Outside Patio Apartment Update

As warmer weather continues here in Michigan, I am loving my little patio. I've always loved flowers (clearly!) and have wanted my own garden for ages, but while living in an apartment, potted plants will have to suffice. Although it's not big, it's an outdoor space and it over looks a golf course, so I'm not complaining! The first thing I did when the weather warmed up was go get myself a peony bush. The one I bought last year apparently developed a disease and never bloomed (sad!!) so I was hoping this year's would actually show me some blooms. We had a very humid night the other day and when I woke up, both of the buds had bursted open with the prettiest pink hues. Summer made! ;)

In order to make this outdoor patio space feel cozy and colorful, I added a few key pieces. 

1. Plants: what's a porch without plants? I picked up this large plant below, along with a lattice, for the climbing vines to make their way up, up, up!

2. Height: adding height is a great way to up the interest in a space. I found this old stool at a vintage store around the corner from my house, added the lattice for more height, and staggered the heights of the plants.

3. Color: adding some fun throw pillows from Lulu & Georgia was my finishing touch. Summer calls for some saturated hues. I love the coral/pink in these Spotted Ikat throws.

4. Seating: when it's nice out, we love eating dinner on the patio and sometimes I'll even eat my lunch outside when I'm working from home. I picked up this table and chairs set (it's not the prettiest, but it works!) for under $100 at a local furniture store.

I think I literally experienced the heart eyes emoji upon seeing these petals open!

It's not a lot of decor, but it's something to make it feel like a new season. If you're in the market for some outdoor decor and furniture, here are my go to shops!

- Terrain - Oh my word..if I could buy everything in the store, I really would! This is a great resource for special, one-of-a-kind items.
- Target - always a fan favorite.
- World Market - awesome, stylish pieces for great prices!

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I can't finish out this post without letting you know today marks the first day of the Nordstrom Half-Yearly SALE!  Save up to 40% at the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale on Men, Women & Kids styles! FREE Shipping & FREE Returns, as always! I'll be sharing my favorites on my Facebook Page throughout the day, so head on over there. I'll also be back here later to update the post with some fave picks.

SHOP!


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What have you done to spruce up your patio lately?
xoxo

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Apartment Update: New Addition to the Bookshelf

This here is my favorite bookshelf in all the land. It's in my living / dining room and it holds books, frames, accessories and a plant. I recently got new bookends, something I desperately needs to better hold up my books, from Brooklyn Thread. They're not just any old bookend, though. These agate stone bookends are intricate, beautiful, and provide texture for the top shelf. I think they add so much interest to my bookshelf! Here are some more peeks:

Brooklyn Thread also sent me this amazing Agate Stone Candle Holder. I put it here on my dress in my bedroom because it is the exact accent color of my room-- berry! I love how it glistens when I light the candle inside the stone. It's just the coolest effect!

Headboard / Bedding / Floral Pillow / Lamp 

I think these pretty gem stone pieces go so well with the flow of the rest of my home. Aren't they lovely?!

Hope you're enjoying your week so far! Happy Tuesday
xoxo

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Apartment Update: My Dining Chairs Arrived!

Last week my dining room chairs arrived! I love having an actual table and chairs now...hooray!

Not only do I love having chairs, I specifically love these from 55 Downing Street! They're so perfect for the style of my apartment- updated shabby chic. The tufting is just feminine enough to dress up the dark wood table, and the chair's legs match surprisingly well with the table. I couldn't be happier :)

Dining Chairs / Curtains: Crate & Barrel, but sold out :(

The chairs are really comfortable and look pretty expensive (they're not! You can steel a pair for just $350, which is a wonderful deal.) Oh, and I only got two chairs, because my dining table is tiny at just 36" diameter. The dining room is so small itself, that it really couldn't take any larger of a table. Two chairs look perfect around the table, and accommodate McCann and I. When I have friends over, we will just pull up a cute bench I have in another room. Should work well! 

Do you like?! 

I can't wait to show you more of my apartment soon. It's really coming along! 

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

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FOUND: Fiddle Leaf Tree

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They are everywhere. You know what I'm talking about-- fiddle leaf plants! I have been seeing them in every interior space and LOVING them. Naturally, I had to have one for my apartment. I have super tall, vaulted ceilings, and a little corner of my living room needed some height, so this was the perfect opportunity to place a fiddle leaf plant in the space. I went all over town looking for one; Home Depot, Lowes, local nurseries. NOTHING. I was discouraged but had not given up, so I tried one last place. There's a garden store called Flowerland here in town, so I drove over there and to my surprise, I found one (the only one in the store actually!) 

It's perfect in its new home, don't you think?! It sits to the right of my media cabinet and right underneath the gallery wall, so it really adds a lot of texture, color, and freshness to my room.

If you're afraid you're going to kill the poor plant, don't worry! Lulu & Georgia has you covered with our fiddle leaf fig print:

 Are you on the fiddle leaf tree train yet, too?!

Happy Tuesday!
xoxo

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Apartment Happenings: New Sofa & Dining Table

I haven't shown you any apartment updates lately, because...well, there hasn't been any really. A lot of things are in the works, but nothing to show for the plans quite yet.

