Stylish Camera Bags

If you are picky about what you wear, what you allow in and out of your home and what accessories you dare put with your clothing, then you would agree with me that it would be nice to have a camera bag that not only is functional, but looks great wherever you are. Who says you can't judge a book (in this case a bag) by it's cover?

Here are a few camera bags that are tres chic and vary in price range. I can't say that I have personally tried these (though I have #1 on it's way to my house, then I can give a review of it), but I have found reviews that say the owners of these bags are smitten with them and they are definately great eye candy!



1 Now this first one is a great price for style and it is offered in zebra print as well. I can't wait til mine comes (I ordered the giraffe print)! Most reviews raved about it's size and looks. You can find a good review here. It also has a pic of the zebra print.
You can get it at Barnes and Noble, ThermoWeb, or at Scrap-Masters (this is the cheapest I have found it).

2 This next one is adorable. The only problem that many reviews said they encountered was that it was a tight fit and you can only get a DSLR and one lens in there. I have personally thought about getting this for my Canon Powershot A95, extra lenses and accesories, but am going to have to wait since I am using my Rebel T1i more and just bought a bag for that.
You can find this bag at Sears or Sale and Send.

3 This is for a small digital camera and comes in different colors. I think it is simple yet stylish. You can get it at Wal-Mart or Buy.com

4 Jill-E makes some great looking functional camera bags if you can afford it. They are a bit pricey, but most are uniquely designed. This one you can get here or here. On her website (found here) she also has some cool pics and diagrams of how you can fit your cameras in her bags.

5 Kelly Moore has just recently launched her very own camera bag design. They are beautiful, but once again they are a bit more $$$. They are beautiful and look like great quality though. So once again I think if money isn't a big concern for you and you LOVE them then you should definitely get one here. I debated on it, but since I am not a proffesional photographer I decided to get one that is stylish, functional and something that I won't grow out for a long time and still use for my hobby. I also would recommend that you look at her awesome photography on her blog here.

If you are searching for a camera bag and aren't happy with many that are offered because of the way they look,then I hope this post has helped point you in the direction of functional and stylish bags.

Happy camera bag hunting!

Be Still My Heart~Great 2010 Finds

I miraculously stumbled upon this site Rosanna Inc. , that has some of the most "delicious" dishes and dinnerware accessories, from another site that I frequent,Be Different Act Normal.

Rosanna Inc. has some AWESOME dishes and I thought I would share the news with all who love all things beautiful, especially at the dinner table! I have my eye on these...

Can't you just see little girls at a birthday party?

or these at us "Grown Up" girls' party?

And this is just "Oh so precious!"

Another online store that I LOVE is Home Decorators . I recently purchased an area rug there and it is the most beautiful things and is great quality with a great price tag to boot! Go check them out. They have quite a few good finds for decent prices.

I am picturing a Ballard Designs piece it together desk or just a nice piece standing alone in the office.

I {Heart} this clock! And it is ONLY $79...I think it just might be calling my name.


And this is one of many awesome bathroom vanities to choose from. So go check them out, you might find something that you like!

If there is a site that you have found and would like to share, please do. The more the merrier! :)

Frank Lloyd Wright in Bama

This is a view of the house from the back where the Living Room, office and Kitchen are situated.

Awhile back while I was still in school we took a field trip to Florence, AL. to see Frank Lloyd Wright's home design. He not only was an Architect, but an Interior Designer, writer and educator.

The Rosenbaum House in Florence is in the Usonian style and is one of 26 of these types of homes. The house was in major disrepair when it was taken by the city to become a Museum. Frank Lloyd Wright did not put in consideration that it rained a lot in the area and designed a flat roof that didn't drain very well, so water damage was a major problem. The city had the roof repaired and had new materials put in that would help the water to drain off.

The house is in it's original design. They found several of the furniture pieces and put them back into the house. Apparently Mrs. Rosenbaum didn't like the kitchen chairs. She thought they were uncomfortable and that they were not practical for use with her 4 children so she got rid of them (gave them to other family members), but they were found and are now used in the house/museum (at least that is the story I was told).


