Gift Guide: Deck the Walls

Time to deck their walls! I'm a big fan of giving art as gifts. Many people fail to buy art for themselves, which is a shame because I really believe what is on the walls of a room can really make or break it. Above are some great pieces for men, women, babies, the art enthusiast, the wood worker, the car lover, and the chef!

1.  Gold Ice Cream Cones: I love these gold dipped ceramic ice cream cones, 3D pieces of art bring great dimension to any art display! 
2.  Laser Cut Art: This is a great little art piece for the person who is into technology and graphics. the laser cut wood with color popping through is just so cool! 
3.  Gems and Jewels Watercolor: Frame up these little cards for a lovely little art collection, for the lady who loves bling! 
4.  Joinery Poster: This is a great piece of art for any wood worker or DIYer. 
5.  Laser Cut Letters: The perfect piece of art for a baby's room! Alphabet prints are always great for a kids room, and this laser cut wood alphabet is a great take on a classic.
6.  Ford Blue Print: Perfect for the man ow women who loves cars! This is really a perfect Dad or Husband gift! The blueprint really elevates it to art instead of the standard car photo.
7.  Kilim Painting: Such a pretty watercolor pattern! 

Gift Guide: The Fashionista

Some gift ideas for classy and fashion conscious ladies! Clothes can be a tough item to pick out for someone, so here are some great alternatives that will make any fashionista smile!

1. Velvet Clutch: Adorable for any outing, a wedding or a nice bar, I'm obsessed with this bag.
2. Paper Fashion Print: This is an x-coworker of mine, she is so super talented, one of her fashion illustrations would make a lovely addition to the walls of any home!
3. Perfume Roller: This little perfume roller can be filled with their signature scent and kept in her purse. It's one of the prettiest perfume rollers I've ever seen!
4. Lovely Heels: What can I say about these? Fabulous!
5. Brass Colored Pencil Holder: The loveliest pencil holder of all time! Perfect to hold the pencils for anything from writing notes to doing a little fashion sketch of their own!

Gift Guide: Furry Friends

Do our dogs know it's Christmas? Probably not, but they do know something's up when a big ol' tree is in the house and they aren't allowed to pee on it! We have two dogs and we spend way more money on them than we like to admit, but come on! Those faces! These are some of the things I'm thinking of buying our pups for Christmas, along with lots of treats and bones!

Dog Paw Dog Bowl: I am obsessed with this dog bowl! 1.) it's elevated which is great when our dog Truman splashes water all over the floor as he drinks (elevated means it'll evaporate instead of making water rings on my wood floors). 1.) It's amazingly cute!
Rope Leash: Love these pretty rope leashes from Fab!
Doggie Duvet: We swear by Molly Mutt! Instead of buying a standard doggie bed which usually run from $50 to $300, we buy these "Duvets" it's great because they are basically just the outer shell and you can stuff them with old close or stuffing from an old destroyed dog bed! An extra plus, they come in GREAT patterns and colors at a great price!
Tie Dye Collar: Love this collar with the gold accents, we bought a similar one a while ago for Lincoln and he looks so sharp!
Doggie Drink Fountain- Our dog Lincoln will whine at the bathtub and then jump in when you turn on the water, thats how much he LOVES to drink strait from the tap. This would be a wonderful doggie gift!

Gift Guide: The Meat Lover

Though for most people these would probably be the perfect gifts for the men in their lives, but I have to say, I would be all over the monthly meat box!

1. Meat Shredders: These shredders are the perfect gift for the man who is all about making his own pulled pork! Delish!
2. Praise the Lard Print: Some art for the meat lovers! These are the greatest series photos!
3. Personalize Meat Brand: For the griller, a personlized brand so no one can mistake who cooked their steak to perfection!
4. Dehydrator: So no scrap of meat will ever go to waste! A dehydrator will make the perfect jerky, dried fruits and more!
5. Meat Smoker: The perfect add on to a grill so they can smoke their meat to perfection!
6. Monthly Meat Box: For the person who has everything, get them a gift that lasts all year! A monthly delivery of an assortment of delicious meat! 

