Life Update

Hello friends! I have been trying to pop in and post some eye candy for you every now and then, but all of a sudden, I have just been overwhelmed with everything going on in life right now. My husband almost took a job in the Chicago suburbs recently, until he received an offer in the Indianapolis area - and decided to stay here.

We just moved here last fall, and quickly understood that his new job would not be his last. Now we will need to move a little closer to his new job in the very near future. I am so excited to announce that we have been house hunting, and finally found "the one"! It's so nice to have that piece of our puzzle solved, and soon our weeks will be filled with meetings, excitement, and lots of boxes!

Kalia is back into the swing of school, soccer and AWANA, and I have been busy planning her upcoming birthday parties - (three, to be exact). It didn't work out for our families to be here on the same weekend, so we're having two family parties, and one kid party. Yikes! Hopefully I will have some cute photos to share at some point.

It took forever, but we finally found a Church to call home this past year, and we just got involved with a small group there. It's so exciting to make new friends, and it feels like our social calendar is filling up more quickly. Anyway, I just realized that I haven't been consistently posting on here, so I thought I would share a bit about what's going on in our household right now. I'm sure that everything will slow down once the parties are over, and hopefully, I will get back to searching for home inspiration...especially since I'll need some for my new place!

Images: Decor8 / Homes & Gardens UK

Bedroom Bliss

(Shoot Factory)


(Home Sweet Home)


(Desire to Inspire)


(Shoot Factory)


(Ada and Darcy)

(Dear World, You're Pretty)

Frilly Frocks

(Brides.com)


(Beth Retro Photography)


(The Wedding Chicks)

(Fleur Avenue)

Dish Duty

Unfortunately, our dishwasher has been out of commission for the last few days, but our new one should be here by Friday. Yay! It's so easy to take that thing for granted, until you have to wash everything by hand. We're so spoiled!

To be honest, I needed a good excuse to share this photo. I mean- it's all true, but I wouldn't generally blog about my broken dishwasher unless I had a really sweet picture (such as the one above) - that I've been waiting to post. Now, I'm pretty sure that the majority of those plates would not be dishwasher safe, but it sure makes for a pretty photo.

Image: Yahgie Interiors

Baby Sophisticate

I'll give you three good reasons to love this room...

1. The damask wallpaper
2. The pink and turquoise combo
3. The sophistication of the overall nursery

In my opinion, it is such a good idea to use furniture pieces and lighting that you won't end up listing on Craigslist when your baby turns seven or eight. It is much easier to change out artwork and accessories rather than entire pieces of furniture. Of course if you love to re-decorate, and it's in the budget, it would be hard to deny yourself the pleasure!

Image: Ohdeedoh

Living Room Love

(Lolalina)


(Home Sweet Home)


(House of Turquoise via The Glam Lamb)


(Domino)


(Heidi Claire)


(decorology)

Yippee Skippy

I really wish I could remember who deserves the credit for introducing me to Skippy Designs on Etsy, but I have no idea. I just know I love the lighting, colors and subjects in Mandy Lynne's work. Wouldn't it be fun to take that car for a spin? If you're adoring these photos, then check out Mandy's gorgeous portfolio.

Images: Skippy Designs

Show 'n' Tell

Well, I hope you don't mind if I share a few pix of my old set of plates. When I took photos for my teacup collection post, I snapped a few of my dishes. This is the first set I bought for living on my own, and I am still in love with it. It's a bit too feminine for Randy, and it's not dishwasher safe, but I still like to whip it out for dessert, or when I have a girlfriend over for lunch. It's very similar to Tracy Porter's Evelyn collection, but it was made by Zrike.

My glasses were part of Rachel Ashwell's Target Collection from a few years ago. I passed them up a few times, and then when they went on clearance (I think it was $5 for a set of 4...and they came in a cute wooden tray), I couldn't resist!

That's my show 'n' tell for the day! If you ever feel the urge to participate in a show 'n' tell session, feel free to e-mail your photos to SoPickinCute@live.com, and if you don't mind having them shared on the blog, then be sure to give permission in your e-mail.

Mold - No. Moulding - Yes!

(Home Sweet Home)


(Luphia Loves)

Grace's Place

Isn't this little girl's room inspiring?! It just puts me in the decorating mood. Not that it takes much to motivate me in that department, but I'm just in love with this space! I love that chandelier, the vintage pieces, and color choices - such as the blue used on the armoire, against the pink. Great combo! There isn't anything I don't like about this space. I found it on little pumpkin grace - so check it out for more inspiration, and to see photos of the adorable bedroom occupant!

Images: little pumpkin grace

Collection Affection

Meet Christina! She blogs over at Full House, and I guarantee that you'll be hooked after reading one post about her twins or triplets, her shopping excursions, or design loves. She has great taste! I mean, just look at that piano. And those dresses! A few posts back on the original blog, I requested some photos of your collections, and Christina is the first participant. She has a gorgeous collection of vintage dresses. I really want to shop with this lady - she finds the best stuff! So thanks a ton for the photos, Christina - and the rest of you really need to check out Full House. Be prepared to "ooh and ahh" or crack a smile!

Peekin' on Pickin' - Jenny and Aaron's Place

I believe this sign was painted for a bakery - with very good taste (obviously!). Jenny Heid from Everyday is a Holiday is an amazingly talented artist - along with her boyfriend, Aaron. Their creations are just adorable, and you could own your very own masterpiece from their online shop! I am in love with this sign, and if I ever get to fulfill my dream of designing a bakery, you can bet I'll be putting in a custom order for an "open" and "closed" sign. Sooooo cute!


I generally don't begin a house tour with the bathroom, but this is the sweetest room I've ever seen! I love the stripes on the wall, and I'm eyeing those pretty towels.


Just a cute lil' setup!


I love the idea of a different shabby chic-ish paper in each box. And just look at the cute little cakes!


Here's some more striped cuteness! I love the sign. I need to ask Jenny if it's one of her masterpieces, or just a great find.


Now this is one of her masterpieces, and one that I like very much. I have a really bad sweet tooth, and I love to bake.

If you've spent any time on etsy, then I'm sure you have run across the "Keep Calm and Carry On" signs. Isn't this the greatest twist ever on that saying?!

Isn't the bedding sweet?! It reminds me of this. Carlos is pretty cute too!

And that my friends, brings the first house tour (at my new blog address) to a close. Jenny has a bunch of adorable photos of her home and work on her flickr page...I would do some more sharing, but obviously I need to cut back on photos a bit, so I don't have to start a third blog any time soon! Thanks a bunch for the photos, Jenny!

Takin' Care of Business

Welcome to my blog! If you happen to be a new visitor, then please check out my original So Pickin' Cute for an idea of what you can expect at this new address. If you want to make my day, you can become a Pickin' Cute Fan (follower), and leave plenty of comments! My new blog friend, Christina said that it's like Christmas every time she receives a new comment - and I couldn't agree more! I also love finding out about your blogs through your usernames.

Oh! Also, I requested collection photos in a recent post, and am still very interested in receiving those at SoPickinCute@live.com when you get around to it. I know at least a few of you were considering participating, so I'll just post them as they trickle in. I'm looking forward to a fresh start on So Pickin' Cute (continued)!

~Abby