The real housewives were out in full force, work out wear and tennis skirts..grabbing that missoni as fast as they could…baskets FULL with it…it was very funny.  Apparently this collection is much more popular than my beloved John Derian or Liberty of London.

The little girl stuff looked very cute!

 And the rain boots.

I did get this infinity scarf..i think i will love it…they also had cute socks, makeup brushes and bags and even some cute bobbie like hair pins..its sprinkled all over the store…its like it snowed Missoni in target land!

The big handbag was sold out but if you like it, look in luggage, they  had a similar carry on bag (ok i bought it, i did) and the cutest laptop case

..all back in luggage!;;;

I didnt see the bike but i love it…i really wanted the Liberty of London bike.

Have you seen? What do you think of it???

 I LOVE the hoops, especially the silhouette..i did this once in a nursery (just various fabrics)..so fun and cute and inexpensive but these are embellished so pretty! MUST. Do. next. time. (or find someone on etsy to do..or hello, great GRANDMA project) And did you see that mushroom seat?! I love that the room is colorful but no blinding, still soft and girly!

And you MUST see the dollhouse! notice the glimpse of the bed..shabby but the room isnt too shabby..its the perfect balance to me, there is restraint but fun too, its not overwhelming or too much like i tend to do!! 

Want to see more?? I know i always do, see more of the bedroom here…and check out the charming schoolroom below!

So who is this Mandylynne who takes these beautiful photographs and styles these darling rooms..well this her below, maybe you have seen her stuff at TARGET..that is right..i instantly recognized this print..Now what girl can i buy this for??? maybe mE!  Thanks Mandy for letting me share your images and talent!

Check out more about her photography, cards, etsy shop and blog here.

Interestingly enough most of the shower guests are bloggers and consist of designers, graphic designers, prop stylists, fashion designers, etc.. Talk about pressure but Grace pulled it together..effortlessly beautiful, wonderfully edited, not too over the top..just right! Notice all of the details!

See more of the party here!

Are any of you watching the new Bravo series, Million Dollar Decorator?? I have to admit i am pretty excited about this show because of some of the designers they snagged..I mean seriously, Mary McDonald!  Kathryn Ireland! (no sweet husband, not the model Kathy Ireland, the designer!;;)

So let’s dish!

First off, I just have to say I am not a fan of the men.  Except Nathan Turner, see more on him below.  Martyn Lawrence-Bullard.  I am not a fan.  Lot of people think he is amazing but his manner is justwell, really unattractive to me, I will just leave it at that.  Maybe some of it is editing and put on but just well yuck. And he designed the Girls Gone Wild scumbag’s $30 million mansion in Mexico.  And he must train his staff on how to care for it, and it may take a lot of “magharettas to get through this..HA HA HA”  

[That is "sexy Martyn" on the left, Ireland in the middle and Jeffrey Alan Marks on the end]

The other guy (Marks) is equally annoying (“some days my job seems more important than President of the United States) but i like his office exterior…and i find it interesting that they all seem to know one another and socialize and LIKE each other.  We will see how long that lasts, this is BRAVO after all.  Of course it seems the issues may be with the clients (Oh wow..that Factor woman is intense, will be interesting what happens with that situation and Kathryn Ireland) Speaking of which, Kathryn Ireland (pictured in the middle above) is just awesome.  I have admired her textiles and eclectic style for so long so i was shocked and pleased when i heard she would be on the show.

AND i LOVE JACQUELINE her housekeeper, I mean seriously is she for real or what…its just too fun to see inside Kathryn’s home with her crazy boys and this is housekeeper and her kitchen.

So i love love the color and textiles of Ireland ..like her fabric SAFI SUZANIE below, which i believe is the background on her twitter page, and her layered rooms.

 I love when Ireland says “no ones knows more about textiles than me” lol! love. it.

and maybe color too, Kathryn i adore you…and your birthday cake!

Nate did this for her party, see they are friends, this IS REALITY TV..ha, crazy I know, I know its work and scripted but so fun to watch. Speaking of Nate.

I love his shop.

He is so nice and cute and talented. Images below from his website, they are reallly fun and interesting.