Gift Guide: The Chef and Baker

We all know someone who is happiest in the kitchen making up meals and tasty treats for the people they love! These are some great gift ideas for the chef, baker, or dabbling cook in your life!

Spoon Stylus: This is a creative little gadget for the kitchen! The end of the spoon acts as a stylus on iPads and iPhones so they can keep their flour covered fingers off their screens as they cook!
White and Wood Kitchen Tools: These lovely kitchen tools would make the perfect addition to any kitchen!
Personalize Pie Dish: Personalize these lovely pie dishes with a perfect label or message for the cook!
Recipe Box: This is a beautiful box to store all the cooks best secret recipes!
Storage Canisters: Store all their ingredients in style with these cute kitchen canisters!

Gift Guide: The Technology Lover

Todays gift guide is for that person who seems to have every new bit of tech, so why not give them perfect accessories for their iPhone or iPad.

1. iPhone Zoom Lens: Perfect for the person who is always taking pictures with their phones!
2. Mini Photo Printer: This little printer can go anywhere to print out all their favorite pictures.
3. iPhone Walkie Talkie: A little fun accessory for your iPhone!
4. Cord Keeper: These are lovely little cord keepers to keep all the cords for their various devices perfectly organized
5. iPhone Dash Mount: Keep their phone secure on the dash as they drive around town!
6. Sporty Ear Buds: These are the perfect ear buds for the athlete in your life! 

Gift Guide: The Host & Hostess

 It's December! Which means everyone is looking for the perfect Christmas or Holiday gifts. The next two weeks will be a series of gift guides for all the different types of people we love! 

Today is all about the host and hostess, whether you're going to a party or just have someone who loves to throw the perfect get together, these gifts will be a hit every time!

1. Cheese Labels: every party is made better with the perfect cheese plate, why not give these little labels to make it even better!
2. Coasters: Every host needs coasters, and how lovely and unique are these wood laser cut versions? They are perfect little pieces of art.
3. Slate Place Cards: This little package includes these lovely little slate place cards with wood bits to hold them up and chalk to write in the name of each guest. 
4. Wine trays: The perfect addition to any party, these little trays hold your wineglass so you can actually eat your apps on the go! 
5. Glasses: a lovely gift for a couple, these adorable Mr. & Mrs. glasses will be a welcomed addition to any bar cart or kitchen.

Wood Trim, Keep It or Paint It?

Sources from left to right, top to bottom, one, two, three, four.

I just saw the third picture in the collage above and it got me thinking about wood trim. The trend right now is to paint ALL THE WOOD EVERYWHERE in your house white. When the hubby and I moved into our house, thats what we did, but that's because all the trim in our house was CRAP. If your wood trim is thin, and not great quality, strait builders grade trim, by all means, paint it, it's makes a world of difference. On the other hand, if you have beautiful, heavy. well made trim, do not, under any circumstance paint it. It may look great for a while, and make you feel modern and trendy, but in the long run, you'll regret it, and future generations will rue the day you decided to do it. As shown in the pictures above, you can have a trendy and modern looking home and keep your beautiful wood trim!

Smart Shelf Ideas

I'm am a collector who never seems to have enough storage, which is why I LOVE smart shelving ideas!

1. Art Shelf: If you're someone with a large art collection, or who has a hard time putting holes in your walls, the art shelf is a great solution. You can layer all your art pieces, photos, and little do-dads to make a lovely little collage. I love how this home owner used a clamp lamp on the edge of the shelf! It's such a smart solution when you may not have room for a table in the corner but still need some light
2. Little Corner Shelf: This is such a great solution when there isn't enough space in a bedroom for a side stable, this little corner shelf gives you just enough room to hold a light, a book and a glass of water! 
3. Over the Door Shelf: If you have a small bathroom like me, this little shelf over your door is a smart way to take advantage of unused space
4. Ski Shelves: My Poppop loved skiing and we have a couple sets of antique skis and I have never had any clue what to do with them. I love the idea of turning them into shelves! It keeps the house from feeling like a mountain lodge but still incorporates a fun element of surprise into an art display! 

