A bit of MadeByGirl news

A few things - we've updated the homepage of MadeByGirl for the Holidays! There are several cute pics, check them out when you can. Also, thanks to Kelly from Fabulous K for the zebra paper inspiration - we had to add it onto our page as well! 

Funny story, I walked into Paper Source (where I bought it from) & the girls at the counter were excited to meet me, telling me they read my blog! Too cute!  
 
Paper Source is awesome, I've been using their wrapping paper for Holiday gifts for a couple years now. LOOOOOOOOVE them! 

If you don't have a paper source in your town, I'm crying for you now. Check them out online.
 

MadeByGirl has also been featured in several Holiday gift guides this year, I can barely keep up! I'm super grateful to all the editors!! Here are a few I didn't highlight yet that you should def check out! 

DON'T FORGET!! If you're going to order in time for Christmas - you have to order by December 16th (USA) - unfortunately the deadline for overseas past on the 12th. Happy shopping!

Mami talks - 3 Amigas Holiday Gift Guide

Emma Magazine

Heart Home Magazine UK

 We'll be adding some new items to MadeByGirl 

in the new year - stay tuned!

And last but not least - it was cool to be able to gift a few prints to the gals over at Blogshop! 

Thank you for the cute pics ladies!

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'To & From' Gift Guide

Holidays are serrrrriously approaching - and that means Gift guides are popping up everywhere. Bloggers are putting up what they want & what they suggest we buy for others. Well, a blogger friend of mine Meg Biram (who's style I love) together with Katie from Modern Eve put together a pretty extensive Holiday 2012 gift guide called 'To & From' that included bloggers & tastemakers - and they asked me to be part of it.

So, if you weren't asked to be part of it, then you're not a tastemaker. Just kidding of course! 

Anyhow, my picks are below, and then I decided to do something different & choose my favorites from what other bloggers selected! Check it out! To see what each item is you'll have to visit To & From.

If you're running out of ideas, check out 'To & From' - you're bound to find something cool to give, your friend, wife, dad, kids & so on!

Thank you girls, glad to be part of this! Happy Holidays!

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Thank you to these Blogs!

Welcome back this Monday morning! BIG thank you to all these blogs who have featured MadeByGirl or Cocoa & Hearts! I'm always so thankful! Check them out when you can!

 

If you feature MadeByGirl or Cocoa & Hearts  - email me & you could be in the next round of thank you postings!

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Style At Home Mag Feature & More

Earlier this year it was a pleasure to work with phographer Janis Nicolay - whom I always admired. So, when she emailed me about working with me, I was like "are you kidding?! Of course!" 

As some of you already know, Style At Home Magazine one of Canada'smost popular home design mags featured our NYC apartment in their latest issue! It's a Special issue currently in news stands & will be available until March 2013! 

It's NOT often that my HUSBAND & I get to be featured in a magazine together, so this was a unique press moment for us both! I CAN'T say I love the picture they chose, but hey, it's us. 

I also wanted to show you MORE of our livingroom - the parts that didn't get featured in the issue. It's been a CHALLENGE in a half decorating & living in a 1000 sq ft apartment, especially after living in a much larger home prior!

You may recognize a few pieces from our old place, I managed to SQUEEZE them into our current apt. What do you think so far??

The marble table above is from CB2 - however I thought it would look better with the legs painted GOLD. So, that's what they look like. The before was a light wood color. Similar style here.

The lamp below is by Jonathan Adler - It's the Meurice floor lamp & it's the most amazing lamp ever. It has a dimmer as well and a unique design on the inside of the drum. It comes in white as well!

The velvety black regency pillows on my sofa are by Jill Sorensen.

The paintings are all painted by me. Via Cocoa & Hearts.
 

One of my favorite bible scriptures framed in the living room - from Matthew 6:33

The lamp above I purchased at a vintage shop here in NYC- I actually joined a live auction to bid on it- then won! The print "Cougar Friends" I got online - click here then search for "cougar".

 Gold skull candle - by DL & Co.

Gorgeous vintage white cross from Australia - shipped to me from Claudia over at Peep My Style.

All photos minus the 2 bottom ones are by Janis Nicolay.

Also, BIG thanks to Danielle from Urban Walls & Myrna over at For the Love of Black blog for sending some mags my way!

Enjoy your weekend!!!

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My NYC Closet

Hi everyone! This has been a busy week - I'm very much looking forward to the 3 day weekend. 

Thanks once again for all your support & kindness. My husband says he is going to take me away for the weekend to do something fun - he tells me I need to clear my mind & relax. I feel overwhelmed with work - in a good way though.
  

Speaking of work - our apartment is featured in the new issue of Style At Home magazine - it's the organization issue available in news stands all over Canada! Supposedly this issue will be available in new stands until next year, very cool! I have gotten many emails asking about our apartment here in the city & since the apartment is now featured in the magazine, showing you photos isn't a problem. Here we go!

So excited! Let me start with my wardrobe.

 I say "my" because only I use it (for the most part). Below is what was supposed to be 'our' bedroom closet. Even though it's bigger than most NYC standard closets - it wasn't going to fit all my things. 

It was certainly a challenge trying to find an apartment with good closet space here in the city. Living in Las Vegas & having a huge mini-boutique as a closet, was great.  Unfortunately, I had to give all that up to make it work here.

So, we thought it was best to go to IKEA & buy something relatively inexpensive and similar to what I had in LV. This time I chose a closet with doors & all white. This IKEA closet system is called PAX wardrobe, the doors are white BERGSBO.

 

I love the white wardrobe, it's so bright & pretty, but a far cry from the space I used to have - don't you think? Now, instead of in a closet, my wardrobe opens up to our bedroom. I can't say I love having doors on my closet, but I definitely LOVE the way the doors look!

  

oh chandelier, I miss you! 

In order to make things interesting, I decided to give these IKEA drawers a more hip look. I lined the inside of all the drawers in a leopard wallpaper.  The same wallpaper I used in LV wardrobe above.

Then I added my jewelry - neat huh? I love how much more interesting it makes it appear!  You can add any color or style of wallpaper - just as long as you don't glue it. I recommend using double sided tape, it should hold just fine.

My friends always point out the hardware - they tell me it makes the inexpensive IKEA wardrobe look high end. I'd agree. In fact many of them didn't even think it was IKEA! The brushed gold pulls are the same ones I used on the floating shelves here. The hardware can be purchased at myknobs.

images below by janis nicolay

I donated several items of clothing & handbags before I moved out here- I only kept the ones I knew I would use. Do you keep extra handbags & never use them?? 

I am trying NOT to do that anymore.

Check out the newest issue of Style At Home magazine where more of my apartment is featured as well a great organization tips! Next week I'll show you our living room! 

So, now you know how I made my IKEA wardrobe look CHIC.

cover image via decor happy

Have you had to downsize your wardrobe?

Let me know what you think of my NYC wardrobe.

Thanks to my husband for building the whole thing, he's amazing. Stay tuned!

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