Pretty, Pretty Purple

That last post got me thinking about how many pretty purple things I've seen lately. Aubergine, eggplant, lavender, amethyst...call it whatever you will. I call it pretty.

Purple Door, via Fubiz

Carmen Plum Pillow

Tied Up In Knots Pullover

Purple, via flickr

Dante, By Report

Antoinette Fainting Sofa

{Don't you just love the name?}

Have a great Monday!

Ink Calendar

This is the coolest calendar ever! Spanish designer Oscar Diaz created this ink calendar. The ink is absorbed by paper which is embossed with numbers. Somehow, the absorption rate of each number is exactly a day...so you can literally watch time pass. And he even uses a different color of ink for each month, that corresponds with our perception of that particular month. Pretty awesome, huh?

Photos via Oscar Diaz.

Friday.

Have a great weekend. And hey, break some rules while you're at it.

photo here.

Loving...

...this 'crazy botanical' print by Trina Turk.

Who else could make me even think about swimwear when I feel like this?

photo here.

A Recent Conversation

This is from a little visit to the doctor earlier this week. I'm still scratching my head over this one.

Doctor: Hi, Ms. Williams. What brings you in today?

Me: Well, I have this hard knot on the inside of my hand. It kind of shifts around and it gets more swollen and painful as the day goes on. I just wanted to make sure I don't have a bone fragment or something floating around in there.

Doctor: What you have is a [insert medical term here] cyst. It's caused by using your hands a lot, blah, blah, blah.

Me: OK. So what can I do about it?

Doctor: Your friends will tell you to hit it with a Bible [Doctor is now slapping his own hand with a pretend Bible to illustrate this technique]. But that doesn't work. So you can put some ice on it when it gets swollen. Oh, and try not to use your hand as much.

Me: So, don't use my hand and don't hit it with a Bible?

Doctor: Yes. And if it gets so big you can't close your hand, then we'll have to remove it.

What!?!

So in summary, I'm just going to hang out here trying not to use my hand. And when I have a growth the size of a tennis ball attached to my palm, perhaps I'll do something about it. But please, don't waste your breath telling me to hit it with a Bible; I'm sure that was the first remedy you thought of. Apparrently it doesn't work. Who knew?

Photo from here.

D + A Online

So maybe I'm just a little slow to the party (that tends to be the case more often than not). But I just discovered that Dash & Albert rugs are available online! My floors are doing a happy dance right this minute.

I've loved the rug I've had for over a year now...but he's lonely. I think he could use a friend; perhaps a stunt double, for laundry day.

In the Corner

I've been searching for some fun, graphic fabrics for a few diy projects I have coming up. I have to admit that Calico Corners reminds me of my sweet 90-year old grandmother. (Who is a fantastic seamstress, by the way). Anyhow, a store that conjures up images of pinafores and jumpers I sported as a youngster isn't exactly the top of my list when searching for fun modern prints. So I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised by my recent visit to the website.

All images from Calico Corners.

P.S. Each fabric swatch is linked directly to its source...so if you decide you must have one of these fabrics NOW, you're just a click away. Have a great day!

Bedroom Inspiration

This is kind of what I'm going for with H's Big-Kid room. I'm trying to incorporate things he loves now, and things that can grow with him.

Photos:

john w golden, land of nod, stiletto girl, fog and thistle,

pb kids, rosenberry rooms, pb kids, pb kids

Big-Kid Room

While Baby Sister is in the process of getting her room all done up, I think it's time for H to get a room makeover as well. While I'm working on my own inspriation board for H's project, take a gander at this amazing toddler room by ella + elliot. Love it.

image from ella + elliot

Lovely Clusters

The beautiful and talented Rachel, who curates the wonderful blogs Design Lovely and Lovely Clusters has just launched her Lovely Clusters Web Gallery. It's brilliant!

Rachel says, "Etsy can seem so overwhelming with its vast amount of shops and it can sometimes feel like a flea market where you are rummaging through to find the special shops that you can relate to." So she's combed through to find her favorites, and put them all in one place. Even better, you can browse through her product categories, or her color clusters to find what fits your mood.

Rachel has this amazing ability where everything she touches becomes more beautiful. I'm so excited to be a part of her project! If you're interested in being a part of Lovely Clusters, contact Rachel for more information. And definitely stop in to see what Rachel has found.

Happy Friday

I think this weekend is perfect for a romp through the Farmer's Market.

I can't get enough of all the fresh fruits and veggies this time of year.

