Feature Friday: Ashley's Boy's Room

Ashley emailed me a few weeks ago to let me know about her boys' room makeover.  She used the same wall decals I did in Jett's room and even had an airplane theme as well. This room is so amazing to me.  I love every detail and I love how she captured the same feelings I tried to create in Jett's room.  Adventure, sentiment and fun. 

Her boys had only two requirements for their room.  It had to have orange and it had to have airplanes. I think Ashley did an amazing job. 

She filled that Ikea pendant with pencils. So creative.

Ashley has such a great artistic style. 

If you want to see all the details behind the room and to see where things were from make sure you check out Ashley's blog! 

What I Love About... Christina from Full House

The next participant in our "What I love about..." series is Christina from the beautiful blog, Full House. 

What I love about Christina:

If you have read Christina's blog then you know how fabulous she is.  She had oodles and oodles of class and style. Her blog is my go-to place for interior eye-candy. Her posts are always full of the most beautiful images and inspiration. She has a set of twin girls and a set of triplet boys and still finds the time to keep up with her amazing blog. 

Here are her answers to a few questions I asked her about things she loves.   


What I love most about where I live:

Outside of the window in my bedroom is a beautiful citrus tree and whenever I look at it it makes me feel all warm inside.  That tree reminds me of why I love where I live.  I grew up around citrus groves here in the middle of the desert and even on hot summer nights the grove of trees help to absorb some of the heat ridden nights...it was always much cooler around my stomping grounds.  Oh the fun we had romping through the groves.  Then came spring and the sweet aroma from the citrus blossoms was enough to make me want to bottle it up and store it on a shelf of my all time favorite scents.  I keep telling myself that I am going to hang lights on that tree and stare at it when I go to bed.



I also love the state I live in for its diverse and very unique beauty that you can't find anywhere else.  When you come to Arizona you will experience what I would like to call resort style living.  If you are a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright then you can certainly find his many influences here in the valley.  Another thing I can not fail to mention is the amazing thrifting experiences to be had here..you see we have what some call snow birds and many people who thrived in the mid century and then retired here....which means a treasure trove is just waiting around every other corner.

What I love about Interior Design:

I love Interior Design because it helps fulfill my desire to create something. Interior Design speaks some sort of language that makes me very very happy. It is such a way to express oneself and anything that incorporates textiles is right up my alley. I still lay awake in bed trying to decorate a room in my head just like I did when I was awarded my first bedroom at the ripe age of 12. Don't even think I didn't have a 50's style Minnie Mouse picture hanging in that room.

Oh and I love that others share a passion for Interior Design and make publications so that when I go to my mailbox and receive the latest issue to my favorite design magazines I can do the excited "I got my magazine" dance.   


What I love about blogs:

I love blogs for all of the friends and kindred spirits that I have found that share the same passions as I do.  I love blogs because it makes the world seem so much smaller and makes finding inspiration so assessable by just a short click of a mouse and a scroll down google reader lane.  Blogging for me has been such an outlet.  I discovered blogs while feeding my triplets..it took forever to feed them so I found that a laptop worked great for multi-tasking purposes.  I think the first blogs that I read were Nie Nie Dialogues, Pink Wallpaper, Habitually Chic, Style Court and Absolutely Beautiful Things.  I don't even know how to narrow down my favorites because I love so may but here are a few off the top of my head (besides the before mentioned):
High Street Market (because she is an awesome treasure finder)
Dress, Design and Decor
Two Ellie
Coco and Kelley
The City Sage
Little Green Notebook
Design Sponge

What I love most about my life:

I love being a Mom.  My kids make me so happy and I love life because I get find great satisfaction in managing my home.  I love that my children inspire me to want to strive to be a better person.  On a daily basis I get to try and see how it is looking through their eyes and have never been so excited about some of the most simple things again.  I have the most amazing support group that consists of  a strong and witty husband, great family and friends who help to make me happy.

I find great pleasure in food and love finding new places to eat.  Just a few days ago my husband and I celebrated our anniversary and he had made reservations at a very nice restaurant.  I was so happy that he didn't take offense when I suggested we find a brand new hole in the wall because he knows that those are the type of things that get me going.  I usually function best and am most content when I am flying by the seat of my pants and love to explore so my able working body makes me very happy.  It is not an uncommon scene to have music blasted while we have a dance party around these parts.  My sister can attest to that because I was trying to show her some of my moves and gave myself a black eye...anyway...there is so much to love about life.

