Hello 2013!

Wishing everyone a happy & safe New Year and leaving you with this simple saying I created to inspire me throughout 2013.

Christmas DIY: Burlap Trees

I love the look of burlap when it comes to decorating for anything- weddings, fall, Christmas, etc.  I saw a few burlap trees at Home Goods a few months back and decided they would make a perfect DIY project.  I got a medium and a large cardboard cone from Michaels and a yard of burlap from JoAnns.  I cut the the burlap into 3/4" wide strips about 5" long, looped them, and hot-glued them one by one onto the cones.  It took an hour or so to do both trees and I am so happy with how they turned out.  I apologize for not taking more pictures during the process but hot glue sure makes it difficult to! I love the rustic, frayed look the trees have and I can't wait to use them for many Christmases to come.

Christmas Cards 2012: Antler Style

I'm seriously debating about whether or not to make 'Antlers' its own post category on the side of my blog.  Lately I've been posting about them so often because they are the perfect cross between my style and my husband's style.  Trendy yet classic, masculine but feminine.  I decided to watercolor our Christmas cards this year and thought that deer would be the perfect subject matter.  Below are a few snapshots courtesy of Instagram of the cards we sent out.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on how they turned out!

His & Hers: Bar Carts

Don't ever search "bar cart" on Pinterest unless you're prepared to literally spend two hours looking through them all.  Just kidding, but not really, because as soon as I typed those words in the search bar my jaw dropped and my eyes got all googly.  These images gave me so much inspiration and I can't wait to collect items to start creating our own bar area.  I love the idea of making it either ultra feminine or super masculine based on who your company is that day.  Hopefully ours will fall somewhere in between these masculine and feminine ideas.

His...

birch bark straws / antler bottle opener / brokers gin / knob creek / moonshine / tray table / ice bucket / trays / decanter

And hers...

striped straws / mirrored tray / pellegrino / lamp / trio drinkware / lemons / absolut citron / cocktail napkins / mirror topped table

Makes You Want to Take a Back Road

A few weeks ago when we went home my mom and I drove around the county to take pictures of barns.  We had no map or time limit, it was just us, our cameras, and the radio.  It wasn't about capturing a season or a person, but more about capturing our surroundings and appreciating the rustic details and rural landscape. It made me want to research the architecture of barns - what types were built in what areas and for what use. It made me want to know the story behind each and every one, about the history right in front of us.  And it made me want to paint - to watercolor the sun-washed siding and reflective tin roofs.  I'm so thankful for that weekend with my mom and all of the memories we made with each photo we took.  Here are a few of my favorites from that weekend.  

Color Palette: Classic Christmas

This weekend was made up of coffee, picking out the perfect Christmas tree, sparkly ornaments and twinkle lights.  I re-checked all of my holiday songs on iTunes and downloaded a new favorite. I miss the fireplace we had in our Charlotte apartment, but I loved decorating our new apartment with a few DIY projects (tutorials to come), my old snowman collection, and new plaid plates and napkins.  I think this color palette is a cozy mix of a few classic Christmas staples.  Plaids, sweaters, colored bulbs, and snow create the perfect blend of wintery prep.

Stag Style

Who says stags are just seasonal?  I love seeing antlers and deer silhouettes during Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I think they should stick around through out the whole year.  Here are a couple of my favorite stag-themed decorations that can last all year 'round.

a. antler stamp / b. faux antler candelabra / c. stag bottle stopper / d. etched stag double old fashioneds

Cozy Work Spaces

These work spaces get me motivated to start the week and check things off the to-do list.  A few rich colors, warm textures, and a pin-up board are staples for a productive office space.

[Images courtesy of Sacramento Street & Minimal Desk]

Take a Step Back

Traffic for the past couple days has not been pretty.  Its funny though how when you look at things through a different lens or take a step back they come into perspective.

[Painting by Guillermo Carrion]

Color Palette: Stream, Logs, Chalk

With the cool air of winter sneaking up on us, all I've been craving lately are chunky sweaters and tall cups of earl grey tea.  I hope this palette helps warm you up this week.

Black & Whites

The composition, the parallels between nature and the built environment, the lighting, the contrast - there are so many things about these photographs that capture my attention. The simple beauty and intricate architecture and landscaping of these images is worth stopping to take a second look. There's nothing about Dear Leila's photographs that I'm not loving right now.

[Photographs by Dear Leila]

Neutral Living and Dining

I love the feeling that these rooms have- crisp refinement with unique, rustic finds.  The white walls and warm woods are features that continuously catch my eye. Each of these images have a distinct feel that works for any type of home from a cozy bungalow to a vineyard ranch.  With a palette this simple and fresh it would be easy to make each room in a home flow from one to another.

