Travel Tuesday: 5 Places on My U.S. Travel Bucket List

I noticed recently I hadn't done a "Travel Tuesday" post in a while! I wanted to get back into the swing of things, and I had plenty of time over the weekend to write one, so here's another Travel Tuesday for y'all. This week's post is about places that I've never been to, but they are all on my Bucket List to visit.

I always say that living in Illinois, it's so cool when you get to experience a different part of the U.S. and see a different landscape every once in a while. Something other than flat lands and cornfields! So taking trips out West or seeing the East Coast are always really fun to get to experience.

That said, here are 5 places that are on my U.S. Travel Bucket List. I hope to get to experience them all someday.

1. The Grand Canyon

Image from here

Talk about a change of scenery! I wouldn't mind seeing a sunrise or sunset here, would you? It seems like such a "grand" place, it's no wonder they named it what they did. I've never been to Arizona, but someday hopefully I will get to see it and experience this magnificent sight.

2. Las Vegas

Image from here

I am happy to say that I am planning on going here this summer with my mom and sister! We are planning a "Girls trip" to Vegas in late August. I can't wait! Neither my sister nor I have ever been, so what better time to explore Vegas than now, right?


3. New York City

Image from here

I've been wanting to see New York City up close for a long time. We all see it on TV and in movies all the time. One day I hope to visit the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and Times Square! Definitely one for the Bucket List.


4. Napa Valley

Image from here

One thing I have on my Bucket List is literally to "Drink wine in Napa Valley." It's kind of the wine capital of the country, right? And it looks so picturesque! Like a place you can just spend a whole week at, visiting different vineyards and wine tasting along the way.


5. Los Angeles

Image from here

I just want to visit L.A. and experience it all at least once! Shop on Rodeo Drive, see the Hollywood sign, all of the beautiful palm trees, and darnit, I want to put my hands in my favorite stars' hands, and not just at Planet Hollywood. :)

So what places are on your Bucket List? Do tell!

Target Spring 2017 Decor

Have you all been to Target lately? I've been too busy with weddings and clothes shopping (in IA City this past weekend), as well as planning for vacations this summer. But I know I'll need to make it into Tar-jay this April for the new Victoria Beckham clothing line coming out on April 9! Who's with me?

In the mean time, there's always online "window shopping" for a good Target decor fix. I decided to check it out and see what decor they have out this spring.

Here's a roundup of some of my favorite online finds. (Links for all at the bottom) What do you think? Some fun items this spring, I'd say!

Sources:

Floral illustration art

Metal star sculpture

Double-head desk lamp

"The Future Is Bright" wall art

Orb lamp

Pineapple bookends

Glass terrarium

Feather wood wall decor

Planter stand

Farmhouse style lamp

Happy Target shopping, everyone!

Time Spent Reading About an Inspirational Man

Today, I'm spending time at home reading, while Trent is out getting supplies for his aunt and uncle's new ceiling, and helping to put the finishing touches on it.

It might seem like another boring day at home, but I've been reading about a very inspirational man and colleague of mine, nicknamed Doc Holliday. He is a "retired" veterinarian in his early eighties who still does some consulting work for our company. He has written and put together this autobiographical book to pass along to his daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to treasure for years to come.

Doc is a great writer and loves doing it. My boss let me borrow a copy of the book to read, and it's so inspiring and well-written. Also, the way he writes about his lovely wife, Ruth is so cute! They first met as kids and have been together almost the entire time since.

Doc grew up during WWII and compared his childhood at times to the movie we all know and love - A Christmas Story. He listed to programming on his family's radio after school, and actually owned a Red Ryder BB gun. But instead of shooting his eye out, he shot his tooth and had to have it repaired.

He was in the army for a little while and lived in Washington, DC for a short time with his wife, before moving back to the Midwest to finish his Vet degree and practice as a Veterinarian.

I love all of the interesting stories he includes in this book, and I'm honored to know Doc and Ruth and spend time with them at work conferences. Maybe one day, I'll be able to write my life story, and I can only hope that it is half as interesting as Doc's!

A Dream Dressing Room, Inspired By Arhaus

Today I'm sharing my Dream Dressing Room with you all! This post is in collaboration with Arhaus, which is the source for so many beautiful decor and furniture pieces. 

If you're like me, you dream about a multifunctional space to elegantly store all of your clothes, shoes, and handbags, to try on your outfits for both day and night, and to do your makeup. A place where you feel beautiful, and a place that's all your own. I think a dressing room should accommodate all of these things while still having that luxurious and stylish feel.

