I hope these pretty little images leave you feeling happy and loved today. They’re giving me a vintage retro vibe, and I love the pink color palette and painterly style. The lovely lady with the floral crown is by Judith Geher and that pink geranium can be found here in H. Oomen’s Etsy shop. The pretty pink bouquet is by Stanley Bielen and those funky swirls are called Dhelia from Marc Cinq-Mars. Now what are you waiting for go tell someone you think they’re sweet! Happy Valentine’s Day!
eye candy 02 | valentine’s
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A dreamy feature on Argentinian born fashion designer Carolina Iriarte and her covetable Barcelona showroom. Carolina creates one of a kind purses with the level of quality you seem to only find with antiques. Her latest collection of handbags, called Sur, is inspired by the literary movement from Buenos Aires following the birth of South Magazine and it’s founder Victoria Ocampo. I found myself devouring these photos of Barcelona and this article about Carolina. You can tell that her creative endeavors are an authentic reflection of how she lives which I truly admire.
shop iriarte iriarte | photo source freunde von freunden
diy striped heart painting for valentine’s day
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner but it’s not too late to make something special! This DIY heart painting would be a great Valentine’s Day decoration or just fun hanging somewhere in your home year round. Here’s how I created mine –
what you’ll need:
• 12x 12 square canvas
• heart stencil
• white acrylic paint
• acrylic paints in your preferred colors
• paintbrush
• water cup
• painter’s tape
• paper
• scissors
• ruler
• disposable plate or scrap cardboard to use as a palette
• paper towels, newspaper or a drop cloth to cover your work area
how to make it:
Begin by covering the canvas with white acrylic paint. You can skip this step since the canvas is already white but I think it gives the finished product a nice, clean look. Using the stencil, trace the shape of the heart onto a piece of paper and then cut out. Do this four times for a total of four hearts. The shape of my heart is approximately 5 inches wide and 5 inches tall. Next, arrange the paper hearts onto the canvas so you can see how it will be displayed. If your hearts are the same size as mine then there should be a half an inch on each side of the canvas, a quarter of an inch in between the hearts and 3/4 of an inch on the top and bottom of the canvas. The bottom points of the hearts should be touching in the middle. Now trace the hearts onto the canvas so you will know where to place the stencil later. Using the ruler and a pencil, divide the hearts you just traced onto the canvas into five one inch sections – this is for your stripes. Cut very thin strips of tape and using your pencil marks as guides secure the tape onto the canvas across the hearts. Apply a thin layer of white paint over the tape – this helps seal the sides of the tape and prevents the other paint colors from bleeding through. Secure the stencil to the canvas on top of one of the hearts with the painter’s tape. Choose five different colors and paint each one inch section a different color. It’s best to apply thin layers of paint especially around the edges of the stencil to prevent the paint from bleeding behind it. Do not remove the stencil until paint is dry. Move the stencil to the next heart and repeat. Once you’ve done all four hearts and the paint is dry, remove the thin strips of painter’s tape to reveal white lines. For a crisp, clean look, use the white paint to touch up any areas where paint bled through the tape or behind the stencil.
If you don’t have a heart stencil, you can make your own. All you need is stencil paper, a pencil to draw your shape and an exacto knife to cut it out. If you have a stencil, you may want to cover it with painter’s tape first so the paint doesn’t ruin your stencil.
If you’re looking for something a little quicker and easier, try making these super simple DIY treat bags from last year!
photo credit kate zitzer | more DIY projects here
advice | office organization
Most of us spend a lot of time in our offices – home or otherwise – but it’s a space that often gets messy and neglected and can be pretty boring! So I love the idea of adding a little style to the spot where you spend most of your day. Here are a few tips and some fun finds for creating a work space that is both functional and beautiful –
pencil holder | wire basket | clothes pins | office accessories
Try to start your day with a clean desk. It will probably get messy as you work throughout the day but take a little bit of time at the end to file those papers and organize the office supplies. Make things as easy to put away as possible. Use desk drawer organizers or designated labeled boxes.
File receipts. For the past few years I’ve been keeping all my receipts in a box, but this year it’s my goal to use a binder with properly labeled folders.
Keep desktop accessories to a minimum. Don’t leave anything on your desk that you don’t use on a daily basis. As tempting as it is to buy cute trays and organizing boxes, try to keep those to a minimum. I found that those cute little trays and boxes just mean I collect more clutter. I keep a few pencils, a notebook, a pair of scissors and a ruler out in the open for easy access because I use them almost every day.
Use your wall space. Hang and post important “things to do” on bulletin boards. Put up some artwork – choosing a favorite image can go a long way to adding beauty to your space – and hang a mirror opposite the window to create more light in the space.
twig pencils | oyster globe | magazine rack | vintage typewriter
I’ve been dreaming up all sorts of ideas for my future studio/office. What office supplies and accessories do you use? What are the best storage solutions? Should I stick with a theme when decorating (all white?) or a mixed color palette? What do you think? For more studio and work space inspiration check out this board.
top photo found here
kohler | wisconsin
Our weekend in Kohler consisted of long walks around the lake, steamy bowls of soup and Spotted Cows, ice skating followed by evening naps and long drawn out dinners. We spent Sunday morning getting pampered at the Kohler Waters Spa. I typically spend most of the winter season indoors avoiding the actual weather that comes with winter, but it felt so refreshing to change settings for a bit, get outdoors and explore a new place.
For Chicago folks who want to visit, the Village of Kohler is located on 419 Highland Drive in Kohler, Wisconsin about two hours north of Chicago and one hour north of Milwaukee.
photo credit kate zitzer
