you are my wild

For adorable, beautiful, and inspiring photos of kids check out, You Are My Wild.  You Are My Wild is a weekly portrait project that brings together 14 photographers to document how they see their children.

the plaid barn

If you have some expendable income then check out today's deal (as in, only for today) at The Plaid Barn. Shown above washi tape syles for only $1.99.  Also, check out A Beautiful Mess' giveaway for an instant washi collection through The Plaid Barn.

organize my life

My friend Mary used to always say, "Augh, I need to organize my life" when things got a messy and needed to be controlled. For a lot of people an organized desk or home helps their mind tackle all the different tasks in their lives. For others it doesn't really matter. But if you're part of the first group then there never seems to be enough organizational tools or gadgets to help keep things tidy and ready for action ... and if they're cute, all the better!

Two websites with just such items are Present & Correct and See Jane Work. Both sites have things that will help corral and contain, organize and create order for your work area, home, purse, or all of the above! I could spend hours just browsing through all their lovely items. 

(above top) Patterned Planners

(above middle) Button Push Pins

(above bottom) 60s Metal Tube Tidy

(below top) Vintage Wall Pockets
(below middle 1) Sticky Tab Dividers
(below middle 2) Semokolon Sticky Page Markers
(below bottom) Bamboo Desktop Dry-Erase Board

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : 1145 lill studio

1145 Lill Studio is an company that allows the customer to create their own bags choosing from over 40 styles of bags and accessories and then choosing from over 130 different fabrics. Or you can purchase something from their collection (all bags shown). They have two boutiques, in Chicago and Boston but you can do everything online too. I'd love to visit the boutique in person since the Chicago location it's pretty local for me. These would be perfect gifts for your bridesmaids and mothers because you can tailor each bag to each person or you could create the perfect purse to match your bridesmaids' outfit. These would also make wonderful baby shower gifts as well because they have baby bags made for moms!

The bag and accessory styles are simple and modern however where the real fun happens is with the fabric choices. The colors and patterns are so beautiful. Depending on the style bag/accessory you select you will get to customize the interior, exterior, strap, and even accent trim. 

top: Lilli Set - Mango Tango

bottom: Susan - Moroccan Tiles , Ellie with Magnet - Watercolor Painting

new at ikea!

I am eyeing some new items at Ikea. How cute is the Raskog turquoise kitchen cart (top)?! I can imagine that little cart everywhere in the house, inside and out. Great for a dinner party to hold extra cups and plates. Or how about a mobile bar with all your liquor and bar essentials. But it would also a great little game cart to house all your board games. Or how about a traveling herb garden? Perfect for a bathroom to hold extra T.P. and towels. 

Next, we have two rugs. One for the adults and one for the kiddies. I've been thinking about buying a rug for like 6 months now but they're so expensive. This Malin Figur rug might be pretty enough to convince me to fork over the dough. I think the colors are brighter than pictured. Lastly, we have a really fun Vandring Spar rug for the kiddies. I used to work in a preschool and I can just imagine story time sitting around this cute rug and kids playing with toy cars on a rug like this. And for $24.99 what's not to love?

make a statement

I love a good statement necklace. I still dress like I'm in Junior High so I usually don't wear necklaces but bold and colorful ones on other people always seem to catch my eye. One day when I don't have to worry about budget I will dress my age and wear a beautiful statement necklace. 

top: Palamino Necklace

bottom: Sofia Pearl Bib Necklace, Contessa Jade Necklace

online love : blik

Ok, so there's Blick and there's Blik. Today we're talking about Blik. Wall decals galore! Some are originals, some are from famous designers, some are borrowed from Threadless. In fact, I own some of the shirts that are now made into wall decals. ;P

These wall decals are a very cool and relatively inexpensive way to spruce up an apartment that you don't want to take the trouble to paint only to have to paint back to beige when you move out. Or it's a great way to decorate rooms that have design expiration dates, such as kids' rooms, baby/wedding shower events, birthday celebrations, even wedding receptions. The decor you might have up when your kid is a newborn isn't necessarily the thing they'll want when they're school-aged. Or maybe you have the extra cash to make your best friend's bridal or baby shower extra spunky.  Or maybe you're a bride on a budget and have booked a blank slate for the wedding or the reception hall and could use all the help you could get to transform it from sterile to something special. 

Here are some decals that caught my eye:

(above) Lacy Sunday, Imaginary Forest

(below, row 1) Night Owls, Skyrides

(row 2) Happy Accident, Skyline Rhythm

(row 3) 99 Luftballoons, Moon Kite

(row 4) I'm Like a Bird, Alphabet Zoo

(row 5) Wee Gallery Garden, Wee Gallery Woodlands

spring pop!

All the neon lately takes me back to Junior High when I had a pair of neon green shorts. I got made fun of them even back then. Haha, but I digress...

I bought this cute little bag from Target for $19.99 in neon orange. It's pretty rare when I don't find a bag at Target that I don't want to steal. But don't worry, I paid for this one.

online love : west elm

I love West Elm. I've only recently heard about the store because I think the nearest one to me in CA is in LA so I had never even heard of it. But now I have one down the street. It reminds me of a mix between Anthropologie, Pier 1 Imports, and Crate and Barrel. I seriously LOVE their stacked apothecary jars (above). How cute would these be for a wedding candy bar?! Love it. Here are some other beauties that I really liked.

row1:

Zigzag Floor Pouf - $249

Swirl Rug - $129-$799

row 2:

Mercury Glass Vases - $12-$39

Dimpled Glassware Set - $16-$32

row 3:

Hive Vases - $24-$34

Everett Striped Chair - $599

online love : fossil

If you know me well you know that I love Fossil. I love their bags, I love their watches, I love it all. I've owned several watches and bags in my lifetime and I even own a Fossil men's bag. Haha 

I am loving the new Maddox Organizer Flap bag. SERIOUSLY, I'll take one of each color, please! So cute and what I really like is the option to "lock" the flap with the turnlock closure. 

Below are two other cute little gems that I really liked on the website.  The new Vintage Re-Issue Messenger bag and the cutest little coin purse you ever did see, the new Vintage Re-Issue Frame Coin. I promise, I'm not a paid advertiser for Fossil. Although, if they're reading, I totally would be. ;P

online love : adabelle's fashion lounge

I saw the first dress on Pinterest and thought, "Oh, I like the colors and graphic shapes."  The pin took me to Adabelle's Fashion Lounge and originally I just wanted to save the image for future inspiration but then I looked at the price: $47.  "Whoa.  That's not bad at all," I thought.  Here are some other dresses/top that I thought were cute and at a somewhat reasonable price.  My favorite would have to the third dress....reminds me of a sunny soda shoppe.  I think it would be adorable worn while riding a bike with a basket.  CUTE!

[1] Geometrically Yours Dress - $47 (sold out)
[2] Afternoon in Rio Top - $33
[3] The Pretty Parallels Dress - $79
[4] The Simply Bow-utiful Dress - $63

etsy love : ilovedoodle

Check out these cool, smart, witty, and cute prints from the ilovedoodle store on etsy.com.  Here are a few of my favorites:

[1] Woody Allen  

[2] Ballet of Mustache  

[3] All we need is... love  

[4] The Choir of Antartica  

[5] Happy Ever After