kids

Ah...it is the weekend. It has been such a great week. In fact it has been one of those weeks to where I want to stand up on a large hill and declare my deep satisfaction of being a Mom...do you know that feeling? In fact, my heart has swelled so many times that I thought it would just burst. I really appreciate the opportunity to have the influence of such sweet little children in my home. I mean I can not even begin to express my deep gratitude for this opportunity in life...it really is a miracle. I often marvel how one day I really think I am getting this whole life with kids and then the next day I am ready to throw the towel in...so weird how things shift so quickly around here. This weekend we are trying to put together a few budget friendly outfits together for some pictures and I need some inspiration. Kids are not only so cute but serve as the best examples in word and deed, I do believe.

Also did you happen to catch the post over on haute mama daily about her friend's baby nursery? Go here for more info and a little interview with the Mom and designer behind this adorable space. Here are a couple of pictures:

Have a great weekend friends!

on the hunt

On the hunt for a nice suzani for my guest room and saving the above image as an idea for new closet doors. If I could find the right hardware then you better believe I would have new doors on rollers just like the above. Also still on the hunt for some new pretty flats and wonder how comfortable some in the like of the above would be. I could imagine a great DIYer out of a cheaper pair of flats.

images from here & here

Thanksgiving table setting ideas

Since there are usually quite a few kids around during Thanksgiving we always set out a table just for the little ones. I thought the top image was so creative, simple and perfect for easy clean-up. You could certainly translate that idea for many other events as well. For more details go here.

Who knew brown craft paper and a marker could look so cute. I also love the idea of sending the guests away with their leftovers in a cute brown paper box with labels. Boxes found here and labels found here.

Lastly I came across the above fitted table covering and thought for the price point that they were brilliant. I am imagining taking trim and with a little no-sew glue making it look much more customized. There are three different sizes and one even fits a card table. Found here.

birthday treats

May I present the above as the aftermath of one of the most celebrated days in our home. For without the birth of my husband I would not be married to him..(pretty profound). For some reason when I am focused on making a cake for him I can really feel the love.

The annual "love cake" was a salted caramel chocolate cake and was supposed to look like this (same place where the recipe resides). It was a very sophisticated & rich cake. I didn't think the kids would have liked it, but the bittersweet frosting did not keep them away from partaking of it. I thought it was very tasty but recommend doubling or tripling the salted caramel recipe because there was not even close to the amount needed to have the cake look like it did in the picture. Last year the love cake was this and still ranks as one my top favorite cakes.

Fall inspiration

{images via Aaron Hom, Everthing Fabulous, Home Magazine, Country Living}

I like twigs and leaves..you know just the stuff that comes straight out of Mother Nature's territory...the best kind of inspiration.

I am really having a hard time getting into the hoilday season. I think once Halloween is over I will be good. What about everyone else out there..you feelin it yet?

art and composition

It all started out because I loved the above print by Gerhard Richter’s “1025 Farben”. I loved how it added color to the black-walled combination library and home office . Raja Radhakrishnan is the woman who designed the above space and she had no formal interior design training but relied upon her own innate sense of aesthetics and composition. I can tell that she has a love of art and design because she has some fabulous pieces of art hanging around her space. On her site I even noticed a pair of Eduardo Chilida pieces.

Above space designed by Raji Radhakrishnan out of Washington D.C.

{images via Metropolitan Home}

The above art reminds me of the new Kate Spade store in London. Packed full of colors.

A good looking family space

Hmm looks to me like the above space has both kids & great design. Go here to read more about the above space.

Images came from a new online magazine to me called Southern Flourish but found via The Way We Are blog.

GOT KIDS...

Yah they're cool and all (the kids) but sometimes they like to take little situations into their own hands. I'm not just talking about face painting but why we are on the subject...why wouldn't a kid want to take a crack @ painting all over their brothers face after having that same thing done to them at one of their favorite stores. I mean after all they did have fun and so why not share it with the rest of the world..and not to mention my kitchen table. They even did it after I warned them that you have to use a "special" paint that washes off and not the kind that was used to paint on plastic. I fully watched them as they went against what I said and just let them do it. You see these sorts of things just happen..quite a bit in fact. Learning to pick battles is huge over here. One of the battles I have learned to not fight is the battle of a perfect house. That is even funny that I have ever thought that things would look clean all of the time. In my eyes as the manager of my home I thought for sure I would bust out the stainless steel cleaner at least twice a week to keep that fridge of mine sparkly clean. Apparently though I have bigger fish to fry like sand shovels in the toilet and then toilet water all over the floor..good thing only a few bobby pins perished in the act...oh and a few Barbie dolls (but we aren't talking about that).

Anyway I think I have made the point clear that when you have kids you don't have a perfect house and if you did then that would be scary...I think..but I wouldn't really know for sure because I've never had it. I really don't want my house to be devoid of all signs of kid life but I don't totally want to be over-ran by kids either. There is that whole balance thing popping up again. I swear everything is about balance...kind of tricky in my book. That is why I am so excited that Kirsten over on 6th Street Design School this week put together a series about having kids and good design at the same taime. It is called good design * kids in mind. Go check it out here.

Now if I could only I could get my disaster zone cleaned up in a timely fashion. Didn't quite make it to the dishwasher/sink station last night.

{fluffy lantern - DIY}

Need a project to do...then why not buy 1200 coffee filters and make a sweet fluffy lantern. That is exactly what Nichole over @ Parlour did. I say it makes for a huge impact over her table. Love it and think this would also be great at a really special party. I am pretty sure there was some finger burnage going on from using all of that hot glue..at least there would have been if I were the one handling the glue gun.

Go here & here to read more about it.

(weekend inspiration}

Currently inspired by velvets, plaids, beautiful table settings, coats and all things festive for fall. In fact I am working on a little craft that requires spray painting with a color inspired by the above images. I'll be back!

Have a very nice weekend friends!

{images via tumbler, decorista, greige, dress, design decor,}