Inspiration, Monday's Pretty Things

MONDAY’S PRETTY THINGS :: Green, green, green (plants)

If you follow Oaxcaborn on Instagram, you know about our succulent planting adventures (see below photo) so it’s no surprise that this week’s Monday’s Pretty Things is all about greenery! This was inspired by a couple of things — one, the incredible Urban Jungle Bloggers project, and two, the fascinating conversation here about the challenge of spending time outdoors if you, like many people, are an apartment dweller. (Most people don’t actually live on a rambling ranch!)

Hopefully these Pretty Things — and the #UrbanJungleBloggers Pinterest board — will inspire you to create your own green oasis no matter where you live.

Inspired by #UrbanJungleBloggers

Hanging plants, plants in interior design - indoor/outdoor room via Atelier Solarshop - Monday's Pretty Things on Oaxacaborn
Hanging plants via Atelier Solarshop

succulent in urban window with textile coaster - Rennes on VSCO as seen on Oaxacaborn's Monday's Pretty Things
Urban window via Rennes on VSCO

Wit and Delight Floral Workshop
Floral workshop via Wit & Delight

Japanese home renovation with lots of plants via Spoon and Tomago
Japanese home via Spoon & Tamago

White interior with single green plant via ukkonooa
White interior via Ukkonooa

via Oaxacaborn on Instagram
Fika via Oaxacaborn on Instagram

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Inspiration, Little Style

LITTLE STYLE :: Pale Pastel Girls’ Room Inspiration from Serena & Lily

Serena and Lily Coral Grey and Navy Girls Room

This isn’t a sponsored post — it’s just my imaginary wallet and I talking a walk through the summer 2014 Serena & Lily catalogue. ;)

1. Fox sheets
2. Houses print
3. Ceramic elephant side table
4. Today pillow
5. Sun print
6. Polar bear
7. Pouf
8. Inlay mirror
9. California pillow
10. Blanket
11. Sea gull print
12. Basket
14. Rug

See anything here you’d love to snatch up for your own home?

Inspiration

INSPIRATION :: A Curated Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Sometimes, I get lost in the tyranny of the urgent. Lost in the chores and the clutter and the cooking and the cycle of washing, drying, folding. I get lost and forget that all around is beauty, even inside these four walls. We were created to know beauty, and it’s worth every bit of conscious effort to choose to see it, even in the whirlwind. The Weepies knew this when they sang“All this beauty…You can ask about it, but nobody knows the way. No bread-crumb trail to follow through your days. It takes an axe sometimes, a feather, in the sunshine and bad weather. It’s a matter of getting deeper in anyway you can…All this beauty; you might have to close your eyes and slowly open wide.”

I believe in making a beautiful home, something I learned from my mother (although I’m nowhere nearly as good at it as she is). “Anything can be made beautiful”, she always told me, “though a combination of cleaning and contentment.” And she proved this, too, over and over and over again throughout the years.

Maybe you have a mother like that too, someone who has always managed to create peacefulness and a sense of home and beauty no matter what. Or maybe you have a mom who whips up magic in the kitchen, or throws the best parties, or has endless athletic energy, or is always on top of the fashion game. (Honestly, isn’t Supermom a little bit of all that and more?)

Keeping everything a mom does in mind — and with an eye toward seeing beauty in the whirlwind — I’ve teamed up with JCPenney to bring you gift ideas for any kind of mom.

A @JCPenney #Momisms Mother's Day Gift Guide curated by the Oaxacaborn blog // #JCPHostMom #JCPFitnessMom #JCPDecorMom #JCPChefMom #JCPTrendyMom

#JCPHostMom | 1. Lantern | 2. Copper Bowl | 3. Plates | 4. Card
#JCPFitnessMom | 5. Yoga Mat | 6. Tote | 7. Hair Tie  | 8. Towel
 #JCPDecorMom | 9. Basket | 10. Rug | 11. Pillow | 12. Art |
#JCPChefMom |  13. KitchenAid | 14. Eat | 15. Cucina | 16. Tray | 17. Bowls | 18. Mortar & Pestle
 #JCPTrendyMom |  19. Lace Tee | 20. Bracelet | 21. Bag | 22. Pants
Even MORE  gift ideas | JCPenney Mother’s Day Hub

This week, I’ve also joined JCPenney in tweeting little snippets of motherly advice. Being a total rookie in the mom department, it probably comes as no surprise that my quips have been of the “Don’t suction-cup the dog”, “Don’t lick the sidewalk”, and “Don’t stick potato chips in the outlets” variety. But you can use the #momisms hashtag to tweet your own, much wiser motherly gems of wisdom — and you’ll be entered to win one of several $100 gift cards JCPenney is giving away, so YOU can buy a little something for yourself!

(Pssst…a little secret? Don’t worry if you aren’t one of the winners of the #Momisms sweepstakes, because I will host a separate $100 gift card giveaway here very soon. Sign up for Oaxacaborn email updates so you won’t miss it when it goes live!)