I hope you all have a great weekend, filled with the people you love most.

photo from zoha n

Just Because

I just can't get enough. Here are some favorites from Windsor Smith's portfolio:

Um, it's a good thing we're still renting or I'd run right out and buy some glossy turquoise paint for the kitchen floor.

This may just be the most perfect bathroom I've ever seen.

And a cozy living room, perfect for entertaining guests or curling up with a favorite book.


I love everything about this room.
The fabulous windows. The colors and textures
The way it's all tied together. Sigh.

Have a great Thursday, everyone! I'm off to pick out bedding for the nursery. Decisions, decisions.

Design Crush: Windsor Smith

Last night, I had a rare moment to myself (Thank you, Daddy, for taking H to the A's game). I almost didn't know what to do, so I showed myself some love in the form of McDonald's fries and a little uninterrupted web-surfing. (P.S. normally, fast food = gross), but when the doctor says to gain some weight, I'm more than happy to oblige. Anyway, I stopped by House Beautiful to see what's new and I found this great interview with designer Windsor Smith. When my heart started beating faster, I thought it must be the cholesterol coursing through my veins. But with each photo it became more apparent: It's not a clogged artery at all...I've got a new design crush.

The interview features a slide show of Windsor Smith's home.

Can you say perfection?

The grand entrance.

Love the crisp white, black and grey with a dash of green here and there.

She converted the formal living room into a fun room for her teenage sons.

How cool is that!?!

And that's a guy-friendly room that the entire family would feel comfortable in.

She talks about how she didn't want a formal dining room that they'd use only once a year. So she put a dining room in the kitchen. She also talks about how the conversation at this dining table is much more different than you'd have in a formal dining room. I love how she thinks!

And I love those deep blue walls.

Truthfully, there wasn't a photo in the bunch that I didn't absolutely love. She's got great taste and such a way of balancing comfort, practicality and impeccable design. I'll be back this afternoon with some favorites from her portfolio...because I just can't get enough.

All photos via House Beautiful.

Cleaning Made Simple(r)

I have such a love/hate relationship with cleaning. I love a good, clean home. But I hate doing all the work. Especially when I can't organize my cleaning tasks properly. When was the last time I cleaned out the fridge? That floor sure looks dirty; I swear I just scrubbed it yesterday.

It seems like forever now that I've been trying to come up with a cleaning schedule that works for me. I try one thing, get distracted or annoyed, then give up and move onto something else. Leave it to Martha to do all the thinking for me. I just found all these nifty checklists on her website. She's got it all covered: from daily chores to weekly and even seasonal cleaning. And since I'm such a sucker for a good checklist, this may just work for me. Now if I can just manage to work all that cleaning into my schedule, my uber-clean mother will be oh, so proud.

So tell me, what's your most-dreaded cleaning task?

Mine's the fridge. I dread cleaning the fridge.

On a totally unrelated note: I just want to thank you all for your kindness and your thoughtful comments yesterday. It's not often that I get down like that, but really...how lucky am I? I am so glad I have such wonderful people in my life who can help pick me back up and nudge me in the right direction. Thank you! I'm feeling much more like myself today. :)

photo from Martha Stewart.

Sick, Tired, and Scared

So far this pregnancy, I've kept pretty cool. I haven't been a teary-eyed mess, like I was last time. Until now. The moment my third trimester hit, I fell apart. Now I spend everyday hopping back and forth between being sick, tired, and scared. So please pardon these self-indulgent ramblings. Hopefully once I purge all of this, my blog (and my world) will soon return to the happy, pretty place it usually is. But for now:

I'm sick.

• I'm sick of unsolicited advice. If I want to know what you, personally, would or would not name my baby, I'll ask.
• I'm sick of being the bad guy: setting limits, dishing out punishments, etc.
• I'm sick of being compared (indirectly, or otherwise) to other people. Especially other pregnant women.

I'm tired.

• I'm tired of working my butt off as a mother, but only getting my work noticed when I screw up. "We're out of milk." or "Why don't I have any clean clothes?" etc.
• I'm tired of hearing about my size. "You look too small." or "Wow! You've really popped out in the last couple weeks." Well, which one is it?
• I'm tired of the haters. When you criticize me, or my parenting skills...such as,"You'll never be able to handle two kids," you're just feeding my worst fears (see below). And I don't think anyone needs or deserves that.

I'm scared.

• I'm scared I won't love Baby as much as I love H. {yes, I know this is normal, and somewhat ridiculous...but it's still very real for me at the moment}
• I'm scared H will feel like I don't love him as much once the baby comes. {Also normal, but very real for me}
• I'm scared to have two kids. I'm scared I won't be able to handle it.
• I'm scared of change.

