I adore windows. They let in the sunshine and cool breezes on warm days. Sometimes they offer beautiful views (unless you’re looking out our bedroom window, which is about three feet from a huge wooden fence – not my idea of a great view). But what I love the most about windows is that you can dress them up head to toe, er, I mean ceiling to floor with amazing window treatments that can really turn a room around.

When we moved into our current place, all of the windows had curtains or window blinds, or both. Most of the curtains blended in well with the rest of the apartment, but two particular pairs were hideous beyond belief (so we replaced them with super inexpensive grey ones from IKEA). But, as I’m falling more and more in love with design and the graphic arts, I am itching to try something new – something bold and colorful, and, just different.

I’d really love to consider some new options – something other than panels on rods. Not sure which would work best for our spaces, but here are three of my favorite ideas…for now.

Roman Shades
I LOVE what you can do with Roman shades. Our bedroom window (the one overlooking that ugly fence) actually has bamboo Roman shades, for when you want to block out the sun (and the rest of the world), but it’s really not our style. I’d love to replace them with something of the fabric variety to help soften up our room!

I love these – so preppy.

Pleated Panels
These might be a good option, but they aren’t that much different than what we already have. I like the gathered/pleated element up top – draws your eyes up and looks more pulled together than rings with clips hanging off of them. I’m loving that bedspread too…plaid is all the rage right now (at least on one of my Pinterest boards ).

Roller Shades
These days roller shades seem more utilitarian than decorative, but I think they can be both. Wouldn’t something like this be wonderful for a craft room/home office? Especially if you like to get creative – I could buy a simple, single color shade and paint it up with fabric paint!

Now I just need to decide which treatment will work with each window!

I’m loving all of the adorable fox things popping up these days. They are such sweet [looking] creatures – it’s no wonder they are gracing sweaters, socks, pillows, and other such lovely things! I’ve compiled a few foxy goodies to share with you – check ‘em out!

1. Woodland Fox PDF Pattern by Gingermelon Dolls. Crafty or not, you must check out Shelly’s blog, Gingermelon Dolls – it’s full of impossibly cute things! I die.

2. Felt Fox Pillow Cover & Insert by Maureen Cracknell Handmade. Read more about Maureen’s creations on her blog (quilty and fabric-loving friends, you will not be disappointed)!

3. iPhone case featuring artwork from Carrie Booth. Watercolors are my favorite – wouldn’t this be lovely to see every day? Eeerm…I mean like every five seconds?

4. Cloth fox mask from Fox Shop. Read {Lucille}’s tres chic blog here (to find more of her lovely, foxy work)!

5. Origami foxes created by and featured on Bloomize. I think we all need on of these on our desks, keeping us company all day. Precious!

6. Fox print leggings by Yana Gorbulsky (via her shop, Supayana)

Are you loving the fox trend? Hating it? Are they OK to wear…or are they too reminiscent of THESE?!

Even though it’s blistering hot back home and far too hot for southern California (shorts – I’m not a fan), I am obsessing over a fall and winter favorite – cowls!

They are such a fun (and practical) accessory. Well, for cold weather, anyway. Perfect for skinnies, boots, and a fitted long-sleeve T.

Clockwise from top left: Cowl in Oatmeal by Vital Temptation | Wasabi Cowl via Knit The Hell Out | Whit’s Knits Striped Cotton Cowl on Pearl Bee | Accidental Cowl via Crochet in Color

Aren’t they just lovely? You can buy the first and find patterns for the rest by following their respective links. Enjoy, all you yarn people (I am envious of your talents)! And for those of you who are, like me, not yarn people, bribe your yarn friends to make one for you (ahem, Shelly, Amber, I’m looking at you).

What fall or winter accessory are you most looking forward to sporting during the upcoming season? My favorites, as usual, are boots closely followed by scarves and a mug o’ spiced cider. Cheers!

