Thursday: Image

Beautiful...

Monday: DIY Project

Sing it with me now, "Everybody who's a slacker raise your hand, woo woo, everybody who's a slacker raise your hand!" I know, I know... I've been very neglectful of the good ol' blog lately... but I will try to do better, starting with today's post about my most recent (I say that like I do things like this a lot) DIY project! Yay!!!!

I was inspired recently by something that was being sold on etsy.com (if you don't know what this is, go there IMMEDIATELY). It was a cork board covered in fabric and framed by an antique painted frame. Needless to say, it had my name written alllll over it. The more I thought about though, as uncrafty as I am, I figured I could try to make it myself. And that's exactly what I did (with a little help of course).

So, here's the supplies we used:


1. An old frame
2. Off-white spray paint in a satin finish
3. Burlap, which we bought at Hobby Lobby (Beware: this is a dangerous store when you are in a DIY mood). You could also use other fabrics if you wanted a different look.
4. A somewhat heavy duty stapler
5. Cork board.... or cardboard will do really as we quickly discovered that all cork board is nowadays is cardboard covered up with a thin sticky sheet of cork board look-a-like (ahh, what is this world coming to??)

Not pictured: X-acto knife, scissors, marker, some sort of measuring device, little nails, a hammer, and pretty push pins :)

So, basically, it was a fairly simple project (I say this because my partner in crime quite honestly did most of the work). So anyways, we spray painted the old frame earlier on and let it dry. Then we took the frame off the "cork board" and cut it to size. Next we cut a piece of burlap the size of the cork board with about an extra two inches each way.


Then, we laid down the burlap on a table with the cork board over it (upside down) and pulled the fabric taught, one edge at a time, and stapled the burlap to the back of the board (being careful to make sure we weren't stapling into the table, haha). Finally, we laid the board, which was now covered in burlap, into the back of the frame and used 4 small nails to nail it into place in the corners. All that was left to do then was to nail a small nail into the wall in the desired location and hang that bad boy.

And, voila!!


It's a great addition to my new "office" area in the living room.

Wednesday: Wishful Thinking

Today's version of Wishful Thinking will require a bit of self-revelation on my part. If you know me, you know that I work as a school social worker and that this is something I totally love most days.

But then I get these.... ideas. Ideas about doing something for a living (or more like on the side) that would satisfy that creative/entrepreneurial side of me. The side of me that appreciates design and believes that feelings can be experienced through the beauty we see around us or the things we taste and hear.

At the risk of being laughed at or otherwise judged, here is my latest (and I believe greatest) idea. I think it would be sweet to be wedding consultant/creative director for engaged couples in the greater Rockford area, with a specific focus on nontraditional/unconventional/creative/interesting couples!

And here's why I think this is actually a GOOD idea:

1. I love weddings and I love people. I love the idea of a couple sharing a day with all their loved ones, a day that is completely personal to who they are as a couple and the beautiful love they have for each other.

2 (This one's a doozy, so I needed to break it up into parts):

A. The world of weddings is absolutely busting at the seams with new ways of doing things. Weddings are no longer cookie-cutter events filled with red roses and enough tulle to fill a barn. More and more, couples are embracing their own personal style and letting their wedding be a reflection of who they are and what they love. Nowadays, everything from the dress (and the groom's attire for that matter), to the flowers, to the photography, to the venue, to the decorations, to the food, to the invitations, to the music, to the cake can be done in very unique and nontraditional ways.

B. Rockford, as in so many other areas, is waaay behind in this arena. There just aren't (or at least don't seem to be to the average Joe) a lot of options for couples in Rockford who want to shake things up a little and do their wedding day with a little pizazz and creativity. But the exciting thing to me is that those creative people, venues, and possibilities are out there... there just isn't a lot of organization and most people just don't have the time to seek out all these unique people and places and ideas... that's where I would come in!

C. I want to be a holder of the vision, you could say. It would be my job to figure out what it is that the couple wants for their special day, to translate what they have told me into a vision/inspiration, and to then go out and work with all the various members who would make up the team for this couple's event. It would also be my job to bring everything together in a way that reflects who the couple and is and do this in an aesthetically pleasing and cohesive way. Then there would be the weeks leading up to the wedding and the day before and of the wedding when things can get a bit wacky... this is where #3 comes into play.

3. I am, if I don't say so myself, fairly talented (okay, let's just say freakish) in the areas of organizing and coordinating things. Making lists and schedules and using spreadsheets are fun activities for me (insert laughing here). I'd also like to think that I would love (and maybe even be good at) meeting a couple and getting to know them and figuring out what they envision for their special day... and then helping them get there!

4. I scour over wedding blogs like Once Wed, Green Wedding Shoes, Ritzy Bee, 100 Layer Cake and Snippet & Ink for fun... daily. I am so often inspired by the millions of ideas that can make a wedding day special and unique to couples. DIY projects, out-of-box ideas, vintage details... you name it, I will find it and I will love it. I want to bring a fresh vision to what planning a wedding could look like for couples in this area.


5. I believe there are couples out there who would want what I have to offer. Maybe you're one of those couples... if so, let's talk. Seriously!

PS... I'd probably offer my services for about zero bones (and maybe a slice of cake at your reception) since it would be my first time doing this. We've all got to start somewhere, right?

Saturday: Je ne sais quoi

Lahhhhhhve the concept of large, antique-looking bulbs with visible filaments...

... like this Edison Chandelier from Pottery Barn...

Wednesday: Mid-Week Inspiration

I am feeling particularly drawn to this summery palette of colors lately. Color is extremely inspirational for me. I believe color can completely set a mood or evoke an emotional response in a person.

And these colors? Well, they make me feel nostalgic, creative, and free. Hope they impact you as well.

Thursday: Wishful Thinking

So, do you think if I went to Charlotte, NC and begged this family they would give me their home?

No? Shoot.

via Apartment Therapy

Wednesday: Mid-Week Inspiration

The other day I realized that my absolute favorite design element in any room is probably a chandelier. Basically, it makes any room about one-thousand times better, in my opinion.

Here are some beauties:

From The Nest:


From Coco + Kelley:



From Design*Sponge:

From Graham & Green:

From Ochre:





As soon as I get my own apartment, I think a chandelier might just have to be my first addition.

Saturday: Product Spotlight of the Week

There are new regular installments popping up all over the place this week on the blog. Yesterday was the first official "Friday: Song of the Week" and today will be the very first "Saturday: Product Spotlight of the Week." This will be a place for me to share with you some fun items I am currently drooling over or to focus on a company I really love.

Those who know me know I am a sucker for fun paper/stationary/etc. This week I would like to highlight one of my most favorite paper companies, Rifle Paper Co.

Rifle's unique and lovely illustrations are done by Anna Bond, who created the brand with her husband Nathan. I love the way they describe their products which, "...feature Anna's whimsical designs which often include hand-painted illustrations and lettering to compose a style that feels both nostalgic and timeless." I couldn't agree more.

Here we have an art print by Rifle, "Animal Alphabet Chart":



"Folk" Greeting Cards:


"Anatomy of Love" art print:


"Airedale Card" which is part of their greeting card line based on various pooches:


How great is this Father's Day card?

Love their "Circus Birthday Card"


And, my all time favorite by Rifle, their personalized note cards and calling cards. You can actually send them a picture of yourself and a description and they will personalize an illustration for you.


That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by.