There are straight lines on the outside of the house and it is echoed throughout  the inside in various ways.

This is the Foyer leading into the house. The shelves go all across to the office door. This is one of the ways that the horizontal lines are used inside of the house to echo the lines of the exterior.

Here is a peak into the office from the living room and direction of the foyer. The ceilings all vary in height adding depth and interest to the eye.

The office is small and made to feel cozy. The ceiling was 7 ft. tall. It was actually pretty cozy inside. I was surprised at how warm and cozy it felt because of how small the room was. Now a days we usually want and have everything big and over sized.

Here is a good view of the living room. The entire house is in the blue and orange color scheme. No walls were painted. It is all finished wood. If you turn around you will go a little to the right and enter the breakfast nook.

There are many windows that are quite long and french doors that flood the tightly designed floor plan making it seem more open and inviting.

He utilized every space possible and made lots of cupboards and drawer space built into the design. There really wasn't any wasted space. Something I think we could do more with our homes now.

This is the kitchen area, opposite the breakfast table. It was rather small to me, but once again it was efficient in it's design. It felt like a train car. As a matter of fact I would say that many of the rooms felt that way.

This is part of the extension that was added later on. It has 2 built in bunk beds on the wall behind me and tons of long window on the opposite wall to bring in more light.

This kitchen is a part of the extension and it was much bigger and still efficient. Look at that gloss sheen! Even the fridge was pretty glossy! There was no hiding my flash in this shot! Gotta love the late 60's and early 70's!

Below is a courtyard they put in. One day I would like to have one...with a hammock!

I really enjoyed visiting and thought it was all interesting, but not sure that I could live in that house. I think I would get lost! As a matter of fact when we moved to our house in Minnesota (it was 3 story-including basement) and I kept thinking the pantry door was the basement door! It took me a few times, but I survived.

What is your style?

If you are wondering what style you might be when it comes to your home then take a test here!

Here are my results! Enjoy!

HOME QUEEN
Bringing up baby hasn't in the least bit cramped your sense of style. You have an almost theatrical approach to interior design, dressing up rooms just as you yourself would for a glamorous night out (or in). The look is opulent and luxurious, but can be equally sexy and sophisticated - just like you!

Living Room

You are drawn to all things that combine beauty with adventure. This is a high-octane, unabashed, sensual look that encompasses everything that's luxurious, voluptuous and curvaceous. Think rich fabrics, textured materials and glossy surfaces. While glamour makes a big, bold statement, it also smacks of total comfort and fun. Choosing accessories with a classical influence will give the room a sophistication it might otherwise have lacked, and will confirm your style credentials. Dark colours work well if you use the room mainly during the evenings and at night, while heavy leathers add gravitas and grandeur. Major on comfort in your living room: it's where you naturally go to listen to music relax and chill out.

Bedroom

You like it rugged and rustic in the bedroom. Sleep is fundamentally important to our well being. Clean, fresh air can truly aid sleep, but so, too, does a well-made bed and the best mattress you can afford. Touch is an important issue in the bedroom, from crisp, linen sheets to wool or even sheepskin underfoot. You favour an almost elemental approach to interior design in your bedroom, using the timeless approach of layering white on white to serene effect.

Dining Room

You're a paragon of style, no-holds-barred entertainer. At home, what could be quite a formal dining style is made more contemporary by its connection to other activities and areas. Keeping place settings simple is clean and classic - and you don't run the risk of your china and cutlery going out of style. In multiple-purpose rooms, flexible lighting is key to making the most of your space; a pool of light suffused across the dining table makes for intimate and convivial entertaining and will focus attention on food and friends - rather than on the painting above the sofa, perhaps, or even pots and pans soaking in the sink. When it comes to entertaining, you're incredibly sociable if frequently pushed for time.

