Ode to Water

The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea. (Isak Dinesen)

I can't remember where I first heard this quote, but I love it. What is it about the water that is so comforting? I always feel more at peace and simply content when I am near the water. One of the reasons I love Chicago so much is because there is a juxtaposition of frenetic nightlife and culture against the calm of Lake Michigan. (And because I know some great people out there!) I was deleting some images from my huge file of pictures this evening and plucked out a few of my favorites- featuring peaceful bodies of water.

Chicago at night

Chicago again- on the Architecture Boat Tour

St. Maarten

Coronado Beach, California

Maui, Hawaii

Maui, Hawaii

La Jolla, California

Nursery Mural

I have been hard at work on the nursery mural and wanted to share the progression. It is still not done, as I am working on the clusters of flowers at the base of the tree, and I am majorly slowing down due to pregnancy. I was sitting on the floor to paint the other day and found it almost impossible to hoist myself back up!!! Here's hoping I finish soon- after all, baby is due to arrive in less than 7 weeks!

First order of business was making sure I laid out the measurements for where I planned to place the crib and glider in the room. That way I could lay out the mural around these pieces. I picked out some paint color chips at Lowes- as a lover of color, I could stand there all day debating over color choices!!

Made sure to find lots of inspiration for my tree. I wanted to have a lot of images with me to work from.

Olympic Paint is a chemical free brand of house paint. As I painted I made sure to open up windows and turn on the fan for extra ventilation.

As I began working on the tree, I decided I wanted to incorporate some more colors into the mural and what better way to do this than by adding some flowers. I love these graphic style flowers- they are my inspiration!

Here is the mural in progress. For some reason the walls look very grey, but they are more of a dusty blue color.

Beginnings of the flower clusters at the base of the tree. Still deciding whether I want to add some more colors and how far I want the flowers to climb up the tree!

Our new glider arrived from Target and rug from Pottery Barn kids. So far, very happy with the purchases!!

Setting Up Shop

I am finally transitioning my art supplies down to the basement and setting up a little space to work. Believe it or not, I have been working out of my living room for the past year. Luckily my husband hasn't seemed to mind the art supplies that have overtaken our house... or at least he hasn't told me that he minded :)

I have a really really small space to work with, as well as a pretty small budget. Keep in mind, this space is still a work in progress.

We were originally using these Expedit storage shelves from IKEA for books. I am slowly transitioning the books out and replacing them with my art supplies.  I am totally in love with this shelving system from IKEA. It is affordable and VERY easy to assemble. We also have a smaller set in our living room. Check them out here.

The "Itso Bin" from Target fits perfectly in the IKEA shelving system. Each bin is only $8-10 (depending on whether you buy a solid or a pattern style). I plan on purchasing more bins to store away some odds and ends.

Fun corkboards that I found at Target! They were about $8 for the set of 4.

Found this little red file cabinet at IKEA. It has a lot of drawers with bins that house a lot of different sections, so it's ideal for managing all of the decorative supplies that desperately need organization.

Notes from a Pregnant Woman

A little while ago a friend forwarded this funny and poignant list to me: 10 Things Pregnant Women Want Non-Pregnant People to Know. I was just thinking the other day that I had something very important to add to this list.

11. Believe it or not, I do not want to hear about all of those crazy and scary labor and delivery stories you have to share, like the one about your sister's friend who had her baby in the backseat of her car. If we are discussing my pregnancy, I do not want to hear anything along the lines of, "Oh my god, you have to hear this crazy story!", especially in relation to labor and delivery. 

The only people I give a pass to are my students. Adults should know how to be tactful, but children are still learning. The other day, upon finding out I was pregnant, a little girl said to me, "I didn't realize you were having a baby Mrs. Levitt! I just thought your belly had gotten fat." Luckily I have a pretty good sense of humor! :)

Pink and Blue

In my quest for lavender and blue nursery accessories for my baby girl, I have been completely overwhelmed in everything pink. I have nothing against pink; I happen to love pink and I love a lot of ultra feminine and romantic design. I do wonder when these ideas about pink and blue became so ingrained in our society and  were accepted as "the norm".

In light of these thoughts, I wanted to search some inspiration for non-traditional nursery designs that don't celebrate the typical "pink and blue" themes we usually associate with little girls and boys.

Love these color choices!

This room looks so warm and inviting....

I was really drawn to the pear picture above the crib :) But the mix of modern, unexpected patterns in yellow and pink is gorgeous!

Project Nursery

I just came across an awesome find, the Project Nursery Website!! They have this great Project Gallery where people can upload pictures of their nurseries. I have a feeling I am going to be spending a lot of my time drooling over all of these pictures. Check out these beyond gorgeous designs- and this is just a sampling.

How sophisticated is this?! I love how they didn't use a traditional "baby pink", but instead used that gorgeous blush color.

I love the bright pops of unconventional colors in this nursery.

Ultra feminine and Victorian! I love clean and modern styles, but often times my tastes lend to my girly side, too.  The nursery furniture I ordered this weekend resembles the shabby chic style of this crib. 

How can you not love this room? It's so cheerful.

Beautiful Trees

Oh my god, I am dying to start working on my baby's mural in the nursery! I have decided to start the mural fairly soon before my belly gets too big. I will post progress as I begin working on the project. I am having visions of a huge, beautiful white tree with lavender lovebirds. I love trees. I think they are one of the most beautiful forms in nature; they have a lot of curving lines, the leaf comes in so many visually interesting shapes, and the tree is an overall comforting symbol of shelter. I decided to look online for some ideas, and I found so many gorgeous inspirations.

What a fabulous idea. A functional mural that incorporates shelves!

Loving the birch trees in this mural. The pops of orange
are so pretty, too!

This was the kind of look I originally had in terms of color. I like the white stylized tree
with the birds in a different, vibrant color so they are emphasized.

I used this example in a previous post when I was designing the mural at Scarlet Fiorella. I really, really love way this tree was drawn. The organic, flowing lines are beautiful, and I really enjoy how it bends over the crib, so that the tree and crib interact.

I am not a huge fan of the style of this particular tree, but if you look closely, the lovebirds have different patterns in them. It also seems they are three-dimensional appliques. Liking that idea a lot.


Stay tuned as I post updates on this project!