What I am loving right now:

Right this very second I love Lonny Magazine, Steven Gambrel, Jenna Lyons, 1st Dibs, Terax Hair conditioner (I need to try Moroccan oil), Arizona Highways and just for kicks because I already listed more than 3..I love it when they showcase all of the people who are having birthdays who are 100+ on the Today Show:-)... seriously.


Thanks to Christina for participating and check out her blog!

q.a. Design State Print Giveaway!

Jenna from q.a. Design has created the most unique state prints.  I ordered one of Utah and it is one of my favorite things in my home.  These state prints were recently featured on a local t.v. station!  You can check that out here.  Not only are they fun for your own home but they would make great gifts as well.

Jenna is offering the opportunity to win one 8 x 10 state print of your very own! 

She can design any state you would like. 

1. To enter this giveaway leave a comment on which state you would choose Jenna to design if you won. 

{For an extra entry}

2. Tweet or blog about this giveaway and come back for an extra entry. 

{For another extra entry}

3. Become a follower on Jenna's Design blog and come back for an extra entry. 

The giveaway ends Tuesday, May 4th. 

Tips From the Experts

Have you looked at the latest House Beautiful. I got it right before I left for my cruise and it was the perfect companion while I sat on the beach.  This issue gave some great designer advice.  Here are a few of my favorites tips. 

 A bigger bed makes your room look bigger.

 I  love the dresser in this room. 

Leave cabinets open. An open armoire is more interesting than a closed one. Let people into your secret world.

I adore this image.  It helps if you have a fun punch of color on the inside of your armoire.  

Dark walls do the opposite of what you'd expect: They make a small room feel bigger.

I actually really like dark walls. I know they can be really really scary but this is the best way to add drama and depth to your your room. 

The fastest way to make over sliding closet doors is to wallpaper them, like Melissa Warner did to turn a bedroom into her office.

You know I love wallpaper.  I think adding wallpaper to doors is a really unique idea.  

Large collections need order.  

I agree with this advice whole-heartedly.  Not only do large collections need order but so do small collections and BTW isn't this bed amazing!

Use a rug instead of a bath mat. It was made to withstand a lot more wear than the occasional wet foot.

Oh my goodness. This image is taking my breath away. Perfection. 

White works. You'll never get tired of a white room

Just like you shouldn't be scared of dark walls you shouldn't be scared of white walls either! 

Layer your lighting.  Four lamps are better than two. You need ambient light for mood and direct light for reading.

I am a big believer in layering your lighting.  If I could afford I would have sconces and table lamps all over my home.  Lighting makes such an impact in a room.

Tuck your throws.  Keep throws under control. Fold them lengthwise, then in half, then tuck them into cushions.

I thought this was great advice. I never really know what to do with my throws.  Sometimes I like the thrown on look but this tucked throw looks so nice. 

Kick your traditional coffee table to the curb.  The most versatile coffee table you'll ever own is an ottoman topped with a tray.

I totally agree with this. An ottoman is my favorite coffee table.

Gold is Gorgeous.  Gold is back in a big way. A few accents will warm up a room, like this classic living room designed by Kirsten Fitzgibbons and Kelli Ford.

I love gold! Gold isn't just for traditional rooms.  You can mix it with modern pieces like that graphic art on the back wall.

Leather Lasts. The most indestructible fabric for dining chairs is leather or vinyl. Especially if you want white.

I love this room.  The leather chairs are so cool with the textured woven backs. 

Switch up your seating.  Mix up the seating at your dining table. You wouldn't have eight identical chairs in your living area.

I love a bench instead of chairs at a dining table.

Don't forge the closet! Love your closets. Paint them, paper them, hang pictures in them to inspire you. And definitely light them.

Oh I love the idea of hanging pictures in your closet ecspecially ones that are really personal.  Only you ever see your closet so it gives you a chance to display something really special. 

Refinish Vintage Finds.  Don't be afraid to paint a vintage piece. 

Yes,yes, yes.  Paint your old furniture.  It gives it a whole new life. 

To see more tips that I didn't cover check out this article on House Beautiful.com. 

all images via House Beautiful 

Etsy Bunting Roundup

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I'm back!!  Thanks to everyone who participated in my series.  I had so much fun on my cruise. We went to the Mexican Riviera and I was so inspired by the beautiful pendant flag banners that were hanging everywhere. 

Today's Etsy roundup is bunting flags. I love them!  

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