February 8th, 2010
Valentine’s Day snuck up on me this year and I can’t believe it’s this weekend! My husband and I typically don’t go overboard for this holiday, we usually do a special dinner with no elaborate gifts (if any), but I do love to see what fun ideas are out there.
{ heart potholders; image from Martha Stewart }
{ homemade soaps; image from Martha Stewart }
{ rose barrettes; images from the Purl Bee }
{ Valentine Goodie Bags; image from Twig and Thistle }
1. Heart Potholders from Martha Stewart.
2. Personalized Heart Soaps from Martha Stewart.
3. Sweet Rose Barrettes from the Purl Bee.
4. Printable Valentine Goodie Bags from Twig and Thistle. Check out this delicious Brownie Bag as well.
Are you working on crafts for Heart Day this year? Send in your creations!
Tags: Valentine's Day
Posted in Inspired Nest | No Comments »
February 5th, 2010
More great stuff from an old issue of Elle Decor! Lynn Butler Beling is a former senior style editor at Martha Stewart Weddings. She is now a freelance editorial consultant and stylist to many popular magazines. Her work is clean, fresh and inviting.
Lynn also has a delightful line of men’s ties. I love the florals! My guy wouldn’t do it, but if we were the preppy beach type, I might have to insist!
You now know, if you didn’t already, that Lynn has terrific style, which always begs the question, “Where do you shop?” While I don’t have the full inside scoop, I do know that we can shop Lynne’s style at The Product Gallery — an online store with products hand-picked by Lynn Butler from around the world.
Lovely, isn’t it?
Tags: Lynn Butler Design, shopping, stylist
Posted in Leave the Nest | 2 Comments »
February 4th, 2010
Rachel, Juliet, and I have tried our hands at many projects over the years using assortments of materials from fabric, paint, paper, hardware–you name it, we’ve probably used it! Well, this week, we’re combining all of those elements to create a window display for a local favorite: Quirk Gallery. Below is what the window currently looks like from the inside.
These are a few teaser snapshots of our work in progress. The reds and pinks might give it away that it’s Valentine themed…but can you guess what the second image is? To check it out in person, visit Quirk Gallery on Broad Street in Richmond, VA starting this afternoon. We’ll post pics of the final window for all of our readers to view, so stay tuned!
Tags: Quirk Gallery, sneak peek, window
Posted in Inspired Nest | No Comments »
February 3rd, 2010
I know I said I don’t like chalk, and the thought of holding it in my hands right now is making me a little bit uncomfortable. But I also know lots of you do love chalk and these are too fun not to share. 
I just came across this set of Classic Chalk Columns in the new Paper Source catalog. I immediately thought of the blackboard wall in Tom’s bedroom in 500 Days of Summer — the part at the end where he sketches the entire LA skyline…
Maybe I’m not a good Google researcher, but I cannot believe that I couldn’t find an image, or better a video, of that entire skyline illustration. If you’ve seen the movie, you know what I’m talking about. And if you haven’t, you probably should. It’s pretty good, despite what Oscar says.
{image: 500 Days of Summer, Fox Searchlight}
I also think this clever set of chalk would be the perfect detail at any one of these weddings, featuring chalkboards. Imagine the fun guests would have drawing on sidewalks and driveways during an outdoor reception!
Tags: 500 Days of Summer, chalk, weddings
Posted in Inspired Nest | 1 Comment »
February 2nd, 2010
{ new product from Dwell Studio from NYIGF Twitter }
The International Gift Fair is currently taking place this week in New York, January 30 – February 4. I’m excited to find out in the coming weeks and months what new product is being debuted at the show. Our new Ink & Paper spring products are being represented through our sales rep in the New York area who has a booth with many stationery vendors…wish we could be there!
The fabric and pillow shown to the left are from one of my all time favs – DwellStudio. They never cease to amaze me with their color choice, pattern, and all around great design sense. I almost registered for baby stuff at Target solely because of their products!
{ new product from Jonathan Adler at the NYIGF courtesy of Margeaux }
Above is product from Jonathan Adler courtesy of the blog Margeaux. I love what I can see of the bright colored pillows and fun new ceramics.
