In Color

I usually shy away from displaying family photos in color.  It can look unpolished.  Although I will always be a fan of the classic black and white, certain photos demand color.....such as a couple of pictures of Red and I from our travels.  Pictures of beautiful landscapes and mountains seem to get lost in black and white.  Most gallery walls display color in artwork rather than photographs to avoid the danger of looking cheesy.  Here are some images that dare to break the mold, and they are inspiring.

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Domino

Somehow, I never got my hands on this book until a few weeks ago (thanks to a friend loaning it to me!).  I have to say, this might be the most practically helpful decorating book I have ever seen.     Besides the countless tips and beautiful pictures, I love how the beginning of the book addresses readers who have no clue where to start when it comes to decorating.  If you feel overwhelmed when it comes to decorating and pinpointing your personal style, this book is for you.  I love the methodical and practical suggestions, and have found them to be true in my own life.  Ps.  If you don't already know, Domino has come out with a special edition magazine (for those of us who have missed it since it's been off the shelf) that is on newsstands now.  Grab your copy!

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A Perfect Scandinavian Nursery

Isn't this nursery beautiful?  It's proof that neutrals don't have to be stark and cold, but rather can be warm and inviting.  Since I first started working on our nursery, two things were important to me:  1.  I wanted to create a room that looked like it belonged with the rest of our house, and 2. I wanted to use decor that isn't primarily "baby" so that after the baby phase we could use it in other parts of the house (partly budget reasons, partly preference).  The two things overlap I guess.  My point is that I can imagine the rest of this house being filled with Scandinavian eye candy/treasures.  In fact, rarely does a nursery make me want a tour of the rest of the house, but this one does just that.  Well done Sissy & Marley.

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Earth Day and Snow

We woke up this morning to snow on the ground.  Snow in April is a first for me, but no complaining here!  The closer I get to my due date, the more I'm hoping the cooler weather will stick around.  A lot of the homes here in Upstate NY don't have A/C and ours is one of them.  Don't even get me started on that subject.  My philosophy is that if there's even the possibility of  summer weather getting into the 80s, homes should have A/C.  I suppose that's not very "earthy" of me.  Anyways, despite the cold temperature here it is Earth Day so here is some outdoor inspiration for you.    

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Loving this affordable Ikea chair for both outdoor and indoor use:

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The ideal outdoor movie night:

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What a cool way to display your herbs, yes?

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West Elm has some beautiful outdoor furniture in their spring collection:

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Mid-century find

You guys, I'm pretty siked about this craigslist steal. I have been on the lookout for a mid-century dresser to use as a changing station in our nursery, and I found one! We wanted something that would not be limited to a nursery years down the road. Not only was it a good price, but I'm in love with the vintage gold knobs. They add a feminine touch that also sets the dresser a part from my other mid century finds. Only problem- it's in VA. So that's what we are doing this weekend......mostly driving, but Red and I love roadtrips together so we don't mind. Be back Monday!

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Inspiration: Rope?

I love images like the ones below that take something so ordinary (rope) and make it into something creative, useful, or a work of art. If that necklace wasn't out of stock and crazy expensive (for what it is at least), I think I would need to have it.

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On marking your travels

You guys probably remember from this post how much I love maps. When Red and I first started traveling, I wanted a way to document our trips through maps. There are so many ideas and ways to do this- color coding, pins, or even scratch off. My brother actually bought me this really cool scratch off map for Christmas a couple years ago, but the map was so pretty the way it was that I couldn't bare to "ruin" it.

PS. It makes me happy that so many of you readers out there are from all over the world. I would love to hear your ideas!

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So, my solution was to frame maps based on the individual trips we take. That is, for our Australia/New Zealand trip I combined the two countries into one art piece and for our more recent Italy trip, I just bought a map of Italy from one of my favorite etsy shops, Bold and Noble.

For the Australia/New Zealand art piece below, I bought a map from amazon here (it was about $2 when I bought it, but now it's a whopping $8- I kid, I kid). I then cut out Australia and New Zealand to make the personalized map below. (I cropped the picture, because I'm going to show you my gallery wall some day down the road.) For such a cheap map, I wasn't nervous about cutting it up. Eventually I need to order another one though, because mine arrived wrinkled and it bothers me whenever I look closely at it.

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This may prove to become complicated if we decide to visit two countries on opposite ends of the world, but I'm betting we probably won't do that. I also like the idea of celebrating our memories from those trips more than just with a pin to signify where we've been (personal preference that's all).

Inspiration: Pink Ombre

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Currently Loving

the beautiful fabrics over at Allegra Hicks:

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White, Bright and not too Sterile

I'm usually drawn to the Scandinavian homes with lots of whites and neutrals, but sometimes it feels cold. And, if I'm honest with myself.....I couldn't live without color. It's one thing to admire something and another to enjoy living in it. Here are some rooms that I find have the perfect amount of color to bring warmth without being overpowering.

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Scenes from my weekend

What a fun/whirlwind weekend we had in NYC. Staying with some good friends stationed at West Point, we took the train into the city. Spring in Central Park is such a pretty place.

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We hunted down a Gelato shop......it was well worth the mile detour.

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We caught up with my college roommate and her fiance at a Mets game

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Our favorite opera, we have always wanted to see The Phantom of the Opera together. It also holds a special place for us, as I walked down the aisle to "All I Ask of You".

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My college roommate's sister works for one of the main companies that sews and repairs Broadway costumes. It was interesting to chat with her and see the studio. Here is one of the Wicked costumes they are currently working on.

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Touring West Point- the character of the old buildings combined with the stunning views made for a beautiful place to stay.