When I think of my dream dressing room, elegance and airy, feminine touches come to mind. I think of a classic and elegant chandelier and neutral tones. All white shelves and drawers, and a makeup vanity. A framed fashion print on the walls. A tufted chair with a fluffy pillow, a contemporary rug, and of course, pink peonies - those are a staple for me in nearly every room! They're the little pop of color that a neutral room needs.

I don't quite have that dream closet space in my home yet, but I've put together a mood board to illustrate my Dream Dressing Room:

All of the lovely items above are from Arhaus, except the pillow (Z Gallerie) and the peony arrangement (Joss and Main).

Sources:

White dresser  |  Tufted chair  |  Ottoman  |  Fluffy pillow  |  Vase & faux peonies  |  Chandelier (View other lighting options here) |  Table lamp  |  Printed rug  |  Mirror  |  Fashion print  |  Paint color - "Simply White" by Benjamin Moore

I think a mix of stylish, glam, and contemporary pieces like these would really help to pull that luxurious and elegant look together. What about you? Do you have any pieces that you would need to have in a dressing room or closet?

Thanks to Arhaus for the inspiration!

Art I'm Digging

With the presidential inauguration going on today and all of the political posts we've been seeing on social media, I think it's time for an escape in the form of some beautiful art, don't you?

One of my New Year's resolutions for this year was to draw more and make more art. I'm still working on that goal! I haven't motivated myself to pick up a pencil or a paint brush yet. I think I've just been too exhausted when I get home from work that all I want to do is just lounge on my couch and watch a movie. Note to self: Instead of a movie, draw or read! That's my goal for the year. Maybe I'll start on Sunday when I'm home all day!

So in the mean time, and as a little escape from all of that political stuff going on, I thought I'd share some art I've found online recently that caught my eye.

Heidi Annalise
I recently discovered Heidi Annalise's art on Instagram. I love that she paints landscape scenes inspired by the natural world around her.

She also sells her tiny landscape paintings in her Etsy shop. You can find the above paintings right there in her shop. So cool.

Cathy McMurray

There's totally a theme to the art I'm loving right now. I found Cathy's art on Pinterest, and like Heidi, she also paints nature scenes inspired by her surroundings. She has a different style though - a bit more modern and abstract.

You can find the above print on her website. I also LOVE these mountain paintings:

(Found here)

Ok, that's all the nature art for today. :) I'm going to try to get myself motivated this weekend to make art. Or be crafty. Or maybe start on a house project.. Hmmm! We'll see!

Painting Inspiration

Some of you might know I was an art major in college, specifically in graphic design, but I've always enjoyed drawing and making art in general. I don't have a lot of painting experience, but in recent years I've kind of experimented with painting on canvas, starting small of course. (Ok, really small!)

You can see some of the paintings I've created and documented on the blog: here, here, here, and here. They've really been just small paintings I've done for fun, completely experimenting, and some maybe not exactly turning out the way I hoped, but they were fun to make.

I have an urge to paint more this year, so I'm gathering a little inspiration here to help get me motivated for some more painting adventures to come. I found all of these images on Pinterest, and have saved them all to my Pinterest board, Art I Love.

I've recently discovered the paintings of Erin Gregory. She paints colorful bouquets of flowers - and those are two things I love to look at, flowers and color.

Her work is just gorgeous. I would love to paint something like these. I love the bright colors together and imagine these would be super fun to create.

I've gotten more into abstract art in recent years, and a lot of the paintings I experimented with are abstract. I like that when you're creating abstract art, you have total freedom of the colors and shapes and patterns that you paint. It doesn't have to resemble anything but what's in your imagination.

I also like the idea of painting nothing but strokes of color onto a canvas. Color alone can be so expressive, and I imagine that a painting like this can really make a statement and look great when it's hung in a room.

I gathered these particular images because they all look like fun painting projects that I wouldn't mind taking on this year and trying my own interpretations of. Maybe I'll get to painting again this winter while I'm still cooped up in the house with nothing to do. Some possible painting posts in the future? We'll see!