{ images form the NYIGF Flickr site }
And I don’t know who the company shown above left are – any ideas? The pillows are whimsical and funny. I’d love to add one to our living room for a good conversation piece. And who isn’t interested in new Amy Butler textiles? Now we just wait for product to hit the stores and web…
Tags: NYIGF
Posted in Leave the Nest | 3 Comments »
February 1st, 2010
I played a little game of musical artwork this weekend while a foot of snow came down outside. Stuck inside and staring at the same walls as the light changed across them throughout the day, I decided to shake things up a little. By the way, “musical artwork” is not my idea — I read it recently, though I can’ t remember where, and it made so much sense as I was literally shuffling paintings, photographs and mirrors from one empty wall to another. And when I couldn’t find a suitable spot for a piece, I pulled it out of the game!
The success of this game was entirely dependent on these:
No nails, no holes, no patchwork. These removable hooks are the best!
This turned out to be one of my favorite new arrangements:
More to come…
Tags: 3M picture hangers, arranging artwork
Posted in Build the Nest, Feather the Nest | 3 Comments »
January 29th, 2010
I recently visited U-Fab, a relatively new discount fabric store in Richmond. Their goal is to have the lowest prices on fabric in town and I have to admit–they are quite good! It’s a “no frills” kind of shop, but I would definitely recommend checking out.
{ store front image of U-Fab }
I was mostly looking at their upholstery weight fabrics, which is the bulk of what they carry, and easily found many choices for my current project.
Their services include custom upholstery and commercial work, upholstery repair, and custom upholstered beds so visit their web site or stop in the store for details. I don’t think you will be disappointed!
{ images inside the store of fabric bolts and the remnant section }
{ visit www.ufabstore.com }
Tags: U-Fab, upholstery
Posted in Inspired Nest | 2 Comments »
January 28th, 2010
I was browsing the November 2009 issue of Elle Decor at the doctor’s office this morning and noted several things to look up when I got home. This furniture and lighting company from New York, called Hudson Furniture, is one of them.
Aren’t these pieces incredible? The Monastery chandelier on the left, designed by Barlas Baylar, is made of nickel mesh.
About Hudson Furniture’s sourcing practices: “None of the woods [they] use are harvested from old growth forests. [Hudson Furniture] wood slabs are domestically sourced from either salvaged trees or wind/storm damaged trees.”
Gorgeous…
Tags: furniture, Hudson Furniture Inc., lighting
Posted in Inspired Nest | 3 Comments »
January 27th, 2010
…a vintage (inspired) wire laundry cart. I saw one in Ann Arbor several years ago and I am still thinking about it. I have the perfect little corner between two pieces of furniture in the living room. I would use it store blankets and throw pillows.
{images: left, Pottery Barn; right, AustinModern (sold out!)}
Tags: laundry carts, pining for
Posted in Feather the Nest | 8 Comments »
January 26th, 2010
I’ve been thinking about creating a family tree as a piece of artwork to have in our home. Since my husband and I are “branching” out with our own little family this March, I though it would be a fun project to start and fill in over the years. I started browsing online to get some inspiration and found these unique works of art.
{ customizable family tree from cmg designs }
This one shown above is from Etsy seller CMG Designs. You provide all of the information and she creates this piece on an antique map background. I was drawn to this one because of the vintage/historical feel.
{ images from etsy sellers lovliday and erin jane }
The above tree on the left is a unique idea. Etsy seller, Lovliday sells the tree with your names and dates along with 2 ink pads. The idea is that each guest at your wedding creates a “leaf” out of their thumbprint and signs their name.
I like the modern look of the tree on the right. Illustrator Erin Jane takes your family names and configures them into this sweet tree. You can choose different colors and also have the names grouped by family if you choose.
{ image found on Becoming Home blog }
This last tree is a cute idea if you want to incorporate pictures into your family tree. I like that all the photos are black and white and there’s just a hint of color.
Years ago my grandpa traced our family and tucked away in a box I have a spreadsheet of relatives going back about seven or eight generations. Included with that he gave everyone in the family a hand drawn map of all the relatives with their birth dates and dates of when marriages took place. It’s pretty amazing what he put together… I’m going to have to dig it out so I can get working!
Has anyone taken on a project like this before? Any suggestions for getting started?
Tags: family tree
Posted in Inspired Nest | 3 Comments »
