Here & Now: Winter Light

Winter decorating is all about brightening up a dark house, and adding some glamour to a season otherwise bundled up in fleece and flannel.

I arranged my collection of apothecary jars on top of the china cabinet, where the glass and a garland of glittered fronds catch the light through our bay windows. Each vessel contains a speckled mercury glass vase (remnants from our wedding decor). In the evenings I turn on flickering LED candles and the effect is magical: golden glow and silver reflections on every surface.

Our new chandelier is dressed for the season as well, sporting candles with a gilded finish. There's certainly no rule that says you can't accessorize an accessory!

How do you add extra light and sparkle to your space?

Resolution: Wake Up Earlier

Not a resolution I'm thrilled to be sticking to after a long and lazy vacation. Oh, caffeine and pretty things, please get me through the day...

Starbucks Cinnamon-Infused Ground Coffee & Bodum Chambord French Press

Molly Hatch Menagerie Glass from Anthropologie, Retro Coffee Print from Etsy

"Coffee" Lettering via Pinterest & Vintage Continental Raymond Loewy Script Coffee Pot from Etsy

Chanteclair Chihuahua Print

Christmas Wrap-Up

If you couldn't tell from our holiday card, I was slightly lacking in Christmas spirit this year. I went through the motions, to be sure: decorating the tree, drinking hot cocoa, horrifying the cats with loud accompaniment to Bing Crosby carols... but I couldn't help but miss the company of my family and friends. I had a blue Christmas- and maybe that influenced my gift-wrapping?

I've been using the black and white herringbone wrapping paper for everything lately- including the envelope liners for our wedding invitations! It's graphic, tweedy, and absolutely practical. It looked appropriately fun on the boys' stocking stuffers, paired with humorous gifts. For the girls, I went for maximum sparkle.

The glittered take-out boxes are filled with tinsel, foil-wrapped treats, and some accessories for the holiday party season. I added pieces of gold tape to cardstock to make palettes of colorful rhinestone earrings for my sisters-in-law. 

I love wrapping gifts *almost* as I love giving them, and I always try to add some creative sparkle. Of course, I love getting gifts too... I'll show off what I got next week!

Here & Now: Newlywed Christmas

Newlywed Thanksgiving was so much fun we thought we'd give Christmas the same treatment. That, and the husband is out of vacation time. Regardless, we're here, and we're making the most of it- with twinkle lights, glitter, and a Christmas tree that's taller than Adam (proof of this will be posted on the StB facebook page later today).

Some very dear friends gave us Crate and Barrel's Angelique Stockings and Tree Skirt as a wedding gift, and they inspired this year's decorating scheme: neutrals and metallics. Does that combination seem a little familiar to you? Let's just say the tree looks right at home in the WarLock house. 

Our tree is wearing something old, something new, and quite a few things borrowed from the wedding! I used my collection of basic ornaments to give our tree a subtle gleam: crackled mercury glass orbs, chartreuse bulbs, and little spots of gold. The pearl-encrusted baubles were a bargain at Target, and they're a good match to the trim on our new stockings. We also replaced last year's roosting owls with a sparkling star tree-topper that sits at a jaunty angle (so endearing- and I love the size). I  added a bow with long curling tails that I saved from a wedding gift. Actually, all of our ornaments are tied on with snippets of ribbon left-over from wedding projects and wrappings! Old, new, borrowed, but nothing blue- I prefer to buy led string lights with a warm, old-fashioned glow.

Simple and sentimental- just right for our first married Christmas.

Giveaway Ending Soon...

A pencil skirt helps infuse even the coziest of outfits with secretarial sex appeal. That vintage pencil necklace I blogged about would certainly be the Joan Holloway finishing touch, no?

 The Francine Pencil Skirt from Shabby Apple, featured with the Pumapard Blouse & Dusted Tights from Anthropologie, Dainty Square Ring from Banana Republic, Faceted Button Post Earrings from Express, Pewter Metallics Skinny Belt from Eddie Bauer, Fossil Vintage Reissue Leather Weekend Bag from Macy's, and Emmie Flats from Piperlime

Only a few more hours left to win the Shabby Apple Francine Skirt, and your odds are pretty darn good! Head over to the original giveaway post and follow the steps to enter- I'll draw the random winner at noon.

***

And the winner is... Kathy! Congratulations!

