morning's light

colorful + organized workspace

Dear IKEA,

I am your store's biggest fan and am waiting for one to be built in Wisconsin. A neighboring town of mine called Johnson Creek, Wisconsin has its water tower painted in IKEA's signature blue and gold colors, not to mention the location would bring in IKEA customers from around the entire state!  I would shop at your store much more often than my current twice a year trip to Schaumburg, Illinois - 120 miles away. Thank you!!!

Anyhoo... the photos above are from IKEA Share Space that has a blog and a page that shows IKEA products in real homes. You can submit photos of your home/workspaces to the site which is my favorite part. 

While at IKEA this past weekend, some girls from church and I decided we'd found an office we'd all like to work in...

We enjoyed pretending to work at this lovely office! In the background you can see my shopping cart full of items.  That red/white pattern is similar to some bedding IKEA used to offer.  I cannot find it anywhere now.  Missed my chance.  After a trip to Chick-Fil-A (my first ever time there),  it was fun to go home and put to use all those pretty things!

chicks at chick-fil-a!!  perhaps I should have hopped into one of these photos!  

 

 

entryways + mudrooms

January is usually a great month to declutter rooms and closets, but these entryways and mudrooms are so colorfully organized that I'd like it to be January right now (minus any cold temps and snow, of course) so that I can put bins together and paint the floor purple! While I'm at it, I should practice my penmanship for I would like to write as shown on the blackboard in the fourth photo. 

 

all photos via the boo and the boy

 

 

odds + ends

benita of chez larsson makes organizing and home improvement look so easy!  here she's organized what I find to be those pesky odds + ends found around the home into look alike bins that look so pretty and uniform!  

images: chez larsson

 

 

offices with white space + organized shelves

 

 
love, love, love this office shown above.  there's room to breathe; you can think clearly! 

 

Organized office for sure! Great pops of color with the red!

 

 

via and via

 

everything but the kitchen sink.... on hooks

While wandering through Target the other day with a friend, we checked out the clearance offerings on endcaps.  Found two sets of five-hook fixtures that were adorable: one white and one black.  $10 each. I snapped them up as my giftcard would easily cover the cost.

"I love hooks and would put all my clothing on them, even underwear",  I pretty-much-shouted to my friend.   She didn't fall for it...and questioned the underwear part.  She has a point.  I will continue to hide unmentionables away in drawers but everything else is fair game.

I then stumble upon this pretty blog where the author has just redone a corner of her bedroom to include two hook fixturs to tidy up her hoodies and scarves.  (note: I kept staring at the photo, wondering what the cute little room was around the half-wall  when I realized I was staring at the reflection of the bedroom in a mirror.  nice.)

Here's the "before":

 

all images via lovemaegan

more glimpses into The Good Fairy's home

Crisp, clean, colorful, organized rooms and shelves.  That's why I continue to post images from the home of the good fairy. (dang! I keep wanting to type out "the tooth fairy" even though my family never believed in the tooth fairy....oops.. am I spoiling it for some of you?)

If you visit the good fairy's blog, she has some recent posts showing purple accessories for the home which make me want to add way more purple to my apartment's color scheme!

 

IT'S FRIDAY. yippee!  I am getting cable TV again after going without it for one year.  Was called by the cable company to add cable TV again for a pretty low price that's guaranteed for a year.  What sold me on it (apart from the low price that will be added to my cable interent price) was that I will be able to program my DVR from a website.   To get why I'm so excited about this, let's walk through how I recorded programs from 2002-2005:  (see way below  - under the photos)

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

+ I had a small tv, a vcr and a stack of VHS videotapes labeled Monday - Sunday.

+ I would then go into the programming mode with my VCR remote and up would pop a blue screen with white text that had columns for the date of the program to be recorded, the start time (you set it yourself) and the end time (you set that yourself as well), and the exact channel number to record it on.  (If you recorded two shows and they overlapped by even one minute, no error message popped up to show you the discrepancy and help you resolve it!)

+So after every program (Oprah's show, a few shows each weeknight, movies on weekend) was meticulously programmed into the VCR, I had to pray that no storm would cause havoc by shutting off our electricity at home for even one minute.  If so, the VCR programming would be erased and it would be back to square one - a blank screen with a cursor blinking at you as if to say "HA! go ahead, I dare you, just try to remember exactly all the shows you meant to record and make no mistakes!" 

