What I've been up to lately, and some throw pillow shopping advice.

I have that feeling in my chest. You know, the heavy one that sits right above your sternum when you haven't talked to an old friend in a long time. That feeling of having so much to say and not knowing where to begin, and being unsure that any of the built up complaints really even matter now that you look back on them. But, you know you want to share something, anything, to reconnect.

I've been pretty disconnected from my blog for almost two weeks (which, in our electronic world may as well be a lifetime) and I've realized that C.C. has become a way to keep in touch with friends and family, to share ideas, to vent, and to find something positive and constructive to do. Not posting for so long feels like I've been neglecting a confidante, a fellow crafter, and another foodie all in one. It's time to chat face to face, C.C. (readers). While it's easy to turn to ridiculous work stories and the general craziness that is being in your twenties (or thirties or any age, really), I'd rather dish about what I've been doing that's creative and fulfilling.

Enter: home decor shopping. I know, how consumerist of me, right? Well, I'll be the first to admit to loving a little retail therapy. It's probably not the healthiest or most philosophically enlightened way to deal with a shitty day, but, sometimes it feels damn good to find a few pairs of skinny jeans that make my butt look fabulous and some patterns to put around my living space that make me smile.

Somethings I've been dying to have in the house are new throw pillows for the couch. A good friend gifted handmade ones to me a couple Christmases ago, but they were so well-loved that they fell apart. I figured that good, cute pillows were worth a bit of an investment. Following the ever on-point decorating advice of my friend, Brittanie, I took Kohl's by storm. Brittanie and I even resorted to using a curtain rod to reach pillows on the high shelves to ensure I was making the perfect purchase.

I thought I'd share B's pillow advice since I found it so helpful.

Throw Pillow Purchasing Tips

1. 3 is a magic number. Buy 3 pillows. Just do it.
2.  Texture is everything. If you don't love the feel of the fabric and the "squish" factor of the pillow at first touch, then you'll never love it.
3. It works really well if each pillow has a unique print.
4. You can help the prints coordinate by finding a similar color or shape (my pillows are all in the yellow family and the two printed pillows share rounded shapes). 
5. A good rule of thumb is to have one solid pillow, one bold and busy print, and a medium print. This helps balance them.

I wish everyone had a Brittanie to help them make pillow purchasing easier! Who knew that buying pillows could be so complex? She was a blessing; I would have either given up or just bought three of the same pillow without her help. How boring would that have been?

Here's what my wee red couch looks like now with its jazzy pillows!

Thank you, Brittanie, for all of your help! I literally squeal whenever I see the pillows all lined up.

In this same weekend, I went to Home Goods with another friend, Jess. I was helping her look for the perfect rug for her kitchen when I stumbled across a BRILLIANT find: a warm, happy, small rug that not only fit perfectly in my yellow kitchen but was also only $8. Say what?!

Look at this precious thing!

Could you have said no to those flowers? No, no you could not. I love that it has the red and yellows that are already in the kitchen. Plus, it packs a punch of orange and a funky turquoise-aqua color I would never fathomed of putting in there.

Now that the rug is here, though, I can't imagine my kitchen without it. It's just so HAPPY! 

My little piece of advice for buying an accent rug is to not be afraid of experimenting with pattern and color. Find a pattern that makes you smile that has within it a color or two already in the room you're decorating.

What have all of you been doing lately that makes you smile like a fool?

Enjoy! xo