An Update on Violet's Room

Please forgive the grainy photo! It was a quick snap with my iPhone. The last time we talked about Violet's room we were trying to figure out the best way to get her a cozy "nook" similar to the alcove in her bedroom at our former home. The winner turned out to be using curtains to sort of canopy her bed. Next we had to figure out if the layout of Violet's room would allow us to actually do this. The other day we tested out a few furniture arrangements to see what would work best.

After we had all of the major furniture pieces in place, I took a pair of curtains and hung them from the ceiling using some string and tape (classy looking, I know!), to see if we liked the look. Violet was a little upset at first about the idea of her furniture being shifted around (change is hard, even if it's wanted change!), but when she saw this she gasped and said, "It looks so pretty in here, Mommy!" I knew we had a winner. I'm planning for longer drapes, a framed out top, and four panels rather than two. Here area  few of my inspiration images:

I really love the look of the built-in bookcase in the above photo, but unfortunately there is a vent that prevents a bookcase from happening without a lot of extra work (Kev has enough on his plate as it is!), so I don't think that will work in Violet's room. I'm trying to keep this as low-maintenance as possible because I know he already has so much planned for this summer.

The colors in the photo above are so pretty, and so Violet. She's a purple and pink fan forever. In fact, she wants to keep the current purple wall color of her room, so we're probably just going to paint the trim and maybe the ceiling. I also love all of the pattern and the fact that the curtains are lined with a contrasting color/design.

Love this space too! So fun with the punchy colors and kid art. I definitely want to include some of Violet's artwork in the space (you can see one of her many rainbow paintings in the photo up above). What I'm trying to decide currently is what color fabric/curtains I want to use. Should I stick with white with a fun tassel or pom pom trim? Or maybe go with a more bold color? What do you think?xo, Lauren

Images 1 . 2 . 3. 4

Image 1 Credit: A Lovely Lark

Image 2 Credit: Trevor Tondro

Image 3 Credit: Melanie Acevedo

Image 4 Credit: Lily Z Interior Design
*I hope all of these are correct - I pinned them long ago and some of them are no longer visible on these sites.

1/2 Kitchen Reno: Inspiration

So we're currently in the midst of a half kitchen renovation. One side of the kitchen has an island complete with barstools graciously left behind by the previous owner and a baby poo brown crackly accent wall. I'm kicking myself that I don't have a better straight-on photo of this wall in all its glory, but it is what it is. Regret is for the weak, right?

We aren't ready time or budget-wise to do a full kitchen reno, but we've decided that we just can't live with this look a minute longer. Here's the plan that we came up with on a budget:

1. SHIPLAP. I miss our wood plank backsplash wall from the kitchen of our previous house, so we decided that this would be the perfect place to add a splash of shiplap. The wall is recessed on both sides, so we won't have to come up with any awkward solution for the ends or anything.

2. Redo the island. We want to cut down the island to one height (right now it's part counter-level and part bar-level), replace the countertop with some sort of reclaimed wood/butcher block, and paint it. I'm leaning toward black at the moment. We have a LOT of white going on in the house so far and I love the drama of a little splash of black here and there.

3. New stools and dramatic lighting. I'm not sure what style of seating we're going to go with for sure, but I'm definitely leaning toward something with a back for comfort purposes. I really like the metal cafe/Tolix look, or some sort of bentwood stools. Lighting-wise I'm also torn. I love more traditional fixture like this and this, but also could see myself going more modern like this or this. Or maybe something in between? Decisions!!! Which way would you go?

Image sources: 1 . 2 . 3

Kitchen Inspiration

I've been scouring Pinterest for kitchen inspiration, and I think I've narrowed down the look I want:

1. Light and bright + natural wood tones - I'd love to have all white walls like these photos, but since we're painting the cabinets white and have white appliances, I think it will be a bit much. I'd love to get stainless steel appliances, but it just isn't in the budget.

2. It's no secret that I love color and as much as I love the above looks, I definitely want to add some hits of color into the space like this:

Isn't that yellow door just adorable?! We don't have a pantry, but we do have a door that leads to our side porch, so that may get painted a bright, fun color. I actually already own the print in the larger photo above, and that may make it's way into the kitchen as well. I'm also in love with that minty green pendant, but I'm not sure that Kev would go for such a bold choice - we'll see. I know it's never going to be my dream kitchen, but here's hoping it'll be a lot cuter than when we started! xo, Lauren

Images Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Three Fab Laundry Rooms + a Giveaway!

