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Sweet Shades. Another Bourbon & Boots Delight.

22 May

One of my favorite online destinations EVER is Bourbon & Boots.  I could (and sometimes do) spend hours browsing their website, wishing I could buy everything, wanting to eat everything and wondering how a group of people could be so impossibly cool.  And I suppose the answer for that could very likely be that it’s because they are Southerners (and ‘one Yankee’, REPRESENT!)  I first discovered the magic that is Bourbon & Boots when I found this insanely cool Johnny Cash necklace.

Johnny Cash

Bourbon & Boots is an awesome digital retail curation of Southern-inspired and created goods.  Want to up your fashion game with a bow tie or some badass piece of handmade jewelry?  They got it.  Looking to make your house a home with some fly wall art?  No problem.  Need some Louisiana crawfish delivered to your door for a party?  Seriously…they make it happen.  They even have editorial content that teaches you everything from the how to pick a Kentucky Derby winner to bands to see at SXSW to adventures in hand-cranked ice cream and infused vodka (not together but I’d be willing to give that a try).

B&B Shades

So when I saw a pair of ombré wood framed Lolita sunglasses from these curators of cool, I freaked out.  FREAKED.  OUT.  And with their Southern charm and inherent thoughtfulness, the Bourbon & Boots team sent me a pair to take on my travels to Mexico where I couldn’t wait to get some generally few and far between snaps of lil’ old me wearing these bad boys.  Now, if you know me (and my almost vampire-inspired skin), you will know that for all my efforts, the sun and I do not always see eye to eye.  And thus, I sunburned my face and chest within 24 hours of arriving and became a slightly less desirable tableau for my new favorite sunglasses.  I mean, I wore them all over and attracted attention because, who cares, I’m on vacation.  But when wanting to show you all how freaking awesome these shades were, my red face wasn’t gonna cut the mustard.  So here are some glamour shots I took of these fun, comfortable and super cool sunglasses.

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If you’re of the slightly more understated variety, Bourbon & Boots also has a Wayfarer version.  Honestly, I can’t say enough about how much I love this product.  They look cool…I mean, ombré wood?  Come on.  They are so comfortable.  And they have fantastic lenses which may sound slightly geeky but when you get a pair of good ones, it makes a world of difference.  Not to mention every pair is handmade by one of the two folks that makes up Tumbleweed Handicrafts in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Check out the sunglasses here and make sure to visit the Bourbon & Boots site.  (In related news, the above cactus taught me just how stupid it is to go near a cactus.)

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(Images c/o Bourbon & Boots and moi.  Special thanks to Bourbon & Boots for hooking me up with such a lovely gift…but just a note, all opinions are my own.)

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Etsy Monday: Annechovie. And GIVEAWAY.

20 May

Welcome to Monday, ladies and gentlemen!  This past week has had us East Coasters very spoilt with proof that Spring has arrived without the threat of disappearing again.  Having been victim of some pretty rotten winter seasons throughout the years, I have to admit…this wasn’t the worst.  But the tease of a beautiful day tricking us into thinking nice weather had arrived early only to be met with, literally, feet of snow the next day, was seriously irritating.  That being said, I am going through a pretty heavy phase of bright colors and fresh flowers.  Because I can.

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Chanel Chance Print

Flamingo Abstract on Canvas

Flamingo Abstract on Canvas

Which is why I am so excited to be sharing the stunning work of Anne Harwell, aka Annechovie.  While her prints and paintings strike a very excitable chord in my fashion nerve, it’s the colors that really draw me in.  And for good reason too…Anne herself says, ‘Color seems to define my style more strongly than any other element and I love to work in clear, saturated colors’.  And I love that she loves it.  Her combinations are striking and demand a head turn and a smile.  Anne’s aesthetic brings together a mix of materials and skill with a sense of humor and passion that brings her work to life.  And her work injects a little bit of life into the viewer as a result.  It’s amazing what a punch of color and a beautiful object can do to a girl.

English Roses on Canvas

English Roses on Canvas

Chanel No 5 Print

Chanel No 5 Print

Ginger Jar on Canvas

Ginger Jar on Canvas

Strike My Fancy Matchboxes

Strike My Fancy Matchboxes

Working mostly with gouache/ink and acrylics, this self-taught artist found her talent as much as it found her.  ’After school, I went to work for my parents who owned a home furnishings boutique at the time. I became interested in picking up a paintbrush and trying my hand at some watercolors and then I found I really enjoyed it. I took on a few commissions from customers and sold some pieces in the shop and then decided I wanted to pursue art more’.  For those of us trying to make careers for ourselves without the same level of formal training as others we may be competing against or working with, Anne is a real inspiration.  ’As far as any formal art education, I have none (other than a 1 week art camp in 7th grade). I am pretty much self-taught. I’ve been through the school of hard work, close observation, long hours, trial and error and the passionate desire to create.’