Brass Object Love

Happy first day of fall everyone! So I pretty much love my brass, gold, and bronze decor, as evidenced here, here, and here. For the last year or so, I've been a little obsessed with it and have added a few touches of gold to our living room decor. Since I also love inspiration round-up posts, I thought I'd search around for even more brass and gold eye candy in the form of brass objects. You know, those great objects that you set on tables and bookshelves so you can admire how pretty they look? I love how they have that timeless, antique look to them. If you're lucky, you can find brass vintage objects at antique stores. Some of them are even practical. A brass pineapple ice bucket anyone? Yeah, I had fun with this post. Enjoy! (Sources at bottom)

Sources:

beagle statue  |  antlers  |  elephant ring bowl  |  love object  |  peanut box  | pineapple ice buckets  |  ampersand  |  peacock statue

And a bonus just because I thought these brass camels were amazing...

From here - Visit this link to find out how to clean your beautiful brass objects!

Loveseat Love

I'm talking about loveseats today. We don't yet have one of these in our home, but we've definitely thought about it because of the small space we have in our house. Our living room is a slightly smaller size, and we've stuggled with trying to create a comfortable living space in here, because of the limited space. If any of you have an apartment or smaller home, you know what I mean.

Right now, we have a standard sized couch, and one side chair. But we've been looking at different solutions, like a sectional or adding a loveseat, to create more seating. One source I've been drawn to for sofas is One Kings Lane. They have a large selection of loveseats and larger sofas in a variety of styles, and they are all drool-worthy! I've come across them on Pinterest and by searches on the web, just in the search to find the perfect couch for our home.

For a little design fun, I put together a couple of solutions for styling two different loveseats I found on the One Kings Lane website. (For more solutions, check out their Loveseat Guide here)

They are two completely different styles, but I love both of them. The first is a lovely gray, elegant style loveseat; the second is a sand-colored neutral loveseat that is super versatile. All decor sources are listed below each collage.

For my first collage, I styled a room around this elegant Donna Antiqued Gray Loveseat in a modern, open and airy office space. An open space with a nice conversation area that's easy to collaborate on creative ideas, and just makes you want to work on creative (or blogging) projects! Picture bright, sunny windows and hardwoods.

Sources:

Loveseat - One Kings Lane

Floral Print - Joss and Main

Capiz Chandy - Joss and Main

Sunburst Mirror - Z Gallerie

Fluffy Pillow - Z Gallerie

Ghost Chair - All Modern

Area Rug - West Elm

Fiddle Leaf Fig - West Elm

My second collage centers around a more traditional style loveseat, the Dumont Linen Settee, that's super versatile because of its neutral, sand color and classic design. This is the kind of sofa I would love to have in my home. I love neutral furnishings, because you can bring in colorful and eclectic accessories, and the classic furniture provides a great background to style your room. I chose to style a cozy, traditional guest bedroom with seaglass colored accents and natural textures. And, I was able to find a lot of my decorative accents for this one at One Kings Lane. (Yes, they have other decor besides sofas!)

Sources:

Loveseat - One Kings Lane

Table Lamp - One Kings Lane

Drapes - Pottery Barn

Woven Trays - One Kings Lane

Nightstand - One Kings Lane

Sheepskin Runner - One Kings Lane

Pillow - Joss and Main

Sailboat Decor - One Kings Lane

So which is your favorite? I wouldn't mind having both in my home. :) Thanks to One Kings Lane for the inspiration!

Hobby Lobby Word Art Inspiration

Happy weekend everyone. So last night I stopped into Hobby Lobby to get a few things, and could not believe all the cute decor there! I was especially in love with all the amazing art. I wish I would have taken some pictures in the store, because I can't find everything online, especially some of the framed prints (they had a Katie Daisy print there!), but I did find some really cute word art on their website, so I'm sharing some of it today.

The cool thing is that a lot of these framed art pieces could be duplicated or used as inspiration for some DIY art for your home. By spray painting a frame gold, and trying your hand at some calligraphy with a gold Sharpie. Or by making a frame look "weathered" with some stain, or creating a chalkboard and chalk pen masterpiece. The wooden letters could be DIY'ed, too if you had the right tools. I love these word art pieces. So here's a little bit of inspiration for your weekend.

 

All of these prints are on the Hobby Lobby website. Here are the links to each:

1. Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound

2. Oh, Let's Be Adventurers, Darling!

3. Let Your Heart Sing

4. Home is Wherever I am With You

5. Hello

6. Hello, Sweet Beautiful Girl!

7. I'll Eat You Up, I Love You So

8. We Go Together Like a Needle & Thread

9. Love / Heart 1

10. Love / Heart 2

I didn't pick up any art while I was at Hobby Lobby yesterday unfortunately, but I did get a little something I was pretty excited about. I'll share soon. :)