May 2010

Sweet Obsessions Friday

May 28, 2010

Happy Friday – and happy long weekend to those of you in the States! Woo hoo! I am super excited because my dear sister in-law is getting married to her high school sweetheart this weekend, and my sweetie will be in the wedding, so we are heading off early to get to Boston for the rehearsal today. Do you have anything special planned this weekend? Any little trips or getaways or will you be relaxing at home? I would love to hear about your plans :) Before we all head off to enjoy our weekends, how about sitting back and relaxing for a few moments with a nice tall glass of something cool and delicious and perusing my seven finds of the week – sound good?

1. A dreamy inspiration board for a summer wedding, from 100 Layer Cake.

2. And since weddings are on my mind, what do you think of this little wheat grass container DIY to hold the seating cards – isn’t it darling? Made by Jordan of Oh Happy Day.

3. I have fallen for these handmade elephants from rabbitsmoon. I think my baby will definitely need one of these. Totally essential and necessary, right? Yes, I thought so. Thanks for backing me up ;)

4. The perfect pair of goddess-y sandals that, alas, I can only dream about, as they are only available in Saint-Tropez. This pair belongs to Garance Doré.

5. I adore Ez’s rainy-day project: a sweet little vintage bird, planted with a tiny succulent.

6. I love the fun, colorful designs in this tag of the month collection from every jot and tittle – perfect for stocking your gift-wrapping supplies!

7. In the mood for a little something sweet? How about these lovely lemon tartlettes from Grey Likes Nesting? Ah, lemon tartlettes and tea at the end of a summer lunch in the garden…can you think of many things nicer than that?

Well there you go, dearies! I am off to start packing for our weekend wedding trip, but I will pop in here and there to chat with you in the comments! On Monday I will be taking the day off for the holiday weekend, but you won’t want to miss Tuesday because that is my day to pin it forward! Happy weekend!!

{images: all linked to their sources above}

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My Pale Lilac Bedroom (and belly!)

May 27, 2010

in My Home

I finally got it together to snap a little picture for you of our freshly painted bedroom. We used this color, and it went on a bit darker & more purple than I was expecting…but after sleeping on it for a few nights I do like it. Want to see?

It is such a relief to have the lime green gone! Remember what that looked like? Allow me to refresh your memory…

Of course, not only were the walls lime green, but we also still had our too-small Ikea dresser and no real bed covering, which did not help anything! The pale lilac makes the room feel much more peaceful. I love our little 40′s dresser, it makes me so happy and the large mirror really opens up the little room. I still want to put up artwork, and I am dreaming of this gorgeously textured cream rosette quilt from Anthro…maybe someday :) And as for the belly? Today is the start of week 37!! I can hardly believe it.

{image: Laura Gaskill}

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Budget Oasis In White

May 26, 2010

in Design & Decor

I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. Last night B and I pretended it wasn’t Tuesday and went out to dinner and did a little fun shopping, ending up in a bookstore where I purchased the new issue of Canadian House and Home. And oh. My. When I came to the article on stylist Jenn Cranston’s lakeside cottage my jaw hit the floor – not only would I LOVE to move into her dreamy vacation home right this instant, but Jenn also managed to furnish the 1,000 square foot cottage on a tight budget and it is FULL of creative ideas to love and make your own…

By sticking to a tight color palette of white and cream with natural accents, Jenn keeps the small space feeling airy and open – I can imagine walking into this home and breathing a big sigh of relief, can’t you? It looks meant for rest and relaxation! And I think that even if you are not typically an “all white” home kind of person, this could feel just right for a little getaway house, no?

Jenn was able to keep costs down by purchasing some key pieces at Ikea and others in inexpensive vintage shops. Objects from nature like sculptural branches, driftwood, palm fronds, and even bowls of fresh fruits are such an easy way to add a beachy vibe at little or no cost.

