stylish succulents

I'm a total plant fanatic, and while I've become pretty good at keeping most alive (even the finicky fiddle leaf fig), one thing I just can't seem to get to thrive are succulents. I absolutely adore them, and they are supposedly difficult to kill, but I definitely kill them every. single. time. I'm determined to teach myself how to take care of them, but until then, I'll just stare at these pretties for some inspiration:

via Best Friends for Frosting

via From Etzer With Love

via Jen Lauren Grant

via

Etsy via Sadie and Mac

Remember my pineapple post? Love the idea of this pineapple vase with a succulent inside!

Do you have any special tips for getting succulents to survive? I'd love to hear any advice you have!

project update: backyard

The last two weeks we've been working on the house, I've been studying for finals, and in-between it all I've been trying to find time to pack for our move next week. But... I finally have a little progress to share! Awhile ago I shared before photos of our backyard, and after three weeks and a lot of help from my sweet in-laws it looked like this!

When we purchased the house, the only spot of grass back here was completely dead, and the flowerbeds were full of weeds, rocks, old mulch, piles of leaves, and overgrown plants.

This was what the two flowerbeds closets to our house looked like (after I pulled out an overgrown bush). I spent a week pulling weeds, picking out these rocks, and moving them to the new flowerbed by the fence.

Here they are all cleaned out with newly planted flowers.

Once they fill in it will be so bright and cheery. We still have a lot of projects to complete back here, but I'm so happy to finally have our yard cleaned up and ready for us to use all summer long. 

This week I'll also be sharing progress on our laundry room, kitchen, and bath remodel, so stay tuned!

four decorating tips that work in every space

Today I'm sharing with you my four go-to items in every space I design. They work well in almost any decor situation, so any time someone asks me for advice, these are my favorite tips to give...

1) Lighting: Lighting in a space is so important, yet so many people don't use it correctly. I find that a lot of people have lamps that are way out of proportion to their space. Make sure to have a good, tall lamp that hits right about eye level to where you will be seated. For years, my go-to lamp has been the Robert Abbey Delta Lamp. They come in pretty much any color you could ever want and are perfectly sized. Not too high or low, and I like the width on the base and shade.

2) Plants: I've said it before and I'll say it again... plants make any space look better. If you're worried about kids or animals coming into contact with them, try hanging them from the wall where they are out of reach like I did here. What you put your plant in is just as important to the decor as the plant itself. You can't go wrong with these white plant pots from Ikea. They come in four designs and a ton of sizes ranging from $1.49 to $14.99 making them super affordable. I have almost every plant in my home in these!

3) Rugs: Please, I'm begging you to buy the right-sized rug for your space! I'm guilty of buying a size smaller in the past to save money, but it just doesn't work. Ever. This video by Emily Henderson explains it better than I ever could. So watch and learn, friends. If you really love a rug that is too expensive in the larger size, I suggest buying an affordable seagrass or jute rug that is large enough for the room, and then layer the smaller rug over it. I've done this in my own living room and you can see it done well here. Also, seagrass rugs are lovely by themselves...

4) Faux Sheepskin: Last but not least, my favorite decorating trick is to throw a (faux) sheepskin on it. These work everywhere: draped over chairs in the dining room, on either side of the bed, thrown onto the sofa or draped over a pouf... They instantly make a space look cozier and more put-together.

What do you think? Do you have any favorites to add?