New Artist Crush {Laura Dro Designs}

Happy Monday All! A short week for many of you and I am sure you are looking forward to the holiday weekend. Can you believe that tomorrow is already July? Wha What? I can't believe it. I have a feeling that summer is going to fly by. I sure don't want to wish it away.

Today we are talking art. I love all different kinds of art from abstract, to portrait paintings to landscapes and photography. If I was rich I would spend a lot of money on artwork for sure. I think it brings such character to a home. Displaying meaningful photos and artwork can really show others what inspires you. Artwork is also a perfect starting spot to grab colors from when decorating a space.
I have learned over the past couple of years that you don't have to be rich to have fabulous artwork displayed in your home. You may remember my abstract artwork for less post a few weeks ago or the Etsy's kids artwork post I did last year. These are both great ideas for artwork on a budget.

source

I was recently contacted by Laura Dro Designs to choose a print of my choice for my home! Let me tell you how hard that decision was. I am in love with the colors and texture Laura brings to her pieces. They are perfect for any room in your home. She creates abstracts as well as watercolor animal illustrations (which would be perfect in a nursery).

Abstract, Watercolor

I decided to choose the Peony in Coral print for my bedroom. I knew it would add a little summer touch to our master bedroom.

I love how this print adds a bit of a feminine touch on my side of the bed. It makes me smile!

The colors are so vibrant! You wouldn't even guess it was a print. It looks and feels like an original. That makes me wonder how brilliant the colors must have been on Laura's original design.

So Laura is officially a new artist crush of mine. How about you? You must check out her original paintings here and get a print for your own here.

Have a fab week my friends!


**This is not a sponsored post. Just wanted to share one of my amazing finds with you. Thanks to Laura for sending me this beautiful print. As always all opinions are mine and always mine.**

Turkish Towels- {Two Ways}

Hi All! So I wanted to share with you my new obsession today. Do any of you own a turkish towel? You know the ones that have the adorable tassels at each end? Well, I am absolutely in love with mine from Hattan Home. It is so practical that you can use it as a blanket, towel, wrap and more!

One way that I have used this adorable towel is for an outdoor picnic. It is large enough at 68"x40" for at least two people to enjoy a seat at the park, an outdoor movie or a summer nap. 

I love the look and feel of these towels. They are specially weaved in a unique fashion allowing these towels to be used numerous times and actually become softer and more absorbent with time. A total plus in my book!

The second way I used this adorable towel is actually as a towel next to my bathtub. It is one of the fastest drying towels because it is very thin, so a quick dry after my bath is perfection. Not only do I adore it's sweet tassels, but it also doesn't take up a whole lot of space in my linen closet.

If you own one of these towels, are you obsessed as I am about the texture, durability and use? If you don't have one, then get on board my friends! You can find my towel here and Hattan Home offers so many colors and sizes here. There are also some more options below! 

Okay my friends, now I am off to actually enjoy that sweet picnic above. Oh wait, its a workday. Maybe tonight. Do you want to join me?

More west elm...

Tuesday Treats #18

We meet again my friends! Summer is finally in full swing with many kids already out of school. I just love summertime. Even though I am an adult and have to work throughout the summer, I still get that feeling of freedom. Summer has that lazy, go with the flow, do what you want attitude and I love it!

I am back with another round up of inspiration and ideas from around the web. I hope you like what I found for you all this week. Enjoy!


#1: Bedroom Makeover using HomeGoods Decor
My friend Courtney from A Thoughtful Place created a bedroom retreat for one lucky couple. HomeGoods gave her a challenge of making over a master bedroom for $1,000. You have to hop on over to her blog to see the full reveal. It is gorgeous and I can't believe the beautiful pieces she found at HomeGoods!

source

#2: Kara Rosenlund Photography
I was so inspired by this photograph this past week. I kept looking at all the details of this space. I am obsessed people! Kara takes such amazing photographs of places, people, animals...you name it! She is now selling some of her prints and you can get this amazing horse print here. Oh this might have to be on my Christmas list!
Do you ever find something that inspires you and you can't help but become a stalker? Not sure what it was about this picture this week, but I was hooked for sure.

source

#3: Black Bean Quinoa Salad

The Hubs and I are really trying to eat healthy throughout the summer. It can be hard when invited to so many cookouts with hot dogs and hamburgers. So when we are home we try and eat light. I recently fixed this Quinoa salad and it was delicious! We actually ate it as our dinner, but it would also be great as a summer side dish for a cookout or party. You must try!

source

#4: Fabulous Breakfast Nook with DIY tutorials

I honestly can say that I think Kristen is one of the most talented ladies I know! She has a design background with a DIY brain. Put those two together and you get fabulousness! You may remember her outdoor space that I featured as well as a Fabulous Friday feature of her home.

Again she didn't disappoint with this adorable breakfast nook! You can see a tutorial for her framed wallpaper panels here and tassel pillows here. 

source

#5: A Quote

I thought I would end you with this quote that has been on my mind this week. Sometimes we just need to be and let God and life take us where we need to go. So hard to do, but SO TRUE!

{Sweet Summertime} Mantel Decor

If you have been following along for a while you know that I like to change up my mantel decor for the holidays. My Fall Mantel this year was pretty simple with touches of gold, while my Halloween mantel can be quite spooky. My favorite holiday to decorate for is Christmas. This year I also kept my Christmas mantel simple and cozy.