Color Palette: Lace, White-Washed, Cable Knit

Daylight Savings can only mean that winter is quickly coming.  Grab a cup of hot tea, layer up in your thickest sweaters, and enjoy these subtle winter whites.

Lunchtime Links: Engagement Style

One of my favorite things about fall is football and tailgating.  Even though the Hokies aren't doing too well this year, I'm excited to share these football engagement sessions.  I love the way these photos show the couples' personalities and keep things fun.  Check out the links below for more photographs from these stunning sessions.

a. Tailgate Engagement / b.  Gator Stadium Engagement / c. Jersey Save the Date / d. Somethin' Bout a Truck Engagment

Tartan Tablescape

Lately I've been loving all things plaid.  Cozy plaids in rich hues are the perfect transition between fall and winter.  I love the idea of using tartan for a tablescape.  Here are some of my favorite inspiration photographs.

a. brown & yellow tablescape / b. plaid napkin tablescape / c. winter tablescape  / d. mismatched plaid tablescape

Here's a few of my favorite plaid and wintery items for the table.  I'm seriously putting those salad plates on my Christmas list!

a. salad plates / b. whiskey decanter / c. napkin rings / d. antler shed / e. plaid glasses / f. napkins / g. green goblets / h. birch candles / i. sweater vases

Bedroom Inspiration

The next room that we're turning our attention to is our bedroom.  Cool creamy whites with touches of warm gray and burlap is the palette that we're invisioning.  I'm hoping that I can talk my mom into painting a rustic barn scene on a canvas to frame over the bed. Can't wait to share the progress with you!

a. burlap table lamp shade / b. gillian candlestick lamp base / c. lorraine tufted headboard / d. barn & pond painting / e. platinum quilted coverlet / f. wire bowl / g. mason jar soy candle / h. charlotte lined wire baskets / i. stratton dresser / j. ruffle linen pillow

Seafoam Kitchen: From Inspiration to Reality

For the past few months I've been collecting seafoam colored accessories for our kitchen.  You may remember this post showing some of the images and accessories that inspired me. It's still a work in progress, but below are some instagrams of details to see how our kitchen is shaping up!

Nautical New England Photographer

Lovely Little Details is a daily blog read for me, and as soon as I saw the link to Stacy Hedman's Photography blog I was hooked.  I began to think about my favorite east coast beaches, collections of buoys, and my brother's future New England wedding.  I can't wait to see how Cory and his fiancee's wedding planning forms and I'm excited to see this photographer's future blog additions!

[Photography by Stacy Hedman]

Color Palette: Cider, Yarn, & Planks

There are few things better in the fall than chunky sweaters, hot apple cider, and warm wooden floor boards under your feet.  I wish my fall wardrobe was as deeply colored and as richly textured as these cozy images.

Monthly Take-Away

After an absolutely crazy week, it is so nice to be able to type this post while looking at the autumn leaves dance on the trees out the window. During the past 30 days I've started blogging again, sketching again, and going to church again.  There will always be weeks where work will be intense and I'll get behind on housework and other things, but I know that I need to make time to simply contemplate, pray, walk outside, or listen to nothing but silence.  I'm beginning to realize its more about balancing myself- after a big rush needing a quiet moment, or after pushing myself giving myself a rest. Make time to write a hand written thank you, call a friend you haven't spoken to in a while, and listen to that song that you've forgotten about. Have an amazing week.

Image Courtesy of Busy Being Fabulous

Room of the Week

This interior makes me want to live in the city.  I love how the large windows make the buildings next-door seem like beautiful canvas paintings.  The tall ceilings and overscale mirror draw your eyes up to the gorgeous round chandelier.  The light wooden floors provide the perfect backdrop for an inviting lilac sofa and the red dining chairs.

Image courtesy of Bungalux

Winter-washed Nautical Tablescape

I think a snowy white nautical inspired tablescape would be perfect for the winter months.  Gray seersucker placemats would provide the perfect backdrop for richly textured dishes and natural driftwood.  A light wooden table with chunky legs would ground all the accessories and provide an inviting warmth as it gets chillier and chillier each day.

hideminy porcelain lace bowls / west elm seersucker placemats / driftwood inspiration / interior inspiration

Gallery Walls

One way to warm up your walls this fall is to create a gallery effect with a collection of various size frames and artwork displayed together.  Thanks to Pinterest, I've collected so many great ideas to get inspired from.  Seeing all of these different styles and layouts makes it seem like a not-so-daunting project.  I'm thinking of framing different sketches by family members and friends and displaying them in different sized black frames with wide white mats. Tell me if I'm crazy, but I was thinking they would look really neat as a collection above the towel rack in the guest bathroom.  It would be a little way to dress up a sometimes overlooked space. I hope everyone can get some Monday morning inspiration from these little gems, no matter what your style :)

Glass in Interiors

There's something so fresh, clean, & contemporary when glass is used in interiors.  Here are a few of the latest glass trends I'm loving.

rbw bright side lights / thinkglass countertop / water carafe / glass barn doors

Room of the Week

Simple gray walls paired with crisp white trim and wide plank floors make this space the perfect combination of masculine and feminine.  The natural accessories and floors are balanced by a soft  palette.  The kraft colored chair provides a quiet pop of color that makes this interior so inviting.

