snippets of details

Parade Home to do list:

Exterior/interior finishes selected - check

Furniture ordered - check

Accessories...

 This morning I spent some time collecting a few things on the floor that could work for the home and took pictures of the options so we could determine what else needs to be ordered.

Shopping list:

Lamps

Art

Bedding

Happy Weekend!

art market this weekend

I love this market going on at the Sugarhouse Garden Center.  Definitely put it on your schedule if you are local.

UDLA Guest Speaker

 {image from Robert McArthur's blog}

I had the opportunity to have lunch with with the Utah Designer's League Association this month and talk with them about blogging.  I don't consider myself an expert on the topic, but I do love it.  And it is always fun to talk about ways to improve and get feedback from other like minded creative people about something we are all passionate about: design and business.

While my blog has been a creative outlet, I'm moving towards using it as a way to build business.  I see the value in blogging to grow business, as well as my understanding of design.

A few things I shared:

• Be Unique - Show your talent by staying true to yourself and your style.  Not sure what that is exactly?  Keep working, it will come to you as you with time and practice.
• Be an expert - know what you are talking about and spend the time to create well thought out entries.  If you aren't willing to put in the time to make it great, you can't expect your readers to stick around to hear what you have to say.
• No one deserves attention, you have to earn it!  Stay current, and talk about subjects that are of value to you.  If you are passionate, it shows in your work.  Remember, like minded people associate together and want to learn from each other.
• Network - I read somewhere you can't blog in a vacuum.  So, so true.  Spend time looking for those like minded people and build relationships with them.  I have so enjoyed my friendships built through blogging.
• Limit the time spent on other blogs.  Yes, network, but don't spend so much time on other sites that you start losing your voice because you are comparing yourself until you feel like you have nothing new to share.  {learned this from experience.}
• Sponsor - I haven't done this myself just yet, but my theory is just ask.  Aline yourself with products/vendors that you believe in and I can't imagine it being much more difficult than having a conversation with them.  Why haven't I done this yet?  I still consider DesignSparrow a creative outlet and will explore options in the future.
• Don't feel like you have to post every day and don't let it turn into a task to be ticked off your to do list.  And don't apologize if you are too busy to post.  Do it when you can.  Schedule posts in advance if you know you'll be busy or away.
• Have fun!

Thanks for asking me to come speak to you, I had a great time!

fresh from the garden

I've been out in the yard doing some spring cleaning, getting excited about the plants coming up, and planning the other ones I'd like to try this year.  I live in a home with a great yard that was loved for decades by a woman who obviously had a green thumb.

She left behind 8 planters that I have big plans for.  I've moved them to the front steps where they'll get a lot of southern exposure so I can grow lettuce, herbs and whatever else strikes my fancy.
{Just not tomatoes, they were terrible last year.}

I read somewhere that bringing your veggie garden out front elivates your garden a notch or two because it goes from just another pretty flower to a conversation starter with your neighbors.  I like my neighbors and know I'll learn a lot from these seasoned gardners, especially if I bring my attempt at gardening out where they can critique it!

Plus, multitasking pretty and yummy?  I'm on board for sure.

I think I'll also relocate some of that wild ground cover that I love from the trails to my yard... {picture below}

{sources: gloves, garden}

Market Monday: Cactus and Tropicals

Last week I was at Cactus and Tropicals to be a judge for a student portfolio review for IIDA.  It was fun to see the creative work of the graduating class and chat with design friends. 

The surprise bonus of the day was finding out that Cactus and Tropical is more than your average garden center.

I was impressed by the great selection of plants and everything you need to be the best little gardener ever, but the part that had my heart beating a little faster was when I came around a corner and found stacks and stacks of containers.

Since I'm still a wandering nomad I like the idea of being able to pack up my garden when I move so container gardening is the solution for me.  I have started a collection of terra cotta pots that have moved with me over the years with a wide array of different growing things from blossoming flowers to edible herbs.

Containers in every color, shape and size, I would be happy to branch out from my terra cotta with some of these colorful options.

