Nothing can make a backyard patio space sing more than a 1950s or 1960s inspired umbrella with fringe, scallops or poms.  I searched HIGH and LOW for the perfect umbrella for our stock tank area (#12!!) but while I was at it, I figured I was amassing quite the list of amazing (yet, affordable!) patio umbrellas and wanted to share them here with you. 

I'm also including another special round-up of gorgeous splurge-worthy designer umbrellas that are NOT budget friendly but are definitely INCREDIBLE.  So if you have the funds-- spring for an extra special jaw-dropping patio accessory.

​Most of them tend to be 7-9' but make sure to check the measurements for what you want in your space!  

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5* // 6 // 7* // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15

Don't forget your umbrella stand! Here are three I like: a black square one, a bronze square with trellis pattern and this white one that we purchased (it didn't fit the peach umbrella perfectly like I was hoping but I was able to make it work.  FYI, the peach umbrella has a white pole unlike the brown one shown!

What one is your favorite?  And if you purchase one, make sure to send me a photo of it in your space-- I would love to see!

xo,
Rachel

Ever since I laid eyes on the concept of stock tanks, I knew it would be such a fun thing for our kiddos.  Once we moved to Florida and experienced one summer without a pool, I decided it was a must-have for this coming summer.  It's so hot and humid here for so long that swimming is nearly the only fun thing to do outside (weirdly, public pools aren't really a thing here). That said, don't feel too sorry for us because the rest of the year is paradise but I knew a pool would really help us to enjoy our summer.  THEN, we moved to a rental with the perfect backyard spot for a stock tank pool.  It was like it was MADE to put a pool here. 

We've spent the last few weeks gathering the supplies and putting it all together.  The hardest part has been figuring out exactly what to order to keep it filtered and then getting the giant thing home (we rented a trailer and that ended up being a fiasco!).  In the end, it was more than worth it.  The girls are obsessed with the pool and sand and spend a good chunk of the day making sandcastles and swimming.  Judah swims when it's above 85 degrees ;)



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So, without further ado, here she is.  Our PEACHY PARADISE: 

As you can see, we did not paint our pool. A lot of people do and it seems to work out pretty well, but the prep and painting of something this large seemed like a nightmare to me.  Plus, we don't really have a big enough garage to work in, and then transporting it all nice and painted to the back sounded way too hard because we just have a narrow path and rolling it was the best way to get it back there.

I decided to go with an easier solution that would hopefully mean less maintenance over time.  I purchased 4' H bamboo fencing, my husband cut it in half with his Dremel tool, and then we spray painted it. We wrapped it around the pool, strategically hooking it together with heavy gauge wire every once in awhile. He had to cut out sections for the filter hoses but otherwise it was pretty simple. The bamboo adds such a chic Palm Beach element that I adore. Scroll down to the end of this post to see exactly what we purchased for this part.

Yes, the sand gets in the pool, but it hasn't caused problems yet. It's been so much fun for our girls and was the cheapest option to surround the pool.  We are using our hand skimmer to scoop it out when we clean debris out of the pool.  Jared is also coming up with some fancy set of stairs that cleans your feet of sand as you go in-- this is why I married him, people. ​

Now for the supplies if you want to create your own.  It took us hours to sort through people's advice online, and was difficult to make sense of what we ACTUALLY needed, making sure it came in the right sizes.  Descriptions of products online did not explain what came with the filter (hoses? if so, what size? what about the strainers?).  I hunted and hunted and narrowed down the best things so you don't have to.  Here's my visual shopping list for your backyard stock tank pool, and if you choose, a little additional beauty at the end of this post.

Helpful notes:

• The 8' foot pool is the way to go.  I can't imagine going with a 6' foot pool and actually having fun. 
• This pump comes with ONE output strainer and this is why you need to purchase the input strainer separately. It also only comes with one filter so you will have to purchase more periodically.  At this moment, the strainer is out of stock but I'm assuming it will be back on Intex's website shortly.
• This hole saw makes quick work of cutting holes in the metal but don't forget the arbor. Drill from the outside so the majority of the shavings fall outside the tank. Use a metal file to clean up any sharp edges, then use a magnet to collect the shavings from the inside of the pool so you don't get a metal sliver in your foot.
• We needed one flat washer for the input strainer-- the output comes with one.