Fireplace Fillers

1. White Books   2. Colored Books   3. Log Ends   4. Log Sides   5. Miscellaneous Whimsy   5. Bones

We have one fireplace in our house, and unfortunately, it's not in the living room. It's in the man cave. Also, when furnishing the mancave, we kept our old, VERY comfortable couch. Alas, that couch has is a lounge sectional and the only place in the room that couch fits, puts the lounge extension part  in front of the fireplace, which means we will pretty much NEVER light a fire in it. So, I've been trying to think of fun things to do with it! Because it's the man cave, the bones are calling to me, but I fear that our Mastiff Truman would decide to gnaw on them, so I think the logs or the books would be the best idea. I've got to give this some more serious thought!

DIY Bathroom Vanities

1. Rustic Table   2. Board Table   3. Mid-Century Modern Dresser   4. Antique Dresser

Our primary bathroom is small, but has a BIG bulky single vanity that is much too ornate for my taste. I've been trolling the websites for Lowes, Home Depot, Overstock, Ikea and others for a nice single vanity for under $500, but nothing has really been striking my fancy. Which has me thinking about DIYing it. I love the idea of turning an existing piece of furniture into a vanity. Between our house and my parents house, we have a couple of vanities that just might fit the bill. If I coated them with marine grade shellac I think it could be pretty awesome! What do you think?

Wonderful Wallpaper

 1. Triangles   2. Lobsters   3. Graphic   4. Polka Dots   5. Dogs   6. Stripes

Wallpaper. When we were house hunting a year ago, every house that we looked at that had wallpaper meant HOURS of work taking it down. There was not one time that I saw wallpaper and thought "Cute!" instead it was more like "Holy floral funhouse!" We lucked out because the only place that has wallpaper in our house is the basement hallway/laundry area, and second bathroom, and yeah, it's pretty bad. Here's the thing though, in the last couple years, wallpaper has made a come back! There are so many AMAZING options out there! Even removable wallpaper for those of you in the renting world! The flocked dog wallpaper pattern above is to die for. Though the downstairs bathroom/ hall/ laundry area is not on my immediate to do list, I'm hoping to tackle it sometime this year, and I am definitely considering wallpaper!

Lovely Curtain Tie Backs

1. Feather   2. Agate   3. Rope   4. Dog   5. Gem   6. Hook and Rope

I've been thinking about making new curtains for our bedroom, and with new curtains comes new tie backs. Though tie backs can some times feel dated, there are some great fresh and modern options out there. These are some of my favorites.

Cute Nooks & Crannies

1.  Enclosed Bed   2. Lofted Sleep Space   3. Eave Space   4.  Shuttered Bed   

5. Lofted Reading Nook   6. Eave Bed

I've always had a thing for little nooks and crannies in homes. I have this dream of blowing out the ceilings in our kitchen/living/dining room areas and making it one big open concept with vaulted ceilings and then building in little extra lofted areas for reading, or gaming, or napping. Something about climbing a latter to a little area is ridiculously appealing. We'd have to rig some crazy basket pulley system to haul Lincoln up there for snuggle time, poor Truman would be out of luck though, I don't think I could convinceour 165lb mastiff that getting in a basket would be a good idea!

Floral Art

 1. Leaf Art   2. Painted Leaves   3. 3D Flower Art   4&5. Exploded flower art

Time for some more art ideas for your walls! With summer ending and the days getting cooler, I'm already dreading winter and feeling nostalgic for spring! That being said, I'm loving these floral based pieces. The exploded flowers are pure genius, and probably something that could be achieved in a DIY project!

Industrial Style Lighting

 To follow up last weeks post on industrial styled products, I wanted to make a post for industrial styled lighting! These are some many amazing options, and who doesn't love Edison light bulbs!

