Just for Fun

August 8, 2016

For those of you who know me well, you know that I'm obsessed with photography and Instagram. I've often referred to myself as a frustrated photographer. I've joked that maybe in a previous life, I was a photographer (or a florist, but that's for another blog post!).

There are a few big walls left in le petit townhome that are just calling for some fun framed photography. Particularly the hallways. And in the spirit of saving money and keeping in mind our current home is just a rental, (although I think art is a wonderful investment that can work in any home you may move to if you truly love it!) I had the idea of doing a gallery wall of my favorite Instagram prints, like you see in the inspo pic above.

I like the layout of nine prints. Since our walls are beige, I'm thinking maybe white frames will look best.

Or maybe even a classic darker wood for some sophisticated contrast.

Ridge Distressed Gallery Frames from Pottery Barn

Thoughts?

And for the nine pics, I'm thinking these:

These were all taken by Yours Truly in my travels across the US, and just every day life living and working back in NYC. By looking back at my Instagram feeds, it's obvious that I am inspired by travel, city architecture and colorful culture. I wanted to do a little sampling that shows that and selected photos with some meaning and memory to always remind us where we came from and where we may be heading.

Don't worry - there's more where this came from! Just for fun, I've added a little photography portfolio on the website. You can view it here.

Sooo, what do you think? Should I use the nine I've listed above, or should I switch some out? Light or dark frames? Tell me tell me! By far the hardest project is always decorating for myself.

~L.S.

Doors

May 18, 2016

Today is packing and shipping day at le petit a.p.t. So there will be lots of doors opening and closing, slamming, lots of racket going on inside (sorry, neighbors!). It's sort of like what has been going on in my head recently! But then, soon enough, there will be silence. So crazy how quickly it can all happen! (Five hours, apparently?).

During these past few weeks (and for many future weeks!) as I transition my design business from being NYC based to being Bay Area based, it has been emotional to leave behind projects and clients who have been so wonderful and supportive!

One in particular really made my day when she shared this writing with me. It had helped her with a cross-country move in the past, and she was kind enough to think of me and pass it along. It came to me at a particular time of chaos and was extremely soothing and reassuring to read. It's a great metaphor to live by. Not only for moving but for going through any type of transition or life change.

So, in the spirit of sharing, I wanted to pass along this along to you, in hopes that it may help you pass through any doors in which you might be lingering on the threshold!

Walking Through
When Doors Open
When a door opens, walk through it. Trust that the door has opened for a reason and you have been guided to it. Sometimes we have a tendency to overanalyze or agonize over the decision, but it is quicker to simply go through the door and discover what's there as that's the only way to know. Even if it doesn't seem right at first, opening this door may lead to another door that will take us where we need to go.

Doors open when the time is right for us to enter a new space, metaphorically speaking, and we can have faith that walking through is the right thing to do. Sometimes we linger in the threshold because we are afraid of leaving our old life for a life we know nothing about. We may have voices inside of our heads that try to hold us back or people in our lives saying discouraging things. These voices, internal and external, are known as threshold spirits, and they express all the fears and doubts that arise at the beginning of a new life. Nevertheless, none of these voices can hold us back, and they will fall silent as soon as we cross the threshold.

There are many doors that open in the course of our lives, leading us into new relationships, jobs, friendships, and creative inspirations. Our lives up to this point are the result of all the doors we have walked through, and our continued growth depends on our willingness to keep moving into new spaces. Every time we walk through an open door, we create a sense memory that encourages us to move into the new fearlessly. When we enter the new space, we almost always feel a thrill and a new feeling of confidence, in ourselves and in the universe. We have stepped across the threshold into a new life.

This was originally seen on DailyOm.com, and can be found here.

~L.S.

A Before and After Story

February 29, 2016

Most of you reading probably already know the news - le petit a.p.t. is on the market! I'm a big huge heap of jumbled emotions... excited, nervous, anxious, scared, happy, relieved, nostalgic, bittersweet, giddy... the list goes on!

This is our first home that we have ever owned, the only home that Bear has ever known (with us!), the home that we brought newborn Ms. Avery Etta back from the hospital to. There are so many memories in this space. Some good, some bad, some ugly. If only walls could talk! It is within these walls that our family of two multiplied to four in just under 3.5 years.

So, as I mentioned before - a giant ball of emotions.

And although we have been on the buyers side before and found it quite a nail-biting experience, we've never been on the seller's side.. I think it might be just as nerve-wracking quite honestly! The real estate market in Brooklyn is very hot, especially in our area, but it's an odd time of year and the immediate bidding war we were hoping for hasn't materialized -- yet. So, I find myself trolling Street Easy obsessively and checking out or "competition" and comparing user saves. (We have 145 to date people - 145! That's pretty good for 14 days on the market thankyouverymuch).

As I trolled through our neighborhood's listings I took a trip down memory lane looking at pictures of our apartment before we purchased it. It had been recently renovated and was completely vacant. So I thought to myself, what a great time for a Before + After! Who doesn't love a good before and after? And it's a perfect demonstration of how color and furniture (plus wide angle lenses and a professional real estate photographer!) adds depth and dimension to an otherwise flat, small-ish space.

So, without further ado. Here is our living room BEFORE I got my hands on it: