Lonny’s out! There is a terrific looking kitchen on page 23 that I can’t get out of my head. I can’t believe that this look would ever go out of style (although this begs the question, have you ever seen a truly “timeless kitchen”). I’ve drooled over a similar look in another mag and recalled that the designer used inexpensive oil-rubbed bronze window pulls on the cabinets. It wouldn’t work in every kitchen but what a genius idea. Anyway, this combo of black, white and warm wood is just excellent.

Lonny also caught my eye with this tute on using stock moulding to replicate a technique called Faux Boiserie. It’s gives great architectural detail to a boring room. I had thought about getting after my bedroom with a similar plan a while back but then thought better of it since there is some architectural detail in our master already. So maybe the better find is this book, featured in Lonny, that seems like it would be chock full of projects perfect for our lake house. Might have to get that one on order!

Miss Mustard Seed has, like me, signed up for Weight Watchers. I’m only on day 2 but I’ve got to say that this new PointsPlus program that they have is great. I love being able to eat all of the fruits and vegetables that I want. Makes life so much easier. I think her recipe for Mini Quiches is excellent. I don’t always have won-ton wrappers on hand but once I get some in, these could easily be made for a quick lunch with things I always have in the fridge. Yummmmm.

I’ve happened upon a new blog to love, Bryn Alexandra Interiors. Love your style, girl! Bryn posted about this beautiful fabric from Calico Corners. Man, this looks like something that belongs in my living room. I’m really itching to put some attention into that room! Gorgeous, no?

How much do you love these table linens?! I seem to always be on a hunt for cool linens and these from Linea Carta on Etsy are just so fab. Hip, delicate, whimsical … love them!! Design*Sponge is always coming through lovely little things for my wish list.

I’ve never had much interest in quilting. But somehow the other day I found myself on the Moda Bake Shop blog and came across this pattern for a lawn chair quilt …. and whaddaya know … all of a sudden I’m contemplating becoming a quilter! Eeeeks! But wouldn’t this just be great for snuggling under in front of the TV or at the lake? Such a fresh take on a quilt pattern.

I actually found quite a bit more that I loved this week but I’m saving it up for some actual DIY projects. Stay tuned!

Kathy at MerrimentDesign made this super cute kid’s travel blanket. Kathy’s a friend and so is Macki, the originator of this brilliant idea, featured at the bottom of the post. I’m just wondering if I’m organized enough to get one of these made for my next baby shower …

Gah. I just really like Wisteria. I need a little more of this vibe in my life and house …

Another friend kicked off a new blog called DesignTripper. Sorry, but it’s genius. Aside from being insanely great entertainment, it’s also just about THE most brilliant way to get invited to stay at fabulous places. Next time I vacation, I’ll settle for nothing less than this:

Think my currently non-existant slip covering skills are sharp enough to pull off something like this? We have an almost identical chair that’s calling out for a new dress.

And last but most certainly not least, let me introduce you to Rebekah Forlines of Four Lions Jewelry. Rebekah is a friend of mine and no doubt a budding marketing genius. She and I have been talking a bit about social media, blogging and whatnot (I actually work in digital marketing which may be hard for y’all to believe since I’m so sporadic with my posts here on I Steal Good Ideas, but it’s true) and she’s taken to it like a fish to water. Rebekah dreamed up this great feature for her business’s blog called Design Destination Day. It’s like a self-imposed Project Runway for a jewelry designer. She forces herself to shop somewhere unlikely for jewelry-making supplies and then posts the materials and the results. Check out this beauty made exclusively from Harbor Frieght Tools (her local hardware store). And last week’s gem you’d never know was built completely of items from Dollar Tree. Follow this girl … she’s up to big things!

That’s it for this week’s Klepto Files! Get out there and steal yourself some ideas, thieves!

My friends at Prudent Baby showed up on Hostess with the Mostess and this super-cute tutorial for Mod Podge Coasters. Love!

My friend Bonnie’s blog got me turned on to Flourish Design. This is the post that won me over. Why doesn’t my house look more like that? Love that cream dresser with dark pulls. Hmmmm ….

There are some really gorgeous photographs on One King’s Lane this week by Marcella Echavarria. The one below is stand-out. One King’s Lane is such a daily addiction … and this week I ordered a blue and white garden stool for our living room with a $25 credit that was burning a hole in my pocket! Pics forthcoming …

You know I love Miss Mustard Seed? She’s doing an awesome give-away. It’s a box FULL of fantastic antique stuff. A whole box! Check it out. And congrats to her on 2000 followers!

My friend Eleanor gave me a beautiful Pewter spoon when I was the Maid of Honor in her wedding years ago. It’s monogrammed with a B for my maiden name and it’s way too pretty to stay in a drawer. Love this idea! Think just one would be too boring?

Eons ago, my friend Katie Hitt snapped this pic for me at a Flea Market and said that these were selling for $199 each! She rightly thinks that they could be modified to fit nearly any decor. I was thinking of a slim, gold-leaf frame and mounted on a simple linen background. Would a soft lilac be interesting in a room with dark walls and lots of blue & white? I’d love to introduce another unexpected color for accent but  just don’t know what …

That’s it for this week!

My boss’s blog is genius. It’s called Cooking With My Kid and it’s getting mentioned everywhere cool and crafty, including Daily Candy. Um, go Rebecca go! I’m into these Bite-Sized Greek Salads that she made this week. They look SOOO pretty. Except I don’t like olives so I’m thinking I’d replace that with a little red onion and maybe sprinkle the platter with oregano to give it some extra Greek-ish-ness since removing the olives seems sacrilege.

I love Style Blueprint. They just won the Toast of Music City’s best local blog. Am I surrounded by fabulous bloggers or what? This DIY Herbal Infused Water is a GREAT idea for the dog days of summer. I had the cucumber basil one at Elizabeth’s house this week and it was just the most refreshing thing ever.

I’ve been thinking about doing some silhouettes for my in-progress doggie lounge. Prudent Baby has some adorable projects, including this Vintage Plate Cameo Hanging. And it just so happens that there current give-away is a Custom Cameo Necklace. Uhh … cuteness!

I’ve got an idea that I’m going to try to slip cover a chair all by myself here before the summer is out. So I’ve been stalking Pink & Polka Dot. I love the wing chair featured here!

I love Miss Mustard Seed’s dining room. Especially the blue and white stuff, the gold framed chalk board, and the antlers! It’s a similar vibe to what I’m going for in our den … but I’m aiming for a little more beachy in the den than Miss Mustard Seed has going on here. Still, the color combo and the simplicity of it all is drool-worthy. Get a load of it!

Update: Just after I posted this, Miss Mustard Seed put up a full post on her dining room. Here it is.

And then there’s my perennial fav, Nest Egg, another Nashville blogger. I love Rachel’s style. It’s got just enough of that good, Southern, lived in look to keep it from being stuffy … but it’s still so chic. Check out this nursery she posted this week. I’m really wanting to steal that pleated curtain trim for the guest bedroom. Just love it!

That’s it for this week! Hope you like this new feature. This way, you’ll hear from me at least once a week. Forgive me for being so MIA lately. Our air conditioner has been out for like a MONTH and it’s just too hot around Chez Perry for any home improvement projects and I’m DEFINITELY not doing any sort of entertaining in the “oven”. But I’ll be back in the swing of things real soon!