The Mod Boho

i was thrilled when the owner of the mod boho contacted me about a trade after featuring her in my this post recently.  i have loved these vintage indigo textiles for a while now and her indie lumbar pillow was perfect for our bedroom where we're keeping things monochromatic and moody...

the extra large indie lumbar pillow

check out her whole line here + follow @themodboho on instagram

Words of the Week...

author unknown via pinterest // click here to follow me

The Little Vikings

i adored these little animal necklaces the first time i saw them, and when i heard the story behind it, i loved them even more.  they're handmade by a mother and son duo to benefit a little boy named trax who has cystic fibrosis.  you can read the full story over on mini style blog and check out the fast moving herd of pray4trax necklaces at the little vikings...

the magnetic closure on these necklaces makes them great

for little ones to wear and cute decor when they're not.

the boys love hanging them everywhere...

 rhino via cardboard safari

this "love you to the moon" was made with wrapping paper

and a silver sharpie, but you can find a similar one here.

follow the families behind the necklace on instagram
mrs paulie + pray4trax 

DIY Wall Hanging

i came across this burlap sack at the flea market and immediately loved it and when i brought it home, the kids loved it even more!  i thought about making into an ottoman and then decided it was cool enough on it's own.  so i wrapped it around a large dowel rod, sewed it, and tied jute string to the top.  voila - easy high impact art!  i hung it in the hall outside the boys bedroom where it greets them every morning...

wanna make your own!?  then check out this one

and bunch of gorgeous vintage ones for sale here.

Pillow Obsession

most people have something that they obsess over, covet or collect.  for some it's jewelry, or shoes, for me it is pillows.  the good thing about my pillow addiction is i can constantly re-invent and rearrange them.  in my opinion, (after paint) they're the next biggest bang for your buck in a room.  here's some on current rotation in my home and a few new favorites from my top three go-to spots...

h&m home / 2 /
this chambray mini cross pillow will be in my cart soon
they are my newest go-to spot, super duper cool + cheap!

nate berkus for target / 3 + 5 + 7 /
purple triangles, indigo, and moroccan shag
he has never designed a pillow i don't love!

etsy / 4 + 6 / and / 8 + 9 /
double arrow and lace & tassel pillow in pink from my shop
and vintage hmong batik pillows from boho pillow
i am absolutely obsessed with these!

and finally why i love instagram!
you discover people that love & obsess over the same things as much as you do.
/ 1 / one of my new favorite shops to follow @themodboho
i get excited every time she posts about new fabric shipments or
a creation for a lucky new owner - check out the mod boho here.

Happy Easter

i love reinventing items i already own to fit a theme.  this time it was heart art from valentines day, tissue paper balls from st. patrick's day, bright green moss, a few things from our bookshelf, and all things bunny...

target style # 148 - spritz diamond rainbow garland

sources: diy heart string art / menagerie by sharon montrose / pierre the bunny
derian green butterfly paperweight / i love my family decal / and white greenhouse

Kings & Queen

these two rule things around here more than we'd like to admit, and i've always loved freddy mercury, so i couldn't resist these tees...  

 gold crown by oeuf // we will rock you tee by crewcuts // pants by h&m
target style #147 - crayon gems by kid made modern 

Words of the Week...

author unknown via pinterest // click here to follow me

Love & Loss

this past weekend was a very tough one as we said goodbye to our dog arthur.  he had degenerative myelopathy and had started loosing control of other functions as well.  he was only eight and the decision had been a long time coming, but that didn't make it any easier.  he was an extra large german shepherd mix who was clueless of his own strength, and lacked confidence after being weaned too early.  he was in many ways an eternal puppy and always a sweetheart...

i knew it was going to be hard on all of us, but i was mostly concerned with how cole would handle it.
at only four years old, he had never experienced death and i knew it would be the gateway
to a lot of questions and some very heartbreaking conversations with him.

i decided to do some research for advice on how to explain things and came across this article that got

my attention when i read "i'm a father first and a veterinarian second."  it really made things clear

and i felt better after reading his advice for him and us as well...

"In a nutshell, the answer is simple. BE HONEST. I am always impressed by how well children understand and respond to these very difficult situations. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for and know more than we think. I have seen parents try to soften the whole experience by altering the truth, but that generally backfires."

"Tell the children the truth and you will all grow from the experience. I am a father first and a veterinarian second, and I have dealt with this in my own family."

"One thing I want you to keep in mind that I find very comforting; if you are putting your beloved pet to sleep for the right reasons, I tell my clients "it is OK to feel sad, but don't feel guilty". These are two very different emotions. You should feel sad. Your children can feel the sadness. But don't mix guilt in with the sadness. One emotion is healthy, the other terribly burdensome."

in the end my husband stayed with arthur, and i will always be grateful to him for it because i'm not sure i could have.  when seth got home we explained that arthur was really sick and he died while he was there.  even though it felt harsh i knew using the term "put to sleep" would confuse him and give him anxiety about going to bed at night.  we didn't try to hide our emotions from each other and i told cole it was okay to cry, to be sad, and to miss him.  he said many sweet and heart breaking things, but i do believe we all grew closer as a family because of it.  at one point he went up to our other dog ike, hugged him and and said "your friend is dead, i'm so sorry".  then announced he was going upstairs to draw a picture for arthur...

 afterward he rolled it up and asked each of us to kiss it so he could put it in the mailbox and send

it to arthur.  it broke my heart, but also made me happy that he was expressing himself and finding

his own way to deal with it.  he has continued to ask questions and i know there will be more,

but for now i think he is at peace with it.  we made a point to spend the rest of the day outside,

playing in the sandbox, having ice cream, and enjoying the gorgeous weather together. 

