One Lovely Artist

Hi all! I know it's been a while. Just popping in because I've discovered a new fave artist, and felt compelled to share with you all! I somehow came across Helen Dean's art on Instagram, and just love, love her work. I've purchased three of her paintings, and they are just gorgeous. You can pop into her website or Instagram and check out more of her work here and here. xo, Lauren

Pink & Mint Nursery Design Board

Pink and mint - two of my all-time favorite colors! Mix it up with a bunch of warm neutrals, and you've got a recipe for a soft, feminine, and fun nursery.

Sources:

Pink Abstract Artwork: Mimi & Me Design Co. on Etsy
Mint Triangle Changing Pad Cover: New Mom Designs 
Cloud Mobile: RH Baby & Child
Wooden Fox Toys: Ooh Look, It's a Rabbit! on Etsy
Diamond Flatweave Rug: RH Baby & Child
Floral Prints: Katie Vernon on Etsy
Mint Wooden Camera Toy: Twig Creative
"xo" Letters: Flea Market Sunday on Etsy
Tassel Garland: Little Dovie on Etsy 
Bunny Felt Animal Head: RH Baby & Child
Love You Nightlight in Pink: Housey Home on Etsy 
Succulent Vase: Oli's Cupboard
Pretty in Pink Crib Bedding: Little Auggie
Fox Porcelain Nightlight: RH Baby & Child
Wingback Swivel Glider: RH Baby & Child

Kid's Room Design Board: Eclectic Adventurer

I've never been one for a super specific themed kid's room, but every kid loves going on adventures, right? I know Violet does! I whipped up this eclectic adventurer-themed room for Apartment Therapy - you can see the full post with sources right here. xo, Lauren

A Pretty Place to Work

Now that I am working part-time, my desk is in an "office" type setting along with the rest of my team rather than in a huge classroom, and my space is pretty dismal at the moment. I'd really like to freshen things up but I don't want to spend a lot of money and I have to use the standard issue hideous monster of a desk, so I've been throwing around some ideas on a design board.

I thought one way to dress up the desk might be to cover it with some fun patterned gift wrap and place a piece of plexi glass on top. I'm also thinking a large but inexpensive piece artwork, like this "Be your-self" print would make a big impact on a budget. Maybe I could splurge on a few cute (but still reasonable) accessories and eventually add a few smaller pieces of art into the mix. A few other things I'm considering are a peg board, some small DIY projects like a cute mouse pad or some DIY artwork, and possibly painting the desk (not sure if that's allowed or if it would even work on a metal desk.)

And I'm still not sure what to do about a desk chair, because right now I have a wonky hand-me-down behemoth that a colleague gave me (if I didn't take it it was going to the dumpster). Not only is it totally fug, it's also way too big for me and is pretty uncomfortable, so I'm going to keep an eye out for an inexpensive alternative (suggestions welcome!)

Sources:
Gold Foil Dot Gift Wrap
Neon Nesting Boxes
Be your-self Print
Pink Stapler
DIY Mouse Pad
KVISSLE Letter Tray
Hustle Gold Foil Print
Heart Print (DIY?)
Mint Floral Gift Wrap
Abstract Artwork
Gold Table Lamp
Gold Notebook

A Pair of Pears

I came across this pretty pear painting on Pinterest and fell in love - it's right up my alley with that peachy pink/bluey mint color combination. Throw in a bit of black stripe and a generous amount of gold and stir. You can find all of the sources and more over at my post for Houzz.com.

9 of the Cutest Moon Prints + Posters

I don't know what it is about the moon, but Violet has been in love with it since she was a wee babe. Maybe it's that it is the brightest thing in the sky at night, and the girl loves her light :) At the moment we have two night lights going strong in her room in addition to leaving the hall light on for her. Whatever the reason, I think the moon makes a perfect addition to most any little one's space. Here are nine of my favorite prints featuring that big glowing ball in the night sky:

1. Goodnight Moon
2. I Love You to the Moon & Back
3. I Love You to the Moon & Back
4. La Lune
5. Moon Man
6. The Moon
7. Moon Phases
8. Moon Banner
9. Full Moon

Giveaway: Win $250 to Minted!

I'm so excited to be able to offer you all a chance to win $250 to Minted! They have the most beautiful birth announcements, birthday party invitations, nursery artwork, and much, much more.  In fact, we used Minted for Lucy's birth announcements and our Christmas cards.

They also have an adorable line of children's stationary now as well. I think Violet would absolutely adore having her own stationary - she's obsessed with her name and loves sending and receiving real mail.