Chanel No 5 Print

Chanel No 5 Print

Queen Swirl Collage

Queen Swirl Collage

Now if we really want to talk about inspiration, I think Anne’s work screams about where hers lies.  ’I am totally energized and inspired by color and living in a place where the light is spectacular and there is a great deal of natural beauty, Florida.’  As a fellow seeker of daily inspiration and beauty, Anne works to take in the world around her.  (If you need a bit of help in this, like I sometimes do, check out my post on this amazing book that works to help you ‘be an explorer of the world’, no matter where your own personal world may be.)  ’I am inspired by everything around me, nature, books, travel, different cultures, interior magazines, design blogs, fashion and especially COLOR!’  Love it.

Chanel Chance Print

Chanel Chance Print

Hermes Bag Print

Hermes Bag Print

And now…YAY, A GIVEAWAY!  Anne is going to give one lucky Thrill of the Chaise reader a paper print of their choice from her Etsy shop!  Open internationally, all you have to do is click here to enter before the end of the day on Monday, June 3rd…and don’t forget to visit Annechovie and leave a comment on this post letting us know your favorite item from the shop!  Look at all those exclamation points…I MUST be excited.  Good luck and spread the word!

(All images c/o Annechovie)

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Being Inside On The Outside.

16 May

Coming home to Connecticut after three weeks, I was amazed at how quickly the landscape had changed.  Canopies of green had appeared, trees had burst into beautiful flowers, the grass was suddenly alive and emerald again.  It was a real reminder of how much I love the summertime and all that it brings.  One of the things I love most is the idea of being able to really live outside as much as possible while the weather is balmy, the sun is out longer and the stars seem to shine a little bit brighter.

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I am completely obsessed with the idea of indoor/outdoor living.  Move the living room out to the patio.  Create a bed out on the lawn.  Set-up the dining table on the patio.  Make the most of the warm skies and a bigger world.  Get inspired and have some fun!  And if you’re down for building a tree house…I’d love to host a party there.

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(All images c/o Pinterest)

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Happy Birthday To Ya.

4 May

Thrill of the Chaise turns two today!  When I started writing, I really didn’t know where it would take me or even how long I would really be able to keep it all up.  Over the last two years, Thrill of the Chaise has become a life-changing extension of myself.  The people I have met along the way, the opportunities it has brought me, the drive it has instilled in me (and you need it!) continues to deliver happiness and passion to me on a daily basis…so in my very first post (here) I guess I knew what I was doing even more than I thought.  If creating a place for inspiration and exploration was the goal, that’s exactly what I got.

Birthday

Thank you all for taking the time to read my words, for reaching out when you find something truly special and for making Thrill of the Chaise as special as it is to me.

(Image c/o Pinterest)

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Smoky Eyes & A GIVEAWAY.

17 Apr

First things first, I actually had to consult the dictionary on how to appropriately spell ‘smoky’.  Just wanted to get that out of the way.  Being accurate can be a seriously humbling experience.

With wedding season starting to rear its beautiful head and the weather making us all feel a bit more social (honestly, it can be hard to get moving in such bitter cold), hair and make-up for such occasions is taking center stage.  The smoky eye is always the most popular look but also the one that strikes the most fear into the hearts of all of us ladies and fancy gentlemen.  So when make-up company BA Star sent me one of their shadow palettes, I knew it was game on.  For all of us.  So check out the video below on how to create the ever so beautiful smoky eye.

Need a little more help?  I am giving away this beautiful Natural Shadow Palette from BA Star!  This palette contains three mineral shadows in bronze, cocoa and nude, as well as two gel glitters in gold and crystal.

FSSBR-3

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post with your name and email address by the end of the day this Friday, April 19th!  For an extra entry, ‘like’ Thrill of the Chaise on Facebook and/or follow me on Twitter and let me know (with your Twitter handle) in your comment.

Check out all the palettes here and get super excited because BA Star is also giving Thrill of the Chaise readers a whopping 50% discount on their orders with the code: BBSMOKY.  Awesome.  Go nuts.

(Giveaway made possible by BrandBacker)

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Etsy Monday: Up In The Air Somewhere.

15 Apr

Sometimes the biggest statements are made not when you shout, but when you whisper.  Well, that’s how I felt when I first came across Etsy shop Up In The Air Somewhere.  These handmade ceramics use shape, texture and color all together to create fascinating objects that are as much art as they are house wear.  I hold tight to the theory that it only takes one thoughtful touch to transform a room.  Whenever I make the small effort to put some flowers in a bud vase next to my bed (especially when peony season has started…which it is about to, woop!), my whole space changes, my mood changes, everything becomes a little brighter.  That is what the work from Up In The Air Somewhere does.  It takes small statements and makes them transformative.  Waxing a bit lyrical about ceramics?  Try and prove me wrong.

