Obsessed: Fireplaces

Its coming.  The cold.  And there is nothing we can do about it. This type of weather gets me thinking warm thoughts.  And if you’re in hurricane Sandy’s path, warm and cozy is exactly what you need (in addition to hurricane preparation stuff duh). Remember long ago when the cold made me think of warm, cozy beds? Now I’m pining over fireplaces:

Loving: Old Windows

When we looked at the house for the first time,  I noticed big old windows in the back yard leaning against the garage.  After we left, instead of thinking about important questions to ask the landlord like the condition of the appliances or the insulation...I was trying to figure out a casual way to inquire about the windows. Here's the gem I came up with:

In Love With: Leaning Artwork

Pottery Barn

I change my mind a lot when it comes to wall hangings! I'll have an idea for an art arrangement in my head, get the nails, a level, hammer etc, set everything up, make ONE hole in the wall & decide I don't like the arrangement anymore.  One hole is not really a big deal, but its frustrating, especially when you had to use one of those stupid drywall anchors, and you're left with a eye sore of a plastic dot right in the middle of your wall.  (PS does anyone know how to get those out??)  Anyway, leaning & layering is a great alternative to hanging artwork & also a great alternative when you're renting & don't want to put holes all over your landlord's walls.  Here are a few inspirational leaning & layering art displays.

In Love With: Book Sculpture

indie*galore

Ever since I made my recycled paper wreath I've been a little obsessed with paper crafts.  I've always loved paper & often collect bits & pieces of wrapping, labels, book pages.  I'll take anything & everything. I even made my own paper last summer, So when I saw the above sculpture I searched for more...

In Love With: Fabric Wall Paper

As I've said quite a few times in past posts, we're moving in a few months & I'm sooo excited! Literally, I'm already making plans for projects I want to try when we get out of here.  I know for sure that we'll be renting so I'm especially scouting ideas that are temporary, but more importantly cheap & amazing!

In Love With: Antique Suitcases

design*sponge

I try to be organized, but can't seem to keep up with mine and my boyfriends growing collection of things.  I'm always looking for different ways to add creative storage that not only holds a lot of my junk but also hides it from visitors.  I inherited an antique suitcase which currently holds my knitting supplies, but I'd really love to pull it out of the basement and put it to everyday use!  I rounded up a few different ideas on suitcase storage and I learned I'm going to need more suitcases!

In Love With: Cozy Beds

As the temperatures dip, I love getting into my cozy bed at night time.  Curling up with a book and a cat and I can always keep warm.  A great way to get your house and self prepared for the winter is changing up your bedding.  There is nothing like having a rough sleep and being cold, not a good way to start your day! 

Here are some inspirational beds that look warm, cozy and ready for winter!

In Love With: Chairs

Apartment Therapy House Tour

Not only are chairs a great to have around the house to make room for extra guests, but I think that chairs are also a great way to inject your personality into a space. I've collected the following few images from Apartment Therapy posts over the last little while because I love chairs and Apartment Therapy does fantastic house tours, so there is a ton of opportunity for inspiration.

In Love With: Branches

Wall Decor - Ayos: Living ReArrangements

I've said in a few posts that I like bringing the outside in for decor.  Today I was looking out the window and at the cherry tree in our back yard admiring the intricate branches. I love the organic look of bare branches, so I did some exploring and I've put together a collection of my favourite ways people have decorated with branches:

In Love With: Vintage Wooden Crates

So, fall is finally here and the heat wave has subsided, here at least. I think autumn is my favourite season. The leaves are changing, you can actually open the windows to let in some crisp fresh air, and you can start bringing the outdoors in to add new decor elements to your space.   A great way to cozy up the house and add nature inspired elements is to add some wood...so for today's post wooden crates! The crate above may look dirty and hopeless, but there are so many creative ways to use crates.  Here are a few ideas...

In Love With: Trays

 1. Leather Pencil Tray 2.Wooden Tray Set 3. Hourglass Novelty Print Tray 

I've been searching on my favourite blogs and decorating sites for ways to keep clutter contained and organized.  I love bins and baskets because you can litterally throw stuff in them in no particular order, then put the bin on a shelf and no one sees your clutter and your shelves and storage spaces look organized and tidy.  For the kitchen, I love the junk draw that hides all my funny shaped and odd sized kitchen utensils and tools.  Now I'm loving trays, not only for serving, but for a way to organized clutter and display decorative items, while still allowing easy clean-up when extra surface space is needed. 

In Love With: Vintage & Vintage Inspired Labels

I love all things vintage, but today I'm limiting the topic to vintage labels.  A few months ago at a thrift store I found these babies for $4.99.  The tin holds 24 Vintage Poster Labels with adhesive backs!!  They are colourful and vibrant, plus I'm glad they have a more mate finish than a glossy one, they just feel and look more authentic that way!  I know they are not truly vintage (it says printed in 2004 on the tin) but I think the images are authentic!

In Love With: Terrariums

i love house plants and have many, that must be why i love terrariums so much!! i really want to make one for myself and have been looking through several tutorials for ideas and tips. i'm learning they can be any size from huge to teeny tiny, you can use basically any kind of container from vases to jars, and you can fill them with bits and pieces from your backyard. i have several antique jars with glass lids that have been collecting dust and an extensive little glass bottle collection, so sometime before the summer is over i'm aiming to make at least one terrarium. if they grow successfully, i think they would make great gifts for friends and family…act surprised if you get one :)

my inspirations pictured above:
katy elliott's tutorial on how to make a terrarium
a family project by two straight lines
found terrarium tutorial on design*sponge
beautiful kid's terrariums at cookie magazine