Acapulco Chair – Living Room

Chair and Basket via AllModern

Living Room: When it comes to a living room I have three main musts: needs to be comfy, should have enough seating for five or more people, and should reflect your personality. When it comes to my living room, it has been a work in progress. I am the type of personality which wants everything finished the moment it is started. Call it lack of patience but I really have a hard time taking things slowly. Now, when you are decorating a home you must keep in mind that not everything will be finished swiftly. It takes time. This idea took time to adjust to. I have been in this house two years and am just now starting to feel like it is coming together. Although it has taken longer than I would have liked I think I have stayed true to my three must and the space really reflects it.

Needs to be comfy: I love to sit in the living room and talk for hours on end (with wine in hand) with dear friends. There is nothing worse than having to sit in an uncomfortable chair or area and try to make conversation. I don’t know about you but I do my best socializing when I am most comfortable. Your living room should always be a place where your guests feel welcomed to come, relax, and enjoy themselves. You want them to leave feeling great and knowing they had the absolute best time. To make the space even cozier I recommend adding throw blankets around the room. Either place them hanging from the corner of your couch or throw them in a clear/see-through basket. Making sure the basket isn’t solid will make your space look less harsh and leave the space looking a little larger. I love this Iron Wire basket from AllModern (comes in multiple colors). It creates a great break from the two chairs while keeping the space cozy and comfortable. Remember comfort is key.

Enough Seating for 5+: When you are designing your living room it is always key to think of your spacing. A lot of people don’t have a large enough room for a couch, two/three chairs, and a bench so I would recommend investing in smaller chairs to accompany your couch. I love the way this Acapulco chair from AllModern creates a nice retro look while breaking up the basics of the couch. There is nothing that looks better than a mix of different furniture in a room. It keeps it modern, clean, and creative. If your space is tight I would suggest looking at chairs that have more of a design feel and less of the “traditional” look you see in most living rooms. Your friends will be impressed with the overall look and you will save money and space!

Reflect Your Personality: This is by far the most important on the list. A home is a reflection of you and your life so each room should have details which show your guest what that is. My husband and I love a mid-century home with modern flare so this Acapulco chair and hide stools are a great reflection of our personal style. We have also taken a few things we love to decorate the space – the bar and the shooting gun photo above it. We absolutely love to entertain so having a bar in our home was important. Since we don’t have a wet bar I decided to create a free standing bar so our guest always feel welcome to make themselves a cocktail and enjoy their stay. The photo above the bar was shot by a 16 year old girl from Geneva, Switzerland (where my husband grew up). Having little knick-knacks around the space which are special to you create an experience for those who visit and a basic understanding of who you are.

I hope these few tips on creating your living room space help your future decorating endeavors. You can check out the styling of the Acapulco chair for outdoors here! Can you believe how well it transitions from outdoors to indoors? Stay tuned for one more way to style it!

Party With Madewell + STTS

** Come join me this Friday, April 17th, at Madewell NorthPark from 6-8pm

outfit details // Madewell Wellspring Tunic Popover c/o, Madewell High Riser Skinny jean c/o, J.Crew Cyprus sandal, Zara Long Waistcoat

photos shot by Krystal Schlegel

I have a love affair for the simple. And right now, no one is doing that better than Madewell. I actually had a cart full of items (among the items included were this blazer, this jacket, this romper, these shorts, and this top) and was ready to check out when I received an e-mail from the NorthPark Madewell asking if I would like to host an event. Wait, could they see my insane amount of items waiting in my cart or was this just fate? Come to find out they didn’t have a tracking system which called out embarrassingly large purchases – it was fate.

I have actually been a longtime fan of Madewell. I love how simple and reliable their pieces are. I know at any given point I can walk into a Madewell and find exactly what I have been looking for. Their pieces feel great and are always the ones I wear over-and-over again. For these reasons I am MOST excited to be hosting an event with them this Friday the 17th at Northpark from 6-8pm. They are also offering the first 15 shoppers a very special gift honoring my upcoming trip to Paris (you will love it)! And, if you spend $125 you receive 20% off your order!

I hope you all will join me for what will be a very fun night of champagne, sweets, music, and yummy food! E-mail me with any questions – mary@sothentheysay! See you Friday!

Family Crest Pinky Ring

For more info on my crest ring contact Croghan's Jewel Box

I had literally wanted a family crest pinky ring for yearssssss. Every time I was in London I would see at least one Brit wearing it. I love sentimental pieces that you can pass down to future generations. Pieces that are special to you and stand the test of time. I also must admit – another reason I loved them so much was that I didn’t see them in the states. I love having pieces that are different and not overly saturated. I had looked into buying one while in London a few times but every time I did I was blown away at the price tag. I mean, George at the jewelry shop was not playing around with his crest rings. Since I didn’t have the funds to splash out a few grand on a pinky ring, I held on to the idea and waited for the right time until I could finally have this gem on my pinky.

Last October a group of us bloggers headed to Charleston. While there I stopped in the very famous jewelry store (and one of the oldest shops in Charleston), Croghan’s. From the minute you step foot through their doors you can feel the history – over 100 years of it. The shop is small and quaint – exactly how you would expect it and everyone is so friendly. I fell in love and knew I wanted a piece from the store. Because I was in budget mode I walked to the second room where they carry a few high street brands. Since I had always wanted a family crest pinky ring I decided on purchasing this Elizabeth and James Signet ring which they said they would engrave for me. I was one happy customer as it was the perfect ring to satisfy my needs until I could have my crest ring. The ring turned out beautiful and looked MUCH more expensive than the final $120 total (you can see that ring here).

I was happy as a clam with my beautiful signet ring. It was the perfect souvenir from my trip to Charleston and I proudly showed it off at a party the night I received it. I was so pleased with the way it turned out that I almost didn’t notice when Molly, part of the Charleston CVB, came to an event wearing a family crest pinky ring. I stopped her mid-sentence and asked if that was what I thought it was? She was confused. I was flabbergasted. I told her how badly I had wanted a crest pinky ring and how British that was of her. She explained that it was actually very southern and that a local jewelry shop made them – Croghan’s. She asked if I knew of them? Wait a minute. Yes, I do! I was just there. I didn’t even realize they made them. I immediately filed a mental note to go back the following day. Who needed George now?

The next day I was at their door again asking if I could try on the rings. Out of their wide variety of different shapes and weight I fell in love with the light-weight, solid gold, oval. It was perfect. But before getting my hopes up (like I did with George) I asked the dreaded question – How much? I was so completely pleased with their pricing (very fair for solid gold) that I knew I had found my place. I went home and spoke to the hubs about getting one for my birthday. I explained how badly I wanted it to come from THIS store because it would also be like having a piece of history. He agreed it was a really cool idea and the next thing I knew I was e-mailing Kathleen (one of the family owners) that it was a go.

Since it has arrived I have yet to take it off (which is why you see it in every post). Croghan’s could not have done a better job as it is absolutely stunning. It far exceeded any expectations I had. It is now one of my most treasured pieces. I love that it has a British feel but made in the south. I mean, could that be more perfect? And I love that it comes from a place with such history of its own. I only hope I can continue to buy from them well into the future.

If you are looking for the ultimate gift or unique piece of jewelry contact Croghan’s. They did an absolutely amazing, beautiful, fantastic, fabulous job and even sent the molds for future crest jewels. I am thinking crest cuff links for the husband next? We shall see…

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