inspiration bedroom

here is a photo I found over a year ago and honestly have no idea where i found it. i'm so in love with this bedroom, i thought i'd share it. serene is the perfect word to describe it's beauty.

i love the wide plank floors with the natural rug, the pure white bedding, the mis-matching bedside table with matching lamps and i would die for the that grand ceiling. one day. i pray.

until then. i will happily rest my sleepy head in my bedroom.

feeling fall-y

do you feel it too? or is the air still hot and sticky where you live? last night, we spent the evening in a horribly hot school gymnasium, when we stepped out of the horror, i was hit with a cool, crisp evening AND the wonderful smell of fire. i envisioned someone in the neighborhood chilling out by a firepit with a good glass of red wine. maybe cuddling with their sweetie.

now, i'm looking forward to this wonderful season. although, in Chicago it only lasts about 2-3 weeks. i know i will soak in every moment. so. tonight we are going over to one of our closest friend's house for a after dinner fire and s'more feast. can't wait!

source:

1 – design by nihan ("hug me" sweater) 
2 – purpose design (everyday spice kit)

3 – the fern gate ("a dash of rustic charm" wreath) 
4 – miss mosh (ruffle me up pillow) 
5 – leaping gazelle (season's bounty - squash fine print) 
6 – magpie lovely (leaf cuff) 
7 – john tunger (beach burner, portable bonfire)

photo of the day

bye bye summer. sigh....

that being said, fall is pretty amazing. looking forward to chilly autumn evenings, fires crackling in our outdoor firepit, the smell of apple cider & cinnamon on the stove top, goebbert's apple cider donuts (yum), halloween, honey crisp apples and crunchy leaves under my feet!

i love fall

etsy find of the day...

typography art is hot, hot, hot right now. these collage canvases from gemini art studio are amazing. stephen fowler, the artist, is a graphic designer by trade, so his artwork is bold, typographic, vintage and oh-so fun! i already own two of his chicago cubs pieces and really want to purchase several more. please check out his esty shop here and his website here. you won't regret it!

on a personal note: stephen is from my hometown of perrysburg, ohio and splits his time between perrysburg and chicago (where i currently reside). AND we're also both graphic designers. fantastic.

etsy find of the day...

back to my chalkboard mini-obsession. maybe a big-obsession. i'm not sure. anyway. i love these chalkboards. they're from mary kate mcdivitt's etsy shop. maybe i should follow her lead and make my daily to-do-lists only TWO items long. i will ponder that.

that's elmo's world

over the weekend we had some overnight house guests. more specifically we watched our good friends' two daughters for the weekend. gracie is reilly's age and camryn is 2-1/2.

although a 1-1/2 year age difference doesn't make a difference in life, at 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 it's quite large. that being said, cooper was fantastic with camryn. very patient and loving. he played for hours and hours and indulged her love for elmo and spongebob.  he rarely got frustrated with her, but i did overhear one fairly funny conversation between the two of them....

camryn: "la la la la, la la la la, elmo's world. la la la la, la la la la, elmo's world. la la la la, la la la la, elmo's world. that's elmo's world" 

(i know, i know the song words are incorrect, give her a break she's only 2. now repeat that song about sixty times)

cooper: "cami please stop singing"

camryn: "la la la la, la la la la, elmo's world."

cooper: "stop it"

camryn: "la la la la, la la la la, elmo's world."

cooper: "no, really stop it" -yelling now

camryn: "la la la la, la la la la, elmo's world."

cooper: "oh camryn, you're making me so annoying!"

hee hee :)

photo of the day...

does this dino make my head look big?

recently we spent the day at the brookfield zoo. there's a new animated dinosaur exhibit... needless to say, it's coop's most favorite thing in the entire world. [bad grammar, i know] the dinosaurs blink, roar and wag their enormous tails. oh... and they're actual size. the dino in the photo above, is actually a fairly teeny one. omg, cooper oh so loves these dinos! so much, we went again last weekend.... much to my dismay. some of those dinos are very scary!

etsy find of the day

i'm really digging these clear glass orb terrariums. these little beauties are from LBrandt's etsy shop. i think i prefer the round... but am totally unsure if want an air plant or succulent. ponder. ponder. you can check them out yourself here.

