AE | Inspirations & Crescendoh Guest Curator

COLOR : White. I love white. Around our house we've got all white dishes, all white dish towels (from Costco), and all white bath towels. JCpenny's was having a great sale on white dishes and I picked up some of these little bowls that are great for Anna's soup & snacks and as a little fruit cup.

FONT : Typewriter Condensed via dafont. It's free.

PATTERN : A wonderful floral pattern by Joy D. Cho (Oh Joy). Available as wallpaper at Hygge & West.

SHAPE : Circle. Loving these paintings by Pam Garrison.

LETTER : Y. From my new Painterly Alpha set.

NUMBER : 25 - I remember seeing a photo of Rhonna's holiday mantel during one of the last few Christmas seasons (I actually printed out the image and added it to my holiday inspiration notebook). I love how she had a cool vintage 2 and a 5 that she brings out as a decoration. Found and ordered a couple numbers via these two Etsy shops: Monikers Incorporated and LindaVista.

WORD : Build. It's the first one that came to mind.

Want to play along? I'd love to hear what's inspiring you.


I'm also excited to share that I was invited to be a Guest Curator at Cresendoh this week. Each guest curator writes their own "Art Saves" story - you can read mine here and check out the archives here. Check back each day as I share new links through Sunday (and watch out - this is one of those sites where you can get lost in all the inspiration).

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28 thoughts

  1. dawn says…
    11/09/2010

    love these ali, white is also my favorite color. It's crisp and clean but I'm not brave enough to have white towls in this house, only colorful fun ones. Thanks for the reminder of the number "25" was going with this idea for the holidays this year. I read your story on Curator and love how and what you wrote. Thanks for sharing all these ideas and links.

    I have to admit I only read my fave scrap blogs everyday for inpiration, how do you find these cool links and places??? Do you just goggle a word and see where it takes you???

    What inpires me is the 6 blogs I check at least 4 times a day, yours is on that list of course. Thanks again

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  2. c@rol w says…
    11/09/2010

    What a cool idea with the numbers for decoration! I have just been inspired to go make something. Thanks!

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  3. Shelly K says…
    11/09/2010

    Great stuff you share! I have one set of all whited dishes and one set of colorful (llike fiestaware)...depends on our mood!
    LOVE that 2 and 5 as decor...might be adopting that idea!

    My inspiration comes from you, and the other 2 blogs I check daily...other than that (and nature all around me) - right now work and kids and life keeps me pretty busy!!

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  4. Deirdre says…
    11/09/2010

    Love the free font and all the inspiration.

    Thanks also for linking to simplehomeschool about creating circle time. We always do an advent wreath, and I've tried to do readings/giving thanks with the lighting of it at dinner...but dinner often involves guests, or my own rushing, or overlaps into bedtime routine...so I love the idea of using the lightning of the wreath as bookends to our day and will move the singing/moving and verse to the morning before we leave for school. Thanks!

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  5. Michelle says…
    11/09/2010

    Well you are always inspiring! =) I also love the studio calico website and all of their great kits. I didn't nkow about them until your blog so I guess that was because of you also!
    My aunt's house is always inspiring! She has a way with decorating and she changes things and adds things all the time. I love walking in her house and seeing what she's done. She also has a thing for bird houses and lots of trees so I'm always hunting around back there to hunt for new ones.

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  6. Amy says…
    11/09/2010

    Ali, I love white towels as well. But they are no longer white! With three small kids and a husband who works outdoors I cannot keep them clean.

    How do you keep yours clean and crisp and white???

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  7. Lee says…
    11/09/2010

    Thank you so much for providing my daily dose of inspiration. I've used your idea here: http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife/2010/11/a-little-off-track-.html Have a wonderful day :)

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  8. Lain says…
    11/09/2010

    Just created a list of 101 wishes (I'm reading the Aladdin Factor!) and one of my wishes was to get all white dishes. Ah....

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  9. Tweets that mention AE | Inspirations & Crescendoh Guest Curator | Ali Edwards -- Topsy.com says…
    11/09/2010

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ali Edwards, Josephina Mydreama. Josephina Mydreama said: AE | Inspirations & Crescendoh Guest Curator: COLOR : White. I love white. Around our house… http://goo.gl/fb/9ymbA [...]

