WOULD YOU, COULD YOU :: COLORED FUR

I have to admit - I haven't been the biggest fan of this technicolor fur trend. The fur explosion in itself is getting a teeeeensy bit old (although I do adore a good fur throw in my home), and colored fur? Hm. Not so sure. But then I saw this gorgeous editorial...


And suddenly it came together for me. Paired in a monochromatic palette, these colorful furs actually layer quite nicely. Instead of standing out too much they simply add texture to an already colorful ensemble. And if you do want to do something a little more 'high contrast'?


Pair it with neutrals to keep it classy, and match your hat to your stole so you don't look like a furry rainbow. What do you think? Could you brave it? I might be able to talk myself into something along the lines of that rusty red color...

*editorial: natasha poly by mariano vivanco for vogue spain

*ps - before someone leaves a nasty comment, yes i like to err on the side of faux fur, unless it's vintage!

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AND A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU...

One of the things I was most thankful for today? Better lighting in my apartment! I spent the morning re-shooting the whole tabletop and it was absolutely worth it. I hope you enjoy...!

The inspiration for this setting came solely from this vintage fabric that I've been dying to use in a table design for quite some time now. I wanted the feeling to be woodsy, soft and romantic, but not fussy. The florals in the linen are so strong that I didn't need anything else overwhelming it, and the only other pattern I knew I wanted in there was the beautiful herringbone napkins from Sferra (especially after polling you all on your favorite elements from my initial inspiration boards!)



While the majority of the colors in the tablecloth are soft greys and greens, there's also a bronze element and that's where I got the idea to do warmer toned stemware (from West Elm) combined with cool tones in the florals to mimic the linen.


The same theory applied to the dishware - a combination of warm gold chargers (from Pier1) and cool grey dishes (purchased at velocity) lent itself well to the table linen, and the gold flatware (by canvas) absolutely popped! If you were to want a more rustic look, I would swap out the gold chargers for wood and tie some burlap around the floral arrangement. 



And now... there's only one thing left to say...

Thank you. My dear readers, friends, contributors fellow bloggers, design lovers, pinterest addicts, tweet chatters, facebook followers, and especially commenters. Thank you for building this amazing community. Not just here at coco+kelley, but in this whole other world that we have created where we all get to inspire and encourage and share with each other every day. I love you all (for reals). Happy Happy Thanksgiving! (Now, where's my pie...)

*ps - i'm quite aware that in my haste to set the table i set the flatware in the wrong place, swapping the forks and spoons. my apologies for offending anyone's traditional sensibilities. martha would be so disappointed! on the other hand... for us italians, it makes sense for the fork to be on the right and spoon on the left - pasta twirlers that we are. i think nono would approve.

*images all shot by cassandra lavalle for coco+kelley

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HEY THERE, PUMPKIN...

Hello lovely coco+kelley readers! This is Apollina from Apollinas bringing you a glitzy idea for your Fall festivities!

I love gold. I love wearing it, I love seeing it and I love eating it. I even suggested to my fiancé that we name our first born girl Gold – he didn’t go for it. (In fact, he preemptively struck any baby names having to do with precious or semi-precious metals, stones or gems.)

This time of year, what I'm really loving is this idea of painting pumpkins gold, and I thought it would also be the perfect way to add some glamour to delicious (but boring brown) pumpkin pies!

Mini pumpkin candies are cute on their own, but when you add a little gold luster spray and some edible glitter, they become much more dramatic and adult.

I sprayed the candies with edible gold luster spray and added some edible gold glitter. The glitter is fun to paint on with a little paintbrush, just use some vodka or lemon juice to adhere it. To give them a little variety, some of the candies I just dusted with the glitter and didn’t spray...

Pumpkin pie is a staple dessert this time of year and mini versions are easy and fun for Fall parties. I kept things simple and bought some pre-made mini graham pie shells (like these), a can of pumpkin puree and then assembled according to package directions.

