If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen a few of these book covers, but I thought I'd share a little more about the books and movies that I've been enjoying recently (plus a few that I haven’t started yet, but am excited about). What about you? What have you been reading and watching lately? I always love hearing your recommendations!

1. One More Thing by B.J. Novak. I was flipping through this at our local bookstore and I almost bought it…then I saw it at our library the same week. Serendipitous! I haven’t started it yet, but it looks funny. // 2. Love the Home You Have by Melissa Michaels. Melissa is a fellow Seattle blogger (from The Inspired Room). She has great style and is a really inspiring person overall. // 3. Chef. This is my favorite movie that I’ve seen recently. So cute! And it’s available to watch instantly on Netflix. Just don’t watch it hungry. // 4. Yes Please by Amy Poehler. Who doesn’t love Amy? I am in the middle of this book right now and racing to finish it before it’s due at the library in a couple days…it’s totally hilarious and fun. You should definitely read it! // 5. Create the Style You Crave on a Budget You Can Afford by Desha Peacock. I picked this book up mostly because of the title, plus the photos are really beautiful and inspiring (which, let’s be honest, is the main criteria with a design book). I’m looking forward to reading it too and hearing what her tips are for budget-friendly decorating! // 6. Big Hero 6. Ben picked this one out the other night, and I didn’t expect much…but it was adorable! // 7. The Theory of Everything. I’d been wanting to see this movie for a long time, and we finally saw it last week. SO GOOD, you guys. If you haven’t seen it yet, it lives up to the hype! // 8. Bright Bazaar by Will Taylor. I included this book in my latest wish list, and my sister-in-law got it for me this month (thanks, Ellen!). I looove it. // 9. Materially Crafted by Victoria Hudgins. My DIY wood slice coasters (aka the first DIY project that I ever shared on this blog) are in this book! Super exciting for me…but besides that, there are tons of other awesome, creative projects in it.

So, have you read or seen any of these? What did you think of them? And don’t forget to share your suggestions with me too!

Last month, we finished buying all of our flights to/from/within Europe. Thanks so much to everyone who chimed in and gave me advice in my last post about it...I read every single comment. We decided to keep our trip to just three countries--Iceland, Italy, and France--so we can spend more time exploring, and less of it traveling. Now that the flights are booked, I'm starting to look at places to stay! The first city I started researching was Paris...and oh my gosh, there are so many gorgeous apartments available. Some of these are out of our price range or farther out than we want to stay, but still--I'm feeling inspired by them. Plus, I wanted to take this opportunity to ask: If you've been to Paris before, what area do you recommend staying in? We’ve heard that the Marais is a good place to stay, so that’s the neighborhood we’re looking in right now, but I’d love to hear if you feel differently. And if you have a specific place that you’d recommend staying at, let me know! That would be super helpful.

I love the exposed wood beams in this apartment...so charming.

And I'm obsessed with the herringbone parquet floors in so many Parisian apartments. I might need to do an entire post dedicated to these gorgeous floors!

Plus, there are just so many beautiful architectural details in these apartments...from crown molding to gorgeous fireplace mantels to lovely bay windows. Drooool.

Sigh...so pretty, right? I wish I was on vacation right now.

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Did you guys notice this vase in Monday's post? It's a DIY project...and a super easy one at that! I love the striped Omaggio vases by Kähler that you see in so many Scandinavian homes, and I wanted to see if I could create something similar. I'm happy to say, I think this pretty lady fits the bill!

For this project, you will need: a plain white vase (I used this one), black electrical tape, and a pair of scissors.

Wrap a piece of tape around the vase, about a half inch from the bottom, and trim it where the ends meet. Continue wrapping parallel pieces of tape all the way up the vase, leaving a little more space between the strips in the middle. Smooth out any bumps or wrinkles with your finger.

That's it! Seriously, such a quick, easy, and rewarding project. You could also try this with colorful electrical tape--I think that would be super cute.

Hope you like this DIY! Let me know if you try it.

Do you guys decorate seasonally? I know some people go all out for every holiday--with shamrocks and Easter eggs and lots of pastels right about now--but I prefer to do more simple updates every season. Even if you keep your house mostly the same all year long, the transition from winter to spring is one of the best times to make some changes. It feels SO good to shed the heaviness of winter, let in some more light, and make your house feel a little bit fresh and new! But don’t worry--you don’t have to go out and buy a bunch of cheesy “spring decor” in order to accomplish that. Here are three easy ways to update your house for spring (and bonus, they’ll also stretch into summer quite nicely).

1. Sheer linen drapes. I just got these ones, and I’m in love with how light and breezy they are. It’s hard to tell in my photos, but the weave is sooo beautiful. They’re from Barn & Willow, which is a great brand that you should definitely know about. They work directly with manufacturers, so their prices are amazing without compromising on quality (all their drapes are made from the highest grade of luxurious Belgian linen). You can read more about them here. And if you’re thinking of ordering, you can get up to five swatches for free so you can see the quality for yourself, and pick out just the right color for you!

2. Flowers & plants. Flowers and plants are the easiest way to (literally) add life into a room. And they feel especially right for spring! I grabbed this bunch of tulips from Trader Joe’s for $5 and their bright colors instantly cheered up the room. And if you have a bit of a black thumb, I definitely recommend air plants…I’ve been able to keep mine alive for almost a year now, which is HUGE for me.

P.S. Those billy balls are from our wedding--they still look just as cute dried, almost five years later!

3. New pillows and accessories. One of the easiest ways to update your home is switching out pillow covers and accessories. Pillows are one of my favorite things to decorate with--they’re great for adding a pop of color and making a room feel fresh and new, without having to spend a lot of money. I like to switch out pillow covers seasonally, so I can fold up the covers that I’m not using and store them easily. This pillow is my newest addition, and I think it’s absolutely gorgeous. I switched it with a cable knit pillow that I had during the winter. I love the blue color (and cotton feels more right for spring).

 

What are your favorite ways to update your home for spring?

Thank you to Barn & Willow for partnering with me on this post! Keep an eye out for their new 2015 collection, which will include more sheers, pinstripe patterns, and 100% linen and cotton printed pillows and throws from Tanzania and Lithuania.