A photo journal comprised of my thoughts on motherhood and other life happenings, as well as some of professional work as a photographer. Southern California is home.
Just got back from Palm Springs and I have loads of pictures to upload that I can’t wait to share. Girl time is always the best, isn’t it?
Willy and I watched the Bombay Beach documentary the other week and it was so interesting. Have you seen it?
Listened to this song on the way to work and on the way home and I promise that if you rolled up next to me you would have been wishing you were my co-pilot.
Sweet Threads opened it’s brick and mortar in Long Beach and it does not disappoint. I mean check out these photos. Seriously? Sheila did such a great job designing the space. I love how she used the old chairs as clothing racks, as well as the old door frame. That store is almost edible and is filled with tons of one-of-a-kind treasures. And mad props to Sheila for following her passion and doing what she loves. It’s hard to make major changes in life and as I embark on starting my own photography business, you better believe I’m channeling Sheila’s determination and dedication. Homegirl is an inspiration.
What was then Hooper’s nursery was featured over on Baby Space. Such a cute blog. If you haven’t checked it out, you should. Bron had my heart when she opened this post by saying the following: “In some ways I think having a newborn is like going on a much-anticipated family holiday. It’s hectic and confusing with long stretches of nothing broken up by periods of high drama and pure bliss”. She nailed it.
I just about peed my pants when LookNook contacted me about wanting to work together. Haven’t heard of LookNook? LookNook is a team of interior designers that work with you one-on-one to design the interior of your dreams. Best part yet is that you don’t have to leave your computer chair, it’s all down online and is super easy. I have nothing but fantastic things to say about this company. You can enter the giveaway to work one-on-one with one of their designers by clicking here.
Also joining the sponsor gang is Little Flourishes. Little Flourishes makes beautifully designed baby wraps and blanket and their quality is superb. You can enter to win a feather blanket and wrap by clicking here.
Welcome new sponsor Broken Tricycle, who carries some of the cutest organic clothing around. How cute is this sweatshirt?
My mother-in-law sent me this video from KTVU morning news. There’s nothing funnier than watching pranks played on news anchors. News anchors are funny aren’t they? So much plastic surgery and ridiculousness. We have a no news policy in our house because we can’t stand it. Will Ferrell should make a comedy about… oh wait… nevermind.
On the same note, I heard another news story (it was on in the break room at work) about how drinking water out of plastic water bottles can make you age faster. The report went on to say drinking from the plastic bottle can cause mouth creases around your upper lip and to prevent this, we should try to relax our upper lip when drinking. No joke. What’s wrong with our society that we need to be paying attention to relaxing our facial muscles while hydrating? It’s in moments like these I shake my head and wonder how we can undo all that has been done.
I’m kinda obsessed with the little boy in the glasses next to the gold fish shot from Week 28 of You Are My Wild. I’m having so much fun following along with this photo project. Such stunning images each week.
I shared some photos from our wedding along with a short story I may have told here once before and some tidbits on marriage over on Abigail’s blog. You can check out the post by clicking here.
And I had to share this video because linking to it just doesn’t seem appropriate when it’s this fantastic. Willie Nelson is really something, isn’t he? Willy and I just saw him at the Hollywood Bowl (we see him every time he’s in town). He’s 80 years old and he sounds like a million bucks. Anyway, this video is incredibly well done. Every scene is like a beautiful photograph. Do yourself a favor and hit that play button.
Enter to win the opportunity to work one-on-one with one of LookNook’s amazing interior designers to create a custom design board for one room in your home.
I have a problem when it comes to decorating our home: I buy whatever I like. Well, not whatever I like. If that were truly the case, I’d own a thousand things I couldn’t afford; Like this pot or this rug that have had my heart since the moment I laid eyes on them. What I mean is that I buy things because I like them but they don’t always go together. Like our fantastic vintage arm chair with 1970’s bright orange flowers. It’s a statement chair and it belongs in a room designed around it. But our room isn’t designed it and, as a result, it sticks out like a sore thumb (in my mind anyway). The problem is I like a little of everything: a little midcentury, a little modern, a little vintage, a little desert, a little rustic. I also like milkshakes and scrambled eggs, but not scrambled eggs in my milkshake if you catch my drift. The thing with food, or clothing for that matter, is that you can change it daily… even multiple times a day, if you wish. But your home? You can’t change it daily. And thus, I’ve become paralyzed by my own indecisiveness.
