Mash-up

I love a good mash-up. Did you see the mash-up at The Grammys of Maroon 5's Daylight and Alicia Keys' Girl on Fire? It was awesome – two very different songs working together to make something new and more interesting.

Now imagine that idea in home decor. Remember my posts about a zesty couch and Franz Kline inspired art? I recently got a brochure in the mail from Calico that paired up a floral couch with graphic, abstract art.

Much like how the buzz in fashion is to combine different prints and patterns in one outfit, the same works in the home. The key here is a common black palette, neutral wall color and a simple (though cool) lamp.

Have you tried any bold mash-ups lately?

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top photo: Anthropologie's Winifred Sofa, Zesty
middle photo: photography by Sarah DiCicco, paper products by Lily My Love, styling by Lily My Love and The Pink Chalkboard
bottom photo: via Calico

Lighting made from Mason Jars

The popularity of mason jars in recent years has led to some really creative projects, particularly with the jars as light fixtures. These cluster pendant lights from Pottery Barn are great examples of this casual, industrial look.

Take a look at the chandelier I spotted in this home below, featured in Cottage Style. 

Dare I say this mason jar chandelier is exquisite?

That blue glass! Those crystals! Love!

Here are some other variations on this concept, each one special in its own way.

Isn't it great how these mason jars can be informal or fancy, depending on your mood?

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Exeter 16-Jar Pendant via Pottery Barn

Exeter 5-Jar Pendant via Pottery Barn

Cottage Style Magazine

Pinterest via Indulgy

Blue Jar Chandelier from Shabbyfufu via Indulgy

The Backyard Bungalow

Wall of Yarn

Love those creative geniuses at Land of Nod. Here's the latest idea I found on their blog, Honest to Nod – decorating a wall with yarn.

They simply lined the top of the wall with pushpins then knotted the yarn on them and let the yarn just hang down.

Feel like updating your room in, oh say, 30 minutes? This projects is for you. Have a little girl who wants a pink and purple room but fear that she'll grow out of it in a few years? A yarn wall is a great option.

And it got me thinking – the yarn looks good just hanging down but imagine the impact you could make if you lined the top and bottom of the wall with pushpins and tied the yarn in random places, crisscrossing throughout to create a large scale, abstract graphic on the wall? Talk about major impact. Something inspired by these images would be pretty cool:

What a way to turn your whole wall into a giant work of art.

For the tutorial on Land of Nod's blog, click here. And if you happen to try an abstract yarn wall, please let us know. We'd love to see photos!

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top three photos from Honest to Nod
all other photos found on Pinterest

Lovely Lacquered Boxes

I just love lacquered boxes!

At $78 and up, though, these little gems can be a bit pricey. But, guess what? I found these candy-colored boxes, in all of their lacquered-goodness, at The Container Store!

With prices ranging from $7.99 to $19.99, the dilemma becomes how to buy just one? They look so cheerful together in a colorful cluster!

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Square Lacquer Jewelry Box from C. Wonder
Lacquer Stash Box from Jonathan Adler
Large Lacquered Rectangular Boxes from The Container Store
Round Lacquered Boxes from The Container Store

Little Works of Art

Just wanted to share a little craft project that we did in my house recently. A few weeks ago, I found mini canvases at Michaels that I thought would be perfect for little artists. Valentine's Day was approaching and I was feeling inspired.

Of course, I forgot to take before photos of the blank canvases and supplies, but I did capture these Bob Ross brushes at Michaels. Check out that great logo! It made me smile.

Anyway, once home, my kids got to work on the canvases. We were going for a mixed medium, abstract art look so we used what we had on hand – paints, markers, crayons and glitter paint pens.

Because the paintings were going to be Valentine's Day gifts, I only took out reds, pinks and oranges.  The kids still chose what they wanted to do when, but the limited color palette helped to keep things looking bright and pretty.

Once everything dried, I glued a piece of ribbon to the back so the mini canvases could be easily hung.

Wrapped up in white tissue paper and with a heart on top, they were little gifts of abstract/homemade love.

