"no sugar in my coffee" print

As you may know, I was an English major in college -- and as you may gather from that, I have a great love for words. In fact, I am constantly collecting and saving quotes that I come across online, in my reading, and often, from the music that I listen to. Now that I'm putting so much energy into hand-lettering, my quote collection is finally coming in handy! Rather than having to search around for something to work on, I have existing (and seemingly bottomless) resources already.

I've mentioned before how much I love Caught a Ghost and their song, No Sugar in My Coffee. I really enjoy the modern beat mixed with the sultry Motown-esque vocals, and I listen to it pretty much every day (sometimes on repeat!). Since I've clearly had the song on my mind, it was at the top of my list to use for lettering practice -- and now that I feel like I have a go-to lettering style, I've been itching to experiment more with other styles.

I really love the chalkboard effect here. To me, it seems appropriate given the unique and slightly old-school sound of the song, which also lent itself really well to a variety of lettering styles. Even though it started out as a doodle, I ended up liking the result so much that I decided to turn it into a print for my new place. (It also seemed appropriate given the amount of coffee I'll probably be drinking throughout my grad school adventure!) If you're interested, you can purchase a print here.

decor | c.wonder-ful party accessories

C. Wonder Cast Iron Lobster Bottle Opener | $15

C. Wonder Bon Appetit Cheese Board | $38

C. Wonder Melamine Salad Server Set | $12

C. Wonder Pineapple Cocktail Picks | $28

C. Wonder Striped Paper Straws (Set of 25) | $6

Hopefully you guys are familiar with C. Wonder -- if you're not, I'm sure you'll thank me for introducing you to it! Everything they have on the site is consistently bright, preppy, and fun, and it's all pretty affordable, which is always an added bonus. I'm an especially big fan of their home goods, so I couldn't resist rounding up some of my favorite summer party pieces from their selection. I really love how little touches of color, pattern, etc. can add so much personality to otherwise ordinary objects!

gifts | 5 etsy finds for dad

Iron Rustic Whale Bottle Opener | $10

Charcoal Pig Butchery Diagram Print | $18

Hefeweizen 1 Gallon Beer Brewing Recipe Kit | $19

Activated Charcoal Soap | $6

Rugged Men's Apron | $220

Etsy is such a great pace to find unique pieces, which, of course, makes it doubly great when looking for presents for hard-to-shop-for dads. I don't know about you, but I always have trouble finding gifts for my dad -- the problem is, he doesn't really need anything and never really wants anything... so what's a girl to do? A quick visit to Etsy actually presented me with a bunc of cool pieces that I think many dads would love, and I just had to share some of my favorites. I especially love the beer brewing kit and the apron, although the latter is pretty pricey...

decor | minimalist fruit prints

Today's decor inspiration follows the same lines as yesterday's food-meets-design moodboard. I came across so much wonderful fruit and vegetable themed artwork for today's post, so it really is saying a lot that, in the end, I chose to feature four prints from the same artist! I am absolutely, totally, crazily in love with these minimal prints by Strange Fruit -- the colors are so striking and the fruit really does look good enough to eat! These designs fit my aesthetic to a tee, and I would love nothing more than to hang them up on some crisp white kitchen walls :)

gifts | 5 anthropologie finds for mom

1 | Kitchen Garden Cookbook | $25

2 | Soap & Paper Factory Hand Cream | $18

3 | Mother's Day Tulip Card | $6

4 | Rifle Paper Co. Get It Done Notepad | $10

5 | Climbing Roses Gardening Fork | $15

My mom loves Anthropologie. And I can't blame her! They have an endless supply of playful, whimsical items that still manage to be appropriate for a more mature woman. The downside? They can definitely be a bit pricey -- and my mom is not one to treat herself often. Since I don't exactly have the biggest budget, I decided to pick out a few small gift ideas that embody the Anthropologie aesthetic without breaking the bank!

decor | floral arrangements

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

If yesterday's moodboard hasn't made it abundantly clear, I'm pretty obsessed with pretty pink floral arrangements at the moment. My tastes tend towards the simple -- a few big blooms can really go a long way -- but in reality any type of arrangement (simple or complex, pink or purple or yellow or blue) is worth loving for the vivacity it brings to its surroundings. Definitely one of my favorite parts of spring!

decor | bamboo in the kitchen

1 | Totally Bamboo Double Salt Box | $28

2 | Taylor Bamboo Digital Food Scale | $30

3 | Bamboo Turntable (10") | $12

4 | Lipper International Bamboo Recipe Box | $13

5 | Good Cook Bamboo Tool Set | $11

Confession: I'm kind of obsessed with kitchenware. And while I've accrued some stand-out pieces over the past few years (nesting cupcake measuring cups, a ceramic egg carton, and a polkadot casserole dish to name a few), I really want to build a cohesive aesthetic. (Confession #2: I'm pretty sure I have a mild case of OCD.) My point is, as much as a love each of my unique kitchen items, I want a design element that ties everything together.

Enter these modern-yet-naturalistic bamboo pieces from Target. I love how well these pieces go together and how affordable they are, but what I love even more is how nicely they'll be able to meld with any variety of other styles. Right now, I'm picturing a light, pretty mix with white ceramics -- but they'd go equally well with bright colors or even a rustic country pattern!

decor | graphic + gold desktop

1  |  E. E. Cummings Print by ObviousState  |  $24

2  |  Target Threshold LED Desk Lamp  |  $45

3  |  High Street Market Brass "Good Luck" Elephant  |  $28

4  |  Dreams Print by Kimsey Price  |  $15

5  |  Poppin Black + White Postcards  |  $17

6  |  Acrylic Stapler  |  Sold out, unfortunately!

I have a very clear vision of what I want my future workspace to look like -- ideally, there'll be a herringbone-patterned wood floor, a big white desk, and a gallery wall full of inspiring work. Of course, I don't have the means to create that perfect space yet, and I definitely want to wait until I have a permanent space so I can do it right.  In the meantime, I've found a bunch of great (and affordable!) pieces so I can still capture the aesthetic I want. Plus, this way, I can always add new finds or switch things out when my mood changes!

just pinned | 11

the odyssey | quote | restaurant logo

easy layers | ballet from above | backless black

loft space | clean & cozy | eclectic decor

St. Patrick's Day and Easter are both right around the corner, but you'd never know it by looking at my pins this week. Instead of going for rich emerald tones or springtime pastels, I've been on a more graphic black-and-white kick. But really, can you blame me? As simple as the classic color combo may seem at first glance, it really can encompass countless moods and aesthetics. I'm particularly loving the  white, black, and a touch of gold!