Good Question

A Bella Life reader Tina, who also happens to be my cousin (wink, wink) wrote in with the following question:

I'm looking for creative, thrifty RUG solutions for a Moroccan or Indian-inspired room.... it needs to be kind of small, any ideas?

I thought it would be a great post, so here are some things I've found! I actually own this first one.

2' X 3' Red Woven Target Rug - also in Brown ($9.99)

21" X 34" Red Medallion Target Rug ($13.49)

3' X 5' Urban Outfitters Rug ($38.00)

2' X 3' Handmade Floorcloth from Etsy seller Mimiess ($75.00)

For all you environmentally conscious scavengers out there...

When I sent the announcement out about the new blog, my friend Crystal e-mailed me asking if I'd heard of a site called Freecycle! Also, Clear Your Space just asked me about it as well. Now, here's an organization that's been around for a little while, but hasn't gotten quite as much attention as it deserves. Freecycle is a site where people give things away, instead of throwing them away! I encourage you to check it out no matter where you are because it looks like folks have set up little communities in tons of different places around the world! Who knows what treasures await you! Who knows, you could get some real cool furniture, or vintage type stuff. You know what they say, one man's trash, is another man's treasure! I really like the way they describe themselves:

It is a place to give or receive what you have and don't need or what you need and don't have -- a free cycle of giving which keeps stuff out of landfills...

Nicely put. Check it out here.

Spice up your Ikea sofa

Did you know you can buy an Ikea sofa without the slipcover? You can, but you're probably wondering why you would. Well, during my search for a sofa, I discovered a wonderful site called Bemz. Bemz is a Stockholm, Sweden based company that sells removable, washable slipcovers for sofas, armchairs and cushions. The best thing about Bemz, though, is that they make said slipcovers for Ikea sofas! Bemz has a great, unique selection of fabrics. You can even request swatches and they'll send them to you free of charge! I have to admit, the swatches I received in the mail (see above pic) far exceeded my expectations as far as quality of the fabric is concerned. The site is interactive and you can 'preview' the specific Ikea sofa you have with the fabric of your choice. The picture below, is the Klippan Sofa, in one of the Bemz fabrics (using the preview feature). They have a lot to choose from too, so I would definitely recommend a visit to the site!

A peak at my place...

My apartment is definitely still a work in progress, but I wanted to include some pictures to show the current state of things. Right now, I'm in the process of choosing a coffee table, some shelves for my living room, as well as artwork for the walls. I literally spent 7 months looking for a sofa and finally settled on the one you see from Room & Board. This is my living room below:

The chair is a classic "Poang" Ikea chair, and the rug is a clearance find from Target. I'll be sure to post more pictures as I add things to the room!

Below, is a reading corner I've set up in my bedroom.


The chair is actually covered in a sheet that I got from Urban Outfitters, because the cats got pretty far in scratching it up and I don't know what to do about it yet. It's actually a really cool chair that I promise to unwrap and take pictures of soon. The lucite "u-turn" table was a sale purchase from Chiasso. If you're into looking at things for inspiration, I suggest subscribing to the Chiasso catalog for sure, or at least browsing their site! Lastly, the lamp is from the Global Bazaar series at Target.

Summer Shelf?

Ahh, more inspiration from the pages of Domino Magazine! I don't remember the specific issue, but the picture above is a clipping from the magazine that I added to my little 'inspiration book' (a whole other post in itself)! I call it a "summer shelf" because I honestly don't know if there are any hazards to putting a chunk of wood on a really hot radiator.

Anyway, the instructions were to go to a local lumber yard and get a really thick cut of wood. Well, I didn't know where to start with that one. Maybe I didn't look hard enough, but I didn't really find anything quite like Domino's lovely creation. So... I went to Home Depot and got a pre-cut piece of wood that was luckily the size I needed. It set me back a cool $7. Since I'm too paranoid to keep wood on top of the radiator in the winter, I figure I can go with a thin cut of wood. Until I can find the perfect piece of wood for this project, I'm enjoying the extra 'table' space... Especially since I haven't been able to pick out a coffee table yet! So here’s my version below...

Peel & Stick Window Shades!

I was talking to my friend Jeni Fujita today, about the new blog, and she told me about these kick-ace window shades that can be found at your local Home Depot! She used them as a temporary solution when she first moved into her place, sort of like a place holder, while she decided what kind of window treatment she wanted. They're cheap, available in black and white, and for God's sake, they're peel and stick! Anyone can use these, and I think they're pretty sweet looking for about $5. If you're interested in buying them online, click here. Also, available in black, here. I just thought I'd share!

Handmade!

One of my favorite places online to find handmade crafts and original art is a site called Etsy. It's cool because creative folks can set up "etsy shops" - little online stores where they can sell their work. It's actually a requirement of the site that the items for sale on it are handmade. The site is really interactive and kind of fun to browse! You can even search all the items by color! So, if you're looking for art, jewelry, scarves, or anything else really - chances are you will be able to find something one of a kind on Etsy. If you're crafty, you should definitely open an etsy store!

Here are some cool things I found on Etsy today! Click on the images to visit that artist's etsy store:

Like I said, you can get all kinds of things on Etsy. To shop Etsy right now, click here!

Awesome Color!

Check it out! Santos, my newest Flickr friend, has allowed me to use her picture on my blog! I wanted to add this great image because it shows how you can incorporate some great color into your home by using things you may already have, whether it be books, CDs, or whatever! I have to admit, I personally don't have this many books but seeing this wall makes me want to start collecting. I saw this picture on a few of my favorite blogs as well as on Domino's Site, but I was shocked at how many of my friends hadn't seen it when I sent them the link! So here it is, for those of you who may be looking for some color inspiration. I did attempt to do this with my (very few) books, and the result is below!

A sweet coincidence...

Friday, I left work early (Summer Fridays!) so I had lunch with Wade, then wandered down Park Ave in Rutherford (NJ) and found the cutest little shop, Jolie Zoe. There were some cool things outside, so I had to go inside and explore! Janmarie Dotoli (one of the shop owners) told me that Jolie Zoe is French & German for "Beautiful Life"! I felt like it was totally meant to be, with my new blog being called "A Bella Life" and all. Also, I happened to be searching for something to post about on my new blog! Anyway, I went back yesterday to take some pictures. I spoke with another one of the owners, Luz Bullock (who makes all the jewelry). They’re so sweet and the shop is adorable, I wish them all the best with Jolie Zoe!

For those of you interested, they're a hop, skip and a jump from NYC (walking distance from the Rutherford Train Station). Plus, it will give you an excuse to come see me!

Jolie Zoe
6 Franklin Place
Rutherford, NJ 07070
(201) 933-1988

Here are some pictures of the store front and some of my favorite stuff inside:

Welcome to "A Bella Life"...

Well, I finally decided to start my own blog. I guess some of you know that I was contemplating this whole blog thing for some time! "A Bella Life" is going to be about many things, but mostly about trying to enjoy life in my new apartment, with my adorable but sometimes destructive cats. It's no coincidence that one of these little kitties is named Bella.