Design Inspiration | Bean's Room

My mom will often call and say, "I found the cutest thing for Bean's room!" and then I roll my eyes, sigh and ask her to describe it. Though it changes from time to time, it usually goes like this:

"It has three monkeys and they are standing on their heads in hot air balloons, holing bananas and there is a clown!"

"No thanks."

Now I am usually grateful for the things my mom purchases for my kids, just not when it comes to room decor. But she always calls me and asks if I want the hideous thing she found and I always say no. For a minute I didn't think she understood, until Saturday when she said:

"I found something for Bean...But I'm not getting it because apparently everything I buy looks too kiddish." Yes! She got it.

I realize that I have children, but does that mean I have to decorate their rooms in clowns, monkeys, and an array of other things that make me feel like I stumbled into the Clearance isle of Babies R Us?

Instead, our little Ms. B is going to get a room like so:

Source: sugaranddots.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: decorpad.com via Meg on Pinterest

This is the color scheme I've decided on for her room. I love the wall color. But most of all I love the way it all comes together. My favorite part? The rug. The rug is to die for. The best part? It's still in stock.

Source: jaimelyn11.blogspot.com via Meg on Pinterest

Small touches like these will make her room so special.

Source: americancrafts.typepad.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: shauna-thereedlife.blogspot.com via Meg on Pinterest

What girl's room could be complete without bunting? Soon Bean will be in a bed and this will be perfect.

Source: kommunicated.com via Meg on Pinterest

I don't like the mirror behind Bean's dresser so I've decided to replace it with an oversized canvas. I'm going to paint it and actually use this Dr. Suess slogan using the technique below

Source: viewalongtheway.com via Meg on Pinterest

I can't wait to put her room together. Every little girl deserves a dream room.

-M

Design Inspiration | Boy Nursery

Creating a nursery unique to Reid is so important to us now that we will have a space to do so. But there are so many possibilities and it all seems endless. Leaving me sometimes frazzled. My biggest problem is changing direction too much. It's hard for me to stick to a vision and for smaller things that may be fine but when it comes to design, something that can be time consuming and expensive, having a clear vision is key.

The most important thing I did when creating my vision for Reid's room was to think about how I want to feel when I'm in there. Granted, it is his room, he is a baby and won't notice any time soon. But that doesn't mean he isn't developing his own personality.

Our little baby is very calm and cool. He can sit and stare, not making a noise, and when he finds something he likes he will smile really wide and let out a deep laugh. That's what I want his room to be like: calming, cool, with interesting touches.

I've decided on a color scheme:

 

Source: thenateshow.com via Meg on Pinterest

For the wall color I decided to go gray with a blue undertone. Gray is a neutral color that many people don't think about but it's perfect. Cool and crisp but for some reason it still makes me feel cozy.

Source: inspiremyhousepretty.blogspot.com via Meg on Pinterest

In Reid's room I want to use white, misty blues, yellows, and deep browns as accent colors. To me that screams boy.

The animal I decided to use for his room is a whale:

Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com via Charlotte on Pinterest

Source: 2modern.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Unique touches will make his room extra special.

Source: pennycarnival.typepad.com via Meg on Pinterest

Something to keep his books in. These are DIY fabric book holders.

Source: ohdeedoh.com via Meg on Pinterest

I figure he'll need something to keep all his treasures in.

It seems like a lot to undertake but I know that if I take my time and stay the path and stay selective about what will complete my vision, it will all be worth it.

-M

Pinterest Sundays: Family Poses

Pinterest is great for photography ideas. They have so many wonderful ideas that it makes me sad because I missed out on some possible opportunities when the babes were young, envious because I wish my skills were there already, and hopeful for some possible ideas for this coming fall.

Here are a few of my favorite:

Source: spearmintbaby.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: infinitebeginningx.tumblr.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: eyesmiles.typepad.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: apostrophe9.tumblr.com via Meg on Pinterest

{I’ll have to lose some weight before this one is possible}

As always, you can follow me on Pinterest using the button on the side. Have a great Sunday!

