Inspirational Wednesday
(Inspired by Color & Funkiness)

Taking Adrienne and Toya's lead (www.adrienneslittleworld.typepad.com and www.trinilove.typepad.com; sorry, I know how to make the names work as a link, but I've totally forgotten how to do it right now for some reason!) , I've decided to make an "Inspirational Wednesday" post this morning. Both of those gals take Wednesday to find things and post photos that inspire them--it usually consists of lots of fun, colorful "eye candy," so I'm stealing from them in a way with my post today (sorry . . .)

I surfed around the Web the other night and found all of these things that Inspired me--that just seemed to jump out and "grab" me and make me say, "Wow, I love that." It was usually because of the color and the comfort, or the fun and funkiness, I felt from the picture.

So, get ready to be inspired (inspired to ooh and aah, but also inspired to pull out your wallet. It's SO good that I have no money to spend right now! LOL)

But first . . . an inspirational poem to get us started:

"Little Things"

"Little stones make big mountains,
Little steps can cover miles,
Little acts of loving kindness,
Give the world its biggest smiles...

Little words can soothe big troubles,
Little hugs can dry big tears,
Little candles light the darkness,
Little memories last for years...

Little dreams can lead to greatness,
Little victories to success,
It's the little things in life,
That bring the greatest happiness..."

Now, let's get to looking (and drooling over) these fun, cool, colorful, funky things that can perhaps brighten your day and INSPIRE you.

First, let's think about color! I don't know about you, but the retro colors and designs of the season are very appealing to me! Like in these awesome purses--



They just beg to be picked up and carried around! I love the design and the colors there! (I found those at a really cool site, www.goodmorning-morning.com. Filled with all sorts of similar stuff!)

Then, another line of stuff that just inspires me almost every single day is scrapbooking products. I can lovingly caress a sheet of patterned paper like there's no tomorrow . . . (aah . . .) . . . and some of my very favorite patterned papers come from Basic Grey. Here is just one from their latest line--


All of their papers have a similar distressed look that just makes me happy. Paper like that is what makes some scrapbookers be secret Paper Hoarders--they never actually scrapbook or create with their paper, they just hoard and collect it and get it out for caressing every once in a while. But I digress .. . (oh, check out www.basicgrey.com to see all their pretty things!)

Now, I LOVE the color combination of chocolate brown and pink (also love the brown/teal and other chocolate brown combinations). THIS, then, is what I need to wear the next time I sit down to scrapbook (from this really cool site, www.islandgirlscrapbooks.com).

I LOVE that!!

(You know, the more I sit here typing away the more I realize that this is like a virtual Christmas gift list for Gary. Hint, hint. LOL)

And just for the fun of it--here's some black and pink together. Pirates are everywhere this year, so why shouldn't they be on your hand towels?! Love this too! It is WAY fun!!!



And for one more spot of color, with yet another mixture of chocolate brown with other vivid colors (I see a recurring theme here), here are these awesome party napkins. Don't you just love that retro, Hawaii-y, party look?

(by the way, I found those at www.loftparty.com. It's a great site with all sorts of fun platters, plates, silverware, napkins--anything for a FUN party!)

Now, here comes my FAVORITE part of today's blog! I am IN LOVE with stemware, let me tell you! I don't know what does it for me about it, but I love ice tea goblets, martini glasses, wine goblets, champagne flutes, cognac glasses, brandy snifters . . . any piece of drinkware with a stem! I even love the fun plastic stemware you can find all over the place these days.

And it doesn't matter if I don't have the perfect drink to put into it (although I do love a good pina colada, a cosmopolitan, or a dry glass of red wine); I've been known to drink Diet Dr Pepper out of a martini glass or put chocolate pudding and whipped cream in a champagne flute.

The point is that I just love the shape and the curve of stemware. And forget the fact that it just makes the act of drinking anything (even a glass of water!) so much more FUN! So, imagine my delight when I found this martini glass--

How COOL is that? It's the "Love" martini glass, but they also have "Birthday Girl" wine glasses and "Goddess" coffee mugs at this place (www.wrapables.com). I SO need that glass!

And then, I found this awesome margarita set. I love the energy on these pieces; so great!
And then, when I couldn't imagine that I'd find anything else as lovely, I came across this gorgeous set of iced tea goblets. I seriously love this--what a PERFECT thing to drink my perfectly sweet Southern iced tea out of!


Okay, I think I've digressed a litle bit and I didn't really plan on this being an Ode to My Stemware Obsession. Sorry . . .

(But still, take those last paragraphs as a challenge to you today--Drink out of stemware today and just see if it does not make you happier!! It WILL! And, while you're at it, let your kids do it too!)

While color is very inspiring to me (look around at nature. It's everywhere--in the trees, in the sunsets, in the ocean, in the forests!!), the lack of color is also inspiring. There is something about WHITE that just whispers calmness and serenity.

Don't these white lovelies all inspire you? (All from Pottery Barn, so I'm not inspired TOO much since I can't afford any of it. But still . . .)

Love this cool-io picture frame. The floating effect here is just gorgeous (oh, by the way, I also have a thing for picture frames!) and just love the black and white!



And then, who wouldn't want to sleep on this? The white bedding, those baskets underneath, that cool picture thing going on behind it. This just makes me want to go lie down somewhere right this instant!



And then candles definitely inspire me! (You can ask Gary; I'm usually burning one somewhere in the house!) I just love the whiteness and crispness in these!



Now, to get us back to the Land of Color, I have GOT to share this last item. I found it two days ago on a website and basically jumped up and screamed out loud to anyone around me. Delaney came running to look and then she sqealed along with me. This is what Sydney has GOT to be for Halloween. I LOVE this costume and the colors just jump out at me--very inspiring, I have to say!

(After seeing it Sydney, of course, had to look at all the other costumes on the site and declared that she also wants to be a pirate, a mermaid, and a princess. So, I really don't know if I'll get my wish. But, in the meantime, I'll just enjoy the picture--and hope I can talk her into it!)



Well, I hope that all of those colors and FUN things have inspired you a little bit on your Wednesday morning. I hope it didn't feel too much like a walk down Shopping Lane--I really didn't intend it to be. I meant to inspire you, and to think of the way that colors, and form, and shape, and joy inspire you!

And perhaps all of those pretty little things will help you as you go about your day today--help you to look at the color in the sky, or the sweet shape of your husband's lips, or the lovely texture of that orange.

After all--life is in the little things. It's in the details!!

(And late apologies to my male readers! Sorry, and thanks for indulging me--if you've read this far!)