In April, we had the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles for a family wedding but we declined to go because I was pregnant. I never pass up a trip, but nausea and exhaustion kept me from doing a lot of things we wanted to do when we were in New Orleans, and I didn’t want to travel across country just to end up laying in bed all day again. Even though I wanted to, we never took a babymoon, and we just stayed local for a few weekend getaways. I wish I would have known before getting pregnant that our week-long road trip through California last year was our last adventure, just the two of us, before we started a family. So lately, as we wait for our little one’s arrival, I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of travel and the importance of doing it before you have kids. Read More
traveling before baby
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Share on Twitterback to school | online classes and resources to upgrade your creative business skills
Back-to-school is typically about the kids, but it’s also a great time for adults to think about their own educations, too. The options for brushing up on old skills or learning new ones are cheaper and easier to access than ever before, so let’s start off the school year by taking our own skills to the next level. Not sure where to start? Here are a few of my favorite online resources for learning everything from branding to blogging, programming to photography.
If you haven’t tried an online course or webinar before, you’re in for a surprise. They can be a cheap, sometimes even free, way to grow your skillset right from your home or favorite coffee shop. Many of them allow you to move at your own pace meaning you can work it into your schedule and not the other way around. Plus, the variety of courses available is basically limitless. Let’s get started – Read More
16 books to add to your reading list
I like books and I love to read. There are countless stacks around my home. Cookbooks, coffee table books, novels, books on pregnancy, parenting, wellness, DIY, art and design – the list goes on. And I swear I add a few to my Amazon wish list every day.
I’m a little ashamed of how little I read this year. Lately I really haven’t had much time to curl up with a good book in between my pregnancy, renovating our home, working full time and running my creative business, updating this space somewhat regularly and keeping up with my marriage, my family, my friends and more. That being said, one of my goals while I’m on maternity leave is to be intentional about making time to read. I hope to find brief moments throughout the day to squeeze in a chapter here and there – reading with my coffee in the morning, reading while the baby naps, while breastfeeding and reading before bed. Have any good book recommendations to share? Here’s my list. Care to read along with me? It could lead to a good discussion and might be fun!
Conde Nast Traveler: 25 Years of Photography | Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs | CVJ: Nicknames of Maitre D’s & Other Excerpts from Life | Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear | Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life | The Nest | Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting | Greenterior: Plant Loving Creatives and Their Homes | Georgia O’Keeffe and Her Houses: Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu | Modern Romance | The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids | The Girls | Rising Strong | Selldorf Architects: Portfolio and Projects | Travel | Art Before Breakfast: A Zillion Ways to be More Creative No Matter How Busy You Are
for your home | the primary essentials
While I’m knee deep in our home renovation, I wanted to share one of my new favorite home decor brands with you – The Primary Essentials. Below I’ve rounded up a few items from their shop that have recently caught my eye. I have to have that Thompson Street Studio linen and denim quilt and how great is that navy cotton stitched face bolster? Other top picks – the Clam Lab green tumbler, the Humble Ceramics canisters and the Doug Johnston baskets.
Here’s a little bit about The Primary Essentials – Striving to source goods that have a subtle yet distinctive impact, The Primary Essentials believes in the importance of independent designers and artisans and their individual outlook on the world. The TPE folks tell us that they aim to always provide new outlets of unique beauty while constantly holding true to classics. The Primary Essentials opened in Brooklyn in the Fall of 2013 as a place to provide a meticulously edited mix of special objects with an emphasis on how we live our daily lives.
What items do you feel are essential in your home? Do you have a place you go to to find them? Lately I’ve spent more hours that I’d like to admit searching through home decor sites and Etsy shops, and I’ll be sharing more of my finds with you in the coming months.
bolster | bathmat | boxes | tumbler | basket | quilt | canister | jotter | pillow | pot
monday moodboard 04
It’s a brand new week! I’m slowly gathering steam and some weekday inspiration. This week’s moodboard is inspired by neutral hues and deep navy blues, all easy on the eyes and pretty to look at. Sometimes I unintentionally pin images with a similar or complimentary color palette, and I seem to have done that with these interior/home decor photos — white walls, shades of blue and honey-colored wood. Lately I’ve started being more intentional about saving color palettes that get a reaction out of me. This is one of them. I’ve also been really drawn to simple black and white works of art like these pieces from French illustrator Amélie Fontaine. Enjoy this Monday moodboard!
+ all images can be found on my pinterest here