Here are a few of my current favorite designs:

Personalized Children's Stationary:
Quotes Children's Personalized Stationary
Bubblegum Pop Personalized Stationary
Love Milk Children's Personalized Stationary
Accent Children's Personalized Stationary

Nursery Artwork:
Heirloom Pear Print

Greatest Adventure Print

Family Tree Rings Print

Anemone Monogram Print

Birth Annoucements:

Watercolor Bunting

Chalkboard Stats

Vintage Label

Garden Bloom

Birthday Invitations:

Simple Balloon Invitation

Cloudy with a Chance of Fun Invitation

Thoughts on Birthday Boy Invitation

Fun in the Sun Invitation

My Age Invitation

To enter the giveaway, use this link. Best of luck! xo, Lauren

Handmade Love - Woven Wall Hangings

I've been loving the current trend of woven wall hangings a la Maryanne Moodie and  - they can bring so much color, texture, and whimsy to a space! Here are a few of my favorite handmade offerings currently on Etsy. Some of them can be a bit pricey (understandably so considering that they take a ton of time, effort, and creativity), but if you search hard you can find some that are budget friendly (one of these is only $40! Can you guess which one?!) Or you could even go the route of some of my favorite bloggers like Rachel or Jen and create one yourself.

Here are a few shops that I've discovered on Etsy (whose work you can see above) if you're not feeling super creative today:

Jujujust
Hazel & Hunter
Wall and Woven
Maija Eliz
Jennifer Lesley Design
Jeannie Helzer

xo, Lauren

Neon Pop Nursery

I love the idea of a bright white nursery with lots of pops of fun color and metallic accents. It seems like it would be such a happy, energizing space, don't you think?

Sources:
Painterly Pillow
Wooden Camera
Cloud Mobile
Abstract Print No. 1
Hello Sunshine Print
Abstract Print No. 2
Round Pillow
Stool
Gold Table Lamp
Pink Lampshade
Pom the Apple Blabla Doll
Classic Bead Toy
Gold Heart Print
Mid-Century Crib
Striped Crib Sheets
Clay Toadstool
Neon Pink Moccasins
Taxi Toy
Knit Pouf
Heart Pillow
Campaign Dresser
Geometric Rug

A Girly Glamping Nursery

I came across this print on Pinterest and loved the campy look in the fresh blush, navy, and orange color palette. It inspired this girly camping (glamping?) themed space. I love that it has rustic and camp-themed elements, but still looks very girly and a little bit glamorous at the same time. You can find all of the sources in my article for Houzz.com! xo, Lauren

P.S. After getting a lot of requests, I added sources to my Spring Fling Cool Berry and Sky Blue idea boards - you can check them out here!

Spring Fling

I'm working with Project Nursery again on a fun Spring Fling Pin Party inspired by Britax's gorgeous new Cool Berry and Sky Blue Affinity Strollers. The colors are so fun and vibrant - the perfect jumping off point for a little one's nursery:

Cool Berry Nursery Sources:
Curtains
Themis Mobile
Cloud Pillow
Floral Painting
Ombre Pillow
Dot Wall Decals
Striped Pom Pom Rug
Geometric Rug
Mid-Century Crib
Pom Pom Throw
Pretty with Pink Crib Sheet
Happy Place Artwork
Life is Beautiful Print
Gold Lamp Base
Pink Lamp Shade

Sky Blue Nursery Sources:
The World Smiled Print
Clock
Pendant Lamp
ABC Print
Balloons Prints
Carousel Crib
Hedgehog
Cross-Stitch Quilt
Rug
Camera
Ball
Car
Balloon Mobile

Family Room Updates

A few months ago I was trying to decide whether or not to squeeze a mini gallery wall into this little corner of our family room and I did this mock up and took a picture for debate purposes (during which Violet hopped into the picture and kind of stole the show):

So anyway, I decided to go for it, and while it's still a work in progress it's not looking too shabby at the moment. Things are actually nailed to the wall this time rather than leaned, taped, or sticky-tacked, so that's an improvement! (And the cats decided to get in on the action in this picture - Violet was at her grandparents'):

We also were considering replacing our rug with something a little bit more plush. I love the look (and price) of flat woven rugs, but they aren't exactly the best for kids to crawl around and play on. I hated to spend the money at the moment - plush, pretty rugs can be sooo pricey, but luckily we were saved at the last moment by the lovely people over at Rug Pad USA. We had a no-slip "pad" before, but it definitely didn't add any cushioning whatsoever. I never realized what a difference a good rug pad could make until we tried one out. They sent us one of their premium-lock rug pads for the family room and an eco-cushion rug pad for the rug in Lucy's nursery, and I am truly amazed by the improvement they've made. The rugs are so much more comfortable to walk and sit on and don't shift around like they used to. Definitely recommend them.

