joie de vivre.: Inspiration

Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts

1.10.2012

Oh You Fancy, Huh: LIFE Magazine's Best Fashion Photos

Maybe because this day has started off rainy and dreary... but this list from LIFE Magazine just did something great to my psyche this morning.

See the entire list here.

Have a beautiful day!

12.19.2011

Inspirations: Christmas Interiors

From traditional red and green, to the unconventional aqua and white (yes, please!), here are a few of my favorite decked halls!

So ornate yet so clean. Love the damask wallpaper and ribbon accents.

Everything Aqua!


The tartan ribbon and hardwood paneling. So very manly chic!

Pink and Sassy, with a bit of black to keep it from being kitschy.

A vintage vibe-- love the magnolia in the porch planters!


Candy + Christmas = Something for the bebe!


RED and GREEN(ery)! Simply sublime... aqua and white

The gorgeous, perfectly shaped tree that puts my little artificial tree to shame (Bless its heart.)

A Nutcracker Christmas

And, while I know this is a wide angle exterior shot, I just love it so much I can't not post:

JOY!

11.29.2011

Anyway.

ANYWAY

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered,
LOVE THEM ANYWAY
If you do good, people will accuse you of
selfish, ulterior motives,
DO GOOD ANYWAY
If you are successful,
you win false friends and true enemies,
SUCCEED ANYWAY
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow,
DO GOOD ANYWAY
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable,
BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY
What you spent years building may be
destroyed overnight,
BUILD ANYWAY
People really need help
but may attack you if you help them,
HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY
Give the world the best you have
And you’ll get kicked in the teeth,
GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY.

-The "Paradoxical Commandments," displayed on the wall of Shishu Bhavan,

Mother Theresa's children home in Calcutta

2.19.2011

Prettying Up the Standard Envelope

Jane Austen's writing desk

Handwriting things-- anything-- just makes things so much more personal. I'll be the first to admit that I find pounding out words on the keyboard a lot easier than putting pen to paper, but there's just something instantly endearing about seeing words transcribed in script. The writer gives the reader an idea of their unique style in a way that just seems more intimate than Times New Roman.

Meant to Be Calligraphy

So, I try to hand-write things as often as possible. The ladies of my life have taught me to always send handwritten thank you notes. And even though it's tedious, I still longhand my journal as well. Because going back and reading my own (albeit very illegible) script a week or a decade later is a little more thrilling that way.

I loved the ideas I found on lettergirl's blog. I mailed three cards this week and took a certain satisfaction knowing that amongst bills and catalogs, my recipients would find happy envelopes like this:

Flowers for the girls...


Stars for the boys


Metallic silver, gold, and white pens are great for colored envelopes


All this takes is a Bic pen and a steady hand! Visit her Etsy store here: lettergirl on Etsy

11.28.2010

All I Want for Christmas Is... An Awesome Blog Giveaway Alert!

One of my favorite blogs I follow is giverslog. Especially at this time of year, it is a great resource for gift ideas that are thoughtful and creative. So I was thrilled to check it out today and see that there is a great giveaway going on:

Sometimes I don't realize how much I need something until I see it online and then can't stop thinking about it. That is what's going on now with this Silhouette digital cutting tool.

What is it?

"The Silhouette SD is an electronic cutting tool that connects to your computer allowing you to cut fonts and images in cardstock, vinyl, heat transfer material, etc.

What can it make?

The Silhouette can be used to create scrapbooks, cards, home decor, custom apparel, school projects, glass etched projects, stencils, etc.

LOVE THIS! I am daydreaming of all the amazing creations I could make with this machine.

Click here to enter and have a chance to win this fabulous Silhouette!

11.16.2010

Lust List: November 2010

My tank tops haven't made it to winter storage yet, but even before Halloween, holiday decorations started popping up in retail stores. Depending on the source, the reasons for this are varied-- from a projected upswing in 2010 holiday sales to enticing bargain-savvy consumers with budget-friendly early bird deals. (Christmas in July, anyone?)

Who would fall for such a blatant ploy to encourage consumerism in this down economy?

I would, and I have.

Here are just some of the things on my radar at the moment:

Anything and everything turquoise! From Oh Joy!

It's time for my favorite-- Holiday Party Attire! Tory Burch

Unique Christmas gifts, from vintage to handmade: Etsy.com. For example...

I love this seller for simple and reasonably priced handmade jewelry. I purchased the necklace above on Etsy.

Customized self-inking address stamp, myrubberstamp (also on Etsy).
About 1/3 of the price of PSA stamps, and just as pretty!

My decorations aren't up yet, but my wheels are already spinning... Coastal Living

Holiday Sets galore! "Beauty in a Box: Nars Junkie" $69 on Sephora.com

A plate of these for the party host... because during the holidays, calories don't count.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Sweet Pototo Cupcakes.

Fabulous new pieces from the Swelle Boutique

Anything and everything featured on this blog- I check it at least twice a day- swanky::chic::fete

Uber cute and a total indulgence at $345:

Balenciaga's LE 10th Anniversary "Mini Mini First" Keychain

Loving that my favorite magazines are starting to go digital... pictured here, Martha Stewart Living

10.28.2010

The Many Faces of the Chandelier

Photo Credit: Antiquesblog.net

Looking through design blogs, interior design magazines-- even when deciding on stationary patterns-- I realized recently that the chandelier is a slight obsession of mine. My eye is drawn to them whatever the capacity; in fact, one thing I love about chandeliers is how varied they can be from one to the next. The fact that there are two that "came with" the house I eventually purchased definitely had influence on my final decision, and I'll admit those light fixtures-- not anything practical, like the new HE washer/dryer-- came to mind as I was writing the down payment check. The idea of a little cottage house with two chandeliers was what helped me make my final decision.

As a side note, my house has a 1:2 chandelier ratio now.

Nurseries, kitchens, bathrooms, porches, palaces, earrings, outside, inside...
chandeliers aren't a Marie Antoinette exclusive anymore.

But let's start with Versailles anyway.