TODAY IS A BIG DAY!

Today marks the 100th post on Seventeenth & Irving. To say that I'm a little misty eyed is an understatement. I felt a lot of pressure to blog in previous years, when I had an interior design blog, then a gluten free blog, then a "I don't really know what this is blog" that grew in to Seventeenth & Irving as it stands today. I wasn't certain that I would ever see this day, because I don't exactly have the best track record in maintaining side projects.

Still, I enjoyed the creative outlet enough to keep doing it, and as I learned more graphic design skills I used it as a practice tool. I am 100% self taught when it comes to graphic design and HTML, and I'm so proud of this blog and how it looks today versus one year ago, when I decided I wanted to start blogging again.

More importantly, this blog has become a symbol of evolution of myself along the way. As I approach 30 next year (which I'm freaking out about or excited about, depending on the day you ask me) I am more certain than ever of my aesthetic, from the clothes I like to wear to the way I want my home to feel.

As I've grown, this blog has grown with me. I used to be scared of how others would view this blog and though I wanted it to be a beautiful place to visit on the web, I was afraid of the judgement that comes with putting a piece of yourself out there in the public. Did you know that until about three months ago, I rarely received a comment? I did little to grow the audience here or to network with other bloggers who I love to read. It showed. For some reason, I still felt like I might be doing something wrong and didn't want others to visit here and agree with my negative inner voice. Self-criticism is my very worst enemy, and I work daily to fight against that voice in my head. I am highly critical of both myself and my work because I am a perfectionist to a fault.

But now I feel that a page is turning. And not just a regular page in the middle of a chapter, but one of those pages that divides chapters and has a nice big title and maybe an illustration on it. I am incredibly excited about the features and original content I've got planned for Seventeenth & Irving, and I hope you'll enjoy them too. It's only the beginning!

Thank you to you, my friends and readers for stopping by. Thank you for taking the time to leave comments, chat with me on Twitter, or pin items you find inspiring. You always make my day by doing so.

Have a wonderful, relaxing, long weekend!

XOXO - Lauren

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YOU ARE HERE

Whoa. How incredible are these handmade typography papercut pieces by Crafterall on Etsy? Marnie Karger is the artist behind these gorgeous works of art. She individually cuts each layer by hand in variegated colors, then assembles them into what you see here. I love that from first glance, they seem almost like an abstract painting, and then as you delve further in to the details, you realize what you're looking at is far more intricate.

See more from Crafterall.

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NEW INSPIRATION

Call it the curse of being creative, but I am always looking for new sources of inspiration online. I've been reading blogs since about 2006, and many of them I'm still reading. But I'm always looking for more to inspire me. They don't always have to be design related, sometimes just beautiful photos or great graphics do the trick. Here are five new favorites I discovered last week. You can click the titles to discover my latest finds.

What blogs do you read? If you have a favorite, please share, I would love to add some of your favorites (or even your blog!) to my reading list.

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TODAY'S MANTRA

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I WANNA KNOW...

I know there are quite a few new people around here. I want to know all about you! Tell me about yourself. Are you a blogger? Where are you from? If you have a blog please link it in the comments! I would love to read it.

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AROUND HERE: OUR BATHROOM

When we moved to San Francisco nearly a year ago, we were so focused on just getting everything moved here from Atlanta, put away, and focused on our new life that we didn't do a ton of decorating. Now that I know we plan to stay in this apartment for a while, I'm going room by room and swapping things out, adding a bit of style to each space.

While our apartment is not old by San Francisco standards - we're 1950s versus many apartments built in the 20s - our bathroom is in need of a little TLC. Since we aren't allowed to paint, that forces me to focus on the actual pieces that go in to the space...both a blessing and a curse.

In the bathroom, my number one design tip is to treat the bathroom like you would any other room. It has to be functional, yes, but functional can also be beautiful. Shopping in the bathroom aisles won't necessarily get you there. When I looked for pieces for our bathroom, I looked at dining ware, living room rugs, and office supplies.

I started with this photograph from Vogue as a jumping off point. I wanted the small space to feel serene and the divers look peaceful and timeless. I decided to hide our glass shower doors that have seen better days with a shower curtain. You may have read that hanging your curtains high above your windows will make your room appear larger. This translates to the bathroom as well - but most shower curtains are sold at a 72" length. That's why I love these extra long shower curtains at an 84" length from Restoration Hardware. Hanging it higher than normal solves the ugly door problem and makes the ceilings look higher.

