Happy Halloween!

Me, circa 1993.

I was going to do a round up of my favorite black and gold accessories, but I'm not above embarrassing myself a little bit. Why do that when I could show an old picture of myself? 

Because I'm not dressing up this year, I thought I should show you what I wore when I was 3 :) I was a proud Minnie Mouse lover. In fact, my bedroom had Minnie 'n Me wallpaper and a matching bedspread to go with it, so it was only natural to be her for Halloween. Oh, those were the days! The days when a bob cut and thick bangs were seemingly "in" {thanks mom!} Among other things, I was also a ballerina, cowgirl, and disney princess when I was younger. What can I say?! I loved dresses and sparkly outfits!

This year we're just going to pass out candy, watch a movie and devour my mom's chili that she makes every year on Halloween. It's finally cold around these parts of California, so we'll be bundled up in socks and blankets and drinking hot tea or cider on the sofa.

What were you when you were a little one on Halloween?! Hope you have a wonderful day full of surprises and treats...

Happy Halloween!
xoxo

PS. I'm at Anna's blog sharing a bit about myself! 

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Fashion: Casual Stripes & Jewels

*images by Michaela Noelle Designs

DETAILS | Shirt / Jeans / Shoes

Two weekends ago, my family and I went to Napa. It was a wonderful day of wine tasting and site seeing. I had no clue it was going to be so hot, so I definitely dressed incorrectly, wearing this casual fall sweater in 85 degree weather! Oops :) My favorite thing about this shirt is most definitely the jewels. I'm not sure about you, but I often forget to accessorize with jewelry, so the fact that this shirt has already done my jewelry for me, makes it a real winner. J. Crew is almost out of this exact shirt, but I found a few other options that are just as cute!

If you want to recreate the look on the cheap, perhaps buy a simple long sleeve shirt and layer with some statement jewels.  All my favorite look-alike shirts and pieces to build this outfit are below (click on the arrow to the left to scroll):

Are you a jewelry girl?!
Happy Wednesday!
xoxo

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Help Us Choose: Living Room Rug

We're in the home stretch of finishing up our living room/dining room design at my parent's house. #operationmakeovermyparentshouse is going well, but I'm glad it's almost done! Today I'm asking for your help-- we need to choose a rug ASAP and my mom (aka my client!) needs your help choosing. I told her I could pick one, or we could ask my readers, and she of course chose YOU! Greaaaat ;)

The room is being painted a light gray (Malibu Beige by Kelly Moore at 75% strength), the dining chairs are upholstered in this cranberry, burgundy color seen on the board, and our color palette is navy, silver blue (found in the amazing Phillip Jeffries wallpaper) and cranberry. So, here are the three choices below:

ONE:

TWO: 

THREE: 

What's your vote?! I can't wait to hear your input. Thanks in advance!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
xoxo

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Birthday Wish List

Necklace / Boots / Book / Lace Sweater / Gray Cardigan /  Gray Coat / Nail Polish /

Friday's my birthday and I'm getting excited! Here are a few things I'm wishin' for :) At the top of my list are those boots, because mine are 3 years old and all worn out! I'm currently trying to grow my design book library, so I always ask for a coffee table book. I can't seem to get enough of purple nail polish lately, so that wouldn't hurt either. 

This post will be a not-so-subtle-hint to my mama about what I'm loving. That's all for today!

Happy Monday!
xoxo

PS. I'm offering 23% off ad spaces in November to celebrate. Email me for packages and pricing!

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23% Off Ad Space for November!

My birthday is next Friday-- November 1st! I can hardly believe I'm almost 23. In celebration of another year, I'm offering 23% off advertising packages for November only! This is a great time to sign up as a sponsor, as I'll be doing round ups of my favorite products before the holidays, and taking part in many collaborations in the next few months. It's going to be a fun month around here! If you're looking to promote awareness of your small business or creative shop, send me an email so we can chat about advertising options for you. 

hello (at) michaelanoelledesigns (dot) com

My hope is to partner with brands and business that reflect my style, so I can better serve my readers!
Happy Weekend!

xoxo

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Joy Filled Home: Instagram Challenge Announcement!