-M

Pinterest Sundays: Recipes to try

Pinterest is really great for new recipe finds. I'm always looking for new things to cook, perfect, and give to family and friends and here are a few that I'm excited to try:

 

 

  

If you have any recipe links post in the comments or leave you Pinterest name and I'll follow some of your boards.

-M

Pinterest Sundays: Real Life

So using Pinterest is well and fine but seriously, what good is collecting ideas if you aren't going to use them?

 Here are two inspirations that I pinned and applied:

Mine:

I decided that our disorganized book shelf needed a little something, so when I saw this I thought it was perfect. I wish we had more books (TP is going to kick my shin when he reads this because I made him get rid of so many when we moved from college to the West and even more when we moved back to NY..sorry hun!). But as we become more stable in our lives and living arrangements I know we'll get back up to where we where and I will continue with this idea because it really does add a little artistic flair to our living room. 

Mine:

I tried taking my own...

Then I had TP do it..then he said "You have a stain".. ah yes..yogurt from Bean's breakfast.

I was making jersey scarves before they got popular on the internet. It's kind of like, when you read a fashion magazine and you already have something that they are featuring (that's happened to me too) and then you kick yourself because you want to scream from the mountain top that you were doing it first but people will only roll their eyes at you. Anyway, I have a few scarves made from jersey t-shirts I had long ago but I thought this idea was great. All of mine are fascined in the back using a jersey loop but with this, I didn't even have to connect the two ends.

So, if you're using Pinterest, what inspirations have you actually used in your life? Also, don't forget to follow me on Pinterest, there's a red button on the side bar down towards the bottom.

-M

Pinterest Sundays: Kid Fashion

Why oh why oh why can't we kick the person out of the corner office who dreams up children's clothes with Mickey Mouse, Tweety, and the rest of the tacky brigade and promote the person who dreams up whimsical, classic, and chic children's clothes?

Don't get me wrong, when Bean goes to the park I throw her in close she can get dirty (I still don't buy the tacky crap, but the things I do put her in can be found at Target or Old Navy) and she runs around most Saturdays and Sundays if we don't have places to go in a dingy t-shirt and no pants. I believe in children getting dirty and having the appropriate clothes for that. But I also believe in clothes like this:

Pinterest Sundays: Fashion Inspirations

The more I work on my weight loss plan the more I think about what kind of clothes I will be able to wear in that transition. I've never been one to really buy a lot of clothes. Usually my money would go towards food and other things (like my outward appearance) suffered quiet a bit. But now I'm on a new path and found some very do-able outfit inspirations on Pinterest.

I love the simplicity of this. I especially love that they are pieces I can buy most anywhere (keeping in mind that I don't want to invest a lot in clothing that wont fit after a while). I have sandals very similar to the pictured pair, jeans are easy as well as a white tank top, and I can buy a variation of that blue sweater anywhere. No need to by the belt (since you wont be able to see it) or the ear rings since I already have them. I think I can purchase a pair of khaki pants so that I can wear this same outfit to work.

Love this too. It's so simple (like the one above) but what I love the most is that I can buy two pair of blue jeans (or khakis or slacks) and a couple white tank tops and with the purchase of a sweater similar to this, have two outfits. These shoes seem super comfortable and I love boat shoes. I already have a black purse (though not as cute, but it's still black) but I really need to up my accessories. 

Doesn't this outfit just scream "Take your kids to the local You-Pick farm and enjoy the somewhat cool (but still warm enough for sandals) weather!?" Again, love that I can capitalize on the purchase of a few pair of jeans and match that two a simple white shirt that can be purchased anywhere (though I will have to purchase a few of them because white shirts never stay white, haha) and I don't have to buy any scarves unless I really want to (I have a healthy collection). 

See a pattern with the jeans, boat shoes, scarves, and simple tops? I'm all about buying a few pieces that can translate into different outfit choices and obviously spending as little as possible.  I'm starting to wear watches now but I only have a silver one..a brown watch would be really nice and how could I not have pearls in my ear ring collection (which is a sin, to me). 