Most bath mats are really poorly designed but these jute rugs from West Elm come in a 2' x 3' size that's perfect in front of a tub or vanity. Or in the case of our super small bathroom, one rug serves both. These rugs still feel soft underfoot, clean up easily, and are more durable than their towel like counterparts. Better still, they don't get that matted look that normal bath mats get from moisture.

I finished off the vanity by gathering accessories that pull in our favorite colors while remaining functional. The large recycled glass jug can be used as a vase and the votive holder is perfect for relaxing with candles and a hot bath. The carafe can store mouthwash or bath salts and this tumbler is perfect for storing makeup brushes. I like the idea of putting photos in a bathroom and this frame can withstand the elements. This soap dish is perfect for by the sink or for holding jewelry.

If you're interested in following my inspiration for different rooms of our home, I keep an inspiration board here. You can see products I love, rooms that inspire me, and what we've got.

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CAN WE ALL STOP TRYING TO BE PERFECT FOR ONE SECOND?

Don't you just love when technology fails you? Above is my mantra this week, which was supposed to be posted as usual on Mondays. It seems I scheduled the post but I didn't hit publish and here it sat, until I finally noticed today. I've been incredibly busy with both personal and work obligations and I can honestly say that in the past three months, I feel a rush of momentum happening. And then something like this happens, and I allowed my mind to beat myself up over it. How can I ever expect to keep momentum going on this blog, my passion project, if I fail to make a post as planned...particularly the type of post that brought many of you here in the first place?

I reminded myself that I chose some time ago to embrace imperfection and let things like this roll off my back. An old high school friend reminded me that it seems like incredibly good, wonderful things are happening in my life to those from the outside looking in. The irony that I chose this quote, this week, on the week that this little glitch happened is not lost on me, fear not.

With so many new readers and commenters (hello, I am really thankful you've stopped by!), I fear that they're comparing me to bigger blogs, bloggers that have been doing this for ages, and blogs that have multiple contributors. Starting today, I've decided to be up front with you, new readers, from the get go. My name is Lauren and I work a full time job in addition to this blog, and some days I just forget to hit the publish button correctly.

And at the same time, many of my favorite bloggers are baring their souls in this "Things I'm Afraid To Tell You" series. As it turns out, we're all a little imperfect. Yet we're all constantly comparing ourselves to each other. We are all sitting around in our yoga pants, working from home, forgetting to eat lunch and sometimes brush our teeth while simultaneously creating perfect outfit boards. And even though that is reality for the majority of us, we still assume that the other blogger must have a life far more glamorous.

I originally created this post to pin on my inspiration board, but I think today's will be added as well. It's high time we were all more kind to ourselves, and others.

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FAVORITE SPACE + FRIDAY LINKS

I'm back this Friday with my favorite space I've seen this week - this dining room from designer Luis Bustamante. I'm always a fan of rooms that are navy bordering on black. I blame it on that November 2008 issue of Domino featuring Jenna Lyons' home. I decided then and there I would paint my walls that dark one day, and I did it in my first place I lived in alone back in Atlanta. Unfortunately, we can't paint here or you can bet that it would have been duplicated here in San Francisco!

I would also like to apologize for the light posting the last two weeks - I had a major client event that involved traveling back to the East coast, and between the time zone changes and the jam packed schedule, I still haven't recovered! I am looking forward to a little R&R this weekend after celebrating a best friend's birthday tonight. What are you up to this weekend?

Some reading material for your weekend (do you have a habit of staying in bed late with your iPad and coffee? Just me? Okay, moving along...)

8 core beliefs of extraordinary bosses and 5 things remarkable bosses never do. I am committing these articles to memory. I've worked for both types and these articles really hit home.

For my city-dwelling friends, do you plan on staying there once you have kids? I really loved this article over at Sweet Fine Day.

Who doesn't dream of taking a year off work and traveling? See how this couple did it, but for FIVE years.

And finally, I'll be fairly busy again with work the next month. I would love to have some of my favorite bloggers post while I'm away. If you're interested in guest posting on Seventeenth & Irving, please contact me! I would love to have you!


IMAGE VIA LA DOLCE VITA

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