[Image courtesy of House to Home via Brunch at Saks]

Seafoam Kitchen Styling

The first room that I focused on when we moved into our new place was the kitchen.  Our cabinets are white, so I decided to pick one color for the accessories, towels, and dishes.  I thought seafoam was the perfect choice because its fresh, clean, and can work for any season.  I'm continuously on the the hunt for seafoam colored accessories to place above the upper cabinets. Here are some of my favorite vintage and vintage-inspired finds online.

 a. Vintage Enamel Strainer / b. Vintage Dominion Fan / c. French Green Soap / d. Cast Iron Bottle Opener / e. Vintage Way Rite Scale / f. Zigzag Rug

Living Room Palette

A lot has happened since my last blog post...we've moved back to Virginia, my husband has changed jobs, we celebrated our first year wedding anniversary, and finally feel like we're settling in our "home".  Really its just an apartment, but its perfect for us right now.  A lot of our furniture is yard sale finds and hand-me-downs, but we have a beautiful dining set that was a gift from our parents and we just purchased a new couch and love seat! We've been thinking about the new style for our living room for a while now and have actually agreed on some of the biggest aspects of the design.  We love the idea of a rustic masculine feel with accents of navy and rust.  I'm hoping it will turn out a little like this...

a. one kings lane deer pillow/ b. front gate nautical pillow/ c. one kings lane raised pineapple finial / d. crate and barrel cameron sofa/ e. pottery barn studio wall shelf/ f. crate and barrel stow persimmon leather storage ottoman/ g. rugsusa inspire navy rug/ h. chuck close book/ i. whisky book/ j. antler/ k. hermes boxes/ l. jonathan adler louis arm chair

Falling for Neon

Alright, I admit it.  I'm slowly falling for the neon fad.  At first when I started seeing this trend, I was reminded of the 80's and thought of urban grime (eww!).  But the more I kept seeing it around- in interiors, fashion, paper goods, everywhere- I began to think how it can become a beautiful contrast against whites or neutrals.  While I currently don't own anything neon, I'm thinking that the yellow tape or pink string below might be a good place to start.  Here are a few of the best neon images I've seen.  What do you think about this trend?

interior/ packaging/ tablescape/ letterpress/ skirt/ door/ image board

Rustic DIY Projects

This past weekend I dove head first into some new DIY projects courtesy of Pinterest.  Be on the lookout for images and tutorials on future posts.  In the meantime, if you're itching to do something creative here are a few ideas with links to get you started.  I'm loving the current DIY trends of using chicken wire, pallets, and burlap. 

Chicken Wire: Chandelier by Homedit/ Frames by Lemonade Makin Mama/ Monogram in Frame Beautiful Nest/ Bulletin Board by The Project Girl
Palettes: Coffee Table by Mama Stokes/ Shelf by Amanda Carver Designs/ Headboard by House Tweaking/ Coffee Table by Unstitched
Burlap:  Placemats by Pickles & Cheese/ Monogram by Fiber & Water/ Printing on Burlap Tutorial by Domestically Speaking/ Wreath by Hopeful Homemaker

Birthday Wishlist

Happy Monday everyone.  I hope you are doing well and not letting these dreary winter months get you down.  One thing that's been taking my mind off reality is dream shopping online.  Here are a few items on my in-my-dreams birthday wishlist :) Funny how almost everything is Kate Spade!

a. Kate Spade Tabitha Flats/ b. Kate Spade Sailors Knot Hinge Bangle/ c. Kate Spade Barclay Street Parker/ d. Kate Spade Dixon Place Blaine / e. Kate Spade Monogram K Note Cards/ f. Kate Spade Tabitha Flats/ g. Ray Ban Small Aviators/ h. Michael Kors Madison White Horn Watch /i. Kate Spade Squared Away Necklace

Organized Collections

I recently came across Quercus Design's Flickr Collections when I was searching for images of sea glass. She collects and photographs treasures she finds on the beach.  I love the organized quality of the collections, and the care and attention given to each individual item.

Be sure to check out more of her findings at Quercus Design flickr.