+When the electricity would go out when I was away from home, my poor (angel of a...) roommate Karla would stay on the phone with me while I walked her through what should record that very day (until I could go home between work and going out) - so she then had to tackle The Blue Screen for me.

+When watching a show, I might start the videotape and FAST FORWARD (while hearing a whirring sound) to the show I want to watch and if the wrong channel was chosen or if there was a delay in programming due to urgent news, the President's speech, etc.  then I was out of luck and would end up with a recording I didn't want or need.

Let's sum up, shall we?  VCR + TV + meticulous programming = temporary peace of mind.

Is it a wonder I wanted to leap for joy when I heard I could get a DVR again and program it remotely?!  hallelujah!!    No more watching shows online on a desktop computer while sitting in a hard, wodden chair at a desk - within arm's reach of the mouse to jiggle it to keep the screensaver from popping up.  No more having to be home at the exact time the show is on (hello 1950s to 1980s to see my favorite shows. 

 

If you're looking for me in the next week, just look on the couch.  I'll be watching TV again with a blissful smile on my face for about a week or two.  TV, I've missed you!

 

Have a groovy weekend!  Be good!

 

all images by the good fairy

cute scarf display

via sweetsweetlife-amy.blogspot.com

Loving this scarf display in Katrin's bedroom. And the paint color next to the white wardrobe. And the orderly bookshelves.

I went exploring around Katrin's home on flickr and it's adorable.  Just take a look!

 

So happy Amy at Sweet Sweet Life featured Katrin's photos on her blog.  Katrin has a cute blog and flickr pages. 

organized rural cabin tour

 

A cabin tour that's a sight for sore eyes.  

The organization + lack of clutter!

The space around objects. 

See the full cabin tour here. 

 

 

All photos by The Vintage Cabin/Becke

 

 

blue christmas + organized closet

 

 

This organized goodness from "the good fairy" makes my heart go pitter-patter.   Then the pretty blue and white decor for Christmas makes me smile.  

images above by the good fairy

 

Today I'm loving the cute, clever scene by Amy at Sweet, Sweet Life and this holiday home tour by Old Brand New (who can do no wrong in my book.  I adore every way this home is styled!).  Here's a beautiful mobile by Old Brand New.

image via old brand new

 

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!!

 

~ sunny

 

 

 

 

 

a simple wardrobe and home: momo suzuki

 

 

Hello!  I had an unplugged, computer/internet-free weekend that was unintentional.  My internet access decided to not work all weekend.  So I read, went to IKEA with my sister in law, niece and nephew, and watched almost the entire first season of Fringe on DVD.  Also tackled the last room in my apartment that needed some paring down and prettying up.  

I can tell you now (because they're gone - the piles that is) that I was living with a couple piles of clothes and linens in my bedroom (can we say "teenager"?!) - and sighed over them daily.  Turns out if you set your timer for 15 minutes at a time and just start working on a project that you've procrastinated on, you can make excellent progress.  The piles to dresser drawer and linen closet process took a timer setting of 15 minutes then an additional 4 minutes.  

I love this home and wardrobe of designer Momo Suzuki from a closet tour on Jeana Sohn's blog.  Jeana sums up perfectly why Momo's wardrobe and home are so appealing:

"Momo Suzuki is a Japanese born clothing designer (Her line is called Black Crane) and jewelry maker. She lives with her designer husband Alexander Yamaguchi in Los Angeles. Momo is multi talented, funny, pretty and super nice!

Momo's closet was simple, pared down, and felt well composed. A lot of clothes and jewelry were from her and her husband's lines. The pieces from her line are very minimal and loose fitting but the patterns are completely unique and interesting. 

I was very inspired by Momo's style and the way she decorated her space. I learned from her that you can still be stylish without having a big closet and that simplicity is a powerful statement. Everything about her was so natural and a lesson in elegant simplicity - her hair, her barely there make up and her simple jewelry,,,. How about her beautiful apartment? I can keep going on and on.. "

 

 

the house by the stream

A series of posts starts now....of beauty found on some Norwegian blogs.  These images are from "the house by the stream".

I don't know where she got the cups in the upper left corner of the photo (the orange, berry and green ones) but I'm in love.  Seriously. In love.  I want to marry those colors and the cups.  

