Design

Weekend Notes

What a week! I always forget how busy the holiday season gets, until December 1st arrives and suddenly it feels like someone yelled “on your mark, get set, go!” Of course, I know that busyness is partially within my own control – I choose how many thing I say “yes” to and often overcommit around […]

10 Best Holiday Party Dresses of the Season

It’s holiday party time, and you know what that means: open season for wearing velvet, feathers, beading, and yes, even a well-placed sequin. (Hey, they don’t call it the most “wonderful” time of the year for nothing.) We’ve scoured the racks at our favorite online boutiques to find 10 of our favorite party-ready dresses of the […]

3 Festive Holiday Cake Toppers

The countdown to Christmas has begun! 25 days left. I’m looking forward to relaxing with friends and family, sipping on hot cocoa, and handing out some seriously awesome gifts. This year I decided to host some people at my house for a holiday party, but I quickly realized I may have bit off more than I can chew… […]

17 Best Hostess Gifts Under $50

We’re always looking for really good hostess gifts to keep on hand during the holidays. You never know when you’ll get the impromptu invite to the in-laws or the boss’s home, and mom taught us better than to show up empty-handed. That said, the most elegant hostess gifts don’t have to be the most expensive ones. We’ve […]

10 Easy Ways to Make Your Holiday Cards Stand Out

Last week, we got into a heated conversation about holiday cards (well, it was about as heated as a conversation about holiday cards can be.) It basically came down to each of us in the office being at different life stages — from being married-with-children to fresh in a new relationship — and because of that, […]

15 Holiday Wreaths to Inspire Serious Front Door Envy

Just a few short weeks until we haul out the holly and deck the halls for the holiday season, but around Team CS headquarters, Christmas has been in full swing for awhile as we craft, style, cook up our posts for next month. If you’re feeling as festive as we are and in the mood to jump-start your holiday […]

5 Reasons to Indulge Your Indoor Plant Addiction

Do your regular weekend plans include at least one trip to the nursery? Do you name your plants, and even talk to them sometimes? Are all of your birthday presents green and leafy? You might have a plant addiction. I have one too, and I’m about to enable you because I firmly believe this addiction […]

9 Engagement Sessions That Don’t Make Us Cringe

We’ve all scrolled through those albums of unsettling engagement photos on Facebook or Pinterest… Awkward poses and out-of-character outfits can often steer the focus away from the newly engaged couple. In order to avoid these photo faux pas, we’ve listed out four tips to help you nail your engagement session – no matter how nervous you are! […]

Dark Paths

Before Chanel’s wedding, Michael and I spent a few days in Munich and took a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle in Füssen. I’m so glad we did — it ended up being one of the most memorable parts of an epic trip. The castle, built in the late 1880s by the “mad” King Ludwig II, reflects all the […]

Rethink Your Coffee Table With This Piece of Furniture

Shopping for furniture is hard. We may buy a pair of shoes once a season, so after just a couple years you have 5-10 shoe buying experiences under your belt. You learn your taste, what looks good on you, what’s functional, and what you love year after year. With furniture, you don’t have that luxury. You […]

10 Best Online Art Resources

I think artwork is something that a lot of people struggle with when it comes to interiors. A space doesn’t feel finished without it, yet it’s hard to know where to start. For millennials who are used to turning to the web as a first line shopping resource, options in the past have been… frustrating. […]

Jessica and Gary Wu

“Meet cutes” don’t get much cuter than the story of restaurant owners Gary and Jessica P. Wu. The two were living in New York when a rainy day (and a little bit of fate) brought them together at the ACE Hotel. We met up with the couple at their new restaurant General Tso’Boy at the Domain Northside to […]