hidden eiffel

There's something about being able to take old unwanted things and create new art out of them that is deeply satisfying for me. One of the easiest ways I know how to do this is taking an old canvas - usually that I've found at a thrift store or possible garage sale - and repainting it. *When doing this, try to get past the god-awful dated painting on it and look to see if the frame has potential and if the canvas is in good shape and not warped.;)

Below is one of my favorites. I found an old painting of the Eiffel Tower, rotated it and painted, frame included. I love that you can still make out the structure of the tower. I think it adds interest and is kind of a fun story to tell, ya know? :)

NYC Photography - Anthropolgie

I'm not trying to post about Anthropologie all the time, but they've been such a great inspiration when it's come to fashion, decor and design, it's hard not to. Even their videos captivate me. 

This time, Anthropologie was a great source in helping me decorate my home. The last time I was in NYC, I walked down to their flagship store in Rockefeller Center but got there a bit before they opened. I wandered around, taking in the NYC morning and marveling at their always-impressive window displays. (seriously google image search 'NYC Anthropologie' please - impressive stuff).

Below are some of my photos, and at the end, a desaturated version (enlarged to ~22 x 34") that works perfectly with my bedroom decor (dark grey walls, this WestElm duvet cover that I'm completely in love with, fresh white sheets and a mix of antique and contemporary dark stained furniture). Can't wait to get it up on the wall :).

 

 

pens, pencils & paintbrushes

I usually have 1 to 2 to 20 random art ideas brewin' in my head at all times. It's usually just a matter of finding the time to get into my design/sewing/art/storage room and see if what's in my head can translate on canvas or paper.

I'd had this pen/pencil/paintbrush art idea for close to a year. I've always loved collage work, repetition, and series art ... and I'm so inspired by people who take the most random object and create an amazing piece of art work. So anyways -– We've always had a large amount of almost-dried up pens, paintbrushes that are beyond help and pencils that just don't get used so I thought they'd be the perfect subject matter. This messy, drippy, multi-colored art was really fun to create and I'm loving the results. :)

 

wall art inspirations

We moved in months ago, but there are still blank canvases and empty frames on the wall. All ready. in place. waiting for me to make some executive decisions on style, medium, colors, etc. I can't decide if I just have too MANY ideas or if I'm just a TAD indecisive. Probably a little of both. ;) Either way, I decided to hunt down some inspirations. Hopefully it will get me to finally put some paint on the palette.

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rustic industrial in the making

For the past year or two I've been loving all the rustic industrial furniture & decor. I just can't get enough of that chunky reclaimed wood + iron bars combinations. I fell hard for orb chandeliers as well. I did some heavy research and deliberating and finally splurged on a fantastic brass one from Ballard Designs. It now hangs in our entry and is often the first thing people see before they even walk through the door. I really want to carry that theme and feel throughout the rest of our entry area and possibly kitchen and the inspirations are endless. Check it out.

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amazing full room inspirations:

Restoration Hardware

Home Decorators

Jane Kim Design

Industrial Kitchen - Desire to Inspire

Keegan Kitchen/Family Room

easy berry branches

This is our first holiday season in our new home so I've been having a creative blast figuring out how to decorate and make the house festive. :) So many ideas!!! One of my first decor projects is adding a little something to the large vase/terrarium I have in our living room.  I started off with a mini mood board.

1. Old PotteryBarn ideas   2. beautiful photo from ania   3. West Elm Recycled Glass Jugs

Luckily I already had picked up a great vase a couple months ago. I found a terrarium at Antiques Americana, a local antique shop, for only $40. Which was a great deal compared to what I've seen out there for even half the size. I had a really hard time finding branches long enough that weren't crazy pricey for each branch. So instead, I bought small faux berries for $3.00/ea bundle at the always awesome, Target. All that was left was collecting a few branches from our woods. :) Tip: grab clean, dry branches that are plenty long. You can always snap them shorter as you design your arrangement.

Simply add the sticks to your vase, break and arrange to your liking. Then break apart the berry clusters (you will probably need a small wire-cutter). Bend the berries around the upper parts of the branches and throughout. These Target berries worked great because I was able to use the corkscrew part when wrapping them around to the branches. Super easy!

I was actually thinking it might need a little bit more. Possibly some greenery or lighted branches like these. I decided to experiment a little in photoshop and this is how it could POSSIBLY look: 

Lots of options! What I love the most is that I can easily switch out the berries or other greenery to match the seasons or my moods. I like to change things up throughout the year and it's nice to do it on the cheap. My total cost thus far (not counting terrarium/vase I owned before) was only $15. Not too bad.