chalkboard artist valerie mckeehan is an amazing hand letterer who works hard to showcase the nostalgic and comforting rustic charm that chalkboards bring to a space. all of the prints, note cards and paper goods at lily and val are hand lettered on a chalkboard surface, then photographed to produce the products. this process allows the designs to keep their rustic charm since they’re not digitally produced. the result is a truly beautiful, realistic chalkboard appearance (minus the dust!).

psst.. don’t forget father’s day is just around the corner! if you’re still looking for a special card, there’s still plenty of time to grab this one from lily & val!

wrap up: {art} {cards} {chalkboard} {father's day} {hand lettering} {lily & val} {prints}

today, i couldn’t be more excited to share with you about unearthed paints and offer you this amazing giveaway for a $50 gift certificate! unearthed paints is a fresh new natural paint company who offers an exclusive selection of eco-friendly paints.  each one is crafted with minimally processed natural ingredients such as clay, chalk, lime and italian marble. the paints are vegan, biodegradable, and 100% VOC-free! 

each of their paints are tinted with earth and mineral pigments; ochers, sienna, umbers, ultramarines and spinels. these pigments give the paint a depth and radiance that cannot be achieved by the chemical colorants used in conventional paints.  pigments are shipped in a powder form, eliminating any chemical preservatives and extending the life period of the paint (you just mix them up in your kitchen mixer!).

isn’t this room just to die for? i can’t wait to get started on a few projects i have planned for baby roost ‘s nursery using the vega paint in white. it’s so beautiful!

why use natural paints? for thousands of years, people have been bringing rich color to their homes using natural paint recipes.  these tried and true techniques were largely forgotten with the success of the petrochemical paint industry during the post-world war II building boom.  today, when you purchase a gallon of paint for your home -even low-VOC or zero-VOC paint- it is almost a given that you will be using a product that contains hundreds of chemicals and has been highly processed.  many of the ingredients in conventional paints are derived from crude oil, which is a very energy-intensive process that results in significant waste products that can potentially lead to environmental contamination.

wrap up: {eco friendly} {giveaway} {no voc} {paints} {unearthed} {vega}

goodbye may, hello june! in celebration of this new beautiful month, here’s a set of flower filled desktop & iphone backgrounds. i hope they will brighten your workspace and make you smile! xo, bonnie

to download june’s backgrounds: click on the coordinating image above, then select your preferred size (most likely, ‘original’). right click and select ‘save as desktop background’ or download to your phone.

to download the backgrounds + seasonal veggie guide: click on the coordinating image above, then select your preferred size (most likely, ‘original’). right click and select ‘save as desktop background’ or download to your phone.

for more information on what’s in season in your town, check out this seasonal ingredient map!

please note: all images, patterns and designs © bonnie christine | going home to roost. you may not reproduce, re-create or sell in any way, but please feel free to download for your own personal use. if you share on your own blog (i’d be flattered!) please direct your readers to this post to download the file. thank you!

wrap up: {2013} {background} {calendar} {desktop} {grow} {iphone} {june} {seasonal} {veggies}

hello, lovelies! today i’m sharing this month’s recap of the roost tribe, which gives you a sneak peek of what may brought to the roost tribe. i also wanted to let you know that it’s not too late to get all of may’s content! i’ll be sending out a may recap on monday, june 3rd with all of the content in it from may so no one will have missed anything, regardless of when you might have joined.

that means, that if you join before monday, june 3rd you’ll still get all of this yummy content from may plus june’s content as well- that’s two months for the price of one!

a set of 58 spice labels, complete with several blanks for you to fill in yourself and 4 color options.

a bed of daisies pattern collection, inspired by the golden hour, it represents the warmth of the afternoon sunshine and brilliant colors of an evening sunset.

a set of inspirational desktop & iphone backgrounds.

an adobe illustrator tutorial on how to show a photo through text.

a simple sewing tutorial on how to make your own DIY placemats.

