Love is ...

There is nothing that brings up thoughts of love more than a wedding. 

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“You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not.”
― Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

“I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I know that when we die and it comes time for God to judge us, he will not ask, 'How many good things have you done in your life?' rather he will ask, 'How much love did you put into what you did?”  ― Mother Teresa

Etsy

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."- 1 John 3:18

Wedding week

I'm in full speed wedding mode ... 

The rentals are finalized, menus are framed & the signs are painted. I am busy checking off my list  lists. 

I like to make a few mock gifts to put on the gift table ... it starts it off so pretty!

Hope your week is going well!

Art ideas for an office space

The new office / conference room for the pediatric clinic is almost done. We are just waiting for everything to arrive so it can be installed. I like working with this client; we work mostly online as she is one busy doctor and I understand her price point - budget minded, but workable. I send her a few ideas, she comments back and we go from there. After we selected a few things, I sent her this inspiration board to give her an idea of what it would look like all together:

She asked if we could add some orange.

I like the color palette!

The space houses 3 offices where the psychologist and other therapists will work as well as a large front room that will be used for parents to meet, hear lectures, gain information and be able to network with other parents. We put three Ikea desks in each office and in the main room we put a couple of Bjursta dining tables from Ikea to use as "conference tables".  The client wanted a seating area in one corner and some artwork to add some color and break up the long blank walls that we were not able to paint. She also wanted to have the space be an inspiring place for the parents who will use it and also for the employees that have their offices here as well. 

Decor Black and Light Grey Lounge Chair | Overstock

These are the chairs that will go in the seating area - we will have four of them. 

Lucent Nesting Tables - CB2

We needed a table to go in the corner and I wanted a table to use as a coffee table some of the time but it needed to be lightweight enough so that it could be easily moved when they had a lot of people in the room. These nesting tables are perfect. One will go in the corner, one will be used as a coffee table in front of the chairs and the small aqua one will be placed on the side of one of the end chairs. I like that they are round to break up all of the straight lines of the room and the rectangle conference tables.  

Aqua - Modern Digital Canvas

The client wanted a modern / zen like feel that was also very inspirational. I also know she likes the ocean and I kept that in mind when I was selecting the artwork. We are using Modern Digital Canvas for some reasonably inexpensive large canvases - their motto is, "Cool, Affordable Modern Art."

Infinite - Modern Digital Canvas

Allow - Modern Digital Canvas

Dry Land - Modern Digital Canvas

Plume - Modern Digital Canvas

There will be a small console table that can be used for brochures or to serve refreshments on:

Lachlan Glossy Black Sofa Table - Overstock

We will add a few inspirational quotes on large canvases ...

Allposters.com

And some in frames:

Green Door Design | Etsy

I love when you can pick the colors you want!

I'm taking today off (well, kind of - I don't think I ever completely take a day off - there are always phone calls to return or emails to make...) but I am going to take a "more than long" lunch today to celebrate a friend's long overdue birthday. So today I will play and then the rest of the week is crazy ... this is wedding week ... I can't wait to share all that we have planned!

Happy Monday everyone!

Love Anyway

Years ago I had a little book filled with words of wisdom by Mother Teresa and for a while I read a few pages of it every morning. It was just a small book; one of those gift books made for the holidays I think, or maybe just after she died. I am not sure what happened to my book ... I probably lent it to someone. But it was filled with such truths and wisdom that I wish I could find it again ... it was one of those books that you could finish and start all over again. I remember what struck me the most was how selfless she was and so filled with love.

quoteswave

quoteswave

Albee | Etsy

VinylExposure | Etsy

UnraveledDesign | Etsy

It really is all about love. 

A change of seasons

I love the fall. I love way the sun seems to sit lower in the sky. How warm days shift to cool nights. And leaves begin to sprinkle the ground.

Cedarknits | Etsy

Angeldogdesigns | Etsy

 etsy

Happy first day of Fall!

Shopping for wedding flowers

It's wedding mode around here these days as my sister and I have three weddings we are styling in the next six weeks. 

Last Sunday we headed over to the Long Beach Flea Market to see if we could find some blue vases to use for centerpieces for a navy and pink themed reception. These cobalt blue glasses are the perfect size for what we need. They will be filled with pink roses and hydrangeas. I love that they are "recycled" and can be re-used later as drinking glasses!

We also took a little trip up to the L.A. Flower Mart to see what was available for the first two receptions.  We knew we wanted pinks for the reception with the blue vases but for the other wedding which is next week, we had a little more flexiblility.  I was kind of worried that maybe our unusual heat wave (that just doesn't seem to end) would hinder our choices. I was wrong ... there was everything we could have wanted in abundance.

When I am styling a wedding or even a small-scale party, I like to have an open mind when it comes to the flowers. For a smaller party my favorite places to go first are Trader Joe's and Home Depot (Yes, Home Depot! They are a great resource for beautiful roses in large bunches and also potted plants that can be tucked into urns). I shop with an open mind and let what I find available inspire me. If I have to fill in, then I will go to a more expensive florist. I like to have the same open mind when shopping at the Flower Mart. I have a general idea of what I want but often change my mind when I see what is in abundance, well priced or just too great to not get.

For the wedding that we are doing next week we knew we would be using a lot of white. 

It is an outdoor wedding with a slightly rustic, slightly vintage feel. What we mixed in with the white to add color was not yet determined as I wanted to see what was available ...

We fell in love with the most subtle shades of peach ...

And some not so subtle!

Ikea

We found some great pots to put the flowers in for our centerpieces. They were only 49 cents each!

The colors are going to look great with these chairs:

Elizabeth Ann Designs

I just love how this wedding is evolving! 

Framing family photos

Remember these pillows? I posted about them here...

The living room they went into needed a little love on a blank wall ...

So I added a few frames that they can place some family photos in.

I love a photo art wall ... don't you?  All of the frames except one were purchased from aaronbrothers during their penny sale - seriously you cannot beat that sale. The middle frame, I had custom made. I have not had a frame custom made like this before - usually I am framing an actual photo or a piece of art. But while I was at my framer's having some other pieces framed I fell in love with this frame molding and asked him to make me up a frame with an 8x10" opening and with a back that opens easily so that we can put a photo in later. I think it turned out spectacular. 

I love that a few pillows and some (future) family photos was all it took to warm up this beautiful living room.

Happy Monday everyone!

My thoughts today

Don't you think? It's those darn expectations. I kind of wish I could live more like this:

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