New Year, New Habits

Hey ya'll! I hope everyone had a wonderful and rewarding holiday, and one as blessed as mine! I got to spend five days with my family with little to no interruptions, and best of all...I got to love on my little Colin. Look at him and Marley...PRESH! 

With the start of the new year quickly approaching, I wanted to take some time to talk to you about some of my many New Year's resolutions. First off, I want to live a healthier life. Physically, mentally, and emotionally- the whole nine yards! I need be eating more organic, running longer on the treadmill, and treating my mind to more challenging things. I want to try new things that I've always wanted to do, and also try things I've never wanted to do. Within reason, of course! I still want to have "down time," but downtime that is still productive. Secondly, I want to work smarter and not harder. In this business, there are many procedures you can set in place to help work flow more easily. Thirdly, I would like my apartment to feel more like a home. I have been working on it for the last year and a half, but there are still things (like those gold awful plastic-brass light fixtures) that have got to change. I mean, I am an interior designer. Sadly, we so often work so hard on others' spaces that we forget about our own. Not in 2012! I've already got a plan in the works. 


These three resolutions will work because they are all attainable. I'm not wishing to find a million dollars under my pillow, have Dr. Oz to walk me through all my meals, or have five personal assistants to work on my home while I'm at work. One day at a time, they'll all get done! Here are a couple things I'm having shipped to me that should help the process...

this is a simple "diary" you can write in to help you keep track of your days.
lines such as "this day was a good call/showtime/cold shower"

this journal gives you a mere six lines to write a little blurb about your day.
do you ever feel like you lose days/weeks at a time? not anymore!

And I'm constantly rethinking my workspace. I just hung opaque linen curtains to cover the window that always blinds me while I'm working at the computer. (A.D.D. side note: why did I wait a  year and a half to do this? This is another resolution- start fixing things as soon as they bother me!) I'mm always thinking of ways to get more hidden storage, but for the space as a whole to still look clutter free so I can concentrate. I was the girl in college who could only study at my house after it had been thoroughly cleaned and decluttered. The library was good noise wise, but to see these kids with their papers scattered everywhere just drove me nuts. My desk is in our sunroom, which is the perfect extra space to work in. Now I just need the perfect arrangement! Here are some dream offices I envision in my space.. (all images via Pinterest.)

if you know me at all, you know I'm a clipboard fanatic

trays, florals, curtains, chandys, labeled boxes. say yes to the office.

more clipboards, sample sawhorse desk, and NO clutter.

JA horse, rugggggg, MAC, pillow. and a view of the fireplace. mhmm. 

this needs to happen next week!

love a good built-in desk! those chairs are killer, and a giant pinboard is too convenient. 

simple storage, acrylic chair, and white white white. 

i don't even know where to start on this one...MAJ! 

this is obviously a nursery setting, but I need some killer wallpaper and two small matching bookshelves for the office.
those of you in Atlanta, keep your eye out for me! 

With the new year creeping in this weekend, what part of your life are you dedicating some change to? Please share! 

Designer Wrap

And the holiday rush is officially here! Just going to be a quick post tonight. I was super busy this weekend with out of town company and trying to wrap up all my Christmas shopping (and then literally wrap up all my Christmas shopping!) Armed with a redbull and a mission, I killed it. I'm officially done! Now I just need a couple stocking stuffers for the family, and I'm golden. 


Every year, I get in a panic about wrapping paper. I can.not.stand. snowman, gingerbread, Santa, etc. wrapping paper. I know that just sounds mean and unChristmas like, but it's against my religion. I feel like the outside of the present should be as pleasing as what can be found inside. I still had red and white houndstooth and green on green polda dot paper from last year, so I decided to use it again to get through it so I can get something fresh for next year! I can't wait to get it on sale right after Christmas, too! :) 


I alsoooooo cleaned out my giftwrapping dresser. Yes, I have a dresser for this. Because it's important! I am throwing almost all my giftbags (well, recycling- I'm putting them outside the house for someone to grab) and I threw away all the torn and yucky tissue paper and ribbon. Now I'm all set for the new year! 


