Pretty in Pink Valentine's inspired decorating

I love Valentine's Day. And not for the reasons you might think. It's not a chance for me to get flowers and candy. I just love the pinks and reds and a chance to go all out girly with a perfectly valid excuse. Here are some beautiful examples of some lovely pink and pastel Valentine's Day decorating.

 dottie angel

I love the simplicity of this one (and it's a DIY to boot!). This spot would be great to change out seasonally. The pretty whites and pastels make this little corner relaxing and not screaming "Valentine's Day!"

1. veronabrit 2. the house of smiths 3. thoughtful designs 4. slumber designs

All you need is a touch of pink, maybe even a little gray. No hearts or tiny naked cupids required.

Bird topped candle holders

I get daily e-mails from One Kings Lane. They carry some great and unique items. I love these candleholders! By the time I opened my e-mail the bird ones were sold out (only $29!). They're from Evergreen.

From One Kings Lane

These would look really great in a rustic style garden. I'd even put them on a console inside.

Grand Lux Cafe in downtown Chicago

To celebrate my birthday, we went downtown Chicago this weekend. Our first stop was the Grand Lux Cafe that apparently everyone knew about except for us. We got the beignets, which were amazing! And the decor in this place is really stunning. They have these really creative light fixtures. I looked like a dorky tourist while taking these shots, but that's alright. We will definitely go back there again. They had great service as well, but when you go there be prepared to wait for a table. And even if there's an empty table (or two!!!) in the really spectacular sunroom they won't let you sit in there because it's reserved for the rich fancy people. They also have more than one location, in different states: Grand Lux Cafe

Modern dream offices

I'm thinking about ideas for making my office nice, cozy, efficient and a place I'd actually enjoy spending some time while I work. Yes, our couch is nice and soft and comes with a loving pup, but the t.v. remote is just too convenient. Starting out, as you have seen in a previous post, our office is monotone and already has some furniture. The desks are staying, the chairs are awful. So, I have to work around those desks. Which...have...no...storage...at...all. That is the challenge. There are a lot of windows too, which is great, but it provides little wall space. I've got to get creative. I need a space that encourages creativity, after all.


I found some great photos for inspiration. My office will never look like these, but I love the ideas they give me and the feeling they evoke.

Photos House to Home

Photo Decor Pad

Just look at all that storage space in those offices. That's envious. And I'm loving yellow with black or gray lately. What I find most interesting in the top and bottom photos is the mix of modern and Victorian. They blend so well together.

Design inspiration: Sea Fans

I recently fell in love with sea fans while perusing the August 2011 issue of Living. There's a great tutorial on working with sea fans. Find it here: Sea Fan How-To. This is a sconce how-to, but really once you get the gist of working with a sea fan, you can apply it to a number of possibilites. 

Since I'm on a design kick and starting with my home office, I found some pictures for inspiration. Will I use sea fans? I'm not sure yet, but I will definitely use them somewhere in my home. 

photo from Elle Decor

photo from House Beautiful

And of course Etsy sellers always have the greatest stuff.

photo from beautifuldetailswed

If you're asking, "What else can I do with sea fans?" Here's some ideas:

• Stand upright and secure on a sturdy base for a sculpture
• Put behind glass for instant framed artwork.
• Use in a sea life/seashell 3D collage.
• Place in a shadow box.
• Place on top of a decorative box and seal.

My Home Office Makeover, Part 1

I turn 30 in 4 days. People were laid off at work today. I wish I could say I'm having a quarter life crisis, but I think I'm too old for that now. But, here's hoping to live until 120. But, if there are STILL no flying cars, then forget it.

My 30th birthday isn't going to be exactly what I had planned. First, it's going to be celebrated 2 weeks late. It's also not going to be celebrated at some exotic beach location with free-flowing coladas.

So, instead I think I'll use this year, not for the selfish splurging I intended, but to better myself. I've already started the exercising more regularly and eating better to make myself un-sick. I'm training for a 5k. I'm twirling around the idea of volunteering in my head. But for this post, organization! I'd prefer to start small and leave saving the world for later. First, tackling my home office. I share a nice and tiny sunroom with my husband. It's not much room, but I hope to make it a place where I no longer have to run away in fear a towering pile of paper crashing to the floor (or stepping on an X-acto knife, yikes...or digging beads out from my dogs mouth).

These are the before pictures. However, they are not truthful before pictures. My living room is now a mess of papers, but the desks are clean! And look, no more beads on the floor! I'll be showing my progress in this room and getting it organized.