house – The Oaxacaborn Blog

Striped Curtains in Wind, Orange Paper Lantern, Orange Mirror
Since I finally finished sewing the third striped curtain, I thought I’d share the completed room. We only moved in at the end of February…it’s about time, right?

Black, White, Red and Orange Bedroom

Keep Calm, Milo Berries, Noferin, Matryoshka

The dried milo berries are from our wedding. Our centerpieces — large hurricane lamps — contained tiny bouquets of milo berries sticking out of black sand. The berries were also scattered around at the end of the aisle, instead of flower petals. Headbands Oaxacaborn on Etsy, Aveline's First Stocking

Aveline’s first little stocking, and a few of the headbands in my shop. I’m SO looking forward to Aveline’s first Christmas!

Inspiration, Monday's Pretty Things

Monday’s Pretty Things :: On a Tuesday

September 6, 2011October 12, 2011 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Bosnian Coffee in Sarajevo, via RamblinCat on DeviantArt

It’s only right that we top off the end of the the long three-day weekend with COFFFEEEEEE. That delicious caramel-colored coffee goes perfectly with the rustic-looking ceramics, don’t you think? I liked the photo even more when I read that it was taken in Sarajevo!

Fog Linen via Old Faithful on {frolic!}

I love the classic look of this striped towel. Although this one uses Japanese fabric, it’s modeled after the Turkish linen towels which were first hand-loomed near the Aegean and Black Seas centuries ago.

Farrin Stripe Chemise via Toast UK

This striped tunic featured in Toast UK’s newest Autumn 2011 Women’s catalogue was definitely inspired by Turkish linens!

Pink toile wallpaper via decorsupplies.co.uk

I don’t usually go too crazy for pink, but this pink twist on toile really caught my eye. Or maybe it’s just the super-clean, clutter-free space that’s appealing to me ;-)

Red Ombre Ruffle Pillow via That Funky Boutique on Etsy

I’d just love to cuddle up here amongst all those knit pillows with that cup of Sarajevan coffee.

Cable Knit Throw via Mi Casa Revista as seen on Inspirations Deco

I’m a huge fan of cable knit, especially when it’s done in off-white and earthy tones. Check out the rest of the photos from this pretty Spanish house — there are more cable knit throws and pillows throughout the home.

Cable Knit via Closet Visit

Alright, one last dose of cable knit for good measure. If Autumn has arrived where you live, you can use this to keep warm. Me, I’ll just keep dreaming while the AC is humming away…

You might also like to read Monday’s Pretty Things from previous weeks

Inspiration, Poetry & Words

Beautiful and Useful: Conquering Clutter

August 5, 2011March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

We had to move around some furniture this morning. Aveline’s crib had been near the wall of windows in our bedroom, but yesterday she discovered she could reach through the side of the crib and mangle the mini-blind slats (don’t worry, the cords have been safely tied up for a long time now.)

Swapping the position of two pieces of furniture seems simple enough, but now everything is all discombobulated. Cluttered. I’ve been on a mission to get rid of excess stuff, but honestly, I struggle with it. Not with the idea of getting rid of things, but with the actual sorting. If I’m totally honest, I would admit that when it comes to sorting, I am pretty lazy.

I love the idea of minimalism. In theory, I hate clutter. In practice, I live with little piles of clutter. But I get so STUCK when it comes to sorting piles of small things — especially when they are interesting. For me, it’s the ziploc bags of ticket stubs and maps and letters and greeting cards that stop me in my tracks. I just really have a problem getting through the stashes of paper ephemera. I get bogged down, finding myself distractedly reading that one card my uncle wrote me for my high school graduation or reminiscing over the train ride from Barcelona to Paris. Gah!

Un tren de valores Renfe Barcelona Spain

And the stickers left over from addressing wedding invitations? The six pathetic pieces of cardstock left over from my last scrapbooking project four years ago? Get a grip, Gina! I don’t need these things to remind me of those memories. I’d rather have the space in that basket on the shelf for something actually beautiful or useful.

I am going to tackle the bedroom this weekend, with this William Morris quote in the forefront of my mind: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

Because really, laziness is the only thing keeping me from a clutter-free house.