Then there are these bursts of color.......along with the pretty crate, the wire basket and HELLO beautiful papers.

images

 

at home with shin designs

The home of Anja-Patrice Hansen is a charming little thing!  I want to pull up a chair in the living room - to play games or have some tea!  Then it would be a great afternoon to curl up in the little reading corner to read, crochet or nap! The sheepskin throw looks perfect for a cool fall afternoon.

 

    

images of shin designs via norske interiorblogger

colorful studio sale

Beautiful images from a French studio sale.
I've never wanted to be in France more than I did this weekend!  
But I'm content to admire these photos from many miles away.

 

  

 

images: home & vintage

What a sweet little kitchen.

Empty space on shelves.........a little luxury!

images via aprill aprill

  

Eva Pannecoucke Studio

 

What strong, pure colors with styling that has a simplicity I love.
Isn't Eva's studio pretty?!  

  

 

via OWI

creativity + ikea = pretty

It's no secret that I love IKEA.  However, when my sister in law Maya visited recently, she walked through and said "Cute IKEA apartment."  That's great, since I love the store, but now it's time to inject some of my own personality and creativity into the apartment.  Thus it was "happy happy joy joy" time to find that IKEA Family Live on Facebook has a photo section of creative homes using their products.  Hope you like them as much as I do. 

  

 

 
 

images via IKEA Family

The Buenos Aires Apartment of Jorge + Veronica

Hello!  Isn't the internet fun?!  I followed a trail of blogs and websites to land at mixr which showed this great Buenos Aires apartment of Jorge and Veronica.  I like how the bloggers at mixr described it (translated from Swedish into English):

"JORGE AND VERONICA have chosen to break firmly against the upper-class because the style of the apartment.The ornate wooden ceiling height and the breathtaking contrast to the interesting brick walls and rough surface of the wall completely untreated comforters. There are many fun decorating ideas to steal, like putting glasses on top of chests of drawers or using a kitchen shelf in the dining room."

images: Living Agency via mixr.se     

personalized, pretty apartment

 

Barb of HappySimple and her husband have decorated their apartment to suit their lifestyle and needs.  I love it!  It's easy to get overwhelmed by too many blogs, magazine photos and decorating shows and lose sight of what you really need (or...don't need) for your own living space.  Barb decorated for her needs and her guests love the decor!  I do too.

 

 images: happysimple

decluttered shelf!

"after" - linen closet shelf, originally uploaded by sunnygirlwi.

Decluttered, sorted and organized the contents of two shelves in my linen closet*. There's more to organize - and I"ll post photos as things progress.

Meanwhile, I sorted objects, put like with like and then pulled from a "box o' pretty" that held empty, available IKEA containers and baskets. Arranged them and voila! A new shelf that's fun to use and easy on the eyes.

Left to right:  basket (q-tips & cotton squares), bag (hair products), orange tin (nail polishes), silver tin 1 (eyeglasses from zenni optical - $24 for two pair includes shipping - can you believe it?! Am wearing the magenta/purple ones today), silver tin 2 (nail products), and yellow tin (medicines, peroxide, band-aids, and the like). 

*At the top are baskets that do not belong in the linen closet. Those will be moved or repurposed as the closet re-do continues.

 

BEFORE: The items from two shelves were dumped onto the coffee table to be sorted.

prettiest, most organized desk

These photos are most likely zipping around Blogland even as I type this out....but I had to post them as well!  Benita of Chez Larsson and her family have redone the desk that she is famous for into something even more beautiful.  

After reading the post, I created a "note to self":

• Buy some wrapping paper in pretty colors like orange + yellow.
• Use the drawers I have that are like Benita's MUJI drawers.
• Purchase some more drawers like Benita's MUJI drawers.
• Use the Orla Kiely tray I purchased at Target 12+ months ago as a holder for current projects.
• Position desk so I face the office window instead of having my back to it.
• Stare at the post containing Benita's office makeover - for 87.5 hours in case staring at the photos helps me absorb the organizing skills at which Benita is a master. 
• Purge, purge, purge.  
• Donate, donate, donate.
• Organize, organize, organize.

   

images: chez larsson

summer's beijing studio apartment!

 

Summer's apartment was featured on Ikea Family Live, and I want to live in a replica of this apartment! She's super organized - you can tell that everything has a place.  I love the bright, light-filled, organized kitchen and really want a bedroom wardrobe like hers.