The lovely Susan Dwyer is a one woman studio in Chicago. All her work is created without molds so each is a little different, with a personality all its own. Working in both paper maché and ceramic, her work is delicate, minimal but also sweet and enchanting. ‘I like to give both mediums an airy feel and appealing texture.’  When it comes to her designs and colors, Susan says, ‘I like classic shapes and patterns like dots and stripes because they have graphic interest but are also pretty minimal. I am mostly inspired by the materials I use…like how does the clay move when it dries? What pattern and texture does the layered paper create?’  I mean, does it get more beautiful than that?!

Visit Up In The Air Somewhere on Etsy to see the full collection here.

(All images c/o Up In The Air Somewhere)

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Motels Scare Me.

14 Apr

If you ask my parents what kind of kid I was, they would hopefully give you the standard answer about how lovely and enjoyable I was, obviously too cute for words.  But they would probably add in some kind of comment on my also having some ‘quirks’.  One of which was my intense fear of motels.  I’d like to say that this was because I was so fancy that I couldn’t possibly comprehend the idea of a discount hotel.  But the truth is, we have no idea where this came from.  But I had my reasons and they were deep-rooted.  I would make my parents always check any hotel room for bad people or monsters…and also check under the bed because I was convinced that I would someday be the one to find a body hidden under there.  Yeah…weird.  (We once checked into a very nice hotel in Florida and the last guest had obviously put their fist through the bathroom door.  It set my development in this issue back by years.)

Motel Sign

Now that I have over-shared about my odd childhood behavior, there is actually a reason for this story beyond some kind of personal therapy.  Tablet Hotels Magazine recently posted a fantastic article on eleven revamped motels across America and my reaction to reading the title was less than optimistic.  But by the time I finished reading, it actually had me really excited about this trend of taking old motels and making them into fantastic places to stay.  In fact, let’s start a revolution.

The Pearl, San Diego

The Pearl, San Diego

The Roxbury, Upstate New York

The Roxbury, Upstate New York

Belmont Hotel, Dallas

Belmont Hotel, Dallas

Hotel San Jose, Austin

Hotel San Jose, Austin

Jupiter Hotel, Portland

Jupiter Hotel, Portland

Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm Springs

Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm Springs

Hope Springs Resort, California

Hope Springs Resort, California

The Farmer's Daughter, Los Angeles

The Farmer’s Daughter, Los Angeles

The Modern Hotel, Boise

The Modern Hotel, Boise

Hotel Valley Ho, Arizona

Hotel Valley Ho, Arizona

The Standard Hollywood, Los Angeles

The Standard Hollywood, Los Angeles

You can read the entire article here.  And make sure to subscribe to Tablet for great hotel deals across the world!  (And no, they aren’t paying me to say that.  Sigh.)  So, where we going first?!

(All images c/o Tablet.  Except for Pink Cloud…that bad boy is c/o Pinterest)

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Etsy Monday: Which Goose.

8 Apr

There is no denying it.  The wedding season has arrived.  I have literally just arrived home after a bachelorette party weekend and hopefully delivered on my Maid of Honor responsibilities, which I think mostly consist of making sure the bride is drinking and happy, followed by making sure the bride’s hangover is not so bad that she boots me from the wedding.  In two weeks, I’ll be on a plane to London, parents in tow, for the wedding of one of dearest friends to the love of his life (check out how I helped set-up the proposal extravaganza here).  And by the end of June, I will be donning my insanely gorgeous BHLDN dress for the nuptials of the aforementioned mildly hungover, but happy bride.

I’m getting off track and I’m not making this sound half as romantic as I should.  Right.  Weddings mean pretty things.  And Which Goose makes some of the prettiest.  Flower crowns, pretty accessories, delicate delights.  The lovely Emily even makes custom work, which I am sure is to dieeeeee for.  And it makes my heart swell even more that she has announced she is closing up shop for a couple of months because SHE is getting married.  Which I really hope she shares pictures of…because I bet it is going to be ridiculously adorable.

So if you have a wedding to go to, a wedding to be in or a wedding all your own…check out Which Goose.  Because I am telling you now, your wedding should look exactly like Emily’s creations.

(All images c/o Which Goose)

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The Vintage Skeleton.

5 Apr

Thanks to the beauty of the internet and social media, we all have the pleasure of coming across really cool people doing really cool things.  I came across The Vintage Skeleton on Twitter of all places and knew this fella and his work was something I had to share.

