TGIF ~ The Gems I Found

Happy Friday friends!  

I always love checking out the end of the week posts of friends around the blogosphere.
You know, where they list posts that caught their attention. I love the variety,
randomness, design, and coming across a new-to-me blogger mixed in with
a favorite seasonal recipe or a dose of fashion!

Some of my favorites:
  

Emily's Saturday 6, Rene's Link Love, Kate's Weekend Reading, 

Jen's The Love List,  Beth's My Favorites this Week, Albertina's Friday Links,

I've planned to post one for the last couple Fridays but got stuck on a name,
 the curse of being detailed! I've settled on one, and here are 'The Gems I Found.'

My darling blog friend Katie @ Miss Dixie created a fabulous IKEA Hack!

How chic are these Frontgate Adour Raised Pet Dishes wouldn't they look
great mixed among your summer flower pots!
A fun Mother's Day gift for a dog lover (hint, hint, family).

37 Diagrams for Everything You Need to
 Decorate Your Home

Almost 3 million views on Buzzfeed and I'd never seen this! 

These diagrams are a great cheat sheet for all areas of decorating.

Sandra Van Reikhoff @ Divine Day Photography - Silvia Galli @ Sposiamo VI Wedding Planning 

Simple, elegant table setting at this wedding is perfect inspiration for an
al fresco gathering...soon!

Stripes & Pom Poms - yes, please! This would be a super easy DIY!

This pretty and practical book with step by step arranging tips was just released,
 and is on my list!

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!
I'll be back next week with a fun DIY project.

Our Spring Home Tour ~ 2016

Welcome and thanks so much for stopping by!

I'm thrilled to be part of the 2016 Spring Home Tour, our lovely hostess 

Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life has done a wonderful job organizing 30 talented bloggers

 to share their spring decor this week.

If you're coming over from Our Southern Home, thank you, isn't Christy's 

home beautiful!

If you're new here I live in Denver with Mr. Simple, our son, and fur babies in

a little cottage built in 1938. If you've been around for awhile I'm sure you've come to

 expect that I've changed things up a bit since the last tour, and you're right! :)

First up, my living room...  

I'm a fan of my neutral background, I can change up a few

 accessories on a whim to create a totally new look. 

I've been loving a combination of blue hues and finding the perfect mix

of patterns is a fun day in my book!  

My gallery wall is always in a state of flux, mostly thrifted pieces or abstracts

I scribble.  

I've had my cowhide rug for several years, it has a subtle shade, pattern and

texture that compliment anything I put with it. 

I was inspired by the cover of the book, Modern Mix by Eddie Ross.

 I've loved chartreuse for years, see the chair and blue fireplace, I'm smitten with the

 combination, and decided to go for it (coming up in the dining room)! I like my rooms

to flow without being matchy, I intentionally included the chartreuse colored books on the 

coffee table to give my living room a little dose.   

One of my favorite mix of styles is modern with antique, I like using this chippy

column I've had for years for that effect.  

  

All my beloved Craigslist finds in one shot ~ the campaign chest, brass lamp,

bamboo chairs, and bamboo coffee table. :) 

     

A couple more favorite Craigslist finds, my oversize mirror and brass trunk below,

that I'm using as a side table.   

Dining Room...

If you missed my post last week, I decided to paint my dining room. :) 

So, I know it's a bit on the neon bright side, and the jury is still out. 

I tried five different colors and tweaked the final one a couple times and went back

to one of the originals, Behr Anime. I thought the others that weren't as bright looked so

 dull and muddy. Maybe dull and muddy would have been good. Haha!    

  

My sweet friend and her daughter came to help me paint, but one of them got bored 

and made me this cute origami elephant! I love it, thank you Sarah!   

I always plant wheat grass, it's fresh and springy and you can't beat the texture and price! 

Family Room...

Awhile back I found the blue and white lamp at Goodwill, it worked in nicely to

bring that element into my family room, and a switcheroo of pillows I had helped

to create the flow of blue and green into the family room. Another bowl of grass 

adds some pretty texture. 

Kitchen

I am absolutely planting a forsythia bush this year!

My sweet client gave me these, aren't they beautiful, I love the lively burst of color! 

