can i DIY?

Often times I'm shopping or looking at art saying, "I could make that". So I don't buy it and add it to my ever-growing list of things to do...one day. This morning, I was scrolling through photos of Oliver & Molly Hatch's home tour. Molly creates beautiful ceramic pieces for retailers like Anthropologie. I stopped in my tracks when this image popped up.

One of Molly's plate installations. She recently had a large commissioned wall "painting" completed for the High Museum of Art in Atlanta (made up of 456 hand-painted plates!).

I'm telling myself I can recreate this, but I know it's a looong shot. And I know the end results won't be the same, but is it worth a try? I love it.

artist spotlight // jake weidmann, master penman

I've always been fascinated with handwriting. I was one of those that passed girly notes in elementary and middle school. I loved writing my friends' names in bubble letters or large cursive at the top and adding cutesy drawings around it. Gosh, I remember keeping binders of notes. They'd be hilarious to read now.

This video of Jake Weidmann popped up somewhere and I'm so glad I clicked play. It's not only about his beautiful artwork and how he mixes his drawings with calligraphy, but the amount of time and energy he's put into his craft. It's his passion and something he hopes to highlight for future generations. Hopefully it helps to make us all appreciate the art of pen to paper a little bit more.

hi, 30

crossing off #2 on the list below - a trip to Nashville with my mom and sister in July. It was incredible!

Back in May I wrote a little 30 before 30, a list of things that would be nice to do before turning 30. The big day came on Sunday, September 6th. I turned 30 years old. It sounds sorta old, but I still feel about 24 most days. And hopefully I still look 24 years old.

Well, I guess I was a bit ambitious back in May. Maybe I'll extend this to my 40th birthday.

1. Jump out of a hot air balloon.
2. Go on a girls trip with my mom and sister.
3. Surf in Virginia Beach. 
4. Complete an Olympic distance triathlon.
5. Finally finish reading Atlas Shrugged.
6. Floss regularly.
7. Run a half marathon in under 2 hours. I missed that mark by 9 minutes last year!
8. Be a better plant mom and garden more.
9. Go fly fishing and spear fishing with my little brother.
10. Hike (parts of) the Appalachian Trail. 
11. Volunteer locally.
12. Take better care of my skin.
13. Make a habit of consuming less sugar.
14. Finally take off the ugly wallpaper in the bathrooms.
15. Be comfortable in my body.
16. Be more present for friends and family. 
17. Write more– letters, blog posts, journaling...
18. Work on being a better communicator for my husband.
19. Call my siblings and closest friends more often.
20. Complain less.
21. Cook more meals at home, preferably with my husband.
22. Stop biting my nails.
23. Be a (better) morning person. 
24. Spend more time with my nieces and nephew.
25. Save more money.
26. Be content with saying "no."
27. Get to my goal weight of 135lbs.
28. Start those front end development courses I've been wanting to take.
29. Take Jay to see the trees in the water of the Great Dismal Swamp.
30. Be able to hold a handstand and do 3 pull-ups. I've always been more of a legs girl.

Let's do this thirties.

the last bits of summer

Life has been moving fast and a few home projects are in full force. I can't wait to share a little bit of how I turned an upstairs utility room into a cozy, cool jam room. My husband's old drum set is up there, and I feel like the house is instantly more badass when he's playing.

With as quickly as September moved in, I'm sure October and November will be here in another blink of an eye. Here's to soaking up as much as I can of that sweet Summer.

images:  1   /   2   /   3   /   4   /   5  /  6

week's end

We're off to Charlottesville for a friend's wedding, and I'm so excited to spend the weekend with close friends and, of course, my husband. The ceremony and reception are at a vineyard I've yet to visit, so I'm also excited about trying new-to-me Virginia wine.

June is shaping up to be a wonderful month. A winery wedding, a trip home, an old friend coming to visit and plenty of beach days to soak up the sun. Life is gooooood.


image via pinterest

happy second

Yesterday was our second wedding anniversary and this fall will mark NINE years together. Marriage is beautiful. I love doing life with this man who is truly my best friend. The challenges we face only make us stronger, as a couple and as individuals.

circa 2007

windoors

Though I'm perfectly content with my home, the designer in me is always thinking about renovations. I've mentioned a few projects and wallpaper ideas, but right now my focus is downstairs in our living/dining area.

living room – two sets of sliding glass doors on the left that don't open

living room – another view (dining room to the left)

dining room

Our downstairs has seven sets of sliding glass doors, but strangely only three are functional. The other four are braced shut (plus, there are no steps down to the deck anyway). Why the previous owners didn't put in windows is beyond me. To increase the outdoor view, I was thinking about putting in some expanding doors or picture windows in place of the braced sliding glass doors. And adding a few skylights for more natural light.

I've been putting off getting quotes on this project because it's not a necessity. So, when we visited the Pungo Strawberry Festival over Memorial Day weekend and found a local window company with a sales tent setup, I considered that a sign ;)  Here's a little bit of my inspiration for picture and clerestory windows or nanawall-type folding glass doors.

perfect picture window with seamless corner. this is probably our favorite option.

modern, large sliding glass doors. 

nanawall in action with a corner

expansive windows with very little interference – beautiful. but a seamless corner would be even better.

clerestory windows above and huge sliding doors.

I think we're leaning towards an expansive picture windows for both the living and dining rooms. Our big wish is that we can include a seamless corner in the living room. To be realistic, we don't need to open the whole space. I just imagine how cool it would be for a dinner party. Either way, it's exciting to think about. I'll be sure to blog about the project if we pull the trigger.

Inspiration images via Pinterest