The Craft Begins

It’s a wee bit after the fact now, but as I’ve been bad with blogging I figure it’s never too late to share.  Some of my very good friends got married this summer up in the beautiful mountains of Estes Park, Colorado, and I was honored not only to be part of the wedding party but to be able to share in creating some of the memorable details.  Some of my favorites included birch branches that were cut down and turned into tea light holders by the groom, and a wide variety of hand-picked pinecones decorating the tables that I spent months digging for, looking for only the most perfect ones!

They wanted an affair that was rustic, vintage, chic, mountain-y, and somehow highlighted their western spirit (the bride rides rodeo, and the groom’s family is in buffalo ranching).  The challenge was to do so without breaking out the hay bales and the red bandanas.  I loved the way that everything came together visually, and it was an amazing party as well.  Nothing like two-stepping the night away to a killer country band!

This is an exterior feature I’ve been totally obsessed with lately.  I think it may have started with all of the secret, beautiful backyard courtyards I saw all over Savannah.  They were like little secret gardens, full of mystery and wonder.  Though I’m a big fan of grass in general, I like the minimum maintenance required by planting a few beds and filling in the gaps with gravel or pavers of some kind.

What it really reminds me of is Spain.  The exteriors of many of the buildings there are really deceptive – they look all decrepit and run down, and when you actually enter the building there’s a central courtyard with a fountain and beautiful tile and tons of plants.  It’s so beautiful.  It makes sense in a lot of ways – spend the most money and effort on the parts of the building that you’re actually going to enjoy.

Do you prefer a courtyard because of its low maintenance, or do you like a big yard and garden?

1. Love. Obsess. Inspire. is a great place to stop by for visual treats in a number of flavors – fashion, interiors and more.

2.  One of my favorite things on This is Glamorous is the image mashups – usually some gorgeous design paired with a coordinating fashion photo.  Simply beautiful.

3.  All the Mountains…I don’t even know what to say.  Really unusual and gorgeous finds with huge pictures.  Can’t get enough.

4.  If you’re looking for pointers and inspiration for a stylish life, Coco + Kelley is a one-stop shop.

5.  Simple + Pretty satisfies my daily need for fashion and awesome paper products.

Asiatic Lillies are beautiful for their color and their smell.  They come in a vast array of colors – most common is the pink, yellow and orange, although there are many different variations.  And they do have a really strong smell (some specific varieties more than others) so you need to be careful that you don’t use too many in one arrangement, lest it become overpowering.

The other beneficial thing about lilies is the amount of space they take up.  You can get a lot of bang for your flower buck with just a few bunches of them.  And they add great color and texture to any arrangement.

1.  Six and a Half Stitches pairs thoughtful words with simple, inspiring photographs.  A great place to visit to feel a little bit more centered.

2.  If you enjoy mid-century illustration and related visual goodies, look no further than Stickers and Stuff.

3.  My Paper Crane is campy, colorful and fun.  A great place to look for easy and gorgeous project ideas.

4.  For a massive collection of widely varied but equally magnificent illustrations, photographs, ads and more, look no further than the aptly-named Inspiration Resource.

Reading these always gets me inspired and puts that warm feeling in my heart.  How can so many people be so talented?

1.  Concrete and Honey celebrates all things beautiful, and her blog shows it.  I am an especially big fan of her interesting and organic floral designs.

2.  I’m obviously having a weird day today, so there is in fact no #2.  My apologies.

3.  If you’re looking for something paper-related, look no further than A Little Hut.  If it can be made out of paper, she can do it.  I’m always astounded by her projects.

4.  An all-around design wrap-up can be found at Visual Notes.  She doesn’t discriminate between flowers, interiors, wallpaper, or just about anything gorgeous.

5.  For lots of beautiful home and color inspiration, don’t miss Under a Paper Moon.  She’s on a mustard kick right now that I just can’t get enough of!

