Here's to a Fantastic 2013!

I'm glad I made it through 2012, and a lot of great memories were made, but a lot of hard lessons were learned,  and too many loved ones lost. So, I for one, am ready to bring the lessons of 2012 into the new year, and the rest will be left behind. I hope for a fantastic new year, filled with love, more quality time with family, good health and tons of laughter!

To you my dear readers, I wish you a ton of love in this new year, I hope you get to do things you love, spend more time with people you love, and explore more of the things that will bring you joy . You have all contributed to the wonderful memories of 2012 for me, and, for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
So, here, is to a fantastic 2013!

(Images: Dawda Bah)

Hello Kitty Party

While people were busy planning Christmas dinners, picking up presents, I was running around picking up party supplies, cutting out Hello Kitty faces, gluing and sticking bows. I think I mentioned here that my older daughter was turning five, and she asked to have a Hello Kitty everything. I wasn't too crazy about the idea at first, but I quickly got sucked into the cute world of this special kitty. I decided early on that unlike years past, I wanted to keep things as simple as possible as far as food goes. I also wanted the party to be adorable, but to be as little stress as possible. I think it turned out very nice….

My absolute favorite DIY project were the plastic cups. I played with different ideas of what I could  do to spruce them up, and somehow the bow just happened, and it was quick and lovely - literally took about 30 mins to tie all 25 bows and stick them on. At first, I bought the 3D stickers on Etsy to just stick on the cups (again thought of keeping things simple), but the scale was all wrong. I started playing with the ribbon that I already had, and before you knew it I had several bows that I stuck the stickers on, I used mounting tape to stick them to the cups. The paper straws I purchased on Amazon. Adding bows really took the cups to another level of cuteness.

Making these Hello Kitty faces were a fun and easy project. I just traced and cut out the shape using card stock paper, then hubby drew the perfect bow, again I cut that out, and the birthday girl herself helped cut the whiskers. I used my hot glue gun to stick them on lollipop sticks, and I used mashmallow as stumps.:-)

This was my first attempt at cake pops, and they turned out pretty good. I used white chocolate to cover up a red velvet cake. The chocolate seized up on me, but I kept on trying, I left it over the warm water in the bowl that I was melting it in. I took out bits of the warm chocolate that I flattened in my hand, then rolled the cake balls that I had in the freezer for about 10 minutes in it…sprinkled them with some pink sugar, and, voila! The kids, and big kids had a blast eating them.

My almost two year old could have probably eaten that whole tower if I left her. She just set up a station by that table, sneaking them into her mouth. All the pictures from the first part of the night of her, had her mouth full of clementines.

I was so busy worrying about the design of the cake and having the cake designer get the perfect shade of pink that I forgot to have the birthday girl's name added to the cake. 

For the most important person of the party, hugged me the afternoon after setting up everything, and said, "Mama thank you for making the best decorations I ever seen." Now, that, was all this mommy needed.

(Images: Fatou Bah)

Merry Christmas!

Dear readers, I wish you a very Merry Christmas, filled with joyous time spent with family, and loved ones! I hope that this is a nurturing time for you, as it is for me. See you in a few days. I have some fun things to share :-)

(Images: Styled by the incomparable Dietlind Wolf, photography by Hermann Rottmann)

Holiday Sparkle

Lately if it sparkles, I love it! From fashion to interiors, I am enjoying the sparkle, and lucky for me it is everywhere. What better time to go a little crazy with our fashion and decorating than this time of the year. It simply begs for the extraordinary, and with all the craziness in the world we could all use a touch of sparkle in our days.

This gorgeous tablesetting was dreamed up by Houston, TX event planner Jennifer Laura. I love the mix of gold and silver in this rustic setting. The juxtaposition of rustic and glam with playful pieces makes the setting very festive without being stuffy.

Have a great Monday all!

(Images: Jennifer Laura Designs via 100 Layer Cake)

IXXI Design Love

Hello Friday! I have been waiting for you all week. Goodness this week has felt like two weeks put together. How was your week? I have a really cool thing to share with you today, a nice treat to get this weekend started!  IXXI Design is a Dutch digital company where users can upload their photos to make really cool collages. You can upload one photo and enlarge to various sizes, or upload multiples.

What a cool idea for vacation pictures! This is a great way to display one of those spots that you visit that are forever etched in your mind. I already have a few pictures I'd like to blow up like this, if only I had the wall place. You can create collages to hang on the wall or hang as a room divider.

I like the idea of using photos from our life, and creating something like this. I've been planning converting one of our bedrooms as a shared bedroom for the girls this summer. I have toyed with the idea of using wallpaper, now I'm thinking how cool would it be to use pictures from our lives blown up to a size of one wall, so cool and personal! I know like me, there are a lot of you out there who are thinking about those cool instagram captions that you could release from the phone into artwork on your wall. I wonder if there is a similar company stateside? Do you guys know?

What fun things do you have planned for this weekend? I'm having two friends, and their girls over tonight, so it will be girls night for mommies, and the lil ones. I'm having my hair braided, so I'm really excited, I desperately need a change. I've been wanting to get shinyed (yup just made up that word) up. I want a body con sequined dress, full make up with sexy red lipstick, I almost never wear lipstick. I'm a nude, or light pink lipgloss kinda girl, but I just want to get glammed up, and go to a grown up place. That my friends is all I want for Christmas. :-) For tonight though, plenty of girl time, with 5 little girls running around screaming and giggling like only girls can.