Michael Gramling by name, The Vintage Skeleton, by moniker. This badass 24 year old, currently living in Charlotte, NC, is a corporate designer by day and artist by night. In 2010, he started making t-shirts in college, and now he owns and is the only designer of The Vintage Skeleton Shop.  Dude takes high fashion label logos and turns them into designs that seem to come to life in a bit of a ‘Mickey broke the broom into a million creepy, really aggressive brooms in Fantasia’ sort of way.  It’s awesome.

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Though he has just sold out of his ‘Arms N’ Gloves’ design, Michael has just launched his ‘Leg N’ Boot’ design and it’s fantastic.  And bless him for using the original logo instead of the new ‘y’-less version which has me up in arms.

Arms N' Gloves

Arms N’ Gloves

So come on fashion crew!  These ‘play on logos’ designs are one of the biggest trends happening at the moment…get on board!  How would you style one of these bad boys?  I’d love to know!  (P.S. Michael uses American Apparel t-shirts which means they are going to be super comfy-cozy too.)

Leg N' Boot

Leg N’ Boot

Follow the Vintage Skeleton on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram… and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

(All images c/o Vintage Skeleton)

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Wantful: Possibly The Best Gift Ever.

4 Apr

I love giving gifts.  There is something I adore about the hunt for something personal and unusual for a person you care about.  From the smallest token gesture to a present to celebrate something huge, it really is about the thought you put in, not the money you spend.  It’s about the gesture as much as it is about what you’re giving.  But every now and then, even the best giver of gifts hits a creative block.  This holiday season, it hit me hard.  I’ve had almost everyone I love made into Bobby Dazzler dolls and it felt a bit like ‘where the hell do I go from here?!’  And then, like a little holiday fairy with a great head of hair, Bri over at DesignLoveFest swooped in and saved the day, introducing me to Wantful!

There is nothing worse than giving someone a gift they aren’t crazy about.  And gift hunting should not be half-assed.  Gift cards are practical but impersonal.  Money is a cop-out.  (I will still accept money, don’t take that the wrong way, people who want to give me money.)  And when it came to my brother and his lovely girlfriend, who would be spending her first Christmas among our holiday craziness which involves a lot of tequila and a lot of inappropriate Secret Santa behavior following said tequila, I wanted to do something special.  Wantful is an incredible website that gives you the ability to tailor-make a beautiful, personalized book of gifts for the recipient to choose from.  Let me take you through the steps and then give it a whirl yourself…it’s ridiculously fun.

wantful

1. Sign-up for Wantful and begin to ‘create a gift’ for whoever you would like.  You’ll create a profile of sorts that is based around the interests and personality of the person you are giving to, including what your relationship is to the person, what the gift is for, what their style is, where they would spend their free time, the kind of home they would love to live in, how organized they are, and so on.  This is all done very visually and is a joy to complete.  Remember, you can save all the various gifts you are creating so you can come back, revisit and edit until you’re ready to order.

Wantful women's assortment

2. After completing the profile, you’ll be given a huge selection of recommended gifts according to the profile you created.  All of these gifts are part of a beautifully curated collection items from artists and designers around the world.  They are unusual, practical, personal…everything you could want is here.  So what do you do now?  You go through them all, learn more about each item, and then choose 12 items that the recipient of your gift will be able to choose from.  Have fun with it!  It’s brilliant!

Wantful men's assortment

3. Once you’ve chosen the curated collection of 12, it’s time to personalize the book or ‘catalog’ that you’ll be giving as the first part of this gift.  You’ll choose cover artwork. add a note inside and get to see a preview of what the hard copy will look like.  (It’s beautiful, by the way…I couldn’t believe what a stunning presentation arrived in the mail!)  You have the option to send the book as an email but I think the physical book is such a treat.  Send it directly to the person or have it sent so you can hand over the book yourself.  You can even set a date in the future to have it sent!  The folks at Wantful have thought of EVERYTHING.

Wantful Gift Book

4. When you give your gift, the recipient will be able to browse the collection you personally curated for them and then can choose one of the items to have sent directly to them (shipping costs are already included in your price).  All they need to do is sign onto Wantful, enter the personalized code found in their book and pick them item they want sent to them.  If they can’t make up their mind?  Gifts are available for individual purchase.  Amazing.

Inside Gift Book

5. When they choose their gift, you’ll get an email letting you know what they picked and they can even send a little note along with it!  How cute!

Both my brother and his girlfriend were so excited about getting to see what kinds of things I had picked for them and then getting to choose their gifts.  It’s such a beautifully personal gift that allows the ability to choose exactly the gift they want.  I honestly cannot say enough amazing things about Wantful.  It is as much fun to create as it is to receive.

Go! Have fun! Be Wantful!

(All images c/o Wantful)

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