Happy holidays!

Drumroll please!

After much debate, this is what I think I have settled on for my new apartment. Not too shabby!


possibly my new apartment by ohyouprettythingsblog

redecorate

So it seems that I am moving rather abruptly to a new apartment. The good news is, I may have some extra money for a small bit of redecorating - including adding a dining area, as I have never had space for one before. I've peeked around the internet and have come up with just a couple of things that really kind of float my boat.



wanted by ohyouprettythingsblog

Looking at them together, I'd say they tie in together well enough without looking like a matched set. I need to come up with some sort of sideboard that would not clash in style with any of these pieces...or some other article of accent furniture with doors so that I can put excess clutter inside, out of view. If only I had enough money in the budget to hire a decorator!

fairy tale

I don't think I could fall more in love with this bedroom design by uxus than I already have! From first glance, it struck me as something straight out of a fairy tale.






{images from uxus design, courtesy of design*sponge}

Twiggy

If I had been asked before I started this blog, I would not have thought my tastes ran quite so rustic. That seems to be what I've been drawn to lately, though - as evidenced by how much I love the art of Leif Holland!




{image by thelastminute on Flickr}




{'medusa' by Leif Holland}


Huge thanks to PoppyTalk for pointing it out!

Friday I'm in love...

I absolutely love the vintage feel of the jewelery from Mama's Little Babies on Etsy!












Of course it was the various butterflies and bees that appealed to me! But it's not all wings and flying things over there...




{all images from Mama's Little Babies}

slightly steamy

Lovely Etsy seller discovered this morning thanks to Cafe Cartolina: stiksel.










{all images from stiksel}

Friday I'm in love...

Browsing through the online catalog for Anthropologie yesterday, I came across the "Eat, Drink And Be Merry Chandelier," and it just about knocked my socks off!




{image from Anthropologie}


Absolute love!

Re-vamp

A perfect idea to dress up one of those chunky, cheap white dressers that seem to be so ubiquitous to apartment life:





Summer at Summerized added wrapping paper and ribbon to her dresser to create a completely fresh, modern look.




{images from Summerized}


Taking that project as inspiration and starting point, I might add a framed print like Mirror Birds by paper sparrow at Etsy.





Then, maybe I'd throw in a bedside lamp that complimented the blues in the print - off the top of my head, maybe something like the Sapphire Ceramic Table Lamp at Target. (Although I'm not a huge fan of the stark white shade here, it might wind up complimenting the white of the dresser and the print. Shades are easy to replace, however!)




{image from Target}

sparkle

I have never really been a fan of overly cutesy things, so - by all educated guesses - I would not have been predisposed to like this lighting fixture. I have always been, however, absolutely nuts about bird cages. Maybe that's what drew me to this ceiling lamp... I will say that I think the execution of the design is absolutely superb (cutesy daisy shapes aside). Somehow, it manages to be simple and elegant. (And thanks to the decor8 blog for leading me to it!)




{image from Tonic Home}


The more I look at it, the more I see a project in the making, though. Given the right kind of wire base/birdcage, it could be possible to create a "cage" for your own lighting fixture - using crystal or glass in perhaps less cutesy shapes. (And, you know...maybe for a little less than the wopping $2600 pricetag that comes with this fixture.) I'm not entirely sure how I'd pull it off, but it's definitely within the realm of possibility!

String me along...

I know that many of my friends are knitters. I came across a collection of twine holders today on Jeri's Organizing & Decluttering News today, and had to wonder if some of these options wouldn't also work for knitting yarn. I think it would have to depend heavily upon how thick the yarn was and how easily it actually came out of the dispenser hole. If it did work, though, I thought something like one of these would be a cute idea!




{Acorn Twine Holder @ Williams-Sonoma}



{Jumbo Twine Stand & Jute @ West's of East Dean}



{String Dispenser @ Period Features}



{Victorian String Holder @ Lee Valley & veritas}



{Hanging Twine Holder @ Ancestral Collections}



{Twine and Dispenser @ The New York Botanical Garden Shop}

Cozy corner...

{image from housetohome}

It's that time of year again...

We're having a cold, drizzly day today, and I'd love nothing better than to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea before the fire.

I'm not sure if I'd overload that mantle quite as much as the designers here did! (Although I love the snowflakes dangling off the edge.)

