Valentine's Day: The Etsy Way!

With Valentine's Day less than a week away, here are some fabulous Etsy finds to get you in the heartfelt spirit!

(L to R) Couples' Key Chain Handstamped  -- Love Crochet Bracelets -- Decorative Geometric Pillow

Keep Calm and Kiss Me -- Red Love Pillow -- Black Love Pillow

Valentine Hearts Dog Collar -- Gold Wire Love Ring 

Heart Pillow -- Heart Cookie Gift Tin -- Red Damask Arm Chair

{TGIM} PINK Chalkboard Paint!

I saw this picture on Pinterest and immediately knew I had to post about it! PINK chalkboard paint!! I am definitely doing this on the backside of Sophie's door.  How fun to have a place to doodle for her and a way to keep it cute for me! 

Available in other colors!

Check out the paint here .

Happy doodling!

February Color Scheme: Pink & Gray

When we think of the month of February, we naturally think of Valentine's Day. We think of love, reds, pinks, whites, and roses.  For my February color scheme of the month I am going with our favorite cousin to red,: PINK! Paired with a perfect new twist: GRAY! Grays and Pinks scream modern, sweet, sophistication. Find inspiration for your next bedroom, baby nursery, or even kitchen!

Cute bathroom!! (Especially for two sisters that share?)

Classic.  Feminine. Timeless. So pretty!

A bolder take

I love pink. 

Here, we see pink and gray used in a modern way.

And here, we see it used in a more traditional, classic way.

I love the flowers floating in water in the glass containers.

Cute and girly. Pink and gray for a birthday party!

Pink can be elegant, too.

Love the pink and gray scheme for this spring wedding! Don't the men look handsome in their pink ties?!

So, there isn't much gray in this photo, but if you are feeling bolder, this could be for you! You can replace the black knobs and countertop and barstools for stainless steel options. 

Inspiration is everywhere! Create. Design. Inspire.

{TGIM} Super Excited about this Super Bowl!

I absolutely love any reason to throw a party. There is nothing like a good 'ole get together. Family, friends, food, and lots of fun. I was raised believing that the saying, "The more the merrier," was actually one of the [original] ten commandments.  Super Bowl Sunday was no exception. I remember as a kid we would lead the pack to our home, after Sunday night church, of course, for an evening full of Super Bowl commercials, chips of every flavor, and plenty of entertainment.  This week I 'kick-off' our countdown to the Super Bowl with a roundup of great Super Bowl parties of past. Sometimes all you need is a little inspiration through pictures.  Pick up your great party tips and ideas to make for another Monday of truly great ideas...
SUPER BOWL XLVI !!!!

Keep it casual and fun with themed snacks and treats and sporty decor.

(Left to Right) Party Invitation, Football Cake Pops, Bean and Veggie Sliders, Fried Boccocini with 

Tomato Sauce,  Truffle Football Cupcakes, Tabletop and Helmet Centerpiece, Straw Flags

Photo by: TinyPrints blog

Kid-friendly Super Bowl party for the whole family to enjoy:

Photo by: TopPartyideas.com

Family-Friendly Super Bowl snacks:

Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats

Turf Football Cupcakes

Caribbean Chicken Wings

Six Layer Dip

Soft Pretzels

Spicy Sloppy Joes

I love this anti pasta platter idea!!

Party Invites by Tiny Prints

Have a super party, everyone!

{TGIM} The Year of the Dragon

Happy New Year, everyone! (Chinese new year, that is.) 2012 is the year of the dragon and according to the Chinese tradition, nothing starts the new year better than good luck and fortune smiling upon you.  Start your new year off with ideas from this fun Chinese New Year party and good luck and fortune is sure to find you! Hang your paper lanterns, grab the chopsticks, and take an eggroll for this week's truly great idea.

Party by Christine at Pure Joy Events

I loved the styling for this party.  Is is so clean and chic, keeping true to the old Chinese traditions, but incorporating new party styling principles.  I also loved the tangerine and red color scheme, grounded with the black and wood accents.

I find myself being inspired more and more in unusual ways.  Inspiration and creativity is everywhere! So, maybe its too late to have a Chinese New Year's party, but, hey, it's never too late for some good Chinese food and fortune cookies! Maybe that's whats for dinner at your house tonight!?

Gung Hay Fat Choy, everyone!

Just a little something I've been working on...

A client's living room design for their new home.

{TGIM} Or-gan-iz-a-tion: noun

Organization.  It's a word many people refuse.  (Or maybe you just don't care.) Either way, Merriam-Webster defines organization as "arranging elements into a whole of interdependent parts." Its not too late to resolute to spend your new year clean, fresh and organized! Putting the Christmas decorations away is a great opportunity to start throwing away old, packing and arranging the new, and labeling the existing.(I LOVE! my label maker!) Grab that Monday cup of joe and get excited about organization with this week's truly great (inspiring) ideas!

Love, Love, LOVE this!!

themakeupboxshop.com

Many of us have way too much makeup. (Okay, so maybe its just me.) I am a Sephora junkie and I like it!  The Makeup Box Shop makes these acrylic makeup boxes. I love how you can see where everything is. The best part is that they are custom designed around particular store makeup brands, such as MAC eyeshadow, Bare Minerals, Napoleon, Benefit, Urban Decay, etc.. to ensure things fit nicely! And with the cute little drawer knobs it isn't an eye sore sitting on your bathroom counter. This is going on my Valentine's day gift list! :)

This is super cute. A cupcake holder made into a craft storage! Take a cupcake tree, spray paint it a cute and quirky color, then put glass gelato cups (thrift store finds for like a quarter) to hold little crafty beads and bobs, handy.

photo by: sewmanyways.blogspot.com

An old dresser without the drawers = brilliant storage idea! This would also be really cute if you painted the dresser a fun color, say orange for example, and then put all the same color contrasting boxes in it, like green boxes. (and label them, of course!)

photo by: bedifferentactnormal.com

Put shower rings on a hanger to loop all your scarves through!

Spray paint an old, decorative paper towel holder to hold your bracelets!

photo by: Crate and Barrel

Crate and Barrel makes these fridge bins now in various sizes. I love this idea. I think this would work great for us and all of Sophie's things. I love the juice boxes and pudding packs in there.  In my fridge, inevitably, Sophie's small containers get lost in the back and I end up buying more because I think I am out of it. 

I love this photo! Think of your organization project like any other home decorating project and start with the color scheme! Here we see a color scheme of greens, whites, and this pine wood finish. I love how they contrasted the green boxes with clear plastic or glass containers.  By keeping them all uniform it creates proportion and continuity. It looks intentional and well thought out.  And suddenly, all that hodge-podge of randomness serves as attractive displays of craftiness.  Take those canister jars on the top shelf for example.  They used the same canister and lid repeatedly and stored all their pieces of ribbon in them,  by color family.   Instantly attractive. 

Here are some other overall inspirational photo favorites: