Bloom Workshop | Coming October 2014 (to a new city!)


Oh happy day! We're announcing the next city we are heading to for the Bloom Workshop! Drumroll please......


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Atlanta, Georgia! GEORGIA. I'm so excited. I've never been, but Ashley grew up there, so we are over-the-moon excited to meet lots of ladies in Georgia at Vinewood Plantation on October 23rd, 2014. Have you heard of Vinewood before?! It's the most stunning venue I've ever laid eyes on. With a historic barn for event space and a classic Georgia plantation, it will be the perfect place for Bloom. Head over right here to see a more images and videos from events at Vinewood.




 If you're interested in learning more about blogging, social media, photography, or design, we'd love to meet you in Georgia on October 23rd. Head to our website for all the details! Registration will open for our Atlanta workshop NEXT Thursday, August 7th. Early bird registration will be $375 (only 15 spots!) and the regular ticket price is $425. As always, email me with any questions at 
hello (at) michaelanoelledesigns (dot) com

You can watch our promo video for more information!



Happy Thursday!
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 :)
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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
dining chairs, dining room, upholstered chair

2. 55 Downing Street Linen Tufted Chairs (just a touch darker and with lighter wood legs!)
dining chairs, dining room, upholstered chair

dining chairs, dining room, upholstered chair, target
4. I've always loved these from Pottery Barn, but don't quite have the budget!
dining chairs, dining room, upholstered chair, pottery barn, nail head trim

dining chairs, dining room, upholstered chair

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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Blooms for the Home: Summer DIY Flower Arrangement


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A few weeks ago I created a little arrangement for my Grandma and Mom's birthday party. I know a lot of my readers love flowers as much as I do (which is a lot…clearly! :)) so I decided to do another Floral  Recipe for you. 

- White Hydrangea
- Dahlia (I did both this berry color and a few lighter purples)
- Alstroemeria
- Roses
- Carnation (I only used one that had opened a lot, looking more like a peony!)
- Freesia
- Filler (berry type flower…didn't get the name of it!)

floral arrangement, DIY flower arrangement, Flower centerpiece, tutorial, flowers, blooms, flower recipe


1. Start with your vessel and tape it off into sections so the stems have a foundation and aren't leaning over in the vase.


2. Start with your big flower. I placed my hydrangea first, on opposite sides of one another.
floral arrangement, DIY flower arrangement, Flower centerpiece, tutorial, flowers, blooms,

3. Add in the next largest flower. I positioned the Dahlias next to the Hydrangea. 
floral arrangement, DIY flower arrangement, Flower centerpiece, tutorial, flowers, blooms,

4. Fill in with Alstroemeria.  (This is the back side of the arrangement!) 
floral arrangement, DIY flower arrangement, Flower centerpiece, tutorial, flowers, blooms,

5. Next I added a few specialty flowers, like the roses, into holes to fill the gaps.
floral arrangement, DIY flower arrangement, Flower centerpiece, tutorial, flowers, blooms,

floral arrangement, DIY flower arrangement, Flower centerpiece, tutorial, flowers, blooms,

floral arrangement, DIY flower arrangement, Flower centerpiece, tutorial, flowers, blooms,

Tips:
- Make the grid with scotch or floral tape before starting!
- Cut stems at an angle so they can best soak up all the water they need.
- Clean the flowers, meaning remove all leaves and excess buds below the water line.
- Don't pack the flowers in tightly in a perfectly round shape. To get that whimsical feel, place some blooms in at angles and let some stems stay longer than others, giving it height.

Hopefully this helps inspire you to bring home some beautiful blooms!

Happy Tuesday! Exciting announcement coming tomorrow :)
xoxo

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Fashion: Flowy Dress









DETAILS | Anthropologie Dress / Sole Society Shoes / Denim Jacket (on sale!) / Sunglasses / Bag (sold out, but here are a ton of similar bags!

Do you ever have "I have nothing to wear" moments, the morning before a big party?! Oh good, it's not just me ;) I ran out and grabbed this dress the morning before the Glitter Guide 3 Year Anniversary Party a few weeks ago. Lulu & Georgia hosted the party and launched a big announcement! Glitter Guide's Taylor Sterling has designed a rug to be exclusively sold at L&G, coming this Fall. Perfect enough, the rug is in the very color palette of this dress! Here's a few pictures from the Glitter Guide party via my instagram





That runner there is the pattern of the rug Taylor has designed. We can't wait to launch it this Fall! I was pretty excited how well my dress matched the rug ;)

Happy Monday!
xoxo
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Friday Finds: Nordstrom Sale Home Decor Favorites



Happy Friday, gals! I'm not sure about for you, but this week just seemed to fly by for me! I've been back in Michigan and getting caught up on work. Today for my Friday Finds, I wanted to show you my favorite picks from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in the home department. There are so many great pieces at affordable prices. I just can't help but share :)

Bath:






Bed and Accessories:






Kitchen and More Decor:





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How cute is this Apartment Sweet Apartment Apron?! It's killing me!!

Have you found anything good at the sale yet? I bought a pair of new running shoes and they are.the.best. You can take a peek at my favorite clothing and accessories from the Nordstrom Sale in this post.  There's only a few days left to shop!