6.  I always enjoy reading about artists who are living and working and selling their art.  I especially like it when it’s art that I’m into!  Camilla Engman shares her works and a little bit of her life as well.

7.  The concept of The Jealous Curator is cool enough, but so are the artists that are profiled.  It’s a really great glimpse into the contemporary art world, and hey, I wish I would have thought of that!

8.  The food styling and the recipes over at the Messy Cook are really wonderful to read.   You know if it invovles food, I’m in!

Well, we didn’t get the house, yet again.  We keep getting edged out by buyers with the exact same offer, only in cash.  Who are these people, and where did they get all of this money?  Sigh.  Oh well.  Back to looking at pictures – I’ll have the house put together before we even buy it.

I know it’s a car ad, but check out those stairs!

Sometimes I love red and sometimes I just think it’s overdone, but it looks really good in this house.  I like all of the vaguely ethnic details.

A little fuzzy but you get the point – STORAGE!

I’ll take three of these, please.  I like the wood garage, the cultured stone, and the modern lines that are reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright.  I bet it’s even more gorgeous in the summertime.

I like this modern take on a library.  Mine would have more books, of course.

Another fuzzy one.  I don’t know if I know any writers that are this organized, but I like it.  Good use of old furniture and lovely-looking organization.

I am on a serious hunt for an old card catalog.  I think it would complete my collection of old furniture.  I’d love to see what the full photograph in the background looks like.

There is nothing to not like about this one.  Reading and forts?  It’s like a grown-up version of my childhood.

I think that I kind of want some pin-striped wallpaper.

Oh, how I heart this kitchen.  A little bit old, a little bit modern, it just seems like a comfortable place to make a meal.

There is something about bookshelves that just make a place seem so alive.  I like these because they can be taken down and put back up in every configuation – the weight of the books holds them in place.

The outside here seems a little austere, but I love the colors and the combo of wood and brick.

I wonder what it would be like to live in one of these modern beauties.  Would it be ok on the inside, or would you just feel like you were living in a gallery?

OK I think I’ve got it all out of my system for now.  Any more pictures without a house to apply them to and I’m going to start getting depressed.  Let’s get back to it then!

Here’s some more photos that I’m drooling over for if/when we get a house!

I like how open and modern and yet organic this space is.  Great accessories.

Gotta break this one out again.  I just love that wall color.  Most people will paint a room dark and then think it’s too much, but you have to count on the fact that there are things living in the room, not just walls.  The white bed linens balance it all out.

Not a huge fan of the colors, but that’s organization that can’t be beat.

I call this Colorado-Craftsman style.  I like the cultured stone and the big roofline.

Simple and rustic.  Simply lovely.

I would love to just make a wall that looks like this.  I’m a big fan of the color and the texture.

I think this would be a great way to rehab an attic space without having to spend too much money on construction.  What a cozy spot to curl up with a pot of tea and read a book.

That’s all for today, I’ll have more inspiring images for you tomorrow.

We might be buying a house soon (fingers crossed!) so I’ve been stocking up on loads on inspirational photographs so that when the time comes, I’ll know exactly what color I want to paint the living room.  Here’s some of my recent favorites – since I’ve just downloaded them I can’t give credit but if you know where any of these come from, please let me know and I’ll credit away!!

I think that I like the colors in the room the best.  Plus the fact that none of the furniture matches.

Hello, windows.  The bedding is great, and so is the view.  I like the austere interior grays juxtaposed with the blues and browns outside.

I love this wall color.  And all of the old,mismatched, beat-up furniture.  I’ll admit, this fits what I’ve got right now the best.  I’m a furniture eclectic.

Oh, how I long for wood floors.  And architectural interest.  And big vaguely ethnic rugs.

This one is gorgeously mid-century and modern at the same time.  I like the simplicity and the cultured stone walls.  And the cowskin rug.  I’ll take two, please.

I think this one is from the same house.  Simple, elegant, modern and neutral.  A bit boring perhaps, but it sure looks good.

