Still Life Perspectives

This weekend as the last of my Valentine flowers were about to fade I wanted to capture thier beauty.  I love both of these perspectives for very different reasons. I am really drawn to the sparseness and use of negative space in both shots. And I really liked the ornate and rustic pattern of the surface I used. A found piece of metal waiting to be thrown out by its former owner.  The softness of the flowers mixed with the industrial surface is what I really love about these shots.

This series of still life shots really got me thinking about new ways to create photographs that are interesting to look at, simplistic in technique and using only natural window lighting. I hope to shoot more in the near future.

IKEA Family Live

Have you heard of this great source of interior inspiration known as IKEA Family Live?  I just found out about it last week and am excited to be sharing some of my favorite interior shots with you today!  My favorite thing about this site is that all the homes are real! You can tell, too..they just feel so comfy and lived in, love it!  All of these images can be found under the home stories page, where you can see and read in more detail about the singles, couples, and families that have transformed there spaces to work for them and their living needs.  I find it so fascinating to see how people from around the world set up their homes.  Don't you? Enjoy browsing through these archives!

Photos by IKEA Family Live

Book Review: Nest for Two

I pulled this book off the shelves this weekend to help spark some ideas on organizing and after browsing through it I knew that I had to share some of my favorite pages with you!  I bought Nest for Two way before me and Joe moved in together, mainly because I liked the way the book is divided into the different living categories of eat, sleep, work, play, and relaxing (my fav)!  But it does give some great tips on how to mesh his and hers home goods together to create a cozy and livable home. I especially love the many practical (and budget friendly) office and closet storage solutions they showcase.  Makes me want to get a jump start on my closet cleaning!  

Are you inspired like I am yet?  Any practical storage solutions you love to share?

Because I'd love to know :)

I found this quote today while browsing through my Pinterest feed.  I couldn't find the author of the quote but I knew I had to share it on the blog today because it rings so true to me.  As you know Joe and I have been working on getting Coach House Pictures up and running which has lead me to experienced many out of comfort zone moments, but I know that they are good for me/for us. And I know that they are a super important step to creating anything new in this world.  Plus when I am shooting for CHP, I can't help but smile because my heart feels like it's about to explode (at times) because I get so excited and inspired when we have a photo shoot! It's amazing to see the results come to life and I can't wait to shoot more and share it with you all here!

So I have to ask....what have you done lately that has brought you out of your comfort zone? Would you do it again, now that you see that it's not as scary as you have played it on your mind to be?

DIY Fabric Covered Potted Plants

To jumpstart the week I wanted to share a simple project I worked on this weekend.  I recently bought a few small potted plants from my local home depot to add some color to our bay window.  And instead of transferring the pots into a better looking pot I decided the quickest way would be to just cover them with materials I already had on hand.  A few pieces of fabric and yarn did just the trick!  I like the way these came out that I'm thinking of incorporating a handful of these fabric covered potted plants  (big and small) into the wedding decor. I'm digging the casual and rustic vibe these will bring to our day. Plus they are super affordable to boot! Wishing you a happy start to your week :)

Spring is on it's Way!

It was amazingly warm today in Chicago at around 64 degrees..in March!  That's almost unheard of really, in these Midwest parts.  We think 40 degree weather is nice this time of year.  I got started on my indoor bulb planting to celebrate the weather today and I hope these babies bring much needed color and brightness to the place because in all honesty we need it!  What's the weather like in your neck of the woods/rainforest and what are you doing to celebrate the changing of seasons?

Holiday Home

 

When I take a moment to think about this holiday season I feel blessed with an abundance like no other this year.  Blessed to have my family (close by), a sound body and mind, love that continues to grow, confidence, peace of mind, and a steadfast passion to create- all on the brink of my 30th birthday (no less).  And a large part of this happiness comes from this little creative outlet of a blog and all the great people I've been so fortunate to meet along the way!  Your comments truly inspire me and help to motivate me to keep going and growing.  Thank you for all your encouraging thoughts and good cheer.
I can't wait to keep pouring my thoughts and ideas and share them with you here!  Here are a few snippets of what my home currently looks like this year.  Check out another amazing holiday home from my friend Theresa from inspirationCooperative.  Theresa said by sharing photos of your home, it's almost as if we (bloggers) are spending the holidays together!  I couldn't agree more with you Theresa!

Home for the Holidays: Photo Session

 

Over the weekend Joe and I spent Saturday afternoon capturing my friend Jill and her family in their beautiful home.  Jill works as a photo stylist, so I was even more excited to see how she had decorated this year for the holidays.  We had so much fun photographing her and the family decorating the tree, drinking lots of coffee and just spending the afternoon together.  The hard part for me was picking out my favorites to share with you today.  Happy Holidays!

Book Review: Amy Butler Midwest Modern

 

Photographs by David Butler

Happy Monday to everyone today!!  Today I'm happy to share a book review of one of my most creative inspirational people..Amy Butler.  She is and continues to be a creative force in the fabric design, pattern, and craft world.  Constantly expanding her hard and soft lines to include everything from plates, rugs, wallpaper, bedding, patterns, and a line of stationary (just to name a few).  I received this book Midwest Modern from my brother a few years ago for Christmas and I still reference it to help me whenever I am stuck in a creative rut or just need a fresh new perspective on things.  It's more of a lifestyle book and I think that's why I keep this book within arms reach on the bookshelf at home.  My favorite section of the book is getting a tour of her interiors where she displays a lot of her fabrics and patterns as a kind of rotating gallery of products while getting a glimpse of her studio space on the lower level of her home.  How fun to be able to divide your home into a completely separate work and live space!  A girl can dream, right?!  I hope to make room for this dream someday down the road at our next place.  But for now I'm glad to have a book where I can seek new creative ideas in design, home interiors, prints, fabrics, and home/work life.