Home Office

Your home office is formal and sober. Working from home is an increasingly popular solution to the challenge of bringing up a young family and making ends meet. A dedicated home office - even if it's just the corner of a room - will help keep you focused and separate work from hectic family life. Clean, simple lines and an absence of clutter suit the home office very well - but don't neglect to introduce an element of your own personality to the space, even if it's nothing more than a favourite photograph in an elegant frame.

Kids' Room

Let a child's room reflect his or her personality -- not yours! If you have the space for a designated playroom, great. If not, then giving your kids the biggest bedroom can be a smart move, certainly once they're past the toddler stage: it gives them a designated space to play, enabling you to keep the rest of your home more, rather than less, how it used to be. Cheap and cheerful is ideal when it comes to most things in children's rooms: not only do kids grow fast, they also grow out of fads and phases at an amazing rate.

Conclusion

Glorious and gorgeous, your home affirms your love of life.

Our New Armoire

Here is the armoire we bought for the Living Room. It is all hail to the nicest piece of furniture that we have in there, but in time I will get the rest of the room looking great!

One thing I loved about this armoire is that it is a nice rectangular shape with a little curve in the front so that it isn't very boxy. It is always a good idea to have some curves in your design to break up all the hard lines that vertical and horizontals can make. It also makes it more pleasing to the eye when you scan the room.

I love the shelves and drawers inside and am using it to hold the baby's diapers, cameras, and DVD's. What are some creative things you have used in your decor to organize your every day things?

It's all about Armoire's

I have been eyeing this Armoire for about 3 years now and waiting for the day that I had enough money to buy it...the day FINALLY came and then I found out it is no longer available (insert a little tear)! So, now I have started the search again and found one that I really like. I just have to find out the cost and go to a store that is 2 hrs. away to get it.

As you can tell I love Armoires! I want one in...

...the baby's room, this one would be perfect holding baby blankets, diapers and many other things, but I wish I could get it in a light, distressed blue-green finish to go with the Tuscan look in there.

...the Living room, this is the one that has topped my list since finding out the one I originally wanted is gone!

...in the girl's room, I love that this draws your eye to it because it is unique with a mix of a curio cabinet and armoire.

...a linen armoire in my bathroom, I need more space for towels and toiletries in my bathroom so this would be perfect!
I have always been intrigued by Armoire's for some reason. To me they add more to a room then most furniture pieces because they can stand on their own by being the focal point or blending in, but still have a say in the decor. There are many to look at, but I thought the next few were interesting and worth looking at.

You can click on the images to go to the website that sells them!

And if you really want something unique the next two (they have several more to look at on their site) are from horchow...but it costs a good penny!

Preparing to Welcome Our Littlest Princess!

A sign I found and fell in love with that went great with the bedding!

The antique looking bed skirt!

Getting our crib was quite the adventure! We received it and realized it was damaged. I ordered another and we kept the first to switch out parts if needed. We then received the second and it too had damage, but luckily we were able to switch the damaged ones out between the two cribs and voila! We have a complete crib!

I was excited when I received the bedding! It is GORGEOUS! This isn't where the crib will be located in the room, but there are still some other things we need to get rid of in there and then we can finally put the room together!

That is a 6 inch long crack that almost goes completely though the entire piece of the crib and it is a major piece at that! The last one was from the second crib.

You Live, You Learn!

This is the lovely art work that greeted you when you first walked into my home. It was lovingly done by my two youngest budding artists! We let it stay awhile and then decided we needed a foyer paint makeover so it could give a better first impression to our guests! :)

We usually do our own home improvement projects, but with my husband going out of town every other weekend for his Masters in a city 2 hrs. away and I being 5 months pregnant at the time, we thought it best! We asked a friend who had been given his name from her neighbor (but who hadn't actually used him herself) for a reference. So we used him and regretted it! He not only painted our walls with semi-gloss (AHHHH!), but he also didn't get the color right! It was supposed to have more brown with some red tint to it and ended up ORANGE, not just any orange, but PUMPKINY orange! I had asked him a few times for the paint chip so I could compare and he put it off (should have seen some red flags there)!

