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Friday, February 26, 2016

Friday Favorites - The Industrial Shop

I love Target!  I know, "join the club" right?  But really, they make sprucing up your home on a seasonal basis really affordable.  They always seem to have the on trend design that other more expensive stores do, but at a more accessible price.  Now don't get me wrong, I also love higher end stores and the quality of products they offer, but when it comes to an accent piece or a detail that may come into fashion then be gone in a year ....or even less, I feel much better paying Target prices.

Target.com has a new area called "The Industrial Shop" filled with a mix of Steampunk meets Modern Farmhouse decor that is "in" right now and a lot of fun to play with!  Here are some of me favorite pieces:





1. Island Light - I'm looking for something like this for over my dining room table.  I love the     rectangle shape with the Edison bulbs and it's fun, not too formal.

2.  Bowling Pins - When styling table tops or shelves tall, thin, not to busy items always come in handy.  These bowling pins are just that and help fill out a vignette, without being too imposing.  Plus they're cute!

3.  Throw Pillows (here and here) - Our sofa is a revolving door for throw pillows and I change them out constantly.  These are both fun and neutral.

4.  End Table - This table can work next to your sofa or put two together as a coffee table.  Then when your get tired of them, they'd make a cool night stand in a boy's room.

5.  Iron Bed Frame - These never really go our of style, it's just a matter of how you "style" them.  Left as is for a classic, rustic look or drape the headboard with a rug or fabric to change it up.

6.  Umbrella basket - Now I don't know how often people use umbrella stands or baskets in this case, but it's blue and it's cute, so what else really matters.

7.  Area Rug - So I'm a sucker for anything gray and striped to begin with.  This rug has just enough of a pattern to be interesting, without being busy.  It could ground a room quite nicely.

8. Seeded Glass Up Light - This is a fun and unexpected accent lamp that would work just about anywhere you would need additional lighting.  

9. - Metal Basket - Everyone needs a catch all.  Something to drop the mail in or keep the remotes all together and this would be a great way to use this basket.  It comes is a couple of finishes, but I especially like the bronze one.

This is not a sponsored post, but I'll love to work with Target.  Hey Target, contact me!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Where I've been, Where I'm going.....

(image from @designcrush on Instagram)

So it’s been a while, huh.  This past year has been a series of starts and stops for me, and this blog reflects that.  I had lots of good plans and high hopes.  But life is busy and I got side-tracked.  Unfortunately, that means many things don’t get off the ground and are left in the planning stages.  Or at least, that's what I tell myself to justify why things are not going as planned.  But I think my main issue is fear. 

Fear of not doing something perfectly.   Sure, I would think about a project I wanted to do and a post I wanted to write.  I’d even plan it out.  But in addition to having a full life, I am a classic over-thinker and perfectionist.  And if I can’t do something right, right now, I put it off until I can.  And all to often, I never end up setting aside the time to make it happen. 


(image from @createcultivate on Instagram)

Fear of not fitting in.  There seems to be a common thread among many of the design blogs I read, they have been at it for a while, yet still come across as very youthful.  Am I coming too late to the party?  Would my point of view be relevant?   Would anybody care?  



(image from @jenniferppriest; quote @thinkgrowprosper on Instagram)

Fear of being judged.  There are so many good blogs out there.  I especially love the ones about design, lifestyle and family.  But again, there are a lot of great ones out there.  Do I have anything different to say?  Do I have any fresh ideas?  

These are some of the thoughts that hold me back.  But this time it’s going to be different.  This time I am going to try my best to not let fear hold me back.  This time I am going to be brave.

Jill


Monday, June 29, 2015

Alt Summit - Part Three: Dinners, Parties and Lounges

Sure, Alt Summit is about learning, but it's also about interacting and making new friends.  One of the bests parts of Alt is meeting other like minded people that share the love of creating.  And there are many ways to do just that, including attending a Tuesday Night Dinner, the evening parties or simply hanging out in one of the sponsored lounges.

TUESDAY NIGHT DINNER sponsored by Gumroad



A few weeks before the conference begins, you get invited to choose one of the "Tuesday Night Dinners" you would like to attend.  Each dinner has a sponsor and takes place at a SLC area restaurant.  I chose a dinner hosted by Gumroad and it was held at The Oasis Cafe.  Gumroad is a company that helps you sell products directly to your customers.  Whether it's a tutorial, music, book, whatever, they can help.   The dinner was fun, delicious and very casual.  Not a sales pitch at all, but yet Emmiliese, from Gumroad was there to answer any questions you had about their product.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Alt Summit - Part Two: Breakout Sessions, Roundtables & the Closing Keynote