Long story short, herringbone is the new chevron. It’s only natural – herringbone is like chevron’s older, more sophisticated sister. I can’t give up on chevron completely though, but there is something about that structured, preppy pattern of herringbone that I adore.

Check it out.

Perfection, no?

Any guesses as to what the new herringbone will be?

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Most of the time, I enjoy it.

After a recent move and going from a nice, spacious kitchen to one about half the size, I realized how many kitchen gadgets I have (and just how spoiled I had gotten with our last two kitchens). We have a spare room off the kitchen that I’ve turned into a craft room (weeee!!) that has a closet, where a good 1/4th of my old kitchen currently resides.

There are a few things I discovered I just can’t live without/ Please, let me profess my love for a few of my favorite, most useful kitchen bits!

1. Mrs. Meyer’s Liquid Hand Soap in Basil – The first time I smelled this heavenly scent, it was at a friend’s place. It was love at first sniff. I would never have guessed basil would make such a superb soap scent but IT DOES. Mrs. Meyer’s makes a plethora of wonderful products, all earth-friendly and cruelty-free. Plus, their products “do not contain ammonia, chlorine, glycol solvents, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, artificial colorants, phosphates or petroleum distillates.” YES!

2. Pampered Chef’s Food Chopper – Any time I need to chop, dice, or mince, I use this little beauty. So basically, I use it just about every time I make something. It. Is. Amazing. I know there are other products out there that do the same thing. This is the only one I’ve used so it’s the only one I can speak for. And it is in one word, fabulous. It will chop big or little (or tiny) pieces. It’s easy to take apart to clean and put back together (or you can throw it in the dishwasher, which in and of itself makes it great in my book).

3. Dish Brushes – I really dislike doing dishes. Unfortunately they are a constant in my life (much like laundry). I have grown to adore these types of brushes (thanks for turning me on to them, Diane!). They making getting tough gunk off of dishes of any size relatively easy which is fabulous for manicured nails! And for the record, I value good looking nails over clean dishes any day.

4. Silicone Basting Brush – Ok, so I don’t use this one weekly, but I do use it a ton. For holiday hams, biscuits and rolls, egg glazes, etc. My favorite thing to use them for? THESE Cheddar Bay Biscuits. It does its job wonderfully and it goes in the dishwasher when you’re finished which, as we know, means it’s awesome.

5. Hold-All Tupperware Container – I don’t have all of these pieces. I have one in fact (the largest one), and it is the best piece of kitchen storage I have (thanks Aunt Jan!). It holds everything from cupcakes and cookies to bread bowls to leftovers of all kinds. Whenever I make treats to take somewhere, they travel in this. It stores well when it’s not in use (which is rarely). It’s lightweight and cleans up easily. Someday when I have more space, I might just have to invest in a few more. Tupperware brand or not, having an “everything” piece is such a lifesaver!

6. Nylon Pan Scrapers – Another PC favorite. I have a few pieces of stoneware that came with these and I use them for stoneware (of course), pots and pans, and anything with food really stuck on it. They don’t scratch the surface of your cookware, are easy to hold and scrape with, and can go in the dishwasher. They are pretty inexpensive to boot.

7. Deep Cover Baker – THIS beautiful piece of [Pampered Chef] stoneware is like a crockpot but even more awesome if you can believe it (think fresh chicken fajitas in twenty minutes). It goes in the microwave and the oven, and keeps food warm for HOURS. Well, I’ve never actually timed it, but I know even after an hour of sitting out, the dish and the food in it are still hot (I’ve learned this from many holiday gatherings and husbands coming home from soccer games later than expected). It is simply FABULOUS, just like all of the other PC stoneware pieces. Totally worth the investment in my book!

What are your favorite, just-can’t-live-without use-all-the-time kitchen pieces? Do tell!

You know that time you went to Target and left with fifty million things you didn’t go to get? Oh, you mean that’s every time you go? Yeah, me too.

I was there this week to pick up a few household items and, because I can’t not walk by paper products once I see them, I stumbled across these two couldn’t-pass-up notebooks!

