If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen me mention my love for this dining table at World Market that would make a killer desk..

There are so many things I loved about it. The iron legs, real-wood plank table top, the depth and, of course, the fact it was marked down from $329 to $260. It was THE desk I’ve been looking for. About ten minutes after this photo was posted, I asked them to hold one for me so Greg could go by later and pick it up in the SUV (there was only 1 in stock!). A few hours later, the old desk was listed on Craigslist (we ended up selling for $225 – which just about paid for the new one!) and the new desk was in place…

I love it. Every time I walk by my office, I have a need to say “hi”. I love working at it too. It makes me feel more creative, haha. My monitor is 30″ and the lamp is a pretty big lamp, so the desk may look a little smaller than it actually is. The monstrosity that is my computer tower is on it’s way out the window. I just pulled the trigger on a new MacBook Pro last night, so bye bye tower and messy wires! In other words, ignore the ugly thing on the other side of the desk and the nest of wires surrounding it. I’m keeping the monitor to be able to convert the laptop to a desktop workstation when ever I feel like working on a big screen, though. So, that’s staying put.

I love the vast amount of workspace – so much more than my last desk! I added the lamp (which may or may not be switched out for another one down the road), a little potted faux plant (from Ikea), a blue tray (from Target) and essentials like pens, Sharpies and paper tape.

Before you start judging that I have a poster on the wall held up with tacks, let me explain! The poster was originally hung in my college dorm room and I’ve been saving it for years to hang somewhere in my house. Not only does it bring back ridiculously fun memories, but it’s only the best movie ever with three of my all-time favorite people (Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, and William Holden). If you haven’t seen it, stop what you’re doing and look it up on Netflix. I’m planning on getting it framed, but until I decide on a particular frame/mat, I wanted to hang it to get a feel for what it would look like on the wall. The poster itself has extra-wide borders, and the tacks are in the corners, way away from the artwork, so we’re all good. I really love the colors, and I think it really pops against the wall color. It will also tie in with the rest of the room once it’s all put together. As for the rest of the room…

What’s funny is the fact that I’ve never had a definite plan for this room – which is SO unlike me. So far, I’ve just been collecting what I like/need (like THE desk and the Martha Stewart storage furniture) and crossing my fingers I can bring it all together. So that’s where I am now: bringing it all together.

My thoughts are if I change out the white wooden hardware on the storage pieces for some weathered oil-rubbed bronze hardware, that will tie them in with the legs of the desk. My next plan of action is to add some panel curtains to the window. As for some color, I bought some “fabric” that I love. Fabric is in “quotes” because it’s actually a shower curtain – but it doesn’t look like a shower curtain – promise! I’m not losing my mind.

Do you hear that? That’s my family all over the country laughing hysterically because they know I have no business using a sewing machine. It ties in nicely with the cabinets, coral chairs, Sabrina poster and the Ikat pattern is a tad rustic(ish). I bought three to give me enough “fabric” to go from floor to ceiling. I’ve actually had them for a few months, but I’ve been nervous about doing anything with them, afraid I’ll mess them up. Here’s hoping that since I’ve posted about it now, I’ll suck it up and actually get around to doing it.

 Since my new desk doesn’t have drawers, I’m in dire need of a Shop Assistant. Expedit translated means “shop assistant”. I learned that from Benita Larsson, organizing extraordinaire, herself. Functionally, an Expedit would work wonders for me. Design-wise, I can’t decide. I keep going back and forth. I like the idea of rustic meets modern meets a little bit of old school but this one has me completely stumped. If we do decide on the Expedit, here’s how the layout of the room would go…

And to give you a reference, here’s what the room looks like right now…

The addition would add some height to the room, and I’d have a place to store all of my papers and office supplies, and I could use it to display things like my antique camera collection. So, what do you guys think? Yay or Nay on the Expidit? Should I be planning another trip to Ikea or shopping around for something else?

****THIS GIVEAWAY IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING ENTRIES****
Scroll down to the giveaway widget to see who won!

Happy Monday! Today we have a giveaway from one of my favorite go-to quirky, fun home accessory hot spots. The kind folks at ModCloth are giving one lucky reader a $100 gift card! Not only does ModCloth offer up some pretty rad things for the home, they also have a way with words when it comes to naming their products… Like the “Let There Be Flight Hanging Lamp“, the “Junk in the Trunk Desk Container“, and the “Just Poppy In Doormat“… which just makes shopping that much more fun.

Being that 7 is our favorite number around here, we’ve rallied up 7 of our favorite house-related ModCloth finds…

1. Wake Up Call iPhone Dock  2. Let There Be Flight Hanging Lamp
3. Junk in the Trunk Desk Container  4. Canine Companion Bookends
5. Twist and Tout Keepsake Board  6. Spice Craft Measuring Spoons
7. Funky Fresh-Cut Vase

