Furious Shirley

Around The House

Shannon Shirley — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:50:46 PDT

We are finally getting settled into our new house here in Portland. I have yet to finish working on our art & music room and Ava’s playroom, but things are definitely coming along.

This cute little bunny hanging at the end of our entry hall makes me smile every time I walk through the door. It’s a Debbie Carlos print (if you read design blogs, you have surely heard of her) hung with a Jørgen Møller Posterhänger.

Another favorite of mine is this vintage letter board we hung in the bathroom. LOL We obviously don’t take things very seriously here in the Shirley household.

Spring Flats & Sneakers

Shannon Shirley — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:17:04 PDT

Normally I would be on the lookout for cute spring sandals (heeled peep toes, platform pumps, wedge espadrilles, etc.), but foot = still broken, so for now I need to play it safe with flats and sneakers. The crazy thing is that I’ve never really been a “shoe girl”, but since I”ve only been able to wear one shoe I keep seeing shoes I want and can’t have … yet. I guess we really do always want what we can’t have. And after unpacking and organizing the closets I realized that my husband owns more pairs of shoes than I do and that is just wrong – lol.

(left via: anthropologie || right via: toms)

(left via: imelda’s || right via: bensimon @ shoe emergency)

(left via: jcrew || right via: bensimon @ jcrew -little girls sizes – had to throw a kids shoe into the mix because Ava would look adorable in these!)

(left via: tretorn || right via: cath kidston – and lucky me because my husband is traveling to London soon and has promised to pick up a pair!!!)

Bohemian, Baby!

Shannon Shirley — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 22:18:36 PDT

Our new place has a partially converted garage that I want to turn into a Bohemian inspired art & music space for little miss. Ava wants everything pink and I want it to be cozy and fun … layered rugs, floor cushions, lots of colors – organized chaos.

I am totally in love with the teepee on the left & found an easy DIY for the one on the right. Ava and I hit some resale shops and picked out some fabrics (mostly pink, of course) and plan to start “construction” next week!

(right: via 79 ideas) (left: via a cup of joe)

I’m also loving all of the plant life and natural elements in this studio space (of artist Fia Cielen):

(via moon to moon)

More inspiration pieces:

(top left: via jayson home) (bottom left: via gypsy river)

(top right: via the family love tree) (bottom right: via eyes of india)

Darn This Broken Foot

Shannon Shirley — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:24 PST

(A quick catch-up: We moved to Portland, OR [woo hoo!] and one week later I broke my foot.)

I am super lucky that the bottom of the fracture is aligning nicely and I didn’t have to have a cast or surgery.

But for the next two – three months I am stuck sporting a so-far-away-from-stylish cast shoe.

My foot just HAS to heal FAST because I saw these shoes today and I want them oh so badly.

Awesome, right? My left foot would be soooo jealous.

(Messeca “Monroe in Black Croc” via Need Supply Co.)

Calling All Crafty People!

Shannon Shirley — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 09:36:46 PST

I should have posted this weeks ago (sorry, Nicole!), but a move to Portland and a broken foot got in the way.

IT’S CRAFTCATION TIME AGAIN!!

Four days filled with workshops, lectures, and craftastic events!

Where else can you strengthen your business acumen while learning how to pickle things, bind books, and crochet a scarf while sampling artisan beers?

Check out the press release to learn more about their stellar line up of presenters, How To’s, DIY’s, and more!

REGISTRATION CLOSES MARCH 1st, SO MAKE YOUR PLANS TODAY!

(Special thanks to Nicole & Delilah for letting me help get the word out again this year!)

We Made A Fairy House!

Shannon Shirley — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 09:20:59 PST

My almost four year old is really into fairies.

Like totally mega obsessed.

She dreams about them, she sees them when we are driving through town,

she draws pictures of them, makes up stories about them obsessed.

So the natural thing to do was to build them a home!

We started with a plain rectangular wooden crate we found at the

craft store. We also bought a variety bag of mosses.

Then we went for a walk around the neighborhood

to collect leaves, sticks, bark, etc.