Usually I wear a lot of color (which I love) so I'm not necessarily committed to the muted tones I posted (though I would be willing to try them out) but more of the idea of a few pieces= a lot of outfit choices. 

How awesome is it that I have basically created a shopping list for myself (with pictures included) by just a few clicks.

I heart you Pinterest.

-M

Pintrest Sundays: Inspiration

I absolutely love the whicker chair in the left of this picture.

It's always nice to see different takes on headboards. Who says you have to have the boring traditional type?

When I see nurseries like this, I wonder why in the world people continue to buy the crap they do. Winnie The Poo and Mickey Mouse and all that other crap is so 90's. 

-M

Pinterest Sundays: Home Organization

I need a stiff kick in the butt because my home looks like an explosion happened in every room despite my wonderful husband's attempts to keep it contained. I know that my home won't look like it does in magazines (I don't know how my mom ever accomplished that, but she did) but I want it to be neat and comfortable and warm. Right now it is cold, disorganized, and looks like two people who are about to move out in a month (only we have 6 more months!)

I'm so torn between putting money into it and decorating when we're leaving in a short while (yes, I think 6 months is short). What do you all think? Perhaps I can decorate it with things I know I can use in the next apartment, things like this:

Source: ohdeedoh.com via Meg on Pinterest

How amazing is this!? In July I will have two babies in diapers and although the diapers are significantly different looking, they sit right now in a canvas box on top of their dressor. That on top of the other changing supplies makes it crowded. But if I could some how figure out how to do this and where to store it, I'd be in.

 

I love this. I like how it's a little corner dedicated to organizing family time, probably To-Do lists, grocery lists, maybe signed permission slips or mail to be sent out, and the shoe storage under the bench is amazing! I actually have something like that bench just outside of our kitchen that leads to the main entrance/exit in our apartment. I could do this with boxes for shoes because right now our kitchen floor is a wreck from tracking dirt in and out.

Source: home-stagingatlanta.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Meg on Pinterest

These hanging files are great as well. We could use these in our office because mail is all over the place. We have something like this but I don't really like it and I kind of forget about it. I guess this is all about making sure things like this are utilized.

-M

Pinterest

Pinterest is a new craze that I found on the internet through a few bloggers and some friends. It really is this amazingly creative way to keep track of things that inspire you.

The only thing that bothers me is that you have to be "invited" to join the website. I don't really know what this means but I clicked a button to be sent an invitation and was sent a reply quickly after. The Pinterest team thanked me for my interest and told me I was on a "waiting list" and I would know as soon as possible if I was accepted to join the community. I shrugged it off and then checked my email finally before I went to bed and saw that I had been "selected."

This made me extremely happy, like I was selected to sit at the cool kids table. Then I thought, that's exactly what this company wants me to feel like. To my knowledge there is no special criteria to join the group (after-all, any nobody like myself can request an invitation) but they hold off your acceptance making you anxiously wait. This is extremely stuck up in my opinion but a brilliant marketing ploy.

So after a few minutes of looking around, I created an inspirational board for home decor ideas. Here's what I'm loving right now:

Source: designspirationsk.com via Meg on Pinterest

TP and I are so spoiled now that we have our own office and I don't ever see us going back to not having one. I love the simplicity of this office and how it's all white. I'm really loving white right now.

Source: seenandsaid.tumblr.com via Meg on Pinterest

What isn't there to love about this? I love keeping our bed linen light and airy but unfortunately our light and airy Ikea duvet didn't mix well with our 16 month old. Talk about stains. I think when I replace it (soon, hopefully) I'll go with something darker and when our kids are old enough to know that Mommy and Daddy's room is off limits, switch to something like this.

Source: flickr.com via Meg on Pinterest

Loving this, but again there is so much white! Gah, maybe people who don't have kids with homes that look like this were on to something. All I can see with this picture is little smudges of jelly finger prints.

-M