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.

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.

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!

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!