Some delicious eyecandy from 3 beautiful blogs

It was design blogs that inspired me in the first place to start blogging, but between running my web design business, and running Decorology, I never have time to peruse my favorite blogs the way I once did. Therefore I decided to make myself make time by publishing occasional posts featuring images from other awesome design blogs. Enjoy!

{featured in no particular order}

Images below from  "Live Creating Yourself."

so pretty

the charming The Marion Housebook had this delicious eyecandy

 

The two bedrooms above are so simple and peaceful

On Pure Style Home  I was loving these...

gorgeous

Reveal 1 - our new apartment

So last week boyfriend and I looked far and wide for an apartment in DC, because he's starting his masters program at GWU in the fall. We searched in multiple DC neighborhoods - Georgetown, The Hill around Eastern Market, Dupont Circle, Foggy BOttom, Shaw, Cleavland Park, Glover Park, etc. We also scoped out Arlington and Alexandria in Virginia, and Silver Spring and Bethesda in Maryland. While there were areas of DC we really liked - we couldn't get the space we needed with our budget. I work from home and therefore require more space than if I left the house for an office each day. We also really fell in love with old town Alexandria, but the only thing we could find in our budget was a good 20 min walk from old town. In the end, we decided on an awesome Bethesda apartment. I'm from Maryland but had actually never been to Bethesda, and was really impressed. Where our apartment is situated is only a 7 minute walk from the subway, and we can walk to shops and restaurants. In DC we just didn't have the budget to live close to shops and the subway.

We also have around 750 sq ft and 2 huge closets! That's unheard of in NYC and Brooklyn where I was living before. Anyway, I have to decide on paint choices. We want to keep the colors somewhat neutral because unless colors are "extreme," we aren't required to repaint when we move out.

I took some pics of the place and did some photoshop magic to show you the 2 colors we are thinking of. I'm really loving gray lately - so I'm thinking gray for the bedroom, and a nice, creamy light aqua for the large living/dining space.

So, these 4 pics are the bedroom

These are the living room - which includes a dining nook

Let me know what you think? Has anyone painted a room gray? I've been seeing it a lot, and I'm really liking it.

Home office for two? How to make the space work

So my boyfriend and I will be moving into our new apartment in Bethesda, MD in a week. I still have a ton to do - pick out paint colors, paint, pack, etc. I work from home, and he will be spending a lot of time studying when he starts his masters program at GWU the end of August. We have a large living room, and a medium-sized bedroom, so we've been trying to plan out how to create workspace that works for the both of us. I know I will want my desk in the living room, and we can either set up a home office for two in the living room, or he can set up his desk in a nook in the bedroom. We're not sure which route we will take, but in my search for inspiration I found some great 2-person home offices.

Check 'em out below:

This set up is a great idea..though it will inspire footsie in times of peace and kicking in times of war...
via Unclutterer

Really like this one too...seems the key is staying uncluttered!
via Curbly

two desks situated in an L position...I like this home office but I don't think we could work this configuration in our space

via Apartment Therapy

One of my all-time fav offices.  If we had the space I'd love to do something like this
via ?

This couple created a workspace in the bay window of their bedroom with a piece of Ikea counter top. This is great but I can't work from the bedroom. The idea could really be done anywhere, though.
via Flickr

This 2fer looks like it's an ikea desk with a small set of malm ikea drawers for storage to divide the desk space.  Also one of the monitors is mounted on the wall to save space.
via Picasa

So pretty.  I need a tad more surface space on my desk though, and one of those hopelessly ugly office chairs... There's a DIY for this desk here.

I adore this home office/guest bedroom/playroom all-in-one
via Young House Love

 
Another pretty option.  This desk is fashioned from a closet door.
via Utopia Invitations

Has anyone every had a 2 person home office? Any tips for me - did it work for you or no?
Thanks guys! I'll be sharing some pics of the new apartment soon!

3 Top Tips when using Flooring Rugs

Rugs are a great way to bring a new lease of life to a tired looking room. However, before you make your selection you should consider these three tips, as rugs can be used in many different ways in a home or office.

