Amy Beth

May 20, 2015

Spring 15

Spring! Once the weather warms up and jackets are no longer required, you can find me outside with the kids just about all day long. At least that’s the goal. Everyone seems to be in a much better mood when running though the grass and lounging on the picnic blanket.

So I thought I’d share some fun items that put me in a springy mood.

Spring 15 moodboard

  1. Tote bag – You can never have too many bags. You might as well have a bag that reminds you to treat yo’ self while you’re running around town.

  2. Washi tape – This washi tape would be a nice addition to any spring craft or scrapbook page.

  3. Child’s Swing – Kids these days. So stylish.

  4. Succulent Planters – I’ve never gotten into the whole succulent craze. But maybe I should.

  5. Quilt – One of our favorite things to do in the spring is hang out on a blanket in the backyard. This lovely quilt would make that even more fun.

  6. Hug A Hen Shirt – Chris’s cousin owns a small farm in New York (state, not city) and they are currently selling t-shirts to raise money for a new farm store and milk house. I often wish we lived close enough to enjoy their pasture raised pork and eggs, but at least we can support them from afar by purchasing these cute shirts!

  7. Mobile – This butterfly mobile is enchanting. I can’t think of a baby that wouldn’t want to gaze up at that.

  8. Mama Hen Pillow – What’s more spring like than a mama hen and her chicks? This pillow could add a really lighthearted touch to your home.

  9. Poppy painting – Our daughter’s name is Penelope, but we call her Poppy (that’s the closest big brother could get to saying her name.) Since having her I’ve been abnormally drawn to pictures of poppies. I love this sweet simple painting.

  10. Sweet Briar Notebooks – These floral notebooks would be a fun way to keep track of all your springtime thoughts.

  11. Fairy House Kit – What a ridiculously cute idea is this? My kids aren’t old enough to put this to good use, but I’m tempted to get it just for myself.

  12. Garden Tools – an gardener worth her salt is needs some high priced garden tools. (Actually, she doesn’t. But wouldn’t weeding be a bit more fun with such attractive tools?)

  13. Elephant Planter – I’m a sucker for elephants. This elephant planter is super cute.

  14. Bird Feeder – I love seeing birds in my yard, but the country cottage style makers seem to have the monopoly on most bird feeders. I thought this cheery modern feeder was a nice change of pace.

  15. Bolga Baskets – These baskets from West Elm would be a great way to add a pop of color to any room for the spring.

So who’s ready to redecorate with flowers and small animals?

THE CIRCLE LINK-UP
November 25, 2014

All the Yellow

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Fall was short-lived this year. But it had some pretty glorious days.

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I took some time to break out the fancy camera and play around with it a bit.

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It’s easy to get beautiful pictures when the light is acting like this.

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I wish there were more days like this in the year. But at least I captured a few memories.

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July 9, 2014

If I Were a Rich Man…Romantic bedroom

I’ve known for a long time that I have good taste. I like things that are well-made, high quality, thoughtfully designed… and expensive. My bank account has never lived up to my tastes. I usually just have to look at pretty things, sigh, and hum that old tune from Fiddler on the Roof, “if I were a rich man… ya da da da di da di da di da diddle diddle dum…”

But rather than let all that good taste go to waste, I decided I should channel it into the occasional imaginary shopping trip post on the off chance that you, dear reader, are a rich man. Or woman, more likely. But that’s not how the song goes.

So if you’ve been wanting to redecorate your bedroom into a romantic retreat with touches of gold, here are some ideas for you…

romantic-bedroom 

  1. Round Capiz Chandelier- Gold | West Elm I love how glitzy this chandelier is while still keeping a very modern vibe. I can only imagine how pretty all that gold would be with the light bouncing around in it.

  2. Macrame Wall Hanging | Urban Outfitters This wall hanging brings in some more earthy texture but it’s still feminine and lacy.

  3. Hadley Ruched Duvet Cover | Pottery Barn The ruching on this duvet cover gives the feel of ruffles without being overly girly. Also, I love the idea of a bed that looks like a big fluffy cloud.

  4. Egerton Wallpaper | Anthropologie This wallpaper is so pretty. The colors are subtle and subdued, but the metallic gold leaves make it something special.

  5. Simple Hoop Mirror | Anthropologie Any girly bedroom needs a mirror. This mirror is simple but elegant.

April 18, 2014

Friday Finds // vol. 1

It’s a new feature on the blog! On occasionally Fridays I will share my Friday Finds with you. These are things around the web that have caught my eye or made me think. Enjoy!

I recently found the blog of illustrator Oana Befort, and immediately fell in love with her work. Her illustrations feature a lot of colorful flowers and friendly woodland animals – so what’s not to love, really?

Oanabefort bluebird

Oanabefort flowers

Oanabefort poppies

She has an Etsy shop and a Society 6 shop where you can buy prints and various items with her illustrations on them. I kind of want a new house with a bathroom just for Charlie so I can have a place to put the friendly whale shower curtain. 


