amy's wedding.

My stunningly beautiful friend Amy's BIG day was featured in Eco-beautiful Weddings. She is one of the most unique and creative people I've ever known... and did I mention stunningly beautiful..? I loved all of her little touches. So sweet. Have a looksee!
I especially loved the pinwheels and the turquoise and red color pops throughout! And it was eco-friendly to boot! Gotta love that.

life is like this...

Beautiful and tempting. But full of pits.
When it's sweet, it's perfect.
But watch out for the sour ones, they look just like the sweet.
And yes, you have to work. Prising the fruit off that hard center; working your muscles, but
Aaahh... the reward.

Eat slowly, my friends.
Savor each bite of your life.
Because when the bowl is empty... you'll wish you had more.

your daily dose of cuteness.

Behold the adorableness in this chick's house!













{all images: Trisha Brink's Photostream}

I think she crawled into my brain and read my thoughts. I love the kitchy-ness and the lived-in-edness and the fearlessness! It's what I woulda if I coulda.
SO cute!

color me sick.

Being somewhat artsy, you'd think I'd be pretty adept at picking out interior paint colors. Yeah, not-so-much. I always go into it with the best intentions of picking out the subtle yet punchy enough color that looks exactly like what I see in my mind's eye... and I always end up with something very much NOT that. Take for instance... the bedroom incident.

For a very long time I've had an obsession with finding the perfect turquoise. Not a bright, vibrant turquoise, but an antique-y, dusty, regency sort of hue. When we first moved into this house I painted the bedroom in what I though was just that. Something to complement the white painted floors and give rustic charm. Hahaaa... turns out, I was more than a little bit off! Upon seeing it for the first time, Andy called it the Guatemalan hospital room. And it totally was.
(I am desperately searching for a photo, but I think I must have incinerated all evidence.)

But today I saw this pretty little cottage featured on House of Turquoise......and I said, "Now that's my color!"

I love it.
Reminds me of this...
So beautiful.

And Oh!
Oh, how I do wish I were in some Jane Austen-esque countryside manor house frolicking with my Mr. Darcy instead of where I am in actuality... the sick house.
Nursing a feverish baby whilst simultaneously coughing my ever loving lungs out.

Oh well.... That's why God invented the internet.
:)

a few things of note...

Whoa! Cuteness overload! I haven't had a chance to really catch up on my blog-reading until today, and whew! there was just so much awesomeness to behold.
I have to share some stuff I'm digging on...

Firstly:
The Cottage Cheese's adorable 50's inspired kitchen find.



Second:
The Young House Love blog. How am I only just now finding this?!

Thirdly:
Desire to Inspire never fails to do just that. Here are a few Flickr finds of laundry rooms to-die-for.

Fourthly, and finally:
I am loving all of these cute, colorful prints. And plan to take note of a few I'd like to have for my new(yet to be found) kitchen or studio.

{via: Design is Mine}

{via:A Cup of Jo}

{via: A Cup of Jo}

{via: Design is Mine}

...And now, I will leave you, my lovelies, as I hear myself being beckoned to attend to the youngster. (Plus, I'm afraid he may be in there eating all of my Cadbury creme eggs as I type this!)
Yikes.


Happy Tuesday.

change is in the wind...

I'm beginning to get excited about moving and starting fresh in a new house. I get bored SO quickly with my decor and always wish I had a clean slate to start fresh on. Pretty soon, that'll be the case. My daily source of design inspiration is forever Desire to Inspire; where I ran across this:

{source}

There are so many design elements here that I have been adoring for a while now. Filed in my mind under "things I plan on implementing in our next place". The bold horizontal stripes, the whimsical yet polished look, the mixing of casual and elegant textiles. Plus, I really want a cow hide rug. They're always a staple in the rooms I love. (Andy doesn't agree. But he will soon see the light. Oh, yes. He will.) I'm also really into this wallpaper:

{source}

What do we think? Cool, huh. I keep seeing it everywhere... and I dig it.

Hope you all are having a beautiful, relaxing Sunday! I'm off to make dinner and then plant my hiney firmly on the couch for the rest of the night. It's Oscar night, baby!

on being real...

I've been thinking a lot about being a better, truer me. Sometimes I really do feel like I have to fake it. Being what I think people want me to be, or toning myself down (or cranking it up) depending on who I'm with. And that makes for an unfulfilled life. I am endeavoring to be truer to myself. Pursuing the things that interest me, embracing my quirky senses, not making excuses for anything... because it's who I am and who I want to be. Take it or leave it, ya know.

