Happy Monday, friends! If you follow me over on Instagram, you may have already seen this post, where I shared a few small updates I’ve made around my apartment lately. I wanted to talk a little bit about those updates here, as I love having a record of my apartments over the years—and because I know some people who read here don’t follow my Instagram, too.

To back things up a little bit, I recently splurged on patio furniture—I purchased two sets of these patio chairs from Target! I am so excited to get my outdoor space all decorated so I can enjoy as much time as possible outside this spring and summer. I decided to invest in furniture given my balcony is fully covered and protected from the elements, so I knew whatever I purchased will be well positioned to last me a long time. I’ll share some photos as soon as I get everything set up, but wanted to go ahead and let you know what I ended up buying given patio furniture sells out FAST! (I actually found these chairs last season, but by the time I decided to move and knew I had a balcony, they had sold out. I haven’t used them yet, but am really impressed with the quality, so I expect they will go fast again this year, too.)

Given my patio chairs were on the pricier side, I am pulling back from apartment decor projects for a few months to save up for the next “big” thing—I’m also keeping my fingers crossed for a tax refund, hah! (I’d love to get a new mattress and bed frame; I currently have a Full but really want to upgrade to a Queen size.) In the interim, though, I’ve still be doing a few small projects here and there. I’m still working from home, and will be through at least Labor Day, so I spend a lot of time here! That means I have lots of time to day dream about what pieces I want to bring into my space.

As such, I wanted to share three small updates I’ve made around my apartment lately:

01. Adding My Grandma’s Brass Candlesticks

I recently told my Mom that I was in the market for some candlesticks—I really wanted a pair to put on my Vintage Dixie Aloha Faux Bamboo Dresser, which serves as a credenza under my TV in my main living area. My Grandma learned about my hunt for the perfect candlesticks and let me know she actually had a pair in her guest room she wasn’t using anymore. I jumped at the opportunity to have them! I love collecting pieces that have meaning to me, especially if they are part of my family history.

I really wanted light blue candles for them, and looked around several stores—Target, Walmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond—and couldn’t find any in stock. So I grabbed these light blue candlesticks on Amazon for $15 and am really happy with them; the color is beautiful! The candles were slightly too small for the candlesticks, so I just shoved a cotton ball in the bottom to fill the space so they stand upright and it has been a good fix.

I love how they go with my jar of faux lemons and limes; the jar itself is an old find from Home Goods and rests on a stack of Assouline “In the Spirit Of” books.

Read more “A Few Small Updates Around My Apartment”

Whenever I go to a restaurant and I realize they have matchbooks, I get so excited! I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life, but I love collecting matchbooks from restaurants I’ve been to. My mom also collected them during the 80s and she let me go through her collection recently and take some of my favorites. I love having them around my home—they add a lot of color and are a great way to commemorate good times shared with friends and family.

Matchbook art is something I started noticing several years ago. I’ve loved following along with Matchbook Diaries, which prints and frames beautiful, high-quality photographs of matchbooks from all over the world. More recently, I discovered Match South, which offers similar prints. I’ve never pulled the trigger on pieces from either shop though because I could never commit to just one matchbook, and they both are a little bit pricey ($165 and $125 respectively).

Earlier this year and I stumbled across My Father’s Daughter Designs on Instagram. I was immediately drawn to the owner Tess’s work as she does beautiful watercolor drawings of matchbooks. And much to my luck, she had just released her DC matchbook print. As soon as I saw it, I knew this was the perfect way to bring matchbook art into my apartment. I wouldn’t have to chose just one matchbook to feature—and the print featured matchbooks from many of my favorite restaurants including Le Dip, Maydan, The Dabney, and more.

(If you’re not based in DC or don’t have a connection to DC restaurants, she’s got lots of other matchbook prints from other cities—shop them here!)

Read more “The DC Matchbook Print I’m Loving”