So about a month ago, Eliza (who was sleeping in my bed at the time) got sick. Let's just say my comforter was ruined. I felt more bad for her because she was so sick than mad about the comforter. But, since then- she's been sleeping on the floor. It was a long time coming anyway and I really needed to break the habit of her sleeping in the bed.
Anyway, even before the incident I was thinking of upgrading my bedding. Now I have the perfect excuse!
One thing about redoing my bedding is that I want to be a little more intentional about it than I have been in decorating my apartment in the past. I love the way my apartment turned out, but I want to try out redoing my bedding with using more inspiration images and having more of a "plan." In the past, I've gone with coordinated bedding from Pottery Barn or other stores like that. And I'm not ruling that out this time either, but I think I want to mix it up a little bit. Here are some of my inspirations...
By the way, three of these images are of rooms designed by Sarah Richardson, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite designers. I love how she can make rooms look formal and casual and personal at the same time.
I'm still having trouble deciding exactly what I want to do, but I for sure love looking at these pictures!
The article highlight the story of a couple who lost their home in Katrina in 2005. After many struggles (as you can probably imagine) they rebuilt a beautiful home on their property.
What's more, Ms. Gentinetta (pictured above) decorated the entire house for $12,477 (excluding appliances and electronics). That's pretty amazing if you ask me. Even more amazing once you visit the NYT picture gallery and see how beautiful their home is! It looks like it came out of the pages of a magazine. She has some great ideas for beautiful furniture and accents on a budget. Just thought I would share this inspirational story today!
Susan is the mom of two young boys and as a hobby/ side job, she makes the most beautiful quilts for her sons and for her friends and family. No, seriously they are unlike anything I've ever seen.
Here. Let me show you.
(All photos used with permission).
This one is called "scrappy stripes."
Isn't the back so quirky? I love it.
Look at this sweet little embroidery. Perfect for a sweet baby girl.
Isn't this one pretty? It would make really great inspiration for a nursery or any other room for that matter. And yellow & grey are all over the place these days.
This one is called "The Princess and the Pea." How perfect is that?
This quilt was one Susan used in her son's room. It is so bright and happy.
Look at that sweet giraffe!
Susan even makes pillows... I like it!
This one is called "Sunshine Squares." It is so lovely.
I love that all these quilts are so modern, yet somehow they are still classic. Definitely inspirational to me.
Let me add this to my list of reasons to learn how to really sew so that someday I might be good enough to make something like these.
Most of the time, I am completely grateful for the internet. When I try to imagine how people did simple things like, say, find a veterinarian in a new city, or plan a vacation or business trip without the internet, it sort of blows my mind.
Check out this clip from the Today Show in 1994. The hosts are talking about what "internet" is and how it works. And exactly what does that "@" symbol mean? At? About? Around?
Anyway, as much as I love the internet I think I allow it to cloud my thoughts too much. I get distracted so easily when I'm surfing the net. And as a result, my productivity levels can be quite low. (That's kind of another story for another day...)
I also sort of have an internal battle sometimes where I feel obligated (by myself, of course) to read blogs, check all the daily deals sites, check twitter 1,409 times a day, etc. Do any of you deal with this? It's so hard to stay focused on what really matters sometimes!
But just when I'm ready to curse the internet and try to break my addiction to blogs, I find beautiful images and cool things that keep me coming back. Here are some of my latest infatuations.
In my older days, I've become more cynical. So much so that weddings (especially cookie-cutter ones) kind of send me over the edge. I just feel sometimes like nothing in a wedding is really original anymore. Plus the amount of money that people spend on weddings... it just makes me crazy sometimes.
Anyway, just look at this picture. It kind of makes me want to have a wedding that I actually invite people to one day. I think the mason jars hanging from the tree are so charming.
And then, there are furniture makeovers, like this one from Carolina Country Living.
Seriously. If I lived anywhere near this beauty, I would rent a truck and plop down my cash and buy it right up. Even if I didn't have a place to put it.
Check out that linen closet from Martha Stewart. Now, that could actually inspire me to clean out the overflowing linen closet in the bathroom of the house I grew up in. The sheets are stored inside the pillow cases. How have I not seen this before?
According to her website, Janet is an artist who lives in Canada and paints in her in-home studio. Her work is so beautiful (and affordable!) and I really adore it. In addition to an etsy shop that features prints of her work, her work can also be purchased in greeting-card form at her other shop, called Janet Hill INK.
Here are some of my favorites of hers. I just want to live inside all of the rooms she paints! They are so ladylike and calming to me.
From feedback I've gotten in the past, I know that you, my dear readers, enjoy posts about home décor and design. Well, I've shown you my digs already, and since I won't be moving until August at the earliest, I will try to oblige you all with some inspiration photos.
One thing you might notice with all of these kitchens is that the cabinets are painted. I don't know if I love this look because my kitchen growing up had painted cabinets or what... but I just have a clear preference.
I absolutely love the floor here and that color blue!
This kitchen just looks so crisp and clean to me.
I love the idea of an island being painted in a different color than the rest of the kitchen.
Love the way this kitchen is laid out and the lighting in the photo.
I love the wood top on that island. So pretty and unexpected.
You might notice that we have a new look around here. What do you think of it? I'm pretty smitten. I've been wanting a new look for this blog for a long time, but it took me a while to find something that fit my taste and my budget. If anyone out there is looking for a new blog design, I highly recommend that you check out Designer Blogs. There is a link to their site on my side bar.
It is a wonderful site featuring great home design ideas- mainly from people living in apartments or other small spaces. They frequently feature ideas for renters to spruce up their spaces. They also have tons of great galleries for you to get your inspiration. And I love the name of the site- it really is therapeutic- haha!
In a recent browsing session, I found these inspiring images.
Oh. My. Word. The blue. The burlap. The grain sacks.
I love this look so much.
I love the color purple (actually, it is my favorite color) but it is not a color that I can visualize in a space very easily. This bold shade provides the perfect backdrop for a beautiful entry way. And I love any picture with good staging- enter Hunter boots & tote bag.
I'm a recent grad and proud alumna of Louisiana State University living in the nation's capital and working on a Master's Degree. I'm a lover of spending time with family & friends, cooking, things for the home, SEC football, reading and volunteering. I blog about a little bit of all of that on this blog, and sometimes a few extras. I have an opinion about most everything. Southern Living is my love language, diet coke & cheese dip are my vices. I wasn't born in the South, but I got here as fast as I could!