I am forever taking notes and writing things down. I usually prefer paper and pen to anything digital (can you believe it?!) so I stock up on purse-sized notebooks whenever I see cute ones – you can never have too many notebooks, right? The little spiral-bound notebook on the left is from Russell + Hazel and has a fabulous pocket in front for all of those tiny little things you collect throughout the week. Here is a similar notebook if you’re looking for such an item.

The set of three notebooks are from Green Inspired. I got mine in the store of course, but if you’re looking online, here is a similar set from the same company. Just lovely!

And the pens you see? Well, those are just my most favorite pens! Good ole’ Paper-Mate from Write Bros. The cheap ones. They are the best!

Are you a paper/notebook addict like me? Where do you find your favorite paper and office supplies?

I saw this via Pinterest a while ago and finally sat down to do it!

I have two of THE most adorable nephews on the planet. Nay, in the solar system. Noah, who just turned the big T.W.O., occasionally indulges in an episode of Dinosaur Train, so I thought he might get a kick out of a dinosaur hoodie. I didn’t want to leave Jonah (his baby brother) out, I made him one as well. It’s even smaller and dare I say, even more adorable!

Here they are! Noah’s is the blue one, and Jonah’s is the grey.

The pictures don’t give their tiny cuteness justice!

If you have a dinosaur lover in your life who might like something like this, check out this great tutorial on how to make one!

Oh, and must tell you – Noah roars like a dinosaur and it is quite possibly the most darling roar you’ll ever hear.

Every once in a while, and I do mean once in a while (NOT), I procrastinate. In school, I’d clean and organize things to put off doing homework. Now, I mess around on my computer to put off cleaning and organizing. My most recent project stems from my calendar/planner A.D.D., in which I tire of my calendar or planner before the year is actually over and dream of a new one. It’s a bare bones weekly blog calendar in Word document form that you can add graphics and your blog name or logo to. It has a space for each day of the week and checkboxes for social media tidbits (if you share links in those places). Here is one that I added some cute, tiny vintage bikes to along with “Live Originally” at the top. Nothing too fancy.

To download, edit, and print the .docx file, click here. Edit the “Blog Name or Logo” by clicking the text. The textbox will be highlighted so you can either edit its contents or delete it all together. To insert a logo that you’ve already made, click Insert > Picture > From File. Make sure you set the layout position for a new image to “in front of text” so it doesn’t push the image that makes up the rest of the document out of alignment. If nothing changes once you upload your logo, everything is good! (Note: If you ever use Word, I’m sure you know how to do all of this! I wanted to include instructions just in case someone not too familiar with the program stumbled across this and wanted to use it). If you have any desire for the Photoshop file, email me and I’ll send it your way.

But, that’s not all, folks! I also whipped up some monthly calendars for the rest of the year. They are already fleshed out (though there is still not much to them, as you can see in “December” below). Download and print the PDFs by clicking these: AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER | NOVEMBER | DECEMBER

Please let me know if any of these files don’t download properly or if you have any issues accessing them. AND, there are TONS of blog planners out there that are far better looking and much more planned out than the above. Just search for them on Pinterest if you want more (and better) options!

Happy Blogging!

Actually, that’s a lie. It doesn’t rain much here in sunny SoCal. But when it does rain, I do love it! In the nearly two years we’ve lived here, I’ve only heard thunder and seen lightening a single time. I don’t miss most midwest weather, but I do miss the occasional thunder storm. Is there quite anything like falling asleep in your cozy bed, wrapped in blankets, to the sound of rain falling on your windows? I think not!

I have been thinking about rain (and clouds) lately because I have been seeing them pop up all over the place! I’ve spotted the motif on everything from graphics to jewelry to my favorite, mobiles (though it was almost a four-way tie between the mobiles, cookies, marshmallows, and straw decorations)! I adore them in any shape and size and in any color too, though I’m particularly fond of the white clouds and colorful raindrops.