Hello, giant kitchen.  Definitely not something I’m going to find in our price range, but just gorgeous anyway.  I think this kitchen is bigger than our prospective house.   Oh well.

That’s all for now – don’t want to overwhelm!  I’ll be posting some new pictures soon – in the meantime, what do you think?  Do you like my inspirations?  Would you be doing something else?n, m

One thing I’m really looking forward to if we ever buy a house is the opportunity to put in some built-in bookshelves.  I love the way that floor to ceiling books look – throw in a great rug, a comfy chair and some nice lamps and I’m sure I would never leave.  There’s something about it that’s just so cozy.

1.  This is about the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.  A secret back set of stairs that leads to a hidden sleeping loft, and the stairway is actually just a giant bookshelf.  I’ll take two, please.  via Apartment Therapy.

2.  This one is gorgeous and modern.  I like the paneled glass doors up top where you can hid less savory things and the generously-sized shelves on the bottom for all those art books and records.  via Anora Home.

3.  Everything looks better when it’s organized by color.  I am really impressed by the amount of OCD present to make this happen.  Color coordination aside, I love that it is just a room of books with a big couch to snuggle up on and read.  via Fresh Home.

4.  Another sleek and modern number, with the added bonus of a FIREPLACE!  Safety considerations aside, the fireplace is now added to my library requirements.  via Adelto.

5.  A pet peeve of mine is cabinets and shelves that don’t reach all of the way to the ceiling. I know that most kitchens nowadays are like that, but what are you supposed to do with that extra 2 feet of space above your cabinets?  Beats me.  I love the height of these shelves – I think I may need something like that to house all my tomes.  via nestfaesthete.

6.  A simple set of bookshelves fill in all that wasted space against a window nicely.  These were custom built to fit on that wall – genius.  via Apartment Therapy.

That I one day dream of having will hopefully look something like this…

There will be chalkboard paint on the walls displaying the day’s specials, and striped wallpaper everywhere else (I cannot get over that ceiling!).  I’ll have a big industrial but still chic KitchenAid Mixer for all of my pastries and good-looking chairs from Crate & Barrel (left, and right).  It might be a little cafe in a city somewhere, or it might just be my kitchen at home.  Only the future will know…

Looking for something to do or make?  Does your creativity need a jump start?  Here’s a list of fun tutorials (all free) to inspire you.

1.  Adorable pop-bottle cap pin cushions from Craft Stylish.

2.  Easy way to transform your photographs into miniature look-alikes with Tilt Shift Maker.

3.  Learn how to papercut (scherenschnitte – try saying that 5 times fast) here.

4.  Screenprint your own fabric for multiple uses with Kelly + Olive.

5.  How cute are these resin gummy bear pendants?  Too easy!

6.  This is a great transformation from a doily into a bowl.

7.  For anyone who has ever attempted the impossible and tried to recover a piece of furniture, this chair will give you hope.

Happy crafting!

How fabulous are these felt flower bouquets?  The bride made them herself.  I’m seriously impressed.  I love the colors and the textures and all of the vintage elements that went into it.  Looks like it would have been a lot of work, but how original!  And those will definitely keep forever.  I might make some just for fun!

Found via S.HOPtalk.

Although there are a lot of things about it I don’t like, there’s no better place on the web to find color palettes and interesting patterns than Colour Lovers.

One great feature is that it is searchable by hex code.  So, say you’ve found a blue that you really like, but are looking for some other colors to go with it, you can plug the hex code into the search box and see if anyone has used that in a color composition.  This feature is somewhat hit or miss, I must admit, but it’s a good way to jump-start your creativity if you’re stuck.

The patterns are cool too – most of them are pretty pixelated and a bit tacky, but you can find some great ones if you dig.  And if you’re dying to customize your twitter background without having to go to too much effort, here’s a great place to start.  It’s got your background pattern and hex codes all ready to go!