Penelope's Bedroom Makeover!

I fell in love with this bedroom makeover when I came across it on {IS*LY} today. The part of this that inspired me was the way they were able to find ways to cut cost by picking up some great deals and doing some DIY along the way. In total this cost $300. Not bad if you ask me!

DIY Bottle Cap Tray

I thought this was a pretty sweet idea from {Apartment Therapy} of something to do with a collection of bottle caps - either paint them or keep the branding from your beverage of choice. This is a perfect project that can start with a cool tray picked up from a swap meet, thrift store or if you have an old one lying around that needs some sprucing up.

PS: I love these colors :)

Book of Cards & Gift Wrap Idea!

Here are a couple cute ideas from {Design Editor}. A cool idea of creating a book of cards received at a birthday or shower that makes for a wonderful keepsake and a great way to wrap the gift that is both stylish and functional.

Pencil Tip Carvings!

This is one of the most incredible art forms I have seen. I received this in one of those awesome e-mail forwards that mothers love sending daily :) After doing some research, I found that the artist's name is Dalton Ghetti. Check out his work {here}. This work is sharp! (pun totally intended) and he does this all without a magnifying glass. Born in Brazil, 49 year old Ghetti says he has been carving since he was a schoolboy - things ranging from stones, large piece of wood, soap, broom hands - until he found this niche.

Shabby Chic Flag Banners!

These whole fabric and paper flag banner things have become such a trend lately - I figured it was time to finally do a post on them. Here are some of my faves. I love this shabby chic style that can be customized for any event :) I am just wondering...is it overdone? Is it a trend that will die out?

Dunk Mug - Genius!

This has got to be one of the most creative and functional designs I have seen in a while! Several people I know would LOVE to have one of these! No more juggling a mug and a plate :) This would make a great gift item.

Pistachio Press

Check out these beautiful letterpress invitations by {Pistachio Press}. Pistachio Press was officially launched during the summer of 2007, and informally since 2003 when Rachel Hetzel, a native of upstate New York, drove to Ohio to buy her first letterpress. Since then, she has accumulated several hundreds pounds of type and three more presses. It is her printmaking background that has helped drive her passion for paper and ink. She now prints fine stationary, social invitations, and limited edition prints. Pistachio Press is an environmentally conscious studio, using rubber-based inks and biodegradable citrus-based solvents for cleaning. She prints on 100% tree-free cotton papers or recycled papers that are 30% post-consumer waste.

~ Heavy Metal Letterpress ~

Last month, {Miguel Castro's} beautiful letterpress baby shower invitation design made it on {Oh So Beautiful Paper}, one of my favorite blogs! I am so proud of all the amazing work he has been producing and even more proud to see him published there! I love the added touch of stitching the two pages together at the top. Check out more of his work at {Heavy Metal Letterpress}and be prepared to be very impressed!

While looking around on {Oh So Beautiful Paper}, I came across this wonderful {letterpress book} that I have ordered and can't wait to look through it!

Los Olivos Wedding

Those who know me well, know that I LOVE the color grey :) Black, white and grey make up much of my wardrobe and as far as home decorating goes, I tend to stick to neutrals for the most part. When I read that this bride's favorite color was grey, it explained why I fell in love with the decor of {this wedding} and the choice of colors used. It was a perfect mix of elegant contemporary and rustic vintage. From the the incredibly unique chandelier, lace table runners and fabric/ribbon covered candle holders to the place setting numbers and menus. My favorite part of all was the fact that the bridesmaid dresses were not only each different, but they were actually all white! It is usually considered a huge fashion faux pas to wear white as a guest to a wedding let alone those standing up with the bride and groom! I thought it was an absolutely beautiful decision and turned out looking amazing with all the different styles and textures of each dress. Thank you {Style Me Pretty} for always featuring such amazing events that are truly masterpieces.

3-Ring Circus Baby Shower

I have definitely seen a lot of beautiful and creative baby shower ideas, but this one is just something else! Such a fun theme, so creative, and well done...down to every small detail! The concept of a {3-Ring Circus} with this adorable couple expecting a baby is too perfect :)

Hidden Compartment in Wall Behind TV

Ok, so...{this} is pretty much GENIUS! Not much more I can say :) There is even additional storage space and access to cables from the other side of the wall, that when closed, is not an obvious closet! Well done.

Laid Back Cottage

One of my favorite sites, {Apartment Therapy} featured a house tour of Michael Jon Watt's Michigan cottage. It is a total of 818 square feet with a full basement. Here is what he has done with it in the two years he has lived there. {Click here} to learn more about resources and details about each room.

Beadboard, Chair Railing, and Moulding

I have always been really drawn to the look of beadboard and chair railing in homes. Lately I have been seeing a lot more homes with moulding added to walls and ceilings, creating beautiful framed sections. Here are some of my favorite styles...

I'm Back!!!

