{chic shop: dovecote}

Sometimes when I am on my computer, my husband will glance over my shoulder and find me drooling over 1st Dibs or the inventory at some fabulous store's website. In our home we jokingly call this "virtual shopping" as far less Recently I came across the exquisite home design store, Dovecote. Located in Westport CT, and owned by Sarah Kaplan, a former buyer for Barneys and Neiman Marcus, this store boasts furniture and furnishings that range from 18th century french antiques to mid-century modern pieces. The website boasts that Marie Antoinette, Oscar Wilde, Andy Warhol and Albert Hadley would all find something to adore here and I couldn't agree more. Witty and well-edited, this is my kind of place.

I'll take those fabulous brass shelves, which are so Billy Baldwin, and the KWID covered settee, thank you very much.

This empire style round table is just what I am looking for for my entry way!

Hello french leather club chairs, I heart you.

The burl-wood breakfront with coral collection would suite my empty living room wall just fine.

Dovecote is certainly on my list of stores to visit! It may be a while so in the meantime I'll have to visit virtually. Is there anything that would work in your home?

{givenchy style}

Hubert Givenchy is known to most as the fashion designer who designed much of the personal and professional wardrobe for Audrey Hepburn. One cannot look at the iconic images of Hepburn and not think of this incredibly influential and talented man. He created the essence of what is known to today as "Parisian Chic."

For me, how one lives is as exciting, (if not more so) than how one dresses. The now out of print book, "The Givenchy Style" delves into the personal and private world of this man of style. Through the amazing photographs and insightful text, the reader gets a glimpse into how Givenchy lived: his background, training, friends, travels, homes, gorgeous gardens and personal collections. Simply put, this book reveals the pure-self expression of this man who has been so influential in the way the world looks and dresses. Here are a few of the many timeless and beautiful images from this book. I encourage you to get your hands on it if you can and be prepared to be inspired!

{passport j.crew}

Just when you thought they couldn't get any better, J.Crew comes out with a new spring catalog shot in the gorgeous city of Lisbon, Portugal. The pages depict a traveler's dream filled with "intimate neighborhoods, winding corridors, grand town squares, sidewalk cafes, and very strong coffee." I am loving the soft muted tones against the artful, centuries-old architecture. Portugal has just moved to the top of my travel-lust list. For now I will just have to live vicariously by flipping through the catalog while wearing some pretty new spring pieces from J. Crew!

{let's hear it for the boys}

Most of you are probably already aware, but Bloomingdale's is sponsoring a Big Window Challenge. Designers Eileen Joyce, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, and Eddie Ross have created window vignette's at Bloomingdale's in 59th Street in NYC using the store's eclectic selection of furniture and home decor. While all of the windows are wonderful, I am most fond of the Elle Decor window decorated by the amazingly talented Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar. If you haven't done so already, I encourage you to get on the Apartment Therapy website to vote for Eddie. If you have already voted, please continue to do so. You can vote twice a day through tomorrow!

{pop of color}

I am not a big fan of a "decorated look." Rooms I love best are often a mix of many different styles. They have an unexpected twist either in the architectural elements, furnishings, or in the use of color. Great designers, in my opinion, can take a space and throw in a seemingly random color that is not a part of the overall color scheme and enhance the space by doing so. I won't get into the color theory behind these choices, but when executed correctly these colors elevate everything that surrounds them. Without these pops of color, the spaces would still be beautiful but they would not have the same level of interest, depth and dimension.

This bedroom room by Tom Scheerer is soft and serene and might come across as overly muted if it weren't for the mis-matched colorful pillows on the bed.

The aqua lamps in this wood paneled room designed by Markham Roberts adds a lively flair to this handsome vignette.

Yellow is a fun color to use to offset a predominately neutral space. It really packs a punch in this white kitchen.

This rustic, industrial sitting area is filled with layers of interest, but it is the pretty lavender throw and floral arrangement that make this space sing.

The yellow throw in this black and white bedroom, featured in Elle Decor's Style and Substance, adds glamour and interest. Use you hand to cover up the throw on the chest at the end of the daybed and notice what a difference the pop of color makes.

Birmingham designer, Mary Evelyn Mckee adds vibrant red chairs to a black, gray and white bedroom. Without these chairs the room falls flat.

Kelly Wearstler, the queen of color and drama, adds a pop of pink to this predominantly aqua and brown hotel lobby.

Artwork doesn't have to match your decor and adds more interest when it doesn't. Melissa Rufty chose a red panel to accentuate this glamorous dining room. Jacques Grange chose bold blue and green paintings by Yves Klien and Lucio Fontana to add another layer of interest amongst the more subtle furnishings in Aerin Lauder's living room.

Emma Jane Pilkington uses oversized yellow pillows in the spirited library of this relaxed yet glamorous Hampton's home.

This Jeffrey Bilhuber designed guest bedroom is the ultimate example of how a pop of unrelated color can give a space soul. The red and white quilt make this room. Without it, we would all just yawn and move on.

Whether you like a floral pattern or not, you must agree the pale lavender throw illuminates and adds much needed vibrancy to this dressing area designed by Markham Roberts.

Finally, the yellow chair sitting to the side in this serene bedroom, designed by British designer Veere Greeney, is like sunshine on a gray day. This room would still be soft and beautiful without the pop of yellow but adding it takes the space to the next level.

{a pretty place}

My master bedroom has an old built in dressing table that is calling out to be beautified. I have yet to tend to this space as other rooms have my full attention at the moment. Even if I did have the time, my three year old twins would be sure to have their hands all over my perfume , jewelry and make-up in a matter of minutes.

There is something so fun and magical about creating little nooks of space in your home that are pretty and inspiring. It may be a dresser, a desk or even a just a small jewelry box. Given these hard economic times, many of us are cannot afford to decorate our homes exactly as we want to but we can all carve out a pretty spot that brings us joy. Here are a few "pretty places" to inspire. Tell me, do you have a beautiful space of your own?