FAVORITE THINGS

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

So I am going to start a new blog segment about my favorite things. Each post will be about a different topic, like books, furniture, make-up, jewelry, or heck, even places! So here is my first installment in what will be a long term blog feature.

Books:
Being a blogger, artist, photographer, creative type, I am in constant need of inspiration. In a time of internet and magazines you would assume one would have an overload of inspiration, which is true, but sometimes I just need to sit down with a good book, filled with great visuals. These are a few of my favorite things.  All of these books revolve heavily around design, art, and architecture. If I ever am looking to revamp a room or feel like creating a piece of art, these books never fail to give me a creative burst.

What are your favorite books for inspiration?

xJAY

LIVING ROOM UPDATE

BEFORE:

UPDATE

The walls have been painted white. I have decluttered a bunch, and really streamlined the look. There is a lot of black and whites with other neutrals. Really the only pops of color are the Eames' pillow and the Bauhaus coffee table book. If you see those two large black and white prints, they are just engineer prints from staples. You send in an image and they print it really big! As for the wall hanging on the back wall, that is simply muslin that I painted with acrylic paint. 

You can get a small glimpse into the kitchen, I hope to paint that room white as well. I truly have grown to love this apartment. We have lived here for 2 years exactly. We will defiantly be here for one more year, and I plan to sign another lease.  There are still some small changes I want to make to the house, especially getting new light fixtures. Can't wait to keep you all posted!

xJAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLES

Happy birthday Charles Eames. He would have turned 107 today if he was still with us. Charles and Ray Eames are a huge influence on me and my life. Honestly, learning about Charles and Ray led me to my love for design and architecture. Not a day goes by where I don't think "What Would Charles and Ray Do" I often think of the video House: After Five Years of Living, all of the details and little accoutrements that the two of them put into their living space is purely superb.

xJAY

IN THE SHOP

Tons of new product in the shop (and more will be added soon) If you use the coupon code LOVEYA you can receive 10% off.

Thanks for stopping by

xJAY

STORE

chchchcheck it.

                   

Here, is just a preview of what I have been adding to my shop. So much more to add as the days go on, as well. I have been really working on getting good images, and having a consistent look to what I post. Keep an eye out I will be adding more all the time.

SHOP CUCKOOBIRD VINTAGE

Hope you all enjoy.

xJay

BURLEY PARK

Short post with awesome Ipod touch pictures! Yes!

So it has been a really fast year since my last Burley Park experience.

I will totally have to go again this year.

Burley Park, is this awesome flea market about 30 miles north of the city.

My pops just happens to live in the same town.

The market is such a fun place to go, even if you aren't in the mood to buy.

There are always tons of people to watch, and so many people bring their dogs around.

There is even people selling all sorts of animals. I have seen bunnies, dogs, cats, pigs and goats.

This year I set out with a goal for two items in particular; a Herman Miller chair and a Pendleton blanket.

I made out with both.  

                                                                              Got this random white shell chair

                                                                                                 for only two bucks!

I have some more real photos to post later of my awesome finds.

Can't wait to go again on the 4th of July.

 Such good finds and such interesting people...not to mention the kick ass deep fried food.

xJay



My Wanderin' Days

I have been MIA from the blogosphere lately, well I have been here, just a silent observer. I have in that time have developed a new addiction; Instagram. I walk most days to work, about two miles. I usually have my iPod touch handy and ready to take a snap of all the great sites in Grand Rapids. So here is an update of some of the shit I see on my lovely morning walks.

 

x Jamie (theBaldwinHouse)

My Bedroom Retreat

I entered Apartment Therapy's My bedroom retreat contest, and my entry was accepted.
For the past few weeks people have been able to vote on who would win.
I was just excited to be in the running!
They have picked their finalists, and they are really wonderful rooms! So inspiring.
I can't wait to be involved in more contests with my interiors.

The contest has really made me work on my room. I had been hesitant to begin perfecting it since we moved in. But now I really love it, and think it is the better of the rooms in all of the house.

xJamie

2013

2013

It will be our first full year at the Baldwin House.

We signed the lease about a year ago and moved in this past July.

We have moved around a lot over the past 5-10 years, be it bad roommates, bad locations, bad landlords, or just bad timing.

We spent our time at Madison house (lived there for one year) planning what to do next. We wanted to make the right choice of where to go.

I am so beyond happy to of found where we are living.

It is modestly sized and in a very convenient neighborhood.

