Simple Silhouettes

So we’re just back from a fantastic week in Scottsdale where the sun was warm, the scenery was beautiful, the food was good and the uninterrupted time with family was precious.

Day trip up to Sedona.

After a looong day at the pool.

While I did check email and got online occasionally in the early morning hours, (the two hour time change meant we were all up … literally … at the crack of dawn, I must admit it was nice to kind of take an internet break. I read a great book (Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger who also wrote The Time Traveller’s Wife) and, of course, flipped through my fair share of home decor magazines and catalogs, swam, went to the Cubs last Spring Training game and just enjoyed being outside while it was in the 30s back at home. Anyone with little, little kids knows that vacations with them aren’t very relaxing … but the boys are getting old enough now that we all  truly did relax and enjoy ourselves.  My parents were with us too for most of the trip which was an extra treat. Many laughs and happy memories. And even though temps reached 101 while we were there, we spent the entire day in the pool and lazy river. Since I always get cold in the pool, this was perfect swimming weather for me!

Even though it is so sad for a great vacation to end, there is something about walking in the door of your home for the first time. Doesn’t it feel so good, like a big hug? Do you ever feel like it causes you to look at your house in a new light?  To notice some of the little things you hadn’t really paid attention to in awhile? Distance does make the heart grow fonder, and every time I’m away from home and come back, I love it a little bit more.

So now … back to reality.  While folding my second load of laundry, I flipped on Secrets from a Stylist that I had DVR’d while we were gone (love how that’s now a verb).  The living room/dining room transformation Emily created was certainly swoon worthy and I especially loved her idea for creating family silhouettes.

She took a silhouette picture of each family member, blew it up, then placed each picture on top of a sheet of blue paper, took a pair of scissors and cut around the silhouette of the face …cutting through both the photo and the blue paper.  She then took each blue silhouette and laid it on top of a white piece of paper and framed each one.  I love the look.  And it’s a nice variation on the traditional black silhouette.

You could create something along the lines of this space in Kate Spade’s New York apartment.

Well, that’s it for now … (I’ve got more laundry to fold!) For everyone else returning to the real world after a spring break vacation, good luck with your re-entry!