1. Red Fabric Light Cord $49   2. Metal Spheres Chandelier $129   3. Bell Jar Lamp $155  
4. Multi Bulb Chandelier $290   5. Chicken Wire Pendant $189   6. Pipe Light $175

Industrial Style Storage

We all know that industrial inspired design is big right now. When mixed with modern and contemporary pieces, they can help create a curated design. I like mixing design styles to keep a room from feeling like you just ordered everything from one page in a catalog. These are some industrial pieces that would be a great addition to any home.

1. Industrial Cabinet $149  2. Industrial Box Shelves $119 for three  3. DIY Industrial Shelves  
4. Industrial Kitchen Rack $298   5. Industrial Hamper $185  6. Industrial Metal Tote

Ordinary Objects, Extraordinary Design

 So there are things that every house needs, those ordinary objects that we just can't do without.  Why not swap your ordinary objects with extraordinary designs! Here are some products that you can find in every household, but these versions refuse to be overlooked!

Happy Dustpan: My current dustpan is just a shoddy little plastic thing from ikea, I think the $14 upgrade to this happy dustpan is totally worth it! Being metal means it will probably have a long and happy life too!
Fabric Covered Extension Cord: I wouldn't mind tripping over an extension cord so much if it were as beauteous as this one.
Cloud Hangers: I mean they're awesome right??
Whale Song Radio: Ok, so this isn't really an ordinary object, I thought it was just a regular radio until I read the product description in detail, but it's so pretty that I decided to pretend it's something everyone has. I mean whale sounds could be used like a white noise machine right?
Hedgehog Shoe Cleaner and Door Stop: I love this cute little fella, and combining a shoe brush and a door stop is ingenious!
Little Watering Cans: I currently have an enormous watering can, and it's a bear to carry around. I have a black thumb, but maybe if I had this cute little watering can I would remember to water my plants more?

Back To School Supplies for Adults

Ok, so we've all been barraged lately with back to school shiznit for the kiddos. As cool as kids back to school/ back to college things can be, as an adult, I want better designed and well made products for my office. These are some "back to school" items that I've been lusting over,

1. Metal Folder Holder: I love how colorful this would be sitting on your desktop, It's also great because it can shrink to take up less space when not holding much, and expand for those busier times.
2. Pencil holder: I am obsessed with this pencil holder. Its designed like those old straw dispensers you'd find in diners, but the wood and brass details just take it over the top. Too bad I can't justify $80 for a pencil holder. It's on my wish list!
3. Dodo iPad Case: These are the cutest iPad cases around. I have major guilt over reading books solely on my kindle and iPad. I used to go to the book store on a weekly basis, and there is nothing I like more than curling up with a REAL book. After getting the kindle however, I succumbed to the lower prices and convenience of having every book at my fingertips! I think having a case like this would help my guilt because at least it would make my iPad LOOK like a real book!  
4. Wood Tape Dispensers: Do I really need to say anything about these Washi tape dispensers? Their wood, cute and hold the amazing creation that is washi tape. What's not to love?
5. Handmade Metal Shears: I love pretty scissors, I already have a pair with gold handles, but these just have the most amazing shape!

Ordinary Objects as Art

 I haven't done an art post in a while and thought it was about time for another! Today I wanted to focus on ordinary objects that have been transformed into art with just a little but of paint, vision, and creativity!

Painted Oars: These painted oars by Norquay are amazing, they run about $225 a pice but are really amazing and impactful. These could also make an amazing DIY project!
Painted Leaves: This takes pressing flowers or leaves to another level. Putting a couple painted leaves in a nice clean frame makes for some lovely wall art.
Painted Antlers and Ax: I love these painted antlers and painted tools from Cassandra Smith, she has a wonderful eye for adding color to ordinary objects and elevating them to art.
Log Bowl: These log bowls from Loyal Loot are amazing. They're pricy, $75-$335 each, but can you imagine what an impact a cluster of these would make on a wall?
Graphic Saw: Another basic tool made fabulous with a well chosen quote and amazing hand lettering!