Love. Obsess. Inspire.

Love: Oscar & Emma New Website Launch

Graphic Design extraordinaire, Karly Depew of Oscar & Emma just launched her new site and it's fabulous!!! Let me know what you think...

Love: Abbey McCulloch

Morning all! I hope each and every one of you had a fabulous weekend filled with good weather and great friends. I was lucky enough to spend time with some of my favorite people this week while stumbling upon some great sales at the mall and of course hitting up the beach for some much needed color! What happen this weekend in your neck of the woods?

Late last night I received an e-mail from Sesame Magazine announcing their most recent online issue, among some very talented people was Abbey McCulloch and her fun, yet sophisticated, works of art. I think these pieces are the perfect way to start of a week of posting :)

Inspire: Sunday Funday

As the heat begins to roll-in, invites for dinner parties are an everyday occurrence and the idea of a cold cocktail sounds more and more appetizing. So thanks to the lovely people over at Sunday Super, we can have the best of both worlds with this DIY " make your own" martini bar. All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Well all... cheers and have a great weekend!

Free Printable Goodie: Rays of Sunshine

While visiting one of my favorite blogs, Eat Drink Chic, I came the perfect Free Printable Goodie to welcome in the summer months!

Love to Love: Guest Post with Buttoned Up

Yesterday, I was luck enough to be given the chance to guest post over at Buttoned Up (thank you, ladies)! Today, I couldn't be happier to return the favor by pass along some good advice from the masterminds behind Buttoned Up...

By Sarah Welch & Alicia Rockmore

Is your desk a disaster area?  If you find yourself navigating mounds of papers each time you sit down, can never find a pen or pencil when you need one, or simply can’t see the desktop, your desk qualifies!  A cluttered work area is likely to contribute to higher levels of stress, either because there is too much information for your eye to process or because each time you approach your desk, you’re reminded of how disorganized you are.  Your productivity is also likely to suffer because chances are it takes you longer to find what you need when you need it.  Since many of us spend the majority of our waking hours at our desks, the constant, low-level stress and lost productivity due to desk clutter are likely to have an outsized impact on our daily lives. 

Alicia on “Never Giving Up”

“Some people naturally keep their desks neat as a pin and some are more prone to accumulating stuff.  I’m living proof that even ‘professional organizers’ can suffer from desk clutter!  Most of us will have bad days (or weeks) where stuff piles up because we’re too busy to file papers, sort through the mail, throw out old sticky notes, or generally dig out from under the onslaught of work.  So don’t beat yourself up if your desk is a mess.  But also don’t assume that you’re just a ‘messy desk’ type of person and that there’s no hope for you.  Everyone is capable of having a relatively buttoned up desk area.”    

Sarah on “Overcoming Inertia”

“A cleaner desk will not just reduce your overall stress levels it will most likely translate into extra time.  If you’re inundated with clutter, you probably waste up to an hour a day searching for misplaced items and lost files.  But we also understand that no matter how dazzling the prospects are of more time and a more relaxing environment, often those thoughts are not enough to get you over your organizational inertia and take action.  The real trick is to just do something.  Pick one small pile to tackle and you’ll get momentum going in the right direction.” 

 

Digging Out from Under

Tame your desk disaster with these simple tips:

#1:  Contain Clutter Piles

Clutter piles spread like weeds when you have no containment strategy.  Buy a simple basket or inbox and force yourself to put any and all loose papers, mail, and notes into the basket.  When it is full, rather than letting it overflow and pile on your desk, deal with the items in the basket immediately.  Create three piles: toss, file, record; and deal with each accordingly.  It should take at most ten minutes to get to the bottom of it all.

#2: Give Everything a Home

Items like pens, paper clips, binder clips, highlighter pens, telephone notepads, and tape dispensers all take up precious room.  In addition to restricting your paper piles to a basket, try keeping these desk accessories contained in either a drawer or desk caddy.  That way, you have the benefit of a clear desk and you’ll waste less time hunting around for them when you really need them.

#3: Keep a Notebook

A lot of paper clutter can be reduced by keeping an office notebook.  A simple notebook can the perfect place for keeping daily or weekly to-do lists, jotting down phone numbers, taking notes, and just generally staying on top of details.  Using one will also likely reduce the amount of time you waste looking for lost numbers and post-it-notes with bits of information.  Just remember to force yourself to look back at the notebook for the first few weeks until it becomes a habit.

Inspire: A Girls Best Friend

I am a true believer that diamonds are a girls best friend... along with cocktail rings, vintage pins, key shaped necklaces, etc.. So when approached to be a guest blogger over at Buttoned Up, I couldn't resists sharing some DIY ideas on ways to display "the girls".

Thanks ladies for inviting me to take part in Buttoned Up, its truly an honor!

Inspire: A Minted Christmas Special

{Click to vote for All Is Bright by Potts Design}

{Click to vote for St. Nicholas by Emily Renneby}

{Click to vote for Woodland Wonderland by Design Lotus}

{Click to vote for Glory + Greetings by Toast & Laurel}

The weather outside is far from frightful, but the talented designers of the Minted Design Challenge have not scummed to the welcoming heat. Instead they submersed themselves with holiday cheer and submit ed some amazing designs. I've selected some of my favorite designs and hope you will join me in supporting their works by casting your votes! Good luck, Designers!

Obsess: Nautically Inspired

While living by the ocean for so many years I seem to have created somewhat of an obsession with all things "nautical." Julia Rothman's nautical inspired illustrations fit perfectly into this category.

Love: The Cirus Is In Town

I first came across the work of Rosanna Anson via Twig & Thistle and it has been love ever since!

Love: Thoughtful Day Horray

Thoughtful Day is a daily stop for yours truly, there is always fabulous finds and beautiful designs(best of both worlds). So while flipping through the most recent Martha Stewart Weddings magazine it made my day to see blogger, Erica Miller's work featured on p. 201!