Now if only I could get a better camera I'd be a happy camper. Ours kind of bit the dust - it's just old I guess and isn't taking nice photos any more, so I've been stuck with just the iPhone for now. Someday maybe we'll be able to afford a shiny new DSLR! A girl can dream, right? Luckily the iPhone isn't so terrible. Here are some cute pics I got of Violet and Lucy romping around on the couch the other day:

Not too terrible for a phone. This is like their favorite thing in the world to do these days - rip all of the pillows off of the couch and bounce around like crazy people. And Violet just loooves when Kev builds forts and slides and things for her them. Being a kid is the best. No wonder Violet never wants to grow up :)

P.S. You can find us on Instagram @alovelylark

Handmade Love

Aren't these handout canvas banners from Jimmy Marble so fun? I love the bright colors and loose, hand drawn typography. They'd be so perfect in a little one's room, or anywhere in the house really! xo, Lauren

Natural Wonder

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY UNCOMMON GOODS

Patchwood Headboard, Bubble Wall Clock, Animal Alphabet Print, Cardboard Moose Bust, Alphabet Factory Blocks, Hee Haw Pull Toy, Sleeping Fox Pillow, Wud Double Side Table, Sweet Dreams Pillow Cases, Invisible Shelf, Salt Desk Lamp, Moss Terrarium, Cubebot Puzzle, USA World Map Poster, Lake Louise Photographic Print

I was honestly totally into the idea of a third kid after I had Lucy - overall she's been so much easier than Violet was as a baby, but at nine months she's still not sleeping through the night, so I'm starting to rethink the whole idea! The bags under my eyes are about the size of Jupiter at this point, and I'm starting to resemble a character from the Walking Dead more and more each day (and I don't mean the living ones). You never know though - if I've learned one thing about motherhood it's that you forget the difficult things pretty quickly - my poor sister asked me sooo many questions after she had my nephew and I felt like such a loser because I couldn't answer half of them! I think it must be Mother Nature's way of keeping the species from going extinct :)

On the other hand, one of my favorite things to do is to create idea boards for teeny people - so much so that it almost makes me want to have like twenty kids so that I can create pretty bedrooms for all of them (okay, okay, so maybe I don't love it that much, but you get my drift!) But after a while using traditional sources for children's decor can start to feel a little like you're rehashing the same things over and over again. Something I love to do to keep things fresh is to explore my favorite sites that aren't necessarily branded as children's decor stores. I've always loved shopping at Uncommon Goods, and I've found a lot of favorite kids' toys, artwork, and even furniture there, so I teamed up with them to create this idea board. I love all of the natural elements and wood tones paired with the crisp modern blacks and whites. I would totally bring this room to life if I had a little boy! IF. xo, Lauren

This post was sponsored by Uncommon Goods. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Little Adventurer

I created this ideabook for Houzz.com back in December, but never got around to sharing it with the holiday rush and demise of my laptop. So here it is a little bit late! xo, Lauren

P.S. If We Were Having a Boy, a Modern Safari Nursery, and a different kind of Little Adventurer's Room.

Nursery Finds to Energize and Inspire

When the new year rolls around, I always find myself craving fresh, bright, invigorating colors. I came across a striking rug on Etsy that combined traditional kilim patterns with a fun color palette and thought it would be perfect for a brilliantly colorful nursery design! I pulled colors from the rug and threw in some glitzy metallic accents and came up with this fun idea board. You can find sources over at my ideabook for Houzz.com right here. xo, Lauren

P.S. A Euro-Inspired Kids' Room and a Happy Nursery Design

Holiday Giveaway No. 2: Decorate

For our second giveaway I'm thrilled to offer some lovely items to feather your little one's nest:

1. Starry Sky Print + Shipping (or $25 credit) from Amy Brearly
2. $25 Credit to Bella Luna Toys
3. Pouf + Shipping from Zid Zid Kids
4. Medium iKhaya Birdhouse Hook + Shipping from Looodus

This giveaway is open internationally (woohoo!) You can enter via the Rafflecopter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nature-Inspired Nursery

I'm participating in a pin party tonight with Serena & Lily and Project Nursery at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST with some other amazing bloggers - 100 Layer Cakelet, Green Wedding Shoes, La Petite Peach, and Mini Magazine! I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with. You can find all of the sources for my nature-inspired nursery idea board and a ton more inspiring nursery ideas tonight - hope to see you there!

Get On My Walls

Hunting for some artwork for the kitchen and I'm really loving these black and white beauties:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Circus-Inspired Nursery

Don't worry, no creepy clowns here! I came across this gorgeous print on Etsy and fell in love with the colors of the festive circus tent. It would be the perfect palette for a gender-neutral nursery or kid's room! If you'd like more details and sources you can check out my ideabook over on Houzz.com