Enjoy your weekend! 
xoxo
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Design Do's & Don'ts from Your Favorite Design Bloggers

A few months ago, I had some of my favorite design bloggers give me their Design Do's and Design Don'ts to include at the Bloom Workshop for the guests looking to expand their design knowledge. The tips are just too good (and important!) not to share, so here they are today just for you!



Make sure your unique story is represented in the design of your home. Bits of your history and personality should come through in the accents, the art, colors, and the overall feel of the room. Trends come and go, but a room designed around your unique journey will be timeless and always feel relevant to you.

Ensure there are a mixture of textures in every room. There's something about mixing metals, wood, natural materials and pretty, soft fabrics that really lends an air of sophistication to any design.

Lighting sets the mood in a space. Determine what sort of lighting is needed (i.e. task, ambient, accent or a combination) and incorporate the lighting plan with the floor plan. 

Go a little bit bigger and bolder with lamps and accessories. It is better to buy a few bigger, bolder pieces than to buy too many little things that don’t make enough of a statement.

Always invest in good lighting. Lighting can make or break a space. It can also change the mood of a space. To many overhead lights can make a room feel unwelcoming.

Every space needs a mixture of hardware finishes, natural elements, something personal, something soft and something pink.


Invest in quality pieces for your home.  I know it's easy to go "cheap" in order to fill out a room, (hey, I love Ikea and Target as much as the next person), but it's worth spending the money for quality materials and construction.  You'll thank yourself down the line when you still have and love those quality pieces.


When planning a space, start with a statement piece - a colorful fabric, a piece of furniture with killer lines, a stunning piece of art.  Let everything else trickle down from there.  It helps to give a plan direction and a starting point to pull colors and other accents.  I also love a touch of black and gold in most any space - they adding grounding and glamour.

Add a mirror or mirrors to make a room appear larger and to enhance the room's natural light and views. 

Have a variety of textures in each space. This will keep the room interesting and visually appealing. Also (I couldn't decide on just one!) try to hang your curtain rod in the middle of the top of the window and the ceiling (as opposed to directly above the window). This will aid in making the ceilings look taller and ultimately, make the room look larger. 
- Michaela












Feel like you have to have to have a room "finished" by a specific deadline...Often times in my favorite rooms-whether for clients or in my own home-seem to evolve and change over time. Rushing things might force you to choose items you don't really love and that don't truly reflect you.

Don't decorate or add pieces to your home just because you saw it in a magazine or on Pinterest. Style your home for you and your family. Did your favorite design blogger say chevron is out but you just so happen to love it? Use it! Decorating is extremely personal and you have to follow your individual taste and style to truly create something you love.


Don't over do it with the accessories. They can quickly clutter a room. Only display what you love. 

Consider the big picture. A room with too many vignettes or accessories spread throughout the room will likely feel too cluttered and lack focus.

Florescent lighting! Never, never, never use it.

Don't use a rug that is too small.  Rugs really ground a room and finding rugs that are the correct size for the room and furniture placement can make or break a space.

Don't be afraid of color.  I am all about neutral palettes, but a fun pop of color not only keeps the room fresh, but can easily be changed out for the different seasons.  Think: pillows, blankets, and artwork.

Don't get overwhelmed by all the inspiration out there.  It can be so hard to filter out the noise and mesh together what you love with all the ideas online and in design magazines.  Choose things you LOVE and everything will come together.  Go with your gut - your individual style is what makes you unique and what will ultimately make you stand out from others.  

Hang the mirror too high.  (A good rule of thumb is to hang at eye level or just below, but since "eye level" is different among people, generally, the center of the mirror should be 56" - 59" from the ground).    
- Megan, Honey We're Home

Avoid matching. Pieces and patterns don't have to match, they just have to "go" together! Try mixing patterns of different scale and colors to achieve the right look.
- Michaela

office, feminine office, interior design, den, love print, lamp, pottery barn desk, ikea expedite
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I love ALL of these great tips and pieces of design advice! I especially love the advice warning against too small of a rug. That's one of my pet peeves!! ;) What's YOUR design do and design don't?! Spill it!


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Bloom Workshop's New Website!

I'm just about as giddy as one can be over a new website design! We have been working with Ashley & Malone for a few weeks to get our Bloom Workshop website updated all fancy for you. It's done now and it functions so much better. All the information you need about the workshop, along with a photo gallery of past events, is on the site! Aside from it functioning a lot better, it also got a lovely makeover, perfectly suiting our brand!  Take a peek:





Brands are so important, and as one of the topics we teach about at Bloom, we knew we needed to get our website up to par. Our brand now consists of playful gold dots, blush, peach, and mint palette, the perfect fonts, and a happy, energetic feeling when you land on the site. Thank you to Ashley & Malone for the beautiful new site. We love it with all our hearts! If you need your website redone, brand revamped, or any graphics designed to help curate and grow your brand, A&M is where it's at :)

Hey guess what?! We only have a few more spots left for Bloom's September workshop! Check out all the info on the brand spanking new website and register here. 

Happy Tuesday!
xoxo

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