So that's that. I realize that some of these things are just real-life normal motherhood kind of things that will never go away. Like milk and laundry. And others are exaggerrated by my raging hormones. But it always feels good to be completely honest about how I'm feeling and what I think. A girl's got to speak her mind sometimes. And that's just the way it is.

Time

Time is definitely not on my side today.

I'll be back tomorrow, and hopefully caught up with my work!

photo from bogenfreund

Blue Friday

A little Etsy love in Blue for your friday.

Top to bottom, left to right: Lucky Blue Bird, Clemintiny Clothing, miaMallows, Sunshine & Noir, Red Otter, Pretty Haute, Element Clay Studio.

Sunday Brunch Dress

"Take time to slow down and dress up."

I love the motto over at the Sunday Brunch Dress Shop.

Not to mention that their dresses are absolutely splendid.

If I didn't look like a beached whale right now,

here are a few that I'd wear to finish off summer in style:

Mel en Stel convertible sun dress

Lock Bird

Heidi Merrick Traveling Dress

All images via Sunday Brunch.

Greece? Yes, Please

I caught the tail-end of Mama Mia on tv the other night. (Love that movie, btw). It got me thinking about how badly I want to vacation in Greece. So I've spent countless hours since the Mama Mia encounter flipping through photo after gorgeous photo on flickr. I've packed my bags, and I'm setting sail as we speak. Where are you going to go on your mid-week pretend vacation?

via pluzz

via cole.simon

via MOXXO

via dancetrax

All images are linked directly to the original source.

Fun for the Little Ones

I just discovered yuumii. It's a fun place where you're given weekly "adventures" and learning activities. It's geared for kids ages 1-5 and their parents/caregivers. An added bonus: it's the perfect distraction for when the older siblings go back to school. The younger ones can feel cool too, since they have "homework" and special assignments. Plus, you'll enjoy some structured one-on-one time where you don't have to think up the activities. They're handed right to you in a convenient weekly email.

Now we're off to try our first adventure--homemade ice cream! I have a feeling H is gonna like this. :)

Daydreaming

I've been daydreaming all day about Kate Spade's new fall collection:

All photos from Kate Spade.

Individual photos are linked to the original source...click on them to visit the site.

Cinnamon Roll Saturday

My hometown is filled with amazing women. Incredible cooks, crafty geniuses, decorating and organizational wizards. Lucky for me, many of them are friends with my mom...and I benefit by getting their recipes handed down to me. This cinnamon roll recipe has made the rounds in town for quite some time, and I'm not really sure which fabulous woman deserves the credit.

These cinnamon rolls are worth waking up early on a Saturday morning! They're a light, fluffy version. Here's the recipe and a little step-by-step photo guide. (Just remember, these photos aren't pretty; my aesthetic juices aren't flowing in the morning.) But hopefully it will help you get the basics down.

Now for the recipe:

10 tsp. yeast + 1 C warm water (mix and set aside)
4 C scalded milk (warming it for 2 min in microwave works great)
1 C sugar
1 C butter (melted)
4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
12-13 C flour

Mix milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs and add half of the flour. Mix well. Add yeast mixture, and stir well. Add remaining flour to make sticky dough. (I usually add all 13 cups). Let rise until double. (Usually 1.5 - 2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.) Punch down. Divide into thirds. On floured surface, roll out 1/3 of dough into a rectangle, about 3/4" - 1" thick.

Spread with softened butter and a mixture of cinnamon sugar.

Roll up on long side.

Cut 1" thick slices.

Place in large, buttered baking sheets. (barely, or not even touching)

3 across and 4 down is perfect.

Let rise for 20-25 minutes in pan.

Bake at 375 for 15-18 min, until golden brown.

Glaze with a mixture of powdered sugar/milk while warm.

*I don't have the exact measurements for the cinnamon sugar mixture or the

powdered sugar glaze. But I do try to keep the glaze pretty thick because it melts on top of the rolls.

***This is the only photo I got of the finished product. While I stepped away from the kitchen, a small boy assisted by his father couldn't resist helping themselves to a sample.***

Oh, and one more thing: this recipe makes a HUGE batch. 36 cinnamon rolls, to be exact. So I typically make it for holidays or family gatherings. I've never tried scaling back the recipe; but if you want to make it for a normal-sized family, I think a quarter recipe would still give you 9 rolls. Good luck. Let me know what you think if you try it!