Guest post: 6th Stree Design School!!!

I know, right? Kirsten is a completely amazing interior design, etsy *EXPERT* (seriously, she is the authority on all things etsy), and just has a great eye for all things bright and beautiful (sorry, I just couldn't help myself). She is pretty much a rockstar in the design blog world and I am totally excited to have her participating in this series...I'm sure she was like "who is this girl??? and why is she asking me to do her a favor???" She was so sweet to do this and has some fantastic pointers on how to personalize your home!

Kirsten, do you just love being called a rockstar??? (c:

To make your home your own it's important that you surround yourself with patterns and colors that you love! This yellow pillow in my office is bright and cheery and every time I see this pillow it lifts my spirits. (Aubrey totally hogging attention: don't you just love the mix of patterns/texture in her office??? Okay, carry on.)

I love having pictures of my sweet baby in special places in my home. A home is all about family and love and it's wonderful to have special reminders about the things that matter most in my life. And it doesn't hurt to have those pictures displayed in pretty frames.

I am a sucker for a good inspirational quote. I have them all over my house. An inspiration board is a great place to have all the things you love displayed. This board makes me happy and everything on it inspires me and reminds me how much I love design!

I'm feeling pretty inspired myself right now...have I mentioned how much I adore Kirsten and her gorgeous house (a couple million times)? ? If you liked this, you will go gaga over the rest of her home...Thanks, Kirsten!!!

And don't forget to enter the Giveway for the Anthro bowls...it ends tonight!!! (c:



Does it really get any better than Kelly Wearstler?

That is a *BIG* fat NO. And I heard through the grapevine (or the Decorista, the queen of chic herself) that Ms. Wearstler has a new fab blog.

I feel kind of like a four year-old on Christmas.

Guest Post: A Dose of Pretty!!!

A Dose of Pretty


I am so very excited for you all to see Sara's space from the awesome blog A Dose of Pretty...it's so cool and yet functional at the same time! I found her blog through I Suwanee because her *FABULOUS* bergere chair was featured there...and I've been hooked ever since. She is a doll and you will see what I mean about a fantastic office after this: (c;


Hello! I am so flattered to be here at 

Aubrey's fabulous blog writing about

how I have made spaces in my home my own.
When she asked me to do this I was a bit shocked.
The reason is that our home still needs a lot of work.

(Aubrey: I have to butt in and say that I would move in to her office in a heartbeat...seriously.)

Making my home my own has been a journey,

and sometimes a bit of a hassle because our home changes every

two to three years with my hubby's profession.

So needless to say, my budget is limited for making it my own.
And unfortunately, owning a home is not in our near future.

I am a fan of many styles - traditional, modern, contemporary, rustic, etc.

After looking at a lot of inspirational images I was able

to narrow down my style to eclectic modern which includes some traditional pieces.

I also realized that pattern and color are important to me.

My favorite space in my home has become my workspace.

When I found my $35 campaign dresser/desk

I absolutely knew that I needed to get the For Like Ever poster

I had been lusting over for many years.

After that I searched for pieces in my own home that

could be added to the gallery wall.

 

I will eventually replace my bergere chair 

with the Louis Ghost Chair, but for now this works.
(Aubrey again: That is when I will steal that chair because I am *completely* head-over-heels in love with it! I mean come on, gorgeous b&w with a pop of pink???)

Since this is my workspace where I sew, blog, and craft

I knew I would need a tray to put some accessories

and this way if I need some work space I can easily remove the

tray and make room to work.

My second favorite space is my bookshelf of my collection of design books.
I used to sit in this space and peruse through books and magazines,
but now I have no chair in my nook.

So this is it!
Really our home still needs a lot of tweaking.
I am sure you know what I am talking about if you read my blog.


We have started a furniture fund and it will be so exciting
when I am able to add some beautiful pieces to our home.
The next big purchases are a sofa and dining chairs
maybe even my dream rectangle dining table.

Thank you Aubrey for inviting me to your lovely blog!

See what I mean??? The prints, the pink, the python??? So much to love and so little time!

Absolutely lovely...Sara and the room! (c: Thanks Sara for the office inspiration and can't wait to see the new home in Peru! That's right, I said Peru...if you don't already get A Dose of Pretty in your day, you need to!

Don't be bashful!

Join in the fun!!! Enter the giveaway before Friday...

And don't forget to come back tomorrow for the guest post from Sara from A Dose of Pretty!!!

Okay so not so much a guest...

Can you tell that I'm not necessarily a pro at this whole guest series thing? Don't worry it will be back tomorrow with the wonderful and talented Sara from A Dose of Pretty...I know I'm *really* looking forward to it because she has *ridiculously* good ideas!

Today you are just going to have to settle for....me. (c: It's crazy, I know.

Well, maybe it *is* just a little crazy because I got some ladies with insanely great houses, blogs, and eye for design...you might see a pattern here! I don't pretend to know a darn thing about it  be an expert, but I have just a few things that I go by when I'm thinking about how to make my house a home!

