December 22, 2011
November 03, 2011
nordic style via a french blog
hello from a crazy, crazy week. lots to do and then got a notice that the apartment managers are conducting a first-ever apartment inspection today. found out two days ago. thus two evenings were spent doing tasks I'd put off...such as tidying up the walk-in closet, clearing the kitchen's counters of the little things that find their way there (however do they do that?!), and giving the carpets a much-needed steam clean. luckily there were little touches to be added - pretty little things found at ikea this weekend. (yes, I went there again before attending a seminar given by teresa tapp of t-tapp - my most favorite workouts ever.)
the cleaning is done - watched some television and did some reading - including a favorite blog. had to show you the photos from new-to-me blogs like konfetti and weekday carnival.
hope you are having a great week!
all images via la maison d'anna g
March 04, 2011
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!
January 12, 2011
home of jenny francis
Wow.
A beautiful home by architect/graphic designer Jenny Francis.
I cannot even pick a favorite room - they're all too pretty.
Details on the rooms' contents can be found here.
photos by Kristin Sjaarda via the marion house book
November 02, 2010
teacup via royal mail
image: sunnygirlsf
My friend Sharona now lives in London...and probably will forever! (note to self: plan trip to London to accept Sharona's invitation. ask sharona if we can pop over to Paris as well.) I was minding my own business yesterday when the mail arrived with something from The Queen! Or not. It was a package from Sharona which held the teacup and saucer you see above. She'd snapped a photo of it at a market and we both "ooh"-ed and "aah"-ed over it...but she sneakily told me that the prices were outrageous. Thought that was the end of that.
Sharona's note accompanying the gift said that she inflated the prices just to throw me off - as she was intending on surprising me. What a sweet friend!
If you have any London secrets to tell her about (cute little shops, flea markets, hidden gems), you can find Sharona on her blog, Today I Wrote Nothing.
October 11, 2010
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.
October 07, 2010
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
September 28, 2010
September 23, 2010
teachers' lounge made over
Pretty pictures, lovely accessories, gorgeous room. Would you ever guess that this is a teachers' lounge that once looked like the photos below? Crazy the difference. It's the work of Brian Patrick Flynn - a talented designer and quite the witty writer. You can find the makeover on his blog and there's a NY Times article as well. It made the press because it was all done for free or minimal costs - with most products and labor being donated. Impressive!
THE TEACHERS' LOUNGE BEFORE:
now scroll up so you can "ooh" and "ahh" over the difference in the rooms.
The makeover was documented on Decor Demon and was "produced, designed, written, directed and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio"
EDITED: Hello! Brian Patrick Flynn just wrote that he has been hired to bring the Decor Demon vibe, style, content and brand to the table. As in the HGTV Design Happens blog. Here's what he'll be up to:
September 20, 2010
the art and home of william dohman
I was drawn to this home of William because he has "bon jour" artwork on the wall, but the more I looked around his home photos, the more I found to like. He has a flickr account and an etsy page. Here's a bit more about him.
"I am a designer from St. Paul, MN. I fell in love with photography while traveling around the world, studying architecture. India, Japan, and the Netherlands were so unlike my West St. Paul roots, I had to document everything I saw, from kite strings to street life, broken playgrounds to the Taj Mahal."
click each image for its source.
September 09, 2010
Eva Pannecoucke Studio
August 27, 2010
colorful DIY wedding
Wow.
This wedding of Angie and Tyson's is so colorful, DIY and downright charming. I love that the wedding dress was only five dollars. Love the colors of the chairs. I even like the bridesmaid dresses! Check out all the photos and the description of the wedding here. I'm not married..but will keep this on file forever - or until I do marry! :)
Wow.
July 29, 2010
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.
July 16, 2010
July 13, 2010
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.
July 07, 2010
green + blue kitchen
Some favorite kitchen photos.
Happy it's midweek. Going with friends tonight to see Toy Story 3.