The pool DOES NOT leak if you have the rubber washers and cut a 2-3/4" hole! This size may not be stocked at the first store you visit, but don't just shrug and buy the 3". If you make the hole larger than 2-3/4", you may need lots of silicone sealant (which my husband cannot condone). If you make it smaller, the parts won't fit.

Helpful notes:

• I have heard this floating chlorine dispenser is important to keep the chlorine from settling on the bottom of the pool and causing the pool to rust-- not sure if that's true but I got it anyway.
• This pool cover is larger than you need but I have read the 8' ones are too small to pull over.  It cinches closed with a rope and works perfectly.

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There are tutorials and videos online for putting it all together but we felt Stocktankpool.net was the most helpful and simplest to follow.  Honestly, cutting the holes and getting it all attached was easy once we figured out what to order and got the dang thing home.  The next hardest part was figuring out the chlorine amount but we went with the one or two 1" tab per week suggestion from Stocktankpool.net and the pool is perfectly blue.

I hope this has been helpful!  Please message me on IG if you have questions!  I would love to help. 

xo,
​Rachel

IT'S FINALLLLLY HERE!!!!!!! The Spring ORC has begun!!!

Who else feels like this year has been a million months long?  Thank goodness I've had a goal to work toward during this confusing time and have been able to tackle it little by little to keep from going crazy.  The ORC was supposed to launch in early April, then it was delayed because of COVID (though we were all still allowed to start, just not post).  I was sad about the delay at first but didn't know I would be homeschooling my kids several hours a week at the time.  Now that we are in a better rhythm with school (that was ROUGH at first!), I'm hoping this will be a fun way to get a little "me" time. PLUS, we moved to this new rental in February and I want to inject some flavor into this baby!

I will show you my design plan in a second, but I wanted to show you my inspo first.  Besides a heavy dose of Palm Beach Chic and some funky flair, I wanted this space to be very matchy.  Matching and coordinating is indicative of PB design and something I really have to push myself to do-- so I am excited to take on a new challenge.

I love how these rooms have predominately one color yet they are still interesting.  The simple color palette feels chic and clean.  The textures and materials really pop and the white in each space really punctuates the room.  These rooms are fresh and traditional, fun and classy.

Please Lord, let me find identical wicker chairs to these so I can put them in my space. 

This mirror wouldn't hurt either, AMEN!! 

And I'm always ALWAYS up for some lucite.

Real quick, here's a before photo of the living room I will be redoing.  Behind me in this photo, is an awesome FL room that we spend tons of our time in that I hope to accentuate with this design as well. 

Since we are renting, everything has to be renter-friendly which means no changes to the carpet and the only wall I am changing is the blue one back to white.  We will change the fan and another light fixture knowing we will replace them with the old when we move.

Now onto the fun part:

The layout of this plan involved a larger seating area and a separate reading nook which were differentiated by the two rugs.  However, a couple things transpired that made me change directions.  Once we got started on the space, we decided we would make the corner reading nook a small dining area since we don't have a dining room in this house.  It's small but I'm used to working tables into small areas and have some ideas to make it work. 

The next thing that changed was due to our bunny actin' a fool and peeing all over our rugs.  This blue and white one was in my living room but Bun Bun dug holes in it and peed all over it (bad bunny).  ANYWAY, due to that craziness I had to come up with a new plan.  I figured it was because of the texture of the rug and knew we needed to switch to jute or sisal to deter her potty habits here. I also decided I wanted one large rug instead of two smaller to make the room feel larger and less busy.

One thing that hasn't changed from the old plan to the new are the incredible items gifted from Spoonflower.  I'm obsessed with the look and feel of everything from them!  It's such high quality stuff and I love that I was able to pick from thousands of patterns to find the exact perfect prints.  The wallpaper, curtains, pillows and fabrics are stunning and I will be showing them to you as the weeks progress. EEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

In case you are curious: here's a running list of all the items I will have to tackle in the next 8 weeks.  

1. Hang wallpaper (nearly done)
2. Paint green credenza blue (done)
3. Paint accent wall white to match the other walls in the room
4. Hang curtains
5. Hang ceiling fan
6. Recover stools
7. Spray paint mirror
8. Recover armchair or thrift new
9. Thrift dining table, chairs and chandelier
10. Hang chandelier
11. Shop for decor
12. Style and photograph the space

There's still a lot of things that may change as the room evolves since I'm planning on using FB Marketplace and hunting thrift stores (if they ever open again!) to find the dining table, chairs, chandelier and more, for the space.  Plus, I like to have a plan but also see how a room evolves before I have all my design decisions solidified.  That being said, now you have had a peek inside my designer brain and how it likes to jump around.  It's just part of being a genius-- what can I say LOL.