I got out the hot glue gun and we started covering the crate in

moss, twigs, and bark. (And I only burned myself once!)

We used some old fabric for the floor and sheets

& cotton balls for pillows.

The furniture is made from folded & scotch taped cardboard scraps.

It was Ava’s idea to put a fire in oven

and make little paintings for the walls.

We had a great time making it together and now every night

she sets it all up for the fairies.

And every morning, the beds are mysteriously messed up

and things are moved around.

A child’s imagination is amazing and I will feed it forever. XO!

$50 Giveaway from Shabby Apple!!

Shannon Shirley — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 08:43:57 PDT

Something you probably don’t know about me – I hate shopping. Well, sort of. I hate shopping for clothes … but I LOVE clothes. Yet another reason I love the internet (and free returns!).

I also like finding new great things to share, which I was I was more than happy to post this giveaway from Shabby Apple!

(This skirt is my incentive to find a babysitter so I can wear it somewhere other than the playground.)

Shabby Apple is a boutique that is all about “the female”.

Their selection has a bit of retro vibe with some urban flair. Truly something for anyone (they even have maternity selections!).

So how do you get in on your chance to win $50 to spend at their shop??

Step One: You have to “Like” the Shabby Apple page on Facebook to be eligible for the giveaway.

Step Two: Find something you LOVE from Shabby Apple.

Step Three: Post a link to it in the comments section for this post. (Note – You can’t pick one of my selections.)

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN AT RANDOM FROM THE ELIGIBLE ENTRIES BY NOV. 15TH!!!!!

So get shopping! (Contest closes November 10th)

SAVE 10% NOW THRU NOVEMBER 26th WITH COUPON CODE furiousshirley10off !!!!!!!

Gettin’ Spooky

Shannon Shirley — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:44:40 PDT

This is the first year I have decorated for Halloween. With Ava being almost four, she is really super into it and I just had to oblige. My memories of Halloween decor are those cardboard cut-outs of jack-o-lanterns & witches stuck to our kitchen cabinets and front door. Not my style (sorry, mom).

Thankfully I came across Dana Willard’s amazing blog – MADE . (She is one of those super crafty supermoms that can make ANYTHING – including more time in the day! How else could she get all of this done?!!) She posted some Halloween crafts that even I could do and so I did.

Ava helped me make our spiderwebs and spiders and we were really happy with how they came out!

I started making bats too, but so far I only have about 10 so I’m not sure if they will make it into the house before the 31st.

(Check out Dana’s bats … and enviously clean house!)

And thanks to sites like MADE that give us inspiration! Happy Halloween!

DIY Chalkboard House

Shannon Shirley — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:54:01 PDT

Ava says she wants to be a city bus driver when she grows up (or a paleontologist) and now I think we can add interior designer to the list. She has a recent love for her design apps that let her pick out wall coverings and furniture for little dollhouses – maybe from watching me constantly arranging and re-arranging things around the house.

She also just learned to draw an outline of a house and loves filling in the rooms – see below.

(And yes, that is someone sitting on the toilet upstairs – she also thinks p-o-o-p is quite hilarious).

And me, I’ve been wanting to do something with washi tape (paper craft tape).

I was really inspired by this cute little creation I saw on petitevanou .

I cut out chalkboard contact paper in the shape of a house, stuck it on a closet door, outlined it with washi tape & voila!

(And it doesn’t have to be a house – what does your kid la la love?)

A little house for Ava to decorate over and over again!

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Whale Watching

Shannon Shirley — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:43:28 PDT

I’ve been noticing some pretty cool whale pieces lately.

Maybe whales are the new owls.

Cachalot Whale Pillow by Next Door to Heaven

Blue Whale Necklace by The Spangled Maker

Whale Pitcher by Jonathan Adler

Whale Tail Hooks by Frontgate

Whale Tong by David Mayhew at All Modern

Whale Mug by L’Atelier de Lou

Gorgeous Wooden Whales for the 508 Lilla Vän Collection

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