Here’s how to enter… Scroll down to the handy giveaway widget below and log in with your Facebook account or enter your email address. (As always, your information is kept private.) Once you’ve done that, you’ll be shown the entry requirements set by yours truly. Click the “Do it!” button, answer the question in the blank and click “Enter!”. Now that you’ve entered, you’ll see some optional entry options. To gain additional entries and increase your chances of winning the prize, you can do one or all of them. If you already follow ModCloth (or us!), go ahead and enter your Facebook or Twitter info for the additional entries. As usual, the winner will be chosen using Radom.org. This giveaway is only open to US residents. We’re hoping to have some international giveaways coming your way soon! Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Time for another monthly installment of His + Her Favorite Things. This month, along with our favorite things, you’ll learn what I keep in my cookie jar Tardis, what vegetable changed Ashley’s skin color when she was 3 and what famous house she stopped by while in Connecticut. Oh, come on, you know you’re dying to find out ; ). Without further ado, our favorite things…

1. Roku 2 XD - While I’m definitely a big fan of my TiVo in the living room, I’ve recently been looking for a small set-top box for streaming movies and shows to the TV in the master bedroom. In there, we don’t really need a DVR, and something the size of a typical DVR/Blu-Ray player just isn’t a good fit. After a bit of research, I believe I’ve decided on the Roku 2 XD for the “it just works” factor. It does Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, Amazon Video, and a lot more. It’s also been reviewed to be “rock solid” in the stability department and has a simple user interface.

2. Old Navy Light-Weight Hoodies - It’s officially fall, my favorite time of the year. That means I get to start wearing my favorite light-weight hoodies. Ashley got me one of these for our trip to Disney last December, and it’s been one of my favorites ever since. And they have them in tall, for guys like me, so that’s a plus.

3. Tardis Cookie Jar - Ash picked up this Tardis for me a few weeks ago when we committed to doing the corner shelves in my office. Needless to say, as a Doctor Who fan, I was ecstatic. It’s technically a cookie jar, but I’m storing random things like extra earbuds and flash drives. It makes the signature Tardis sound when you close the lid or press the light on the top. We’re doing a lot in my office right now, but this is definitely one of my favorite recent additions.

4. Ikea Hackers – When we posted about my new shelves the other day, someone suggested that we submit the idea to Ikea Hackers. Having never been to the site before, I decided to jump over and take a look. I was pretty much mesmerized. They have tons of great ideas on how to make your Ikea purchases go the extra mile in style and utility. Check out this totally awesome frosted glass desk hack!

1. White Pumpkins - I love the look of white pumpkins. There’s something so “Martha Stewart” about them. At our local farmer’s market, they call them “Ghost Pumpkins” but I like to think of them as “Martha Pumpkins”. I especially like the mini Martha Pumpkins that are for about 50¢ each. I plan on getting a bunch of them to put in a pretty bowl for the sofa table.

2. Say Yes to Carrots Color Balm – Fact: When I was little, I ate carrots so often that I turned orange. Which might be why I like this lip product so much. I’m normally a no-color or super-low-color lip product kind of person. When I originally bought this, I thought this fell in the low-color category but it actually has a bit more color than I’m used to. But I like it! It’s super smooth and lasts for a good amount of time. But the main reason I like it is because of the fact that its made from carrots ; )

3. Spice Tin Candle - In my book, nothing says “fall” like changing leaves, dropping temperatures and campfires. I love this candle because it reminds me of my birthday bonfires every year growing up. It smells like a campfire. Literally, it’s a campfire in a jar. My birthday is coming up next week, on Sunday, and even though we aren’t having a bonfire, this candle will make the house smell birthday-approved.

4. Claire Robinson + 5 Ingredient Fix - I’m normally not a fan of cooking shows because either they intimidate me to no end or because I’m always finding myself looking at the set details rather than what they’re cooking. But, I have found a friend in Claire Robinson of 5 Ingredient Fix. Not only do I think we’d be BFFs, but all of her recipes include no more than 5 ingredients and they’re so do-able for my simple-non-chef-like self. I also love her props, utensils and the kitchen itself (not sure if its a set or an actual kitchen). The overall show is vintage meets Anthropologie feel to it that I love. I also have her cookbook which has quickly turned into one of my all-time favorites. All in all, she’s my latest girl-crush.

5. Apolis Market Bag - I love having bags on hand for the farmers market and random errand running. I’ve been looking for a new one to keep in the utility room and I stumbled on this beauty. I love the simple design but mainly, I love this bag because it says “Westport, Connecticut” on the front. It reminds me of when I was 14 and we were driving from Richmond to Cape Cod, Mass to catch the boat to Nantucket. On our way there, we stopped in Westport, Connecticut just to see Martha Stewart’s house. Yes, I was a Martha fan even when I was 14! It was my mom’s doing. My mom and aunt jumped out of the car, ran up to her gate (which was very close to the front door), took the fastest photo ever, and jumped back in. We all still laugh about it to this day. Memories.

That wraps up this edition of His + Hers. Do you have any new favorites to share? How about any fun plans this weekend? We have some family coming in to stay with us tonight, then some more family coming in Saturday for a “Family Reunion Planning Session”. Saturday night, while Greg is working on a project for his 9 to 5, my cousin, Dana, and I are having a girls night in full of Pinterest-dessert-making and movie watching. Sunday afternoon, I’m wrapping up the weekend by shooting a senior portrait session – bringing Greg and Bentley along for the ride. Busy, busy!

As usual, we don’t work for any of these companies or were paid or gifted anything to mention any products/brands. We just have fun sharing our favorite things and use this as a fun way for you all to get to know us.