Inspiration – Page 2 – Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic

Décor October 23, 2014

Dream Master Closet

Alas, the real dream room in any house: the master closet. When we renovated our house, we removed a door from one room, tore down two small closets, and shifted our master bathroom all for the sake of our closet. We have lots of built in shelves (even between our top and bottom hanging spaces), but no natural lighting. When we build our dream home in many years to come, I will definitely ask for a window. I love the closets below that have sun shining in. If you can’t get natural light, a statement chandelier shall do (yeah, so, we don’t have one of those either!).

The closets below are all unique and gorgeous. I would take any of them! My essentials include:

Lots of shelving with self-closing drawers
Massive, full length mirror
Central island (with fresh flowers, if you must) – this could even be Carrera marble, since it’s unlikely you’ll have anything to stain it in your closet!
Glass jewelry display and drawers
Handbag storage space
Pretty lamps and chandelier (or ideally, naturally lighting)
Lots of shoe racks
Individual hanging hooks between closet sections (helps with outfit planning!)
At least one comfy chair
Stylish rug or patterned carpet

Wouldn’t this be lovely? I know, I know. Keep on dreaming (says Sasha). What are your requirements for a dream closet?

PS Have you checked out my dream office space, laundry room, playroom, kitchen, master bedroom, and living room posts yet?

Decor October 9, 2014

Dream Laundry Room

If you would have told me five years ago that I would one day lust over a laundry room, I would have thought you were absolutely insane. Now that we do one load per day for our sweet little one in our small laundry room, I get it. In our next house (or home addition… fingers crossed on this one!), I want a big laundry room with plenty of folding, hanging, storing and washing space. I’ve been saving lots of images of all white kitchens, then saw a gorgeous dark wood room and was almost swayed. I’m sharing my inspiration below! Which is your favorite? Do you dream of spacious, well organized laundry rooms too?

Ideal laundry room requirements:

Big, white farmhouse sink
Plenty of natural light
Large, interesting light fixtures
Lots of cabinets and shelving
Racks to hang clothing
Double washer and dryer (hey, a girl can dream!)
Subway white tiles for the floor or backsplash
Constant supply of gorgeous flowers or greenery
Comfortable seating (love the thought of a dual purposed room with desk space)

Baby October 2, 2014

Dream Playrooms

The dream home series continues! This week, I’m sharing dream playrooms (see previously posted dream kitchen, master bedroom, and living room). I seriously dislike bright colors, which is why Isla’s nursery is decorated with such neutral, cool colors. I feel similarly about the style of a playroom, but I know that kids like bright colors, so I may have to get over this disdain at some point in life.

I’ve put together a collection of my favorite playrooms – some which I would copy exactly and others which have elements I like. See my inspiration below!

Baby August 26, 2014

Isla Loves: BabyLit (40% Off Promo Code & Giveaway)

I first came across the BabyLit series while shopping at a little boutique in San Francisco. I took a picture of the cover, knowing I would add them to our Amazon Baby Registry when I got back to Houston. I added twelve of my favorite books and got them all from one of my mom’s good friends. I love them so much. It is so enjoyable to read my favorite classics to Isla. There are Counting Primers, Color Primers, Animal Primers, Opposites Primers, Anatomy Primers, and more. These books break down the classics into easily digestible terms and help children develop, as you can see from the photos below. I only brought three books with us to Durango, and I wish we had them all. I highly recommend you buy these for your little one, and if you don’t have any kids, then for friends who are expecting or having toddlers.

I’m excited to be teaming up with BabyLit to offer you 40% off all books until this Sunday, August 31 at midnight with the promo code ISLA. Click here to buy them now! In addition to this discount, BabyLit is giving away two books of your choice to one lucky individual. In order to enter the giveaway, you must do the following:

Reply to this post, including your name and which two BabyLit books you’d like to win – see the full collection here (you can change your selection upon winning)
You will get an extra entry by being or becoming a follower of Snapshots and My Thoughts (see ‘Follow’ button at the bottom righthand corner on desktop version of the blog)
You will get an extra entry by posting this giveaway’s URL to your Twitter or Facebook account (please tag @ailee_petrovic on Twitter or mention Snapshots & My Thoughts and BabyLit on Facebook)

One winner will be drawn at random. The more entries you have, the higher the chance you’ll win! The giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, August 29. I will announce the winner by Monday. I look forward to reading your responses. Good luck!

Follow BabyLit on Facebook

Baby August 22, 2014

Isla Loves: BABYBJÖRN Carrier We (Giveaway)

Living in Durango for the past month has definitely been a change of lifestyle for our family. Instead of being confined to the indoor air-conditioning of Houston, we are constantly out and about, whether it be walking to the grocery store or our favorite restaurants, or going on a hike, we are always on the go. In Houston, I had relied heavily on our City Mini stroller when I was running errands, but we wanted to be more agile once we arrived in Colorado. My mom’s friend lent us a ton of baby items, which saved us from hauling them across the country. One of the items was the BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Original. We quickly learned that this was Isla’s favorite item in the world. She could be crying inconsolably, and we would plop her in the carrier and silence (they aren’t kidding, it’s golden). She loved it, which obviously meant that Sasha and I adored it even more. Bye, bye stroller.

BABYBJÖRN recently released their newest baby carrier – the Baby Carrier We – and they were kind enough to send me one to try. It’s amazing. Seriously. One of the biggest benefits we have seen over the original carrier is the added support for our backs. When you are walking around for awhile, this is important! The Carrier We comes with a pressure-relieving waist belt and padded shoulder straps, which evenly distribute Isla’s weight. In addition, the carrier is designed perfectly to provide ample support for her head, back and hips. Also, it is easy for me to put Isla in the carrier without assistance from anyone else. And she loves it too. She finds it so soothing, and so we take her absolutely everywhere in it (see hiking photos below!). The best part? The Baby Carrier We is ergonomically designed for children up to three years old, so Isla will have many years ahead in this carrier!

I’m excited to be teaming up with BABYBJÖRN to give away a brand new Baby Carrier We to one lucky individual! In order to enter the giveaway, you must do the following:

Reply to this post, including your name and who you’d be carrying around in your Baby Carrier We (or perhaps who you’d like to win the carrier for!)
You will get an extra entry by being or becoming a follower of Snapshots and My Thoughts (see ‘Follow’ button at the bottom righthand corner on desktop version of the blog)
You will get an extra entry by posting the giveaway’s URL to your Twitter or Facebook account (please tag @ailee_petrovic on Twitter or mention Ailee Semple Petrovic on Facebook)

One winner will be drawn at random. The more entries you have, the higher the chance you’ll win! The giveaway ends at midnight on Wednesday, August 27. I will announce the winner by Friday. I look forward to reading your responses. Good luck!

Follow BABYBJÖRN on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

The carrier passed the 6 mi. hike test! We absolutely love it. Sasha kindly carrier her up, and I took the trek down.

I was given the BABYBJÖRN Carrier We by BabySwede for my review. I was allowed to keep the product, but the opinion I am sharing remains my own.