A New Year

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year. On New Years eve eve we stayed in Atlanta. Out of all the activities the hotel was the biggest hit for the kiddos. We intentionally stayed high, but we seemed to have misjudged Ellie's fear of heights. She prayed hard that the building would not fall down, ha!  KJ on the other hand would have hung out the window if we let him.


One of my favorite New Year beginnings is starting the year out with a new budget book. Sounds ridiculous, but something about jotting down the numbers and expenses gets me giddy and keeps us debt free. Every year I get my books from bubbo's etsy shop. Love her penmanship.

The fabric in the background I got from Shannon of the Designers Attic. I could not be anymore giddy about it and can't wait to have it made into a pretty pillow for the master. Yes! I am branching out and adding a dose of color to my neutral haven. It's a new year so new things can happen, right?

KikiLaRu





I have been reading Dawn's blog for quite sometime. She is everything I so admire. She's an artist, cans, and looks at the world beautifully even when life is not what she expected it to be. Plus she signs her posts country girl which just throws me over the moon. Well, she also has an etsy shop that is just as wonderful as she is. I am thinking one of these gorgeous cake buntings is going to top my upcoming 30th birthday cake! Talk about making something extra special. Oh, and I am sure over the course of this month you are going to grow quite tired of my birthday ideas. This year I am going to have a party for me!

FOR YOU

I have parties on my mind. Maybe it's because it's one of my best friends birthday today {Happy Birthday sweet Lauren}. Well, if I were going to a party I would wear this metallic beauty and slide on the perfect pair of flats. I wouldn't need to bring much except a little gloss so this bag should do. I would bring a unique set of bowls wrapped with love and a gift tag that would make it all that extra special. I would enter through a gorgeous entry way that I would secretly wish were mine, but my friend would notice my ring and wish it were her's. I think a trade would be in order.

And no Lauren this is not really your gift, but I think you will love what I got you anyway. I am not really made of money, I just like to dream a little. Although you already knew that.

Elegant Touch


As you all may remember I have a slight addiction to pillows, well this is the newest addition to our home. I found this pillow cover from Elegant Touch on Etsy and I must say I am smitten. She was a doll to work with. I needed a special size and she was more than accommodating. The price was great as is the craftsmanship. Now I just wished I ordered another to combine shipping, oh well. Here are a few more I loved from her shop...





I will definitely be working with her again.

*Also I would like to say thank you to A Spoonful of Dish for awarding me the Happy Award. Upon receiving the award you list 10 things that make you happy. Here is a post from when I was featured on Wide Open Spaces on my 10 happy things.

Pillow Crush

So you must already know I have an addiction to chairs and lamps. Well, my addiction furthers to pillows. These have caught my eye as of late...


Gray paired with gold is one of my favorite color combos. Pieces do you know how much I love you?


You may be my newest crush. Neutral with a great graphic pattern.


Hello beautiful. You would make any sofa stand out.


This lovely I won from Head Over Heels. Love Nelya and her blog.


Eddie Ross made these beauties from vintage scarves. I am thinking this is a must do.


Yes, my taste in pillows may be expensive and no I can not really afford all these lovelies, but this one makes it to the list and is affordable!

Considering my life change to simplify all these must stay as crushes. I will admire you all from afar, but do know I love you.

A Few of my Favorite Things


Fancy me.


Love this dress from Bellebas found on etsy.


A pretty much want this. {Hubby this would make an amazing stocking stuffer, just sayin}


These shoe clips sure could dress up any pair of shoes.


I rather like this pretty neckline.


This fabric sings to me.

While I was at the beach I received a year book type award for best looking blog. I was among some of the best blogs out there, needless to say I was flattered. Thank you Sidney for including me, it was almost as good as getting Miss Hayden High School, ha! Oh yes, you heard me right I was a pageant girl.


I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Today I am volunteering at Ellie's preschool for the first time, yippee!

Outfit to Room...

I rather enjoy my daughters style. She even borrowed the hat and glasses from brother. I may need to start using her styling tips to achieve this effortless "boyfriend" look.


Outfit to dining area...

{via Anthropologie}

Six of these gorgeous chairs...


to sit around this table.

{via pieces}

A unique pendant light....


I would love a few flower arrangements lining the table...

{via Dwell}

while sitting a top this runner.

{via Etsy}

We could eat off these...

{via SugarBoo Designs}

Simply because she is my sunshine.

Shopping Hiatus {2} + Etsy Love

I am so excited to say that I did not shop this week! If anything I was a bit of a scrooge. I feel as if I have everything I need and am not in want. Of course, this all can change in matter of moments I am learning, but for now I feel good. One thing I am always in need of are gifts. As you may or may not know I normally make my own baby shower gifts, but I always add a little something extra, well, I found my extra. My dear friend Brooke from the fabulous blog Blueprint Bliss has opened an etsy shop, Blueprint Bliss Designs. Here are some goodies for baby...




