Inspiration, interiors, decorating, craft + diy, and thoughts on creativity and the sweet life
From the monthly archives:
The new limited-edition walnut version of the Eames Hang-It-All has caught my eye:
But is it right for me? I think it would look so lovely on that big blank wall in my entryway. Want more rationalizations? It’s a classic. It will never go out of style. The walnut ties in nicely with my rich chocolate colored sofa. And it holds a surprising amount in a small space. Hm…
(image: DWR)
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I am about to tackle an area of my home that has been sadly neglected until now: the entryway, which is actually the front section of my open living/dining area, and also must contain my home office. In the corner you can see my office setup as it is now:
This is right next to the front door and a big empty wall:
Between the desk area and the back of the sofa is a decent amount of floor space that could be used for…something:
I need storage + organization for my office and entryway-related gear, and I want a more cohesive style/color palette. Here is a partial list of things to buy/find/steal from other areas of my home:
In addition to this list, I will be recovering the polka dot chair and moving it into the nursery, so then I may want a little bench or some such thing in this area. What do you think? Any ideas?
p.s. – I am laying low today with little B, who has his first cold :( Any tips for babies with snuffly noses?
(images: Laura Gaskill)
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Hello dears, how are you doing? I’ve been busy here in babyland for the past week, and honestly the days are beginning to blur together. I have been lucky to have my sweet husband at home with me, and we’ve been enjoying this “portable” phase of babyhood by toting Bix along with us to a different café each day – a fav so far in case you are ever in Providence has been Olga’s Cup + Saucer, where we sit in their delightfully leafy garden and I sip my highly addictive Café Mexicana in a giant bowl-like cup. But on to the subject of this post: I am heading back to school this fall!
You may remember that I started taking interior design classes last fall…well, I have decided against pursuing interior design further. Although I enjoyed my classes and I am passionate about interior design, after a lot of thought I have realized that it’s just not for me as a profession – I am perfectly happy keeping it a personal passion. And especially now that I am the mama to a little one, I am looking for a path that will give me a lot more flexibility in my work environment. So what am I taking next? (drumroll, please!)
I have signed up for my first web design course at RISD…wish me luck! Web design is something that I never thought I would find interesting, but since starting my first blog two years ago I have really enjoyed teaching myself coding and generally geeking out on my website. I am taking this slowly: I am at the point in my life where I do not need to rush into any long, expensive programs without feeling 150% sure that it is something I want to do. So I am beginning with just one class, and we’ll take it from there.
Throughout the fall I will check in with you here from time to time about my class, whether it is to share something interesting I’ve learned, or just to get a little support from all of you as I attempt to balance my coursework with new-mamahood – and I encourage any of you who are doing something similar (going back to school, changing careers, or trying to learn a new skill or craft) to check in here as well, and maybe we can all support one another! First request for support? I have exactly 3 weeks to learn how to use my breast pump…otherwise going to class will prove very problematic!!
(images: Kate’s Paperie)
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Well, after about 18 hours in the car (including lots of stops for breastfeeding and side-of-the-road diaper changes) we are back from North Carolina – whew! It was lovely to be able to leave Bixby with his adoring fans (i.e., aunties and uncles and grandparents) while Benny and I swam in the ocean (and saw dolphins!) and browsed the little neighborhood bookstore. But oh boy am I glad to be back home with my little one. Being on the road with a 6-week-old infant is stressful to say the least!
Since getting home I’ve been trying to choose baby announcements, and they have lots of cute ones at Minted. However, I keep getting distracted by their personalized stationary – like this cute one with pennant flags (which you know I can’t resist…)
Or these fun pink and orange talk bubbles.
I love the grid paper and name label on this one.
And these would make some pretty sharp kids thank you notes, don’t you think?
Well, I’m off to finish unpacking the mountain of luggage and gear that is currently sitting in a mountain in the center of my living room. You can go to Minted to check out more addictively cute stationary – but if you lose the better part of your afternoon browsing there, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
{images: Minted}
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I would like to introduce you to the one big splurge I made before our baby arrived – of course many relatives and friends have generously splurged on this baby, but there is one thing I decided I personally, ahem, needed…
If you’ve been reading this blog for any time, you probably know I have a bit of a thing for Orla Kiely, but I have not until now justified shelling out the cash for any of her lovely things. Well, sometime late in my pregnancy as my feet were swelling and my belly had grown so huge I couldn’t see them anyway, I decided that I really couldn’t go another day without an Orla Kiely diaper bag (I got mine from here) lol. I made myself feel better about buying the bag by telling myself it will make an excellent travel bag when it’s no longer holding nappies – and it will, I tell you!!
And it fits perfectly over the handlebar of our stroller (which I also love, by the way) for easy access while on the move. Here you see Bixby posing by the trail entrance to our first nature walk this past weekend (of course, he didn’t open his eyes the whole time, so it’s not like he knows he was on his first nature walk). Bottom line is, I love it. There is room for everything one with a baby might need to schlep, the strap adjusts so you can wear it over your shoulder or across the body, messenger-style, and I will never get sick of it.
This morning I was up very early, seeing my Mom off to the airport. We all loved having “Nana” here so much and will miss her dearly! And now I am busy packing for a road trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. This will be our first time traveling with Bixby, and it is quite an ambitious trip to be going on, so please wish us luck! Orla will be coming along, so at least I will be stylish on the road, even if there is a screaming wee one in my ear :)
Of course, this means that posts will be very light (hm, maybe even nonexistent?) over the next week as I enjoy some well-deserved R&R. I hope you can also find time this week to take care of yourself or even get away!!
{images: Laura Gaskill}
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