Thursday, September 30, 2010

Putting Pen to Paper


A little doodle I did while sitting on the couch with a coffee, watching my handsome Princeton sleep. 

Loving: Embroidery





Embroidery and I are having a moment. Every time I visit Etsy, I find myself hearting every embroidered object I come across! I'm especially loving these finds. It's such a sweet and pretty art form, don't you think?

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

DIY-ing for What You Want

Curtains2

I am sure I'm not alone when I say it can sometimes be difficult to achieve a unique aesthetic in the home. It's hard to resist the convenience and price point of big box stores. The internet has helped immensely, what with all of the amazing design blogs out there providing endless inspiration, and handmade marketplaces like Etsy making wonderful vintage and homemade items accessible and affordable. 

Living in a rural area (like central Maine) adds to my frustration. So often I see blogs featuring the perfectly curated homes and closets of stylish Californians or New Yorkers, who have access to the seemingly endless numbers of vintage shops and independent boutiques. Where I live, big department stores largely round out the list of shopping opportunities. I would love to explore opening my own business in the area to serve a market of design-conscious, creative women that I know must exist here, but I digress..

The point of my long rant is this: I want curtains. Not just any curtains will do, because almost one entire wall in our apartment is covered in windows. I want them to not only be functional, but to fit with the aesthetic of my home. 

I love these curtains artist Amanda Johnson made for her own living room, out of vintage sheets!


She pieced together several patterns she liked, and the result is wonderfully fresh and eclectic. I love how creative people are! When you can't find what you like at a price you can afford, why not make your own version? You are guaranteed to end up with something that truly reflects your personal taste, and have a little fun making it too.

You can bet I am now on the hunt for some great sheets to make several sets of my own curtains. Thank you, Amanda, for the inspiration and the tutorial!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Craft Night: Wallflowers


I recently came across these beautiful flowers on the wonderful blog of Frenchie and Flea, and quickly added them to my "to do" list. I'm thinking tonight is the night to make some! I have a few very large bare walls in my apartment. A garland of these buds will really pretty up one of them.


The tutorial from Dana Made It looks super simple. A few napkins or tissue paper is all you really need. I'm looking forward to making these tonight while eating homemade brownies and watching Castle on the couch with my boy; a perfect way to start the week.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Feed Your Soul: The Free Art Project


I was so excited when I discovered this amazing project on Leah Duncan's lovely blog. Feed Your Soul is a wonderful project developed by Jen Wallace in order to bring beautiful art into our homes - free of charge!


It's no secret that a tough economy has put both a financial and emotional strain on many of us. The idea of Feed Your Soul is to make art available to those who may have had to cut back on those "extras" we purchase for joy and not necessity. The project also give artists an opportunity to promote their work.

What a great idea, right?! Check out this site and choose a few pieces from the fabulous artists who are donating their work to the cause. Print them out, hang them up and feed your soul with art!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Feeling Blue


I've begun to notice a pattern in my outfit selections lately. Since the beginning of the summer, I have really been drawn to a monochromatic look, which is funny to me because I really love color. Many of my outfits have been largely once color, usually in the blue family. To keep things fun, I've been adding small pops of color; a yellow flat here, a fabric floral pin there...

This recent development is sort of a mystery to me, since color is so lovely! It has been a natural, subconscious shift, so I am just sort of going with it. Perhaps this is why I was so drawn to this sweet little piece from Etsy seller merriweathercouncil. I snatched it up as soon as I saw it! It's a largely monochromatic piece, with the smallest pops of color adding a bit of extra visual interest. 

I'm looking for the perfect place to put this as we speak!


Have you had any great Etsy finds lately? 

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Creativity Tugs at My Heartstrings



Hello dolls, how was your day? 

Lately, I've been trying really hard to do something creative every day. Whether it be working on a piece for the shop, or simply brainstorming concepts in my little mole skin, I'm realizing how much happier I am when I allow myself this time each day. I'm truly a calmer and more content person as a result.

It's a bit sad to me that I have only begun, at twenty-four, to re-visit the hobby I enjoyed so much as a child and adolescent. I feel like I missed out on many years that I could have been pursuing what I am now discovering is a passion of mine. But, I suppose it's better to re-discover my creative interests now than not at all!

My latest doodle, Heartstring, will be available in the shop soon. I came up with this concept while sitting at my desk during the work day. It's funny how inspiration can strike at the strangest times!

Monday, September 20, 2010

To Happy Mondays


Today was a good day. The sun was out, my work day went smoothly, I started a new book, homemade pizza was had for dinner, I squeezed in some creative time AND I bought this fantastic print. I really couldn't say no to this artwork when I found it here because I'm a pajama girl 100 percent and my boy is a big Futurama fan. So, I guess we both win!

