National Aviary!

Hope everyone is having a fantabulous weekend! Jesse's mom is here & today we visited the National Aviary. I'm ashamed to say, we forgot the camera, so here are some pics I took from Jesse's cell phone. I whole-heartedly apologize for the quality, but these dudes were just too cool not to share. Have a great Memorial Day!

I'm pretty sure these guys are having a deep conversation on sub-atomic particle physics.

A penguin doing his best to get here... and a bird that appears to be related to the boo.

More cool little dudes...

Ikea Fabrics!

At Ikea a while back I was delighted to find several cute, bold fabrics... on sale! They were perfect for re-upholstering my 3 side chairs (which previously sported a white faux-leather that was pretty beat up).

(this Boo's cage is also sporting this one)

Beach Bunnies

I'm not a huge beach or pool person, and I doubt I'll even be buying a new swim suit this season- but I have always dreamed of sporting a darling vintage style suit! The closest I got was a Ralph Lauren strapless tankini set with chunky black & white diagonal stripes- it was like a vintage Barbie! For those of you who do plan on suiting up this summer though, here are some great picks to make you fit right in with the other beach bunnies...

A little yellow pin-up style? My fav!

That pleated skirt suit is too cute!

Who's ready for some fun in the sun?

For the 60's bombshell in all of us...

I think everyone's loving the nautical vibe these days.

Ruffles are to die for!

Ink + Wit

Check out this darling little store Ink + Wit... I was going to just show you my favorite thing from them, but I had a really hard time picking. First, I was smitten with this Animal Friends Bunting- I mean look at that fox! He has socks on!

I was totally just going to show you that... but then I saw these stamps! And I'm not even a "Paris kinda girl."

All of a sudden, I stumble upon what might just be the cutest thank you cards ever...

And to top it off, more foxy adorableness oozing from this tea towel:

I'm sure you can all see why I couldn't pick just one thing to show you, and I for one, plan on bookmarking this slick little shop!! :)

Strawberries!

So we've got a little strawberry patch in the front yard, and guess what! Fresh strawberries! :D I think I might be trying this recipe for Strawberry Sour Cream Bread... mmm!

Party on the Stairs!

This Christmas, I hung silver tinsel garland along our stairwell- and loved it! Needing something less seasonal, I turned to bunting- and trend I simply adore these days! Jesse thinks it's silly- he says it looks like it belongs at a 5 year old's birthday party. I think it's fabulous... and personally, I don't see the problem with considering every day party worthy!

I made the bunting myself using felt & string- simply cut & hot glued them all together. Nothing fancy; super cheap & super fast. It's the perfect fix for any dull, neglected corners of your home! And really... who doesn't want a little more 'party' in their life? ;)

DIY 'Shroom Shelves

I've been meaning to post about this for... oh... probably over a month now. I was really hesitant to finish the project, but I'm so glad I finally did! They're little DIY shelves made from mushrooms (yeah.. that's right... mushrooms- and tree mushrooms at that). You can find the tutorial here, over on Finder Maker. The shelves in the tutorial are much nicer looking, but I used the 'shrooms I could find, and for me, it was really about the fun of making them more than the final product. I basically followed Finder Maker's tutorial- so I won't bother with the step-by-step (you can check that out here).

They're not exactly going to hold anything heavy, but they're the perfect whimsical display shelves for my studio! I love displaying paintings that I'm selling- that way, I can enjoy them a bit before they get new homes. I painted mine glossy black to help me find a place to use them.

A bonus for this project is not only finding but getting the mushrooms. Friends & I got to watch as Jesse attempted scaling trees in the woods to capture the elusive specimens! You'll also be treated to a whole array of funny looks when you tell people why you want them (and who knows- after seeing the final product, they might still give you same looks!).

You can bet I'll be keeping my eye open for more 'shrooms to use in the future. Next time, I'll try a fun, bright color (instead of safe, simple black) now that I'm satisfied with the general outcome!! :)

PS- You can also see that the Boo got some new fabric for his studio cage as a 'surgery present!'

New Prints!

Latley, I've been listing new paintings & prints daily in the shop. Several popular paintings are now available in affordable prints- be sure to check them out! :)

Deer in the Forest

Check out this darling wall art from Pepper Sprouts. No surprise it's adorable- anything from a store with such a cute name has to be pretty awesome, and Deer in the Forest is no exception. I love that it looks even cooler framed without glass- such a great modern, natural vibe!

"Boo Surgery"

Edit: We just heard from the vet & he's doing great! He's waking up & getting feisty quickly- that's our Booman!

For those who don't know, our little chinchilla Skitchman (aka The Boo) is nine years old. He's an old man alright- but still as feisty and fluffy as he was when I first got him. He's been having some teeth problems lately, so Jesse will take him into the vet this morning to have his teeth sawed down. Yikes!