I received an email from the sweet ladies of LookNook and couldn’t wait to hear more. LookNook was started by award-winning interior designer Rachel Guest who believes that great interior design has the power to transform not just living spaces but also the quality of lives. I couldn’t agree more. Willy and I have spent a lot of time working on our home and even though there is plenty we’d still like to change, we take great pride in the space we’ve created.
Many of us cannot afford to hire an interior designer. Not only is hiring an interior designer expensive, but it’s also time consuming. We live in a fast paced world and now, as a mother, time is more valuable to me than ever. LookNook is not only an affordable alternative, but designing your space can happen without ever leaving your computer chair.
My experience with LookNook exceeded my expectations. Here’s a step-by-step recap of what my experience was like:
-I received an email from interior desginer Holly Hargrove with a questionairre attached. The questionairre asked questions about my style, links to products I love, links to my pinterest boards, budget, etc.
-I sent Holly photographs of our family room.
-By the end of the week, Holly sent me a PDF that included all of the following:
A style board of things that inspired me (things she pulled from links I provided her with).
Visual space planning: graphic visual of how furniture and accessories are laid out in the room.
Storage ideas: love that Holly took the boys’ toys into consideration. She recommended a fabulous woven ottoman that doubles as a side table.
Fireplace: not only did Holly suggest painting it, but she also recommended a specific paint color. Painting the fireplace is something we’ve talked about doing and it’s nice to already have a starting place as far as finding the right color is concerned.
Accessories: tons of suggestions and where to find them.
Art installation: a hand sketch of how the art should appear on the wall. Love that she used art we already have but simply moved it’s location and added a few things to make it pop.
Additional info: tons of tips and suggestions specific to our family room and our requests. Love her suggestion to check out a “RF remote”, which allows you to control your cable box through a closed door (which means we’d be able to put the door back on our credenza).
LookList: an itemized list of what everything would cost, including furniture, accessories, artwork, and where to find it.
What impressed me the most was how personal the experience was. Holly took everything I said into consideration and all of the suggestions were based on things I stated had bothered me about the space. I also love that they provide you with an itemized list. We’re not able to pour a lot of money into redecorating at the moment, but seeing everything on an itemized form helps prioritize the things we do want to do in time so that we can do what we can afford now and save the bigger stuff for later.
Want to use LookNook yourself? Here’s how it works:
1. Explore: LookNooks expert designers have curated hundreds of ‘ready to purchase’ design boards for you to explore. You can search by “look” (style) or “nook” (room).
2. Discover your style: As you come across things you like, you can add them to your wishlist.
3. Buy a LookList: Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, buy the looklist for the look you love the most. You get all the shopping instructions and product resources that cost a minimum of $1,500 when using a traditional designer.
4. Let LookNook help you to make it yours: Their designers are readily available via phone or email. Get help in chosing the right size or color. This one-on-one individual help is offered at no additional fee. What’s more is that if you purchase items through LookNook’s design team, you can receive their discounted rates. They’ll oversee the entire order. I’m telling you, these guys are genius.
5. Sit back and relax: The LookNook design team is fast at work while you wait for the items to arrive on your doorstep. Enjoy knowing you’re getting the expertise of a professional designer at a mere fraction of the traditional cost.
Today is your lucky day. LookNook is offering the opportunity for one winner to work one-on-one with one of their amazing interior designers to create a custom design board for one room in your home (Actual Retail Price $199). This giveaway is open to US residents only.
Entering is easy. You can enter any of the following ways, but please leave a seperate comment for each entry to increase your chances of winning. The winner will be announced here in two weeks and will be contacted via email, so make sure your email address is valid.
Here’s how to enter:
1. Visit LookNook and tell me which design board is your favorite