If you haven't followed along with the ORC before, 20 featured designers are chosen to decorate their space in 6 weeks (8 weeks this time!).  The rest of us are guest designers that have jumped on board.  Make sure to follow both groups--on Wednesdays the featured designers post updates and on Thursdays it's the guest designers' turns.  We will be posting each week until June 25th (the BIG reveal!) and I hope you will follow along and support all the designers.  Make sure to check out the One Room Challenge blog to see the other rooms and thank you, Linda, for hosting this event and taking such good care of us this year! 

​See y'all next week!!! 

xo,
​Rachel
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This is the word that has been floating around in my head lately.  Pivot.  Because that's what we have done.  

I am passionate about helping others know their interior style.  More often than not, I think not understanding one's loves leaves a person to freeze up when it comes to decorating their home.  I'm here to tell you, you may know more than you think you know.  If you have a decent sense of what you look good in and what you like to wear, there's a really good chance that your closet would and should translate to the interior of your home.

This doesn't work in every single case but most people gravitate toward certain colors/patterns/textures in their wardrobe and that can say a lot about how you would want your surrounding space to feel.  I have yet to find a person that only wears white and decorates in all the colors of the rainbow.  I'm sure they exist but most of us probably fall into the 95% of people with cohesive wardrobe and interior design tastes. 

To hit this point home, I wanted to show you some real examples.  I may do this in different ways from time to time but I think it's fun to see how a room can inspire an outfit and visa versa.  So, here's where I will quit yapping and get to it:

I chose this outfit for many reasons: I love Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Kate Spade and this is actress Rachel Brosnahan modeling her late aunt's (Kate Spade) clothing line, Frances Valentine, founded a few years before she died.

I also chose this outfit to make my example more interesting.  I wanted to show colors or patterns one might not normally think to decorate with but may wear much more easily-- just to know that those things can and do translate to a room. 

Here's the space that coordinates.  Can you see it?  It doesn't have to be *exactly* the same to get the point across.  For example, if you wear Mickey Mouse shirts, please don't decorate with Micky Mouse-- unless you are under the age of 9!

Let's break it down in a side by side: 

In general, both are refined and an ode to silhouettes and shapes of yesteryear (pants, shoes, purse, chaise, lighting, wall coverings) but playful with the bold and bright unconventional color palette and heavy dose of pattern.

This outfit allows one to pull out all the stops in this comparison game but you could also go the other direction with it. For example taking a neutral room with smaller pops of similar color and pattern.  I just couldn't refrain from a maximalist counterpart :)

It's important to note that this excersize is really about training your eyes to pay attention to the details that make up a design-- weather it's an outfit or a room.  Hopefully after awhile, you can use your wardrobe to help inform your interior style or visa versa. 

Lastly: DON'T BE AFRAID.  I think we often wear colors we would never decorate with.  I get that but try to push yourself a little bit, you may be surprised ;) 

I love how so many forms of art and design speak to each other.  If you thought this was fun-- let me know.  I'm thinking about having you all send me photos of rooms or outfits you love and showing you what pairs well with them!  

xoxo,
​Rachel

Whether it's a long game of cards, something animated or low-key, it's not a family gathering without a fun game.  I rounded up some of our favorite games to play with our kids and with extended family.  Playing games together is one of my favorite memories of childhood and adulthood at our family Christmases.  My mom and her siblings laughing their heads off, my great-grandma trying to draw on a big white board or someone acting out something before the buzzer went off-- you name it, we've done it.

1. Settlers of Catan (one of our son's favorites!)
2. Pictionary (We use a huge whiteboard and dry erase markers, instead of the tiny boards that come with this game. We play with two big groups at my grandpa's Christmas each year.)
3. Password (Best for adults, low-key and brainy but not TOO brainy)
4. Ticket to Ride (Fun and fairly easy, similar to Settlers in concept but easier IMO).
5. Balderdash (SO many funny memories of this but you need to have creative thinkers playing.)
6. Guesstures (What's better than people acting out charades with just a few seconds to do so?)
7. Farkle (Another easy favorite for two oldest.)
8. Quelf (One of the weirdest and funniest games on Earth.  Just make sure you are playing with good sports.)
9. Taboo (Great for a large group-- also funny!)
10. Scattegories (We play this with our kids-- fairly easy and fun.)
11. Catchphrase (I'm sure you know this game, similar to Taboo.)
12. Hedbanz (Fun for all ages but esp with littler kids.)