So the Home Depot is offering another great giveaway ($50 Gift Card + Tide Samples) to one of A Lovely Lark's readers - woohoo! To enter, use the Rafflecopter below and follow A Lovely Lark on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway is part of the kick off of their #BrilliantHEClean campaign, and to celebrate even further they'll be offering a $100 gift card with the purchase of a Maytag Powerwash machine and 150 oz. Tide. PLUS on top of that they're running an even bigger giveaway with Maytag and Tide where the winner will get a $5,000+ laundry room makeover plus an e-design consultation with the lovely and talented Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook!

Here are a few of Jenny's favorite tips to redesign and organize your laundry room (mixed with a few photos of my favorite laundry rooms on the interwebz):

Tip #1: 

Dealing with a dark, cave-like laundry room is a chore in and of itself! By taking off the doors on a few of your upper cabinets, you'll open up the space and create a place to store baskets. In this laundry room, we assigned baskets for every member of the house, which makes sorting a breeze! 

Tip #2: 

Why not decoupage or paint insides of cabinets for a fun pop of color? It's a guaranteed smile each and every time you reach for your detergent.

Image Source: Anne Charlotte Photography

Tip #3: 

Don't like the cabinets, floors and countertops in your laundry room? Every surface can be painted or resurfaced! For less than $30 in materials, the outdated linoleum, brick pavers and old, dark cabinets were updated in this laundry room with paint and with a concrete overlay product.

Tip #4

A rolling laundry butler can be your best friend, doing triple duty with a hanging bar, a rolling basket and a drying rack. It's the perfect choice for a laundry room with limited space that hasn't been updated in a few decades.

Image Source: BHG.com

Tip #5: 

Don't neglect your laundry room walls! Hanging interesting art and mirrors will elevate your room and make it feel less utilitarian and more “homey”. Suddenly those 400 loads of laundry most of us will do this year might actually be enjoyable!

Tip #6: 

Use a slab of stone or a simple piece of painted MDF on top of the washer/dryer units to create a folding station and to prevent socks from slipping in between the appliances.

Image Source: View Along the Way

Thanks to the Home Depot, Maytag, Tide, and Jenny for the awesome tips and giveaway, and good luck to everyone who enters!

xo, Lauren

Pinspiration

I often get asked how I come up with color palettes for the idea boards that I create. Often, I'll find a piece of artwork that I love like this print from Society6:

Then I pull colors from it to create an idea board like this one. But sometimes I use multiple images, often found via Pinterest and create a mood board:

It's so easy - I love using Pages to make them because it's really simple, but sometimes I use Photoshop too. You could also make them in Word. Creature Comforts is a favorite site for color inspiration as well. I love Ez's color inspiration daily series. (Be careful though, because her site can become addictive - I could get lost for hours!) xo, Lauren

P.S. You can find me on Pinterest (and sources for the above images) here.

Master Bedroom Update

So the floors are in! The room feels so much lighter, brighter, and cleaner now that the old carpet is out and the ugly green tile is covered. The next step is trim and paint. I'm craving white, bright, simple, and clean.

Here is what I'm looking at for inspiration:

left . right

left . right

So excited!!! Happy Friday

xo, Lauren

P.S. You can check out more of my ideas for the bedroom on my Pinterest board here.

Lovely Links

As you read this we are on our way back across the Pacific. I'm going to miss my sister and brother-in-law, and especially the handsome little guy pictured above something fierce. Luckily I have the trip ahead on which to focus to help take my mind off the fact that I'm leaving them far behind.

I'm actually fairly nervous at the moment - our trip here went much better than expected, so I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst on the trip home. I just feel like it can't be that easy! Please keep your fingers crossed for us!

In the meantime here are a few of my favorite things from around the web this week:

I could think of so many uses for these

Dressing like summer.

Ah two of my favorite things: polka dots and cake

And some more cake love.

Call me!

I could work here.

And I could definitely sleep here. Or here.

And a few of my favorites from over on A Lovely Lark:

Lovely little spaces: One . Two . Three

Lovely little things: One . Two . Three

Lovely little art.

Adorable way to announce a bun in the oven!

Recipe for bath time fun.

Happy Friday!

xo, Lauren

Lovely Links

Happy Friday all! I'm currently packing like a crazy person for our trip to Australia. I'm going to keep this photo in mind when it gets hairy during our flight(s). Serenity now...serenity now...

Here are a few links for your weekend - hope it's better than ours is bound to be!

Genius idea for traveling with littles.

Completely in love with these curtains. I'd like three for Violet's room

Seriously stunning home.

Pretty pajamas

One of each please!

Polka dots + stripes.

Perfection.

I loved my wedding bouquet, but if I did it all over again I might just choose this.