Now if I could just keep plants alive...

Next time your in the neighborhood, go check them out.  I think you'll love it too.

Happy Easter

"...for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." {D&C 84:88}

{image}

come rain or shine

 It just so happened that this commuter and I were on the same schedule this week.  3 out of 4 days I ran into him at the same spot on my ride home {corner of State Street and 2nd Ave} I get a kick out of his unique mode of transportation.  I was impressed to see him out in the rain even.

I'd like to try that someday, how about you?  I imagine it'd be fun on hills!

sweet container

My pretty new sugar container arrived last week .  I am pretty obsessed with all things terra cotta at the moment so when I saw it, I knew I could put it to good use in my kitchen.  

Plus, the bold statement, "Ideal at home, or on Safari" had me picturing myself as Jane in Tarzan.  A very civilized, long skirt wearing woman in deepest, darkest Africa with my pretty sugar bowl along for any baking needs that may arise.

Cat most definitely does not have a sweet tooth, opting for anything tuna instead.  Nor does she have a desire to go on safari {that I'm aware of anyway} but she approved of the box and packing peanuts it came packed in.

my monochromatic neighbor

I see this house every day on my way home from work. I have been noticing it more on these rainy spring days because this house looks especially lovely in the gray weather with the gardens perking up from all the rain, really making it shine.

I love being surprised by liking something I wouldn't normally think I'd like.  If you told me a house would look good with different shades of olive and avocado as the main colors I would have squinted at you to see if you were for real.  But it's been proven, in my opinion, this house is one of the best on my block.

{and yes, that is snowy slush falling mid April.} 

Stay True: the path to Personal Style

Every designer unquestionably wants to be trusted by their client to navigate the decision process because, after all,  that is what we are there for.  There is something to be said about having a client with exacting likes/dislikes guiding the design in the right direction.

There are two ways to design that I'm familiar with:

First, designing for a client is like guiding someone down a familiar path, but letting them pick out their favorite things along the way.  Nudging them to consider new possibilities, pushing them to be a bit more creative.  Informing them about the impact of  their decisions, keeping tabs on the budget and how to get the most out of it, allowing them to roam free a bit, reigning them in when needed.

Second, when I'm designing for myself I can pick my way around and choose at random to veer off the path and take risks, hoping to be surprised by what I find. Spontaneity and careful execution mixed together into something that is isn't easy to pin down because it is like an exploratory expedition.

So it gives me a little thrill to know I'm teetering in an uncharted area right now as I'm in the middle of space planning the parade home and playing with color ideas that will need to do a few small things: sell the house for the builder, showcase our design/products at Noble House, and be unique and fun to make me happy on top of all of that. 

Asking myself questions along the way about what the design should be, I get a kick out of being the closest thing to my own client right now.  {did your just skip a beat like mine did?} A dream job with untethered possibilities. {With a tight budget of course, but I love tight budgets}  Well then, isn't that when personal taste is potentially threatened by so much criticism it is bound to get skittish around the edges?  Illusive and hard to pin down?  Yes.  My usually quick, decisive moves are a bit more sluggish.

Stay true.  That is what I come back to when I start waffling and thinking I have too many choices.  My biggest hope for this home is that it won't look like staged or watered down.  It should be collected, not decorated or too showcase-ish.  Hmm...expect much?

MOA at the Y

 I went to the MOA last night to see the Carl Bloch exhibit and while I was touched by the way he captured the life of Christ in his beautiful paintings and enjoyed seeing the familiar paintings in person, I wish I would have gone at a less crowded time. 

I prefer being able to take it all in without feeling squished in with so many others, but I'm glad it is drawing crowds because his work is really exceptional.

I spent the majority of my time wandering the other exhibits and took forbidden photos of this giant block of books. 
{such a rebel, I'm waiting for someone to contact me and tell me to take it down.}

 A war poster exhibit was also going on downstairs that I would have loved spending more time enjoying.  As you know, I'm a big fan of WWII history and the vintage posters are so pretty.

