Ottoman Before and After

I had been on the hunt for the perfect ottoman for awhile and was just about to go custom when I found this little gem on sale at Home Sense!

I wanted a velvet similar to the sofa at the Kate Spade store and found this icy blue at Designer Fabrics. I love how it looks with the orange and red that is popping up in our home. Someday (when our toddler is all grown up) this lovely lady may have a tray, a vase of fresh flowers and a stack of books...but for now she is a workhorse. The perfect height for a little guy who loves to play with tractors and cars, a getaway from crocodiles lurking in the pond...and a cozy spot at the end of the day for tired feet.

Kate Spade Inspired

While in NYC a few weeks ago, my girlfriends and I were lured into the Kate Spade store on Broadway. The girls were swept away with Kate's costume jewellery whereas I was smitten by the stores eclectic and colorful interior. This store has inspired me to update our living room with a splash of aqua and to rethink my use of color. I can't get enough...

etsy find

I have a bit of an etsy addiction - I am such a fan! I found this simple watercolor painting and made it mine. It's now hanging in the dining room in a modern walnut frame - I love all of the colors and the youthfullness that it exudes.

etsy find courtesy of lauren nicole love

headboard love

So it's been far too long and of course it takes a couple of episodes of my favorite HGTV shows to get me inspired to get moving again! Our bedroom has been an ongoing project and we still have some finishing touches before it's complete - but I am thrilled with our new headboard and matching side tables. The side tables were a sad shade of pinky beige before they were spray painted Benjamin Moore's Tranquil Blue. The headboard was custom from our local upholstery shop - it's perfect isn't it?

Saving my pennies for...

The Saarinen low oval coffee table. It may take years but someday it will be mine.

Inspired

I have always been inspired by interiors but lately it is a little over the top. Perhaps it is the fact that I now have my own house - a blank canvas where I am free to do as I please. I have volumes of interior design magazines and books but I find I am most inspired by design blogs these days. With the demise of many design magazines and the desire to have new information at my fingertips instantly, I think that the blog is my new favorite way to get lost and to day dream I suppose.

I wanted to include a photo for this first entry but could not decide on any single image that would define what inspires me - inspiration comes from everywhere - people, places and things. How could I possibly choose? With this new outlet I hope to see things in a different light to find inspiration from all things around me and to be able to articulate what I love and why.

I begin this blog while on maternity leave - busy with a little one but away from the stresses of work - allowing me the opportunity to dream a little bit and to begin to sort out my path. What should I really be doing with myself? How can I apply my creativity and love for interiors into a successful career? Am I ready to make a change?

The questions may get answered at some point but for now I want to focus on the day to day, catalogue my favorite things, share new discoveries and get my own house sorted out - I hope that with that my path may become clearer as I continue to be inspired.