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  10. Cynthia H says…
    11/09/2010

    Just read your piece at Cresendoh and loved it! Thanks for sharing.

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  11. Erika says…
    11/09/2010

    Ali thanks for the post...as always you are very inspiring.

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  12. Alexandra says…
    11/09/2010

    Thanks for this post - I just scored a set of 4 great numbers - the numbers represent my twins' birthday - so excited to display them in their playroom!!

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  13. jenn says…
    11/09/2010

    I just read your article at Cresendoh, and holy cow.... I totally understand where you're coming from when you spoke about a change in direction career wise. I loved to collect magazine pages when I was a kid and i had notebooks full of drawings i would do based on stories i would read. recently i found a notebook with drawings of people from the flowers in the attic series.. kinda creepy really, but cool to see how into artistic expression i was back then, i made stuff out of anything i could get my poor little hands on. i also majored in history (but did squeeze in a minor in art & spanish) and now I'm a pilot! While i absolutely LOVE to fly, talk about amazing, there is still something inside me (the internal compass as you called it ) that is screaming for more, not to quit flying, but i need more, i need something that lets me create. i'm working on finding out exactly what that is and where i can best use my passion and skills. sorry for rambling...as for what's inspiring me, well, today your article is inspiring me :)

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  14. Sherry Cartwright says…
    11/09/2010
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  15. jen shears says…
    11/09/2010

    You are unbelievably inspiring.... Thank you!

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  16. Tammy B says…
    11/09/2010

    I totally do some white hand towels and definitely white face cloths (from Costco!). With teenagers and skin products, anything with colour gets bleached out and looks terrible! May as well go with the white!!

    I am totally inspired by my little week and a half old nephew right now. Makes me want to go back and scrapbook any pictures of my kids from when they were tiny - if I have done it already. Also, completely inspired by your blog right now. I so want to do the December daily but I think that I will wait until I don't have so many projects on the go. I might stock up on some of the awesome Christmas product out right now and make a plan to do it next year for sure! Thanks for the great ideas Ali!!

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  17. Vicky says…
    11/09/2010

    Ali:

    I loved the story you wrote. It really hit a chord with me. I need to write about some things so I can let them go, but just haven't had the courage to do so yet. your story has now given me the courage. words can save you. thanks for being such an inspiration.

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  18. Carrie/scrapchick says…
    11/09/2010

    Love the white! Sadly I know with my 6 y/o that would be very difficult to maintain. :)

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  19. Jana says…
    11/09/2010

    This blog is inspiring me today! http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/ As soon as I get off this computer, I'm going to go make a watercolor sketch :). Your blog always inspires me too! Our wet day is inspiring me to be cozy, stay inside and paint - think i'll dash out and pick some soggy leaves to sketch. Bye!

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      11/10/2010

      Thanks for that link Jana - I think I've seen her work before - super inspiring.

  20. Deborah says…
    11/09/2010

    There are only two white things in the world that I don't like: shoes and age-defining hairs. Funny, I spent six years in college getting a graphic design degree because I didn't know what I truly wanted to do with my life. I still feel as though I maybe should have studied something else but I have long since let go of any regret since there just isn't any point in hanging on to it. Besides, now I have crazy mad scrapbooking skills!

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  21. Sherry M. says…
    11/09/2010

    This is just what I needed. My post is here: http://alteredtoperfection.blogspot.com/2010/11/inpired.html

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  22. Christine H says…
    11/09/2010

    OK...had to shut the new windows or I will never go to sleep. Got a couple of hours in an airport Wed and Thursday....perfect time to get lost in all these great inspirational web sites....and I can already tell a few of them will be getting some of my money too!

    Lately, I have been using the library as my inspiration....trying new authors that others recommend. One leads to another and next thing you know you have 10 books in your hold file!

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  23. cinback says…
    11/09/2010

    I'm inspired by your inspiration.

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  24. molly says…
    11/10/2010

    Ali, I haven't been around the internets as much lately, but just wanted to be sure to take a moment to tell you how much I LOVED your essay at cresendo. Very moving, and very eloquent on the importance of what we do. You're my hero.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      11/10/2010

      Thanks Molly - I've been thinking about you lately. Hope things are ok with you and your family.

  25. Nancy says…
    11/11/2010

    Hi Ali! Wish you had a link to Rhonna's mantel...would love to see it. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply 0 Replies

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