Of course, I made sure there was an extra canvas so I could hang it on my gallery wall. Have you seen or done any easy art projects with kids lately? If so, please share!

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all images by The Pink Chalkboard

Thinking About Ironing Board Covers

I truly believe that the little details in your home are important and that functional items can (and should be) be pretty. Ironing boards are often overlooked by retailers and there just are not a lot of nice options available to us.

A couple of years ago Home Goods sold ironing board covers in lots of great patterns. I picked one up and loved it until I accidentally let the iron sit on it a bit too long which resulted in an ugly burn mark. I eventually tossed it and bought a very utilitarian option from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. (Unfortunately Home Goods no longer carried any of the fun options I had seen before.)

It probably would have been fine but I see this item every day and it just bugs me that is ugly! Plus I have these images of perfect laundry rooms whirling around in my brain. 

So, I was really happy (and relieved) when an email from West Elm popped up in my inbox last week featuring the patterns pictured below. 

Don't they look so nice? I immediately ordered this one and it arrived today. Love! And guess what? They are super affordable at only $19!

I also found these really great options on Etsy for a just $24. So pretty, right?

They (almost) make me want to iron!

Believe it or not, ironing boards and covers are a popular item to pin on Pinterest! Check out these images here. And if you are in the mood for a DIY, I found a few tutorials, too. This one is my favorite.

Thanks for bearing with me and my little rant about ironing board covers. I know this is not a glamorous post but I just love finding good-looking options for household items and wanted to share!

P.S. Looking for some other beautifully-designed functional supplies? Check out Jillian's post here.

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Laundry Room by Sarah Richardson, photographed by Stacey Brandford, via The Globe and Mail
A laundry room featured in Domino Magazine via The Vancouver Sun
Cotton Ironing Board Covers via West Elm
Ironing Board Covers from City Chic Country Mouse via Etsy

Pops of Pink

Valentine's Day may be over and our pink post a thing of the past, but I still keep thinking about pink.

It started when we were working on this post and while pulling together images for that, Mindy came across this.

Love.

And then I found these other exteriors.

And while I'm feeling inspired, I'm not sure that I could bring myself to commit to this bold hue in such a big way on the exterior of my home. What I can do, though, is add more color to the inside. Small touches, small doses but still bright and pretty.

A pillow, some circle bunting or a beautiful bouquet of flowers. All add a pop of pink without a stitch of commitment. That's a good thing, too, because with St. Patrick's Day coming up, I may be itching to add some green to the decor soon!

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exterior images via Pinterest

Silver Pieces

Here is some shiny, silvery, design-goodness to add a little sparkle to your Tuesday! 

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Sarah Richardson from A Delightful Design via Pinterest
Linda McDougald Design via Houzz
via Pinterest
Graham and Green Company via Pinterest
Atlanta Homes via Pinterest
via Emmas DesignBlogg
via hepsylone

Owls Are The Best

My high school's mascot was an owl, or the fighting owls, to be exact. In the years after my graduation, I realized that owls, whether fighting or not, were not your typical tough and strong mascot like a bulldog or a tiger. But nonetheless, I loved my school and have ever since had a fondness for owls. (Maybe it was the high school cheerleader in me? My favorite cheer was always O-W-L-S...Owls are the best!)

So you can imagine my delight when I came across this rug.

Simple and graphic and blue and gray (my high school's colors)! Of course, there are lots of other ways to bring owls into your home, too.

So which one is your favorite? The rug is still doing it for me. I think it would look amazing sticking out from under a boy's bed!

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owl rug

other images, clockwise from top left:

owl lamp, figurative owl mug, small owl decor, owl dessert plates

A Little More Love

Here is some more love to round out your week, with these sweet typographic prints from artist Rebecca Puig.

Oh my goodness, I want each and every one of these. You can see more of Rebecca's beautiful work here, and purchase pieces through Sundance Catalog.

Have a great weekend! See you back here on Monday.

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all images by Rebecca Puig via Sugarboo Designs