Yum

I'm an ice cream (or rather, frozen yogurt) kind of girl, but Paper Source's ice pop garland is so pretty that it's making my mouth water for a popsicle!

So now I'm trying to find reasons why I should buy this garland. Maybe for a dessert party this summer? I think that could be a fun idea.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend filled with lots of delicious sweet treats – popsicles or otherwise!

David Lloyd

While checking out Etsy yesterday, I came across this print by David Lloyd. I love it – it's kind of everything that I want to be. That girl looks effortlessly chic with her hair knotted in a bun, big jacket and leather bag. You can't tell for sure where this girl is walking, but to me, it just feels like New York. Reminds me of the time I used to live there, walking crosstown to get to work each day.

See the David Lloyd Gallery Etsy shop for many more gorgeous works. Some prints are fashion, some are living spaces, others are cars and even dogs. Much to see so check it out!

*****

Figure Woman Fashion Green Coat Urban City

Rugs from Home Goods

While walking through Home Goods recently, I noticed this rug.

It was a beauty. So cheap! And so familiar to this Anthropologie rug that I have in my entryway!

Even close up, it had a similar texture as my rug. Isn't it pretty?

Other rugs in Home Goods were very nice, too, and at great prices. I don't have a need for any rugs right now but here are some others that caught my eye.

I mentioned last week that I'm interested in all things blue now. The graphic pattern here was so great.

This pink rug would be lovely in a girls room.

This rug doesn't look great in the photo but it had these really pretty pale blue and purple colors and was the softest. A really special piece.

Great rugs, amazing prices. Run to Home Goods if you need a rug!

Beaufort, NC

A few weeks ago, we headed down to Camp Lejeune, NC to visit my brother and welcome him home from Afghanistan. My brother and his wife live on base and while we spent lots of time there visiting, we also wanted to tour the cute little towns nearby. We went to a sweet arts fest in Swansboro and in past trips, we have ventured to Wilmington, which is about an hour south. This time we decided to head north and discover the charming little town of Beaufort. 

This coastal community is full of history and beauty, and we had such a nice time touring the waterfront, shopping, admiring the beautifully restored homes, and dining at the docks. 

There are lots of little details to enjoy here and it is no wonder that Beaufort was designated America's Coolest Small Town. Go see for yourself! 

*****

Beaufort, NC nautical flag art print by Nautical Beach via Etsy 

photos by The Pink Chalkboard

Flowers from the Garden

I love this time of year. It's warm but not overbearingly hot. Winter and cold weather isn't too far away so I'm still very much appreciating the sunny days and warmer temps. And best of all, my garden is looking nice with flowers all in bloom.

It's always a treat for me to see how the garden grows and changes each year. This year, our hydrangea plant has tons of flowers – enough for me to cut a bunch to put in vases around the house.

Having fresh flowers in the house always makes me happy. Even better is when I can cut them myself and bring them inside.

I love bringing the outdoors in.

*****

photos by The Pink Chalkboard

Inspired by...Land of Nod

It's been a few months since my last inspired by Land of Nod post. Here are the products and special details that caught my eye in their latest catalog.

This fade to pink radiator matches their fade to pink bedding (similar to Mindy's ruffled bedding). Radiators have never looked so pretty!

My house is mostly in a gray/black/white/green/pink color palette and I love it, but lately shades of blue have been catching my eye. I would love to do a room in navy, peacock blue and white with pops of yellow. It's not going to happen for a good number of years, though, so a print like this would be the closest I could get to that color palette.

A cluster of mirrors is always nice but grouping these in a bunch like this reminds me of the shape of a cloud. It feels light and airy.

Happy weekend, all! See you back here on Monday.

Yarn Bombs

I just discovered yarn bombs and the idea of "knitted graffiti" is so inspirational! A group of knitters from Southwestern Pennsylvania have spent the past year knitting panels to cover the Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh. This effort called, Knit the Bridge, will be on display from August 10th through September 7th. I can't wait to see photos! Maybe even a trip to Pittsburgh is in my future?

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to feature some yarn bombs from around the world. Get ready to smile!

These works of art make me so happy. Hope they brighten your day, too!

*****

image by Dan Machold via Mental Floss
crocheted cherry blossoms in Vancouver, CA by Jeff Christenson via Time
pothole coaster in paris, image by Juliana Santacruz Herrera via Time
bus by Madga Sayeg in Mexico City, image by Cesar Ortega via Time
Mini Cooper from Yarn Doodler via Mental Floss
Wall Street bull via karlywood
image via Street Art Utopia
image via facebook

Leslie's Office

I'm finally getting around to showing photos from a project I worked on a few months ago. My friend, Leslie, has a gorgeous home filled with amazing built-ins. Her kitchen opens up to a great room, a casual dining space and an office area.

Say hello to the before shot of Leslie's office.

Leslie knew that the area had lots of possibilities but since the area opened up to other areas of the house, she needed it to be a fully-functioning office space and something that looked pretty. So I stepped in to help. Leslie decluttered and I went shopping for pretty baskets and decorative items to pull the space together.

Between Home Goods, Target and Staples, these are the items I gathered.

I know it seems like a lot, but I like to buy up anything that I think may work since it's hard to really know for sure which items will work best in the space.

The woven baskets were the starting point for me. Miscellaneous cords, spare cds, and various other desk items went in a basket on the shelf. Items not needed as often (like some thin cookbooks and miscellaneous papers) went in the shelving display up top. The rest of Leslie's cookbook collection got split up into smaller groups so they looked more like decoration. 

Here's the end result.

A piece of art and a pretty vase that Leslie already owned helped the area look more decorative and not as office-y.

Extra papers went in matching brochure holders and the corkboard got covered with faux bois wrapping paper. 

The section up top is accessible storage but it needed to look good more than anything else. A touch of silver and some ceramic pots were brought in to balance out the woven baskets. I was excited about the way I was able to use some of Leslie's books throughout, too, especially her dictionary. Look on the far left of this photo – I flipped the dictionary around to expose the pages. The white and red flecked pages (a little tough to see in this photo) worked perfectly with the red built-in. 

To add a little more organization, I made a corkboard out of an old frame. More to come on that next week.

And that's her new office space. Functional, organized and pretty, too.

*****

all photos by The Pink Chalkboard

Pretty in Pink Inspiration

I spent the weekend painting my bedroom and since I was (mostly) on my own, I played a bunch of movies in the background to keep me company. One of the movies I selected was Pretty in Pink—feeling very much in the mood for a love story and some good '80's music.

I wasn't paying too much attention but happened to look over at the screen during the famous prom scene when I noticed this image.

Do you see that large black and white orchestra photo hanging behind the band? Here is a close up.

Isn't it great? I love the idea of decorating with a large scale, black and white, vintage orchestra or big band image. Can you imagine hanging this in your dining room?

New York Public Library's Digital Archive has some really images with a simliar vibe. For instance, what about adding some impact to an empty stairway with one of these?

All of these and are more are available here if you would like to try this for yourself!

*****

first two images from Pretty in Pink, Dir. Howard Deutch. Paramount Pictures, 1986.
Bruno Walter with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra via the New York Public Library
West Side Orchestra Concerts by Frederique Petrides via the New York Public Library
Orchestra from the New York World's Fair via the New York Public Library
Orchestra from the New York World's Fair via the New York Public Library
Guiseppi Creatore and his band via the New York Public Library