1. Placement:
You'll need to think about where you place flooring rugs if you want to avoid trips and falls at home or in the office. Irrespective of which room you place a rug try not to have the corner in the middle of a door opening as this can lead to a potential tripping hazard. It is a good idea to use rugs in high traffic areas just so long as the larger part of the rug is in the doorway.

via Nesting Newbies

2. Sitting Areas:
You can create an inviting sitting area in a room simply by placing a sofa and chairs around a rug. Pale or light colours, with a low-key design offer a more intimate space in which people can sit and talk. Circular or hexagonal shaped rugs are also ideal for cosy seating areas. By placing the front feet of chairs and sofa onto the edge of the rug, not only will you be reducing any potential trip hazards, you'll also provide sufficient rug surface for people to have both feet on the rug itself. This will help to make people feel more at home and at ease. You could also place a flooring rug under a coffee table to create a central focal point in the seating area.

via Anthology

via Maison Marigold

3. Open Areas:
One of the most fashionable ways to use flooring rugs is to place them in areas which have no furniture, such as in front of the fire-place or in the middle of a room. Placing rugs in open areas can help add a new dimension to a room more especially if they are a contrasting colour to the flooring; they can provide a different texture which will give a room more personality and help ground a colour scheme.

via Casa Diez


UK Flooring Direct have an advice centre where more information on where to place rugs and the styles which are best suited to heavy traffic areas for homes and offices can be found.

*disclosure: this is a sponsored post from UK Flooring Direct

True Friendship

I wrote this post in pieces during the time we were in the hospital. I never had enough time to finish it. Words cannot adequately express all of the love that has been surrounding us the entire time James was sick. These words are still true today, and I am so sorry that I have taken so long to put this up!


I have been scouring the internet, searching for a quote that would define the absolute true friendship that we have experienced over the last 3 weeks (EDITED: LAST 5, 6 WEEKS NOW). I have to be honest, none of the ones I have found have come close to explaining the blessing of friendship that has been bestowed upon us. I wish I had words to describe it. Although I really don't, I want to express to you all how incredibly, incredibly meaningful our family and friends have been.

For those of you who are always wondering how to help out someone in a similar situation- as I always am, because I typically have no clue- I thought that my friend's actions could serve as a sort of how to. A how-to lift up, encourage, bless, comfort, refresh and console a family in their greatest struggle primer.

When James was sick at home, and we thought it was only a bug, my friends from a playgroup continually stopped by bringing coffee, pedialyte, balloons, offering to get prescriptions, and just generally being the most caring human beings you could ever see. I am so lucky to count these 3 wonderful ladies as my friends. I know you guys will hate this- but Jean E., Toya, and Katie I am so grateful that you are my friends! We typically get together every week with our combined 5 kids and do something together. No matter what we do- we seem to have 2 requirements. We have a great time, and whatever we do, we do it for free!

Before we were admitted to the hospital, both Matthew and I's mothers were on their way to Dallas. They both had been trying to come earlier to help take care of James, but I had told them I could handle a sick baby. Clearly in retrospect I could have used the help! But they both made it to Dallas within hours of being admitted and slept in the PICU waiting room the first night just in case we needed something immediately.

Within 20 hours of being admitted to the hospital, several of my friends had made snack and care baskets for us. What a huge blessing they were! They put everything imaginable in these baskets. Everything from snacks and gatorades, magazines, shampoo, conditioner, toiletries (even hair ties!), fresh fruit, flip flops to wear in the shower, and other great products that I can't even remember now.

My friends went to my house to take care of my dogs. One of them, sweet Toya, took Winston and Maggie to her house for an extended week-long playdate so that our families could focus on being with us at the hospital. I think that she would still have the dogs if I hadn't insisted that she bring them back! My dogs are just plain rotten!

They also went to the house and got us clothes, including all the essential items. You become super close to someone when you explain to them which underwear you prefer! They coordinated outfits and even thought of the varying degree of coolness that exists in the hospital.

