Horse Art

It's the Kentucky Derby this weekend! Let's celebrate with some horsey art. I saw this huge, amazing horse painting in the lobby of Hotel 1000, where my hubby and I stayed last weekend for our 5th anniversary.  I really love it. I stared at it for awhile. It's so big, it really consumes you.

White stallion anyone? I think "white" and "wild" when I see this portrait. So rad.

A little more abstract here.

And an amazing blown up print; love that brilliant sky, too!

If you didn't get a chance to don a large hat for the Royal Wedding, go ahead and do it while watching the races! You have my permission. Have a good one.


*Martha

Bathroom Decor

My current bathroom decor is sad ... it's definitely the room I've most neglected. While looking for inspiration, I came across several photos from Lonny that have a theme: picture groupings, many of them black and white. It hadn't occurred to me to do a picture grouping in a bathroom, that's more of a thing in living rooms, right?

Nope! I think the bathroom is a great place to have fun with your decor, make it less serious than other rooms perhaps.

It can still feel posh, too.

And I always love a good striped bathroom. Just bookmarking this one for someday when I can paint!

*Martha

Modern Minimalism in Utah

Speaking of doing unexpected things in unexpected places (as I talked about in my Monday post), I have loved this other Utah house for quite some time. It speaks to my modern minimalist soul in every way. It's also super duper green. Read more about it here (it uses almost zero energy during the day!)

What do you think? Too bare bones for you? Does it the rectangle shape bring your soul discomfort? Too many windows without drapes?

*Martha

Hot Air Balloon Canvas

I'm almost finished with my boy/girl nursery, and this hot air balloon canvas is one of the final projects. It's been hanging over my head for a long time because I knew what I wanted but couldn't find a way to execute it. I have been searching for some old book with big pictures or drawings of hot air balloons to cut out, but that never panned out. Then I saw a post by Stephmodo; she had done a hot air balloon party for her daughter and used this wrapping paper from Clover, a kids' store near my house. Isn't it adorable? Vintage looking and everything. 

I thought it'd be perfect until I started cutting each balloon out and putting them all over my 24 x 30 inch canvas I had already spray painted blue. The scale wasn't working; the balloons were just too tiny. So, I started doing my own thing. 

I cut templates for three different sized balloons and baskets and used them to cut simple balloons out of my own paper.

I added some frills. Hopefully they are still boyish-enough frills. Are they? I kept having to remind myself that this is for a BOY and not a girl. I don't know - maybe when I meet him, I'll realize the error of my frills and tear it down and try again. But for now, I actually really like it. I incorporated the tiny, vintage balloons from the wrapping paper and the canvas looked like this:

I stared at it for days because something about it was BUGGING me. I tore off the tiny balloons because I feel like they were trying too hard to fit in, plus it felt a little too busy with them there. 

And now it looks like this:

I like it sooooo much better. I realize it's very kitschy, especially those hilarious clouds. But I like it; kitschy works for me, and it'll go better with the hot air balloon mobile, too.

What do you think? Were the tiny, vintage balloons working? Or was I right to rip them off? 

And what about you - have you attempted your own artwork for your children's rooms? Is it something you're proud of and love to see every time you hang out in the nursery? That is my one criteria for things in the nursery: do I love seeing it every time I go in? Or does it just BUG? I will hang this thing up and know soon enough if it bugs ... and if it does, I'll tear it down and start over on something else.

*Martha

Old Mercantile Turned House

The other day I was in Anthropologie and picked up Anthology magazine, which I had heard about but never seen. It's a cross between a book and magazine, very sturdy. It was full of loveliness. Most fascinating was an article about a couple who turned an old mercantile into a house. It's in a small town in Southern Utah (my home state). Here's what it looked like before:

And I couldn't get many pictures of after, but here are a couple from the magazine:

Ahhh, it's so cool. You should pick up Anthology just to see it. I love when people do unexpected things in unexpected places.