And posts from A Lovely Lark this week:

Beautiful monthly baby photo set up

A nursery starts with art!

Up, up and away!

Pop of green.

We leave bright and early tomorrow for Oz*, wish us luck - I have a feeling we're going to need it!

xo, Lauren

This is where I want to be print by Kurt Rahn via society6

*We have a house sitter and an alarm system

Have a Relaxing Weekend!

I'm so excited...in just a few short days I'll be home with my babe for the summer. First plan of action: put some blackout shades on her windows and hope she learns the art of sleeping in :) Hey, a girl can dream, right?

A few fun links for your weekend:

Sweet & simple nursery

Staircase shelves

What a fun way to sleep!

Pretty party supplies

Shop update with lots of goodies over at Quill & Fox

Finally - an easy way to manage my takeout menus

The cutest party photobooth

Cheeky little bikes

Cross-stitch cookies

Genius! rainbow table

Happy Friday! xo, Lauren


P.S. Image via my Instagram. You can follow along @withtwocats

Somewhere Else

Sometimes I come across photos (mainly whilst surfing The Pinterest) that make me want to get away. Go somewhere else. Maybe back to our honeymoon? (We went to Germany and Austria). A little cafe in France? Joanna Goddard just recently went on an impromptu trip with her other half, and Amsterdam looks just lovely. Wouldn't it be great to have no responsibilities, plenty of money and just be able to jet set off to explore new places? I had a dream a couple of nights ago that I won one-hundred-and-forty MILLION dollars in the lottery. (It was a beautiful feeling.) And then the alarm clock woke me up...

I bought a lottery ticket the other day just in case.

one . two . three . four . five

FRIDAY FAVORITES

I'd love to live in a space with this vibe.

Links that have been inspiring me lately:

on freedom

on work life balance

on taking control of your life.

on living with less.

on remembering the little things.

Happy Friday! xo, Lauren

I want to work here

Kind of completely obsessed with the studio of Katie Rodgers of Paper Fashion featured over on Glitter Guide. The colors! The little gnome man! True love.


xo, Lauren

Friday Favorites

I can't wait to see how this nursery turns out.

Possibly the sweetest photo ever.

Possibly the sweetest child ever (other than, of course, my own ;))

Ridiculous cuteness.

In love with the wallpaper in this space.

DIY 'inlay' dresser and a lovely terrarium how-to.

On working moms and myths.

Sweet and simple party favors.

Free arrow brushes!

Happy Friday! xo, Lauren

Violet Turns Two: Party Planning

Violet's second birthday is quickly approaching. I'm excited but trying to keep myself from going overboard. This cake looks pretty but simple enough for a two-year-old. Completely unpretentious. Fresh flowers are a must for a spring fling. And I think I can definitely DIY these amazing flags! (Or if I win the lottery I can pay someone to DIY them for me ;)) I can picture kids running rampant waving their flags in the air now...

Want to see more? Check out my inspiration board on Pinterest here.

Half a Dozen Eggcellent Easter Eggs

one, two, three, four, five, six

Spring Fever

I'm looking for a little more sun in my life...

I'm on the hunt for some sunny wallpaper for the living and dining room. Sorry orange you've got to go. Out with the old and in with the yellow!

clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four, five, six

xo, Lauren

Friday Favorites 2.17.12

Love this home tour from Katie's Pencil Box.

Fifty-six ways to market your business on Pinterest.

Can't wait til my kid starts saying funny stuff.

Definitely creating one of these ASAP.

What a fresh take on a traditional corsage:

The prettiest wedding.

Downton Abbey mania!

On working mothers and missed opportunities. Liz is always spot on.

Well said. This too.

And last but not least, have you seen The Take Home Series over on Pacing the Panic Room? Pretty video hair tutorials for you to play with this weekend!

Happy Friday! xo, Lauren

Violet's Turns Two: Party Inspiration

I can't believe it, I really can't, but in three short months my baby will be two. And when I realized this I naturally hopped on to Pinterest and started pinning like a mad person. (What did moms do before Pinterest?!) Here are a few inspiration photos I've dug up for her birthday party:

[tents for the kiddos]

[favor bags]

[invitations?]

[candle holder]

[mountain pies!]

[mountain cake - one layer only]

[tree stumps as serving pieces]

[vintage sheets]

[outdoor movie]

I'm thinking a woodsy/campy type of theme with tents and s'mores and mountain pies and maybe an outdoor movie? Who knows what weather we'll end up with in mid-May, but a girl can dream, right?

Check out all sources and more ideas over on my Pinterest board.

xo,

Eye Candy

Currently my dream home would feel something like this:

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If I didn't live with a man that is :)

xo,