Love Birds { No. 8 }

Happy Valentines Day ♥ ♥ Which brings us to Love. I love, love! Who doesn't? All you need is love, it's what makes the world go round, right? It is what drives us, inspires us, and moves us. Love is everywhere! Love at it's best is selfless, and generous, and humbling. I have been blessed with much love, of the very best kind. To give unwavering, true love is as great as receiving it. So today I hope that you too, are inspired by love as much as I am. Places you love, things you love, and most importantly the people you love ♥ ♥ ♥

Love Birds { No. 7 }

Sundays. They're my favorite. I LOVE Sundays. I also love sundaes, but that is an entirely different matter. I love them because they are special ♥ They're special because everything moves slower (like me), and they have that easy feeling that so often gets lost in the hustle and bustle of life. On Sunday, you can stroll instead of walk, you can brunch instead of breakfast, or have supper not dinner. You can stay in your P.J.'s till noon an nobody is going to wonder what is wrong with you ("What! she's still in her jammies?? I wonder whats wrong with her ... "Oh, it's Sunday you say? Well in that case..."). Plus it is a proven fact (by me) that babies give their mamas more kisses on Sundays. Then there's my personal favorite; it is entirely exceptable to get back into bed at any given time, even if you're over 5.

Not everyone respects the sanctity of Sundays the way they should though; in fact I am ashamed to say that my husband rarely observes this weekly holiday. It's appalling really, I mean even God took a nap on Sunday. Mark my words I will convert him into a Sunday lover ... If it's the last thing I do... For this is the day that the Lord has made ♥ For now, if you need me I will be cozy, in my yummy little bed, watching extra T.V. and collecting kisses.

Love Birds { No. 6 }

I have a very dear friend, who, in more ways than one has been heaven sent... Actually she's Heaven Scent to be precise. As in Heaven Scent Apothecary and Accoutrements in Santa Ynez. Maggie Winther is one of the most genuine people you will ever meet; she is warm and funny, and has killer taste♥ More of her customers consider her a friend than not, and they're fiercely loyal. As soon as you walk through her door it becomes very easy to see why. She works hard to find boutique label, high quality products and best of all she is very budget savvy. There are goodies there for everyone and every occasion, she's got it all. She is starting a new blog as well which you can check up on HERE♥

Just this past week she had a Valentine's Day Wine and Chocolate Social, and asked if I would like to come and put together a little table for her, which would also help me get the Bluebird word out. I, of course, jumped at the chance! I rushed home, pulled out all my glitter and fluff, and went straight to work ... voilà, 18 hours later I think we had turned out some pretty bang up results!

Now I will admit, it helped a lot that I shamelessly stockpile fancy little odds and ins all over my house (let's face it, a girl never knows when she might need a glittered ampersand) In fact once when my mother was visiting she asked why I had so many junk drawers.... obviously this comment was met with an appropriate level of disgust on my part (junk..how could you!?) And more than once my husband has pulled a wonderful random tidbit out of a drawer and asked "Are you saving this for something?" The answer is always an emphatic YES.

For now, I am bravely testing the water with fingers crossed, and heels on (that one's for you '79 ♥) XO -'83

Love Birds { No. 5 }

Babies ♥ I LOOOVE babies. Their smell, their smiles, their chubby little baby necks. There isn't much I wouldn't do to steal kisses from a sleeping baby either; that sweet baby breath and fluttering eyelids, completely peaceful and innocent. It's easy to loose yourself in those moments with them. I know I try to do it as often as possible ♥ I always thought my parents were a little bit crazy when they told me how fast time goes by; that's a hard concept to grasp when your young and it feels like you will be seven foooreeeverrr! I think it takes becoming a parent to really understand just how fleeting these days are. And I can't stand it. I also can't tell you how many times when I have rocked my littlest to sleep, or my older son says something completely hilarious and sweet, that I have stopped and just thought (well more wished, like you do when your eternally seven and all you want is for your mom to turn into Dolly Parton) 'Please never, never grow up'. Because you know that inevitably it's going to happen but there is a little tiny bit of you that thinks maybe if you hope against hope hard enough, time just might stand still. Or for heavens sake at least slow down a bit!

My combined love of babies, and capturing these moments and memories led me to Meg Fish. She is a photographer I found in Santa Barbara, and specifically focuses on pregnancy and newborn. As soon as you look at her work you can understand why; she is immensely talented! Not to mention she is very sweet, patient and truly loves what she does. She has a very tranquil and ethereal aesthetic that perfectly conveys all the love that is wrapped up in these tiny little bundles. She was kind enough to share her talent with me and I would like to now share with you. You can see all her work here and she also has a yummy little blog which she posts some of her stunning work on here She has a new little one herself, who is absolutely darling, and I must say if I had her talent I would never get anything done because I would be forever snapping away at my own babies!

