All A(chalk)board

Given that my summer list didn’t get too far, I’m going to stop short of making a fall list because, in all honesty, my brain is still functioning in can’t-think-past-tomorrow-mode. And I know that once fall comes so do holidays, and in reality life doesn’t slow down but rather does the complete opposite. That being said, I’m still operating under the false pretense that after this weekend, which marks the end of wedding year season for us, life is going to slow down a bit. I’ll finally have time to catch up on laundry (ha!), paint the trim around our front door before the HOA decides to kick us out of the neighborhood, and do some fun DIY home and holiday projects (pinterest is life, the rest is just details) such as…dundadaDUNNNN (that’s my version of trumpets)…paint a chalkboard wall!

I kind of think chalkboard walls are the coolest and I’ve determined that our humble kitchen would be exponentially more fabulous with one. So mark my words – if I get nothing else accomplished by the end of 2011, our kitchen WILL get a chalkboard wall. Now about getting Joey on board with the idea…

Sea Glass Wreath

Sea Glass Wreath from Land's End

As my mom and I were perusing HomeGoods yesterday she mentioned she was looking for an everyday wreath for over her fireplace and I was reminded of a super cute idea I saw in Land’s End Home magazine. It was a wreath made of sea glass which is PERFECT for my mom’s house because A) she lives on the water and B) she started collecting sea glass last year. That specific wreath, however, at $99 seemed a bit pricey. So of course we’re all, “O, we could totally make it ourselves. I bet we could google ‘How to make a sea glass wreath’ and find instructions.”

Which is exactly what I did and came across this cute blog called Simple Daisy, where one super crafty lady shows you how to make a homemade sea glass wreath. Check it out here: simpledaisy {pretty.simple.fresh}: {seaglass wreath}… you just have to scroll past the haircut and the jewelry, but I was particularly taken by step 2 in the instructions that advise you to grab a glass of wine ;).

Her homemade wreath looks like this:

I love the nautical rope detail of this one, but prefer the size of the Land’s End one. But hey, it’s whatever floats your boat! Your turn Mom!

Pick The Pic

I’d really like to create a photo gallery type display somewhere in our house. I’m not sure where exactly, but as I was formulating this latest idea in my head, I started having a little too much fun in iPhoto with some pics of a trip I took to England a few years back. I’d love to print an 8×10 to put in a matted frame, but I can’t decide which one. That’s where you come in! Which one is your favorite?

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While I originally thought I liked the Stonehenge Road sign, the more I look at them the more I like Big Ben. But I like Westminster Abbey too. It will be the sight of April’s Royal Wedding after all 😉

Easy As Pie

You know those people who change their linens, kitchenware, pillows, bathroom decor, etc to coordinate with the seasons? Yeah, I am not one of those people.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the change of the seasons, and I did ring in Fall by changing my table centerpiece from lemons to pinecones, but I don’t quite have the budget (or desire) to have coordinating plates for all seasons. So an easier and more cost effective way is simply changing the ‘scent’ of your home with some candles. I picked up these two yankee candles from Homegoods for less than 10 bucks each. Nothing says Fall like the smells of pumpkin spice and apples.

Bye bye “making waves” and “lime after lime” candles, I’ll see you next summer!

Think Big

Once upon a time, I lived in a little studio apartment in the city. I loved that apartment – the location, the size, the fact that it was all mine. It was also my first venture into decorating. In a little over 4oo square feet, I had my ‘bedroom’, an ‘office’, living room, dining room, kitchen, closet and bathroom. The picture above is a birds eye view of sorts (please ignore the messy shelfs, and the brown ottoman on the wall has a twin that usually lived in front of the couch).

The point of this trip down memory lane is not to remind myself that I haven’t used that WiiFit in over a year, but rather to reflect on the art of big style in small spaces. Now, I’m in no way saying my little studio had big style, but it was a cute space and I was proud of it.

I live in a townhouse now that has more space than two people actually NEED, but the common living space is a small combo living room/dining room/kitchen. I sometimes sit on the couch and think about the potential it has to be a small space with big style – but right now I feel it’s lacking (apologies for no pictures of the room at the moment).

Let me give a shout out to someone who has mastered the art of big style in a small space – the one and only Pam101. Her condo is amazing. Every corner is filled with an interesting piece that has a story behind it. Everywhere you look there’s something that catches your eye, and if you look twice your bound to notice something new. My house has design envy.

I searched for a little inspiration to help me think about what I can do to make my room come alive and found this great article from HGTV: Maximizing Small Spaces. And maybe when Pam101 comes to town in a couple weeks she can give me even more ideas 😉