Unexpected inspiration Archives

Category Archives: Unexpected inspiration

Stripes are stars: Stripes as home inspiration

Written on June 25, 2012 by Kim A

Stripes are so eye-catching. Every time I come across home decor images online or on Pinterest, I immediately stop to look, and occasionally, drool.

Stripes are so versatile, and thanks to some innovative designers, easy to re-invent.

No matter if your taste is ultra classic and conservative….

Image via I found my life today

Or if your taste is wild and colorful…

Image via april interiors

There will be stripe for you. In the past few seasons, stripes have had a major re-invention. From broad, horizontal stripes in muted shades for curtains, to wild painted stripes on the wall, stripes are at once classic and modern.

I’m constantly drawn to stripes, even though I’ve been too chicken to try a bold striped wall, a striped floor or even a piece of furniture in my home. But what better time to try than now?

I love these bold, black and white striped areas that go all the way to the ceiling…so unexpected!

Images via Elements of Style, Apartment Therapy

Images via Not my Beautiful Home, Ashley Falkenburg Interiors

And look at this bright, unexpected striped door…need this for my dream beach cottage!

Image via Coastal Living

But in reality, I’m most likely to wear stripes. From nautical-inspired classic tops to cute dresses, you can’t beat a stripe in the summer!

Images via The Stylish Type, Piperlime

And just for giggles, if you are into nail art, stripes are all the fashion manicure rage right now. Happy stripe hunting!

Image via Pshiit

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Design, Fashion, Home, Inspiration, Kim A., Trends, Unexpected inspiration Tags: home, Inspiration, Interior Design, Kim A., trends, Unexpected Inspiration

Unexpected Inspiration: Azalea pops of pink

Written on April 17, 2012 by Kim A

“Azalea” by Carl Larsson via Fine Art America

Springtime in Oklahoma is an absolute joy – especially driving around in the neighborhoods.

They are full of beautiful azaleas this time of year, especially in my ‘hood in midtown Tulsa. I’m lucky to have a few azaleas surrounding
my home. Even though they only bloom for a short while in our part of the world – maybe a month, six weeks, or if you’re lucky two months, depending on weather.

If you haven’t traveled to Muskogee – just about 45 minutes southeast of Tulsa – you must go during April for its annual Azalea Festival in Honor Heights Park.

About half a million people travel annually to Muskogee for the festival, which lasts through April 30 this year. You can meander through the park and see 625 gorgeous varieties of pink, red, fuchsia and white shrubs and more than 30,000 blooming azaleas.

Image via Metro Family

It’s a real sight to see!

And since I’m obviously a pink girl, the pretty colors always inspire me in some way.

I wrote last year about my love for pops of pink décor, but this spring I’m all about the fashion.

With the flush of bright colors everywhere this spring, it’s easy to include a pop of pink in your wardrobe this year. Have fun!

1. Fuchsia Python Envelope Clutch, Gigi New York 2. Velvet Eye wear ‘Joie’ Sunglasses, Nordstrom 3. Italian leather skinny belt in Soft Fuchia, J. Crew 4. Thinstick Lipstick in Priscilla, Vincent Longo 5. Shelly pump in Lipstick Pink, Kate Spade 6. Thakoon for NARS nail collection, in Anardana

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Fashion, Inspiration, Kim A., Unexpected inspiration Tags: fashion, Kim A., Unexpected Inspiration

Surprise, New Options at Reasor’s!

Written on February 17, 2012 by Roxanne D

Okay, this is a very local-centric post so I apologize in advance for all of you not living in Tulsa. But look what I found on the weekly grocery shopping trip to the locally owned chain, Reasor’s.

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Bulk goods! And plenty of organic choices too. Everything from chocolate covered nuts and many flavored granolas, to sea salt and dried fruits like cherries and mango. I know this might seem trivial, but ever since Wild Oats left, our grocery shopping experience has been lacking, for lack of a better word. Many of our go-to organic, cost effective choices have been unavailable since the switch and the replacement store seems about 400 times more congested.

So thank you Jeff Reasor for implementing this in our locally owned grocery. Since we try to support local makers, farmers and other businesses, this makes it especially easy. Pardon my phone pics, but here’s a couple more shots. Lots of choices of organic rice, whole wheat flour, quinoa, sea salt, and real sugar are just some of many options.

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I’m not sure if this last one is new, but we’ve been missing this root beer as well. Now if they could only carry Wallaby yogurt…

RD021712e Surprise, New Options at Reasors!

Stick around and next week I’ll show you how this shopping style helps with great design in your kitchen. I love everything from my living room to my pantry and even under the sink to be visually appealing and sometimes even stylish!

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Tulsa, Unexpected inspiration Tags: food, kitchen, tulsa

Unexpected Inspiration: Unique photo displays

Written on October 24, 2011 by Kim A

Image via Atlanta Journal Constitution via Pinterest

I’m constantly in awe of a home with a creative photo display. I’ll admit that my home’s displays are pretty uninspired — I’ve always hung my photos in the polite, conservative way that I think many people hang them — in a small configuration on a giant wall with way too much dead space.

That’s why I’m looking for new ways to display my favorite memories, like this photo booth display. It’s actually from a movie set — “The Joneses,” starring Demi Moore and David Duchovny. What a great, alternative way to hang a family portrait. It shows the family in action, rather than in a static position.

Image via Apartment Therapy from Pinterest

The above display shows yet another option for hanging group photos — look closely to see that many of them are family heirloom photos, probably of grandparents’ class photos or their old fraternity days. The horizontal grouping gives it a modern feel, proving that old can indeed feel new.

Image via WDT Portfolio

This is another fun way to show vintage photos — adding them to a mason jar makes a nice touch, especially for a wedding party!