Since these are mini versions, I reduced the oven temp to 350 and didn’t bake as long as the can told me to (just use the toothpick test!). When they were ready, I topped each pie with a big dollop of whip and a golden pumpkin candy!

I really loved the way these came out! The graham crust tasted delicious with the pumpkin pie, I actually prefer it to the traditional flaky crust, and the little pumpkins added the perfect finishing touch


Happy Fall + Happy Gilding to all!

*first image via country living, all other images by apollina

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INTO THE WOODS

Let's face it. I live in Seattle. It's hard not to get all nature-inspired with tabletops around here. But, that doesn't mean that a little glamour, a hint of modern styling, or even a bit of english countryside can't come into play...

I always love a little feather detail in my Thanksgiving tabletop, and this hint of sparkle is a sweet addition to a more traditional tabletop. I'd love to see a centerpiece of casual tree branches to contrast such a refined setting.

Tailored herringbone lends itself well to a modern update with simple dishware and a layer of birch brings an organic touch, but my favorite is the gold flatware which elevates the whole look.

We all know you can't go wrong with black and white, but the classic combo styled on a rough edged wood table, paired with a burlap runner and casual dishware makes it cozy and approachable.

So, my loves, which one is your favorite? And which look would you like to see me incorporate into my own Thanksgiving table? I'll be styling it up this week!

*images by paolo roversi, via style me pretty, martha stewart, from me to you, toast, alchemy events

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COLOR FOR THANKSGIVING...

In the last week I've been on a cooking kick - butternut squash ravioli, lemon artichoke pesto penne, winter kale soup, and much much more. Seems that fall has brought out the chef in me (and some comfort food cravings). And along with that? Some fall color palette cravings to set the table with...

Starting with this. After all, Thanksgiving is next week, and I'm tabletop scheming! Whatcha think?

*images via tumblr (unknown source) and by mikael beckman

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DECK THE WALLS

The holidays may be just around the corner, but we've still got a whole month to celebrate fall, and I've been gathering some ideas on decor for a harvest dinner featuring my dad's famous butternut squash ravioli that I've been craving lately.

Then, inspiration hit me when going through some photos from a trip to east coast a few months ago...

Fall leaves are one of my most favorite things in the world, and this stunning wall in the Twelve Chairs showroom in Boston may be the best homage I've seen on the subject. The leaves are actually pinned (!!!) on to create a stunning pattern.

I feel like there's all sorts of ways to get crafty with this idea (maybe even some that are kid friendly?) I could see myself doing this in a smaller scale on my bulletin board, and tacking them up around a menu?

Of course, I'm also loving this inspiration for walls as well...

In the beautiful Seedhouse showroom in Manhattan, owner Ellen Carey created this wall all herself. Feathers, feathers, and more feathers in a gorgeous shade of yellow! A more permanent installation that could take some serious time, but again, done smaller scale could be fun for a fall party, no?

What would you do with these ideas? My brain is spinning and my dinner party is this weekend!

*images by coco+kelley

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FALL MUST-HAVE: THE CHIC RED COAT

My absolute favorite coat in my closet is a perfect berry red. I'm fairly certain I purchased it around ten years ago... which means it's well past time for a new one. A classic red coat instantly makes any outfit feel a little more chic, don't you think?

Lucky for me, there are plenty of options out there this season (so glad red is back!) In fact, I've found so many that I can't decide! All I know is I love a classic tailored look...

Do you have a favorite? I'm slightly in love with the miu miu myself (of course it's sold out), and the prada is a similar red to what I have now. Then again, the classic tailoring of the j.crew option is so lovely...

