I think I am going through an identity crisis. Partly because I recently changed my name, and I don't really feel like a "Shotts" anymore, but I also don't feel like a "Flint" yet. Also I am someone who changes with the seasons, and as summer slips through my fingers and fall approaches I can feel the change within me coming. Fall is the most inspiring season to me. Maybe it's because the sun isn't drawing me to be outside lounging, and I get more time to brainstorm and create. This excites me. My current job is coming to an end in November. And as sad as I will be to say "goodbye" to the family I have nannied for for 2 years, I am excited for whatever the future holds. All of this change is also terrifying. I need to figure out who in the hell I am, or who I want to be so I can take the right path... oh geez... adulthood is so not what I thought it would be like...

So here is to inspiration, and change! {and comfy sweaters and red lipstick :)}

{images from a glamorous little side project}

Oh hi there

Gosh, I am really terrible at blogging consistently. It has been a while since my last post, so that means I have lots of updates! A week or so after Jonathan and I made our coffee table and chairs, the in-laws came to town! My new mother/father/sister-in law came to stay with us in Seattle for a couple of days. Jonathan and his dad both raced in a half ironman on August 15th, so they made a little vacation out of it. Luckily our new couch cover came like 2 hours before they got to the house, so everything finally came together! I LOVE it! (I will post pictures of it soon) It was quite the ordeal to get a new cover for our couch since Ikea discontinued our model. We ended up getting a custom one from Australia... totally worth it!

Speaking of Ikea, while Jonathan's family was in town the girls took a day trip to the one in Renton. My loverly mother-in-law bought us some new plain white curtains, which look SO much better than the green ones we had, and I purchased this poster:

pretty awesome for ikea, right?! It is actually pretty huge in size, so I haven't hung it up yet. But I will post pictures of that too when we hang it up.

I am constantly on the search for more art for our walls, and lately I have been hooked on typographic prints. The Ikea one is the first one I have actually purchased, but I have many prospects. I think it is really easy to go overboard with them so I am trying to be selective, but I am left wishing for more wall space so I can have them ALL! Here are a few of my favs...

These first 2 are from Ork Posters. I saw the Seattle neighborhoods one last year, and I have been wanting it ever since. He makes these posters for a few other cities, and one for the brain and the heart. I think they are charming....

this next one is from Friends of Type. Each word was designed by a different member of their design team, and then letter pressed. I love the playfulness of the fonts, and I love the message.

This one is from Village. I first saw this one years ago on the cover of Domino Magazine and have recently rediscovered it. I want it. I wonder if its too pink for Jonathan?

And, on top of those I already have this poster:

I just don't know where to draw the line... hmmm...

DIY City!

So, Jonathan and I have been hard at work this past week. I think I have interior design ADD. I am constantly changing things in our home. Whether it is re-arranging pictures on the wall, or sanding down and painting a piece of furniture, I need change like every 6 weeks. Poor Jonathan... If it were up to him all we would have in our house is a couch, a tv, and a bed. Good thing he has a wife like me to keep him updated :).

Anyways, our latest projects have been to re-cover and paint two arm chairs in the living room, and to make our own coffee table and get rid of the ikea one that was literally falling apart. I'll start with the chairs...

These two chairs are actually part of the dining table set we bought last year, but we have been using them as side chairs in the living room. I hated that they looked so boring, and they had that vinyl seat cover that just wasn't appropriate for the living room. So, instead of spending $400 to replace them, we decided to roll up our sleeves and be pro-active...

BEFORE:

(just imagine it with arms, I forgot to take a true "before pic")

AFTER:

Pretty cute, right?! I was pretty impressed with us. It was my first experience with recovering any piece of furniture. I didn't do any research on how to properly do it, so I improvised... with a hot glue gun. Haha! Don't tell anyone, ok?

And now for the coffee table! Jonathan and I have been in need of a new coffee table for about a year now. Our Ikea one had no life left in it. It leaned, had water spots all over it, and had TONS of scratches in it. It was no bueno. I could not find a single coffee table for sale ANYWHERE that I wanted to spend money on. After some discouragement, we decided that we could just make our own. We didn't have a strict plan, so we just went to the REstore and waited to be inspired. We found the window section, and our light bulb lit up! We found a wood paned window that was the right size and look, and took it home with us. I knew immediately that it would look awesome with some hairpin legs, and I knew just where to get them... hairpinlegs.com, of course :) Now for the results...

And there you have it! I am pretty pleased with how everything turned out. Now, I want to replace the curtains with just some plain white ones, and our new custom couch cover is coming the the mail next week (fingers crossed!). After that, I should be good to go for another 6 weeks...

hope you have a great Sunday!

bisous!

xoxoxo

janelle monae...

so, i have a slight obsession with the loverly janelle monae... I first discovered her from Rifle Paper Co.'s blog, and now i am in love! I mean her music is great, but her style is ba-nanas (as the Zoe would say). It must have something to do with my current obsession of menswear on women, but I just love her style. It also doesn't hurt that she is gorgeous... Plus she performed on SYTYCD last thursday, bonus! If you haven't already, you should totally download her album, ArchAndroid, on iTunes. And if not the whole album, then at least the Tightrope song. It makes me want to boogie...

I want to be her friend.

Bisous!

xoxoxo

i want a corn dog...

I just came across this yummy shoot the other day, and just had to re-share! I love the monochromatic outfits for that guy, and i DIE for that girls hair... and her sparkly swimsuit!

tomorrow I will be posting all of our home updates! YEAH!

Bisous!

xoxoxo