Guest Blogging over at Imagine

OK so it might be a weee bit early to start drinking but Jami over at Imagine has asked me to bartend for her Wednesday Warm Up Series! How sweet, right? If you want to know what my cocktail of choice is once it hits 5:00 PM pop on over to her blog and see for yourself!
Hint: This drink has a very sentimental meaning to me...

Thanks Jami for asking me to participate! Cheers!

Special Weekend Thank You

Hi All, The end of this week escaped me so I thought I would do a special weekend post. I have also been a little late in a few BIG thank yous so here we go!

First I want to direct you over to the lovely blog "Sacramento Street". Caitlin was so sweet to ask me to write a guest post while she was away becoming a "Mrs"! It was one of those posts I was a wee bit nervous about since I had to take a photo of my favorite place in my home. To read more about this photo pop on over and visit Caitlin's blog.

Yesterday one of my closest "blog friends" Crystal invited me to guest post on a favorite vacation spot while she was away on her own European getaway! It was so fun to explore online sites of Italian decor and inspiration. Though one thing I learned is that Italy is not very tech savvy in putting shelter magazines online! Explore the inspiring photos I found over at Plush Palate!

Lastly I need to send a BIG HUG over to Jess of Sweet Eventide. She was so sweet to include my Aunt Mary's picture in her Sweet Links post a few weeks ago. Sometimes you tell a story that you think is only inspiring to you, than you realize in telling this story you have inspired others.

These three ladies are all amazing supporters of CreateGirl and I hope you find their blogs as enjoyable as I do!

Moving In with Plush Palate

**Please Welcome Crystal, she is an absolute sweetheart. I "met" her over on twitter and immediately fell in love with her style. To make this new meeting even better, it turns out she grew up with one of my friends here in Boston. It can be such a small wonderful world!**


Hi everyone, it's Crystal and I blog over at Plush Palate, a style, fashion, and interiors blog. I'm thrilled to be contributing to CreateGirl today and to meet all of you! Recently I moved into a new apartment and Julieann has graciously invited me to share a few tips I've picked up along. Moving can be an overwhelming and daunting task, so I've learned to keep it simple!

1. Design in Stages

If you're like me, you want every room perfect on day 1 and loathe the idea of living in a half finished home. But since our budgets don't always allow for this, patience is key. When we collect furniture and decor overtime as we find those pieces that truly speak to us, the end result is a much more thoughtful design that truly reflects our personality and style.

2. Recreate High-End Looks on Budget

Don't we all wish we had an endless budget when it comes to decorating our homes? I know I do! Lucky for us, there are more and more budget friendly shopping destinations investing more into creating affordable and stylish designs. I love scouring the pages of Elle Decor and House Beautiful to pick up ideas and then keep my eyes open to see if I can re-create the looks for less. The bed above via Elle Decor likely cost thousands of dollars. Below I found one that achieves the same look at Ikea for only $279!

3. Pre-used Is Sometimes Better Than New
When trying to fill a space, we don't always have to find something new. Sometimes it's as simple as pulling a piece out of storage and sprucing it up a bit with some new paint or hardware. In my case, I was in desperate need of a new duvet cover. Instead of heading to the store to purchase something, I first asked my mom if she happened to have an extra one. To my delight, she had a gorgeous, white duvet she had gotten on a trip to Europe just sitting in a linen closet. Generously she passed it down to me. It's prettier and of higher quality than anything I could have found new in a store! So, don't be afraid to ask friends and family if they have something you could use. You might just be surprised :)

(images via Martha Stewart, Elle Decor, Ikea, Simply Seductive)