Blogger Breakfast at West Elm, 2.0!
I was delighted to be invited back by David to see all the new items that have started to hit the store for Fall 2014. In my last post, I discussed what you should be looking for when it comes to colors and the feel of home decor this coming season. I loved that I was able to see all those things in my second visit!
The color stories I mentioned last time are all ready for you to pick up in the store. The cayenne color that's coming in is absolutely gorgeous! Look how that red pops against the dark wood table. I like the pattern play in this set, as well. The diamond-shaped pattern finds a home in both the rug and throw pillows. Do you spy the little blown-glass twist ball on the table? Those are very in, too. They remind me of tiny little Chihuly pieces!
The other color plays I mentioned in my last post were white and goldenrod. You can find those in the "dec-acc" collections throughout the store. What the heck is dec-acc? It's short for decorative accessories, and is pronounced "deck-ehck". Pretty catchy, right? These pottery pieces are handcrafted and so pretty. That dark onyx tone really appeals to me. Having thrown some pottery back in the day, I loved feeling the texture of the pieces. The outside of the black pots is smooth, but on the inside you can still feel the ridges left by the artist's hands.
Leather is making a big appearance in a lot of the pieces at West Elm. The color cognac perfectly describes this recliner, and I know I wouldn't mind kicking back in it with a glass of Courvoisier V.S. Okay, let's take a minute to talk about this table in the above right photo. I NEED THIS! I'll admit, I eat pretty much every meal in my tiny apartment at the coffee table in my living room. This would be the perfect table for a lifestyle like that! I wouldn't have to lean over and chase my food around.
Darra, who showed me around the store, mentioned an expansion in their "sheet shoppe" due to the overwhelming popularity of the sheets, duvets, and comforters with West Elm's patrons. Also, I don't know if it's spelled "shoppe," but I think it looks cute and fancy that way.
Speaking of cute and fancy, some of my favorite new dec-acc items in the store are the critters! At our first blogger breakfast, a mention was made about expecting to see more luxe accents. I believe these little friends qualify. The metallic tone shouts fabulosity yet their cuteness makes them accessible. Who doesn't love armadillos? The rhino even looks like it's smiling. I really enjoy being in West Elm because it gives me ideas for my own apartment. I like the idea of little statues on top of a small stack of books, or maybe even my records. My vinyl collection is starting to get too big for where it's currently housed in my apartment.
Another item I spied around the store that I loved was the repurposed wine bottle candles. They're each meant to be a certain kind of wine, and although I didn't think they *smelled* like wine, they did smell quite lovely. I snapped a photo of the scent notes in the Sauvignon Blanc candle.
I can't wait to see what else West Elm has in store for the Fall! I think I am officially staying in my current apartment for another year, so I might start frequenting the shop more often for dec-acc to help jazz up my place! Thanks again to David and Darra for having me and being such sweet hosts!
I wore a fun and a not totally traditional-Jill outfit for the breakfast. It was a lot more airy, feminine, and borderline art teacher style than you might typically spy me in. That's part of why I love exploring style through different clothes and sharing it here on the blog!
The top, vest, and shoes are all from maurices. The funny thing is that I found this sweater best at a thrift store last summer right after I took on my position at maurices. You can't really see them, but I'm wearing a pair of high-waisted, cuffed white denim shorts that I DIY'd myself. For my summer shorts, I usually find high-waisted denim at thrift stores and chop them up into shorts for myself. It's more of a custom-fit that way!
LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS PURSE FOR A MOMENT. I was at a church flea market with my mom when I ran into one of my oldest friends, Becky. She said she had spotted a purse I might like. Lo and behold, it's one of the hard-case Vogue magazine cover clutches! I've never seen one in real life, but many of us have spotted them in Sex and the City! I found a little blurb on the blog In the Seams, and the author has this exact one. For $5, I couldn't say no.
Trying to be a serious blogger with the no smiling and then failing. Thanks, mom, for humoring me and taking photos on your porch! The quality isn't so perfect, but it was dark on the porch and an iPhone can only do so much.
Outfit Details:
Shirt: maurices
Vest: maurices
Tank (under shirt): maurices
Earrings: maurices
Shorts: DIY'd from thrifted jeans
Booties: "Shelby," maurices (currently available)
Clutch: Flea market find
Rings: maurices, thrifted, vintage, H&M
Nail polish: Post here!