You will be mine ...

bird cushion in blue by roddy & ginger

I just ordered fabric from Tonic Living to recover two chairs that I bought of craigslist (6 months ago) and I think Mr. birdie would look great with it.

Christmas already ...

by Hello Little One

by Oh Joy

by Dwell Studio

I can't believe that it is already November. Where did the year go! This means it's almost December - which means I need to get a move on with my Christmas cards. Holy Moly!!!
This year I am going to send out a photo card with our "child" all dressed up. Bo is super excited about his holiday sweater (sarcasm). So I spent the evening looking through the MANY sites with holiday photo cards. I love so many of the ones on tiny prints that I just posted a few of my favorites. I will post the "real one" closer to Christmas.

Friday goodies ...

These are all the amazing work of Lisa Leonard. Check out her site here.

Also jump over to Centsational Girl and check out her awesome giveaway she is having right now. The winner of the giveaway wins a $100 dollar gift certificate to shop Lisa's store. So you could buy any of the above and more for just about anyone. (or just yourself!)

Branches ...

How great would these look in a nursery!

Eye candy to show off the family tree from my tree & me. (spotted on Design*Sponge)

I love tracing my family tree. I am so intriged to see where "I came from" and feel some kind of connection to my past. My great-great grandfather was in the civil war (he carried ice for the soldiers). How cool is that! Also my mom's family has lived in North Carolina for at least 6 generations. That's what I would calls some roots.

What's in a name ...

How beautiful are these vintage inspired peices from Sumiko. I love vintage pieces - new or old (oh the irony)! Sumiko is run by Evelyn and run out of Italy. She is very inspired by the colors and spirit of her seaside town in Italy but she loves Japan hence the shop name.

Happy Halloween ...

I love Halloween!

Not for all the scary, gruesome movies or the ghouls and goblins, but for the excitement that it brings. How it allows all ages to be imaginative for one night. For how it brings out all the great elements of fall, like pumpkins & scarecrows & and a few fake spiders in fake webs.

All images from Martha Stewart

I have such great memories of going out on chilly evenings in my not-so-awesome costumes (one year I was a ballerina church mouse - go figure) with my friends to gather all the candy we could carry. I think that is what makes me so excited about waiting at the door to hand out candy to all the adorably dresses kids in our neighborhood. It makes me remember all my neighbors - the cool one that gave out whole candy bars and the not so cool one that gave out key chains for his company (but for some reason we went to his house every year holding out hope). My real aspiration is to be the neighbor that has awesome decorations and possibly a haunted attraction like a casket or something in the front yard every year - but for now I will stick with the spider web and plastic skeleton. Whatever kind of neighbor or trick-or-treater you are I hope you have an exciting Halloween full of ridiculous costumes and great memories!And remember all those pumpkins can go to good use in a yummy pumpkin bread later!

Balance ...

It has been almost 2 months since I posted. As I sat here getting ready to type - I realized that sometimes life gets in the way. It can get in the way of the things you love to do, need to do, have to do ... And the reality is - it is all about balance.
I am a person that stresses. I stress about the big stuff and the little stuff - it's the way of cope. But in the end I have come to understand that everything balances out. No matter how much time I stress about a project at work, it still gets done. I might have to work a few (or a lot) extra hours, but I accomplish nothing when I am pulling my hair out.
So I need to balance better. I need to know that things are going to get done. And that I need to focus more on the things that make me happy! (including blogging)

So today I bring you a poster that flat out makes me smile.

by Studio Mela

Friday treat ...

Amy's Bike Blind Drawing - 1 [Oil Pastel on Paper]

Cranks -18 [Acrylic on Paper]
Goldie on Gray [Screenprint]

These beatiful pieces are all done by Taliah Lempert. All in different mediums and all so amazing. Taliah has a deep love for bikes and cycling and I think all of that is expressed in her work. Take a look at her website and fall in love with this alternative form of transportation too.

Bags galore ...

I am not much of a clothes-horse but I do love accessories, especially bags. I have a bunch - they have their own closet. I have very few designer bags but I do love to drool over them and dream about them. Marc Jacobs is one of my favorite designers. Check out these two bags from him. I love the whimsy of his new line "Flights of Fancy". 'Pretty Nylon - Little Tat' Tote -$158

'Flights of Fancy - Applique Shopper' - $428

Weekend wrap-up ...

S and I headed to the mountains to see family this weekend. On our way back we stopped at the Biltmore House in Asheville. It had been forever since either of us had been and surprisingly we had never been together.It is such an amazing place and if you have never visited I would highly recommend it. You aren't allowed to take picture inside but the rooms are breathtaking. They just opened 4 new rooms to the public in the Louis IV suite. The detail and lavishness that is put into these rooms just astounds me. They also had this really beautiful flower carpet on the South Terrace. It only last 15 days so I am so glad we got to see it. A great way to wrap up the weekend!