Daydreaming

timing is everything when it comes to getting good photos of little ones.  hiring a professional is not always an option or convenient, and chances are your kids won't cooperate on the day you do.  so i decided to try using my phone and my timer cam app to see if i could pull off a series of intimate feeling photos of the three of us.  i used a combination of a tripod and holding it my hand and turned the volume off so they wouldn't hear the countdown.  i chose a time when they were tired and very relaxed after a busy couple days and our bed was a natural place.  we spend so much time there now cuddling, watching movies, and if i'm lucky - napping.  i know this won't always be the case so i wanted to capture this period in time.  i grabbed a favorite book and stuffed animal to keep their hands busy and dean grabbed one of my hats at one point too.  i didn't want it to look too posed so i tried to avoid forced smiles and at times my bitchy resting face showed up, but that's just me i guess. haha.  the best part was because there was no one physically taking the pictures they let their guard down and their innocence and vulnerability came across in a way i didn't expect, and they actually fell asleep by the end of it...

one of our favorite black & white books abc dream by kim krans

 and a giraffe one of my friends brought back from tanzania.

Lego my Eggo

a little round up of my favorite easter egg decorating ideas that are cool and clever...

 the gold leaf bunny via sugar and charm

 the kool-aid rainbow via lovely indeed

sharpie decorated via obviously sweet

nail polish marbled eggs! via henry happened

and these little pineapple eggs via studio diy

this is the first year i'm attempting to decorate eggs with
the boys and i'm expecting a huge mess and lots of fun!

Pink & Patterned

i'm a sucker for a cute tote and this one takes the cake...

target style #146 - mossimo geometric print tote

The Boys Bedroom

you may remember this post from a couple months ago on the boys new shared bedroom.  well i'm happy to say it's finally finished!  as much as a room ever is, especially in the home of an interior designer.  there was no particular theme this time around, and the goal was to incorporate their favorite things and use a lot of what i already had in new ways...

the mix:

animals, outer space, dinosaurs and

super heroes with a nautical and vintage vibe.

existing:

map wallpaper, cardboard rhino, set of sharon montrose animal prints,

vintage globe and ship, moon poster, white end table, sheep skin,

bla bla dolls, plush-a-saurs, square wood mirror, faux wood paper, 

brass letter R, octagon towel ring, two poufs, and oversized dino & bear.

new:

star bedding, tiger & dino pillows, black & white basket,

cardboard elephant, train photograph, tiered bookshelf,

gray ombre curtains, batman & superman art,

and gold geometric pendant.

when cole started walking he was nicknamed cole-train because
he ran everywhere.  so this vintage 60's train photograph was perfect
and cole later noticed the 2 and 4 on the engine [their ages currently]
plus his birthday is the 24th of july and he is totally a 24-7 kind of kid.

i wrote the popular saying "love you to the moon... and back"

on top of the glass with a silver sharpie which .

i made faux headboards out of photography background paper

we had left over from this party and i was so happy with the result.

the beds needed some kind of headboard and it also covers some

damaged areas where the boys have messed with the wallpaper.

i'm still just as in love with sharon montrose's work now as i

was planning my first nursery six years ago.

you can see more on eyan the elephant here.

this end table was a hand me down and originally had a

drawer, but dean broke it so we removed the hardware

and found a basket to fit inside.

i scored this bookshelf for free from cole's preschool one day

when they were rearranging classrooms and i was thrilled.

you can find new ones and many other cool things here.

see how i made the gold geometric pendant here.

i hung this towel ring low as a place for the

boys to hang their clothes for the next day.

they are big superhero fans so i was excited to find a

vintage superman photograph and batman logo to frame.

i covered old poufs with ombre rugs we had and never used

and they are the perfect place for the boys to sit and read.

                        sources:
                        pottery barn // map wallpaper, square wood mirror

                        cardboard safari // cardboard rhino and elephant

                        oeuf // knitted crown

                        jcrew // cubebot

                        h&m // star duvet & pillowcase, tiger pillow, stegosaurs pillow

                        land of nod // plush-a-saur rex & brock 

                        the animal printshop by sharon montrose

                        ikea // sheepskin

                        diy // moon art, poufs covered with navy ombre rugs,

                                 gold geometric pendant, vintage batman & superman art

                        bla bla kids // luigi the frog & ulysess the horse

                        crate & barrel // brass letter r

                        urban outfitters // octagon towel ring

                        vintage // boat, globe, train photograph, bear & binoculars 
                        target [style] // #144 - black & white basket
                                               #145 - gray ombre drapes