an amazingly yummy recipe for rosemary salted pretzels with a vegan cheddar cheese dipping sauce.

 petals & peonies clip art set.

plus more! tribe members also participated in this month’s book club reading, roost tribe challenge, received a list of favorite links and resources and more. being a member is tons of fun and we would love to have you join the family!

want to learn more? head on over to read this post or check out the FAQs.

wrap up: {blog} {clipart} {illustrations} {may} {recap} {roost tribe}

setting up the kitchen in our new place has definitely been my first priority. even though the rest of the house is in shambles, at least we can feel like normal human beings while in the kitchen! this week’s meals were quick to throw together but wholesome, hearty and full of spring veggies.

monday: veggie red thai curry
tuesday: vegan alfredo with roasted veggies 
wednesday: baked penne + roasted veggies and a smoked cream sauce
thursday: perfect veggie burger with kale chips
friday: warm spring salad with homemade bread

we follow a whole foods, plant based diet. the dinner ideas posts are a way for me to log our dinners, how we make eating this way easy, and hopefully inspire you to try some new things as well. they are always meat free, dairy free and often gluten free. you can follow the posts here, and i encourage you to share your favorite recipes with us as well!

wrap up: {dinner} {gluten free} {ideas} {recipe} {vegan} {vegetarian}

after traveling so much over the years, i have definitely developed a must-have travel essentials list. at my latest ideabook over on houzz, you’ll find several items i always keep with me, and others that you may want to consider as well. head on over to my ideabook to read more and grab the sources. happy travels!

wrap up: {essentails} {houzz} {ideabook} {travel}

hey guys! this week’s point and shoot has a bit of a theme: moving! we’re officially homeowners (eee!) and packed up to move across town this week to our new humble abode. we’ve got a pretty big list of to-do’s on the new place, but it’s slowly coming together. here’s a sneak peek of what i’ve been up to this week!

let the chaos begin!

my whole house will soon be dancing on clouds.

turning my kitchen from dark and dreary to white and cheery.

first night in our new place. on an air mattress in the living room but i’ll take it!

love, bonnie

do you have a favorite photo from your life this week? post a link to them in the comment section so we can see!

this post was made possible by the lovely iphone app, instagram. you can follow me here or find me by searching for @goinghometoroost. all photos by yours truly. :)

wrap up: {point and shoot}

hello, loves! i have a special surprise for you today! professional photographer, melissa west is here to share a little with you on how to use your photos as gifts. i just know you’ll fall in love with her blog and workshop, the snap academy. have fun!

If you are anything like me, you may be slightly addicted to Instagram but have family or friends who don’t ever get to see the photos. It’s such a fun way to catch those everyday moments that we may otherwise miss, however, it’s so sad when those pictures never leave the phone and are never shared!

A few months ago, I came across Postalpix and fell in love with the ease and price of ordering pictures right from my phone. You can use that same app to create an amazing ongoing gift. Here’s how…

1. Start by creating your display. Here are two of my favorite ways… My husband made this frame out of reclaimed pallet wood and I simply added twine and clips from the craft store. Or you could use a thrifted frame and back it with chicken wire. After you have the display the rest is so simple…

2. Download the Postalpix App (for either iPhone or Android)

3. Order your favorite photos from the last month and attach them to your display, then give your gift.

4. Schedule a reorder at the end of each month (I like to use Google calendar) and order the amount you need to replace the pictures in the display. You can have them shipped right to the person you gave the display to!

My family and I hope to start traveling full time in September and I’m so excited to use this as a fun way to keep my mom updated with pictures of our trip. What’s your favorite way to share phone photos?

Bio: Melissa West is a professional lifestyle photographer who saw how hard mamas were struggling to capture memories they loved. Her blog offers tips and inspiration to teach you how to take more meaningful photos no matter what camera you own. Click over to receive free access to an entire segment of The Snap Academy Workshop!

wrap up: {family} {gifts} {instagram} {iphone} {order} {photos} {postalpix}