Cooking in style ...

How can you not be inspired to cook by this stylish apron? Designed by SaraSmedley, the butcher's apron is designed in honor of Julia Child. Has anyone seen that movie yet? I really want to go see it but doubt I can drag S along. Guess that means a girls night!

Urban Outfitters ...

Urban Outfitters definitely has cute clothes BUT they also have the greatest home accessories. That are reasonable too.

Clockwise from upper left - Atlas Shower Curtain - $20, Orange Sheep Wall Art - $58, Oak Jewelry Stand - $14, Quail Feather Graphic Plate - $6, Industrial Loft Fan- $48, Predator + Prey Wall Art by Andrew Holder - $38, Acid Etch Letters - $14, Cloudtrap Pillow by Valerie Lueth - $28

DIY silhouettes ...

I am sure you have seen silhouettes showing up all over the place as a DIY project. Well I decided to give it a try for our bedroom. My inspiration was from the owners of three potato four. I saw the sneak peek of their home on Design *Sponge and loved the way they had incorporated their family "portrait" at their stair case. Click here for their instructions. I have adjusted them a little below because I didn't follow theirs exactly.

What you’ll need:
- A side profile photo (I took one of each of us - including the dog - just for this project. That way we were all facing the same way and there was a solid color background.)
- Xacto Knife
- Photoshop or another photo editing software
- Glue Stick or double sided tape
- Black Acid-Free Cardstock Paper
- Scrapbooking paper or wallpaper
- Picture frame

Instructions:

1. Download the photo(s) you took and open them with Photoshop. Select the background and delete it so that all that is left is your silhouette. Max out the contrast and darkness so you get a black silhouette on a white background.

2. Next, print the photo. You skip step one and just trace the colored photo but the black and white one makes it a little easier. Remember when you are printing to keep in mind the size of your frame.

3. Tape the print down to the black card stock.

4. Cut your silhouette out using the x-acto knife. If you need to adjust your tape so that the printed photo stays secured to the cardstock.

5. Then take your finished silhouette and mount it to the scrapbook paper. You should cut this down to the size of the frame prior to attaching the silhouette. Use the glue stick or double sided tape to secure your silhouette.

6. Place in your frame and enjoy!

3/50 ...

This is such a great idea and is popping up on blogs all over the place. I am going to make a concious effort to shop local (sorry target) and you should too. What are your favorite local shops?

Typography ...

Carnival game padels & Time coded key rack - Three Potato Four

I love the use of typography in these pieces. Though random these primitive items bring visual interest to any wall.

Argyle ...

1. Plush dog bone toys - Big Dog Boutique 2. Placemats - India Rose 3. Melamine plate - Preppy Plate 4. Sweater Jacket - Banana Republic 5. Flats - Jessica Bennett 6. Sweater dress - Old Navy 7. Umbrella - Old Navy 8. Pillows - Pottery Barn

I know I'm on the last wave of this fashion statement, but I just can't help it. Argyle has been around for a few seasons now but I keep feeling myself drawn to it. I was at Old Navy this past weekend and tried on everything they had in argyle (I only bought one though - restraint!)

I might have to blame this obsession on the First Lady. Michele Obama always looks so put together and she has been known to wear some argyle. Do you have a favorite print that no matter what you want to have around?

Wrapping it up ...

I thought I would leave you with a great painting from Eric Graham before the weekend. It is suppose to be hot here, so everyone stay cool. Happy Friday!

Favor ideas ...

Some friends of ours got married just over a month ago. They had these really neat wedding favors - flower seeds. (I forgot to take a picture of the actual favor but the one above is similar) The image is of some you can order online, but where's the fun in that. It is a great DIY project that you could use for any occasion.

Supplies:
- coin envelopes from office supply store (these come in kraft paper, white and I have even seen them translucent)
- ribbon
- label (paper or sticker) printed with whatever the favor is for
- craft glue
- flower seeds

Put a few seeds in each envelope and seal them. Wrap the ribbon around securing with craft glue and put cut ends on front. Place label over the cut ends of the ribbon. On the back you can put another label with the kind of seeds and planting instructions. It's that easy.

Well I was really excited because I never seem to have luck with getting seeds to grow, but I decided to plant these two weeks ago. And looky there - they are starting to sprout. I can't wait to see what they look like, since just like I forgot to take a picture of the favors I also forgot what it said I was planting.

Thanks Madi & Whitley!

Obsess much ...

So this post makes me realize that I am a little green and white obsessed lately. (But they're just so pretty!) I will try to suppress this addiction in later posts but I had to show you these pillows by pillowhappy. And I am also excited to report she is just down the road in Wilmington. Might have to make a trip to the beach to shop local!!!

Loving me some vintage ...

I love these wall hangings (or "wears") by neawar. I love modern design but am always drawn to vintage pieces. I think the two look richer when combined together.