Yep. I love his interiors.

I so hope Nate gets more airtime!

And Mary McDonald is so Mary McDonald, just what i expected…i love her. Her style is glossy and glam and not exactly what I love but its perfection AND she doesn’t take herself to seriously no matter how prissy. I love how she dresses and the chunky necklaces and tunics…She is just so darn clever and funny. I think BRAVO wants to edit her to seem reallly witchy but I think she will show her true self..i am sure you know people say Karen from Will&Grace is based on her?! 

But the office she did for the fashion designer last week…i did not like it in the end, i wanted to but just didn’t completely feel it…

 I think it was the black pin board (not shown it was totally blank too, maybe that was it), loved the floor and drapes and desk (which came from MECOXX?..Houston has a MECOXX!) but i would have done the pinboard in natural flax maybe or at least styled it out, probaly ran out time, but what do I know..SHE is Mary McDonald and i have a feeling that room wasn’t finished..its just reality TV but i love this show! I love when Mary says“people don’t know what they want, I know what they want;;” 

And I love that the show is called Million Dollar Decorators, not DESIGNERS…so un ASID, i love it;

So pretty much every week, Martyn name drops, and Mary ignores her clients budgets, and Kathryn mentions her “chest” and acts crazy (she must be more professional and on in person or she would not have built her empire) and cute Nate makes a short appearance in his adorable shop and its great fun!

Recently The Skirted Roundtable, which i adore, had a great discussion of the show here as well as an interview with the amazing Kathryn Ireland…go and listen..its fun and soo interesting! They make great comments! They make great comments like how twitter has been ablaze with well known design names saying the show make designers look bad and that they were rude to their clients, etc..and that it reinforces stereotypes that decorators are only for the super rich..etc.. 

So stay tuned, it should be interesting..have any of you watched?  Thoughts?

{By Jessica Thomas}

I think the leather chairs are Old Hickory Tannery..the make a little loveseat with a similar look and i LOVE.  The books and color..would love to know that blue.

I love so much about this..the wood clad walls are cozy…the yellow sofa (not white!) the fabrics and pillows (I love how the sofa is styled with the long skinny lumbar), the silhouette on parchment, even the dog..its a real room!

Need a little weekend bloggy house stalking…a friend just sent me this and I am dying..had to share!

{love the wallpaper and monograms! looks like it is a duogram with Ashley’s name first}

Have y’all heard about this house?? The owner/desinger is Ashley Putman of Houston. I had not seen it until my friend kept sending me emails about it…she loves the dining room and it is great but i wasn’t in love until she showed me more.  Now i am officiallyobsessed and get the mania. Apparently this home was featured in May 2010 of Lonny (I wouldnt know because I rarely read Lonny, there i said it) Maybe i should because this is good. AND  I am sad i missed this on the home tour in Houston this fall (I am thinkibg this house is in West U?)  I love all of the books and clutter and how it is chic but lived in too!  Thanks to the Semi-Designed Life blog for attending the home tour and taking photos!

The nursery. love.

And big boy room.  love.

Enjoy!

Oh and if you figure out why the kitchen window doesnt have a bamboo blind like every other window, let me know…there is probably some ultra-chic reason or maybe its just on order and hasnt arrived!?

I love the Victoria Hagan fabric, the monogrammed pillow, the canopy, the grey ties…EVERYTHING… the shoes, the lampshade, even the dog is so cute. The monogram actually reminds me of the monogram she had on an apron in another shoot.  Yes I am her stalker!

This article is in the January 2011 issue of Southern Living so watch your mailbox!

Check out the online article here… be sure and notice the large nailhead on her desk..the desk is great! And thanks to my good friend No 35 Style for sharing this link with me!;;

The canvas prints were okay but the pillows I’m not sure about….maybe cute for a teen’s room or dorm? Hey maybe a good graduation gift?! I think you can actually buy a print on etsy for less than the canvas at Target ..but hey I’m not knocking..I am sure many are excited…just please remember, as much as I love Target, you can buy this at Etsy from a printmaker or similar and get something less mass produced..if you care, if you don’t that is fine too..

