if you are here looking for kelly + olive...we've moved!
please join us over at www.kellyandolive.com/blog

you should come on over.

you might win something.

AllModern is offering kelly+olive readers the chance to win a throw pillow of their choice from InHabit. if you want in, all you have to do is go to the new blog, leave us a comment and hope you win! come on over and join us!

All Modern has a fantastic selection of modern furniture and home accessories from many leading designers. Part of CSN Stores, All Modern is just one of over 260 retail sites that offer a diverse array of products from office furniture by Herman Miller to wall sconces by Murray Feiss.

nottheworstrugs.com

from martha

ferns

fireworks

orla-esque

oh, don't thank me. it's my duty. i do it to keep you from seeing horrible things like this.

dear god.

friday fix: trash bin.

i originally styled this photo using tampons, because it looked cute. then i thought better of it.

i have a lot of little stuffs that need corraling. bobby pins, earrings, chapsticks, sunglasses and the like. you know how it goes. but i hate buying bins for organizing because they are expensive and i would rather buy pretty things, not boring things. hence, my pretty things end up all over the floor.

last night i made this bin for said little stuffs using a bunch of coupon mailers, some flour and water (made into a paste).

you will need:

flour

water

any kind of trash/scrap paper

a bowl

saran wrap

mod podge (for a shiny coat)

mix a big spoonful of flour and a little water to make a paste the consistency of pancake batter. DONT GET CARRIED AWAY. you can always make more, but you can't make less.

use the saran to protect your bowl.

dip in your strips paper mache style. reach back into your memory. the last time i did this craft i was in fourth grade. i made a raccoon, which my parents still have. it's awesome.

enjoy the delightful messiness. let it dry overnight, and then paint on a shiny coat of mod podge, or paint it! trim the edges or leave them messy.

corral your little stuffs! feel good about recycling! feel productive while you are watching so you think you can dance! it's really a win-win.

we are here.

dudes. we are swamped.

not that we're complaining. it's absolutely THRILLING to have so many new clients, to be driving all over chicago and meeting super cool people, to be spending hours a day shopping for beautiful things....basically, it couldn't be better.

but please excuse us if we are terrible at blogging sometimes. just know that we are working hard to make some beautiful rooms to show you. we'll stick to our blog schedule sometimes. sometimes we won't. we'll throw in a little bonus post here and there, if we think you'd be into it. we'll start showing you the great places we go to find stuff for clients. and we'll keep showing you how to make it pretty, one friday fix at a time.

sound good?

ok.

one more thing.

can remote controls zap through fabric? because i'm thinking about making a tailored little slipcover for this ugly thing.

it's the right size, and it does the job, but boy is it unfortunate looking.

that's all.

see you tomorrow,

c

wednesday wishes: new website!

big news friends!
our lovely web guru noelle has been working hard for us for the past few months...answering our clueless questions about how the internet works (it's a serious of tubes, right?) and fickle feelings about layouts and color schemes...to make us a brand new website!

the new blog will be hosted by wordpress and if you read us through a reader...no problem there. we'll still be there. BUT if you read us directly on the site, starting on MONDAY you will NO LONGER go to kellyandolive.blogspot.com. you will be going to kellyandolive.com/blog

we're super excited! not only is the site super-cute but formatting is better, pictures are bigger, it's more integrated into the business site...basically it's all goodness. here's a little sneaky peak of the cuteness.
awesome.
we hope to see you all there!

remember...www.kellyandolive.com/blog!

amazing illustration 'girls of programming 1981' from sean morris' flickr stream. love it.

thank you guest bloggers! and a new series?

so cute and folksy! from dutch door press

a big fat juicy thank you to all of our summer guest bloggers! all your posts were so fabulous and we were thrilled to have you. here's a quick run down in case you missed any:

non fussy flowers with chelsea of frolic

custom magazine files with anne of the city sage

sexy bar styling with cassandra of coco + kelley

cute ruffled pillow with merrilee of mermag

stylish living within your means with christina of down and out chic

realistic clutter control with rachel of heart of light

print your own fabric with krissy of earth cadets

archival art with betsy of betsy + iya

oh the inspiration!

we're ready to take a break from all this how-to-ing and mess around with something else for a while. we have a few ideas brewing, but we want to hear what you think. are you curious about the decorative properties of office supplies? want us to give you tours of our favorite chicago design shops? or have all these how to's left you wanting more, more, more?

we're ready for a challenge. serve it up.

monday morning inspiration: new fave

i've been searching for a new shelter magazine to love ever since the demise of domino (something that, as time goes on, i don't know if i'll ever get over.) so far i've had little luck. they're too upscale and out of reach or too country/casual...they don't have the right mix of high-end and diy and elegance and quirkiness that made domino great.

but last week at the airport, in a continuing quest for that magazine, i picked up a british rag called Living Etc. and i gotta say, i'm enjoying it very much. it's not perfect (it has a lot of ads and everything is listed in british pounds...which confuses me) but it has a great house tours and project ideas and...best of all...an extensive online gallery, perfect when you're looking for the jolt of inspiration for your next decor project. i encourage you guys to check it out.










mmmmmmm. good times.