Currently Coveting | Bright Pumps (& Shopbop Sale!)

Shopbop's Friends and Family sale is here!  That means 20% off when you enter the code WEAREFAMILY at checkout and you can bet I'll be taking advantage. The number one item on my shopping list? A pair of bright suede pumps.  It seems every stylish girl at Paris fashion week was seen strutting around the shows in a pair.  I've had my eye on this gorgeous emerald pair by Alice and Olivia but I also love these bright red wedges for work.   I'm thinking high and pointy to elongate my short legs and dress up my boyfriend jeans.  Below are a few of my favorite colorful pairs available at Shopbop:

Which color do you prefer? Shop here and make the most of that 20% off!

Design Hunter | Jayson Home's Fall Flea Market

GO NOW! The annual Jayson Home Fall Flea Market started this morning and you can bet your bottom dollar I was the first one in the tent at 8AM!  My sister thinks I'm a lunatic but every year I make sure to get to the "Flea" bright and early because a) I want first dibs on the incredible selection of vintage and antique pieces from across the globe and b) I love seeing how buyers Caroline Scheeler and Devin Kirk style the tent.  Pictured above are just a few of the treasures you'll find if you visit this weekend.  And if you're not fortunate enough to live in Chicago, don't fret, the sale goes live on their website October 15th.  Happy shopping!

(photography by kristin kerr for simply smitten)

New York | ABC Home

I really tried to edit my NYC pictures down to a single post but it just wasn't possible. By now most of you are probably sick of hearing about my trip but I'm guessing there are a few out there that want to take a little looksy inside some of my favorite shops. 

Today's installment of pictures were taken at New York design mecca, ABC Home. I could have spent hours searching through the six floors of heavenly goods but since Paul was with me I had to power shop. See Paul pictured above, doesn't he look thrilled?  What a good bf he is.  But back to the goods.  The ABC Home annual summer sale started the day I arrived.  Twenty percent off almost everything can really get a girls heart going.  For a second I felt the urge to deplete my saving and purchase the entire pile of Madeline Weinrib rugs pictured above but luckily I had enough self control (aka Paul) to say no and walk away.  I ended up leaving the store empty handed but I did find a perfectly peach lacquered sideboard.  So I must ask, have you been to ABC and if so, what did you purchase?

(Images by KK for Simply Smitten)

New York | Shopping

I'd like to think I looked this fabulous while roaming the streets of Manhattan this past weekend, ha!  I got so wrapped up with work, packing and planning last week that I never got around to posting my shopping guide.  Sorry! I ended up stumbling across a few additional stores over the weekend so I'm happy I waited.  I'm going to sort through the hundreds of pictures I took tonight so be sure to check back tomorrow for more details from the weekend. Until then, check out the highlights on Instagram.

SHOPPING

Where I went...
ABC Home - I found a sideboard for a client that was recently rented by J.Crew for their catalog.

Aero Studios - Love me some Thomas O'Brien.  I noticed many of the pieced from his Designers Vision space were for sale.

C Wonder - Not as wonderful as I had hoped but they did have a lovely selection of baubles.

Calypso Home - Smaller than I had expected.
Canvas -  Beautiful ceramics! The new Jason Wu furniture line was definitely designed with small NYC dwellers in mind.

Clic Gallery - This lovely gallery sells affordable prints and hard to find books.
Flair - No words. Just go.

Haus Interiors - A tiny space packed with big style.

J. Crew Bridal - You don't have to be a bride to linger over the Parisian decor or piles of cashmere.
John Derian - Walls filled with Hugo Guinness and tables stacked with decoupage and Astier de Villatte

Ochre - Their lighting is pretty as a pear
Pearl River - My go to place for inexpensive blue and white porcelain and bamboo blinds

The Evolution Store - Disturbing and fascinating all at the same time.  This is the place to go for crystals, geodes and coral.
The Future Perfect - They carry Lindsey Adelman lighting, enough said.

The Strand -  My happy place.
White on White - Midcentury Modern designs for less.