On a somewhat unrelated note, I cannot wait for the season premiere of Castle tonight! The last season finale was a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'm really looking forward to finding out where they take the show next. 

I hope you all had a positive beginning to your week!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Oh, Hello Friday!


I cannot get over this image from honeytree; I'm so drawn to it! Aren't the colors gorgeous? 

Welcome weekend, I am so glad you have arrived! It has been a bit of a challenging week for me, and I'm ready to unwind. On the agenda for the weekend:

- Making baked oatmeal for my "fancy" Saturday morning breakfast (quickly becoming a lovely weekend tradition).

- A cozy movie night with my boy, complete with snacks, pajamas (for me!) and our two kitties.

- Cleaning out the contents of the fridge for a batch warm chicken rice soup.

- Squeezing in some quiet creative time.

- A long walk to relax and enjoy the wonderful Fall weather we are having!

I hope the weekend provides you all with at least a moment to relax and enjoy the changing seasons..

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Playing With Color


I want to preface this post by saying I am painfully aware of my terrible photography skills. Not only am I a novice with a camera, but the light in our apartment is awful. Even in the middle of the day, the dreaded flash is a necessity if you want to see anything!

However, I'm really excited to share the results of my recent weekend painting project! I found this fun nightstand at a local yard sale about a year ago. It was a very dark brown color that really made the bedroom feel drab (similar to the bed which I hope to replace soon with a vintage metal one). I chose a color called "banana", and I am really loving the final product. My side of the bed is now bright and cheery; just what I want to wake up to in the morning!

Do you like bright home decor, or do you prefer a calmer space with more neutral tones? I'm curious!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Feeling Grateful for Great Friends



After work today, A. and I met up with two dear friends at the local pub. We had a lot of fun catching up over pizza, drinks and cake.

We hadn't seen one another in months, which is sad because Brit and her husband Ben are absolutely wonderful friends. It's funny how life sometimes gets in the way, and people drift apart for a time. Seeing them again tonight was fantastic! It felt like we hadn't missed a beat.

Brit and I have had a special connection since the day we met. I admire so much about her. She has really changed my perspective on a lot of things, and in an indirect way I think she influenced my decision to take a chance and begin Pretty Ingrid.

Have you ever had a moment when you become acutely aware of how lucky you are to have special people in your life? I had one of those experiences tonight.

Feeling inspired, I came home and finished up this piece!

Hoping you all have a happy week..

Sunday, September 12, 2010

The End of Another Weekend and New Art


It's the end of the weekend already? It seems hard to believe, but I guess that's what you get when you are busy!

Today was spent mostly at home, cooking a nice beef stew with homemade biscuits. The weather was perfect for stew; it was a bright, crisp fall day outside. I absolutely love the Fall in Maine. We are starting to see some hints of the coming season, and I couldn't be more excited!

My boy was a doll today and moved all of the furniture in the living room around for me. I get restless after a few months of the same thing, and he is a sweetie for putting up with me :)

The picture, above, is a new print I added to the shop today!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Best Invention Ever - The Scratch Lounge

(Princeton "lounging")

This post is for all of you who adore your cats, but dislike the destruction that seems to come with the territory when you have furry children.

I stumbled upon this little beauty while perusing the house tours on AT. It was tucked away in a corner in one of the shots, but I was able to make out the words "Scratch Lounge" written on the side.

Stella (below) really likes the vertical scratch post we have, but I think she enjoys the arms of the couch even more. Princeton (first photo), however, never warmed up to it.

(Stella looking mischievous)

I thought I would give the lounge a try, hoping it would be a hit and serve as a distraction from other things like the couch and the kitchen chairs I toiled away reupholstering. The top picture says it all: SUCCESS!

My two babies have been fighting over this since it arrived in the mail a few weeks ago. I just might have to invest in a second to keep them both happy. An added bonus; very little scratching of our furniture has occurred since!

Long story short, I would highly recommend the "lounge" to anyone who has destructive furry children. It's only natural for kitties to scratch, and this gives them a great place to do it (and nap, too).

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Etsy Cuteness


How adorable is this little trinket box I snatched up from Etsy seller VintageEye? I plan to house some of my jewelry in it. How endlessly sweet will this look on top of a dresser!


In other news, this weekend I decided to paint my nightstand a fun shade of "banana". The table was originally a really dark shade of wood, and it has been a real chore applying coat after coat of paint to cover it! Clearly I am a novice furniture painter, since applying a primer didn't occur to me until after I had already completed several coats. However, I am encouraged that it will all come together in the end. Hopefully I will have a picture to share soon!

I'm feeling crafty tonight, so I'm off to play! I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  
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