden base? Some of these even come with ottomans! Lots of choices. Many come in several colors, but I chose my faves in beige and grey below. So versatile.
This is super topical for me since we're planning to move into our new house soon, but you may be interested if you're a serial redecorator, or just need some new pieces (or to clean out old pieces) in your current home!
This week on the Your Home Story podcast, Ashley and I are sharing what works well for both buying and selling secondhand home items direct from sellers (online or in-person). You can get some amazing pieces and deals!, but it takes work to find them. Plus, selling your used furniture, rugs, etc. can be a great way to get some extra cash to cover new purchases!
We talk about using Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and buy/sell groups, garage sales, and more.
Here's one of my favorite Craiglist finds--this vintage dresser. It's been a dresser in our townhouse and a TV/media stand at our last house, and it's one of the few big pieces of furniture we kept when we moved last!
Since I haven't been sewing recently, it's been a while since I played with new trends--though summer is my favorite time to do that. However since I also haven't really bought myself clothes since last year pre-pregnancy, and my body and how I use it are a little different now, I need some new things. And this trend I'm into right now is breastfeeding-friendly, perfect!
Sharing my faves and the ones I'm wearing these days!
This post contains affiliate links.
I've noticed a lot of button-down woven tops, many in my fave colors (white, blue, grey, and olive), cute with shorts, high-waisted jeans, even skirts.
This is very handy for when I leave the house with Otto and want to be able to breastfeed! Button-down but also cute! (At home I just wear these bra tanks but when I go out, I do wear real clothes, I swear.)
I got this cute knit-back tie-front shirt and it's super soft and comfy. It also comes in pale blue or charcoal almost-black, I had a hard time deciding.
Starting my baby registry was one of the more exciting parts of my early pregnancy. I felt really icky the first trimester so laying on the couch researching essential baby registry items was one of the only things I could do. I wanted to build ONE registry where I could track items I had researched and decided on--more for me than anyone else at that point since my shower was months away.
I had heard of Babylist as a universal registry where you could add products from anywhere. I checked it out and found out it's much more than that! I signed up right away and started reading their registry guides and sample registries. So helpful.
Now, months later and after lots more online shopping and research fun, I have a complete baby registry (and after two showers we are really set!!!), and am sharing my FAVE items with you in this post!
Babylist also has a Hello Baby Box free welcome gift when you sign up (check out my video of it below!) and is super easy for friends and family to use. I have had a great experience with Babylist and am so excited to share more with you!
Here are a few current faves from our registry! More below...
Our bedroom in our temporary apartment has been really bumming me out. I've been planning on treating myself to some new pieces when we find our next house, but in the meantime I think I need to buy at least a few pieces to keep our room from being so bland-apartment-depressing.
I do a LOT of online shopping and mood board-ing before I buy anything so I can get a feel for how things will look together. On my mind right now are nightstands and a headboard or a real bed frame. I found a TON of options on eBay for styles like I've been seeing in my inspirations and elsewhere online. Inspirations and mood boards coming up!!
First, the fun part--the inspirations. A little west coast/beachy, a little funky vintage, definitely muted/lots of neutrals. Almost all of these inspirations have upholstered headboards, patterned wool rugs, layered bedding, big photos above the bed, and brass sconces. It's reassuring when you keep liking the same things!
