For Your Inspiration

Inspired By...Ruby Slippers

>> November 10, 2009

For Halloween this year my daughter went as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. I found her sparkly red slippers at Target during the summer and immediately knew her costume, which I made! (This was my first sewing attempt. It was no where near perfect, but she wore it at dark, so the mistakes were hard to see.)

The favorite part of the outfit for both me and little Dorothy were the red shoes. As I watched her prance around in those glittery red shoes, I was reminded how much I love red. It is my favorite color, always and forever. Adding a touch of sparkle just gives it a new twist.

This inspiration board incorporates both red and sparkle, sometimes together, sometimes not. A few of the images remind me of the small glitter trees and red wreath I use as Christmas decorations. Mmmmmm, maybe it's time to pull out the boxes!

clockwise from top left:
my daughter's red shoes from Target
Moulin chandelier from Brocade Home
glittered double acorn ornaments from Birch Hill Crafts
red rhinestone and pearl necklace from Luxe Deluxe
dressing room image from Living Etc.
glittered burlap banner from Funkyshique
crimson garland from Martha Stewart Weddings
holiday pettiskirt from Metta Creations

Pumpkin Crafts In Time For Halloween

>> October 28, 2009

It all started with the adorable snowflake pumpkins on Mer Mag. As soon as I saw them, I knew I would make them, lots of them.

The first Saturday in October was designated as Halloween Craft Day in my house, attended by me and my sidekick, who also loves these paper pumpkins. (I hear her counting each one and saying, "Pretty eyes, pretty mouth, pretty nose," several times a day.) We also made a wreath, dressed up some candy jars, created bunches of other toddler holiday crafts and baked cookies. It was a fun day, and, hopefully, a tradition that continues.

Here is a glimpse of our day to inspire your own pumpkin craft day. All of them are easy and require materials you probably already have, so it's not too late to decorate for Halloween!

candy jar treats from Martha Stewart
mini pumpkin wreath from The Magic Onions
paper pumpkin snowflakes from Mer Mag

some of our finished projects

candy jars (I tied ribbon around one and taped scrapbook embellishments to the front)
monogram pumpkin wreath (I wrapped a grapevine wreath with orange crepe paper and stuck in mini pumpkin picks. The "P" is cut from felt and is hanging from fishing line.)
paper pumpkins (We made these from scrapbook paper following the instructions from Mer Mag.)

Here are three more easy pumpkin projects I'm saving for next year, although you could easily incorporate them into Thanksgiving celebrations right now.

paper lantern pumpkins from Martha Stewart
pumpkin stitched card from Make and Takes
yo-yo pumpkin from Crafter Without a Cat

October: The Month of Orange

>> October 16, 2009

Orange is the color for fall. Though I've never really been fond of it, I seem to be drawn to all things orange this year.

With the exception of the orange wall, all the items in the inspiration board below provide a burst of orange in just the right dose, and they are easy to switch out as the seasons change. Use orange whenever you want to add a little spice to your table, sofas or outfits.

images clockwise from top left:
magnet set from the b-line
orange dressing room photographed by David Bagosy for Wish Magazine
paisley pillow from Pier 1
Colin chair from Jayson Home & Garden via Lonny Magazine
autumn boutis tablecloth from Williams-Sonoma
striped cardigan outfit from What I Wore via Bryn Alexandra
save-the-date card from Elise Blaha
pumpkin chocolate chip cookie from Joy the Baker
corner bookmark from Lasting Memories via Little Birdie Secrets

What To Do With A Blank Wall

>> July 30, 2009

photo by hownowdesign

We have a huge wall in the living room that I've never been happy with. I'm dreaming of a gallery and wondering if I can get away with filling the whole thing with pretty frames?

Friday Favorites

>> July 17, 2009

Yay! It's finally Friday, which means it's time for Friday Favorites. You'll find my favorite links below, and I hope you like them! First things first, though...

As you can probably tell by the infrequent posts this week, I've got a lot going on including rethinking the content/direction of this blog. Many of you write blogs, and you know how exciting, rewarding and, yet, demanding it can be. It's ironic that a blog about inspiration is severely lacking in it. I'm taking some time to think and, hopefully, come up with fabulous new content.

So, that explains the picture posts throughout the week. They're easy and sometimes it really is true -- a picture is worth a thousand words -- so you'll find many more of them in the coming weeks. As I step away, I do want to thank you for reading For Your Inspiration. I love that you stop by here, especially when you comment on something I've posted. There's no better way to make a blogger's day!

A special thanks to Sandy, Paula, Laura and Maggie who have surprised and delighted me by coming back again and again to motivate me with your always kind words!

...and, finally, my weekly favorites. Have a great weekend!