The aftermath ...

For all you interested readers - here's my recount from a night at Sunny Sky's.

First things first - this cool guy greets you as you approach the shop on 55. I mean what is cooler than a ice cream cone wearing shades?
Being as childish as 20-somethings can be, we dared the "new guy" in our office to eat the Cold Sweat ice cream. And he being the champ that he is took us up on it. So the waiver was signed and the kiddie cone was presented. Yes - they will only serve the Cold Sweat ice cream in the kiddie size. He began eating it proclaiming that it wasn't so bad. But then the nose started running and the eyes started watering. It was obvious that it was pretty hot. Well we couldn't let him suffer though our entire outing so I ran into get him a mint chocolate chip. While inside, the rest of the group took a lick - they all were not happy when I returned. The poor cone ended up face down in a Route 44 cup from Sonic.

Those are whole peppers you see peeking out!

But other than that adventure I have to say that Sunny Sky's will be getting our business again. It was some of the best ice cream I have ever had. I got the Oatmeal Cookie flavor and S tried out two with Strawberry Cheescake and Peanut Butter Fudge. I taste tested a bunch too and they were all excellent (minus the banana pudding - not my favorite). They have so many flavors that they are not all displayed at the counter, hence the list on the porch.
So a dare was taken, ice cream was devoured, fun was had and of course t-shirts were bought. All equaling an excellent evening out with friends.

If you are ever just North of Angier on NC 55 stop by Sunny Sky's Homemade Ice Cream - but DO NOT try the Cold Sweat!

Short post ...

Sorry this post will have to be a short one. I have a bunch of stuff I "need" to blog about but I just haven't had the time to sit down and do it. Tonight some co-workers and their significants are headed to Sonic for a hotdog and tator tots - which may or may not be covered in chili AND cheese. Then we are making the trek down to Angier to visit Sunny Skies Homemade Ice Cream. Their claim to fame is the Cold Sweat flavor - it's made with habenero peppers. I will NOT be trying that one. (I love how the cold sweat has it's own website.)

I do want to point out to everyone if you are interested - it's design*sponge's 5th anniversary. Grace has come up with this great thank you to all her readers. Each month a new artist will create a unique wallpaper for your computer. This month's design is by Deanne Cheuk. The dark watercolor adores my work computer for this month. I am looking forward to the new design each month.

Music and food ...

Check out this article I found on MNN. Not only is Jason Mraz a great musician but he's a farmer. Or at least grows his own avacados - yummy. Quite a cool tidbit and I also enjoyed reading about all the rest of the farmers under 40.

Growing up my grandparents always had a garden in their backyard. I spent a lot of time helping my Popo tend to all the vegetables and fruits. They would also buy what they didn't grow from local farms to can or turn into jams, etc. I have fond memories of sitting on the back patio with my mom and grandma snapping beans and shucking corn. Moments like that have given me respect for where my food comes from and the hard work that went into it.

I want to be able to have that at my own house. S and I are planning on starting our own little vegetable garden in the back next spring. I have decided on the spot for it in our postage stamp of a back yard. This fall we are going to remove the bush, etc. from the area and start getting it ready for the spring. I am thinking it might be best to elevate it slightly, but I will have to look into that - it might cause standing water under our deck which is never a good thing.

I think we will grow:

Tomatoes

Corn (not sure if this will work with our space restraints)

Okra

Squash

Onions

Herbs - but I will put these up on the deck in pots to keep them away from the rabbits

Do you have a garden? What do you grow?

Table search ...

So I am currently on the search for an outdoor table for our back deck. We have lived in our house for 4 years and still have nothing more than 4 foldable chairs for seating. And let me note its a big deck and part of the reason we bought the house - but anyway.

One day at Lowe's I found these cool retro chairs in green and blue.The key here is they have some bounce to them. S won't let me buy outdoor furniture unless the chairs bounce - it's a rule. Also the chairs are SUPER CHEAP - only $35 a piece - a bonus. I have always like the 50's style cast iron patio furniture, especially the gliders. Like these from Vintage Gliders - aren't the back cut outs just neat and the fact that they are restored is amazing.

But like I mentioned I need to keep this purchase on the cheap side. Now the problem with the cool, cheap chairs from Lowe's is the table that goes with them is tiny. We were hoping to buy 4 chairs and a dining table, but no such luck.

So here are a few tables that I have been eyeing for inspiration if anything:

Overlap dining table from West Elm (sold out)

Fusion Tribu Dining Table by Henry Hall (super expensive)

Parson's table from West Elm (not for outdoors)

inside out dining table from CB2

Now check out those chairs - I have been obsessed with them since I saw this picture. Of course CB2 doesn't carry them anymore - just my luck.

So what are your thoughts? Any suggestions on another table? Votes for one of these? Where I can find these awesome CB2 chairs?

Let the search continue.