Happy Friday! I can hardly believe my birthday is next Friday, which is also the first day of November. It's mind blowing! How are we already into the final months of 2013?! 

My dear friend Nicole, from Bloom, and I have been so excited to finally announce this Instagram challenge we've been planning for the last few weeks. Since I am smitten with everything "home" related, and November is a month where we truly remember to reflect on our blessings, many of which begin at home, we created this 30 day Instagram challenge. We're calling it the Joy Filled Home Challenge and we'd LOVE for you to join us!

Below are the prompts for each day in November. November 1st (my birthday!), we'll kick off with posting a picture of your favorite room in your house. Be sure to read through each of the prompts before you start taking pictures each day, so you can really think about what you want to capture :)

Be sure to use the hashtag #JOYFILLEDHOMECHALLENGE and tag Nicole and I in your post so we can go through all the pictures! We really can't wait to see all the photos of where you call "home" and really use this month intentionally to focus on everything God has blessed us with. So, if your house is big or small, finished or completely in the middle of projects, rented or owned, house or apartment (or even a dorm room!), we hope you'll join in the fun.

Feel free to spread the word about this challenge! We made the image below for you to put on your blogs or instagrams:

Follow us on instagram:

@michaelanoelle & @nicolevcole

Comment below and let us know if you're in!

Happy weekend!

xoxo

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Fashion: Heylee B. $50 Giveaway!

Remember last week when I showed you pictures from my trip to Michigan and the apple orchard? That cute outfit I was wearing was from one of the cutest shops around. I'm excited to highlight one of my favorite boutiques, Heylee B. today! Heylee is graciously giving away $50 to her shop, so be sure to enter below, and grab the discount code!

DETAILS | Top: c/o HeyleeB; Jeggings: Citizens of Humanity (similar); Boots: Steve Madden (sold out, similar), Sunglasses: Coach

Here are some of my other favorites from the shop:

Simply enter the giveaway of $50 to Heylee B. below using the rafflecopter tool. If you just can't wait to scoop something up, use code MBLOG15 for 15% off your next purchase!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!
xoxo

30

Dream Home: Eclectic Kitchen & Living Room

*images via Stacey Brandford for Sarah Richardson

Sometimes I spend countless hours on a designer's website, getting lost in their work and inspired by new elements in their interiors.  That's precisely what happens each and every time I happen upon Sarah Richardson's website/portfolio. I could live in each of the homes she's designed, which is why she is one of my most favorite designers. She mixes pattern fabulously, chooses the perfect materials, and has a spot-on-eye for furniture placement. 

The above is a beautiful residence that was photographed for Country Living. The darker gray/blue cabinets, contrasted with white upper cabinets, is still so, so perfect. The dove gray sofa, wood ceiling, occasional chairs placed on either side of the windows...it's all so lovely. What is your favorite part?

Who wants to move in with me? :)
Enjoy your Wednesday!
xoxo

10

Weekend in Pictures: A Trip to Napa

Last weekend my mom, dad, Hope and I headed to Napa. This was my first time in this gorgeous city since turning 21, so it was fun to do a little tiny bit of tasting with my parents! It was the most beautiful day; sunny and 85 degrees! {I definitely wore the wrong outfit for the heat!} I honestly think I could have stayed there forever and ever, just staring out onto the rolling hills, vineyards, lush greenery, symmetrically placed rows of grapes, old barns, and perfectly pink sunset.  

There's no denying God's glory when you happen upon a place this stunning. As a designer, beauty found in nature inspires me to create beauty this pure in a home. What inspires you? I hope you enjoy some pictures from our day!

*all images by Michaela Warner for Michaela Noelle Designs.

That last picture there was truly a stroke of luck. Would you believe me if I told you I was in a moving car when I took it?! It's true, I promise. I'm still shocked at how clear it came out with the pink sun peeking through the trees, all while my mom driving along. Old buildings covered in ivy gets me every.single.time.  I guess the moral of this story is to keep snapping away with your camera-- you just never know when you're going to catch a keeper!

Have you ever been to Napa?  I'll be sharing outfit details with you tomorrow, so come on back.

Happy Tuesday!
xoxo

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