HAVE YOU NOTICED...

... that I actually have sources for most of the images I've posted lately? I discovered an awesome trick recently that's helped me find sources for tons of images that I saved years ago. Here's how it works:

1. open Google, then click on "Images" to pull up Google Image Search:

Then locate the item on your desktop that you're trying to search for. Start dragging it and you'll notice Google tells you to "drop image here" right below the text search box.

Release your mouse once the icon is hovering over that blue box, and it will upload your image:

Google will find every instance of the same image posted in other places online, as well as identifying the subject of the image (in this example, taken from a recent post, a black tufted headboard) and searching for that.

Almost invariably, one of the first image results will be the original source (often a company or magazine's website). In this case, someone uploaded a number of scans from Elle Interior (that's the Swedish version), along with credits for the designers, stylist AND photographer!

Is this one of those things that everyone already knew about? Am I way behind the times (apologies for this waste of a post, if I am), or is this a new discovery for some of you, too?

NEW AND NEW-ISH THINGS

Some of my favorite purchases and presents of the past few months!

First, the big one: I bought this coat for myself in November as a present to myself. I've been so happy to have gotten such steady design board requests since I decided to start offering them, and I thought I deserved a little reward not only for supplementing my sad little paycheck, but also for making my work life a little less terrible by doing something I love in between real workdays. This is really my first grown-up purchase – I think it's the first well-made thing I've ever payed full price for. And considering that I've worn it literally every day since, I think it was worth it!

J. Crew Townhouse Trench

Santa was good to me this Christmas! Lovely things and practical ones... 

quartz earrings from the fiancé from
Persona Jewelry (the wonderful jeweler who made our ring!)

J. Crew Edie purse. Thanks dad!

Rob Ryan plate set

Victorinox SwissCard

And of course, despite the big pre-Christmas purchase, I couldn't help doing a little January discount shopping.

Sam Edelman loafers, $20 (originally $199)

Diane Von Furstenberg dress, $30 (originially $345)

tortoiseshell highballs, $2.99 each at HomeGoods

Any fabulous recent purchases? 

PLANS AND CHANGES

Looking ahead to the coming year, I'm a little excited and a little terrified. 2012 is going to be a big year, involving getting married (and changing my name?), turning 25, a long-anticipated but saddening family transition, my first full-fledged decorating gig, and a job change - if not an actual career change. 

Thankfully, last week was my belated holiday vacation and in addition to spending lots of time freaking out about how much there is to do before the wedding, I gathered the courage I'll need to tackle my first big project of the year: building a headboard! 

Our bedroom is getting a bit of a mini-makeover, with new bedding and a new headboard. I love the screen, but despite paying only $25 for it, I'm starting to feel guilty for how many scratches, holes, rips and bad touch-ups it's collecting. So a real headboard it is. Remember that fabulous headboard in the Plantation ad that I made a Look for Less from a while back? It was a tufted variation on this, if you don't remember:

Don't those wings make you want to jump in with a good book and stay there forever? I've always been obsessed with canopy beds because of their feeling of protected coziness, but the process of searching the internet for lookalikes of the Plantation bed inspired a full-fledged love affair with wingback or "wrap" beds. They're amazing. Not convinced yet? This gorgeousness should do the trick...

Thibaut

Nuevo Estilo

Magnolia Lane

Melissa Warner

Renovation Style via La Dolce Vita

Eric Kohler

Nuevo Estilo

Elle Interior

Lonny

Mine is probably going to be closest to that last, from Lonny - tall (well, not quite that tall), untufted (as much as I love those gorgeous tufted examples, my DIY skills aren't up to that yet), with small, straight wings. Everything but the wood has been purchased and is waiting in the corner of our bedroom:

not pictured: two packages of nailhead trim

Cross your fingers that I'll be able to pull this off!