{large artwork}

On my brain is a nice large piece of artwork to go above our piano. It is not a project I really want to take on myself but I can't spend a fortune. I am however ready to invest a little money into a nice quality piece. I am thinking I will look for a vintage piece or have one commissioned. I do have a few ideas but would love to hear of some of your favorite places to go for large pieces of art. I am open to prints and lithographs but would love a painted piece. Any ideas? All of the below pieces of art can be found here. One of them unframed is 30 x 40.

Jimena's home in Guatemala City

Sometimes I forget that anybody even reads my blog...let alone someone from Guatemala. If you remember a little while back I blogged about my experience with going to Guatemala...well a couple days later I had one of my favorite things happen...a lovely reader sent me a note telling me a little about her and her family...and not only that she wanted to show me her home that she has decorated....LOVED that. Jimena is her name and she started out by saying she wanted to introduce herself because we shared so many of the same passions. We were indeed both the same age with a few or more kids and obsessed with design and decor. Anyway I can not begin to tell you how happy her email made me. In fact I have to share Jimena's home with all of you. She really loves the incredible textile legacy that her country has and she tried to apply it all around her home. In Jimena's note she even gave me details about how she used all of her native textiles around her place.

From Jimena's note:

"I HAVE USED VINTAGE ¨GUIPILES¨ AND LOTS OF SPECIAL COMISSION FABRICS AND TASSELS I HAD DESIGN AND HELP DESIGN SPECIALLY FOR MY HOUSE...MADE ALL FROM "BACKSTRAP LOOM TECHNIC ¨ (FROM MY FAVORITE DESIGNER IN THE CITY DELPALOMAR.COM ). I USED ALL OF THE ABOVE TO MAKE MY ACCENT DECORATIVE PILLOWS, THE LAMP IN MY PANTRY (YOU CAN SEE MY VINTAGE APRON COLLECTION FROM THE DIFFERENT VILLAGES IN GUATEMALA ON THE WALL IN THAT PICTURE) AND I USE THESE ALL OVER MY HOUSE SINCE THE COLORS ARE A ONE OF A KIND LOOK. MAKE ME GO MAD EVERYTIME I FOUND A NEW PIECE OF FABRIC FROM GUATEMALA. EVEN THOUGH I LIVE SORROUNDED BY THIS INCREDIBLE COLORS I WILL NEVER GET TIRE OF THEM!! "

Want to sneak a peak....

SOOO beautiful, right?? In fact I am thinking you all should leave Jimena a comment here to let her know what a wonderful job she has done at creating such a great space. I am sure that would make her day as well as mine.

In case you were wondering Jimena also runs a high end design shop in Guatemala found here and blogs over here. I know for a fact that quite a few of your readers will enjoy that content that Jimena puts out on her blog...even if you a can't a read a Spanish.

Just a snippet from Jimena's shop:

You should also go to her Big Apple Home website and click on "Love Big" in the bottom left corner. It may get you all excited for Christmas.

Goofy is the key word today.

Way-LO from the block (husband) was gone for 6 days and left me with sick kids.

No sleep due to the above.

Got up this morn and had black circles under eyes.

It's no biggie though because..

today was the first real peppy day we've had in a while.

Back in the blogging saddle.

Seriously come back tomorrow for something that made me happy.

Loves.

Liza is one of my favorite names

Well I promise you that when I say that I really love being a Mom this week that I'm not just trickin...even though one of them found the paper shredder and took the girls report cards to it and even though the sickies spread around from one child to the next (that is my dog ate the homework excuse as to why I haven't been around blogging town much this week..except it is a true story).

With that I'm thinking that I may be missing a few screws here and there but I'm ok with that because I made a mean chicken noodle soup and I know how to LOVE...what more does one need? If you really must know I did accomplish something by finally carving out a space that will function other than a trash pile. It will now be used as a place to build some muscles. This room isn't new to being a strength building space because a little over four years ago I carved out a space to fit three cribs so that I could bring home "triplet surprise"...oh AND THERE were building of muscles going on but probably located more in the central nervous system area. I had a few very nice moments reminiscing about the nights that included getting up and feeding three babies all at the same time..lets just say a couple body pillows were included.

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

P.S. - I really do love the name Eliza or Liza because one of my favorite sisters happens to go by it. When I found that Liza print by Joe Eula, I knew I needed it as a reminder of a fun sister that still dances around the house to Backstreet Boys..or was that New Kids?

fusion

Perhaps you didn't know this about me but I dream of a modern space that is fused with something rustic in nature. I can imagine this place being placed somewhere in southern Utah where the forest meets the red rock.

What are you dreaming about?

{above images via House & Garden}

black and gold are classic

There are always different color bandwagons that I jump on but without fail I never get sick of black. Recently I've been stuck on black and gold. I think that color combo is classic and something that never goes out of style.

The great artist Auguste Renoir once said, "I've been 40 years discovering that the queen of all colors was black."

Anyway I recently created a black and gold board on Pinterest which hopefully will lead you to many of the original sources if you are interested. Below are the links to all of the items that can be purchased on the above image.

1 - wallpaper, 2 - skirt, 3 - cuff, 4- earrings, 5 - cards, 6 - waste basket, 7 - light fixture, 8 - blanket, 9 - light fixture

Have a classic weekend that includes lots of good stuff. I know I am especially excited for this weekend because I have the chance to fill my mind with very uplifting words.

Oh and did you see all of the black and gold in fashion over here?

Luli Sanchez

I really do have so much I want to share. Today I am attempting to paint my bedroom while the boys are in school. I feel like I want to rip everything out of my house and start anew but where's the money and where's the time..so today I am going to try and work with what I got. Anyway I'l be back but in the meantime I can not get the designs from Luli Sanchez out of my mind. If her designs look familiar to you then perhaps you have seem the collaborations and client work she has done with names such as Tory Burch, Theory, Kate Spade and West Elm.

Thursday ain't so bad.

xx

I hope the blue Ikea frames do not look cheap when I get them hung up. I couldn't help but give the frames a try after I saw all of the orange frames from a space shown in Martha Stewart last month. The IKEA frames honestly range in price from $1.99 to $9.99 just in case you were wondering.

This week {internal thermostat}

I'm a Mom over here.

Sometimes my thermostat is broken and I get all hot and huffy puffy. I am learning to set my internal thermostat as well as helping in setting the thermastat of all of our familys energy so that it can be all nice, cool and enjoyable (I learned about setting the daily thermostat at a mid-week church meeting that included other woman trying to manage conflict in their life..I sort of got all dazed and confused while listening..that happens alot in case you are wondering). I am realizing that sometimes settling conflict can be as easy as learning a new language..the language of little boys. All I had to do was jingle the keys to the big toy that is rotting outside and the little boy who rolled all over the floor for 30 minutes in his skivvies all of a sudden jumped up and put his shirt and shoes on in less than 2 minutes flat...To think I almost went outside and got a switch.

Now off to kiss those cute little faces that I get to hang out with more than anyone else.

P.S. - I kind of felt old climbing in and out of that big piece of manly metal.

Hello Fall!

When Fall comes I just want to eat heavier foods, grab a book and SLOW down. And you???

For striped wool blankets go here.

For perfect comfort food go here.

Also I am dying over the party using book pages over here. Refer to the above picture where the Nester uses book pages to install paper leaves and branches.

Off to find some way to be crafty.

Happy weekend! What are you up to?

Seriously I still can't get over all of details from the book party and 20 ways to decorate with book pages. Even if you don't get all crafty you still have to give major props to the Nesters book page magic. She even gives instructions if you want to use some of it as inspiration for your next party or craft project. Go here to check it out.