We have done a little house keeping around the house, but 2013, will be the year of making it home.

2013 A Baldwin House Year

1.Paint Paint Paint

Fortunately our landlords are letting us repaint anything we wish. When we moved in it was a lovely skin color. We had flesh colored walls, perfect. Just kidding I am overreacting, it was a browny beige and a greeny beige. I prefer an all white background for all of my every changing decor. We have already begun, the bedroom is painted white. I made a bit of a disaster, I had a really hard time moving the 5 gallon tub around and kept getting paint on the floor! So as I move onto the next rooms the boyfriend will have to help me a great deal more.

2.DIY DIY DIY

This one could also be called paint paint paint, I have a lot of misc. furniture that needs to either be put together, reworked, re-stained, repainted, and mostly repainted. We found a "tulip" table and chair on the side of the road. All that need to be repainted, someone painted them brown, freaking sick. The tulip table needs a new table top, we have that now just to decide if to leave is strained wood or painted white. It will be a tough choice, you guys might have to help me decide.

Docksta

3. Plant Plant Plant

I definitely want to start gardening and planting this spring and summer. The yard is totally lacking in all respects of being a nice leisurely place to be!

4.Organize Organize Organize

Everything still really needs to be finned tuned in the house. The kitchen cabinets the bathroom, and most importantly the bloody basement! It is down right terrifying down there. We moved in from a 4 bedroom two story house with ample storage and plenty of closet space, so our current basement is holding everything extra. Extra furniture, boxes and totes and is our laundry room. Some how, everything seems to be spilling out and fallen over. Not sure how this happens. But this will be tackled this year!

5. Decorate Decorate Decorate

I want to start fine tuning all the decorations in the house.

::::Plants

::::Nature

::::Rocks

::::Black and White

::::Good Naturals with pops of bright.

Alright, that is the plan so far. I am sure a tons for shit will come up. Can't wait for a year of blogging and home making!

:::The Baldwin House:::

J. Coffin

A Baldwin Street Christmas

Alright, Christmas time. I have a love/hate relationship with this holiday.

The months prior I am head over heels in love with Christmas time.

Ready, planning.

Then a few days following Thanksgiving I start to get really discouraged. 

The days seem to go faster and faster and here we are half way through the damn month.

BUT!

I have spectacular Christmas decor this year.

We have been living the Baldwin House for 6 months now...

SIX MONTHS!

Holy shit, how the hell did that even happen?

Starting a new job and a new semester has really made the last months go by so fast

& have left me to really put this blog on the back burner.

Any ways, here is my Christmasy house.

For the past few years we had been living in "temporary" homes.

Places where I never invested much time into because I knew we wouldn't be there for very long.

We had been using a lovely 99 cent tree that my mother bought us.

Hey, It really wasn't that bad!

This year we planned on using my grandmothers old 1950's beautiful white christmas tree. 

I went out and bought white lights.

When I went to put it together I realized almost half of the tree was missing, so that didn't really get to work out to well.

As you have seen from previous posts that we have this lovely mid-century fire place.

It used to reside in the kitchen.

I was sitting frustrated on the floor, without a tree.

Then the best idea came to me.

Here is the "fake, fake Christmas tree"

Back story:

The fireplace was found at a garage sale on the outskirts of town.

I saw it from a distance and freaked.

Mostly nervous that I wouldn't be able to afford it, but it was a mere TEN DOLLARS.

I have seemed to of made some sort of deal with the mid-century modern furniture devil.

We couldn't get it home that day so we had to pay and leave it there.

The next three days I worried and panicked that they would realize what they just sold.

But low and behold they didn't screw me over and it was mine.

I noticed the log inside and the old cord, I never thought much about plugging it in because I figured that it would explode my house into bits.

I did plug it in for this photo and it made a beautiful cracking noise, and left it plugged in for a few hours, and we seem to be safe.

:::Merry Christmas:::

J.Coffin

The Baldwin House

chairs.

So I am pretty obsessed with chairs.

If I see an attractive chair in a thrift store, garage sale, or on the side of the road, I have to have it.

So far you have seen my kitchen and my living room...there is a bedroom too that I am not quite ready to show.

But my house doesn't have that much space!

and I have about 7 fairly large chairs. Not to mention all my other HUGE furniture.

Anyways look at this Milo Baughman chair I found.

At least I am pretty sure thats what it is!

If anyone knows ways to identify them, let me know!

Jamie