Snapshots of Simple Pleasures

Above: This is how I spent this past Friday afternoon. I live within walking distance of the coziest little coffee shop, Cafe Milo. I trot down on a regular basis to sink into an antique chair and enjoy a big cup of light roast coffee near the warmth of a fire. It's a lovely place.

When I was little, one of my grandmas gave me this funky piece of costume jewelry. Ornate gold and pink gems frame a really glittery center rectangle. I've probably had this ring for twelve years... and I love as much today as the day I received it. As a girl, I thought it was totally something a princess would wear. Today, I love it for its unique, vintage, costumey feel. It's probably not worth much at all, but to me it's priceless. :)

I'm trying to take more pictures of the little details in life: my simplest pleasures. Hopefully I'll get around to sharing them here on the blog more often.

Do you have a favorite coffee shop or treasured piece of jewelry?

DIY Cat Barrier for Under $100 (See-Through, Climb-Proof, and Too-Tall-To-Jump)

ICYMI: I gave up Cotton after deciding that after trying so many things, my two adopted cats Dahlia and Cotton were just never going to get along. Long story short: I missed her. And Cotton's back. And Dahlia's not going anywhere. My heart is big enough to keep trying. And my apartment is big enough that if I need to keep them separated long term (or permanently), it can be done. I'm going to write-up a separate post about some of the solutions I've tried, how they worked, who they worked on, and what I'll be trying next. But in this post, I wanted to share the main 'piece de resistance' of having both cats in my apartment: an un-climbable, un-jumpable, see-through barrier to separate Cotton and Dahlia .

More, please! »

Penny's Apartment | Big Bang Theory

Aniela, a lovely reader from Germany, sent me an email requesting advice on recreating the style of Penny's apartment on Big Bang Theory.

More, please! »

Blair's Room | Gossip Girl Decor

Manhattan's debutante Blair Waldorf happens to be my favorite Gossip Girl character. Her behavior and feelings vary from snobbish to sensitive, but she always (except for a few rare occasions) looks and acts totally pulled together. Her luxurious bedroom is fit for a queen---and is as pulled together as her preppy fashion ensembles.