It has been FAR TOO LONG since I have been able to sit down and get to blogging! I have missed it so much! My little brother graduated college, we went on a family vacation, I went to a destination wedding in Cancun, moved to a new apartment, been busy at work...it's been nuts! But I am back now and ready to share a ton :)

Being that I just moved, I have been thinking a lot about decorating and furniture. One of my main challenges over the past few weeks has been figuring out the seating in my living room/dining room area. I only have enough room really for one main couch and a chair, so I have been trying to come up with some other ideas. I seem to be drawn to the idea of cute floor cushions or putting cushions in front of the fireplace. Today I came across these awesome retro {bean bag chairs} on Etsy and had to share! LOVE them!

Thanks for your patience!

Hey all! I am moving to a new apartment this week and was on vacation prior to that. So sorry for the lack of postings. I will be back up and running soon! Thanks :)

Before & After Country Kitchen

Kerri, of {Driftwood Interiors}, had plans of designing a new kitchen like the one in the first two images. One day while her husband was at work, she decided it was time for an update until they were able to actually remodel. Since structurally the kitchen was in good condition, but just looked fresh out of the 80's (when it was built), she decided to take matters into her own DIY hands. Armed with spray gun, she was able to transform her kitchen for less than $500. Found via {Apartment Therapy}

In Kerri's words:
"I love what a difference a simple coat of paint has made to the room – it’s now so light and airy, and it looks much bigger. But my favourite element came about by covering the brick island with beadboard, which totally changed the feel of the room. The dark brick screamed 80’s style, and by replacing it I think I’ve managed to inject some charm and style into a space that was sadly lacking both. The room was functional but very tired, and with just a little paint, some new cabinet hardware, and a bit of elbow grease it now has a fresh, contemporary feel."

Calligraphy Stamps!

Today while I was at the gym, reading through this month's Martha Stewart Weddings magazine (because I'm obsessed with weddings), I came across an article about the wonderful world that is Etsy.com. This month is dedicated to DIY weddings and one of the Etsy items they talked about in the article was {Emilie Friday}. I LOVE, LOVE , LOVE these! Such a beautiful alternative to traditional calligraphy. Here are some stamps from Emilie Friday as well as {Primele}. In addition to the calligraphy stamps, check out some of the other {Etsy.com Shops} featured in the magazine.

Crane & Co. Hand Painted Bordered Cards

I definitely learned something new and surprising today! Nole from {Oh So Beautiful Paper} posted photos from {Crane & Co.}'s booth at this year's {Stationary Show}, where they demonstrated their craft of hand painting every single card from their bordered stationary collection. It was demonstrated by two of their hand-bordering artisans. I had no idea they did that by hand! I didn't think it was possible to love their work any more...but I do now!

Kate & Breigha's Save the Dates

Over the past couple of weeks I have been working with a friend of mine from grade school/high school. who is getting married! I designed, printed, and assembled their Save the Dates. They were so easy to work with and I truly appreciate the opportunity to have been able to do this for them. Here is a bit of the process we went through until selecting the final design they wanted to go with. Aside from the Save the Date cards, I designed and printed custom wrap-around mailing labels. The backings and the envelopes were made made with hydro-electricity with a chlorine free process and 30% post-consumer waste. I look forward to working more with them in the coming months! Congrats you two :)

Homemade Turkey Meatballs

Every once in a while I like to share a bit of the cooking and baking I love to do. This time it was delicious turkey meatballs with an awesome rice that I got from Trader Joe's that is long-grain brown rice, black barley and daikon radish seeds.

EAT DRINK PRETTY Dessert Table

Ok, so clearly I absolutely LOVE dessert tables as you can tell. Here is yet another beautiful spread by {Eat Drink Pretty} found at {Style Me Pretty}. From the plates, cake stands and vases to the the desserts and the use of flowers...it is so elegant. I love the vintage touch :) This table was done in celebration of Eat Drink Pretty's blogiversary!

LOST Poster Giveaway Winners!

So...I wasn't able to pick only 2 of the best comments from the ones posted - luckily I was able to get one more from the artist/designer, {Steven Hasegawa} and have picked 3 winners! Congrats and thank you for your comments!

Please send email me your mailing information ASAP!

Screen Printed LOST Poster GIVEAWAY!

As we all mourn the end of the LOST series on TV, a friend of mine, {Steven Hasegawa} paid tribute to both Andy Warhol and JJ Abrams by designing and screen printing 40 limited edition 2-color posters by hand. They are 12"x18" untrimmed, printed on French Paper Smart White, and hand numbered.

Two posters will be given away to those who leave the best comments. Either comment on the poster / about screen printing or share your favorite memory during our time shared with the survivors of Oceanic 815.

Post your comment by May 30th 2010 at 10:00pm PST.

Looking forward to hearing from you :)

Bridal Shower Dessert Table!

I had the pleasure of designing Bridal Shower invitations, design elements throughout the shower, and of course my favorite part...baking for and putting together the Dessert Table :) This was a great experience, a first for me, doing much more than just cupcakes. It was a lot of work...I think I am still recovering and trying to catch up on rest...but it was well worth it. Congrats Kristina! Can't wait for the wedding!

Another great idea from Martha!

Oh {Martha} :) you've done it again - another wonderful idea! So for those of us looking for ways to get organized (and maybe don't have much space to work with), but still want a great looking room - here is a perfect solution! Office in a chest...now why didn't I think of that? I found this on {Apartment Therapy}.