for the love of [mish-mash]

Just a few things I am loving right now. It's not quite warm yet here, but I have been reading about other cities that are. What did you do to celebrate the long memorial day weekend?

Shop?

So loving the new sweater colours that just arrived in time for spring!

Relax?

Just love the juxtaposition of both these comfy rooms, one dark and cozy and just yearning for rain, the other soft and airy watching the sun rise.

Work on house projects?

We did a bit of all three. Including organizing a bit of the kitchen and starting (another) painting project! I was so happy for the long break! Enjoy the random assortment.

Who needs art

When you have walls like these! Believe it or not, they are actually wallpaper. Custom painted wallpaper. You can actually order it is you dare. But I am seriously lusting after this. I can imagine dining room walls, narrow hallways, or bedrooms covered in this! Do you love it or is it too much? I have always adored custom murals, it gives off the old countryside estate vibe, now doesn't it?

Fireworks!

Check out this amazing pattern! I am in LOVE. It is such a great alternative to the polka dot, still flashing. It comes as both fabric, and wallpaper. I am not sure which I love more! I think I might bite the bullet and order a hard to make a big fluffy pillow cover, in the black and white version. The print is titled Fireworks, by Albert Hadley for Hinson fabrics. Isn't it cute above in the carmel colour with all the pastels, that would be a bright adorable space to relax and draw!

Although these two photos might be twice as dreamy and lusciously girly!! Dots and pink and sketches! Oh my!

And there is my pillow inspiration. Although in my office I envision it sitting atop a super compfy tufted chair! The only thing better would be having the entire chair covered in Hadley's fabric!!! (Just like Kate Spade pictured below — swoon!)

So hot!

How gorgeous is this dip dyed desk!?! I think I might do this to my kitchen table. Would you like to see before and afters? These photos have me wanting to dip dye all my furniture that have wooden legs! That would be quite a bit of painting though....

**Post update: I have finished the first coat of paint and already my kitchen table is looking amazing! Can't wait to share the final results! Stay tuned!**

recent obsession: campaign dresser

I have seen these all over in the designers mags and blogs alike and I have to admit I am a bit obsessed. Take a look, see what you think...

Someday I would like to have a low double set of drawers like these above. The black would be fabulous! It could work as a dresser (of course), art supply or even perfect for a television stand. Just beautiful.

This one would be perfect as a built-in for a closet. A dream closet....Ahhh.

You could even DIY with a simple ikea dresser and the fancy hardware added.

Knobs from here and here.

fantasy dinner party

What if you could invite anyone you wanted, alive or dead, famous, regular, infamous? Who would you invite? I recently saw this questions posted around the web, and I am curious, if we narrowed the list down to 20, could you do it? Who would you invite?

I have been thinking about it all day and ideally think it would be a good idea to add important figures from history, but comedians, artists, scientists, authors, celebrities, architects, even dare I say it, a politician, or two?

Ever since I was a little girl I have always wanted to meet Emily Dickinson, something about her always inspired me. So she would top my list. As would Audrey Hepburn, Martin Luther King Jr, Anne Boleyn... See I've already filled spots and I find most of the characters on my guest list are long gone.

Would you help me fill up my list? Send me a name or two that would be perfect for our fantasy dinner party. Now, where to have this dream party.... and how to decorate...

movies & fonts & images — oh my!

Veer comes up with the coolest things, of course including wrangling up the greatest fonts. But they just came out with the sequel to a great game. Check it out.

CLOCKBUSTERS — The Original

and

CLOCKBUSTERS — The Sequel

How many did you get right? I think the Sequel was much tougher!

a little retro flavor

I've been inspired lately by retro textures and colour palettes. As it so happened I was in the paint store today and they happened to have a new colour deck (Yay!) which I gladly took home. Turns out it is made up of vintage colours that are not included in the more recent decks. Some of them were just terrific, others just awful!

If you are curious, we were in the paint store picking up new colours for the adirondack chairs. I lost interest in our neon bright chairs, and have opted for a more relaxed and deep colour — navy blue! So far it looks fantastic surrounded by our lush green trees & shrubs and is bold enough against our white house! I LOVE it. So, here are a few images not of my house, but from around the web this week that have inspiring colours, textures and that little retro flavor that I just adore. What are you all up to this weekend?

What's your secret?

Secret talent, that is. Something simple and no-nonsense — Like doing the splits, wiggling your ears, doing backflips? We were walking home from work this evening and when I got home and was stretching I tried to see if I could do the splits. I couldn't. Not surprisingly. So I got to thinking I wonder what my friends can do that I never thought to ask. Then I tried to think of a really impressive secret talent that I have! Nothing came to me. But I can twirl my tongue. A small secret talent that as a child I used to tease my dad about, because he couldn't do it. So what is your secret talent? If it's embarrassing share anonymously! Pretty please! I am curious to see if anybody can still do the splits!

ringtastic

As my anniversary is coming up, and my lovely husband has asked me what my ring size is, it has me thinking about darling little and big classic cocktail rings. I have a tendency to fall head over heels for the Kate Spade and JCrew variety. What do you like? Eeek! What if he gets me that wedding band that I have not-so-subtly been hinting about for the past two years?!!! Yay! I love my husband.

**Super Hint: My favourite is still the monogrammed signet ring.**

summer lovin

Now that we had that one day of weather where the temperature peaked past the 50's (rumor has it, it might've even got to the upper 60's???), I've started contemplating summer lists, and looking into getting a new (or even few) summer dresses!!! For me, dresses tend to be the hardest item to shop for. They never seem to fit just how I like, and even though on-line shopping makes it so easy, I do get a bit worries that the dress might look terrible on me. So, here's a few I've found. Have you ladies out there found any favourites this season? Do share!

My favourite option so far, just not sure what colour leggings you could wear with it.

But a scarf and belt are easy additions! Another one from Madewell, of course!

This dress works with just about any addition and the sleeves add warmth, but it might be a tad to simple.

Cute gathered skirt, would work great with a belt or leggings.

A cute striped number from Madewell.

The eyelet skirt is a must-have this season, and looks adorable with a breezey blouse and sandals.

I like this 60s styling.

The striped shirt dress is huge right now. And makes for an easy-going style.

Ideally, I would like something easy to toss on and easily changeable by adding a big leather belt, a sweater, a scarf or even leggings underneath. I don't mind sleeveless, short or long sleeves, as long as I could change it up depending on the weather. If I could just find a nice ikat or floral sheath dress with a bit of sleeves and a dash of black in the pattern that would be perfect!