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Dare to Dream: Vintage Pencil Necklace

I don't know where my brain is at these days, but one thing is for sure: if I want to remember something, I need to jot it down. So I made a note of this gracefully utilitarian necklace from Anthro... 

Vintage Pencil Necklace, French Quartz from Anthropologie

I've got quite the to-do list written up for this weekend. Christmas gifts to wrap, a holiday party to attend, festive decor to photograph for a blog post next week. I have so much to share with you- experiences, projects, recipes, ideas- hence the pencil.

xoxo

Elizabeth

PS: Make sure you remember to enter my Shabby Apple giveaway- it ends at noon on Wednesday!

Giveaway: Shabby Apple

Remember my very first giveaway at Shock the Bourgeois? Well, I'm sticking to my guns: a curve-hugging pencil skirt is the staple every girl should have in her closet. So, with the help of Shabby Apple, I want to give another lucky gal a little gift (that already has a bow on it).

The Francine Pencil Skirt from Shabby Apple, featured with a Veronica Beard Tuxedo Blouse from FarFetch, Fossil Rivoli Toggle Bracelet, Kenneth Cole Rose Gold Watch, & John Rocha Waterford Champagne Flute from Macy's, Studded Shimmer Bracelet & Cabled Tights from Anthropologie, Glamour Pearl Clutch from Forever21, and Sam Edelman Marina Pumps from Piperlime

I styled "Francine" for a glamourous occasion, playing with the concept of a deconstructed tuxedo. I stuck to a black and white palette- but imagined pushing up the sleeves to reveal unexpected sparkle at the wrist. As for the bow tie- well, that comes with the skirt!

Shabby Apple has a wonderful selection of women's dresses and skirts in flattering shapes and basic colors- pieces that are easy to accessorize and make your own. Want to make this skirt your own? Just follow three steps to be eligible to win...

• "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook.
• Tell me how would you wear the Francine Pencil Skirt this winter in a comment on this post.
• Be sure to include an email address so that I can notify you if you've won!

You can receive additional entries for doing any of the following (just leave a separate comment for each)...

• "Like" One Must Shock the Bourgeois on Facebook.
• Become a follower of the One Must Shock the Bourgeois blog.
• Follow me on Pinterest, and pin this image.
• Tweet about this giveaway and follow @ShockBourgeois.
• Blog about how you'd style your new pencil skirt.

I'll randomly select the winner next Wednesday, December 21st at noon PST. Remember to check your email before the holidays- you might be receiving a belated gift from Shock the Bourgeois!

Good luck, ladies!

The fine print: This prize cannot be shipped outside of the US, and is not eligible for return or exchange.

This giveaway has ended. Thanks for entering!

Bedroom in Progress

There is a closed door in the WarLock house that hides a shameful secret. Adam's insane pyromaniac first wife? Far worse, I'm afraid. A bland, undecorated bedroom. Ahhhhh, the horror!

Not for much longer. Over the last few months, our embarrassing bedroom has undergone a slow transformation. First we swapped mismatched dressers for a pair with gorgeous Regency styling. Then I painted the dingy walls with Behr's soothing "Misty Morn" (a big step for a girl who's a bit color-shy).

I removed clunky shuttered closet doors and bent-up old window blinds and upgraded to simple bronze curtain rods. Menswear-patterned drapery panels accessorized with gold clip rings will add texture and give our low-ceilinged hovel the impression of height. I'm considering a coat of blue paint on the ceiling to add to this illusion.

There isn't much wall space to work with, but I'd like to frame and hang our print of a vintage skull illustration. My vanity will get a chic new mirror as soon as budget allows.

But first, we can't ignore the biggest thing in our tiny room: the bed. And this is where I need your input. Is this fabulous, or is Adam's first wife actually crazy?

We'll be using a gift card to purchase the stripe sheet set in feather gray from West Elm, which is both affordable and practical. I'd originally thought that I'd want to top the bed with a plain gray duvet, but then... I fell in love with the Heirloom Rose comforter cover and shams from Garnet Hill. I'm mad about the combination of stripes and oversized floral. The gender-neutral color palette prevents the roses and ruffles from getting overly romantic, and the mix of pattern and scale is so bold. 

Am I this bold? Can I commit to this look without being committed? I'm 99% sure that I can, but I want your opinions!

