Forward Facing Book Display

Let's face it - I have a TON of kids' books.  I've been collecting them since I was a kid and now that I have kids of my own, the collection is growing even faster than usual.  The thing about books though, is that it seems totally criminal to have them all piled on top of each other, crammed into a bookshelf where you can't even see the beautiful art on each cover.  And though I try to avoid judging a book by its cover, I do get sucked in by beautiful artwork.  So, it seems inevitable that some day I will have to do this.  It looks awesome, doesn't let the beauty of books go to waste on a bookshelf, and it allows kids to see which book they want - hopefully avoiding the same-book-every-stinkin-night syndrome.  Now, where to find that much wall space....

Eclectic Inspiration in a Minimalist Collector?

At first glance I found this apartment tour really inspiring.  I got further into and lost interest a bit as some areas are quite bare-bones.  But looking over it again I realized that the way he puts together a minimalist approach with a repurposed, eclectic, collectors eye results in a very interesting and inspiring esthetic.  In the bathroom for example, bare conduit and light bulbs are curved and positioned in a creative way that makes it look like a light fixture, rather than purely functional materials.  That, combined with the non-existent faucet, stands as an intriguing contrast to the fabulously colourful and lively tiles and concrete blocks that make up the shower surround.  Of course this is a bachelor pad where the ever challenging practicality of children doesn't come into consideration and where each object is carefully curated and controlled.  I have to remind myself of that.  But inspiration is good, even if it just adds a little piece to the puzzle in my mind of what it is that I love.

The Colours of Gorgeous

I'm so inspired by the gorgeous colours in this table setting.  Where this could be applied, beyond a party, is not something I've thought of but I just wanted to make a note of this really beautiful arrangement.

Not JUST a girl

If you want to be inspired and filled with determination to do right by the girls in your life, check this out.  I don't deny that I'm slightly anti-princess and I dress my girls in boyish clothing from time to time.  I'm trying desperately to find the balance between embracing femininity and all that it entails, and smashing our cultural idea of femininity to bits so that my daughters can find their own way and be who they really are deep down inside.  I really have no idea what I'm doing, but this type of project is encouraging and makes me feel like I might be on the right track.  Wow.

White with Colour

Someone once told me to find a place to live that was an expression of myself, rather than meeting up to a list of requirements I had in my head.  This house tour exemplifies that, I think.  I'm inspired by how much of themselves the owners have put into it, but also by the clean, white surfaces that help you breath and feel relaxed, combined with the colour and detail that is everywhere.  It's not overwhelming (in my opinion) but it feels homey and inviting.  Love it.

More Beautiful

Dove is a bit of an enigma in my mind - I can't quite decide if I admire them or not.  Nonetheless, I think this video is quite thought provoking and a really interested glimpse into the minds of women.  Whether they provide definitive proof or not, they do bring home the truth - you are more beautiful than you think.

Textile Recycling

I am hoping to one day have a corner of my house filled with pillows, just for reading with kids.  A part of the dream that often gets overlooked is making all of the amazing pillows that will fill the corner.  This is a great resource for finding really interesting sources of materials.  They repurpose all sorts of materials to make way more than just pillows.  Very cool.