Hopefully everything will go just fine,

but please keep this little cutie in your thoughts & prayers today!

Goodbye Purple Laminate!

If you don't remember, the current kitchen counters are a mixture of purple laminate and white/grey tile. Changing the counters was a topic of discussion before we ever even moved in. Seeing as how purple is my least favorite color & I'm already sick of cleaning grout lines, we've been looking to replace our counters. Here's the plan...

• First, we're lowering that raised bar to counter level & putting in glacier white Corian.

• A spiffy new stainless undermount sink with tight-radius corners will add a touch of modern.

• The Grohe Ladylux3 Pro Pull-Down faucet is gorgeous and super functional!

• Once that's all done, we'll decide on a backsplash. I'm guessing we'll go with penny rounds in red or blue, and the chartreuse door might get painted... we'll see!

• The Nelson Saucer, cabinets, floors, and appliances all stay just as is.

It's not a huge overhaul, but we think it'll really help add counter space & brighten up the place (it's the darkest room in the house). We'll be doing the demo ourselves & I'm sure I'll be asking for your opinions- so stay tuned for updates as we go!

Wiper Mirror

Isn't this mirror fun? I can just see myself making 'wiper' noises and cleaning it off when I get out of the shower. The Wiper Mirror is sold over the pond at SUCK UK, and it's fitted with a car's wiper blade to help clear off all that pesky fog from your steamy showers!

A little novelty, a little silliness, but pretty slick, if you ask me!

Art Crush: Danny Roberts

I thought I should share a huge art crush & inspiration of mine: Danny Roberts of Igor+André.

He paints dreamy, glamourous, and witty supermodels with such a feeling of 'elegant playfulness.' I have no earthly idea how he accomplishes said 'elegant playfulness,' but he definitely does- and with stunning clarity.

The fashion world seems to have a huge crush on him too, and you can read more about him over on the blog (which you should definitely check out). For now, I'll share some of my favs from his site...

"Ali Michael + Lula = Candy"

"The Profile of Miss Johannesson"

"Lady Lace"

"It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas"

"My Girl Wears Chanel"

The Patio

This weekend, we finished our back patio! Our goal was to make the space more comfortable and welcoming- particularly for entertaining, day or night.

We sold our little balcony-sized dining set and snatched up the Applaro table & 8 chairs from our Ikea. They were a month late coming in stock & within a week they sold out, so I'm thrilled we were able to grab a set! We strung 2 sets of frosted glass globe lights that we snagged at Target for some party flare. And the biggest project- we fit an Ikea Regolit shade with a canopy & down rod (so it wouldn't blow in the wind) & then hardwired it into the wall light. Jesse did an amazing job with hanging & wiring it!

We now have a patio that feels more like a room- with a much more efficient use of space & welcoming atmosphere. We love it- especially with the weather really warming up! If you live near us, be assured- you'll be invited over for a summer cook out! ;)

Vintage Bath Done Right

(via Retro Renovation)

Check out this stunning retro bath in Chile! Now, that is an adorable bathroom. Here's hoping no one ever guts it only to slap in white subway tile & granite! A tad Alice & Wonderland I think too...

My Apron in Everyday with Rachael Ray!!

Check out my Kitchen Clean Up Crew apron design- it's famous (sort of)!

You can find it on p.60 of the June/July grilling issue (in stores now), or over on Envelop where you can get your own!

Here's a close up ...and whoever said dachshunds weren't popular?

The Cone of Shame

Poor little Pickledog got spayed yesterday! She's doing just fine, but until she heals, she'll be sporting the ever humorous 'cone of shame.'

Meanwhile, Pepper thinks she's starved for attention.

Seems the cone gets quite a bit of recognition these days, so I thought I'd share some of what I've seen (and perhaps it'll make Pickle feel a little less humiliated)...

Cone as home decor! (via pinkbabymonkey)

Cone in total adorableness! (via T.S.)

Ok, this guy is too cute not to include... (via djFargo)

Cone of Shame as Fine Art! (via garethmooney)

Apparently all doxies sport the cone well! (via notrod1976)

Liberty of London Organizers

Wandering through the aisles of Target a while back, my eye was caught by these Liberty of London file boxes. They were a perfect fit for the super-shallow shelves of our basement bookcases.

Now, I know not everyone needs shallow file boxes- in fact most probably prefer thick ones -but if space is an issue, these are a lifesaver! Even Jesse was fine with his bookshelf being outfitted with them- much better than the sprawling, messy stacks of paper that were everywhere.

And how about this little fabric covered bin? Snatched it on clearance- $7! Perfect for holding pup toys...

...also perfect for holding the boo! :)

I'm really thrilled with these bins/boxes. Organization is so important, but I've always had a hard time finding functional tools that don't need to be 'hidden' away. It's really refreshing to find things I'm proud to use and have out in the open- and most importantly they didn't cost an arm & a leg!