I am, of course, particularly proud of her shots of my own blissful little baby but there is a shot on her blog of a brand new baby asleep on the back of a horse that is beyond beautiful! It almost makes me want to have another baby ... almost XO-'83

Love Birds { No. 4 }

Orange ... I can't explain it but lately I have been loving a whole lot of orange. Anyone who knows me will understand just how big an anomaly this really is. You walk into my closet and its a neutral paradise, filled with every shade of grey, white, black, and beige under the sun. I generally consider navy to be a pop of color. I had to think about it for two weeks before I bought my son red sheets. I did buy a pair of pink shoes once when I was feeling particularly frisky ... see, color is a huge commitment for me. But these days I see orange and I want need it; clothes, accessories, bedding, and all types of various home adornments. I love all shades, from coral to rust, muted to bright (thankfully I haven't forayed into neon territory yet!). And I want to pair it with every other color I see: blue, oat, aqua, bright white, pinks and reds, and especially grey ♥

Therein lies the fantastic news(!) my wardrobe is FULL of those colors; boring and unassuming, just crying out for a little orange. Obviously I am more than happy to oblige. The only problem I find myself running into is mustering up the gumption to leave the house in it. I am a bit afraid of unknowingly looking like a big, happy, creamsicle (or rather a family of creamsicles, as I also wish to dress my boys in orange)

It's so cheerful and fun ... you know, come to think of it, I have been feeling especially optimistic these days! Maybe my new found affinity for it comes from my excitement for the future, or feeling like spring is just around the corner, but seeing it instantly makes me feel more creative and inspired. Well, whatever it is that has brought about this surprising color change of heart, I think I'm going to run with it ♥ XO -'83

Love Birds { No. 3 }

Ah, Paris ~ can you imagine a more romantic place?? It is the quintessential Valentines Day destination, non?? Ok a little confession, I have never actually been there persay, but I do have lovely little day dreams about it quite often and I took two years of french in high school ... that counts for something right? The point is, that if the Parisian reality of it all isn't everything my dreams are made of, then I would prefer to remain blissfully unaware.

I adore images of Paris, with the amazing architecture and gorgeous design, the opulent intérieurs; I find it all so charming ♥ Every time I see photos of a perfectly staged Parisian apartment I start itching to buy obscenely ornate white furniture, or something gold and baroque, or velvet, or...

So until the day comes that I find myself in Paris with my own handsome Valentine I will just continue to lust after their macaroons, fashion {talk about a love affair ♥ ♥}, and fabulous corner cafes. I will keep shamelessly forcing my son to learn the words to Frère Jacques, while I pretend to be Marion Cotillard giving a garden party at Versailles. Qu'ils mangent du gâteau! XO -'83

Love Birds { No. 2 }

Vintage. Vintage. Vintage! That's what I am loving today. Well, actually I love it everyday. I love vintage jewelry, and clothes, and photos; but mostly I love vintage furniture ♥ ♥ ♥ In fact I don't have enough hearts to express just how much I love it. Suffice it to say, it's a lot. I also love parties (oh, that one will be getting its very own day!) and last weekend the most miraculous thing happened .... these two things collided in a most marvelous and serendipitous way...

See I've had my heart set on featuring some head turning, vintage furniture at a very special upcoming soiree, but had no idea where in the world I would be finding the kind of pieces that existed in my mind. Then in a moment of semi-divine, internet intervention, there it was ... Found. No really, it was called Found. A vintage rentals company in L.A., and the answer to all my {furniture} prayers!!!

Here is just a sneak peek of a few of the pieces I have coming my way, which is just a taste of what they have to offer. Loves! You can view their extensive inventory here, but consider yourself warned that you may just fall hopelessly in love.

They have been a dream to work with; anyone who shares my love of fabulous vintage furniture and has taste that good, is a friend of mine. The only down side to all this is how I am ever going to bring myself to part with them. Oh, I hate goodbyes. XO-'83

Love Birds { No. 1 }

In honor of Valentines Day being exactly one week away, I've decided to create a post each day filled with goodies, inspiration, and just general, all-around loveliness!

I am a huge Etsy fan, and I love when someone can point me in the direction of a new and wonderful store (since you can easily spend all day lost in Etsy wonderland and still miss little gems like these!) One of my favorite blogs introduced me to this one and it truly was as splendid as promised! Of course, I quickly had a cart full of trims, tags, and all the fabulous adornments a girl needs for some first rate DIY Valentines ♥

Inspire Lovely (a fantastically appropriate name!) specializes in those finishing touches that makes something remarkable, and is chalk full of all the makings you need to bring the projects in your imagination to life.

I know that I am so looking forward to the many, many more Inspire Lovely purchases in my future ♥ And you simply must go check them out here ~Inspire Lovely~ XO-'83