The best find your style quiz online - Sproost.com

I stumbled upon the find your style quiz at Sproost.com via an entry on Young House Love this morning and it's definitely one of the most fun and insightful quizzes I've taken to find my design style.  You look at room after room and rate how much you like it, then the site shows you the styles that correspond to your top choices.

Here's what it said about me:

Modern Elegance

Variety is the spice of life! And nowhere is this truer than in the design of your home... You either love contemporary but wish it wasn't quite so cold and austere; or perhaps you've always been drawn to more traditional rooms but are now at a point in your life where you'd like to pair down a bit or want to create a less cluttered and busy space. Transitional Style is here to marry those apparent contradicting designs. And guess what — it's the contradictions that make the mix of contemporary and traditional so successful. The result is an elegant room that appeals to young and old alike. A sofa with modern lines blends seamlessly with a pair of traditional chairs. New fabrics work so well on antique pieces. It turns out that modern art looks even more exciting above a collection of traditional pieces. The room feels simple and sophisticated, elegant and hip.

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Materials

The material palette for Transitional Style is a wonderful mix as well. Wood tones add warmth to the more modern finishes such as metal and glass. Fabrics are usually neutral and focus more on texture rather than pattern or color. Because you are mixing two very different styles, simplicity is key. Carpets are often Berber in natural tones, though area rugs can bring in color much like a modern piece of art would. Window treatments, when used, are simple in style as well as color and many times you will see natural roman shades or wood blinds used. Satin nickel, chrome and stainless are very popular and can modernize an otherwise traditional space. On the flip side, when the room feels more contemporary vintage golds and wrought iron will tame and add warmth to the space.

Colors

For color think simple. Remember that you have set out to create an eclectic mix of two styles and the best way to avoid making the room overbearing is to stay subtle on the walls and ceiling. Whites and creams are popular and grays, taupe's and tans are darker versions of neutrals that work very well. The simplicity in the color helps keep the space feeling light, airy and fresh. If you'd like to add deeper color choosing one accent wall is a nice way to do so. Or add depth by bringing color in at the accessory level. The best part about colorful accessories is that you can easily reinvent the space by simply changing the throw pillows to highlight your new favorite color.

It is spot on for me!  I love that room and the idea behind it, as well as the Hollywood Couture style that also influences my taste (the magpie in me loves some sparkle and mirrors). 

What does Sproost say about you?

Pretty, oh so pretty...

I saw an item from Fey Handmade in a magazine today, and I went to the site out of curiosity and love it.  The prices are a mix of high and low, but the items look really special and Etsy-esque (it's a word now). 

I think the photography prints are my favorites...

I also like these things for the house (one day)...


Decorative Dish

Halcyon Napkins

Pebble Beach Cushion Cover

And I find this stuff just cute and quirky...

Sloth Necklace

Bohemia Earrings

Necklace Dress

Bleu Finch Clutch

Summer in the office

Few things at work are worse than sitting at your desk and burning up.  I'm very lucky that my office is casual enough for cotton skirts and pretty sandals, but even if yours is not, here are some options I think could get a lot of wear the next several months.  I'm also pairing them with Seychelles shoes from endless.com since I saw them on Gilt.com today and love the retro style.

The Limited Sheath Dress
Seychelles Kick Up Your Heels Wedge
This dress is made of stretchy cotton and should be pretty comfortable, as well as polished for meetings.  If you aren't comfortable going sleeveless, you could add a short sleeved cardigan.

LOFT Tie Waist Shirtdress
Seychelles Liz Sandal
I think the casual material of this dress lends it to a fun shoe that's still classy enough for an office (mine, anyway).  The cut of the dress of universally flattering, but those of us with large chests may want to layer something under it since wrap tops are seldom as modest as they appear in photos.

Lands End Canvas Cotton Lawn Skirt
Banana Republic Elbow Sleeve Stretch Skirt
Seychelles Sofia Wedge
This is a lot of gray, but I think it would work and look very classy for presentations and meetings

What you've all been dying to know...

What did I decide on the chairs??

First of all, I decided that I am not going to spend hundreds of dollars on chairs I don't love.  Unfortunately, all the chairs I do love will set us back several hundred dollars and we just can't justify it right now with wedding and honeymoon looming on the calendar.  To get us through the rest of the year (since our existing chairs will be sold with the matching tables) I started searching Craigslist and came across what I think is a heck of a deal.

We were able to buy four antique Queen Anne style chairs from England for $100 total.  We're guessing they're from the 1940s or 50s judging by the screws and materials used under the seat.  They're in good shape, except for the leather covering the seats.