Our Sunday School rallied for us, and my dear friend Jean E. has been coordinating the troops ever since. She has been everything from my personal secretary to chef to chief listening agent. She is the personal liaison to our life! Our church, First United Methodist Dallas, has been our backbone. They are seriously the only reason why we are able to stand at this point. They have brought us dinner up to the hospital at least every other night. They would bring it every night if we would let them! I am so incredibly thankful to them. Sometimes when they come to bring dinner we get to sit and talk. Sometimes 8 million people are in the room and they understand we can't visit. I am so incredibly thankful for friends who are understanding! I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to drive all the way across town, bring dinner to some people, and then not even be able to visit.

More friends stocked our refrigerator and freezer when we thought we were going to be home for a week. They didn't want us to waste precious time at home with James, so they got everything we would need to be at home.

My sweet friends from college came and sat with me during James' craniotomy. They played with my hair and read People magazine to me. We looked up maxi dresses and debated which ones didn't look like mu-mu's. My friend Shelly, who lives in OKC, took off 2 days to work just to come sit with me at the hospital.

We've been sent flowers, gift cards, giant giraffes, little giraffes. There are stacks of cards and boxes at home that I haven't even touched yet.

And then more friends spent time knitting with me, bringing us dinner. They sat and held my hand in silence when I needed silence. They sat and held my hand and cried when I needed to cry.

(Written today below)
When you go through something like this you can either see the overwhelming despair that a death brings. Or you can see the hope, light, and goodness of people. And I have been shown just how incredibly kind the world is. I know there are some of you who might be cynical and sarcastic- and I can definitely be that. But the truth is that I have never felt so very loved in my entire life. Although I have been through the worst month of my life- I have been incredibly blessed by friends and family. I think I said this in the beginning, but I don't know how I got so lucky to be Jamesie's mom. And I really don't know how I got so lucky to have such an amazing support system, to be blessed to be around the most wonderful people I have ever met.

Thank you all for loving me- those who know me in real life, and those of you who only know me through this blog. Thank you for continuing to lift me up in prayer. Thank you for showing me what it means to be a true friend. Thank you for showing me what it means to be the Body of Christ at work. Because you all have truly been an inspiration to me about what selfless, loving friendship is.

Two awesome shows back-to-back tonight! Design Star and awesome HGTV new-comers the Novogratz!

So - I have a confession to make - I don't really watch much HGTV, but that's only because I don't really watch much TV.   I'm not a TV person, and it is really hard for me to commit to a tv-watching schedule. Luckily, we just got DVR, and two new shows have caught my fancy. One is this season of "Design Star" (I hadn't heard of the show until this season), and the first two episodes I loved, and the other is "Home by Novogratz." I know of the Novogratz via Six by Design and their awesome book, "Downtown Chic" - which I reviewed here.

So when I heard they had a new show airing on HGTV I figured I'd give it a shot, and I really like it so far. The duo's solutions are great for people who love to try DIY projects, shop at flea markets, and find it really important that their home reflects them, not the most recent issue of the top-of-the-line home and interiors glossy.

I have for you a sneak peak at what you'll catch on tonight's "Home by Novogratz," where the couple livens up a rather dull family beach condo into a colorful and whimsical get-away. What's really exciting about tonight is the Novogratz are also guest starring on "Design Star" and then their new episode airs directly after that! So be sure to have the tube on HGTV at 9 for "Design Star", and/or 10 for "Home by Novogratz"

These images below are from their first episode, where the Novogratz team created this awesome surfer-girl home for two sisters.

You can read more about the show on HGTV.

Graham and Brown wallpaper and Thomas Paul rugs on sale!

Since I'm moving August 1st (we found a great place in Bethesda, MD - pics to come soon!), I have been in a sale sniffing mood, scouring high and low for great deals. Some I just have to share - like this gorgeous Graham and Brown wallpaper and these fab rugs...

If you're interested you can get them on sale at Joss & Maine (you have to sign up, but it's free and fast - click here).

A cute and pretty house with a nod to mid-century modern

Cello is one of my favorite instruments. I would love to learn how to play one day

cute pantry!

via Covet Garden

Have a great weekend!