Dare to Dream: Jacques Adnet

About my apartment are scattered humble odes to Jacques Adnet: dark leather, gold trimmings, leggy tables, faux bamboo. His designs, however, are beyond my imitation. Gracefully functional and classically handsome, these are pieces I dare to dream about...

All Images Courtesy of 1st Dibs: 1 - Bottle Carrier, 2 - Side Table, 3 - Coat Stand, 4 - Daybed, 5 - Leather Tray Table, 6 - Magazine Rack, 7 - Magazine Table, 8 - Cabinet

Dare to Dream: In the Stars

I'd so love to have this piece on my wall, for stargazing on cloudy nights.  

Andromeda by Toshiyuki Enoki

I don't suppose I have any Japanese-speaking readers who'd visit the Toshiyuki Enoki blog and tell me more about the artist (or better yet, tell me how to acquire a print)?

Hello, Stud.

Growing up is hard to do. I gave up my teenage crush on Brandon Boyd, stopped wearing camo shorts in public, and (sigh) even took out my eyebrow ring. Luckily, pyramid studs have grown up too, in softly patinated metals that give domestic life a little edge.

Bleecker Apron by Birdkage (Image by One Kings Lane), Decor Moderne Champagne Studded Mirror (Image by One Kings Lane), Studded Wrap Watch by La Mer, Pyramid Stack Rings by nOir Jewelry, Pyramid Bangle by nOir Jewelry, Dirilyte Empress Flatware (my own), Charles Fradin Daisy Fellowes Mirrored Table (Image by One Kings Lane)

Dare to Dream: Arrows

Why hello there, neo-classical loves of my life...

Drexel Directoire Console Table on eBay

Arrow Nesting Tables from English Country Antiques on 1st Dibs

The WarLock house is in the midst of some crazed Craigslisting- letting go of furniture that doesn't hit the mark in favor of sharp new pieces. I've got an eye for these arrow-themed tables, airy enough for our small space, but pointedly elegant. Right on target, style-wise, but sadly, not within my price range!

Girl Around Town: Side

What was it that lured me into Side, an up-cycled furniture boutique on Berkeley's San Pablo Avenue... could it have been a glimmer of aqua blue, or perhaps the enticing aroma of fresh paint? 

The Side business card bears the Sister Parish quote, "innovation is often the ability to reach into the past and bring back what is good, what is beautiful, what is useful, what is lasting." Apt, because that's precisely what owner Carolyn Pickell is doing. While so many contrive to make new furniture appear old, Side celebrates vintage furnishings made young. The tiny shop features an ever-changing assortment of meticulously refinished antiques wearing unexpected paint colors and clever detailing (even pinstripes!). Every surface is laden with treasures, natural curiosities mingling with gilded accessories.

Side has the eclectic aesthetic of a flea market- refined, edited, and styled flawlessly. It's a new Bay Area favorite!

Dare to Dream: More is More

My wish list is starting to look like the tangled contents of a very luxe jewelry box. Each piece is an organic collage of rhinestones, mixed metallics, and curious specimens- all grafted together to form wild overgrown adornments. 

Amethyst Empress Necklace and Sapphire Garden Earrings by LuisFernando on Etsy, Melded Skull Ring (via The City Sage) and Layer Ring with Feather by Iosselliani, Skull & Flower Drop Earrings by Michael Spirito

The WarLock Wedding: Save the Date!

Adam and I wanted our save-the-date cards to be truly personal... so I designed, letterpressed, and hand-addressed them all myself. Here they are!

The cards are traditional but witty, illustrating a piece of who we are as a couple: we love to dine finely in good company! They are enclosed in shimmery gold envelopes that should gleam in each guest's mailbox. I printed my return address onto the pointed envelope flap, and scripted the recipients' addresses in white ink. My hope is that it will be as exciting for our friends and family to receive this news as it is for us to send it. We absolutely cannot wait to celebrate with everyone!

Photographs & Design © ShocktheBourgeois

Dare to Dream: Modern Gothic

It's not often that idly clicking through Apartment Therapy brings me to a house that flawlessly combines raw brick and linear modernity with elegant mouldings and Victorian frill. And then there's the twisted, skeletal staircase. Courtney & Trevor, I await my invite. Also, let's be best friends.