Our plan is to re-stain the chairs to match the table (luckily I am marrying someone who knows how to do this) and then cover the seats in new foam and a modern fabric to create a mix of new/old in our dining area.

The chairs look like this, for the most part:

And I plan to find a patterned fabric to use on the seats and make them a little less classic looking.  This will be my challenge...

I think we can get these four chairs looking presentable for about $250, which is less than the price of one of the chairs I like at Crate and Barrel.  What do you think?  Am I being too ambitious?  Are there any good places I should look for fabric (besides Fabric Factory and Calico Corners in Dallas)?

Also, for perspective, I think these are the drapes I want for a window about 12 feet away from where the table sits.  I know if I get them, it will rule out a few of the options above.

The hunt for khakis

My friend Jan is looking for a good pair of khaki pants that she can wear to the office this summer.  She doesn't want them to look like they belong on a safari or an army base, but they need to be flattering without the cropped skinny leg that's common right now.

I did some searching for her, and came across the following pairs that I think would be great for work in a casual office:

Gap Hip Slung Easy Flare Pants
I think these would look nice with a fitted top and a heel, but not necessarily flat shoes because of the wide leg.

Banana Republic Martin Flare Leg Trouser

I think these will good on most figures, and I like that the cut is the same as the regular trousers at BR instead of being baggy

Ann Taylor LOFT Marisa Chino Pants

I think these are my top pick because the cut of the leg isn't too flared or too tight, and they're only $29.99. 

Update: Kel as suggested another good option, and I found an additional one as well:

Lands End Canvas Heritage Chino

In case you didn't know, if you order from LEC you can return it at Sears if it doesn't work out

Lands End Canvas Boot Cut Chino

J. Crew Favorite Fit Everyday Chino

The photo on the model shows white, but they also come in a darker khaki

A home for my bracelets

As you can imagine, I have a lot of jewelry.  The necklaces hang on a series of Command adhesive hooks on the inside wall of my closet, but I've been wanting a nice place for my collection of bracelets and rings and other stuff I don't wear often.  Just get a new jewelry box, right?  Easy. 

Wrong.  These things are either ugly or ridiculously expensive.  I've found few pieces that I'd want to display on my dresser for the next several years that can also hold a lot of jewelry.  However, I did finally find a couple and wanted to share in case you are in the market for one as well.

West Elm Large Medallion Jewlery Box - $79

I actually looked at this box in store and it's deep enough to hold cuff bracelets and is so pretty.  I officially want it for my birthday.

Pottery Barn Emmett Medium Jewelry Box - $99

Z Gallerie Mirrored Jewelry Box - $39.95

Z Gallerie Animal Jewel Box - $26.95

Ok, these aren't big enough for my bracelets but I like the idea of a silly little animal on my night table that I can use to store my wedding rings at night

Pier 1 Hayworth Jewelry Armoire - $299

A girl can dream, right?

Things every girl needs: Go-to cosmetics

As I've mentioned before, I'm not big into makeup and beauty products.  I use the same things all the time, and swap out eyeshadows to mix it up (crazy!).  That means there are very few products I rave about, but I thought I'd share them with the rest of you in case you're in the market for something new:

OPI Nail Envy
I often get told that my nails look fake, which I take as a compliment because I would never put acrylic on my fingers.  This polish from OPI makes your nails super hard and shiny, even more so than with regular clear polish.  It's the only thing I wear on my nails, and lasts about 2 weeks before I need to reapply.

Benetint Pocket Pal

I hate lipstick.  It feels weird on my mouth and I hate reapplying it.  Thankfully, I discovered the wonders of lip stain about 4 years ago and I'll never go back.  The stain goes on pretty light and looks very natural (don't let the color scare you) and it lasts for hours without fading.  It can also be used as a cheek stain in place of blush.

Maybelline Cooling Shadow and Liner

This pencil is actually a creamy eyeshadow that stays put and you can blend it with your fingers.  I use it as my eyeshadow most of the time, but it can double as a base if you want to make sure your evening makeup doesn't go anywhere.  So far I've only been able to find this at Ulta.

Aveda Hang Straight

This product has actually been discontinued, despite it's collection of 5 star reviews on several websites.  You can still find it online, though Aveda salons seem to have gotten rid of it.  I love this lotion since it keeps my hair from being too fluffy and lets it dry straight and smooth.  It's not sticky, and doesn't smell like chemicals.  I'm hoping Aveda realizes the error of their ways and decides to bring this stuff back.