That got me thinking about using pine cones as decoration. Around this time of year, people start doing a lot of truly silly things with pine cones (particularly involving spray paint and fake holly berries). But a lot of nice, tasteful things are done with them, as well. Take for example, this:




{"Nature's Floor - Decorative Sphere" by KG Design at Etsy}


Speaking of days that make me want to just curl up with a book, big thanks to design*sponge for posting about these gorgeous Penguin Classics editions, which look like they're available exclusively through Waterstone's.






{images from design*sponge}

mixed media

Early this morning while browsing poppytalk, I came across the art of Cori Kindred and was really blown away!






{images from corikindred.com}


I love the hollowed-out-book effect produced in the first image by covering the boxes in book pages.

Art & Ghosts: featured artist

It's a rain-filled day around here, and somehow the dreamy fairytale (almost spooky!) artwork from Art & Ghosts at Etsy is the perfect fit.




Party Bear


Untitled, Fables 5x7


Untitled, Fables 5x7


Lessons in Dreamtime


Encounter with an Apple


The Bridge of Sleep

{all images from Art & Ghosts}

mirrors, mirrors

Several years ago, I saw a picture in a Pottery Barn catalog of a wall hung with several antique hand mirrors. I loved the effect of a cluster of mirrors, rather than just one large one. So, when I saw this image taken of a refurbished barn in France yesterday in White & Wander, I fell head-over-heels!




{photograph by Ngoc Minh Ngo, courtesy of taverne}

the uncommon facade: featured artist

Recently, my friend Ioianthe decided to start making masks. Apparently she wasn't kidding around - and it deserves a mention!










I honestly can't believe how gorgeous her work is!

Visit her Etsy shop, The Uncommon Facade, for more. With Halloween coming right up, a visit to her site wouldn't be a bad idea at all!

TGIF...

{image from Home Base Collections}


Looking forward to enjoying some of the last few moments of summer. (Counting down the hours until the weekend starts, in fact! Just a few more to go...)

In the meantime, you can check out Home Base Collections, a New Zealand-based site featuring the truly gorgeous fabrics of Leanne Culy (and some stunning photography!).

chair-ity

Ok. If you can get past the bad play-on-words that is this post's title, you may find yourself as surprised and impressed as I was with this design idea:




{image from Better Homes and Gardens}


When I first saw this picture, it actually took me a couple of seconds to figure out what I was looking at: a chair, turned upside-down and minus its original legs, being used as a bathroom wall shelf and towel rack. What a great idea! I never would have thought to do something like that. I think the idea would be perfect for kitchen or bath.

a-zoom-zip!

Chic-cute: the "sprout-about wheel stick" skateboard from Sprout Studio.





{image from sproutstudio.net}

Bisy Backson

Much like Christopher Robin, I've been very busy! But I think the coast has finally cleared, and I wanted to share one of the many inspirations I've found of late.

Yesterday, while reading the style files, I came across a kitchen to die for.






{images from Livingetc}


Talk about a dream kitchen! It looks like the perfect blend of modern and rustic. (I particularly love the antique boxes which look like they've been repurposed as drawers next to the stove.)

Friday I'm in love...

It's Friday. It's pay day. And it's been a rough week. What's a girl to do but turn to Etsy for a little retail therapy?

I've had my eye on some of these pieces for a while, but have held off for a moment just like this. Today I treated myself to:




{"Bonnie and the Bee" by Kenneth Rougeau at Art Familia}


{"Hive" by Julianna Swaney at Oh My Cavalier!}


{"4/20 Limited Edition Print" by Geninne's Art Store}


Over the years, I've become a bit older and wiser - which is a different way of saying I've learned some self-restraint! And a good thing, too, otherwise I also would have walked away with these gorgeous pieces:




{"Tiny Sparrow" by Little Robot - As an aside? if I ever wanted someone to draw me an avatar, it would have to incorporate elements of butterflies, birds, and the sea. This is just about perfect!}


{"Claire Voyance" by Art & Ghosts}


{"Silently Waiting" by Brooke Kent Fine Art and Illustration}


{"She Will Grow Weary" by Swan Bones Theater}


{"Anne Boleyn paper doll" by Lisa Perrin (LeLapinTriste)}


{"Windy on the Coast" by Jayme McGowan}

Phew! After window shopping like that, I've got to catch my breath!

Oh, yeah... And here's my new boyfriend:




{"Mystical Cowboy - printed art doll" by Little Robot}

(Do they make real guys like that? I bet you have to assemble them yourself...)