Found Fridays {feeling blue}

Since I am forever and always on the hunt for some great vintage pieces with good bones I decided to bring you a weekly snapshot of the things I find each week along my travels. So lets kick it off!

This week i'm feeling blue...literally! About a week ago I found 5 of these kings crown thumbprint indiana glasses at one of my weekly pit stops.

 

But, since I couldn't settle for just 5, the hunt continued to complete the set.  With no luck at the surrounding shops I turned to ebay.  I'm actually still undecided whether or not this was a blessing or a curse! Why you ask? Well, as a  result I found more of the same glasses but I also kept finding more and more and more. Like a kid in a candy shop the bidding wars began!

As a result, the past week i've gotten 1 box after another, making it feel like christmas every day here! So what's the final count? Dare I ask myself that question as if there was one...but as of right now I have over 50 glasses with more on the way! Not only have I caught the blue bug but my mother has too :) having found a ton more on the east coast {quantity t.b.d. as soon as she unpacks all her goodies!}.  

With this thrift store find turned obsession I have plan a party so these lovely glasses get to show themselves off, and show off they will! Stay tuned for their table debut!

Creatively Yours,

Cassandra Stearns 

Photoshoot Inspiration

I shared this pic yesterday of some fabric I was using in my next vignette and boy is this one gonna be HOT!!..(hint) 

My girls and I are actually planning a photoshoot to capture it all next week but, since I can't quite yet share all the deets on the location just yet, I thought I could at least tease you with a few inspiration pics that are helping me set the scene. Do you dare to guess?!!

{image via inez and vinoodh/french vogue}

{image via agent bauer}

{image via 100 layer cake}

Till then all I can promise you is bold colors, flowy fabric, and a few magic tricks that will be sure to make you feel the heat! More inspiration pics to come as I countdown the days till the shoot, so stay tuned...

Creatively Yours,

Cassandra Stearns 

Reclaimed Wood Headboards: My Top 5

Today I woke up in a dreamy state of mind.. instead of forcing myself to ignore the fact that I wanted to stay in dream land a little longer I decided to bring that feeling tone to the blog.  The first thing that popped in to my head was these reclaimed wood DIY headboards that I have been coming across everywhere.  Such cool ideas, such hard work put into making all of these and most definitely one of my favorite eco approaches to design.  I mean, if you owned one of these wouldn't you want to stay in bed all day too?!!

Here are my top 5: along with the cats and dogs who love them too!

This one is over the top, literally!! It is by far one of my all time favorites...An installation like this allows you to hang anything you want on it...wether it be hanging lanterns from the top or planters.  It even helps you hide those electrical wires no one wants to see.  This type of headboard definitely claims center stage in this bedroom!  

{image via living etc}

I love the chevron look of this one from Brooklyn to West...its nothing like i've ever seen! Check out the story behind Brooklyn to West and all the other ways to get your hands on a headboard like this here...or eat their pasta! Thats right you read correctly, they have a restaurant too {il vecchio}...up in northern california, which I am definitely checking out on my next road trip north!

{image via brooklyn to west}

How about this one? The simplicity of just adding some gold stripes takes the basic plain reclaimed look up a notch without going overbaord.  Get the full material and instruction list on Camille Styles

{image via camille styles}

Or how about a little "love" for this one?!  Check out behind the scenes pics of this install on House Tweaking

{image via house tweaking}

And last but not least, we all have seen that gorgeous wall from Hillary Swank's Manhatten apartment in Elle Decor last fall {if you haven't yet you can check it out here}. Well, Jonathan of Happy Mundane wanted the look and conquered it with this DIY headboard project.  His step by step experience can be found here on is Happy Mundane blog.

{image via happy mundane}

Creatively Yours,

Cassandra Stearn

Spring Countdown: Its Here!?

Faux Flowers Anyone?

 Happy first day of Spring!!! While today is so chilly it feels like anything but spring I was reminded how fortunate I am to live in sunny California...where a spring day can happen any day.  However, this presents a dilemma for all you non cali folks who may still be feeling the winter blues.. And, since I don't want you to miss out if the flowers don't happen to be blooming in your area yet here are 3 ways you can still get your dose of "garden florals": even if they aren't the real thing.. 

Paper Flowers /Fabric Flowers/Frosting Flowers

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So are you inspired for Spring yet? Well ready or not here it is!  So if you are feeling crafty...more like daring, to take on one of these bright(and tasty) DIY projects then here are all the amazing and easy tutorials you need to get started!

 Paper Flowers DIY    Fabric Flowers DIY    Frosting Flowers DIY 

Creativley Yours,

Cassandra Stearns

Spring Countdown: Only 2 Days Left!

Floral Prints? Its on trend for sure right now not which is why I can't wait to tap in to some of the spring goodies I've purchased for my closet!  Now, the past few days I have only been talking about how to include them in your interiors but why not your wardrobe?!  The other day I got inspired when I drove by the Neiman Marcus in Bev Hills and saw this Alice and Olivia jumpsuit in the window!...Can I just say WANT....

So how are you going to include "Garden Florals" into your wardrobe this season? Happy shopping!

Creatively Yours,

Cassandra Stearns

Spring Countdown: Only 3 Days Left!

Why Not Host A Sunday Brunch?!

Last weekend was absolutely gorgeous out! Flowers have been starting to bloom and I have to admit...I really wanted to bring a little spring essence inside so I decided to have some friends over for a Sunday brunch!  Heres how I pulled it all together...with only a few hours notice and a budget!