Another perk of the small apartment is that "...it hardly takes any time to clean. Sex and the City girls don’t have time for the Cinderella act!"

  

these photos and many more of summer's apartment are more from ikea family live

 

paper organization via livingetc

Swooning over wire baskets.  Must find some zinc baskets in the States!  

Speaking of finding things, must find a way to purchase a Livingetc subscription.  If I bought every issue I could find at Barnes & Noble (30 minute drive from my home), it would be $108/year. However, buying a year's worth is impossible because the B & N only buys ONE issue per month and others like to buy it too...so I buy Livingetc about six times a year.  I did visit the livingetc subscription page and they had a way to put in U.S. addresses and use my credit card...I don't think it would have been the $178 U.S. price I was seeing on magazine subscription sites that sell loads of magazines but I can't be sure. 

I do have a local, independent bookseller a mile from the office who used to sell some international magazines.  They haven't had Livingetc for awhile, so I've gone to a Big Chain Store to get the magazine instead.  But I'd much rather purchase it locally and support my community.

What to do?!  Do you buy international magazines? Where?

edited:  found that I can purchase a Livingetc subscription to Zinio here for $29.33 U.S. 

 \

 
images: Livingetc

tidy + organized Berlin office

 

What a beautiful set of offices in Berlin at the Chris Rehberger Agency "Double Standards"!  The bare surfaces, the organization.....am wishing I could be transported there and work in that agency.  What do you think of their decor?

Is this area for children or the employees? Perhaps both.

Here's where I liked the detail of the organization: boxes labeled power cords, ethernet, phone, invitations. The consistency of the boxes makes it easy on the eyes. 

You can find many more photos of the offices here.  I used google translate to read the article accompanying the photos.  

Photos by Ailin Liefeld

a fun, new-to-me blog: green is the new black

 

I'm Swedish. Okay, half-Swedish.  But I relate the most to my Swedish relatives...   And here we go...this new-to-me blog is a Swedish blog!  It's called Green Is the New Black.  I love Sofia's personal style, and she has a bedroom I'll be using for inspiration for mine.  Here's a sampling of photos from her blog.  I hope you'll visit her.

[In my bedroom, I have a huge walk in closet in which I feel claustrophobic when I enter it.  So upon the advice of organizer Laura Cattano who suggested I decide if the closet should be for clothing or non-clothing storage, I am going with clothing in the bedroom itself (ha! that sounds like clothing optional then in the closet..I mean clothing STORAGE in the bedroom) and the closet will be more like a storeroom for the odds and ends from my apartment: yearbooks, photos, papers, files, mementos, out of season clothing, etc. (ooh..is that allowed, Laura?!). So then I saw the bedroom on Green Is the New Black and found a room which will be my inspiration as I set up my bedroom.]

Orange chairs!  Love it.  And putting small appliances on the windowsill?  Creatively lovely.

Open storage.  It works!

See that orange bowl in the background?  Beautiful.

I'm jealous of this white cabinet that she found for this corner.  What a great storage piece!

images: sofia of green is the new black    

grid/plane & instrument's coolest ever offices

  

 

Check out the offices of Grid/Plane & Instrument in Portland!  I have scoped out my future desk and it is in the first photo...one of the desks against the wall.  Imagine the creative, productive days you could have working here!!  SpacePDX ["Neat people and the spaces they grace."] is one of my all-time favorite online reads...as they highlight some of the most creative workplaces with such gorgeous photos.  

 

 

images: spacepdx

letting go of the extra......at just daisy

 

am writing on a new blog in addition to this one.  just daisy is about my process of letting go of pounds and clutter from my body and my home because I deserve to live in a tidy home that I love coming home to and running around in a body that is strong!

so naturally pretty photos will remain here (well..there might be some over there too) and then at just daisy, there'll be stories (mine and others), photos of in progress projects, before/afters, and just inspiration to keep things sparse and clean.

greatest fear is underwear getting stuck in the washer

image

Good evening!  It's Friday evening of a U.S. holiday weekend. Enjoyed a dinner of french toast with peanut butter and real maple syrup on it...then read my book a little more.  Jumped up from the couch to transfer clothes from the washer to the dryer and discovered some underwear wound tightly around the agitator..underneath all the fin thingies.  (I'm sooo technical!)  Thought it would require a quick pull on the underwear to get it loose but it wasn't that easy.