After the New Year I usually get burned out of changing up the mantel and it stays pretty simple with a couple of vases, layered pictures and candles for the rest of the Spring and Summer. This year I had the urge to create a relaxing and "sweet" summer mantel. I was inspired by the song "Summertime" by Kenny Chesney.

I used my Silhouette cutting machine to cut out "Sweet Summertime" onto white vinyl. I brought some books down from my office. They are wrapped in old flight maps from my husband's uncle who is a pilot. I thought turning the books around to show the pages gave it more of a natural feel. The small air plants are from West Elm. (Who knew plants could be so easy to take care of!) The driftwood was found on the beach at my childhood lake home. The little lady is a gift from my mother-in law. She usually sits on my dresser (the bust, not my mother-in law..hehe). The fiddle fig stem is cut off from my indoor plant and the vase is Nate Berkus from Target (old). The little gumballs or sweetgums were sprayed gold at Christmas time and I felt the mantel needed one more element. Love these little cuties.

So that's it my friends! Just a little quick and easy summer mantel pulling items from around my home. Now its time to enjoy all the pleasures of Sweet Summertime!

Confession Time...what is on your mantel right now? Do you change your decor with the seasons or do you leave the same items up all year?

Tuesday Treats #17 {Inspiration from around the web}

Hello Hello! Your comments were very thoughtful yesterday. Thank you all for letting me share a bit of everyday life on this blog as well as decorating and DIY inspiration. I mean...where would life be without our families and those special weekends away? Am I right?

Today I have another round up of fabulous ideas from around the web. I love sharing what I find and I hope you enjoy this series as much as I do.

#1: Frozen Watermelon Popsicles 
How great do these look? I can see these being a hit at a party or something easy for the kids to munch on in the hot summer weather. All you need is watermelon and Popsicle sticks! Recipe Here.

source

#2: Summer Entertaining Inspiration (by Ikea)

We all love a good summer cookout with friends and family.. don't we? How about this fabulous outdoor party space with tons of great inspiration-- from Ikea, non the less!! Those umbrellas make me smile and want to sip some sweet tea. Most of the products can be found at Ikea. More pictures and sources Here.

source

#3: Bed, Bath & Beyond Coupons

So my friend Dina from the blog Honey & Fitz just wrote about how you can use your 20% off coupons for some fabulous online products from Bed, Bath & Beyond. We all have a bunch hanging around our house, but never have the chance to use them on something great and grand. Well there are SO MANY great items online that they don't carry in the store. Check out Dina's whole post: 20 Things to use your 20% off coupons on! You will be shocked at what Bed Bath & Beyond actually carry online. Below are only a few amazing items!!

source

#4: Why Lighting Matters

I recently came across this article written by Centsational Girl. It talks about why lighting is important in your homes. Whether you are ready to splurge on something grand or you find a fun chandelier at Goodwill, lighting can make or break the look of your room. 

Here is what Kate says about lighting: Great lighting is like the jewelry that makes a fabulous outfit. Your lamps, chandeliers, and sconces are an opportunity to set the style of a space, to add a layer of texture (think industrial or woven shades), or to play the role of the unexpected element. Think of crystal chandeliers in a contemporary space, a minimalist modern fixture in a more traditional room, or an industrial cage pendant in a cottage dining room.

Click HERE to read the full article as well as see some lighting sources.




#5: Gorgeous Traditional Living room with a Twist
And since I can't leave you all without some fabulous decor inspiration, I found this lovely living room designed by Shea McGee. It has many traditional elements infused with some industrial and modern touches. It is the perfect combination of classy and comfortable.

source

So what about all of you...any great inspiration I should know about?

Have a fabulous Tuesday friends!

Our Weekend in {Williamsburg, VA}

Hi All! Welcome to Monday morning! Whew...another start to a long week. I hope you had a nice weekend and were able to spend some time with the ones you love.

We were fortunate to take a little weekend trip up to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. It seemed like a magical place walking through history and learning about the past. There was so much work that went into everyday activities back then. There was back breaking work and concern of war, but in some ways walking through the past seemed like simpler time of life. Time to enjoy working in the garden, watching your children play games in the yard and saying "good day" as you walked through town.

I can almost guarantee you that if I was born back then I wouldn't think it was simple living at all. I am very fortunate to live in a world today that has running water, electricity, high tech hospitals and state of the art science. Although I think I would have liked a horse drawn carriage, I am also thankful for my car that gets me to and fro.

I enjoyed learning about how they died fabrics to make colorful clothing using berries and insects. They really did have fabulous color options even back then!

To have a shoemaker design and make your shoes would cost you anywhere from one day to three days pay. I guess I wouldn't have had a closet full of shoes back then. Darn!

Wigs were also very popular in this time. The latest fashion would come over from England and France. They would make wigs from goat, horse, human or even yak hair. It wasn't uncommon for you to have a few different wigs ranging in style from short to long and curly.

One of the most beautiful places in Williamsburg is the Governor's Palace. The architecture is absolutely magnificent. Even the colors on the walls in the grand ballroom and study were just fabulous. This was the home to many governors including Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson.

We really had a nice weekend celebrating my dad's 60th birthday as well as Father's day. The best part was being with our family and enjoying each other's company.

Sorry for the picture overload! I just love my sweet family and enjoy having this little ole blog to document life and our fun family moments.

Have you ever visited Colonial Williamsburg? Hope you are off to a great start to your week. See ya around here tomorrow!