You know when you are told you should hang two triangles and make a mouth out of black paper to make a nice pumpkin face for Halloween, which was only a few days away, or asked if you are an Auburn fan that it has GOT to go! I was soooo depressed when I woke up the next morning that the first thought I had was "If I have to look at that Foyer I think I might throw up!" I decided that I would exit out the garage door until it was repainted. Of course it was hard to avoid considering the fact that my kids bedromms are upstairs! ;)


We tried to talk to the guy (he was pretty old and I think he may have been hard of hearing...he really just needs to retire) and perhaps we should have made more of a fuss, but he told my husband that I asked for semi-gloss(why would I do that?) that it was the right color and it'd cost us another $180 to re-paint. Because it was hard to talk to him and reason things out without having anything on paper to document who said what. We decided to just re-paint ourselves.

A good friend of mine came over and we painted with the new love of my life! Benjamin Moore Aura paint! I didn't have to prime before I painted, it went on smoothly, took only 2 coats and covered really well! I just had to scuff the walls with sand paper to make sure that it stuck to the wall since it was such a glossy paint (though the guy I bought it from said it should stick without it, but just to be safe that is what I should do)! The paint is a dream to work with and dries SUPER fast! It was $47/gal., but it would've cost me about that if I had to buy primer and then have to buy paint. We ended up having to use 4 gallons because the Foyer has a lot of wall plus it included the Loft.

This indeed was a lesson learned, it was a hard and frustrating one, but we learned that we paint pretty well ourselves and some things I will only hire out if it is a very reputable guy! The guy we used was cheap, but sometimes cheap isn't always better! Here are the end results!

eventually there will be a bench under the mirror, an area rug and some hooks!

This half circle was my gift for completing my "Interior Design Certificate" from my husband! I have had my eye on that in Ballard Designs for awhile!

The Moral: "You live, you learn"!

Baby Bedding for Girls

Finding baby bedding that is either in your price range or style can become a big ordeal. Good thing we have the Internet and are able to search for them from our own homes. I have been searching for girl bedding my self and have found several that are great, but finally after days of searching found one that fits the bill for me. Not only in looks, but price range as well.

I have hit that nesting phase with only 12 weeks to go until my due date. I am hoping to get as many things done as possible, but the baby's room is first on the priority list!

This first one is the one that I am set on buying and found the 4 pc. set for $89 plus $1 shipping at overstock.com. You can do a search for "So Boho" by cottontail on google and find other places that not only sell the set, but the accessories that coordinate with it.

I was looking for something that went along with the overall color scheme of my home. I love color, but for the baby's room I wanted something simple and soft. I just love the neutrals with soft colors of mauve and a pale yellow green added. It feels warm, inviting with a vintage look to it and looks like something that can stay in the room for several years. I also love the vintage look of it all and the bed skirt is to die for, beautiful! I love the softness of it and the small subtle amount of lace on it (I am not a frilly kind of gal).

Here are some others that I ran across that I find very unique and they also look like they'd be fun to decorate around! You can click on the images to see where you can buy them from!
I liked the elegant mixed with whimsical in this set. It is fun and playful and I am sure it'd be fun to decorate around! This is completely opposite from the one I chose to get, but it was the next one I was thinking of getting. It is pretty and wasn't too pricey.

This one is just sweet, but pretty. It is kinda pricey, but if you absolutely love it, why not?

Another cute one with nice trendy colors!

I love the simplicity of this elegant look.

This one is new to Land of Nod and is adorable! It has some cute tree wall stickers that coordinate!

Quilts are beautiful and warm to have in a room. This is the classic baby bedding look and was my original plan for the baby's room until I did some more research and found more that went well with my style throughout the house. It also has a uniqueness with the harlequin design!

This is very unique with a modern twist, but still soft because of the colors!

If none of these stick out to you and you are searching for that perfect fit in your baby's room try a search for "baby bedding" on google and you will get tons of stores to look at. Good Luck on the hunt for baby bedding!