Here is a little roundup of cloud + raindrop spottings!

1. Rain Cloud Mobile by The Butter Flying. | 2. Cloud Mobile by Gosh & Golly | 3. Silver Cloud Necklace from AdeloCreations. | 4. Dark Cloud Hoop Art by Pilli Pilli. | 5. Cloud art on Pour Mes Jolis Momes. | 6. Cloud cookies by Emilie Guelpa via Decor8. | 7. Pink Rain All Around the World by Atelier Pompadour Note: It was a one of a kind piece that has already been sold, but it might just be worth a custom order request! | 8. Cloud and raindrop art via I Like Nice Things. | 9. Dew Drop in Indigo by Tula Pink via Lily Bella Fabrics. | 10. Raindrop family. Can’t find the original source – any ideas? | 11. Marshmallow clouds from Herriott Grace featured on Little. Lovely. Note: I don’t see them on the site any more, but rumor has it that you can find these at World Market. | 12. Straw decorations for a whimsical baby shower from Lisa Storms.

Aren’t they just lovely? Though rain and clouds often have negative connotations (i.e. “Don’t rain on my parade!”), these just make me happy.

Where else have you seen clouds and (or) raindrops popping up?

Oh, wedding season. How I love thee!

With my Pinterest obsession and general interest in pretty and fabulous things, I am always looking at wedding pictures – dresses, couples, flowers, tablescapes (my favorite), decorations, random details, etc., etc. – and I love them. And I will always, ALWAYS love wedding and event inspiration boards (you know, those things that people made before Pinterest?!). And hey, even though they feature wedding-y images, the same colors and elements can be carried over into any event (this one specifically would work wonderfully for a bridal shower, baby girl shower, afternoon tea, or a birthday party for one classy lady)!

You know that Instagram-y look you see on so many pictures these days? I love it! Had I any photography experience, I might actually be able to tell you what it is and how to achieve the same look in your own photos even without Instagram. But I don’t, so I can’t. But hey, you know what I’m talking about – that’s what matters. The images look soft and dreamy, two things that carry over quite nicely when creating the overall ambiance of an event. Want to recreate this look? Here are some tips.

Colors – Dusty pastels! Pinks and peaches specifically, with touches of creams, dusty purples and browns. They are so lovely, creating some depth when put next to each other while keeping everything soft and easy on the eyes. Accent with gold – flecks, streaks, and sparkles!

Textures – Keeping with the super soft “feel” of the event, go with large, lush flowers like peonies, hydrangea, carnations, sweet pea stems, dahlias, and ranunculus. Throw in layers or ruffles on things like your cake and fabric used on tables and chairs. Add some visual and textural excitement by incorporating natural wood – work it into your centerpieces, pick a venue with wood elements (like a barn), or DIY wooden signs to direct guests to the proper locations. Fabrics like linen, muslin, and burlap can also add soft, natural texture. Just make sure your napkins aren’t burlap – I don’t think faces would take too kindly to that.

Paper – Who doesn’t like this part of party throwing?! Mix curvy typefaces with more simple, sans serif options. Print (or have them printed) on recycled paper where you can still see bits of fiber. Or, get all fancy and have them printed on thin slices of wood (like the beautiful suite pictured above)!

Clothes – Keep everyone in lightweight, airy fabrics – toile, chiffon, crepe charmeuse – and layer them for an ethereal look. Mix faint patterns if they are tinted (lightened) similarly, especially for the gentlemen of the group. Accent with hammered gold jewelry and cognac-colored leather accessories (the fabric + the metal + the leather works in the colors and textures we’ve been talking about).

Lighting – If your event is in the middle of the day, embrace the natural sunlight! If you’re planning an evening soiree, use as much indirect and candle light as you can (without burning anything down) – the glow will only add to the ambiance!

What else would you add to the list to create this lovely look? Location options? Menu choices? It’s just so fun to think about, isn’t it?