Hello! I’m Kara from Kara Paslay Designs. . .
I am so excited to be here today and so thankful that Kim and Scott asked me to come share some of my favorite projects from this past year! Every year around this time, I start to think about all the things that need improvement in my life. Of course there are plenty things to choose from. 🙂 Often when I’m trying to muster up the courage and/or energy to take on the new year with a focused optimism, it always helps to hear an inspiring story or see some inspiring images.
One place that I gather amazing inspiration from is Anthropologie. This year I felt blessed to fulfill a dream of mine and actually be able to work as the Display Coordinator (creator of all the displays) at our store here in Tulsa! I have chosen to highlight a couple of my favorite installations, but you can click here to see all the of the displays that I created.
This window display below ended up being a customer favorite. I think we all appreciate when a normal everyday object is somehow transformed into a beautiful, unique work of art. So was the case with this window. Can you tell what I used?
I have always loved how Anthro uses everyday items in mass quantities to make an incredible statement. Well, after this window and using about a billion post-it notes, I definitely felt like part of the Anthro team!
You may notice that the post-it notes look a little different than they do when you pick them up off the store shelf. In order to create the look I was going for I decided to dye the post-its. It created a more dimensional look and gave the small pieces of paper some great texture.
At our Tulsa store, windows abound and often more than one idea needs to be implemented. In another window, I decided to go with a much more graphic look.
People seemed to really appreciate both the graphic and organic looks I created with a bunch of plain ol’ post-its. You could certainly adapt this idea to do something amazing in your home. Use your imagination and the sky is the limit!
This next idea I implemented in Anthro is much easier to see inside a home. Being a woman most people think I am just a designer and that Tim (my husband) does all the building and heavy lifting. But I am proud to say that when I need to, I can wield all sorts of saws and build something from the ground up. So was the case with this large scale headboard using a bunch of reclaimed shutters.
In case you haven’t noticed, very bright neon-esque colors are back in style! That’s why I went with this chartreuse color to cover the shutters. It is actually the exact same color of the Anthro card. So, if you like the hue enough to color match it, just run to your local Anthropologie and sign up for a card (don’t worry Dave Ramsey followers- it is not a credit card). 🙂
To add to that Anthro feel, I integrated a floating shelf on the left side and then balanced it out by hanging the three pendants on the right. I made the pendants from some vases that Anthro sells.
So those are two of my favorite displays I was able to create for Anthropologie. You can read more about those projects and more Anthro displays right here!
And before I sign off for the day, I wanted to also offer some inspiration of a different kind. A while ago I wrote a post about loving your body because I feel a responsibility to help women realize their beauty and their worth. It is a cause close to my heart and I hope you will click over to read the whole article, but here are a few excerpts from the post.
“So often I hear women talk about their bodies in a negative way. At the risk of being totally unrelatable, I don’t really struggle with that, at least not anymore. Before you start to hate me, let me tell you my story.”
“I haven’t struggled with body image issues since that point. And believe me, I know that I don’t have the “perfect” body or a very womanly body, but I do love my body. I love it because. . .”
“I’ve got a very muscular body, which I know some women would never want, but I’m proud of it. I am proud because it shows all of the hard work I put in every day. I am proud because I am not just a skinny girl, I am an able girl.”
You too should love your body and yourself. You can read this post to hear about my own struggles with my body image and how I overcame them. Learning how to love yourself could be will be the most important project that you take on this year!
Thanks again to Kim and Scott for having me. I hope you were inspired in one way or another! Happy New Year blogging buddies!