Many people have already read The Overprotected Kid from the Atlantic, but I still wanted to share it. It brings out such interesting issues about how children learn and grow and play these days. There’s a huge part of me that wants Charlie to have the wild and free childhood described in this article. But at the same time, I totally feel the instinct to keep him safe by my side where nothing bad can happen to him. Finding a good balance of those two extremes will be a challenge for sure. 


Here’s a Christian take on the ideas explored in the Atlantic article from The Gospel Coalition.  It mentions how even church – a place that used to be radical in its ideas – has become a “safe” place. It doesn’t often stretch or challenge people, preferring instead to provide peace and comfort. Church isn’t often a very exciting place to be. 

Maybe [God] wants for us to pause the Serenity Prayer, lift our gaze to the nations, and get active in the role he’s given us, whether the sending church or the sent one. You have to wonder if Jesus is eager for his people to rise up, risk everything we have, and watch as his Spirit re-enchants our lives.

February 23, 2014

Calendar and To-Do List Printable

Every now and then I get a little overwhelmed with all the tasks and events in life that I have to keep up with. It’s as if all the “things I have to do” start swirling around in my brain at warp speed and they desperately need to be caught and pinned down so they can actually get done. But whenever I’m really feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount effort all that catching and pinning will take,  I tend to find productive ways to procrastinate. Such as designing my own calendar and to-do list planner sheets. Would it be a better use of time to actually do some of the tasks? Of course. Would my planner be as pretty? Absolutely not.

planner-printables

Just in case you’re more productive than me and would like some nice calendar and to-do list printables without taking the time to make them yourself, I thought I’d share mine.

These sheets are designed to be printed on a full sheet of paper and cut in half. From there you can bind them however it works for you. I use the Levenger Circa System – Junior Size, but you could also use a simple half-sheet size binder or another disk-bound system.

The calendar is blank so you can fill in the month and dates yourself, with a column on the side for notes.

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The to-do list is pretty basic. Just a nice looking list of blank lines to fill up.

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Just click the links below to download the printables on your own computer!

Download the two-page spread calendar here.

Download the half-sheet to-do list here.

December 17, 2013

Christmas Home Tour

Today I’m linking up at Nesting Place for her annual Christmas Tour of Homes. Check it out if you want to see about a million other home tours.

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I think God put Christmas in December because he knew we would need a reason to add warmth and cheer to our homes during the long, dark winter nights. (Ok, so he had some more significant purposes in mind when he sent his son to earth as a baby. But that’s one of the great things about God. He shows his love in the great big unfathomable ways, but also in the tiny daily details of life. Like giving us the opportunity to enjoy Christmas lights and garland.) If only it were socially acceptable to leave Christmas decor up through February.

Read more…

November 19, 2013

2014 Calendar Printable for Sale!

I’m excited to announce my first product in my new Etsy shop!

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Ever since discovering Etsy a few years ago I have dreamed of opening a shop of my own. Oh, to spend the days crafting and somehow make real money doing it. I’ve had lots of ideas – totes embellished with crochet flowers, handmade cards, recycled flannel burp cloths… But for now I’ve settled on something a little more up my alley: printables. I’m a graphic designer after all, so I have a lot of practice making files to print. I also happen to be a bit obsessed calendars, planners, and other various organizational papers. This new venture combines the two loves.

My first product is a clean and simple monthly calendar for 2014 in yellow and gray. You can download the file instantly and print it out on your home printer to use however you see fit. Hang it on your fridge, put it in a binder, stick it next to your desk.

And now for my infomercial voice (did you know I have one of those? Yeah, you’re right, I don’t. Just pretend):

*Don’t wait! For THIS WEEK ONLY the 2014 calendar printable will be on sale for ONLY $1! Next week the price will go up to $3! Don’t miss out on this SPECIAL OFFER!*

Ok. You can unplug your ears now.

I hope to add more products over time, and I’d love to hear your suggestions. Are there other colors or styles that you would like to see? Have you been needing a good weekly planner sheet but just can’t seem to find one that has everything you need? Would you love to have some pretty notecards with your favorite verse or quote on them? Let me know in the comments or contact me directly. I’d love to hear from you!

November 12, 2013

Simple Thanksgiving Centerpiece

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Last year I hosted Thanksgiving at my house. We had a new house, a new baby, 14 people, and no dining room. As much as I wanted to go all out and overboard with the Thanksgiving decor and made from scratch food, I knew that my reality demanded I keep it simple. So that’s what we did. Everyone who came brought a dish or two to share, so I was left to only worry about the turkey and just a couple side dishes. A few weekends before the big day my sisters helped me come up with some decorations that would add a nice festive touch to the table without being too time consuming or expensive. This simple layered bean candle holder was just what I needed.

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August 5, 2013

White Space

 

White space is a concept familiar to graphic designers. While some may see it as empty or wasted space, the good designer knows that white space can be used to get the eyes to rest on what is most important. It helps clarify and organize the message. It gives the brain room to process.

 

I’m learning that white space is not just a concept for design. It can be a concept for life. I’m trying to find places where more white space would be beneficial – such as on my calendar, in my home, in my writing. I want to have space to focus on what’s most important.

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