Two Good Things.

Metal Stage Lamp at Hindsvik & Apple by Ninainvorm .

Happy Monday.

See full view. Listed here.

Here's one of the paintings I'm working on. I have a stack of sketches from last summer that I want to get on canvas. This is a snippet of the first one. Next time I promise better lighting!

Happy Monday :)

Image Copyright Lindsay Brackeen.

Gone Weekending.

Ugh. It's been a long week. My husband has had late meetings, I've had my hands full with the new puppy, my 6 yr. old was sick and out of school today, and my 3 yr. old was, well, being a 3 yr. old. I need a weekend and a glass of wine. Ahh! It's here! Good.

Enjoy yours...

xo,

Lindsay

Image via LeLove.

Twisted.

I wish I could do this to my own hair. Maybe my husband could learn to do it. Actually, he can barely get the girls' manes into ponytails, so perhaps not. I'm in charge of hair and he's in charge of wobbly teeth duty, so I consider it pretty fair. :)

Two Good Things.

Two Good Things. Grey and Lilac.

Country House by TheLittleRedDoor. Bubble Coat Dress by EmilyRyan.

Meet Uma.

Meet Uma, the little bugger who's taking up most of my time at the moment :) Her bladder is about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. We're making lots of trips outside, and I'm becoming immune to cold weather. I just stood on my lawn in flip flops and it's a whopping 29 degrees outside. Oh well, whatever it takes. She's learning fast and she's super cute, so I can't hold much against her. Just look at that face would ya?

p.s. She's a Giant Schnauzer, not a mini! She'll be about 85 lbs. when she's all grown up!

Inspired By.

Inspired by the fantastic work of Tina Berning. See more here.

Gone Weekending.

Whew! What a week. So glad it's Friday. I'm not exactly going to get dolled up and chase a train like the gal above...but still, an exciting weekend nonetheless. We are finally picking up our puppy after last weeks plans unravelled! I can't wait to meet her and watch her chase some snowballs! Have a great weekend.

xo,

Lindsay

Image via LottaAgaton.

Ways to Help Haiti.

Want to help? Here's a few suggestions.

Handmade for Haiti, The Pioneer Woman, Indiefixx Haiti Relief Fundraiser, Text Your Donation.

First Aid Book via TheFancyLamb.

New Cookie to Love.

We have a new favorite cookie around here. Oatmeal, butterscotch chips, and toasted pecans. They're so yummy. Find the recipe here. I doubled the vanilla and added 1 cup of toasted, coarsely chopped pecans. Perfect bribe for getting the kids to eat all their dinner!

Bloganistas.

Have you seen the new flickr pool, Bloganistas? I love seeing some of the gals behind my favorite blogs. And, it's so making me wish I had bought the terribly impractical in the snow, yet super cute boots I tried on last week. :)

Images from Jeremy & Kathleen (her blog here) and Sweetfineday (her blog here).

Two Good Things.

EtsyFinds: Found while thumbing through my twitter followers. Black basket (as wall hanging) via Trampoline & Linen Clutch (love that color) via Karuski.

The Big 3.0.

Two weeks from today I turn 30! What a ride the 20's have been. A transforming decade to say the least. I traded in a country life in the south, for a city life in the north. I got married. I started painting. I gave birth to two sweet little girls. I added color to my wardrobe. I learned to make a mean loaf of bread. I became an aunt 3x. I failed at scuba diving. Learned to grow veggies. Bought my first house. Attended my 10 year class reunion. Figured out how to use power tools. And became a seriously great dancer. Okay, that last one is a lie, but it sounds good, right?

Quick! 20's vs. 30's. What should I know?

Images via LuckyLittleDot & 26OliveStreet.

Hello Yellow.

Crushing on yellow. Again.

Images via Pia Ulin & Per Ranung.

Around Here.

Bits and pieces, around my house.

Ha. True.

I couldn't help it. It made me laugh. Via Morenewmath.

To Do.

I have a metal magnet board from IKEA. It resides in the closet, sandwiched somewhere between toliet paper and luggage. I'm thinking I could spray paint some small containers white, then add magnets to the back...then attach them to my metal board and mount it all in the mud room. Perfect spot for catching keys, collars, and sunglasses. This post is to remind me to actually do all that.

Happy Monday folks!

Images found here.

Gone Weekending.

It's Friday! We had lots of snow last night and it's still coming down as I type. Unfortunately, this hinders our plans to drive to Pittsburgh today to pick up the little pup. Looks like we won't be meeting our little gal until next week. :( Alas, it's a good weekend for snowball fights and hot cocoa, warm soup bowls and UNO. Hope you have a lovely weekend! See you here on Monday...

xo,

Lindsay

p.s. You can also find me chirping over here.

Photo via BusyBeingFabulous.

Design Lust.

Have you seen the work of photographer Elisabeth Aarhus Hudson? She's both a writer and photographer, shooting for magazines such as Elle Interior and Maison. Her blog is loaded with inspiration. I love all the black + white in the spaces above, and how about that copper pendant light? That particular shot is from her own home which she has decided to sell. If you live in Norway, and have a chance to see the apartment in the flesh, I envy you! Enjoy more of Elisabeth's work here.

All photos copyright Elisabeth Aarhus Hudson.

Typo.

Hey Cody, that's one fancy alphabet you have there. I like it. See more work by Cody Hoyt here.

Bangs.

Today I'm bringing back the bangs. And not with my own craft scissors. I'm not sure why I find it so difficult to make an appointment at a salon. But today, I'm doing it. Mostly because Santa left a gift card in the toe of my stocking that read: "Make an appointment already :)" So there. Done.

Photo via Vanessa and CupofJo.

Simply Sweet.

Pretty paper chain necklaces by Studio mhl. Her shop here.

Almost here.

Friday is the big day! After giving it a ton of thought (and doing loads of research), we finally decided on a puppy! We're making a road trip on Friday to scoop her up. I feel like we're bringing a new baby home :) We've been shopping for crates, a collar and leash, and food dishes. The girls have stuffed a basket with doggie toys. We've called around checking out local vets. Today I hope to find a recipe for homemade puppy treats. (I found a bone shaped mini cookie cutter in my stocking this year!) We are so excited. It's hard not to go crazy buying stuff, with all that's out there. I have refrained though, because much like a baby, I'm guessing she'll outgrow things quickly. I can't wait to snap a picture of her!

Does your doggie prefer a certain toy? Any ideas on homemade playthings or treats?

Clockwise: Y Bowl Diner, Stork Toy, Nina Ottosson Game, Black Leather Leash, Plaid Collar, Molly Mutt Duvet, Flyer Toy.

All images copyright their respective owners.

2010.

2010 already? It snuck up on me. The holiday break flew by sooo fast. I can definetly say I enjoyed every minute of it. The wrapping, the opening, the preparing of Santa's goodies. The travels, the conversations, the good company. All the time I spent in pjs, the mid-day movies, the constant supply of sweet treats. New toys, did I mention I love new toys! Sweet smelling Strawberry Shortcake dolls, good old-fashioned Lincoln Logs, a Light-Brite, an Etch-a-Sketch...it's so fun seeing my girls enjoy the same things I did as a child. So, tell me, what was your favorite part of the holiday?

Wall Planner by BluLima.