Serena & Lily

i have swooned over their catalog for years and especially the way they style kids rooms.   i found out they just launched a kids catalog and i'm anxiously awaiting my copy so i can be inspired that much more.  i'm also a sucker for storage and they have some of the most unique & beautiful basket collections i've ever seen all in one place...  

1. mercado baskets in pewter  2. round belly baskets  3. rolling storage crates
4. rope bin collection in white  5. senegalese baskets in pink

and a few of their rooms based on these bedding collections...

the Isabel

the Annabel

the Jasper

the Beckett - i couldn't resist, our good friends just named their baby this

*check out their site and request a catalog to get inspired too

Holy Hobby Lobby

i ran in the other day to pick up an item for my mother-in-law and thought it would be a quick trip, but had a hard time finding what i was looking for so i found myself wandering every aisle.  i hadn't been in one in over a year and i was floored by what i found.  i remembered finding cool things there in the past, but never like this.  every time i turned the corner i was stopped in my tracks by another cool [and high quality] item.  i couldn't buy it all, but here's a couple things i got and the rest of what i saw...

i picked up this enormous basket with leather handles and a couple of these graphic pillows for our bedroom. almost all of these items were already at least half off and if they weren't i could use a coupon
to practically make it so.  the only downside is that there literally seemed to be exactly two of everything.
that's why i was there, in fact, to get more of what she had already bought.  unfortunately, no such luck,
so take my advice if you see something - just buy it, because it probably won't be there when you come back.

Toes on the Table

everyone says you pay now or pay later when it comes to kids, depending on their sex.  i hope i'm paying now with these two, who have been crazier than ever, even the flu last week did not slow them down.  dean's current favorite move is to climb up his high chair and stand on the table.  he has gotten so fast that the other day he literally took it one step further and swung from the chandelier.  i caught him as he was completely mid-air at a diagonal.  it was one of those moments when you're terrified and holding back the laughter at the same time.  it felt like a frat party in here.

all of his shenanigans have made me realize how i love

these following pieces even more now then when we bought them.

seeing first hand what they have been put through

and survived is a testament to their quality.

the stokee tripp trapp high chair was hands down

the best piece of baby furniture we bought when cole was born and

worth every penny.  it can be converted into a standard chair once they

outgrow the high chair.  the only down side is it makes an excellent ladder. 

the cucina pinot grigio dining table we've had for over a year now.  we lucked out when we went to buy it
because they just so happened to be selling the floor model that day for half off.  i practically climbed on top of it,
ironically, while my husband ran to get someone to ring us up.  it has survived forks, playdough and even red wine.
it's made of a durable recycled french flooring called senso, but looks like the real thing.

the orb chandelier from ballard design was obviously the most recent to be tested,
i was floored when the weight of his little baby body didn't pull it from the ceiling.
i removed the crystal because it wasn't me and thought it would be a temptation for tiny hands,
little did i know.  this is all proof that you don't have to sacrifice style once kids come into your life.

although things can get crazy with two little boys two years apart
i think i'm definitely starting to reap some benefits.
they have become best buds and are great at sharing,
even if it means dean is [also on the table] eating from cole's cereal bowl...

Pinned It

here's a few of my favorites from pinterest this week...

finally! a fantastic, easy and aesthetically pleasing solution to my oh-so-drafty fireplace

interior of the week - a perfect example of how a great room is the sum of all it's parts.
there is no piece here that i love individually, but i absolutely love the feel of the room.

hair & hat inspiration

acrylic picture frame from michaels - lined with paper and turned into a tray
and a way to modernize vintage paintings by painting a simple graphic or word over top

i've been wanting to put a small tent in cole's room where we can read at night,
but now i'm wondering if i should go for broke...

...not to mention this tent scene is my favorite part of the movie the holiday
[great design eye candy if you've never scene it]

a use for dean's crib mattress once he learns to climb out, which i'm afraid will be any day now

free art - i have got to try this with cole

i have wanted to play around drawing over some photographs for a while and this might be
the cutest version i've ever seen.  no babies on the horizon, so i guess i'll have to borrow one.

great quote - in fact i might frame it.

Out Hunting

i went antiquing with my friend jenny recently, here's a little of what we found and inspired us... 

jenny with a great ottoman she scored

two of my purchases - a seagrass woven pouch [i added the green tassel to match]
and this very old well loved bunny puppet for the boys

hiking + art project inspiration for our kids and some cool geometric graffiti

i want to be, but have never been a hat person.  i try them on all the time, but never buy them.
so when jenny showed up rocking one and reminding me of the perks, i started to want one again.
then by chance we both stumble onto this and it might be the one i finally commit to.

A Few Happy Things

when the gloomy weather rolls in this time of year, i always feel like i need a little boost in the self esteem department.  here are a few of my current favorite helpers i thought i would share and maybe spread the happy...

colored skinny jeans - fushia and yellow are my current favorites.
the jolt of color literally brightens up my day - i can't stop wearing them.

and i love this white scooter, we used to have a silver stella years ago that we parked
in our entry when we lived downtown.  during the winter months we would strap a wood trunk
on the back and use it as an entry table.  (i wish i had taken a picture)

my mother-in-law gave me this a few months ago and i've been hooked ever since.
it smells wonderful and not only do i think so, but my husband immediately noticed
(and cole too) within minutes of putting it on.  it's so rare to find a scent
that we both agree smells good.  get this and the rest of her line here.

i started this back up again recently (then got the flu) and i'm literally counting the days
 till i'm over it so i can continue.  let me first say that i don't enjoy working out
and my motto is everything in moderation, but when i needed help getting rid of baby weight
the second time around this really worked for me.  not to sound like an infomercial,
but it really changed my body and the way i felt about working out.  i didn't do the diet plan
because i was still nursing so i can't comment on that, but if you're looking to loose weight
and get toned in places you never could then i would highly recommend it.
i will confess i didn't even make it through the whole 90 days and still saw huge results. 
there are four different ones based on your body type... check it out on her official site.

a christmas present to myself, these triple fringe minnetonka moccasins
are super comfortable and obviously much more stylish than my slippers.

Black & White Cabin

i heard recently that black & white is the new "black".  i love contrast and the combo takes on a whole new life when paired with all this wood.  i would gladly spend my winter cooped up in this copenhagen cabin featured in the latest issue of elle decor...

this entry is my favorite part - i love every inch.
(i wish there was a picture of the exterior, which appears to be at least partially black)

and some more black & white inspiration from an older issue...

Sneak Peek

of some new pieces i've been working on and coming soon to my etsy shop...

yellow pom, fringe arrow, wood bead and gold hoop tassel necklaces

The Oxford Trunk

i stumbled onto this great shop several months ago and have been obsessed ever since.  it's a small collection of pieces that rotate often and the best part - everything is under $50!  here's what's on my wishlist and the prices to prove it...

1. bardot necklace $24
2. moonwalker necklace $24
3. ikat ipad case $38
4. steer tote $36
5. aztec shawl cardigan $40

The Selby

a great source of inspiration that features creative and passionate people "in their space" by photographer todd selby.  i used to check it religiously when i had a desk job and recently we've been re-introduced...

coco cantina's restaurant in auckland new zealand

silvia fendi and their atelier in rome

eric werner - chef and restaurant owner of hartwood in tulum, mexico

hidetow irikawa - consultant and business owner in kamakura, japan

dorothee schumacher - designer at her home in mannheim, germany

the hennessy project - cognac, france

nicholas anderson and julie ho of confetti system at their studio in new york
[the creator of my new years "ball" below and these other favorites]

the above features are just a small portion of my favorites, which was hard to narrow down...

view much much more at theselby.com