There were so many options when it came to the classes to take at Alt Summit.  Pretty much all of them seemed very interesting, but I stuck to the more beginner level ones.  Eight classes in all and that doesn't count the roundtables or the opening and closing keynotes.  Though I could truly write a paper on each and every class, I know most people don't have time for that, so I'm going to summarize and give you the take-away points that stuck with me.  This is still a lot of information, so feel free to bookmark this post and revisit it and couple of times.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Alt Summit - Part One: Getting There and the Opening Keynotes


Justin Hackworth or Brook Dennis for Alt Summit


This blog has been something I have been thinking about for quite a few years now.  But I'm the type that if I can't do something perfect now, I will put it off until I can.  I guess it's a form of procrastination, but I prefer to think of it more as being a "perfectionist"... and that's a good thing, right?  At any rate, I had been putting off starting my blog for years, because I didn't have the time to do it the way I wanted.  After all, you can't profess to be somewhat of an "expert" in design, yet have a blog that looks less then "design-y".

But I set a goal for myself, a bit of a New Year's resolution, that 2015 was going to be the year I just did it... took the leap, regardless of if it was going to be perfect right out of the gate or not.  So thanks to a a business name I've had since becoming a freelance designer seven years ago, a $10 blog template I bought from a Graphic Designer on Etsy and blogger.com, here we are today.  This blog is still a work in progress and I'm working on finding my focus, look, stride, voice and consistency, but I'm doing it and excited about where I can take it.

Which brings me to Alt Summit.  I had heard about Alt Summit for many years and I hoped there would come a time when I could attend.  For those of you that are not familiar with it, Altitude Summit (or Alt Summit) is a conference for creative bloggers and entrepreneurs that is held in Salt Lake City twice a year (in January and in the Summer).  It is a place where, mainly women, though there were some men there as well, can come together, share information, collaborate and inspire one another.  It's three days of ideas, parties and fun and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it this summer!

There was so much information and so many things to share, I've broken it down into five posts that I will share for the next five days (working on that consistency thing).  Today I'm going to focus on what I did to get ready for Alt and the opening keynote address.


Wednesday, April 8, 2015

The BEST Oatmeal Cookies



The story goes that my Mom got this recipe from a friend "back in Michigan" (where my parents lived shortly after getting married and where I was born).  They quickly became a family favorite.  So much so, that there were many a Christmas mornings when my Dad opened a box to find an entire batch of Oatmeal Cookies made entirely for him.  To this day, I think that is one of the best presents I can give him.

A few years back, there was this recipe going around that was referred to as "Engagement Chicken".  Anyone else remember that?  I guess the story went that if you wanted to get married to your boyfriend, you would simply have to make this chicken dish and he would love it so much that you would soon get engaged.  Well then I guess you could call these "Engagement Oatmeal Cookies", because I truly think that tasting these cookies and the promise of more in the future, may have been what swayed my husband to want to marry me.  He loved them so much that he was even a bit upset when he heard I had shared the recipe with a friend... and then was pleased when he later heard her say that they "didn't come out as good" as the ones I had made.




So don't tell my husband I'm sharing this recipe, again.  And I'm sure when you make them, they will be excellent!  So here goes, The Best Oatmeal Cookies you will EVER eat.  You may want to print off this recipe, just in case it self destructs...he he!






Happy Baking!

Jill


Friday, April 3, 2015

Friday Favorites



Happy Easter Weekend, Everyone!  Thought it was a good time to post some of my favorite "bunny things", because if not Easter, than when, right?  I have been a fan of rabbits since "Pat the Bunny" was my favorite book, so in honor of Spring and the excuse to post about cute things, here we go,
(click on title for links):

1.  Bunny Pillow Cover - This would be cute on a front hall bench, this time of year or in a little girls room year round.

2.  Salad Tongs - Now these are actually kind a scary looking, but also a great conversation starter during Easter brunch.

3.  Cookie Jar - This one has shown up on a lot of blogs these past few weeks, but I think it warrants another mention.  The all white color with the hint of gold is just so pretty.

4.  Wall Mirror - I have to say I am trying to figure if there is a place in my house for this now.  I realize it's probably meant for a kids room, but I love it for me.

5.  Night Light - I am a big fan of lighting and whether or not you need a night light to ward off scary dreams, the warm, soft light is always so cozy and relaxing.  There are other woodland animals available, too.

6.  Toddler Bedding - This comes in crib size, too.  Very sweet for a nursery or a young girl.

7.  Alarm Clock - I LOVE this clock!  It's so "Alice in Wonderland" and I'm considering it for my own bedside table.  Available in a few different finishes.

So there you have it.  A little fluff reading (pun intended) for your holiday weekend.  I'm working on some more in depth content, promise, for upcoming posts, so be sure to check back.  

Jill