Did you see "Last Comic Standing" this week? My favorite was Tommy Johnagin who talked about making people/building sheds.
images above via here via bolig magasinet
June 29, 2010
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
June 23, 2010
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!
giovanna
I know this isn't decor but WOW - this is elegance at its best. I've a feeling if I said something to her, Giovanna would just shrug it off with a little smile.
image of Giovanna via The Sartorialist
June 21, 2010
pink wallpaper
Suddenly, I have this urge to wallpaper a wall in pink! and accessorize with yellow.....hmm..wonder why?!
June 16, 2010
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.
June 02, 2010
not just any white, bright office...
This is so not just your vanilla, white-bright-office. Victoria adds these personal touches that are just right not to mention that she owns some things I would give my right arm for: wire baskets, amazing artwork, colorful pillows, inspiration on a wire.... it goes on and on. Brilliant!
images: sfgirlbybay via Herman Miller - Lifework
May 07, 2010
Blue + Green + Yellow = Cheery Home!
Jennifer and her husband's home (shown in this Apartment Therapy House Tour) have taken four years to make their home personalized and homey. I love their color choices which are consistent throughout the home, and that Jennifer mixes a bargain store throw pillow with a higher end unique one.
April 09, 2010
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
March 19, 2010
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)
March 10, 2010
cheerful bedding + linens!
Am down for the count. Sinus infection that is lingering on. Was going to find a cute, comfy photo of a bed to portray "sick....will be back soon". Then I saw the photo above of an apple duvet cover, and I perked right up. Etsy products tend to have that effect!
The duvet cover and shams sold out in 2007 (oops! I'm a bit late to the game) but the seller, Pata Pri, has a plethora of adorable linens and other items that are all designed and hand silkscreened by Pata Pri. She describes her work as "modern, fun, happy textile & paper goods".
Pardon me while I do some shopping.
An apron that comes with a cotton bag. Cute!
Thought I was done but nope. Found her blog! She's from Chicago but staying with her grandmother in Japan and just whipped up some drawstring bags from some towels. Nice talent!
EDITED: I kept calling her Pata Pri..which is her store's name, but the designer is Yuko Uemura. Beautiful work, Yuko!
March 09, 2010
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
March 04, 2010
nicoletter: red/pink kitchen accessories
Finding photos like the one above makes me smile. And my heart turns over at the beauty of the photo. You know then that I have to share it with you!
The colors in the kitchen are bright and cheerful and just right. The simplicity of the room shows how relaxed and confident Nicoletter is. I love the utensil holder, the curtains and the lamp. (ahem. "Way to go," you are probably thinking, "You just told us what items in the first photo have color.")
So I'll stop talking, and let you explore Nicoletter's blog or flickr pages to see more of her home!
images: nicoletter
February 18, 2010
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
February 14, 2010
hearts
Artwork - hearts - by the daughter of Amy (sweet sweet life). I adore it - perfect for Valentines Day! Happy Valentines Day, by the way. Hope your day was sweet! I spent the afternoon with one of my favorite girls from the youth group, Molly, and she helped me pick out a new phone. Then had to dash off to meet a friend, Kirsten, for some fresh Asian food. It is now time for some Olympics and a manicure!
images: sweet sweet life
February 08, 2010
sparkle + glitter from lavender & limes
Christine of Lavender & Limes spent a day in NYC and posted these gorgeous photos! (Many more photos on her blog.) I love the sparkling of the silver, the glittering of the chandelier, and the bright colors of the quilts!
February 06, 2010
a tape collection
What cave have I been living in? I didn't know that tape could be so very pretty! Loving this collection owned by Varpunen.
January 29, 2010
Jorey of Hable Construction
Found this 2009 sneak peak by Design*Sponge of the home of Jorey of Hable Construction. Those containers shown above are delightful! The sneak peak has a ton more photos for your perusal!
January 20, 2010
lisa really does live there!
Fine Little Day had a four-part series on where Lisa lives.....lots of fun details, pretty colors, and it's definitely well-personalized!
There are, of course, many more photos at Fine Little Day!
January 13, 2010
House for Sale
House for Sale, originally uploaded by The 10 cent designer.
Hello, Beautiful Home!
I wish I could buy you. I love the kitchen, the accessories your owners selected, the light streaming in the rooms, the adorable front door and stoop.