Then came this phone conversation with my friend Tina:

me:  "Ummm.....I've got underwear stuck in the washer.  Am too short to reach the bottom of the washer when I lean into it so I'm standing on a stepstool. I can now reach the underwear and have scissors in hand to cut the underwear but am afraid I'll pull too hard and knock myself out and stab myself in one move....Can you BELIEVE I got underwear stuck in the washer??? Who does that???"

tina:  "That's my GREATEST FEAR!!"  [dramatic]

me: "What? Your greatest fear is getting your underwear stuck in the washer???"

tina:  "Right." 

me: "oh..it's being unconscious...."

tina: "yep..and people not finding you for days."

Because I didn't want to be left unconscious for days nor have a repairman be called thus requiring me to run around and tidy up the living and dining rooms before a repairman could be allowed into the home, I managed to get the underwear free of the machine - in little cloth pieces but they are free.

What kind of night is it when your greatest triumph is that your underwear is FREE of the washer?!

image

image 

Seattle garage = tiny home

 
Simple kitchen.

Simple bathroom.

 

Simple sleeping loft.

What a perfect little home for one or two people to share!  I was captivated by the kitchen photo but the rest of the little home drew me in as well.  

You can read the article and/or browse the slideshow.  It's all about artist Michelle de la Vega.   What I love is that Michelle wanted more metal pieces in her home so she took a welding class, and her website now lists her as a welder.  She has a curiosity about life and is willing to do the studying necessary to do what she's interested in..not just talk about it.  Impressive really. 

tidy, pretty bathroom storage

Everything about this bathroom storage is lovely: the pretty cosmetic bag, the jars on the shelf, the crates used as cubbies.... Rachel Denbow did a great job with her small bathroom!  And if you visit her blog, she'll show you a photo of how the bathroom is on a non-photoshoot day!

   

images

credenza: organization makeover

credenza (left) before

 credenza (left) after

Laura Cattano of The Order Obsessed, is a professional organizer and someone who lives in a highly organized apartment in New York City.  She performed a makeover for a couple expecting a baby.  Laura helped them repurpose furniture and closets to make room for the baby's items.  In her post, Laura links to the many flickr photos that document the process.

She also states that more storage doesn't mean you're more organized. I can testify to that as my many storage cupboards and closets filled up quickly with items flung onto shelves and into drawers when I moved into my apartment three years ago.  I've moved on from "WOO HOO...storage!" to "Need breathing room and a home for every item. Time to be intentional with things."  

 
Credenza (right) before

Credenz (right) after
 

images: laura cattano

a modern farmhouse in Belgium

 

Here's the thing.  I love the photo above from this modern farmhouse in Belgium because of all the clean lines.  But what the heck do "clean lines" mean?!  My friend Sharona loves to neaten up her belongings into tidy piles before she can think clearly. I watched her do this during her last visit to my house and loved the idea.  Tried googling terms to find out what that would be called but am stumped - would it be "anal retentive"?  OCD?  "clean lines"?

How would you describe the need to put things into neat piles and clear clutter before you can think clearly?

 

Onto the farmhouse.  There's this open, airy kitchen and some more spacious rooms - including an attic area that is clearly for kids.  I would have LOVED having one of those rooms as a child. It's like something out of books I've read!

 

 

images from OWI via here

organized goodness + dining spaces

There's something about these two dining areas that draws me in.  In the first - it's all the blue!  In the second..it's just a pretty little dining corner!    (images)

It's FRIDAY!

• Good thing I had a couple days at home to rest after Monday's fainting scare because work was c-r-a-z-y the rest of the week.  
• It's Movie Night!  Blockbuster went out of business in my city, so I found this cute little almost-rent-everything-by-hand-not-computer video store and rented Couples Retreat and the Morgans film (hugh grant).  Am really waiting for my netflix film to arrive tomorrow:  September Issue. 
• Am also waiting for some family to return from a vacation in Vietnam/Singapore.  Can't wait to hear their stories!!
• I've not read blogs all week! Must catch up this weekend....
• I've missed you guys!!!!!

Here's some organized goodness from Rachel of Smile & Wave!

 

I love boxes turned sideways as shelves + jars + baskets + containers + blue.  She has it ALL here.  (images)

noodlehead: creative area

Anna, of Noodlehead, recently completed a makeover of her creative space.  I love her little room!  You can see more photos on her flickr photostream, but of course I'll include a few more here.

