more about ashley meaders

I am very fond of Ashley Meaders. Her success has made me realize the endless opportunities out there for the crafty. She has made a career of being creative. Design*Sponge has an excellent interview with her in their What in Your Toolbox series.

Image from Ashley Meaders.

cozy plant holders

The girls at work and I were just talking about our plants and what we house them in. I like to go with terracotta pots because a) they're cheap and b) they match. But I was starting to fret about getting a little tired of their sameness and this is the absolutely perfect thing to spiff them up.

Found on You are my Fave.

it's beginning to feel a lot like christmas!

After an amazingly productive day of Christmas shopping, 4 hours of non-stop Christmas music to the slight annoyance of co-workers, and a large peppermint flavored coffee, I am in the holiday spirit! I now need to focus on preparations for the 2nd annual Christmas party hosted by the bf that is in just 2 short days. I think eggnog and mulled wine are a must. These photos are so cheery and great inspiration for our party.

Photos by Chris Everard.

globe hunting

I have a bit of an obsession with globes. My collection has been steadily growing and I'm always on the lookout. This version from Upon a Fold is a fun twist on the classic.

weekend project with the sister

Food and crafts. That's sums up my family-time. My sister and I made wreaths based on this tutorial that I previously featured in a "10 things" post.
My apartment is officially Christmas-fied.
Picture by me of my newly decorated front door. (I apologize for my extremely poor hallway lighting).

beautiful interiors

I came across the portfolio of S.R. Gambrel on Apartment Therapy and fell in love. In my opinion high end design can be a little cold and unwelcoming but I feel like I could move right into any of these homes.






All photos from the portfolio of S.R. Gambrel.

oh me, oh my

rhino, giraffe, zebra
all from Anthropologie

I do have a gift card burning a hole in my wallet...

new chevron stamp project

I spent my morning off starting a new tablecloth. My newest stamp is genius, if I do say so myself. It's pretty easy to line up and is going much faster then some of my previous attempts. I'm more then half done already.

oh, happy friday

I admire this eclectic assortment of goodies. Vintage posters, old clocks, good typography...it all works together beautifully.

Found at Hilda Grahnat's blog.

small space ideas

Apartment Therapy is having their annual Small Cool contest. It's great to get ideas from others who live in under 1,000 square feet. My personal favorite was the teeny tiny studio apartment of Lindsey from Boston. I count myself lucky that I have a separate bedroom. My furniture arranging is hard enough without including my bed in the equation.

More photos available here, along with other tiny spaces.

yes, please

Butcher paper, check! Blank wall, check! Dedicating an entire wall of my apartment to these?

Too much?

Idea found here by the lovely ladies of Ruche.

london calling

London tops my list as my favorite city; regardless of the fact that I've spent less then 5 hours in it, and a majority of that was in an airport. One day I will get there. In the meantime, these could keep me company.
Sold here but seen in Max Wanger's Home Sneak Peak on Design*Sponge

globe collecting

I have a little ledge above my cabinets in my kitchen that (for now) I use for storage. I've been on the look out for something cheery to brighten up my closet sized kitchen. Wouldn't vintage globes be just the item?





















Image from We Met in a Bar

decisions, decisions

I swear I've been on the duvet cover search since 2007. The options seem to always fall into one of two categories, ridiculously expensive or bland and boring. I've fallen in love with a few but hesitated just long enough for them to sell out. My current cover used to be yellow but has faded to a off-white and now blends into my bedroom's off-white walls. My search has led me to these two beautiful but drastically different styles. You have to just picture the left duvet cover in a chocolate brown; they didn't have a good photo. I was elated to happen upon the first one because Anthropologie had similar bedding about 1 1/2 years ago and I couldn't justify spending $200 on it. Compared to that, this one from West Elm is a steal! The right one is from Urban Outfitters and is just so perfectly vintage that I think it could spice of my otherwise sparse bedroom. Ohhh the dilemna!

my sister is getting married!

The oldest Scott girl is officially engaged and my head is already swirling with ideas for her wedding which is 12 months away. I've been saving all my good ones for her! Below is some of my preliminary ideas for her...

 

1. 100 Layer Cake  2. Once Wed  3. Tec Petaja  4. Once Wed  5. Bird and Banner  6. Tec Petaja  7. Sohomode Etsy Shop  8. Warm Country Meadow Etsy Shop  9. Once Wed  10. CiCi Bridal Etsy Shop

is it too early for a new calendar?

Last year I bought a calendar by Miriam Bereson and just received an email this week announcing the release date of her 2010 edition. I just love her calendars but learned that I am not a wall calendar type of person. Instead, I need a calendar that I can keep in my purse that is on me at all times. Last year I experimented by having both, but found my wall calendar remaining blank for a good portion of the year and then I could never quite manage to keep it up to date.

image via miriambereson.com

If I just got a wall calendar for "looks" and hung it solely to keep track of the date, I might go this route. This fabric panel calendar from SeptemberHouse on etsy just screams for embellishment.

I'm more of a planner girl. Love the hand drawn quality of this one from TheAyBeeCees.

Another good planner from Sarah Pinto's etsy shop if you're a weekly organizer. She has a variety of cover options to choose from.

isn't this room just swoon worthy?

I can't decide what exactly it is that drew me to it. The globe collection, the well-organized built-in bookshelf, or the gorgeous sofa. It's all just perfect.

Featured on design is mine today.

dear sneak peek-ers

Dear home sneak peek participants,
Thank you for allowing me to be a temporary voyeur into your home and life. I would also like to thank you for filling me with unreal expectations of my own home. I know that somewhere in your spotless, minimalist living space you too have a secret stash of unorganized, uncolor-coded, items that you are unsure of where to stick. You have that closet overflowing with gift wrap and art supplies that you just can't bring yourself to get rid of just in case you ever need them. I'm on to you, you have these storage areas hidden away, out of the sight of the camera. I'm also on to the fact that you own a t.v. despite its carefully planned absence. Don't be ashamed of your enabler attributing to your secret obsession for Gossip Girls and reality television. I will have to come to terms with only looking at perfectly accessorized homes, knowing that I do not have the patience or time to live in one myself.

Some of my favorite sneak peeks inside other people's homes: first from Home Sweet Home, next three from Design*Sponge sneak peeks here, here, and here.

new spin on the old lantern

My favorite part of this before and after over at design*sponge was the lovely arrangement of paper lanterns, garlands, and paper bouquets. Apparently I was not the only person who had an eye on it. Its creator posted additional images on her site and instructions on how she made it.

my bedroom inspiration

This is my ideal bedroom, give or take a few bits of it. I lusted after this duvet at Anthropologie for months, not quite able to justify its price tag, until it sold out. I love the juxtaposition of the dark brown with lots of floral prints and yellow. As you can tell, this picture has seen better days. It's been on my bulletin board for months now.