My favorite poster in the exhibit.

{link for war posters}

flashback: Spring in October 2007

I could be in Africa right now.  

That thought has crossed my mind a few times this past week.  True, with the right resources, a full day committed to sitting in a cramped airplane, and any of us could be in Africa right now if we wanted to be.  But the fact that a trip was all but booked has Africa on my mind lately and the heavier dose of wanderlust that comes with it has me a little preoccupied.

In preparation for the trip I pulled together a bunch of my favorite images from the last visit in 2007 when the Jacaranda trees were in full glorious lavender bloom for Spring in October.

{that just sounds confused doesn't it?}

{Those suspicious bumps in the water where the river bends by the sandbar are what you think they are.}

I'm posting this entry now with hopes that putting out good Africa bound vibes will help line things up and the trip will still happen in the near future.  Here's hoping...

"how candice olsen of you"

The other day I was hanging with my friend, Jen, at her parents house.  She lives in Texas and is here visiting for a bit and we've been taking full advantage of our close proximity to catch up. She asked me for my take on how to include a fireplace in her parents master bedroom. 

I played around with a couple of ideas and thought to put it in the corner so that it would be one of the first things you see as you walk into the room.  A fire place would already become the most dominant thing in the space just be being there, so why not have it in a welcoming position so that it will set the whole tone for the room.  Not to mention placing it in the corner will be a pretty way to save space so that they could then create a comfortable seating area around it.

When we showed her mom our plans she said, "How Candice Olsen of you."  Well, that is a high compliment in my book.  The designing ended there, and we went back to playing 5 Crown. {Only the most fun card game I know how to play.}

I've thought about the color scheme I'd run with if I were going along with that Candice vibe.  Pretty, shimmery tile around the fire to catch light and add some sparkle to the room.  A rug with a low key, but interesting color pallet that would be versatile with other neutrals and some smaller patterns introduced in the furniture.

I also like the idea of a gallery style wall for family portraits and included a couple mirrored options for the frames. 

{tile: daltile all other furniture used can be found on my sidebar links}

pay it forward

Picture a typical girls night out: a Friday night in a crowded restaurant. Appetizers made with all the things we avoid in our day to day regular diets {bacon, avocado, trans fat}and lots of laughs and sighs of relief to be out without the kids {for my mommy friends, not me.} Plates being swapped along with stories and favorite SNL skits reenacted... so far, a very normal night for us.

The event that changed it from normal to memorable: our cute server comes to our table with the desert menu and says to start thinking about what we are trying after our meal.  {Assume much? What if we were full? Maybe a clever up sale tactic and I'm impressed} then he came back a couple seconds later and says, "This has never happened to me before.  Ever."  That is when I noticed a second server hovering nearby smiling at us.  She says,

"The family that just left that table over there has paid your bill."

We were all stunned.  It took a minute to register, then a million questions from the four of us all at once.  Both servers were gushing about how cool it was of them to pick us at random.  We are all smiling and wishing we could have had the chance to thank the kind strangers who picked us out of a crowded restaurant to remind us how it feels to have a random act of kindness passed our way.

So yeah, we ordered desert {our bill now, we weren't taking advantage of the strangers}to celebrate our good fortune, and maybe to draw out the meal a little more to soak in the niceness of the moment.  As we wandered the mall after from time to time one of us would say, "I can't believe that just happened to us." 

I have goosebumps and a lump in my throat just thinking about it.  How fun it'd be to pick someone at random next time I'm out and do the same for them.

{images from the snowstorm yesterday.. that is still going on strong today}

fluttery paper butterlies

I know I've seen butterfly mobiles somewhere before so I can't take creativity credit for my whim yesterday to slice up an old book and make some butterflies.
{tho I may be the only grown woman unabashedly making one for myself, instead of some deserving young girl}

Want to make one too?  It's easy and fast.  {about an hour if you're fast with scissors}

 What you'll need:

• an old book - I chose mine for the linen quality paper and yellowed pages over a crispy new type.  It felt more romantic and fluttery.