It's 3:30 AM. Have been in battle with A Cough which has brought along its friend Sinus Infection.  The battle has been taking place since Christmas Day. Those two have worked so hard to keep me from sleeping that they've won - temporarily.  My coworkers would say the two have won after hearing me struggle all week at work.  So would my family.  I'm visiting family out of town in the morning but will have to return by evening because I don't want to subject family to hearing me cough all night.

Luckily you can't hear me.....so we can have a jolly good time!  Did I just say that?  Hmm...YES I did!  Must be the cold meds :)    

  

lisa mahar: playroom + bedrooms

Lisa Mahar's playroom above is a room I've seen before, but I hadn't read the article on her (found via Bricolage & Butter) until today.  Was pleasantly surprised by all the photos included in the article.  The clean lines and impeccable organization of, well, everything, appealed to me.

   

I've become addicted to the Canadian HGTV show "For Rent" hosted by Jodi Gilmour, and many people on the show don't like small bedrooms.  But look at the room above? It's a small but pretty room.  

more photos here

 

clear. uncluttered.

 

clear.

uncluttered.

room to breathe.

 

peaceful

pretty

 

eclectic

charming

french kitchen

images: little circus

a white, bright bedroom

Whizzing around online....starting with Apartment Therapy's Kitchen Cure flickr group and moving on to a handful of the members' favorites pages, I stumbled upon the bedroom photos of a high school student whose room I admire!  She's 17, and I can tell you when I was 17, I did not have this much creativity or style.

I should mention that we did not have The Internet when I was 17.  Our Commodore 64 computer had a tape drive which required one to fast forward to the next program on the tape, and we used a small television as the monitor.  Thus the start of my computing experience increases my current appreciation for all the inspiration that one can find online. 

I seriously want to paint and script the same labels onto my dresser! Her handwriting is terrific!  [Maridee, this dresser reminds me of the mirror you filled up with text!]

images: kara haupt   

walls.

I'm highly enjoying the book, Wall to Wall, mostly for walls like this.  Who would have thought of decoupaging the wall?  I love that the designer used wrapping paper!!  The patterns are so fresh, and the bedding complements the design so well.

 This wall is familiar (it's been around online for awhile)...but it's so eye catching!  If this were in my bedroom, I'd totally pretend these were my glamorous clothes and accessories!

Two of my favorite things combined: pretty purses + hooks on the wall.  I've been given a stash of purses that are sequined and made in Korea (from the years my family lived in Korea) and they're gorgeous.  This is a great way to show off the purses.  Now to buy an evening frock to also hang on the wall.......!

It's the Freckled Nest!

 

Clicking around online to find new worlds is quite fun, and it's how I found Freckled Nest!  Leigh-Ann (I'm partial to her name myself) selected her blog name intentionally.  Freckled = "I looooove when people have freckles; they're like human polka dots!"   &  Nest = "Nests totally feel like the way I create my art; I take found pieces from around my community, work them together and let my stories live there."

Leigh-Ann recently prettied up and organized her workshop, and the result is happy indeed!

images: freckled nest

IKEA kitchen shelving

 

Until I saw this post at Desire to Inspire, I didn't know about this crush I have on these kitchens with open shelves...specifically with the IKEA Grundtal shelves.  

   

 

 

image 1 image 2 image 3 image 4 image 5 image 6
 

Jill's Workspace

A glimpse of Jill's workspace. I love it all...the totes, the table, the pictures on display, the many magazines neatly stowed away in holders under the table.  What a cozy place to work!

images: 36 Shea via Ill Seen, Ill Said

a wonderfully organized dressing area

Laura is a professional organizer whose apartments have been featured on Apartment Therapy.  From the look of her dressing area, can you tell what her profession is?! 

I am lucky enough to have a closet a bit bigger than Laura's dressing area, and I have a guest arriving next weekend.  I need to have the closet either perfectly or imperfectly organized in time for Sharona's arrival.  Thus I will be printing out these photos and posting them in plain sight at home to remind me to stay on task and keep up with the closet!

 

 

stylish chalkboards

 

 

Eco-stylista has posted some beautiful chalkboards.   It's Friday. Am swamped.
 But I really enjoyed the few moments spent staring at these chalkboards.
 How is it that my apartment lacks a single chalkboard? Gotta remedy that.