Image via Freshome from Pinterest

And these clothesline photos are a fun way to display magazine clippings for a future project, day-to-day inspiration or fun photos from a party. In the digital age of photography, it’s nice to hang hard copies from time to time.

Image via Etsy’s Photoatelier

And for the special occasion, there’s no better reason than to order a special photo, like this custom-made print on a wood block. Unforgettable. That’s how our photos should feel.

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Home, Inspiration, Kim A., Unexpected inspiration Tags: decor, design, Inspiration, Kim A.

Unexpected Inspiration: Pretty in Pumpkin

Written on September 19, 2011 by Kim A

What I was expecting Friday was a big crowd at Whole Foods. I was on my own for the weekend (hubby out of town), so the plan was to buy lots of ‘girl food’ to tide me over for the weekend.

What I didn’t expect was to be floored by the gorgeous display of pumpkins and gourds outside. Yes, it’s September and it’s finally cooling down in Tulsa, but fall is still a shock to the system down here.

The natural colors of all these gorgeous pumpkins helped me understand the origins of great design: Taking cues from the natural, or in some cases genetically altered, colors of horticulture.

I love the gray-blue, off-white and orange color palette. It’s a subtle way to celebrate fall. I’m thinking of these colors for several rooms in the house. First, is this gorgeous use of subtle blues with muted oranges.

Image via House Beautiful

These blue-gray Hubbard pumpkins are outrageous! I wanted to grab dozens of these beauties, until I realized that I needed to use my money for actual groceries.

The brighter orange against the blue looks beautiful in this bedroom. A nice way to use color but still feel relaxed.

Image via Pinterest from The Glitter Guide

These bumpy beauties have great texture. I could have piled all of them in my trunk.

Adding texture with unexpected accessories is a nice way to build layers. I love this garden stool — a pair would look great in my living room.

Image via Pinterest from Inside Avenue

And finally, probably my favorite pumpkin combo of the lot: Cinderella and Ghost pumpkins. The fun shape of the orange pumpkins look like a real fairy tale, and the albino white gourds are already sitting on my front porch.

All this talk of fall makes me happy. I’ll need a pretty coat to wear in the wind and drizzle, like this one:

Image via French Connection

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Home, Kim A., Unexpected inspiration Tags: autumn, home, Interior Design, Kim A., Unexpected Inspiration

Tulsa Trails

Written on August 26, 2011 by Roxanne D

I love nature and take advantage of Oklahoma’s sporadic good weather days to spend plenty of time outdoors. Hiking is a favorite pastime and I usually reserve it for trips to southwestern Colorado. However, I decided that it is time to put an end to that and have been investigating the Tulsa area trails.

So far, this INCOG site provides a decent list and shows the old train rail routes that have been turned into pedestrian trails. I think it’s a great use for land that could have been left with no purpose. Here are some inspiring pics from trails around town. I think the first I’ll check out is the Lost City trail in Chandler Park. That sign just looks too charming.

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Image from Carrie Fleharty

The Lost City Trail is also known for it’s draw to local rock climbers and can provide some fun and surprising entertainment for unknowing runners. The KATY trail is about 8 miles long and connects downtown Tulsa to Sand Springs on an easy grade and provides great downtown skyline views, water fountains, benches for resting and trail spurs that connect nearby neighborhoods.

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Bench on KATY Trail from INCOG

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KATY Trail in River City Park from INCOG

I’m sure there are several running groups and resources in town, so if you know of any great groups, please share with me. A couple of sites I found are the Tulsa Running Club and Tatur TOTs (Tulsa Area Trail Ultra Running – Traning on Trails) Group. Last winter, the TOTs group took a field trip to the Osage Hills State Park west of Bartlesville to explore the trails. There are some great shots from their run and you can see many thing from old bridges and large rock formations to some creek falls and views across the plains.

Tulsa Trails

Sand Creek Falls in the Osage Hills from Trail Zombie (TOT runner)

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Sperry Bridge on the Osage Prairie Trail from INCOG

I’m excited to see all the new possibilities for exploring the Tulsa area. I guess I spent so much time running around in the woods behind our house as a kid that I thought I knew everything this part of the country has to offer. That seems not to be the case since I haven’t explored one of these trails. Well, that’s not quite true; I’ve utilized the resources at River Parks, Mohawk Park and Redbud Valley Nature Preserve at Oxley Nature Center.

After a day reconnecting with the world around me, I’m always inspired. How about you? I’m motivated just thinking about all my new adventures and these crafts might be just the thing to keep me busy while I wait for it to cool down just a bit.

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Twig Coaster from Martha Stewart

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Crocheted Wood Bowl by Vickie Howell from Craftzine

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Tulsa, Unexpected inspiration Tags: green, things to do, tulsa

Unexpected inspiration — Cherry love

Written on July 25, 2011 by Kim A

Nothing exudes summer more to me than a beautiful bowl of cherries. It’s the perfect summer dessert, and looks incredible as a centerpiece.

Image via Smitten Kitchen

Now is the time they seem the sweetest — during this unbearable heat that most of the country is experiencing right now.

I love to eat them, but I’m also loving the endless possibilities of using a burst of red in your home. With cherries you can dial it up — going for a bright red, like in this smart office. I love the punch of color in the carpet tiles and the painted mirror frame.

Image via Apartment Therapy

Likewise, you can opt for a darker shade of cherry — a deeper, richer red. This gallery wall — with dark cherry red frames — is such an inspiration for an otherwise boring hallway. Great idea for my upcoming hall renovation!

Image via Elle Decor

And just for fun, I couldn’t resist this beautiful, vintage red suitcase. A great find like this from an estate sale could prove to be an unusual and colorful room accent.

Image via etsy.com

Happy cherry picking!

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Home, Inspiration, Kim A., Unexpected inspiration