Inspiration Archives | Page 57 of 95

Words to Inspire

February 19, 2014

I used to do regular Words to Inspire post but have gotten away from it. I guess I was feeling like you all see your share of inspirational quotes on Pinterest and Instagram so you don’t need it from me. But what I realized today is that I enjoyed sharing these post with you because it allowed me to share uplifting words and because it’s a way for me to tap into my feelings and what’s going on in my life. So I’ll be bringing back my Words to Inspire post from time to time and hope that the words I share touch your soul as much as they do mine.

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Let’s Get Crafty: Fancy Straws

February 13, 2014

My hubby typically doesn’t eat breakfast during the week but since Valentine’s Day is Friday I’m planning a simple little treat for him made even more special because of a little crafting project I completed.

On the menu is a fruit cup, his favorite muffins and a fruit smoothie.

I thought it would be fun to create special straws for us to drink from, of course made with love.

Supplies:

Fancy Paper Straws

Martha Stewart Heart Punch

Colored Paper (I used paint chips from the hardware store)

Valentine’s embellishments

Scotch Tape

Scotch Mounting Tape

Punch hearts from your colored paper (or free paint chips)

Cut 1/4″ wide paper strips long enough to fit around the straw, tape strip ends to create a paper band

Attach Valentine’s embellishments to hearts using mounting tape

This is what the paper band will look like.

Slip embellished hearts over straws and enjoy your beverage.

After breakfast slip the embellished heart off the straw and throw the used straw away. The embellished heart is ready for the next celebration! {Valentine’s cocktails}!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

10 Design Details That Never Fail

February 12, 2014

When you look through your favorite design magazines have you noticed that many of the rooms featured showcase some of the same design elements? It’s no accident because there are a select group of design details that designers continually rely on, design details that never fail.

BLACK FURNITURE

Classic, timeless and works with just about every design style

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PAINTED CEILINGS

Color over head is a great way to add visual interest, warmth and highlight a key color used within the design plan

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STAIR RUNNERS

Not only are stair runners great for comfort and security but they soften the rigid architectural lines of stairs

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POPS OF COLOR

Color is the easiest way to add personality and energy to a room

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PAINTED BOOKCASE BACKS

The easiest and most stylish way to dress up a bookcase and allow the decorative accessories to stand out

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BLACK LAMPSHADES, MERCURY GLASS & STARBURST MIRRORS

A touch of black in every room helps to ground it

A touch of shine in every room makes it feel more elegant

Starburst mirrors add visual interest and a classic design detail to any space

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FLOOR MIRRORS

Mirrors of any shape and size will enhance the size of a room, improve the light in a room and make beautiful details really pop

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GOLD FRAMES

Gold frames work with any photo or art image and when hung in groups they are just darn pretty

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If you’re looking at doing any updates to your décor, changing out some of the design details might give you the refresh you’re looking for!

How many of these design details have you incorporated into your décor?

Paper Love: Creative Ways to UpStyle Your Envelope

February 6, 2014

I love paper products and one of my goals each year is to step away from the computer or cell phone and sends notes and cards to my friends the old fashion way. The cards I send are always decorative but rarely do I do anything special to the envelope.

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An E-Design Plan–Blue and Bold!

January 31, 2014

Last week I wrote a post on The Power of Accessories and Accent Furniture. The post highlighted how the accent furniture and accessories you select for a space can define that space and create the personality of that room.

I recently completed an e-design project for a client that revolved around a strong color palette and a favorite accent piece. The client wanted to use navy as a foundation color and had to have this gold drum as part of the design. The goal was to create a space that is dynamic, has a sense of sophistication and comfort. The accent furniture pieces, the rug and the mirror grouping will add a bold statement while the gold finishes and mix of materials add that sense of sophistication.

{the mirror grouping idea was inspired by my friend Jen over at Vreeland Road…thanks Jen!}

The power of accessories and accent furniture is evident in the final design plan. I love creating spaces that with a fresh and modern feel and am so happy the client loves it all.

If you’d like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about my in-home or e-design service.

Have a fabulous weekend! I’ll be back next week with a full week of design, entertaining and gifting post.

Gift Wrap Inspiration: Paper Lace Band

January 29, 2014

During my recent trip to the CHA show I had the opportunity to see lots of really cool crafting machines. One of the machines that stood out to me was the Fiskars AdvantEdge Punch cutting system. I’ve seen this crafting machine in the stores for a few months but never really took the time to learn how it worked or what type of craft it produced. After getting a demo of the machine at the show all I can say is I love this machine.

For my latest gift wrap inspiration post, I decided to use the Fiskars AdvantEdge Punch machine to create beautiful paper lace bands. The decorative borders that the AdvantEdge machine cuts are fabulous for gift wrapping and there are multiple design cartridges you can use to create different looks.

For my Valentines gift wrap this year I am using a fun polka dot paper and the “Celtic Knot” and “Flower Garden” Fiskars punch designs.

Traditionally Valentines is all about the colors red and pink so the chocolate paper with dots and the pink lattice paper I wrapped my gifts in give my gifts a modern spin.

For my paper lace bands I used a gold metallic paper which adds an elegant touch to my gifts.

When you wrap your Valentines gifts this year get creative with your paper and embellishments. And if you love paper crafting, the Fiskars AdvantEdge Punch machine should be part of your craft closet!