a useful DIY

As you know, I love chalk boards and chalk board paint. I had been trying to figure out a way to manage my overflowing spice drawer where we keep all our spices that are not on the magnetized rack on the wall, as it was getting quite out of hand. I thought of my favorite thing - chalk board paint! It was an easy project and now things are so much easier to find. I think I will definitely make some more. AND I learned (thanks to my brilliant husband) that chalkboard paint comes in spray cans, making this project much easier and likely come out better, as I am not sure the brush would have had the same smooth final effect. Anyway, here's what you do:

1. Pick out jars that will fit in your drawer (or spice rack).
2. Prime them with two layers of primer made to stick to metal surfaces.
3. Paint them with two layers of chalk board paint. I used spray paint and let them dry for 24hrs in between.
4. Fill with your spices and label with your favorite color chalk (I used white cause that was all we had and someone with better handwriting surely could make them much prettier than mine).
5. Feel stoked that your spice drawer is no longer a disaster!

Here are some photos of my project...

another fun work space

I love this, especially the big poster! Work hard and be nice to people. Pretty good motto for a work space for sure. Just a quick pic today, but I am working on a fun DIY at home that I hope to post for you tomorrow. Until then, work hard and be nice to people.

via my ideal home

norwegian lovely

I love the earthy tones and clean design of this Norwegian mountain cabin. Although I can't imagine a skeleton pillow in my own home, I can appreciate it here. I especially love the use of reclaimed wood for the kitchen cabinets, so beautiful. Hope you enjoy it, have a wonderful week!

via My Scandinavian Retreat

friday photo

And just like that the end of the week is here. Here is a photo of some Ranunculus I took in Paris at a street side flower market. Don't forget to take some time with the flowers this weekend, it's always a good idea...just like Paris. xo

a beautiful barn

This barn in Sweden just looks like the most wonderful place to relax on a warm summer evening. Look at that bed. LOVE it! As rainy fall draws near, things like this make me dream of living someplace where warm summer evenings creep into September and crickets chirp in the night. Heavenly.

via La Maison d' Anna G.

oh julia

I have always been a little in love with Julie Child. Yes, even before the movie. Growing up, whenever a cooking question came up in our house, my dad would often say "Well, Julia says..." in his best Julia Child drawl. Last summer, Bret and I were able to visit her kitchen, as it is preserved in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. It was lovely and cleverly arranged, for a tall woman, which of course I took a liking to right away, but mostly it was a bit of her, right there in front of me. As I have grown up, I have come to appreciate more about Julia, first it was her food, then it was her food and her joy for life and now - as I find myself at 35 years old and still not quite sure what I want to be when I grow up - I am drawn to Julia because she found her true passion at 37 years old, and she followed it, with all her heart. I admire her for that and I am thankful, that one roasting hot summer day in DC, I was able to drown out the crowds and forget the heat for a moment, and spend a little time with her.

a modern loft

Pink is not a color I decorate with much. That being said, I really appreciate the look of this place. The steel and the painted brick are softened by the wood in the ceiling and the white washed wood floors, balancing the space nicely. I especially love the bedroom, which feels serene and peaceful. A little modern for my day to day taste, but very hip and fun to look at, nonetheless!

via ideas to steal