A little shady.

Happy Wednesday!  

I have a tiny little upgrade to share with you today: my kitchen light fixture.  Here it is before (sorry for the quality of some of the pictures).

I really did not like this light fixture: it's too dated and just not attractive.  But I also did not want to replace the entire thing because I'm only renting the place.  So I looked under the shade and realized a simple swap of the shade would be a quick easy fix.  Yay.  Love that.  I headed to IKEA and found the Rogsta wicker shade for just about $10 (I can't find it on their website - bummer).  

I loved the texture of the shade as well as the color: it's a bleached natural color - not quite white but not quite natural. Very beachy, which you know I love.  I think it will look great in the kitchen once I get around to painting the chairs white and adding upholstery to the seats.  Even now, without those upgrades, it makes a huge difference in the kitchen. See?

What do you think?  Have you guys done any recent minor tweaks that make a major impact?  Please share! 

See you swoon,

There once was a skirt from Nantucket ...

Happy Monday! I am in a bit of disbelief that it is mid-August and we are staring down the barrel of Labor Day Weekend.  Sure, it's a few weeks away, but around here, I am already hearing the cicadas chirping, which means Summer's coming to and end and school is almost back in session.

Before Summer goes, I want to give a little shout-out to a new Summer staple that I'm swooning over: Nantucket Reds.  Ever hear of them? They are faded red (but not pink) shorts, pants, skirts and shorts supposedly made famous on the island of Nantucket.  I just like the color - I like it so much that I ordered a skirt from a little shop in Nantucket, which hopefully is en route as we speak.  I've noticed a few people wearing them this Summer, and just recently I saw a woman walking to the bus, and she was wearing a Nantucket Red skirt, light chambray top, brown leather belt and wedges.  I am stealing that outfit and will post here when I do!  In the meantime, here is a round up of some of my favorite looks with Nantucket Reds, which are super preppy.  

I love this first look.  It's unapologetically nautical and I cannot stand how cute those Sperry wedges are.  I love the color combo.  

gumboot glam

This pink shirt with the Nantucket Red shorts is adorable.  I love the red shoes too - the outfit is like a walking ombre.

j.crew review

This outfit, to me, is Annie Hall meets Nantucket Reds.  It's more "city" than I have ever seen the Reds worn.  I love how unexpected it is.  I don't think that I, personally, could pull it off, but I love the way it looks on her. 

prepped to perfection

 I like this outfit, though it may be a little ho hum for me.  The white shirt is a little too expected.  Still, it's cute.  So it made the cut.

indulgy

I like the casualness of this outfit.  It goes to show that you do not need a collared or pretty shirt to make Nantucket Reds work.  

beautiful ballad

OK, how adorable is this outfit?  This seems to be similar to the shirt I want to pair with my skirt, though I'd roll up my sleeves.  I love how she has added that pop of color in the belt.  Super duper cute.  

preppy in pittsburgh

 I like this for work.  It may be a bit matchy-matchy with all the white and red, but it is sweet nonetheless.

etcetera nyc on pinterest

Finally, back to the skirt!  I adore the way she styled this outfit - from the navy top to the white belt to those perfect preppy shoes.

mad dress game

And I would be remiss if I posted about Nantucket Reds and didn't show how the men wear them.  I hear they're a staple at Cape Cod weddings, which makes sense.  I love the way this color looks on men.  

live originally

shoreside bride 

unabashedly prep

And there you go!  My own round-up (much like my seersucker post from last Summer) on what made me swoon this Summer.  What do you think? Is this your style?  

See you swoon,

My [Town] Home: the current tour!

Last week, I gave you a little tour of my new townhome in its "before" state.  It was for sale in addition to being for rent (I am renting), so I was able to grab the listing pictures from the internet.  I have lived here for three months and it is really starting to shape up and feel like home.  Here are the pictures of how the place looks now.  [Note: I am working on adding the before and current pictures to my tab at the top of the blog].

Living Room/Dining Room

The main living area is a huge open space, which I love.  The layout of the room was a challenge though: it's long and narrow, and the television could really only go on the one wall.  I had to play around with furniture placement to have it make sense, and I think it works.  I need to add pictures and get a coffee table or ottoman(s) that work in the space and I'm going to add a shelf over the fireplace as well.  But for now, I am happy with how the room looks and feels. 

Entryway

The entryway is a small little nook near the front door.  I desperately need to paint that table and I'd like to add a matching larger rug and runner in the space.

Upstairs Deck

I've brought in some furniture and pots up here, as well as an outdoor carpet that I got for a steal at Target.  I am hoping to add a grill soon, too.  

Kitchen

I am doing my best with what I've got in the kitchen.  I added a few rugs and my own things.  I brought in a table and chairs from IKEA for the breakfast area (I am going to paint the chairs white and upholster the seats).  I also added some curtains to the windows.  I hated to block the light, but I needed privacy for sure, since the front kitchen window overlooks the parking lot.  These curtains are translucent, so they block the view but not the light. 

Half Bath

I am so happy with how this space turned out.  Recall that when I moved in, the room was painted purple.  I painted it Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray, which I think is the absolute perfect grey tone.  Because this room has no natural light, I had them cut the color by 50% and I am thrilled with how it looks on the wall.  I added yellow and white accents and some mercury glass.   I removed the old plumbing-supply looking towel bar and relocated the replacement towel ring to the small wall near the sink. I think it makes more sense here.  

Master Bedroom

I am really happy with my bedroom.  I bought a new set: nightstands, bed and dresser, all in a creamy white.  I love how soft and feminine the room is.  I have curtains for the windows - just need to put them up! 

Master Bathroom

I basically just moved my stuff into this space.  I am showing you all the angles so you can appreciate how bad this wallpaper truly is. 

Big's Room

Big picked out his bedding - he loves the red.  I was able to reuse the rug and lampshade from his room in my first home.  I made the upholstered headboard recently and have fabric (baseballs) ready to go for a valence over his window.  I have more art to hang in here.  

Little's Room

Little also chose her own bedding.  I love it, but it felt a little too old fashioned for me.  I decided to add some brighter pink and more modern fabrics to make the space a little less fussy.  I am really happy with how her room looks.  I need to do more in here (and the artwork will all move around), but we are off to a good start. I made the headboard the same day that I made Big's.

Den/Playroom

I have a lot more to do down here, and some of the toys are still in boxes, but I am getting there.  I used the little nook under the stairs for my craft supplies.  I love how perfectly they fit there!

Downstairs Patio

My parents helped me with this space.  They came over one day while I was at work and weeded and trimmed and pruned for me. So nice!  I added my adirondack chairs and that's about it.  The space is so great.  I hope to put it to more use soon.  

And there you have it!  The full tour of my home as it looks now.  I will keep posting updates as I do them - I have lots and lots of good stuff planned.

See you swoon,