And with these thoughts running through my head, I was totally enthralled with something I ran across on Design is Mine today...

{all images:The Selby}

It's chock-full of creative people living in their unique spaces... messy, artistic, and real. I love taking peeps into people's private spaces (um, that sounded creepy.) But, for real... it's cool. Check it out.

And remember...

{source}

jaded, party of one...

So I've been a little aloof here lately (or so I've been told.) I think it's just been a very "internal" past couple weeks/months for me... and I've been spending a lot of time in my own head. But now I feel as if I'm beginning to come out of the fog. I'm really wanting to make my blog a daily thing, but as of right now... I am SO not in love with it anymore. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I am no longer content to just write about things that inspire me... I'm ready to start actually creating! It's gonna happen, my friends... Yes, it is.

In the meantime, though, at least I have really creative friends that I can live vicariously through! Colleen just added some super cute pieces to her Etsy shop! Yes! It's up and running... check it!
...until my next semi-pathetic post. Au revoir, my steadfast friends!

what a little Nie can do.

Today started like most do.

Hear the call of "Mammmmaaaaa!!!!". Pry my eyes open. Using sheer force of will, crawl out from the warm bed. Potty. Breakfast. Brush teeth. Make beds. Get an unwilling child dressed for school. Don hat, hoodie and flipflops. Out the door. Into the car.... Into traffic... Into another day in the life of me. And usually by the end, I'm ashamed to admit, I'm grouchy, unbathed, exhausted, touched out and turned off.

But today.

Today I saw Nienie on Oprah.

This was my first time seeing her "in real life" and I was blown away by her. Her spirit is so beautiful, it's palpable. I could see the warmth and love emanating from both her and her Mr. Nielson as I watched them talk about their story. Tears, tears, tears were flowing down my cheeks.

There was a segment where Oprah set up for one of her viewers to go and spend time with Stephanie in her home. This viewer, another down-in-the-dumps-stay-at-home-mom like myself, had written in to Oprah and expounded on why she "just can't handle being a stay at home mom anymore, and that Play dough makes her want to kill herself..." or something like that. Oprah sent her to the Nielson's house. ...And without going into the whole story, this chick definitely got a huge wake up call. Just seeing how genuinely happy and devoted and joyful and nurturing Nie is... and how, despite all the physical pain she is in, and despite the fact that she was once breathtakingly gorgeous and is now scarred, and despite the fact that she has every right to cry every day for the rest of her life, but doesn't... Well, let's just say, it was more than inspiring.The blessings in my life are too many to count. Everyday for me is an opportunity for growth and love and betterment. I get to spend my days in the environment of my choosing, with an angel boy whom I created, with a husband who is more than words to me and surrounded by people who only love and support me. Is that not enough? It's all I want and all I've ever wanted, and I'm determined to live it to the fullest. And tomorrow's a new day.

Thank you Nienie.

rooms to inspire

It's obvious to me that Fall has indeed arrived because I'm starting to feel invigorated and inspired again! My long-parched well is once again bubbling over with fresh ideas. And when I first saw the beautiful rooms below over at Desire to Inspire... well, they made me giddy. So unique, so brilliant yet simple, like living in someone's imagination... Eccentric Victorian I would call it.
I love it.

images via desiretoinspire

My favorite things are: The cherry blossom wall mural in "Olive's" room. The deep purple wall and pink floor in the kitchen. The peacock feathers in a blue vase on the mantle, perfect. The hanging clothes displayed on the walls and inside of frames... Charmante!

Admiration.

This woman is amazing.

rooms to inspire

Well, hello there. How lovely of you to stop by! I must admit, I've been SO stressed lately. Dealing with a child who seems to be going through a particularly rough bout of terrible-two-ness (at least where napping and bedtime is concerned). Every day (and night) has been a struggle for the past two weeks... and it's really begun to take it's toll on me. Mainly, I feel like my creative juices have been sucked dry. And nothing bums me out more than feeling uninspired. So as a remedy, I spent my spare 5 minutes of online time perusing one of my favorite blogs: Desire to Inspire.
And just look at the loveliness there waiting for me...
Beautiful, and worth sharing!





I especially LOVE the white stackable chairs above. I need me some of these! Looking at beautiful design and decor always perks me up and inspires me.

What do you like to do to cure the blues?