Some of our favorite games aren't on here because they are so simple or need explanation:

Telephone Pictionary (All you need is pen and paper-- I have never laughed so hard as I have with this game.  It's like the classic game "telephone" but with drawings :) )

Card games like Shanghai (similar to Phase 10 but harder) and Cribbage (Jared and I play this just the two of us or with his parents).

​I hope you try a new game this year and make some fabulous memories.  Let me know how it goes :)

xoxo,
Rachel

If I could have a shopping spree at any store in the world, it would be at CB2.  It's my favorite home store with their velvet furniture, rattan pieces and plenty of glitz and glam. Knowing that, can you believe that I have never even been inside a CB2 store?!  Much like how I love Miami and Palm Beach styles and I've never been to those places either!  Maybe 2020 will be the year I check those places off my bucket-list!

In honor of my love for this store I made a Christmas moodboard for your viewing pleasure!  If I had no budget, 95% of my Christmas would be from here.  Those cockatoo ornaments?!  The cane pattern ornaments?!  Marble! Leopard! Gah!

The only thing I would maybe change for my own home is bringing in green a bit of green. Or maybe not, sometimes just the basics are so chic. 

See below for sources.  

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9
10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 

What's your favorite item on the board?  Those wood trees are to.die.for.  What is inspiring you this Christmas season?  If you love this-- shop these sources or make it your own by taking out and adding in what makes it "you"!

xoxo,
Rachel

A lot of you already know that I own my own online boutique where I sell vintage decor, vintage-inspired jewelry and graphic tees I've designed.  Because of that, I have had a lot of people ask me how to style a graphic tee.  Here's three of my tshirts, three different ways!

Tshirt // Cardi (similar) // Favorite Jeans // Necklace (similar, same brand) // Clutch // Shoes 

Tshirt // Cardi (obsessed) // Jeans // Earrings // Shoes 

Tshirt // Blazer // Skirt (similar) // Earrings // Clutch // Shoes 

So tell me, what's your favorite outfit??  What do you want to see next? Enjoy, my friends!

xoxo,
Rachel 
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links contain affiliates

I love making moodboards because it's therapeutic and like trying on new outfits and in different styles I may not regularly "wear".  I made a traditional Christmas design with a modern twist-- that way, if you already have red and green Christmas decor, adding in a bit of something different shouldn't be too hard.

Some of the items are things you could use year round: the blush or red pillows, gold flatware, abstract dish set and candlesticks.  In case you do already have some similar items, for example, large green ball ornaments, then use those and get wide wire ribbon in red instead!  

My vision is to have the room be about 50% pink, 30% red and 20% green and that's why most of the tree ornaments are the rose gold.  However, you could always do more red and less blush-- or switch up one color from year to year!  Just make sure to disperse your colors around the room and have one that's more dominant.

I would get at least a dozen of the "special" or non-rose gold ornament, just FYI.
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Here's the links to all the items!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10
11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // 19 // 20
21 // 22 // 23 // 24 // 25 // 26 // 27 // 28 // 29 // 30

If you liked this, let me know and I will do some more :) 

Links contain affiliate links

Oh sorry, I'm just over here enjoying my new night club -- er, living room. With a neon sign it's pretty tempting to start jamming in here, and since I haven't been cool since the early 2000s most of my music is outdated, but whatever.  ANYWAY, onto the reveal because that's what you care about ;)  

I'm going to try to keep this short and sweet because lots of words are just annoying-- amirite?

If you want to catch up, here's the past several posts:

Week 1 // Week 2 // Week 3 // Week 4 // ​Week 5

And this is now:

What did you think the neon sign would say?  Are you surprised?  There's so much in those two tiny words for us, and I'll get into it more at a later date, but in a nutshell, it represents everything up until this point-- every risk, every dream followed, every idea that's crashed and burned.  We have done some crazy things and we are better for it.  It's not easy or even close to perfect, but it's good.

This corner is the focal point with the wood wall and bright windows and I wanted to pull out all the stops. 

I found a gorgeous chair on Marketplace and had it recovered in a leopard fabric I got for a steal at Hobby Lobby!  I added a faux plant wall and then topped it off with a gorgeous neon sign from Hey Light Co.  They were amazing to work with and I LOVE HOW IT TURNED OUT.  It got here with time to spare and completely makes the space.

