make it pretty: celebration

logo, photography and styling by Corrin Acome

photography and styling by change of scenery

tip: I think a celebration can be found in anything that has positive energy. Whether it's by wrapping paper masks around some ordinary vases or framing snapshots of your travels and fondest memories, make sure to surround yourself with things that make you smile. 

For other make it pretty challenge styling jobs, mosey on over here. 

workspace in progress.

I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of myself. Last weekend, I was crazy productive and started putting together my workspace (finally!). I was focused, determined and confident in how I wanted to pull it all together. Knowing it's a work in progress, I thought I'd share some shots to at least prove there isn't a pile of junk spanning across the entire area anymore. I still need to choose artwork and refinish some of the furniture but I'm really happy with how things are shaping up.

The biggest tip? Make sure to surround yourself with storage, inspiration and things that make you actually want to be there. After all, at the end of the day - it's still a place for work which can keep you from hanging out there.

[canvases are being changed to softer paintings with a lot of white space]

[most of the frames were spray painted white - still toying with whether to paint the two frames white]

[two cork boards on either side of the space for posting]

[canvas on the desk actual hides the power cords and internet]

Like I said, it's still a work in progress. I'm planning to tone down the artwork a lot - keeping the overall composition soft, minimalistic and filled with pastels. I want the environment to be serene yet inspiring. Like all my rooms, I don't want it to look completely pulled together because to me, that's boring. I feel most comfortable when things are a little disheveled and full of personality. Kind of giving off the same vibe as these spaces.

[copyepaste]

[the happy home]

[curious covetous]

[plush palate]

I've been browsing through my new favorite artwork site, society6, for some investment planning and inspiration pieces. The only thing that stinks is that I'm still on the hunt for a site with 4x6 and 5x7 pictures - anyone have any go-tos they're willing to share? Here's are some ideas I have for the artwork so far. 

the king of van horn

sea recollection

tree rings

robot head

mona lisa remix

As mentioned before, I'm also planning on refinishing my desk, the hutch (not pictured) and (maybe) my sewing machine. I have a couple of options up my sleeves but I'm still figuring out how to execute. I also managed to swipe a chair from the side of the road (yep, I'm that girl) that I plan to recover and refinish as well. 

As you can see, I'm headed down the eclectic road again, keeping the clutter balanced and manageable with a lot of white and repetitive shapes and color. I'm still tinkering around but hopefully I can pull together the final look within the next couple of weeks. 

What do you think so far?

cute photo arrangement overload.

Over the course of the week (sometimes day), I get a lot of questions about what people should do related to their home decor and wardrobe. Fortunately for them, I never shy away from sharing my opinion and get all mushy and gushy inside when that advice triggers confidence and multiple sighs of relief for someone. So, instead of helping one person at a time, I thought I'd extend my reach, share the love and offer some unsolicited advice/opinion on the more popular questions. That's right, just saving the world one stress wrinkle at a time.

[photo stolen from Dave F'n Powell]

As mentioned in my last post, my mom called me about photo arrangements. This isn't the first time we've discussed this topic (I've done two arrangements in her house already) and I'm 100% confident it won't be the last. This is because I happen to be the Chuck Norris of hanging photo arrangements. Give me frames, nails and a hammer and I will create something fantastic for you to look at.

[family room. photo courtesy of my mom]

[upstairs hallway. photo courtesy of my mom]

Back to the answer... You can include multi-colored frames as long as they're evenly distributed across the entire arrangement. Again, multiple colors. One arrangement. Even distribution. Take Jen's hallway for example:

[photos courtesy of Jen]

We were going for an eclectic look that still seemed pulled-together and maintained a sense of order. Since the hallway was so long (hello, The Shining) and the picture frames were so different from each other (hello, secret frame hoarder), we broke the arrangement into 4 different sections to make it easier to tackle.

Side note: I always, always work hand-in-hand with the homeowner. While it's important for a space to look good, I think it's just as important for the person living in the space to have ownership over the design. So... there.

Collecting all like-frames in piles, we distributed them across each section so we had an even, balanced playing field full of shiny goodness, black Ikea standbys and thrift store finds to choose from. From there we organized each section to look different from each other but still cohesive to the overall arrangement.

Simple right? Kind of, no, not really at all.

[photos courtesy of Jen]

Long story short, combining different colored frames in one arrangement isn't a recipe for disaster. Experimentation will be your best friend during the process so be sure to lay everything out on the floor before grabbing the hammer and nails. If you're still stumped, make it easier on yourself and choose EITHER color OR style/shape. This will help focus the arrangement without making you want to repeatedly slam your head into the wall.

And if all else fails, spray paint everything white. Like me.

[my bedroom. photos taken by me]

A special thanks to my Mom and Jen for sending over photos for me to use. Traveling to Cleveland last night would've been impossible and heading to Mount Adams became a non-option as soon as I plopped down on my bed. 

Also, thank you Dave F'n Powell for letting me swipe a photo from your FB page to help explain that this is me helping people.

A how-to for photo arrangements.

I'm back! Puerto Rico was absolutely amazing. So amazing that instead of the original plan of posting a photo meant to inspire each day I was there I ended up not being able to decide what beautiful thing to post and just bailing on the plan of posting while on vacation all together. Hopefully for the next trip (San Fran in 14 days) I'll be able to lock it up and post some eye candy for everyone.

Majority of the photos are sitting on either my borrowed camera (thanks mom!), Jim's phone or two waterproof disposables that I will hopefully be getting developed tonight. So, stay tuned for some sweet photos in a later post and start planning a trip to visit!

Moving on, I've recently had a couple of conversations about photo hanging and thought I'd share some tips.

1. Find at least one collage-worthy space. Collages are a great way to make a statement about yourself or feature a collection of something you're proud of. Whether it's your family, your travels or your love for panda bears, find a spot and showcase.

cococozy

2. Decide what type of arrangement best suits your style. There are two types of arrangements - organic and grid-like - with a sliding scale in between. Ok, so I have no idea if the names of these styles are correct but do know that the descriptions I'm about to give make sense in terms of differentiation. Organic arrangements tend to be more free flowing and shapeless while the grid-like arrangements are clearly organized with the same amount of space, rhyme and reason between each frame. The best way to figure this out is to think of your personality and develop a pattern based on the types of situations you feel most comfortable in (black and white or gray).

hgtv (grid-like)

jenny free style (organic)

3. Lay out the arrangement on the floor before putting on the wall. It's a lot easier to experiment, test and try out different ways to arrange on the floor rather than your actual wall. Find a balance between size, color and photo type. For example, if a large composition is what you're after make sure to have one large photo on each side of the arrangement. If you've got multiple landscape and only a few vertical frames, be sure to space them out across the entire arrangement vs. just in one corner.

apartment therapy

6. Almost always start in the middle and work your way out. While there are exceptions to this rule (like it you want the arrangement to start in one corner and let it end where it ends), this is your best bet for making sure the arrangement is in the middle of the wall you are decorating.

crafty habit

Still stuck or don't know how to begin? Here are some great arrangements to give you more of a starting point.

qwick step

picture frame manufacturers

imperfect

design savvy maui