Signed,
A Renter Who Wishes She Lived in the House for Sale
To see larger versions of the photos, click the photo to go to the flickr page, then select "all sizes" and view the original size.
January 09, 2010
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!
January 06, 2010
a heart on an orange wall
The husband/wife photography duo behind The Image Is Found is hilarious, creative and quite talented. While I wholly admire their work, I adore their home. It's light, airy, colorful and so very personalized. Adoring the orange walls. (The description of the heart-process is here.)
January 04, 2010
inspirational spaces
Elisabeth of Inspirational Spaces has graciously allowed me to post photos she's taken and displays on her blog. I adore the pins on the bedding, the pretty reading corner (note to self: imitate this reading corner), and the overall look of the homes.
December 31, 2009
home + vintage
Home + Vintage is a new-to-me blog that has quickly become a favorite.
Happy New Year to you! Hope you have a celebratory evening and a restful weekend! I'm playing it low-key as I am still getting rid of a cough I picked up over Christmas. A couple friends are coming over to play games and watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia with me.
December 23, 2009
brady bunch wall
What a great idea! And check out the couch and pillows below the portrait (if you can tear your eyes away from the brady bunch wall!) Jennie (of Focus Jennie) got the couch for fifty dollars on Craigslist (and fixed it up to her liking).
December 18, 2009
December 16, 2009
studio space: Studio Olivine & Quince Flowers and Events
Photographer Leah Verwey has a website called Spaced which highlights creative spaces in the Portland, Oregon area. I'm smitten with her photos of Studio Olivine & Quince Flowers and Events (they share the space). I could barely narrow it down to a handful of photos to share with you.
images: spaced
December 14, 2009
lucinda's photos
This photo by photographer Lucinda Symons caught my eye in a post on Ill Seen, Ill Said. Had to look Lucinda up and found numerous photos on her website as well as books she's photographed for that my library amazingly has on hand.
December 01, 2009
beautiful indeed!
Today I'm gazing at this beautiful photo of yarn which is in the home of elsie of a beautiful mess.
alec vanderboom took the photos. more can be found here.
November 25, 2009
beautiful glimpses of France
Paris is beautiful through Charlotte's eyes. I mean, yes, Paris is gorgeous anyway but these photos..... just wow.
November 13, 2009
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.
November 12, 2009
baskets + jars
images: sarahdippity
I used to announce, "Containers are my friends!", I suppose to show that I really loved containers. I no longer make statements like that, but secretly still adore containers: jars, baskets, boxes and tins. The images above are from the flickr set of sarahdippity. Her photo sets are worth exploring!
Sherrie also has some great inspiration. She's the amazing soap maker from Canada who shares my love of all things Orla Kiely. I checked out her flickr photos this morning. *sigh* gorgeous, of course. Take a look.
images: birchbarksoap/sherrie
The following were found on flickr. Anyone else thankful for the treasure that is flickr?!
image: junkculture
image: heidill
image: CarolinaCottage
Now I want to drop everything and make a trip to an antique mall and IKEA - to stock up on the prettiest of jars and baskets!
November 04, 2009
this must be my favorite house tour EVER {doredoris}
I am in love. Can you SEE the family above? Carolina (of the blog DoreDoris) has on my all-time favorite wardrobe mix of black and white with a SHOT of color (those tights!!!), the pink + green combo! his red converse! And that's just the family. Wait until you SEE their home!!! I want a pantry as organized and colorful as theirs; I want the airy, spacious feel to my own house that they have. I want...I want....
Oh go on already..take a look. Why are you reading my words?!
Become a Fan
Categories
- beauty
- bedrooms
- books
- childrens room + play area
- christmas
- closet
- colors
- corners of my home
- Denmark
- Dutch
- family/friends
- food
- french
- friday faves
- home / decor
- house tour
- IKEA
- industrial chic
- interview
- kitchen
- kitchen - dining
- living room
- made me laugh
- magazines
- mail + packages
- matchbox ministries
- may I please live here?
- new-to-me blogs
- Norwegian
- office
- organized!
- pretty!
- swap
- swedish
- This Funny Life
- wardrobe
- white