Oh, and wouldn't a personalized home drawing make for an amazing house warming, birthday, or any time gift...


Brooke also has sweet birth announcements and invites for you or a little one.

Now I am ready to go shop, just kidding. I hope you all are having a lovely day.

Outfit to Room...

I have two dear friends that's home I have been working on for quite some time. We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel finally. She and I thought it would be fun to do an outfit to room from a photo shoot they did with my husband and turn it into the last room that still needs some work. Here are my absolutely stunning friends...


Here's their outfit to office...


Currently there is real wood paneling that they are not a fan of so we are going to paint it out in Sherwin Williams Rare Gray. In the room it reads with a slight green undertone in case you were curious.


This is the desk and storage cabinet that we are going with from Nadu for the local crowd.

{via here}

They have a slipper chair that needs to be recovered. I think this would do nicely.

{via West Elm}

A tree stump side table for next to the chair.

A gallery wall for the large blank wall would be a nice touch. I like the idea of adding in some raw elements.

{via ebay}

A directors chair for the desk. Easy enough to fold away when the room becomes a spot to work out.

{via Simple Song}

Every lovely office needs fabulous stationary. These would make a statement.

Lovely Gifts


The amazingly talented Miss Aimee from Mostly Mod was so very kind to send me a photo from her etsy shop for Mother's Day. This meant the world to me. First off it is of a bike no less and, as I have posted before, I have a little dream to live somewhere a bike could be my first mode of transportation. Second my dear and incredibly sweet husband is not the very best at celebrating holidays such as this and my kiddos are much too young to know the difference so this definitely helped me feel quite special. This lovely photo now has found a home in my favorite room, the sunroom, where I do all my reading.


This beautiful gift came a from a friend who I helped with her blog header. I was doing it for free, but since she did get me something I am so happy it was this bag. It is by Lacefield Designs and a portion goes to Ithemba Orphanage in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa through the LUO organization. Their mission is to set children free from poverty. Please read more about it here. Seems like a cause to stand behind. It makes this gift even extra special.


Well, not sure if I would call this a gift, but my daughter does keep on walking around calling it "my dog". We are somewhat foster parents to this sweet little thing. Our goal was to find it a good home, but it seems my children have become smitten with it. I am still trying to figure out if we are dog owner people and the dog is trying to figure out if he wants to be owned by someone with small children. It's really just the shedding (which so far seems like none) and the dog smell I am worried about. Any thoughts lovely readers?

Outfit to Room...

I could not be more excited to do this outfit to room. It came way of Emily from Wide Open Spaces. I swear she and I have been separated at birth. Anyhoo, her sister in law just moved into a new home and wants to re do her bedroom. This outfit somewhat represents what she loves...

{via Micheal Stars}

Outfit to Bedroom...

{via ebay}

It all begins with a unique Kilim rug.

{via DWR}

A stunning bed in a light maple.

{via here}

Dark and textured bedding.

{via Ikea}

Two of these placed side by side would make for a lovely dresser.


{via Tazi}

A pouf or two would make quite a statement.

{via Etsy}

Some lovely art framed and matted of course.

{via Pottery Barn}

Some fun yellow drapes to keep it all from becoming too serious.

A paired down version of Bohemian Chic. Keeping it neutral, but all the while keeping the textures rich. I would also love to see a light gray wall, this pendant light, and this mirror for over the dressers. Okay, maybe not that exact mirror it costs a lovely fortune. Of course the drapes and art can be changed out to fit one's taste. I just so happen to be on a yellow and bird kick at the moment. And yes, I got my inspiration from an old Domino magazine, oh how I wish it were still around.

Book Club: chapter 2


In the book, the Artist's Way, there are people who can be labeled as crazymakers in your life. These people try to derail you from creating and believing in yourself. I feel highly blessed that I do not have these kinds of people in my life. As a child my parents enrolled me in art, horseback riding, dance, and etc lessons even when they barely had anything themselves. They knew I thrived to create so they enabled me to do just that. In high school I derailed myself from most of my once loved activities in order to be so-called popular. In college I did find myself taking dance once again and dabbling in pottery classes at least until the party life took over. I am so grateful that I even graduated. During my last couple of years at school I found Jesus or rather He found me and I turned my life back around. Now I have a wonderful husband who also is in the creative world at his work and with photography. He supports my every creative whim. All this to say I am thankful where I have been brought in life.

I shut my eyes in order to see
Paul Gauguin

Etsy love




These feel more like a piece of art. Are they not so stunning? They are from the Etsy store of Sarah Seven. I really am quite smitten with her designs. She also has a new blog that is full of extra eye candy.