When I first moved to Michigan and got this apartment, I was so scared I wasn't going to have any furniture for a long time, that I made one big furniture mistake. This is something I caution clients against doing, and here I am doing it myself. How could I?! I bought a sofa for my living without much thought. I knew it was cute, it would fit and I needed somewhere to sit, so I bought it after 5 minutes of being in the store. When it was delivered a few days later, I LOVED the look of it. My 6'3" boyfriend came over to watch a movie that night and OH MY GOSH, he barely fits on the sofa. I think it shrunk somewhere between purchasing it in the showroom to arriving at my place ;) 

Seeing us BOTH on the couch is a joke, really. Although super cute and perfect for the living room space, it's not functional being the only couch to sit on if I have more people over. {It's like I wasn't even thinking when I bought it...} I started experiencing buyers remorse but didn't do anything about it for a few months {second mistake!} until my boyfriend starting joking with me (probably not really a joke!) that he is going to walk through my apartment doors with a la-Z-boy any day now. That just.can't.happen. Am I right, friends?!

Enter Michaela frantically searching for a new sofa to accommodate her tall boyfriend. After a while of looking, I settled on this Pottery Barn sectional. It's from the Cameron line of furniture, and I was drawn to it because it's the perfect size (88" long, as opposed to my 65" long current sofa) and it has a chaise with reversible left-right arm positioning! (So versatile!) This is me singing from the roof tops!!! Everyone will be nice and comfy now. I got it in this textured linen cotton fabric in the oatmeal color and I think it's going to be perfect for the space. My gold side table from Lulu & Georgia is large enough to be a coffee table, so I'll just scoot that right over to the middle of the sofa. Clearly I'm excited :)

If you're still with me here, I wanted to tell you I'm very close to getting my dining table. I found a guy who makes tables out of reclaimed wood, so I will finally be getting my dream farm table. It's going to be 36" round (small, but perfect for my tiny dining space!) I can't wait to kick this folding table to the curb ;) Here's what the table will look like (more or less...sorry for the awful screenshot quality)

I'm thinking of going for some sort of upholstered dining chair. Here are some of my favorite options:

1. 55 Downing Street Natural Linen Tufted Chairs

2. 55 Downing Street Linen Tufted Chairs (just a touch darker and with lighter wood legs!)

3. Target Threshold Brookline Tufted Chairs

4. I've always loved these from Pottery Barn, but don't quite have the budget!

5. World Market Cocoa Paige Round Back Dining Chairs

Which do you like best? Thanks for listening to my apartment rant :) Needless to say, I'm selling my current couch (more like a love seat I guess.) It's so cute, lined with nailhead trim and great for a small space. Email me if you'd like more info and you're in the West Michigan area.

Happy Wednesday! 
xoxo

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PS. BIG savings at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale are still going! Only 2 more days to shop! 

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Apartment Update: Pillow Talk

It's no secret that I love color. I couldn't wait to infuse pops of color into my new apartment. With soft tones of gray and light blue in my bedroom, I chose to accent it with a splash of berry and pink. Hey, I got to get out this pink obsession. Who knows when I'll have to begin thinking about what colors a guy actually likes?! ;) Pillows are a great way to spice up the room with color, texture and pattern. It's also a very small item in the grand scheme of things, so if you want to change it out in a few months, you can definitely afford to do that.

I recently picked out these Caitlin Wilson Textile Fretwork Pillows. I just can't decide where they should stay! (Do you have that problem, too?!) I love them in my bedroom and love them in my living room! Here are some photos of them in both locations. 

Bed Pillows / CWT Fretwork Pillow / CWT Berry Fluer Pillow / Blue Pillow / Headboard / Lamp

Isn't the coral oh-so-lovely?! :) Where do you prefer the pillow?

Happy Wednesday! One more day of work and then a long, fun weekend of celebration!
xoxo

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Teacups in My Kitchen & Printables

If there was one print made just for me, it would be this adorable teacup print from Elle & Company. Have you checked out the new Library Lauren create over at Elle & Co?! It's full of pretty prints, cards (perfect if you're in a pinch!), notepads, and Daybook inserts. They are all free printables after you pay the small monthly subscription, which is so genius and affordable. I love the heart of what Lauren wanted to accomplish with her Library:

"I created the Library in hopes of making gift giving, home decorating, card writing, and day-to-day living a little easier for you."

Take a peek at the sweet teacup print in my kitchen!

Here are a few thing about the Library from Lauren:

No more turnaround time or shipping costs. Members have unlimited access to all of the design files in the Library, all of the time.

Continuous updates. I will be adding new files to the Library each month, with DIY projects, new offerings, and seasonal paper goods. A changing collection of pretty designs will always be right at your fingertips!

You don't even have to leave home. Everything is accessible right from your very own computer screen. Simply click on an image in the library, print on your favorite paper, and enjoy!

Gift giving is a breeze. In need of a last-minute gift idea? Sign in to the Library, print off an art print and greeting card and you're good to go! You can also give someone a subscription to the Library as a gift by clicking here.

It's only $6.99! For the cost of less than one art print each month, you have access to a large Library of paper goods for you, your family, and your friends.

Give it a try. With a monthly subscription, you aren't tied into a long commitment. Members can cancel their account at any time if for any reason they're disappointed. (Although I have a feeling you're going to love it!) 

Hope you love Elle & Co's new Library as much as I do. I know you'll be so happy with the simplicity and the adorable designs!

Happy Tuesday!
xoxo

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PS. Thanks for supporting companies Michaela Noelle Designs genuinely loves!

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