*Martha

Space Oddity

 

I was strolling through downtown Ballard over the weekend and happened upon this little underground vintage furniture shop, Space Oddity. Upon entering and glancing around my eyes bugged out of my head. Gems galore! Then they bugged out even more when I noticed the prices! Vintage furniture and tchotchkes are fun to browse, but even more fun to browse when you can actually imagine yourself affording them! The prices were very reasonable ... which makes this a very dangerous find indeed. 

I wish I had had my camera, I could have given you a good idea of how chock full it was of goodies, but instead I swiped some photos from their blog and Facebook page of stuff I liked.

Behold: The donut phone. Homer Simpson would own this.

Just another of several cool vintage rotary phones. I wanted one for my daughter's room so she could grow up knowing what phones used to look like.

I fell in love with these sweet little sad kids. Reminded me of my grandpa's house for some reason.

One view of the inside of the store.

I don't know what it is, but I am drawn to card catalogs and old mail slot thingies lately. I think I just like imagining what in the sam hill I would put in all those little drawers if I had one in my house. If I became a bead or button collector, I'd put the card catalog drawers to use. And if I decided to alphabetize my recipes from A to Z, I could use a mail slot thingy. Weird thoughts.

I'm on the hunt for an interesting TV credenza, and this is a good one, I'd say. It wouldn't fit in our house currently, but I'd love something like it in the future.

This little ottoman stole my heart in every way. Great storage! Extra seating! Sturdy!

And what the what? I'd like to see how somebody puts these three theater seats to use. Because it could be awesome.

*Martha

Over Easter Eggs? Marbled Paper Art

I was intrigued by the marbled paper art I saw on Little Green Notebook the other day in this post and found a link in the comments section from one of her readers about how to do marbled paper yourself. If you have dyed all the eggs you can stand, this would be such a fun, pastel-y thing to do with little kids over the weekend. Check out the tutorial here at Child in Harmony. It involves shaving cream! (Some of my fondest memories of childhood involve finger painting on the table in shaving cream.) If you try it and end up putting it up in your home, send us pictures! 

Images from KFD Designs

*Martha

Easter Eye Candy

What are you up to this weekend? I am both happy and sad to be all alone this weekend! My husband is taking my daughter (her last time to fly free) with him this weekend to see his family while I stay home and pregnant. I will hardly know what to do with myself ... but I guess somehow I will manage :)

I hope you will be getting into your Easter bonnets and going on a hunt for pastel eggs. Here are a few things I rounded up that remind me of spring and Easter.

1. Paint Palette Lumbar Pillow – $35
2. Picnic Basket – $45

3. Yellow Clock – $80

4. Floral Curtain – $38

5. Potted Wheatgrass – $42

6. Patchwork Chair – $249

7. Mini Bowls – $3.50 ea

8. Mini Pink Diana Camera – $120

9. Yellow Nightstand – $149

10. Marbled Paper Art – $4.50

11. Lavender Rose Pillow – $27

*Martha

Cupcake Interiors

I take the task of eating for two seriously and I'm making sure my little fetus has plenty of chocolate and baked goods to sustain him. I only wish that at this moment I had something - anything - more in my house beyond the three peanut M&Ms I just finished off. Help! Which brings me to fantasizing about cupcakes. So why not a post that takes me there? 

Thank you Sprinkles for starting the haute cupcake trend. I so love their branding; minimalist modern at its best. Their cupcakes would probably go near the top of my list of things I'd need to eat asap if only given 24 hours to live. Red velvet and dark chocolate on repeat, please.

Trophy Cupcakes goes 50s frilly with their store design. I thoroughly enjoyed the eye candy in this shop while enjoying my Tiger Tail cupcake.

I haven't been to Georgetown Cupcake, but it looks like they've got a good thing going on. I'll call their interior design style girly sophisticat. The ladies who run it look especially cute in their pink aprons and wellies.

YUM. That didn't really help at all. But, there's always this emergency chocolate cake... (you are welcome for that link).

*Martha