Comfort is King. Well, at my house it's a queen but I like to be practical when I think about what to put in our house. I have to think about who lives there (two little rugrats to be exact) and what is going to make it the haven that everyone desperately needs from that crazy world out there! (I know that I see these pillows everywhere, Tarjay is a personal fav of mine, but I just *LOVE* them and they are so soft...like I said, comfort people...)

I like my home to reflect who I am, like if someone walked in and I wasn't there, they would be able to just look at the house and get a little piece of who we are. Um, this would say we are crazy, mismatched, ecclectics...

Or...

That I'm totally in love with my second home, Brazil (print is by q.a. designs, totally awesome), we love to have pictures EVERYWHERE, *love* books and reading, and just little things that make me smile (like my cute lil' ikat bowl...doesn't that make you want to win that giveaway??? Heck, it makes *me* want to win it!! (c: Good thing that's not allowed.)

I really like to do projects. In part because I really love seeing the transformation of something terrible into something terrific...and partly because it is budget friendly!!! But they are a great way to get the little details that make things different and *yours*.  This is my daughter's goodwill dresser that I just switched out the knobs for adorable little polka dots and her cute little yellow lampshade that I made with some grograin ribbon and a glue gun. Oh yeah, we love the glue gun. I just love color, too... (and those are my Sugar Fresh prints that are just the perfect finish on this room. Adorable.)

Mostly, I just try to surround us with things we love: family pictures, books, color...little moments that remind you of what keeps you going everyday!

Well, it's definitely no Cassie, Courtney, Sara, or Kirsten house (yep, A Dose of Pretty tomorrow and 6th Street Design School on Friday!!!)...but it's home and I really love making it "ours"!

Thanks for indulging me today, lovelies! See you back here for some *seriously* loveliness from Sara tomorrow!!!

Guest Post: A Thoughtful Place!!!

Honestly, I never cease to be amazed with this girl...her blog is just busting at the seams with ideas for just about everything! She has great ideas for everything from centerpieces to construction (as evidenced by her latest project and her lovely kitchen!). And on top of all that, she couldn't be sweeter. I know, I'm totally jealous, too. (c:

I'm so very excited to have her to share her absolutely gorgeous home and ideas with us...

Take it away, Courtney!

I am thrilled and honored to be guest posting today! When Aubrey asked me to share a little about what makes our house a home, I was really excited. I really do feel like our house has become a really special place for us . . . but I haven't stopped to reflect on the how or why that happened. This has given me the chance to do so. So let me share with you what we have done to accomplish that.

In the kitchen {the heart of any home} we kept things clean and simple. For us, the brighter and lighter the space, the more we connect with it. We kept it very traditional with the subway tile and the black and white color scheme. A chalkboard above the sink hosts a special saying or quote that makes us stop and think. It's a nice way to start each day.

I think it is crucial to carve a space out for yourself. It doesn't have to be an entire room. But a little cozy spot that says relax and unwind. We all need to recharge from time to time and my spot is a soft place to land when I am having a rough day.

I spend a crazy amount of time in the laundry room. Although it isn't huge, I wanted to add my own personality and make it a happy place to be. I simply added fabric, paint and some flowers. Go for colors and prints that make you smile!

I LOVE using artwork that is meaningful. In our playroom, we hang recent pieces my children have created. It transforms a place from just a cute spot to a truly special space.

Along the lines of artwork, we think things should be personal. In our living room we created a piece of subway art that includes streets that have special meaning to us. I think I spent less than $40 on the entire project and it gives us such joy. It is also a great conversation piece.

Our guest bathroom has a wall with six prints on it. They are all photographs from places we have traveled. It's inexpensive and yet so meaningful. We are reminded of those fun trips each time we see the photos.

And finally, in our master bedroom we created artwork made from our children's birth dates. Also extremely inexpensive and yet priceless. I simply printed out the dates on the computer.

So that's a little look into how we try to make our house a home. To me, it's all about surrounding yourself with beautiful things that hold meaning. If you do that, you really can't go wrong.

Thanks so much for having me!

Thank you Courtney! Isn't her home just devine? I know, I think I'm going to move in. (c:

Giveaway to you lovelies...

I just couldn't get these little guys out of my head...and finally broke down...and *LOVE* it!

So I was just wondering if you all would like to win one???

I thought you might...they are oh so adorable and the colors are just so fun!

So I'm going to give *TWO* of you lovelies one of these little pretties!!!

What do you have to do?

1. Become a follower and leave a comment telling me which color you would pick if you won (if you are already a follower, just tell me what color you are drooling over...)

2. If you are really, *really* wanting one of these babies, then post about it on Facebook or Blog about it and leave *another* comment about where you showed the love...

*PLEASE* remember to come back and leave comments for *each* of these, I don't want anyone to miss out!!! (c:

Thanks so much for following along on the crazy train, it is so much fun and I enjoy you all so much! Good Luck!!!

Random.org will pick the winners Friday, February 4th...