* clockwise from top girl: asos, dkny, miu miu, prada, milly and j.crew

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DROMEDARY DREAMS

Hello readers, Crissie here, from bug&Bear! How are we all enjoying our fall? I love the change of seasons -the brisk air, the chilly nights snuggled up in blankets - but I don't usually love the colors fall brings. It seems everyone becomes obsessed with orange - Halloween, pumpkins, leaves, pies, candy corn. So. Much. Orange. I've never really been a fan (maybe because I don't look good in the color...) until I spotted this little number at Anthropologie. Wowza - orange and pink and camels?! I love it. And how does one accessorize a bright orange camel dress you ask? With camel colored accessories, clearly!




bag/dress/sweater/bracelets/sun-glasses/hat/watch/shoes

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GET THE LOOK:: WRAP IT UP

What to wear when the weather hasn't quite caught up with our desire to bundle up and layer? When unpredictable temps have us peeling off our beloved layers only to put them on again. Some call this lovely season transitional but I call it tricky! Cristina from Fuji Files here with a transitional tip to get you through the season.

Wraps are an excellent fix for fall because they're as easy to throw on as they are to take off, and they add an effortless air to any outfit. I love the laid back boho feel of an oversized scarf, but I like to keep the rest of the look polished when sporting this trend (so as not to look like I walked out of the house in a blanket!). We're only a few days into fall so I kept this look bright with a light tee and fun salmon colored trousers.

This is an easy way to add pattern to an otherwise neutral outfit, and there are lots of great patterns to choose from right now like Aztec and Southwestern inspired prints! I chose a pretty paisley and paired it with metallic heels for that extra glam factor. If you're up for adding one more fall accessory to the mix, top it all off with a felt fedora!



*resources: shawl Anthropologie, earrings Patrick Irla, shirt Kain, clutch Kate Spade, shoes Zara, pants Topshop 

*images via: stockholmstreetstyle, vanessajackman, anthropologie, netaporter, etsy, topshop, katespade, zara

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FIRST DAY OF FALL...

The change of seasons is here, bringing with it hazy mornings, rich fall colors and a little more calm in our lives...





We woke up to a hazy morning in Seattle, but chilly fall air? Not quite! I'm happy to be enjoying the warm days while they last, but I am looking forward to bundling up just a little bit...

This weekend I head to San Francisco to visit good friends and celebrate the one year anniversary of Rue (have you seen our sneek peek at the anniversary issue?). I can't wait to be back in one of my favorite cities and I'm sure I'll have some fun moments to share with you when I return!

Hoping your first weekend of fall is fabulous!

*images: lily cole by guy aroch for harper's bazaar, betsy burnham design, source unknown, paperwhites photography, and will davidson for muse

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A SHOW OF OUR OWN: FALL AT NEIMANS

Soooo... it wasn't exactly fashion week, but the mini fall preview show I co-hosted a few weeks ago at the Bellevue Neiman Marcus was definitely just as fun, and such a great experience to be a part of, I figured it was high time to share some of it with you!

It's one thing to pull items for yourself or a photo shoot - it's another thing entirely to put together a cohesive show making sure to hit all the key trends! Luckily, my seasoned sidekick Rachel helped guide me along!

There was lots of mingling and nibbling to kick things off as we welcomed our guests...



And then there was the show!

Rachel and I had a blast introducing the girls, their looks, and otherwise being witty.

My favorite part of putting these looks together was having a chance to show the ladies how to combine high and low - like pairing a Chanel blouse with a Theory jacket and Elizabeth & James skirt (on the left). I also loved showing a wide variety of looks - going from super classic, to edgy, to weekend wear.  

A few of my favorite details! (That Prada clutch! I die!)

This was our final look - and man did she nail it! Too see all the looks, pop on over to the coco+kelley facebook album (and tell me what your favorites are!). A huge thank you to Nicole at Sunshine Charlie for these fabulous photos and to Neimans for asking me to be involved in such a fabulous little event!

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JUST AROUND THE CORNER...

Good morning sunshine...




I don't know about you, but the weekend weather around here certainly felt like fall was just around the corner. There was a chill in the morning air, and I felt a sudden urge to start nesting, planning dinner parties and spend lazy mornings in bed under the blankets. While I'm thankful for the few days of sunshine we still have left, I'm kind of excited to cozy in for my favorite season... are you ready?


*images via pinterest (original source unknown), via MFAMB (original source unknown), style me pretty ,william waldron for elle decor

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