Leave me a comment on this post letting me know which of the items above is your favorite. Since I curated the list, I can safely say….I love them all!

Disclosure of Material Relationship: I received compensation in exchange for promoting JCPenney’s #Momisms Sweepstakes/Giveaway. I personally selected all the items displayed in this curated guide, and was not required to present any specific products as gift ideas. All the opinions and experiences shared here are in my own words and are my own honest evaluation. Please be assured, I only accept sponsorship opportunities for brands I personally use and/or would recommend to close friends and family, and I will always disclose any such relationships.

Christmas

SCANDINAVIAN CHRISTMAS :: Christmas by H&M

The Swedish clothing and home brand H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) was founded in 1947, but it’s only in the last decade that they’ve really gained popularity in the United States. But unless you were lucky enough to live near one of their stores, H&M still remained out of reach. But this year — less than six months ago — H&M opened up online shopping to US customers. Woohoo!

In case you, for some odd reason, haven’t already obsessively stalked the Christmas section of their website ;), here are some of the prettiest Christmas images from H&M Home’s Christmas selection.

6 - H and M Home goods - Swedish Scandinavian Christmas

H and M Home goods - Swedish Scandinavian Christmas

2 - H and M Home goods - Swedish Scandinavian Christmas

4 - H and M Home goods - Swedish Scandinavian Christmas

5 - H and M Home goods - Swedish Scandinavian Christmas

See more from H&M.

Christmas

CHRISTMAS :: Petra Bindel

White and green for Christmas — so lovely and bright! I especially love the use of moss and princess pines.

3 - Petra Bindel - Christmas Decorations for Elle Mag

2 - Petra Bindel - Christmas Decorations for Elle Mag

Petra Bindel - Christmas Decorations for Elle Mag

I blogged a little of photographer Petra Bindel’s work some time ago, too. She’s a genius at the use of bunting.

Above images by Petra Bindel for Elle magazine.

Monday's Pretty Things

MONDAY’S PRETTY THINGS :: 6 Examples of Foliage Indoors

Cut flowers or branches, a little houseplant on the edge of the sink, herbs in the kitchen — these little touches really brighten a room, don’t they? I have a few potted flowers in ceramic pots on the stoop outside our front door, but nothing inside right now. I should change that!

Plants in Kitchen via Ikea Kitchen Dreambook
Plants in farmhouse kitchen via pages 50-51 of the Ikea Kitchen Dreambook

Muguet in Old Bottle - via Tongue in Cheek by Corey Amaro
Muguet in Old Bottle via Tongue in Cheek by Corey Amaro

Citrus Branches in Vase via Jessica Comingore Project Bly
Citrus Branches in Vase via Jessica Comingore / Project Bly

Sink side flowers via Real Estate Listing by Alexander White as seen on Interiors StockholmSink-side flowers via real estate listing by Alexander White as seen on Interior Stockholm

Anna Malin of Helt enkelt on the Sköna Hem blogFig tree in living room via Anna Malin of Helt enkelt on the Sköna Hem blog

branches in blue mason jar via mariefriis

Branch in blue mason jar via Mariefriis

How have you incorporated foliage into your home?

Inspiration

INSPIRATION :: H&M Home, Come to Mama!

H&M Home in the US - Oaxacaborn.com's picksWithin a few minutes of clicking onto the interwebs this morning, I got all the news. Snowden was released into Russia on temporary asylum. The weather in Orlando is going to be hot and muggy forever. And H&M Home is FINALLY available in the US.

If you know me, you know I’d rather by a rug or a set of curtains than a new pair of shoes or jeans. And I’ve been waiting for H&M Home for quite a while. (Actually, I didn’t wait. I had a UK friend buy a duvet cover there and mail it to me.)

Now join me in drooling over all this available-right-here-right-now goodness — just try not to drool on your keyboard. (Clicking on each photo will take you to the product listing on the H&M website).

Soap Dispensers H&M HOmeSugar Pillow H and M Home
Map Duvet Cover H&M Home
Paris Cushion H&M Home
Hand Towel H&M Home
Tea Towel with Script from H&M Home
Star Baby Quilt from H&M Home
Decorative letters from H&M Home
Cafe Noir Mug via H&M Home
Hot and Cold Baths 5c Towel via H&M Home

I exercised a great deal of restraint by only listing a few products. ;) Go ahead, view ALL the H&M Home things!

Inspiration

INSPIRATION :: Spring/Summer 2013 Toast UK Home+Home Catalogue

Thanks to these images from Toast UK’s Spring/Summer 2013 Home+Home Catalogue, I’m dreaming of a nice seaside picnic — one that involves crusty bread and jam. And maybe a nap in a breezy riad, waking up to Moroccan mint tea before a boat ride where I just sit on a heap of cushions and don’t have to row at all.

Hey, there aren’t any rules against dreaming, right? :)

Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn
Image via Toast UK's Spring/Summer 2013 House+Home Catalogue as seen on Oaxacaborn