• scissors, fishing line and glue of your choice - {I prefer hot glue, no question it'll stick and the smell is oh so crafty}

• a round object to hang the strands of butterflies from - I was impatient and didn't want to run to the store so I looped some light weight wire twice and twisted it around itself to create an interesting texture. 

then...

• cut a bunch of butterflies of varying shapes and styles from the pages of the book

• tie strands of fishing line to the round object and hang the whole mess from something high enough to work easily around it {5 strands for me, and I hung it from the light in my room}

• place butterflies one by one on the strands of fishing line paying attention to the balance so it hangs straight from the base. I cut squares from the pages to use to secure the glue.  As the glue was setting I bent the butterfly at the seam to give the effect of fluttering wings

• trim off excess line and clean off hot glue spidery webs from everything

• Ta da! A butterfly mobile.

 I went to the library last night after I finished my mobile.  Must have been all those fluttering words hanging around getting me in the mood.  When faced with all those shelved universes to peek into I can't get too involved in trying to take only the perfect ones home with me.  So instead I pick books mostly for the cover.  I get sucked in with a witty title, pretty typeface or a great image.  I'll skim the first page to see if the author can catch me in the first few lines and from there I'll take the stack of contenders home to weed out the worthwhile from the fluff.

It is national poetry month, so go enjoy some poems.  I grabbed Say Uncle, Kay Ryan because of the poem below.

Happy Friday!

blustery blossoms

I spotted rows upon rows of pink blossoms swaying in the wind this morning on my way to work and as impulse had me swerving to the curb, I consulted the dashboard clock to see if I even had time for a diversion to go quench my compulsion to capture them in my little silver camera.  No luck, but later, most definitely.

Instead I walked into work on time and was welcomed by some chairs who showed up from Lee yesterday during my mid week weekend.  They are absolutely divine.  And while I love a neutral chair, the first thing that comes to mind when I see a pretty one is usually, 'What color will I use with it to make things interesting?'

So I chose the cherry blossom pattern today even before I made it back to the selections to see if I agreed with myself.  I do. And it'd be fun to create a whole space around this fun fabric, going either way with the spa color way or the blossom red. 

It is another blustery spring day out with giant gray clouds and I'm the last standing lunatic I'm sure that can't get enough of the crazy spring weather. 

the reluctant runner

I am your ultimate reluctant runner.  I've had plenty of excuses why I didn't want to become one in the first place: the time commitment, my busted up knees from too much skiing, pure laziness and my love of sleep, to name a few of my best.

I was surprised when I ran my first 10 k a few weekends ago and actually really enjoyed myself. The picture on the left is from that day.  I had paper cutouts of Mia and Jess with me because I was supposed to be in St. George running a race with them.  I had work conflicts and ran at home instead.  {they had a paper cut out of me with them on their race too}

I was even more surprised when I ran 10 miles on Saturday.  Refreshing scattered raindrops most of the run turned into a pelting, freezing cold down pour rain the last mile and when I got home I realized I was locked out and soaked to the bone.  Long story short, Mia and RC1 came to the rescue and it turned out to be just another fun adventure to add to the many others. {sincerest thnx dear friends}

Next up?  I'm still reluctant to say, but why not shoot for the moon?  There is a marathon the morning our float makes its big debut in SLC at the Pioneer Parade.  That might just be the end goal.

5 day weather

 I love weather. {is that silly?} Just this last week was a perfect example of exceptional weather. Wednesday was warm and overcast and I spent a chunk of the afternoon in the warehouse above working on a float for a parade this summer.

 Thursday it was full on Spring and we sat out on our porch painting rocks, laughing, and watching the neighborhood come to life as everyone and their dog {literally} walked by.

 Cat observing her domain.

I'm skipping Saturday because it will get its very own post, but rain turned to snow over night and so Sunday was about the epitome of Utah spring weather with a bit of everything rolled into one.

I especially like this one above because it seems like the hopeful little buds were encased in glass, or sugar.

Hope you had a lovely weekend. I did!