And don’t you love the little built-in bunk beds tucked along a hallway wall? At the foot of each bed sits a basket to store the guest’s belongings, and a sliding door divides the space when needed and slides open completely to open up the whole space.

Jenn added just a few really special pieces like the Mexican textiles made into cushions, a vintage lamp, and favorite pottery to really make the tranquil space sing. Now my only question is, when will she rent this out as a vacation property…because I could easily spend a summer here!

{images: Angus Fergusson for Canadian House and Home}

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Inspired By… Anna Spiro

May 25, 2010

in Design & Decor

Today I am inspired by Australian interior designer and blog author Anna Spiro – are you a fan already? I really admire Anna’s style, she is not afraid to go BIG with color and bold art, and the homes she designs are always fresh and fun…and she is expecting a baby in just a few days!! I have been hard at work on my own home, and although I have accomplished a lot (more pictures to come this week, I promise!!) I feel I just now have the “basics” in place and my home still needs that personal touch of art and color! So are you with me? Let’s get inspired…

I think what inspires me most about Black & Spiro is that Anna truly wants to help create meaningful, personal homes – something that is on my mind this week as I begin preparing my post for pin it forward around the theme of what home means to me! Anna makes a point of incorporating meaningful personal treasures, refurbished vintage pieces and art along with the bright-and-shiny new stuff – so a house can feel like a real home, and not just a showcase of designer talent. Don’t you wish more interior designers were like this?

I love poring over the little details in these spaces – the richly layered vignettes on tabletops and tucked into corners of bookshelves where tiny bud vases, small paintings, seashells, and other small treasures mingle to tell a little story about the person who lives here.

And of course, I have to admire Anna’s love for pink! There is something so cheerful and uplifting about a bright white home filled with colorful artwork and plenty of pink! Yay for pink! Hee hee.

Anna’s Brisbane-based interior design business Black & Spiro is currently undergoing a major renovation while Anna takes her maternity leave, and I can’t wait to see what it looks like when they are done! You can see much more of Anna’s work in her Black & Spiro portfolio, as well as through her blog, Absolutely Beautiful Things.

And before I go, just to give you a little update: we did finish painting our bedroom and bathroom over the weekend, as well as the changing table and another small table for the baby’s room, and it completely wiped me out!! Of course, the heat here has not been helping and yesterday I felt like a wilted flower and spent much of the day alternately napping and whining! But it does feel so, SO good to know that all of the painting is DONE, and I promise to show you some pics later on this week! So…

{images: Black & Spiro}

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Sweet Obsessions Friday

May 21, 2010

in Sweet Obsessions

Happy weekend friends! I must admit I am dreading this weekend a bit because we are tackling the last of the painting: our bedroom and bathroom, and the little dresser that I am turning into a changing table. With only 5 weeks or so to go until this baby is born, I am getting more and more tired! I would really like to get away this weekend and enjoy the beautiful weather we’ve been having, but that’s just not in the cards. And really, I do want to get this last painting done; I know I will feel so much better once the lime green is gone forever!! So wish me luck with all of that :) And maybe while we’re waiting for the paint to dry, we can go see this or maybe this. Ah, but before I go I have seven little things to share with you that caught my eye this week…

1. A sweet print from Blanca Gomez.

2. The bag I am drooling over the most at the moment, a tulip in white from Morelle.

3. A lovely little canvas print featuring synchronized swimmers, from Kiki & Polly.

4. Perfect golden feather bobby pins from Tamar.

5. Handmade turquoise moccasins from darlingtonia.

6. A comfy little nook from Bolig Magazinet.

7. A made to order zodiac constellation from Miniature Rhino – this would make such a sweet baby or birthday gift, don’t you think?

I hope you have a lovely weekend, thank you so much for spending some time visiting with me here this week :) Oh yes, and on Monday do be sure to check out the first group of bloggers participating in pin it forward! I am really excited to be participating this time around (my turn will come the following week), and I am looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with for the theme “what home means to me” :)