 

images: eco-stylista

[the haystack needle office]

Offices have been on my mind since I'm trying to declutter a work office and pretty up a home office as well.  This workspace of Jen's (from the haystack needle found via Ill Seen, Ill Heard) is simple and sweet!
 

  

images: ill seen ill heard

[hans zeegers, photographer]

My eyes are instantly drawn to simple lines and like items grouped together on a shelf.  I love to see jars lined up on a kitchen counter or shelf.  That makes my heart go pitter-patter.  (i know, RIGHT? why would I like that?!).  I need to find some pretty jar photos.  Meanwhile, the photo of boots lined up on the shelf... fun!

These photos by photographer Hans Zeegers (found by way of Head Over Heels) are styled so well! Enjoy!!

Last night was quite fun at church with a fun game similar to rock/paper/scissors:  ninja/gun/gorilla. Naturally ninja beats gun, gun beats gorilla BUT gorilla beats ninja.  The kids had fun...and we soon had a winner in the 5-minute-long tournament. We then watched a video (a Rob Bell NOOMA video) on prayer.  I love my junior high girls!  Wouldn't trade them for anything!  I'll have photos from last night to post soon.

white/aprill aprill

What a pretty little bench!  AprillAprill has much goodness to share on her blog.  Just look at the following shelves!

new to the wish list: letter bag

 

 

I'm a fan of Moop bags and have immediately added their newest bag to my wish list: the Letter Bag in black. I have the Market Bag in Rosewood (see below) which was the best bag to take on the plane and around San Francisco when I was on vacation there in May.  

I've a feeling the black letter bag would be a daily carry for me - to and from work and all the errands in between the office and home.

 

images: moop

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The weekend was so not long enough.  I visited a local private school's annual Barn Sale and found three wooden bar stools for $22.  Turns out the height of the stools was exactly right for the counter separating my kitchen from the living room.  (My kitchen has been lacking bar stools for more than two years now but the wait was worth it - for the price and the quality of the stools.)

Movie Night was held Sunday night - which involved games of Apples to Apples (the guys select winning cards logically and the girls tend to use emotions to figure out which card wins), munching on comfort food, and watching Eagle Eye - a film I found to be quite good.  

Hope you had a good weekend!

colorful, organized office

Through Kim Vallee, I found a new-to-me blog that is a new favorite:  ourhaus.  Jodi shares about how she created an office out of a loft area at home.  I adore the colors she chose and how she organized every little thing!  Naturally I think it's great that many of her items are from IKEA.   Jodi gives a bunch of hints and some rules of thumb to follow when creating an organized office.  She also shows where she got everything.  I could use more color in my office and may pick up a few of Jodi's items when I'm at IKEA next week.

all images:  ourhaus

bright + sunny home

I'm here.  Surprise!  Am on Day Three of a fever that is tagging along with the flu. So far this week between coughs, I caught up on sleep and TV shows (How I Met Your Mother, the Big Bang Theory, New Adventures of Old Christine, Top Chef, Models of the Runway, Biggest Loser and Modern Family).  Queued up for later is the Drew Barrymore film "Grey Gardens".

Meanwhile, I'm catching up on emails and was happily surprised to find this beautiful, airy home of Rene shown by Apartment Therapy L.A. 

Many more photos here. (Out of the 40 photos AT:LA showed, I saved 21 of them in my inspiration folder.)

a pretty, pretty white home

A pretty, simple white home.  The family bought this house that had been empty for 35 years and pretty much started from scratch.  It's so orderly, and pretty.  In the photo above, I love the wood floors and simpleness of the room.

The little girl, Juliette, is beautiful, but what caught my eye after her was the simple lineup of Perrier bottles on one of the bar shelves.  And then I saw the pretty bar stools and decided to a) buy more Perrier to have on hand and b) find some bar stools for my kitchen/dining area. 

Simple, pretty dining area.  I noticed again the Perrier bottles.  Perrier on the mind, I suppose.

Gorgeous white bowls all lined up and a casual way to display family photos.

photos:  AT:SF

organized shoe collection

Ingrid is a Dutch designer who makes items such as the wood + wool stool seen below.  I saw some of her photos in an Apartment Therapy post today about paring down belongings to highlight what's important to you. I'd say Ingrid has pared down her bedroom to show the shoes that mean the most to her.

photos: flickr