pillows and ipad sleeves, oh my!

Yesterday the internet was down city-wide (weird, right?), and I felt pathetically lost. So I did something I've been meaning to do for a really long time: I got out my sewing machine and the pile of pretty fabrics I've been hoarding, and I got crafty. I'll be adding pillows to my Etsy shop soon, and I'm experimenting with iPad/Kindle sleeves, too. Stay tuned for that.

I think I'd be a lot more productive if the internet would just go away every now and then.

 

house resolutions.

When I was making my list of resolutions last week, a lot of them had to do with the house. So I thought I'd list what I hope to accomplish at home this year.

 I want my patio to feel like this.

Our front and backyard gardens are small, but they need a lot of work. Out front, I want to fill the bed with rosemary, lavender, mint, and other herbs. Out back, I hope to have built a patio by the spring and to surround it with lush, tropical plants.

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I want to paint the front porch ceiling haint blue.

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I want to incorporate more fun textiles into the decor, from homemade pillows to rugs to roman shades.

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Our bedroom is boring. With a wash of grey paint, some art, and better closet organization to decrease clutter, I hope to make it feel more like a hotel room.

Speaking of art, I want a lot more of it. I've been trolling Etsy for affordable prints to use for a gallery wall.

 

I'd love to find something like this for extra storage in the kitchen.

Or this for the dining room.

We've bought mostly new furniture in the past year, mostly out of necessity — we had a lot to replace after the fire. From now on I'd rather keep my eye on Craigslist, yard sales, and thrift stores for unique, quality pieces that can be customized for our home.

charleston christmas magic.

Charleston is simply magical around the holidays, with twinkling lights everywhere, beaucoup festive events (we're going out on a friend's sailboat for the Parade of Boats tonight!), and Christmas trees everywhere you turn (plus the occasional palm tree decked out in lights). We may not have snow, but this is a great place to be in December.

We've already trimmed our tree, and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, but I want to make my house even more festive. Here's some inspiration I've been pinning to my Christmas board.