The Decorista goes to Los Cabos

Today our travels take us far to the southwest, to Los Cabos, Mexico, along the Baja penninsula. Our guide today is the lovely Ashlina, from the blog The Decorista. This wildly stylish blogger will be sharing some of her own secrets to vacation bliss. Pack your swimsuits and plenty of suntan lotion -- it's gonna be a great trip!* * *Hello all of you lovely readers of Odi et Amo! It's Ashlina here

My favourite thing this week

Found these at Anthropologie.  So pretty.

Shop Like a Design Blogger: Journey Chic

Today's guest blogger is Laura from JourneyChic. Laura was one of my earliest followers (and I suppose I was, in turn, one of her earliest followers). I immediately liked Laura for her intelligent writing, her love of travel, and her innate sense of style. It's been a pleasure following her blog the past year or so and getting to know Laura in turn. Laura and her husband are expecting their first

Getting The Shabby Chic Look

The furniture that you will bring into your home will be very important but let's not forget that existing furniture can be played around with to get the desired look. More often than not, wood is the primary material used in furniture but it gets a makeover with several layers of paint - not forgetting the aged look of chips and a little wear and tear. You can create this look yourself by sanding or distressing the top layer of paint to show the wood or other paint layers underneath.

Furniture should be comfortable as it is no good just choosing pieces for the purpose of looking great if they are going to make you feel stiff and rigid when sitting. Shabby chic is very cosy and should invite you to curl up on the sofa with a good book or cup of tea with friends. You can make things even more cosy with lots of plumped up pillows.

Wicker also works well in the shabby chic décor - give wicker items a white coating or if you have more than one piece you can leave one or two in its original condition for contrast. A couple of patchwork throws wouldn't go a miss and a good focal point could be a table with a display of random white ornaments and odd table lamps uk style to create an ambient, diffused lighting effect in the evenings.

Image: Small Place Style

Aesthetic Oiseau goes to South Carolina

Today our virtual travels take us farther south down the eastern seaboard to St Johns, South Carolina, to a home designed by the incomparable Phoebe Howard. Our tour guide today is Daniela from the DC-based blog Aesthetic Oiseau. If you're looking for inspiration for a modern interpretation of chinoiserie or incredibly stylish chinoiserie finds at a good price, Daniela is your girl. In fact, I