Beatnik Bazaar

Oh what a beautiful find I am about to share with you! Beatnik Bazaar is a South African online store with beautiful, locally handmade goods, and vintage finds. I think I looked at all the pictures a million times over. Everything looks so beautifully made, and wonderfully presented. I think a lot of the items would make great gifts, or you can just gift it to yourself :-). Owning any one of these I think you'd feel like you found a special piece specially made for you, and in a way it is. Everything other than the vintage pieces are made to order.

These pillow clouds are so sweet.

This crocheted blanket makes me want to work on my crocheting skills, and hope/dream to be this good someday. 

I hope you enjoyed looking at these images as much as I liked sharing them. I love a wonderfully handmade item any day.

(Images: Beatnik Bazaar)

Entry Plan

These are the colors, styles of material, and pieces I am considering for our very tiny entryway. We've had this place for over five years, and it is one of the few spots in the house I've done nothing to - other than hang a picture here and there or leave shoes laying around the area. I'm thinking as small as it is, it would be an easy and quick job. It needs big bold personality and I know I can easily do that. That yellow makes me real happy I think it will look great on the wall. The turquoise, I'm thinking I can paint that mirror frame that color, or something in the same color range. The ceilings aren't very high, even though I really like the pendant light the flat one or something like it might be more practical.


(Sources: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5, Google Image - source unknown, Image 7, Image 8)

A Love Like This...

I normally keep things like these private, but I'm feeling so lucky, and happy that I have to share, and frankly brag a bit about my lovely husband :-).
I came home from work, I was quickly whisked away for a delicious bubble bath with candles everywhere, my favorite songs playing in the background, and a cute plate of a sampling of chocolates. He took the girls out for a bit, so I can have a quiet moment. I tried to take pictures because that is what I do when something is gorgeous, but the camera was snatched away and I was instructed to relax and indulge. I'd taken a few already even if not great shots, but you get the idea. We picked up a yummy pizza for dinner, I think there is a movie somewhere in the future too.

I leave you with this lovely song by one of my favorite artists - John Legend.


UPDATE: The video I posted won't work - sadly. If you want to see it though you can YouTube it.  The name of the song is I love you love, John Legend. It is a beautiful song.

(All Images by Fatou Bah)

One of Those Days

I should really say one of those weeks. I am so tired, and I feel drained like I need to completely stop, and recharge my batteries. Unfortunately, for now this is how it's going to be. School, full-time work, wife, and mother duties can be very exhausting. Don't get me wrong, I love love the last two especially, but with the nonstop schedule I feel like a little (or huge) rag doll.

Via Apartment Therapy

Via Apartment Therapy

Via Apartment Therapy

All I can dream about is going somewhere in the Carribean, laying by the beach, with the sun on my skin, waves crashing, watching my girls giggling as they play in the sand with their father. Since that isn't happenning any time soon, I want the next best thing badly.

Via House to Home

Via House to Home

Via House to Home

I need to crawl under my cozy bed, and not come out for a long long time.
Night, night. :-)

Fun Weekend!

Hello everyone! I hope you had a lovely weekend. I had a nice 3 day weekend, full of special moments with the family. I got some sleep and relaxation in, that is always good in my book these days.

There was a lot of getting silly with the kids, a lot of belly laughters, and plenty of baking and eating. Jalika and I got to do some fun things together, and one of those was painting some old terra cotta pots I have laying around from plants that have long passed.

Okay, so I have a bit of an Orchid addiction, I love love them, and I love having them around me. I usually have one in the living room at any given time, the only downside is they don't last very long and they die - and everytime that happens my husband will try to prove his point about what a waste of money they are. I never listen and he never gives up. Back to the pots, I thought it would be fun to paint them with chalkboard paint.

I figured it will be a fun project to do with Jalika, and it will be a nice "new" thing to have. Plus, I like that she can draw on them and make them cute and pretty too.
     

I hope you made special memories with your loved ones this weekend. I wish you a beautiful week!

(All images by Fatou Bah)

Chair Story - Tutti Frutti

So this is part of what I've been up to this weekend. My husband picked this chair up for me at a local thrift store, I think 2 years ago now. I spray painted it this mustard color and reupholstered the cushion and I love it, but I've been thinking about doing something different with it lately, and I finally had the perfect plan.

Before

After

You can see from the before picture that we were loving on it a bit much. I actually like the scratched paint and all, not the dirty cushion. I can't seem to clean it up good, probably because I didn't remove the old cover...not very smart, but I know better now.

The fabric I used is actually a pillow cover that I got from IKEA. I really wanted a print like this, but couldn't find anything quite right. This pillow was a perfect example of seeing beyond the surface of what an object is meant to be. Make your own rules! :-)

I am so happy with how it turned out, the color is so fun and bright. I don't know what it is, but I have just been more into pink lately.  I had to remember that my sweet husband, though out number still had to be represented. So I found this beautiful geometric pattern to balance out the girly. He approves and actually really likes the pink too! He said this is one of his favorite things I've done, now that's a compliment. :-)

What have you been up to this weekend? Any fun projects? I did some fun work with my daughter that I'll share shortly.

To Share Or Not To Share?

So, I am on a kids room kick lately, the mind of a mother who's into design I guess. :-)

We are getting to that point where we have to decide on whether the girls share a room or have their own rooms. We have three bedrooms, one is my older daughters the second is the office/guest room and the last is ours. Right now the baby shares a room with us but she is now 9 months and pretty soon she'll need to move out, thats right, spread her wings and fly out of our room :-). My only reservation about them sharing a room right now is that I don't want her waking her older sister up in the middle of the night as she is still not sleeping through the night. If they have their own rooms then I loose my guest room and office space. What a dilemma!

via  from IKEA

via Kids Stuff World

via Little Sooti
I really love all bold colors in this room against the white walls. 

I like the idea of having an eclectic room with lots of vintage pieces.  A collection of cherished pieces, and their own art work used as decoration.

I think even if space wasn't an issue the more I think about it, I think I'd like for them to share a room growing up. I have a romanticized vision of how wonderful it will be for them - they'll grow up closer and have wonderful memories to share. That's my hope anyway.

Do any of you have your kids sharing rooms? I'd like to hear what your approach to designing the room was.

(All images sources above)