Hot Air Balloons

A few years back, I travelled to New Mexico for a vacation with friends to visit Santa Fe and to go to the Albuquerque International Balloon Festival.

Have you heard of it? Hundreds of balloons take off early in the morning (what they call the Mass Ascension) and fill the sky with colorful goodness.

It was certainly something to see. Memories of that came back to me recently while I was in a children's store and saw these hot air balloons hanging from the ceiling.

Wouldn't that be fun to make at home and hang in a kid's room? Just cut out two hot air balloon shapes and then make a cut halfway down (from top to middle) on one and a cut halfway up (from bottom to middle) on the other. Slide one balloon shape into the other and you have instant 3D art. I imagine doing this with pretty papers with metallic details or even mounting punchy fabrics onto posterboard and using that. So many possibilities. All would be beautiful!

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photos by The Pink Chalkboard
hot air balloons found in store found at Carters

A Gallery Wall from Schoolhouse Electric

Have you seen the Fall 2013 catalog from Schoolhouse Electric?

It is so, so pretty! I just want to live in the world they have created. (You can check it out for yourself, here!)

Anyway, this spread in the catalog caught my attention because I am always looking to see how stylists create gallery walls. The options are endless and I like to see the things that other people choose to display together, and this one here works so well. 

I particularly love the "Let it Go" wall banner in the center. I have been eyeing this piece for awhile and love how it fits in here. 

Isn't it so simple and sweet? Check out these other wall banners from artist Ashley Brown Durand. 

I think these could be the perfect addition to a beautifully-styled gallery. 

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top three images via Schoolhouse Electric (featuring the Let it Go wall banner)

bottom three images from Secret Holiday Co. via Etsy 

Stay True

It's OK

Yes

Wisteria's DIY Art Inspiration

Wisteria has this really great art collection that would make a great DIY project. 

Simply paint three shades of your favorite color on canvas and you have instant art!

You can try a variation of this look with two shades of color on separate canvases,

or, together on a single canvas as pictured below.

For a little extra drama, try painting four separate canvases with a different hue. I love this Study in Lavender!

I am thinking about giving this project a try with my three favorite shades of gray—Iron Ore, Grizzle Gray, and Cityscape from Sherwin Williams. It will be a much more muted look than Wisteria's examples but I have the paint on hand and an empty canvas. 

I'll let you know how it goes! Seems pretty simple, right?

*****

images via Wisteria:

Blue Shade Wall Art

Green Shade Wall Art

Blue Block Wall Art

A Study in Lavender

Ferm Living

Ever since I got the wilderness wallpaper for my family room, I've been a fan of Ferm Living. Through the Scandinavian Design Center, I found that they have much more than wallpaper in their collection. Here are some favorites:

This graphic teapot looks like it would be right at home with the bib and blanket I posted about last week.

For a flash of cool, add this lightning bolt pillow to your kid's room or even your living room couch.

Wall decals are popular but I haven't seen mini hearts like this before. Aren't they sweet?

And finally, I had to add in a wallpaper. Don't these clouds just seem happy?

Calendar as Art

Recently I was telling a friend of mine about one of my favorite ways to decorate walls – taking pages from a calendar, framing them, and grouping them together. I did this in my NYC apartment with a calendar of black and white photography of flowers. It was my mom's idea and it looked great. If you think about it, it makes sense – if the images are cohesive enough for a calendar, then they will be just as cohesive and look great side by side on the wall.

CB2 must agree with this train of thought, too. Check out these beautiful graphics taken from an original screen-print calendar by Philip Sachs and Amy Fierro.

The calendar is available for purchase as are the walnut frames shown here. Use the calendar in 2014 and then frame them afterwards. But hurry – the calendar is a CB2 Edition LMTD release of 150. They won't last for long!

Baby Beauties

Perhaps because of last week's arrival of my new niece, Juliet, I'm finding these baby items especially charming.

Such a great graphic pattern on this bib and changing pad. Not babyish in any way – just cool and kind of awesome.

A Pink (and other colors) Room

Earlier this week I posted about Land of Nod's Emotirug. In the same catalog where I found that, I came across this image.

I love this little girl room. Is it pink like so many girls request their rooms to be? Yes. But not totally. Barely there blush walls and a blue rug make the space a bit more neutral. There is both white and wood, a yellow lamp, green storage basket and a large giraffe. In fact, the major pink impact is in just two places – the bedding and the pom pom cluster in the corner (remember this cluster of goodness?) With just a few updates (most notably a larger bed) this room can easily transition to an older girl's room, or dare I say it, into her teenage years!

I'll definitely be keeping this image on file.