** update: LBrant is on vacation, but the shop will be open soon**

chalkboard... should i or shouldn't i?

i've been really digging chalkboards lately. they seem a bit overdone these days, but i think the benefits outweigh my lack of novel inspiration. especially with my home, which includes 3 kiddos, 3 animals, a never-ending "to-do list" and one mommy [me] with a HORRIBLE memory. i still think i have pregnancy brain, but haven't been pregnant for over 7 months.

anyway. back to chalkboards.

i think i need one. should i go the chalkboard paint route (maybe on the back door) or a more traditional framed chalkboard? what do you like? do you have a chalkboard in your home?

here are some chalkboards that i'm in love with...
 source: viva terra

source: wallcandy arts

source: sempernova

source: the style files

see what i mean. there are some great chalkboard options out there. that being said.... the back door idea is pretty fantastic. no?

first science test...

reilly in her 1st grade classroom

 

i can't believe it. her first test, in science no less. this morning we sat at the kitchen table and reviewed living vs. nonliving. i even asked her practice questions. what a mom! right? just wait.

then we argued about whether or not plants "need" shelter. reilly came up with some good arguments on the pro-shelter side. however, i had to put a stop to the discussion (and hurry things along) and re-focus by saying.... "reilly, i understand what your saying, and yes baby plants do need protection from the rain, and yes big trees do protect them..... but we're just going to go with what they say in the text book." moving on....

have i really turned into that kind of mom? free thinking, creative child vs. getting an "A"on a test. hmmmmmm? difficult question. what do you think?

*** update: reilly received a 12 out of 12 on her test :) ***

etsy find of the day...

ok. so as many of you know, i LOVE etsy.

my latest find are these adorable mirrors from uncommon. vincent and jessie (the designers) have created an entire line of wonderful home accessories. i'm thinking a set of these mirrors would look adorable in my kids bathroom. maybe in apple green or vintage blue... or maybe one of each!! they're lovely.

introducing petite papier's new stationery line...

 

i've finally introduced a new line of stationery in my etsy shop, petite papier. here's a little peek at the new designs. each design can be customized with your name and your color choice from papier's color pallette. enjoy!

remember

may we always remember the victims and their family and friends, and the everyday people who became heroes on that horrible september morning. enjoy your weekend and god bless america.

etsy find of the day...

every time i look at these little vessels they make me smile. i found these is clayswan's etsy shop a few weeks ago. the colors are wonderful... i think i have to have them!

i've been featured on CasaSugar

i've been featured on one of my favorite design websites is CasaSugar! i'm so excited to share with you (my darling readers) that my master bedroom is on their website. yippee! check it out here.

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i was also featured on "apartment therapy" (love them!). here's a link to that website.
AND
on the blog "of paper things". here's a link to the blog.
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etsy find of the day...

please tell me how amazing are these little floral paintings are!!! i found them in wondercabinet's etsy shop.  amy walsh is the artist and she resides in Philadelphia... here are links to her blog and her etsy shop. such beautiful work.... love it! now i have to find a good place in my home to feature these AND convince my husband that i need, need, need to have them! wish me luck :)

max's nursery...

it took 8 months for me to finally post a few photos of the nursery. it's finally complete and i really like the final look. the room is very relaxing and i love sitting in the chair with or without the baby.... for a little mommy timeout!

my favorite relaxing spot

cute artwork

 

changing table & baskets for baby necessities

overall, i love, love, love this room. honestly the photos don't do it justice. the light blue and white are so relaxing. ahhhhhhhhhhhh.....

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source list

chair: ikea find (link)

side table: recycled from my grandmother's house... painted white

table lamp: recycled from old master bedroom.... target find (no longer available)

crib: pottery barn sleigh crib (link)

crib bedding: land of nod, womb with a view (link)

floor lamp: recycled lamp (from ikea) 

spray painted white with new drum shade

baskets: super cheap from ikea w/ hand made tags

shelf: another ikea find (link)

mobile: a calder rip off found on ebay 

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photo of the day... mini-me

earlier in the summer we spent a week at a lake cottage in michigan. one morning, reilly morphed into a little mommy.... more precisely her mommy. wow does she have me down! sitting indian style (or "like a pretzel" in the pc world), hair in a towel and a nice, hot cup of coffee. the only difference is... i usually don't smile that early!

btw... she's not actually drinking coffee.... it's juice. i may be a crazy mommy, but i'm not insane :)

totally mobile... now i'm totally screwed!

please notice what he does with his right leg.
ya, i don't understand it either. (7 months old)