Ohhhh I do love yoga. While I would not consider myself an experienced yogi by any means, I do try to practice once or twice a week. For me, its an incredibly centering and reflective time, and I am always SO thankful when I take the time to go to class. Not to mention, its often an incredible workout :)

All photos via.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't wish my fabulous momma a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today!! Of everything I could be thankful for in life, she pretty much tops the list :)

What are you all thankful for today?

Started.

Growing up, my Mom kept a sign in the house that said 'The joy of life isn't the destination- it's the journey!" And when it comes to decorating my own home... I try to bear this is mind. So you know 4 months ago when I said I wanted to re-do our china cabinet? Welllllllllllllllllllllll, I finally started that process.

Started with a trip to the friendly HD (Home Depot) to talk the paint guy's ear off about color options, low VOC paint, "Do I need to sand????" etc. Ended up with this Kilz for a primer. HD guy assured me I don't need to sand and that this was low-VOC enough for our space (remember- our windows don't open bc we live in a Chouse).

Step 1 was to get the china cab ready. I took the stuff out of it, took hardware off, took the glass out, vacuumed the dust off and cleaned the wood. (sorry- iphone pics below). As in most projects, the 'prep' step is super duper important. Having a clean, dust-free surface will ensure that the primer can really grab on, and therefore, you'll end up with a smooth paint job.

So, I primed. As in any primer step, I just slapped it on. Here it is primed, eagerly awaiting its new look. (note the swatches taped to the wall)

I've decided to go with RED (surprise, surprise). Here were the options:

I settled on Behr Bijou Red.

 Also doing new hardware. Thinking a brass/gold option. Yes, she will be one gaudy lady by the time I'm done with her and I'm so fine with that. Really liking these 'beehive' ones.

Here.

Hope to finish up in the next week or so... but we'll see if that happens :)

PS- Thanks for all of your sweet words about my news I shared yesterday - MUCH love to you all!!

Life News!

Ya'll know I move around a lot. 3 times since college to be exact. So that means I've had the opportunity to have a variety of jobs. But today, I'm super excited to be adding a new one to the list... starting this week I'm going to be working at Amie Corley Interiors!!!!! (I, like Elaine, am a fan of exclamation points)

I'm really excited about the opportunity to be in an creative industry that I think is so fun and important. I mean- what's better than helping people create homes they love? I'm also excited about this because I love Amie's work (as I posted about here). So, all in all, I'm thrilled.

While we don't know how long we will live in St. Louis, I just couldn't pass up the chance to work with Amie .... and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to dip my toes into the design world and have such an amazing learning experience!

So I hope you follow along with me on this exciting new adventure. I know I said some version of "excited" 4 times in this post. Well, 5.

But, I am just that EXCITED!

game day t-shirt alternatives

Earlier this week, I put together a few tailgating/football outfits that serve as an alternative to a t-shirt..... head on over to KLAW to check it out!

Hope you all have a great weekend! I'm looking forward to doing some yoga, starting a DIY and maybe hitting up H&M :)

5 Things I Love: Holtwood Hipster

Today we have Erin from Holtwood Hipster sharing her "5 Things I Love" and it is seriously one of my favorite ones yet! Erin's home is so personal and, for lack of a better word on my part, cool! Thanks so much for sharing it with us, love!

Hi there Main Street Chic readers! My name is Erin and I write a little daily blog called Holtwood Hipster. I’m so happy that Emily has asked me to stop in today and share 5 things I’m really loving right now with you all.  

I’m going to level with you. It’s taken lots of work to get into our own home and every single day, I’m so very grateful that we are finally here. I really do wake up and get a little giddy as I sip on my morning cup of coffee, because all of the painting and decorating over the past year, has lead to some very happy “moments” about our house. Here are a five that make me smile each day. 

ONE // OUR OWN SWIMMING POOL

This sea of blue is one of the first things I look at each morning. We floated in it all summer and hosted some crazy fun pool parties. It truly is a gathering spot for all of our friends and family, which probably makes this my favorite aspect of our home. Now I’m looking forward to the new colors our surrounding Maple trees will cast in its waters throughout the coming season. 

TWO // CACTUS + SUCCULENTS

I’m always working in the yard and much of the last year has been spent landscaping our home’s exterior-front and back. We’ve worked a lot of succulents into the mix. I was inspired by a floral design I saw in a retail space and thought to create this trio as an indoor focal point. This perennial arrangement, now sits front and center on our kitchen countertop.  

THREE //VINTAGE ARTWORK 

I spotted this vintage painting leaning up against a fence at my local flea. I bought it instantly because of its vibrant color palette. It hangs in our home's entry way and serves as a daily reminder of a day I spent browsing antiques with my mom.  

FOUR //WHITE DISHWARE

I dreamed long and hard for enough cabinet space to finally store all of our dishware. We use all of these single serving pieces when cooking and entertaining for friends (which is quite often). When I throw open these doors, all I see is another party in the making. 

FIVE // OUR COLORFUL FRONT DOOR

With various shades of grey serving as our neutral backdrop both inside and out, we added a little more whimsy to our ornate mid-century front door by painting it Glidden’s Almost Aqua. I imagine our conservative neighbors probably think we’re a little nuts, but I pull into the driveway and smile every time I see it.

Thanks again, Erin! Be sure to check out Holtwood Hipster to see even more of her fabulous home!

first time home buying tips

Morning!

I veered off the 'home decor' path in my most recent article for Twenty Something. This month, I opted to share some of the things I think first time home buyers should keep in mind.

 I hope you'll check it out!

Have a great week!

OMM: fun sweatshirts

Not sure what to call this look exactly, so I'm just going with "fun sweatshirts". They have definitely been On My Mind and my radar recently (thanks to one of my fav street style blogs). Super comfy and they definitely make for an out of the ordinary outfit choice. I am just loving the look...

I'm wondering if this trend has made its way across the pond and if we'll see it at NYFW....

If you want to try out this look, I would say hit up your local thrift store to see what 80s/90s sweatshirt you can find.  Come December, I might try it with a Christmas sweatshirt.... you heard read that right.

Adorn Yourself Accordingly

“Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly.” - Epictetus

My SUPER chic BFF recently started a blog. I've always thought Valerie (or Val, as I call her) would make the BEST style blogger simply because she has the BEST style. She is lady like, chic and classic. Always on trend without being too trendy and the perfect mix of sass in each outfit. So you can imagine my excitement when she told me she was going to delve into the blogosphere... I have a feeling her blog will lead to many "Inspired to Incorporated" posts from me!

I have no doubt that you will become a fellow style stalker of Val. Head on over to Adorn Yourself Accordingly to see for yourself :)

Also, be sure to follow Val on Instagram- @valerie_aya. Hope you all are having a great week!