CrEaTiVe WaLlS

I love love love the look of multiple frames creatively and casually hung on a wall to display photo memories, art and treasures, but until now, I've felt dumbfounded and short of frames to do anything like it.  But over the course of many Goodwill visits, and reinventing old frames, I'm getting very close to doing a couple walls in our house.  My birthday present to myself a week ago was a new book, Creative Walls by Geraldine James, that I got at Anthropologie.  It is soooooo fun and inspirational.  The pictures are great and I actually enjoy reading the text, which is rare for me. 

Here is the book!  Love it, totally recommend for any of you design junkies.

The first wall I'm going to do is the empty wall in Lila's room, remember this wall?

My inspiration is page 196, little Evie's room.  I love the mixture of frames, from brightly colored frames to natural wood frames to white shadow box frames, as well as some ornate frames.  I'm almost ready to show you my version in Lila's room! 

The second wall I fell in love with was this wall from page 132.   I've rarely seen anyone use this many small dark frames like this.  It's fun and disorderly orderly...or something like that.  Love.   A couple days after I saw this I eyed this really cute small 4x6 frame at Pottery Barn.  I was told it was the last one and since part of the display couldn't be sold to me.  When she looked at the back she saw it was on clearance for $3.47!  She found a store with 6 of them.  I took them all and they shipped to me for free!!!  Lucky find. 

Here are just a few other pics from the book that inspired me:

Peace,

Jill xo

Hand Blocked Textiles

I've fallen in love with hand blocked textiles, pillows, duvet covers, rugs...  I can never find pillows or bedding that I like, which is probably a good thing lol!  but it's also really annoying.  One day while surfing the net, which can dangerously lead me into some very random places, I found this amazing bedding cover on Design Sponge of Heather Chontos' Montana home.  The bedding cover was one she got at a booth at Central Station in NYC from a vendor who hand blocked it.  Isn't it perfect??  I love the faded colors, and the simplicity of the entire bed.  This bedding cover started my obsession. 

The problem was that I couldn't for the life of me find anything like it in a duvet cover.  West Elm has these great quilts but no duvet covers.

And I love these but again, mostly these are typically quilts but most importantly really expensive.

John Robshaw

Les Indiennes

Etsy pillows from Giardino

This all got me thinking, why don't I just get some stamps and do it myself!  So now I'm on the search for the perfect stamps.  So far loving these from Etsy Shop Charan Creations.   I talked to the owner and she is going to even mock up a sketch for me of the teardrop design on Heather Chontos' bed!! 

And Amazon (Connected Fair Trade)

Peace,
Jill

Mid Century Modern Love

Recently I've been loving vintage Mid Century Modern furniture.  Not sure where it came from or whether or not it will mix well with other furniture.  I'm just going with it!  :-) 

Just scored this awesome dresser on Craigslist for almost nothing....I'm sucking in it's aura to figure out what to do with it, at the moment, I think I will refinish with a nice walnut stain and glossy white lacquered drawer fronts.  Or walnut stain on the body and center drawers and glossy white paint on the outside 6 drawers....

This little guy I got for $15, it's in almost perfect vintage condition so the only thing I may do is add drawer liners. I decided to put it in Evy's nursery, so sweet. 

Maybe one of these papers from Paper Source will work for a mid century modern drawer liner.

Peace,
Jill

Keeping Your Home Stylish with Children, Part II, the Playful Bohemian Living Room

So my poor living room has been a very blank canvas for almost a year now except for the colorful corner of toys piling up.  :-)  First of all it takes a lot of money, so for me Craigslist has become my best friend....but it is very hit or miss so decorating a room, or an entire house can take years.  Sometimes my taste changes before I'm done!!  :-)  But it's fun, and I guess since it's fun, it's okay that it is never 'done.'

So this is my very colorless, sterile room today.  Funny, I think my favorite thing in the room is the beautiful glass hurricane on the wooden chest that I scored at a Flea Market for $20.  I want to add some splashes of color to the couch and walls.

West Elm mirror, and Pottery Barn Vases on mantle.

I do believe it's better to decorate slowly for a couple reasons, firstly, I think it takes time once you move into a place to feel it out, feel out what it wants to become, what you as a person or family unit want it to become.  Secondly, I believe you should love every piece you choose to fill your room, so if that means taking the time to find that perfect piece of furniture or perfect piece of wall art, then take the time.  Or if that means you need time financially to get the things you love and want rather than getting a cheaper room then take the time. 
So over the course of the last few months, that's what I've been doing, visualizing what would be perfect for all of us.  These are my visions:

1. Behind the couch we have this really high wall that seems to be empty, no furniture in front of it and no wall art.  So I think it would be really cool to do a huge Chalkboard Wall.  Since I'm trying to use all eco materials, I will probably go with the very low VOC and very cool paint by Annie Sloan.
A friend turned me on to it, and I'm soo excited to try it out on this wall and some of my furniture makeovers.  What's cool is that any of her paint colors can also be used for a chalkboard wall, so if I wanted a pink chalkboard I could do it, however, I think I'm going to try Graphite.

I am also in love with the Scandinavian Pink, it just might be used on my next furniture makeover....Love Love Love this color!

2. I want to do an eclectic wall above couch - I'm thinking some quirkly pics of downtown Santa Barbara, my Marilyn Monroe print that I got at a Kalamazoo thrift store when I was in college...  somehow, it's managed to stick around so I feel like it's time to hang her again.  And of course, my kids' framed art, and maybe some small mirrors and/or playful art pieces

So here's the wall:

Here are some pics I've shot last few days downtown, maybe one of two of these will work:

Here is Marilyn :-)

5. Color on the couch - I'm loving this fabric on Etsy, I might have to dust the sewing machine off and make a pillow or two with it, maybe add a little pom pom trim.

I'm really into the hand stamping right now, on pillows, quilts, duvets.  I'm loving this Etsy shop Giardino's pillows.  So beautiful.

6. Colorful Throw ????

7. Lovebirds wall art similar to what I saw on Damask & Dentelle Blog, however, I will try to do it myself.  (I will do the art myself). 

What do you think so far??  Always open to any of your ideas!  Stay tuned for my vision for our entryway and kitchen!

Hope you are having a great weekend, gotta go, Dear Genevieve is on! 

Peace,
Jill