The owner describes her style as "disturbed traditionalism," a phrase I wish I'd coined myself. I wasn't sure why AT had termed this practically colorless house "playful" until I locked eyes with the DIY coffee table. Oho, now I get it.

Images from Courtney & Trevor's Playfully Sophisticated House Tour by Apartment Therapy

This is a look that requires good bones- good architectural bones, that is. I'd do terrible things to have a space like this, with room to make an aesthetic statement (instead of just leaving little hints everywhere). I'll always be firmly against white paint for a shoebox apartment, but these crisp white walls with such height and natural lighting... this is an art gallery, and one that can elevate curious shapes like paper snowflakes and wire hangers to Dada-esque distinction.

If I hung a wire hanger on my wall, people would merely assume I'd run out of closet space. Which, incidentally, is true. Ah, dare to dream.

Spring Gallery

Last week's visit from a swallowtail butterfly prompted me to add some signs of Spring to my decor, starting with a new gallery wall in my living room.

I've been tweaking my living room for months trying to get it just right. When my workspace was featured in Where We Blog From back in November, my desk occupied the corner by the windows. To make the room more comfortable for my Thanksgiving guests, I rearranged and hung new art (as seen below). 

It was an improvement, but the art looked stale and washed-out to me. Finally, last week I found the solution! The Ikea picture ledges allow me to layer frames for more impact, and their modern lines make my eclectic art collection look more graphic than granny. I also realized that I was using the wrong metallic- doesn't that antiqued gold look warm and rich against my mauvey-gray walls? I'm still waffling on adding more color to my decor, but for now, a little glimpse of blue sky goes a long way!

The cloud painting is a promo postcard from an art gallery, and my set of vintage butterfly prints ($5 on eBay years ago) acknowledge the season. The framed W (for WarLock, of course) is perhaps my cheapest and easiest DIY to date. I picked up the golden letter ornament for $1 at Restoration Hardware, mounted it directly onto the cardboard backer of the Ikea frame, and added a guinea feather for good measure. Under $20, under 20 minutes, and I love it. It ties the colors and textures of other pieces together, and the curved line of the feather balances the arrangement. It also happens to be a preview of the themes I'm using for the wedding... so I get a little "I-can't-wait" thrill every time I look at it!

The last and best addition to the living room is the industrial swing-arm wall lamp, a lucky $30 find at Jeremy's in Berkeley. I'd purchased it for my bedroom, but it did something amazing for this formerly  unlit and unloved corner: it turned it into the coziest nook in the house.

I think I'm finally on to something. Anyone else redecorating this Spring?

Dare to Dream: E for Elizabeth

Wouldn't it be nice to put your name on your door, like so?

Photo by Bundscherer on Flickr

Wedding Inspiration: Gold & Glowing

I often wish I had a dozen more rooms to furnish, just so that I'd have enough space to implement all of my decorating ideas. Likewise, I think I'd need to get married a dozen times (only to Adam, of course!) to realize all of my wedding concepts. 

My vision for our wedding is becoming more and more specific as I narrow my color scheme, establish themes, and select my favorite flowers. However, I still love delving into blogs and magazines for more inspiration! Take this golden, summery tablescape...

Yellow isn't my color, but I love the upbeat elegance of this arrangement. It's formal (complete with gold chiavari chairs), but the mixed and matched elements keep it sunny and playful. Brass urns and candlesticks alone might have been stuffy, but king's thumbprint goblets are bright and unexpected- as is the combination of real and fabric flowers. And the "dandelion elixir" on each plate? Charming!

Photographs by Ryan McVay for Seattle Metropolitan Bride & Groom Magazine

The take-away from this tabletop? Variety - of flowers, of shapes, of textures - makes my heart sing!

Under the Tree: Victoriana

Another installment of fabulous things Elizabeth got for Christmas. This time, presents with a Victorian flourish from my Mother. As I've shown you before, she truly is a masterful giver of gifts.

This quartet of tiny embellished bowls will certainly do my table proud. Standing on swirled pedestals, they're like miniature stages for Adam's creative sauces and garnishes. 

However, they're also a brilliant match for another gift I received...

Isn't that bracelet gorgeous? Moody cameos in shades of fog and inky black, and feminine trimmings on brassy chain. It couldn't have been more "me" if I'd made it myself!

Don't they seem made for each other? Now I'm tempted to leave one dish on my vanity desk to catch stud earrings and charms!