I spent most of Thursday roaming up and down the streets of SoHo...I made it to the Little Black Jacket exhibit and got carried away shopping for Paul at Ben Sherman.  Paul was a good sport and bopped in a few stores with me on Friday and Saturday but lets be serious, a boy can only handle so much shopping...

Where I still need to go...

145 Antiques

Cafiero Select

Center 44

Decor NYC

Gerald Bland Inc 

Lost City Arts

M&J Trim

Mood Fabrics

Steven Sclaroff

Studio Four

The Antiques Garage

The End of History

Treillage

Todd Alexander Romano

What Goes Around Come Around

Wyeth 

Shopping | Harbinger LA

When I saw these pictures of the recently remodeled Harbinger L.A. showroom I couldn't help but think that L.A. gets all the best home decor shops: Hollywood at Home, Todd Romano, Nathan Turner, Lief and now this bright beaut.  Not fair!  I'm thinking I need to plan a trip to La-La Land just to check out some of the goodies pictured below.  Who's coming with me?

ONE the sloped Belgian arms on this custom Antwerp sofa are killing me / TWO you can never have too many decorative bowls and boxes / THREE maybe it's the lack of sunlight in Chicago today but I'm loving this yellow ikat pillow / FOUR a raffia wrapped coffee table? I feel a DIY coming on / FIVE again with the camel back sofa...they're haunting me / SIX chic scribbles on this BeeLine Home lamp

(Images via Bunny Williams)

My Weekend in Pictures

I ventured to one of my favorite Chicago stores for a second time in less than week.
(I sense an addiction coming on...this could become a problem)

Every time I visit I find something to add to my collection. 

The owner has such a great eye for finding unique treasures...like the carved wooden chain pictured above.

I never leave the store empty handed.

I stopped in Anthropologie to return an unnecessary purchase I made last weekend and ended up walking out with Deborah Needleman's new book, The Perfectly Imperfect Home.

Is anyone else as obsessed with Deborah and I am? 

I did a little DIY because this year I was determined - DETERMINED, I tell you! - to have linen herringbone napkins for this year's Christmas tabletop.  The only ones I could find were these Sferra ones at $520 (I need 12) and I just couldn't justify paying that much for an item whose sole purpose is to wipe ones hands + mouth.  

So I took matters into my own hands, bought 2 yards of this Hannah Linen from Fishman's Fabrics ($60 total), found this simple tutorial + spent my Sunday afternoon parked in front of my sewing machine.  I'm thrilled with how they turned out!  There's really nothing I like more than saving money...$460 in this case! 

Now on to a new week, with new projects + new adventures.  The countdown to Christmas is on + I can't wait!  Only 2 more days of work then I'm off until January!  Woohoo!

What do you have planned for the week?

Design Hunter | Portland, Maine

I had great hopes of driving along one of Maine's antique trails but there just wasn't enough time. We did, however, spend a few hours exploring downtown Portland. First stop, Folly 101. I could've spent hours in this store. The merchandise is grouped by color and, as you can probably tell by my pictures, I contemplated buying everything in the neutral/gray section. I was shocked at how reasonably priced everything was. I bought two "silver" picture frames for $10...nuts I tell ya. I also purchased four linen placemats and dinner napkins that I plan to have monogrammed.

Blanche and Mimi

Next up, Blanche and Mimi.  I'm kicking myself for not purchasing the beautiful wrought iron and carrara marble garden conservatory table that you can see in the window. It was in better shape than this one for sale at Canvas and cost a quarter of the price. Would have made for a great nightstand or entry table.

Gorgeous Les Indiennes bedding.may make and appearance in one of my aunt's guest bedrooms

Simply Home

We went to Simply Home twice in four days.  The first time scoped things out then went back on Monday to look at sofas and order a chandelier for the dining room. I envy the owner of this showroom. They have a great selection of products including Lee industries, Farrow & Ball wallpaper and visual comfort lighting....you can check out the entire list here. One day I'd looove to own a design studio/store like this. sigh.

I love the lines of this Verellen sofa - clean and simple.

Images by kristin kerr for simply smitten