How doth the little crocodile...

"How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile,
On every golden scale"
-Lewis Carroll
 
Today's color is Nile (Pantone 14-0223): Clever Lively

Wearing and surrounding yourself with this calming green tone will help you attract a partner that matches your vibration. It moves you away from juggling and gives you courage to choose.

Personally,I instantly think animal print when I hear the word Nile- and of course what goes better with a good animal print than a healthy dose of green (Good Ole' Mother Nature never gives a bad suggestion when it comes to color palettes and themes that mix well)

and no one ever said your accent color has to be fabric or paint! If going for this look, two pieces of advice- don't over do it and end up in some sort of surreal botanical garden in your house, and second- keep the plant alive!

I love a good bottle green leather- it lends an unexpected note to leather without being cheesy

And why limit the animals to their native colors???

Designers from Dolce and Gabbana  to Lee Jofa to old favorites like Brunschwig and Fils have mastered the art of coloring animal prints so they are sexy and stylish- not contrived and cheesy.

and who does green better that the Queen of Pink and Green??? Lilly of course- and to team up with Lee Jofa for her new home line of fabrics equals sheer genius!

and while animal prints have been deemed a "new Classic" they are not for everyone...let your imagination take flight and pull some green in with inspiration of some feathered friends

Fall in love...

I am lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful places ever- Central Virginia is blessed to have seasons! Just when summer has reached it's boiling point and the flood of UVA students back into town is enough to make me want to move the season turns and Fall sneaks in an I fall in love with this town all over again. We have amazing vineyards (totally biased to Veritas at the left- they are my ultimate favorite local vineyard!), we have chic pumpkin patches- I mean really...how adorable are these pumpkin topiaries I found at the side of the highway pumpkin patch?? I was really temped to make one of these but instead stole my college roommate's idea and made a monogrammed pumpkin- yes I do love a good monogram...

My town or rather...My-ville (come on do you know how often I hear Charlotte from Charlottesville??) is filled with people, like my big brother, who went to UVA and fell in love and never left. Resulting in a population that is obsessed with the color orange. While I am a tried and true Carolina Girl (I will pull for UNC and NCSU over UVA any day of the week) this time of year I find myself going over to the bright side and being drawn to the orange family for inspiration. While I will point out that Mother Nature does use Carolina Blue in almost all her palettes her fall palettes warm my spirits and make me want to recreate the fall feeling in my living room.  


If you stick with neutrals on big pieces then you can bring in these luscious warm tones to capture that feeling. Gorgeous textures like velvet are perfect for this color palette and throw pillows are a great place to splurge on a luxe fabric like velvet. Fall even inspires me to pull in more themed accessories and accessories that bring the outside in.

Fall also beckons me to use leather...I love a good leather sofa, there is nothing more durable. I can truly attest to that as I have a hand me down leather sofa that is older than me!  A great leather sofa or chair is an investment worth making and if you take care of it properly it will last for ever ( I use saddle soap on mine!) Choose a timeless style...channel your inner Ralph Lauren the master at classics- you don't have to buy RL but they do know how to do a timeless leather sofa... Maybe the leather pulls me back to my horseback riding days but it works because a classic leather sofa is a purchase I promise you will not regret.

I don't know if it is the pull of the harvest season, the slight chill in the air or the classic civility of fox hunting but I love fall. If you haven't had a fall in Virginia you have to experience it then take home the inspriation and memories and make it your own.

So if you are feeling rather blah and want to create a cozy space- look outside because right now Mother Nature is giving us a can't fail color palette to inspire!

pictures from: Veritas Vineyard, Ralph Luren Home, Fox Hunting VA, Roost, HGTV, Jaipur Rugs