Have a great weekend!

(Images: IXXI Design)

Design Details

Tonight, while making dinner, I stood over the kitchen sink after a deep breath, and realized that it was only Tuesday! It feels like it should be Thursday already. Yesterday, I got some bad news about something I was expecting to go one way, and it went the other - talk about a bad way to start a Monday. I've been bummed out since, even though I keep reminding myself something better must be in store then.I came across this beautiful home that got me all perked up. We could all use a burst of color in these cold months of winter, no? This gorgeous Georgian home is bursting with personality, and all the right details.

The art work in this guest room is captivating, talk about a conversation piece. I need to know where one can find it, even if the cost is an arm and a leg.

I love the use of the white and yellow tiles to add interest to the bathroom. It is so simple, yet makes an unforgettable statement.

What stands out to you? How is your week going? I hope you have a great Wednesday!

(Images: Living Etc.)

A Beautiful Sunday

I hope your Sunday is magical!

(Images: here, here, and here)

Annaleena Design

I am absolutely giddy with excitement, not only because these are so cool, but the simple fact that people are so incredibly creative, that the most mundane things, can be transformed into jaw dropping objects! For all my industrial design lovers, you will absolutely adore these steel metal candle holders by Annaleena, of Annaleena's Hem blog. If you are familiar with Annaleena's Hem it really is not much of a surprise that she can come up with something so beautiful, however, I can't help but, be overwhelmed by the genius of it all. 

Gorgeous, aren't they? I like that it can work in many design styles. They are definitely modern, and industrial, but they can be added to a more traditional space to add interest and a wow factor. 

(Images: Annaleena Design)

Sexy Faux Fur

Seriously, even 6 months ago if someone told me I'll be all gaga for interiors layered with luxurious faux fur, I would have looked at you sideways. However, here we are, me gaga for beautiful furry layers. When done right, it is luxurious and sexy. This to me is fur done extremely well!

(Image: Material Girls)

Stolen Moments & Lusting

Hello dear readers! I guess yours truly simply needed a break, and I'm not sure that I'm back to a hundred percent, but I'm slowly lulling myself back. I'm sure you've noticed that it has been dark city in 30Inspired land. I think I've been running on reserves and the reserves ran out, no more inspiration, creative juices needed to reboot. I kept starting posts, but nothing good was coming, and I hate to post just for the sake of it. I finally decided that maybe just going with the flow isn't a bad thing. I felt anxious, guilty, you know all that ugly ish, but decided maybe, I should just allow myself to have this dormant time. I hope you understand, and hang in there with me. Do you find  yourself needing to take a break even from your most beloved things? It might be that 10 extra minutes in the bathroom, like me hiding in the bathroom with my iPad, don't tell me that's just me, please; a quick afternoon nap, a lone long walk, whatever you choose to do, a moment where we just unplug from it all is truly necessary. It must have worked, because I can feel my creative juices flowing again.

And, this, my friends is what I have been seriously lusting after. This gorgeous boutique hotel, Le Reve Hotel is in Mexico, and how I would love to spend an afternoon in one of those plunge pools sipping on a fruity drink.

(Images: Le Reve Hotel)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am wishing each and everyone of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope it will be a day of reflecting on all that is good, spending time with family and enjoying wonderful food. 

My favorite thing about thanksgiving, well other than spending time with family...cranberry! I know the picture isn't cranberry, but it is the closest I couldn't find, that I liked. Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

(Image. Style at Home)

Bakker Made With Love & Happy Monday!

Nothing like a jolt of color, and prints to get a week started! Happy Monday everyone! I hope this is a great week for you, and in contributing to that goal, I've decided to share this beautiful room with you today.

Those lanterns, to me is what is so so special about this room. Imagine your teenage self in a bed like this. How about that bubblegum pink birdcage, my 31 year old self would love that.

Have a great day y'all! :)

(Images: Bakker Made with Love via Milk Magazine)

Beautiful Sunday Through My Lense

Are you having a lovely Sunday? I hope so! It's hair day for us, which basically is an all day affair. However, the weather today, forces you to take things easy, it is a grey, rainy day, and I am loving it. I am finally having a quiet moment after taking the kiddies for their naps.  I am drinking a nice cup of ginger tea and going through pictures. I am seeing pictures that I didn't even know were there, and they are all putting a smile on my face. We had a better summer than I realized. It's great and sad at the same time that we are able to take so many wonderful pictures with digital cameras and phones, but because we have so many we just keep them on our computers and are lucky if we go back and look at them. For two years now, I have been saying that I'll start putting pictures together into photo books. I've only done one...shame on me. In the spirit of unleashing pictures from the confines of my computer...here you go.

This was one of my presentation boards for my final project in Fundamentals of ID

A random collection right! You should see my entire photo files...I am obsessed with capturing every little thing that grabs my attention. I love going back and seeing all the cool things I was able to immortalize in photos. 

Enjoy the rest of your day!

(Images: Fatou Bah)