Here's a bad quality photo of what they look like this year:

Here's what I'm thinking for next year:

i definitely, definitely, definitely want black and white stripes next year.
had no luck finding any this year!

natural and crisp

i love the personalization

neutral faux bois with a creamy bow? mmhmmm. 

i love the green tree-trunk inspired print and red and black plaid

great for small gifts

i love how these all coordinate. favorite one is on the far right. 

What's your favorite look..and are you done wrapping yet? 

xoxox

give a note

I know we technically just wrapped up the Thanksgiving festivities, said our thank-yous to those around us, and then moved on to the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping and decorating. But I think it's important that we continue not only the 'thanks,' but the 'I'm just thinking of yous' throughout the year. 


For me, I love to bake and pick out uber-personal gifts for the people I'm shopping for. Well, some people aren't into shopping or baking- shocking, huh?? One thing I always like to stock up on when I see it is stationery. It's such a personal thing to take a few minutes out of a busy day to jot a note to friend you haven't seen in a while, or to jot a note to someone you see all the time but may not realize how much you appreciate them! As adults, we are pretty great at hiding our emotions. Do you know if the vendor that you source your artwork through just lost a pet? Or if they don't have anyone to spend Christmas Eve with? Does your best friend know that you would just die if you didn't have her/him in your life to laugh and cry with? I'm sure we can't answer all of these questions- although we typically seem to think we have such a great read on people. Most of the time, we're wrong. Oops. Unless everyone you interact with is extraordinarily candid, we know little to nothing about what's going on upstairs for them. 


First things first, be kind. And honest. If you appreciate how quickly a vendor gets back to you while others may leave you hanging for days or weeks, tell them! If you are thankful for business advice someone you had lunch with gave you, write it down. If your mom talked you off a migraine-cliff the other day after dealing with a difficult person, let her know. An email is cordial, a phone call is good, and a hand-written note is fab. We have such an insane level of "communication" via social media networks, that sometimes we forget that we haven't even written anything down in weeks or month short of a to-do jot list. No bueno!


I wanted to share with you a few of my favorites. Well, I always give more than what some people consider 'a few,' but I'm not very good at narrowing down when I see 20 things I like. These Etsy finds are some beauties, and they won't break the bank either! Score and score! 

love the personalization with the monogrammed initials and the simplicity
via lucky8letterpress

super-chic "man-talk." men can say thank you too...it's a new thing!
via ekgoodies

the two-tone name effect is cool, and the chevron look is always appreciated.
via marsdesignstudio

again, simplicity usually wins me over. and these punchy colors don't hurt a bit.
via naomilynn

clean, fresh, and embossed.
via paperlovelypress

the beautiful script and the faint patterning with a stark grey envelope don't disappoint.
these were made by the press that does my business cards for me, she's amazing!
via pixelimpress

perfect to leave  a sweet little note for your hunny or in a child's lunchbox.
via pixelimpress

just to say hello...
via pixelimpress

masculine, with a personal touch.
via silhouetteblue

do you SEE the inside of this envelope? out with the boring and in with the color splash!
all of their stationery comes with envelopes that open to a little surprise.
via paperkrush

bad day? not anymore...these are bound to cheer anyone up.
via http://www.etsy.com/shop/sparrownestscript

you can never go wrong with a black and white stripe in my book.
thesweetunfolding

neutral and fun for all occasions
via ohlouisedesigns

i just love this idea for newlyweds or even a design studio
via silhouetteblue

summer fun
via whenitrainsshop (love this shop name!)

it's all about the dizzy pattern
via littlelotuschildren

 I can't go too much into this, because I could talk about it for days. Text/font is IT. It's what makes or breaks stationery or any graphic design for that matter. My sisters from design school know what I'm talking about! As a matter of fact, Kristen and I were just talking about this. (Remember her from the barn wedding? Yep!) We jokingly had a text war about designing our other best friend Becca's wedding invites in Jokerman, Kristen ITC, Comic Sans, etc. We were seeing who could come up with the ultimate ugly. I'm still thinking that's Times New Roman. Thank GOD I don't have to write in that God-awful font anymore for school. Refuuuseeeee. Sorry for the rant. Actually, sorry I'm not sorry. 