First I took inspiration from the various colors in the flowers blooming just outside my apartment...reds, oranges and greens.  While at first glance none of these flowers looked like they coordinated with each other but I just started picking and gathering a bunch to see what would happen and this is what I got! 

A beautiful and uncontrived mix of what I learned was red calliandra( or as i call it the pom pom flower), red and white camellia, orange clivia, red gerranium, and huge green calla lily leaves to bind them all together.  Just remember..you don't have to be a professional florist or buy a ton of expensive flowers from the market...just seek and you shall find!  

Next thing I did was take some of that bargain floral fabric I found a few weeks ago and use it as my table cloth.  While I didn't have time to sew it all up and clean up the rough edges I used it anyways.  All I did was put the fabric through the wash and give it a nice hot iron.

Now to set the table....I kept things less than matchy matchy.  In fact, since I have been collecting so much vintage dishware I actually found it hard to choose just one collection to go with...so I decided to mix it up. But, if you don't have a collection of your own going, simple white dishes will do, maybe some clear vessels....really anthying! Especially when you are topping and filling them with colorful delicious food...let that be the added texture and color. Mmmm yum!
  

 So gather your favorite fruits (lots of color to work with in that department) and ask a friend to bring some croissants from a local bakery or their favorite juice and there you have it...Everyone will have something they enjoy to eat and less stress(and money) on you to buy all the goodies. 


Happy Brunching!


Creatively Yours,
Cassandra Stearns

Spring Countdown: Only 4 Days Left!

 Why Not Add A Little Art?!

Or Make Your Own..

Impressionistic or Expressionistic? Aw heck, I'm not really sure which it really is but either way I love it!  Its all about the relaxed boundarys and for me, the vagueness of things leaves more to my imagination and gives me an unreal color experience!  

So I decided to bring to you (in no particular order) some of my favorite pieces of art work done by some incredible artists, all of which can be purchased for under $100!...And you guessed it..they are all takes on garden florals that will blow your mind!

image via saatchi online
 "Red Giselle" by Hedwig Pen

image via art by autumn rose on etsy
"Eden" by Autumn Rose

image via art by autumn rose on etsy
 "Lolly Blossoms" by Autumn Rose

image via linda monfort on etsy
"Scarlet Roses" by Linda Monfort

image via saatchi online
"Red Roses and Oginski Polonaise" by Hedwig Pen

If you've been inspired by these here's How To Purchase!!

1."Red Giselle" by Hedwig Pen

2."Eden" by Autumn Rose

3."Lolly Blossoms" by Autumn Rose

4."Scarlet Roses" by Linda Monfort

5."Red Roses and Oginski Polonaise" by Hedwig Pen

Creatively Yours,

Cassandra Stearns

Spring Countdown: Only 5 Days Left!

Lighten Up Your Linens!!

Just 5 days away till spring and its definitely all about "garden florals"!  Everywhere I turn I find another floral vignette that screams SPRING!  Most recently, I came across these must have "Demoiselle" hand printed terry bath towels from D.Porthault and I can't stop thinking about them!  With that, might I suggest you lighten up your linens?! Your options are endless....a tea towel here, a pillow sham there and voila!

image via D.Porthault

See how designer Anna Burke coordinates her look here in this months issue of Lonny Magazine:

In the bathroom....

image via Lonny Magazine

Or in the bedroom...

image via Lonny Magazine

And might I add how i'm gushing over this vintage floral wallpaper from Collins & Sons also used by Anna Burke in her West Village apartment.

image via Lonny Magazine

Creativley Yours,

Cassandra Stearns

Spring Countdown: Only 6 Days Left!

Hey Everyone! I'm starting to get really excited for spring and with only 6 days left till its officially here I thought I would make it a point to bring you some inspiration to get prepped for this season. Spring is all about growth, re-birth and most importantly warmer weather so it should be no surprise that my biggest inspiration yet has been all about "Garden Florals".  I can't get enough! 

Last week I was lucky enough to find tons of floral fabric for a serious bargain price of only $20 for 40yds.  The only problem was that I had no idea what I was going to do with it all.  I merely bought it on a whim from being overwhelmingly drawn to the bright colors and prints.  Well thanks to this gorgeous pic I stumbled upon on pinterest my search for a crafty DIY project is over!

image via Ashley Ann Photography

These fabric covered pots are the perfect way to spruce up an otherwise plain terracotta planter...Plus its a totally great way to upcycle fabric remnants and any less than attractive planters you might already own.  To see how Ashley Ann made her fabric covered pots check her out HERE and for a more detailed tutorial check out Christine Chitnis Blog 

LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!

Creatively Yours,

Cassandra Stearns

My Time: DIVIDED

So what am I doing this friday morning?!  Well as you can see below I'm making some to-do lists and taking a serious inventory of some time management up-keep for the next year....After all, I wanna keep this ship sailing forward don't I?! 


With a brain that is in constant creativity mode its often hard for me to finish the things that I start.  Like a tree with so many branches that extend in all different directions, I am always getting new ideas that could send things going into the other direction. But, in order to maintain some orderly shape I am working on how to divide my time equally {or at least balanced proportionally to priority} 

And in no specific order...

You will notice that what I am doing at this exact moment {blogging} of course made the list. Putting it on the list was a no brainer but keeping content relavent...well thats where it gets tricky:)   

I would love to hear your tips and tricks on how you stay organized and keep ideas relevant to the big picture here at contact@chrysaliscouture.com  

Creatively Yours,

Cassandra Stearns