The Lovely Side

To know me is to know that I fawn over deer.  Bucks, does, fawns.  The majestic antlers, the graceful silhouettes, the little white spots.  Beings that I live in Iowa, I see a lot of these creatures.  And unfortunately, run into the danger of hitting them when driving.  (I hit one in the middle of town!)  Also being an Iowan, I admit to eating them.  Sorry if I offend anyone, but the difference between deer chilli and regular chilli is immense and delicious.  But anyways... mostly I just like to decorate with deer.  Deer figurines, deer art, etc. 

Having not been home since my cousin's wedding clear back on September 1st, I had been looking forward to Thanksgiving for weeks. Though my hometown's only a 1.5 hour drive from where I currently live, I don't always make it home as often as I like.  Adalae greeted me upon arrival and didn't leave my side for a good hour.  Isn't that a sweet face?!

I love antique stores, thrift shops, and other vintage-selling establishments of the sort.  These places are filled with unique furniture, storage solutions, decor accessories, and interesting finds.  I frequent my favorite ones often and am always looking for new places to scavenge.  ...But I have to hunt for antique and vintage stuff while sticking to a 20-something budget and lifestyle.  So whether you're just about to graduate high school, in college, a recent grad, or a young professional... I've rounded up my Top 10 (plus 1 bonus) tips for finding goodies for a small space on a small budget.  Enjoy!

(Above Photo By Alexis O'Connor via StockPholio.com)
1. Go with a pal who adores the old, the aged, the chippy, the nostalgia of eras past just as much as you do.  While going alone may be therapeutically relaxing, it's ultimately far more satisfying to have someone to laugh with over the curiosities and oddities around every corner.  Sisters, girlfriends, moms, and …

So I've been needing to create some artwork for my living room.  (It's walls are sadly lacking loveliness.)  Today I hit up one of my favorite local shops: One Man's Junk.  And I spotted this big, vintage, painting-on-velvet.  The woodsy landscape, rustic frame, and turquoise-hued waterfall had me at Hello.  (I knew the turquoise would match my living room chairs perfectly!)  Right there in the store, I devised a plan.  Why not stencil favorite lyrics or poetry over the gorgeous painting?  Why not?! So I snatched it up and then made a stop at HobLobs for acrylic white paint, stenciling sponges, and 3'' letter stencils.

So really, this What I Wore post is an ode to a new belt.  A lovely little green belt I scored for $1.39 at Goodwill.  Last night I went out with some friends here in a little while, so I wanted to dress up a bit.  Since was a balmy 66 degrees out there (that's amazing for middle-of-November in Iowa, btw!) I lived it up in sheer tights and a dress layered under a cardigan and cozy scarf. I added boots with a slightly combat feel to keep the dress and tights from getting too girly.

I don't know who did it, but someone told Target my dirty little secret.  That I'm impossibly, severely, obsessively smitten with deer... and have been for about five years. Especially white porcelain deer.  I swoon, squeal, and altogether fawn over them.  (Fawn! Heh--get it?!)  But really.  This is serious.  I walked into Target for a casual little stroll about the store tonight.  And never have I had to forcefully remove myself from the decorating aisle.  I practiced some serious self control there, folks.  These darling deer were all meant for me!  The big deer head.  The little deer figurines.  The deer candle holder.  The deer plate.  *sigh* I'm so very swept off of my feet by Target right now.

Not that I need another excuse to wear flannel, but Flannel Fridays just might be my favorite new tradition.  Besides finding pleasure in slipping into one of my many flannel tops, I really enjoy seeing everyone else out and about in their soft, plaid, checkered, cozy shirts.  Don't turn your nose up to the lumberjack style.  Check out these eight ways to style a flannel shirt.  You can thank me later... after you're done chowing down on a stack of pancakes and chopping down trees.

Moving out of the dorms and getting your own place is one of the most exciting ventures of young adulthood.Finally you get perks like hanging real pictures on the walls and not having to share a bathroom with the whole floor.…But setting up home in your own apartment or house comes with its own set of challenges, too. Like furnishing the place.How could you have taken that drab, university-provided furniture for granted?!While hand-me-down and thrifted furniture will at least give you a spot to take a seat, one of the most important purchases you’ll make is the spot where you sleep.Your mattress isn’t something you’ll want to skimp on.Find one on the curb or secondhand shop? Hello, bed bugs!Your great aunt so generously offers you the lumpy spare from her attic?Be prepared for nights of tossing and turning… not to mention dust-induced sneezing.

You know I can't resist a good literary-inspired, well... anything. Here are some wordy things that are making me swoon as of late.   
Jane Eyre Book Scarf Etsy; Storiarts, $42
Edgar Allen Poe Candle Amara; Paddywax, $35 
 Leatherbound Classics Jane Eyre Barnes & Noble, $25
Gold Ampersand Studs Catbird, $96
Big Books Tote Bag Etsy; meandmy3boys, $15
Pride & Prejudice Book Clutch Kate Spade, $325
Which is your favorite?  I think I want the scarf most!

Not allowed to put even a pushpin hole in your wall?  Dismayed by the look of your posters and prints floating without frames?  I saw this over on Design*Sponge and had to share the wall frame solution with you all!  Use different colored tape and Japanese patterned tape to "frame" the posters and prints you hang with sticky tack.  Seriously, how fabulous does that gallery arrangement look up above?  With a few rolls of tape and a little creativity, you'll have a stylish wall gallery in no time.

It's kind of a dream of mine to live in a warehouse/old building converted into a loft-like home surrounded by exposed brick, industrial materials, salvaged surfaces, and lots of rescued character.  So when I saw this post on Apartment Therapy about the Cisco Brothers at High Point Market Fall 2012... I about keeled over because of pure, unadulterated lust for this space.  I want those circus-y letters!  And every light fixutre.  And those windows!

Not only am I bad at remembering to take a picture of "What I Wore" for this new series, I guess I'm also pretty bad at posting it on the correct day when I do take a photo!  This is what I wore this past Tuesday for caramel apple making night. :) (Try to ignore the terrible photo quality. I had little no lighting in my attic that day...) It was another experiment in layers.  I started with a summery white lace dress that I just can't bear to put away for the cold months quite yet.  I layered a shades-of-turquoise flannel tunic over the dress to warm it up.  I really liked how the lace peeked out from underneath!  I belted the waist of the tunic with a simple brown belt.  I kept my legs warm with brown tights, turquoise knee socks, and my spray painted brown riding boots.  (Oh, those "knee socks" are also the sleeves cut off of an old, worn out sweater.  Thank you, Pinterest.)  For jewelry, I wore a few strands of beads and a skeleton key necklace, plus a …