Pictured below is my favorite, favorite, favorite calligrapher EV. She's amazing. Her style, handwriting, and ability of just knowing placement all make her top notch. Do you just die? 

check her out:
http://bdunlap.blogspot.com/

And we all need the proper tools to make the whole process fun, right? 

Kelly Wearstler's letter opener 

a wax seal done with b. dunlap's calligraphy. classic.
xoxoxoxox

this one is a homemade wax seal via abitabeesknees.com
here's the link for how to do your own:
http://ragehaus.com/?p=1215

Write a note today, people!

gurple. ick.

Do you accept my apology? I'm so sorry about being away from WWN for so long. To be honest, I was going to quote the date of the last time I posted, but I think I don't even want to see that! I would, however, like to make a promise to be around much more often. I mean it this time!


This grey and gloomy weather has had me dyin' for a great cup of coffee (thank God for REV), a warm blanket, and some good design of course! I need to be much better about scouring the net and mags for great design ideas. Well, let me rephrase that. I need to get better about telling you guys about what I find. I constantly have my nose in a design book, my fingers tappin' away at internet mags, and if I'm lucky... I will get some more home mag subscriptions for Christmas since I am definitely on the good girl list this year! 


For today, in the spirit of the past two weeks' weather, I want to showcase some grey houses that I die for. Grey has always been a favorite color of mine, even before it became 'the it color.'   I think it is one of the easiest colors to find the right and the wrong shades of. Some can be purple, blue, green, and even pink. I tend to lean towards the grey-based browns, and sometimes the blues. Purple-based greys kinda make me wanna vom, unless of course you're going for a purple look! I just hate to see a gurple shade when someone wanted more a light true grey- it's easy enough to do. But avoid this by painting small samples on your walls in your light. One of my favorite applications of the color grey is on the exterior of the house. It does a great job of showcasing any white trim/accents you may have, and enables a homeowner to get a little funky on accents with few worries about clashing.  Check out some of my favorites here: 

Holy New England, I can imagine looking at the rocky coast from my front door!

When using grays, or any color, please please please make a color chart on your wall with your lighting.
It makes a world of difference, trust me!

This is probably my favorite image I found. It just screams'look at me!' in what could be a boring curbside home in the city. The colors are divine...and those long skinny doors, sighhhhhh. Maybe the Pantone folks took a little inspiration from here when picking their  2012 Color of the Year.

Perfect bungalow entrance.... except those chairs might become glossy white or even some white Eams rockers. Assuming they wouldn't get snatched the moment you put them outside :)

Barn-like entrance with mad symmetry and multi-colored purple hydrangeas? I would fill this house with clean, white furniture, some eye-catching rugs, and large-scaled artwork. 

Love the white accents on the peaks of the roof to contrast with the dark grey. The landscaping could definitely branch out more into the yard and be a statement to complement the house, though. 

Beautiful country-clubbish home. The garage doors are pretty enough to have a home facing the street, and sometimes I like an entrance in a "nook." A little more unexpected! 

I would love to see this color door, against a slightly darker grey,  on a door leading out into the back  yard. 

Okay, pretend there is grass here- and take those planters away. Add a better sconce beside the door. Make the paint a little darker. Redo the "sidewalk" in brick, and paint it black. Now...this could be my office behind my house. Lots of windows for natural light, and open! 

As most you who personally know me, you probably already are aware that I'm not a fan of
purpley-urply grape. But this  shade of egglant looks killer on these double doors. 

What do you guys think...love the grey? Have another go-to color you like to see on the exterior of homes? Please share! 


If you want to keep up with me on a more day-to-day basis when I make a short disappearing act from the blog scene,  follow jennbunnylynn onTwitter.

Happy Tuesday!