winter white + sheepskin

With all the ways we hope to continually upgrade our 1920s Bungalow, this was not necessarily on top of must-have list. But for some time, I have been drawn to sheep skins. They warm up a space as little area rug in a nursery or flopped on the back of a sofa or underneath a coffee table to give a room warmth and texture. As a style, I definitely lean towards white on white, organic elements{like driftwood} with modern and pops of color- so a sheepskin throw fits right in! When I came across this eco-friendly {come to find out it means they are tanned without using harmful chemicals} Icelandic company called Black Sheep {white light}, I decided to go for it. It arrived a bit ago and it smells so clean and fresh {think the woods in winter- fresh but no real scent} and is really warm against the back of the couch. If sheepskin appeals to you at all- this is sure to be a happy purchase for under $150. While it has nothing to do with films or weddings,sure has a lot to do all things cozy and warm. Which could be a wedding film. So it relates, right?


{erica}

happy summer colors + framed wallpaper

Thanks to daisy chain, I may have resolved my big artwork dilemma for the our tv room. Framing beautiful wallpaper for the perfect, oversized pop of color. This is a great resource for wall paper. There is also this site and this one has great patterns, too.

In my wall decor folder that is getting lots of ideas but no action {winter projects!} I have been storing away Alpha Workshops for more pretty wall paper ideas. Wouldn't three different but related patterns framed in white from their kimono series be so happy and fun?

{erica}

industrial chic lighting.

These kitchens make me want to settle in with friends over a cup of coffee. Open, airy, functional, beautiful. Big fan of this type of kitchen where utilitarian meets understated design. Our farm kitchen definitely has the rustic thing going and these images have inspired me for what pendant might be good over our butcher block table. Just found a great website called barn light electric with eclectic pendants for a farm kitchen meets industrial loft space look. There are also the pottery barn alternatives that might just shed the perfect light on this dilemma...

{erica}

kitchen bookshelves part II: before+after

the streamlined 'after'

the cluttered 'before'



Still a work in progress, but we never posted images from the freshen up the bookshelves project. What was starting to become our dumping grounds when we walked in the door, got a fresh coat of paint and edited down to our favorites. { The favorites included: a vase of the wish stones from our wedding, a stack of my moms own published cookbooks, a wrought iron piggy bank of my fathers from childhood, the globe Mike bought Lucy when she was a toddler to show her the world, a hardcover stack of the poetry books + classics from Mikes dad who was an English professor, framed artwork from the kids and adults in our lives and treasures from traveling.}

This refresh project has a way of clearing the mind and great tribute to the moments that make up our lives and define who we are.

{erica}

the art of the bookshelf.

Mike works his tail feather off. Every week is six days of work, one day of rest. And by rest, I mean his seven year old bouncing on him and repeatedly chanting 'daddy, chase me'. He always put his clients, daughter and me before his own needs. This weeks 'day of rest' was spent yet again, doing something for someone else. This time, it was me. We are not elaborate gift givers and focus more on the gestures--so when he asked what I wanted for my birthday, this wish immediately came to mind. I feel so grateful and excited-and a bit guilty. But giddy with excitement, just the same. It means so much that this gift had so much heart {and sweat} go into it.

It is the art of the bookcase. Our country kitchen has a warm, rustic feel and really is the heart of our home. But it has been bugging me that we have a bit too much oak going on. So for two years, I have been nagging to paint our bookshelves white and revamp it for a clean, monochromatic look. After Mike spent the day on the deck in the hot sun sanding, priming, lugging and painting- it looks like these beauties are ready to hang. It is really theraputic to edit out the chaos for whites, tans, neutrals and browns and select just the most meaningful and sentimental to showcase. A little 'this-is-your-life' shrine, of sorts. These photos give some inspiration.

With fixer upper projects all around, it will be a beautiful thing to have at least this wall, finally done. Can't wait to get my hands on it after work today and post a few photos and see what you think!

{erica}

do-overs.

Best part...check out these befores!

Why do they excite me so much? I love seeing rooms that are refurbished + updated, gifted with clean lines and a sense of style. Breathing new life into an old space is an addiction of mine. While our fixer upper bungalow has plenty of raw material to work with- budgets and busy schedules mean we have to often have to delay gratification. But with every refurbish project,we joke that we are sprucing up our old lady with a bit of shine. Giving her a new shade of lipstick and fancy hat.

Eye candy like this inspires and helps delay the urge (it really is an addiction!) to tackle the three unfinished rooms in our own house until the new year.

refresh.

(do I really need to label this "before"?)
("after" with still a few changes to come)
Just a quick blog to update life at Buzz between film projects. " Before and afters" are just so gratifying and after yesterday's post about wasabi green bathroom and last week's post about our living room-thought it is only fair to show one of many real images cataloging the happy changes in our home. New ceiling plaster, refinished floors and boatload of Mike's detail work brings this corner of the room alive again. We have window treatments and one big piece of artwork to hang- but for now we are enjoying the clean simplicity of just one more refreshed corner of our home.

{mike +erica}

we went with wasabi.

We were suffering a bit of post traumatic stress from all of the color chosen by the former owner of our 1925 bungalow.
Mike and I thankfully have have a comparable aesthetic-the collective vision leans towards a clean, classic and bright cottage. So it surprised us both after repainting our bathroom twice that we could not get the right shade of neutral. The late night exasperated decision after our second attempt at pale robin's egg blue? We went with wasabi. Our classic bungalow bathroom with black accents and white pedestal sink now has wasabi green walls. Love it.

A good reminder for wedding decor- even if you value classic elegance for look and feel-sometimes it really works to take a gamble on one bright punch of color. These images on today's post from Desire to Inspire reminded us we are in good company with the bold yellows and greens in decor these days.

{erica}