The lucite stool is also thrifted.  I changed the cushion from white to black because it got lost in the shuffle before and now it stands out.  #ilovelucite

I made cornice boards for the windows in the space to bring in a traditional Palm Beach feel.  The goal of this room was to marry a sexy Miami vibe with a preppy Palm Beach vibe.  I honestly wasn't sure I could pull it off but I think I did!!!!??!

This shelf is one of two items that stayed in the room (obviously because it's amazing). I restyled it with items I mostly already had, including this "neon" art from Hapi Art-- one of my favorites.

I had really wanted a new sleeper sofa in this space but in the end, it just wasn't in the budget.  We pulled our green velvet sofa out of storage and it works perfectly.  It was originally from IKEA and still so pretty even after 3 kids + a bunny and all their fluids ;)

The coffee table is SO fab.  It's an original Milo Baughman piece from Craigslist.  Each circle rotates independantly which makes the piece so sculptural and functional.  It can fold so the circles completely stack, or it can spread out really far.

One of my favorite parts of the room is the white Chippendale chair I scored at a local shop.  The shape brings in that Palm Beach style and adds so much interest to this side of the room.  I hunted and hunted for the perfect chair and was so happy to find this one.  

I don't know why, but the pillows in this space were so difficult for me!  I don't have the budget for custom pillows and could. not. find. what I wanted.  Thankfully, The Land of Pillows came through and sent me these gorgeous flocked crane pillows.  I honestly think I would have ended up with pumpkin pillows from Tuesday Morning if it wasn't for their super swift service.  I'm grateful!

The painting is by my friend Kindra (she's amazing and has done lots of cool stuff for me!) and then the photograph is from my friend, Molly.  I met her a year ago when we were thinking about moving to Florida.  She's a Florida girl through and through and I'm so grateful she is in my life as we embark on these new adventures here.  She took this photo in Miami and it's so fun to have a piece of her in this space 'cause she loves design as much as I do.  

Really, all the main pieces in the space are vintage or thrifted.  This bird's eye media cabinet is no exception.  It's so good in person-- modern lines with a nod to Deco via the curved drawers.  I love the warmth it brings to the wallpaper wall.

I had a lot of fun styling this area trying to bring in the preppy/traditional/bold elements of my style.  It's a little bit of everything I love in one place.

Halfway through the challenge, I decided to also do something about our dining area.  Yes, that black table folds out to be a dining table.  I was sick of not eating around the table together as a family but there's literally no space in this place for a real table.  So I got creative and am SO glad I did.  Not only can we eat together instead of all around the room, but I love the look of this area SO much.  I have always wanted a "console" table with two stools underneath and I was able to do so on a budget.  I think this whole area was only $300.  

The table is from Target, the stools were plain gray ones I recovered in the same fabric as the chair.  The mirror was in our back storage room and I didn't remember it was there until a few days ago! I was thrilled because it was FREE and PERFECT.  We sprayed it gold after a brief debate about going neon pink :) 

The sconces are the cherry on top.  They are not hard-wired and I plan to do the "magic light trick" with them (remote operated lights) which I'll explain sometime soon.  

This vase is a dream and was only $20 at Homegoods-- man, I love that place!

I am so excited by how this room turned out.  I was venturing into new territory combining styles I have never put together before and have basically never seen combined, so it was a true challenge but SO FULFILLING.  I hope you love it as much as I do and that it inspires you to live bold in whatever way that means to you.

This project would not be possible without Linda from Calling it Home, who organizes the One Room Challenge.  I had no idea I would be doing this two short months ago and it's truly been a blast, connecting me with awesome people and sharpening my design skills.  Better Homes and Gardens is the sponsor and that's incredibly exciting because they are AMAZING, and because we are both from Des Moines :) Thank you, BHG, for championing good design for so many years.

Lastly, I want to thank my mom who let me turn her beloved cottage upside-down.  She is the most generous, loving woman you could meet.  I know it pained her to have me change this place because it's so dear to her heart but she was happy to let me do it and championed me along the whole time.  Thank you, mom, for always being my biggest fan, I love you (and I hope you don't hate my design- ha!).

Now, go and support ALL the other featured and guest designers.  We are all happy-tired and need your love and encouragement.  Thank you for following along, you guys keep me going.

xoxo,
Rachel