Notice on the trays, the wording is different and there are forks in the crown!

What do you think?  Will you be snatching up these items at Target, snubbing the whole trend, getting rid of your existing Keep Calm print or ordering from Etsy????

Soooooo, how many of you noticed the floral bunny decals on the door of the local Target this weekend??  I think the Liberty of London craze might have debuted early in some stores (I might have gotten at least one excited text about the items on Friday..see picture below!) but they were officially due out on Sunday.  And I was there.

{image snapped by my friend Linsey who sent a text saying she found some of the items out early in Houston on Friday!}

When my mom and I arrived at the local Target on Sunday shortly after noon, the Liberty handbags were ALL gone…but no fear, there were plenty other things left:  scarves, dresses, candles, plates, stationery (and that is just the stuff I bought..ha..just kidding..) seriously something in every department (except little boys..darn!) I even heard there is a Liberty bicycle available at some Target stores.

Two things I adore.

This will make a great Easter dress with sweater and pearls.  And the “shirtdress” below is in the swimsuit section..I thought it was a coverup but the tag says shirt dress, I wore it with tights today like a tunic.  I love the print.  In fact I like the prints with black and not the pastel-y ones so much. {BTW, the Union Jacks in the background are always on display on my porch..I did not stage this…except for bringing my clothes outside and putting on a mannequin!}

I didn’t purchase any of the home decor items from Liberty (thought I may go back for some plates!) but they did have some cute storage bins and quilts and shams..great for a teen or dorm. And the little girl clothing was CUTE!

What do you think of the Liberty for Target products?  Any opinions out there? Have any of my readers ever been to Liberty in London?? How about Fortum & Mason, I have always wanted to visit there as well…I hear it is the quintessential London dept store…definitely on my list for next visit, whenever that may me!  Until, Target baby!

Usually I read Melanie, Erin, Seleta, or Lisa for fashion tips and inspiration… I am sure there are MANY more fashion/clothing blogs out there, these aren’t primarily fashion blogs, but they    are on my radar for whatever reason and always inspire in big or small ways..

OK so I started thinking about this because we had a little event at my son’s school last night.  I knew I wanted to wear a plain black BR dress already inmy closet…very plain, sleeveless but not too short, no cleavage to wrestle with all night, something comfortable but classic.  I also knew basic black meant I had accessory options.  Have y’all seen ALL of the pearl and ribbon options out there now..i love those mounds of pearls!  But for today I will focus on the FLOWER! (this is dedicated to you Missy, great job on the flowers for the fundraiser last night!)

Option #1  The Kentucky Derby necklace from Anthropologie (only $10..I think was on sale..otherwise why would anything in Anthropologie be under $10 unless its a coffee mug or drawer know right?!) oh and I gave it the name because I sort of feel like a winning horse at the derby when I put it on my neck, in other words, an idiot..but it IS cute and it has cute rhinestoney, vintagey buttons in the center of the flowers, and it is grey my new fave color and its from Anthropologie, you get the drift..but my husband stifled a laugh when he saw it so probably not a good choice.  Maybe with a plain black tee and jeans or maybe I will cut it up and make cute shoe clips like these I saw on etsy. 

Option #2

Pearl and flower necklace from Target.

I really like this necklace in theory but with the black dress it was just too predictable and granny..I think it would look much more fun with a denim jacket and tee.  But that’s just me. Thoughts???  it is cute!

Option #3

plain Anthro “looking” flower from a cheap-o mall store.

How did I decide?? Well obviously I took my options out on my back porch or the “dining room” as I like to call it and I just tried everything on my mannequin friend?  A little crazy I know but it works.  And yes I know I need to get Mrs. Mannequin indoors. It is a goal to get her in my room as an accessory catcher or up in my office as a ribbon catcher.

Back to the outfit.  This is what I decided. The good ol standby chunky pearls, flower and shawl.  Safe and comfy. 

{please note: my mannequin has a smaller waist than I do..no fair, she looks better in things…oh well}

What fashion blogs do you read if any??  What trends are you excited about right now??  tired of…. ruffles, flowers, pearl/ribbon details??  Share in the comments!