Bee happy: A painting from Etsy and other pretty things

This painting by RozArt is so pretty. Never mind that it's of bees and gray clouds, two things that don't exactly whisper "soft bedroom retreat." Something about it is just so soothing.

Bee 38 by Roz 16x20, oil

I see it hanging in a bedroom like this

with a soft velvet tufted headboard

(Urban Outfitters)

and a giant mirror with pretty details like a beaded frame.

(Restoration Hardware)

It's all kind of glamorous for something that "bee"gan with a single oil painting!

Vacation means never having to make the bed

My week-long vacation begins today! I'm in the mood to lounge around in pretty places and not do much of anything besides look at pictures of other pretty places.

Sheets that are slightly rumpled is one of my favorite looks for a bed, especially when I have lounging on my mind. The picture below is probably a little bit too girly to ever pass in our bedroom. Something about the pink hearts, I guess. But I love it, especially the sheets paired with the brown plaid wool blanket. It keeps it from being too frou-frou, and instead makes it casual and warm.

Don't you want to be sitting in the spot right where the sun is hitting the bed?

Here are the heart sheets again, paired with the same warm gold tones. This time the hearts are blue. Manly, even. I love the mix of blue patterns in the pillows and on the headboard, and how the blue is carried over into the wallpaper and the flowers on the night table.

I'm playing a little game here. Each picture has something in common with the previous picture. Can you spot the common link in the next photo?

That's right, it's the casually folded mustard-colored wool blanket at the foot of the bed. I love the drab color next to the red wool on the chair. And, red happens to be the next common link, though the red blanket in the next photo is a little brighter than the one above.

And once again, there's a drab-colored blanket folded at the foot of the bed. The browns and greens are so perfect for these otherwise feminine spaces.

The next picture has layer upon layer in what happen to be my current favorite colors -- pale pinks and blues and mushroom-toned grays and browns. I love how the layers of blankets are cozy, yet there's not a down blanket in sight. It's slightly reminiscent of another one of my favorite layered beds.

And now, for the big reveal. This is where I will be doing my actual "lounging" today:

Buzz-kill :(

Recreating the pink bed

I'm revisiting this image:

But this time, I'm going to tell you how to get the same look. Live the dream!

Let's start with the bed. I choose the Edland from Ikea, at $299 for a queen. You could paint it black or leave it white.

For the rug, I give you this 8' by 10' Kilim Stripe Rug made by Nate Berkus for HSN. It's $159.

Now for the elusive pink blanket. This Pine Cone Hill Fleece Blanket was on sale for $159 on Nov. 11. After that, it returned to its usual price of $188. It seems like it has the right look and drape, so it might just work.

You'll need a white blanket with similar drape to layer under the pink blanket, but there's no need to spend a lot of money if you don't have one already. This white cotton flannel blanket is $39.99

I am going to skip the set of basic white sheets, since that's something that most of us own (or at least know where to find). You might notice that the top sheet on the inspiration picture is a very light, silvery grey.

I found a 1000TC Egyptian Cotton Sheet set in smoke, priced at $119.99. This is a subtle enough detail that if you're looking to save money, this might be a good one to skip.

It wasn't easy to find a charcoal grey pillow to use as an accent pillow. I saw lots of sheets in that color, and chances are you could find one or two pillow cases at Homegoods. But for the purposes of this blog entry, the Channel-Stitch Quilt and Sham from West Elm in slate works great. It's $24.

I'm not as interested in finding a good night stand. I think craigslist, garage sales and second hand stores are the best places to find furniture like this, especially when it's painted. But if you don't have time for the hunt, I like this Scalloped End Table from Walmart. It's $59, which doesn't hurt.

And, to go on top of the end table, I think any of these Hobnail Mercury Glass vases from Mothology fit the bill. They're in the $62-$84 range.

I found the Eleanor Frameless Mirrors on the Pottery Barn website. Any of them would work, but I think one of the bigger ones would be good.

Last but not least is the wallpaper. I think Farrow & Ball Silvergate might be the same as what is pictured in the inspiration photo.

The quest for the perfect pink blanket

I have a new favorite image every few days, but one that I've returned to more than once is this picture of a canopy(!) bed draped in pink, white and gray blankets. They're not just any blankets, either. They are just the right thicknesses for layering and draping - the blankets hang and fold in a way that you can't emulate with a duvet.

After staring at this bed for sometime, I decided it wouldn't be that hard to duplicate in my own bedroom. I already have white sheets and a white blanket, but I needed to find that perfectly plush yet plain pale pink layer, and at a low price to boot - criteria henceforth referred to as the 6Ps.


I did not get very far.


I checked Pottery Barn, Overstock.com, Garnet Hill, Land's End, SmartBargains, and so many more, and nothing met all six Ps. Some blankets were just the right materials and weave, but they weren't available in pink. Others were pink, but were acrylic, or lightweight cotton.

The Sferra St. Moritz blanket from NeimanMarcus.com, above, came the closest, racking up a total of 5 of the 6 Ps. But the one it misses? Price. $220 for a queen sized blanket! But ahh, take a nice long look at it, anyway. It is just the right shade of pale pink, and is a sumptuous blend of natural fibers.

Then I went to the other end of the spectrum and found the blanket pictured above at Target. It is Simply Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell, a line I have seen in-person at Target and have no real problem with. So, hopes set high, I ordered the pink blanket. What I like about the pink one in the inspiration picture is that even though it is pink, it is not frilly at all. It actually looks kind of like a plain military blanket that just happens to be pink instead of the standard grey or green. As in, "oh, what a lovely twist to an old standard!"


The Target blanket had shiny satin trim, and looked almost like it was made from faux fur. It is far from being classic ... it's pink furry polyester! So, back to Target the blanket went.


Frustrated that I couldn't find an affordable and nice-looking pink blanket, I decided to instead buy some pale pink sheets from Homegoods. I started with white sheets and two white pillowcases as my base. I added dark grey alpaca blanket I have from the Company Store on top of the white flat sheet, followed by a cream coverlet. On top of that, I layered the pink flat sheet. I folded them all at different points to show the layers.

It works, I guess. It doesn't have that same casually elegant look that my inspiration picture has, but it does fill my craving for subtle pink. I'm still searching for a pink blanket, though, so let me know if you find a good one that hits all 6 Ps!