If you missed my One Room Challenge Kitchen Reveal you can read about the 

DIY Hood, Formica Countertop, Painted Tile and lots of easy budget friendly ideas. 

This vignette in my kitchen changes often (the utensils and salt and pepper shakers

are always there). I always use some sort of tray to corral everything and a collection of

different vases for utensils and greenery.  

Thank you all so much for stopping by our tour!   

If you'd like to keep up with the changes at our home, what's on the DIY list, and

 client projects I'd love you to follow along.

Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin  

Next up on the tour is sweet Laura @ Decor to Adore. 

Sharing with Thrifty Decor Chick Best of 2016! Stop by to see more inspiration!

Let the Spring Home Tours Begin ~ 2016

I'm so excited to announce the kick off of the 

 2016 Spring Tour of Homes

 A huge thank you to our wonderful hostess, Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life for

 organizing the group.

I'm thrilled to be joining 29 fabulous bloggers, we'll be opening our homes

 over the next five days to share our spring decor. Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life

starts the tour off with five other lovely ladies and their gorgeous homes today.

She'll be highlighting the scheduled bloggers each day, (below) be prepared for 

some great eye candy and spring inspiration! 

I'm up on Wednesday and can't wait to share some new updates, I'll be giving a few

sneak peeks on Instagram until then. :)  

Monday - March 21

A Stroll Thru Life - Marty

Cuckoo4Design - Julia

Life on Virginia Street - Sarah

Thrifty and Chic - Alicia

Snazzy Little Things -Jeanette

Rain On A Tin Roof - Jenna

Tuesday - March 22

Making Home Base -Chelsea

Claire Brody Designs -Claire

Driven By Decor - Kris

Eleven Gables - Emily

Bliss @ Home - Kristin

Hymns & Verses - Doreen

Wednesday - March 23

Style Your Senses -Mallory

Our Southern Home - Christy

Simple Details - Pam

Decor To Adore - Laura

Monica Wants It - Monica

 21 Rosemary Lane -Barbara

Thursday - March 24

Decorating Delirium - Jennifer

Simple Stylings - Summer

Remodelando La Casa - Cristina

Life Love Larson - Andrea

Our Fifth House -Carmel

No Minimalist Here - Sherry

Friday - March 25

Dimples & Tangles -Jennifer

 Refresh Restyle - Debbie

Far Above Rubies -Anita

Talk Of The House - Kelly

Tidbits & Twine -Kim

 It All Started With Paint - Linda

It's Only Paint!

Hi guys, hope you had a wonderful weekend!
I decided to start a new project, because I have a to-do list longer than my arm, and
 after waffling for two years about painting my dining room - today is the day it must
be done!
For as long as I can remember I've loved the fresh green color
 Chartreuse, Citron, Moss, Fern, Lime, Olive, Pea.  
I've used it here and there on pillows and the seats in my dining room, but I've
always wanted a big, bold dose.  
I was SO excited and couldn't get my samples on the wall fast enough,
 now I'm getting chicken.
With windows, french doors and a wide opening there's not a huge amount
 of wall space, and I decided against the neon hue, so it won't be shockingly bright!
But, it's not exactly your everyday neutral. :)

The color I chose is Behr's Riesling Grape, on top and the larger sample on the left below,
because it was a bit more muted.

My super sweet friend offered to help paint AND re-paint if I didn't like it!
I'm going to take her up on it and knock it - give us a day and keep your fingers crossed
it doesn't look like you're walking into a moss covered jungle. :)  

Inspired by Williams Sonoma Home

One of my favorite catalogs for inspiration is Williams Sonoma Home. I didn't even
realize they had a catalog until a friend mentioned it a couple years ago. If you'd like
to request to be on their mailing list I've made it easy for you, just go here.

I love the symmetry in this room, and would have thought of the chairs, tables, and even
lamps. But, two sets of matching pillows and the garden stools - I would have thought
that's just two too many...but it looks fabulous, and especially against those vibrant walls! 

This happy explosion of layered colors is fun and fresh, yet looks timeless.  

Gorgeous rich neutrals. Did you notice all of the same pieces as in the first photo? The side
 & coffee tables, chairs (different colorway) and garden stool take on a totally different look.

 The unique spacing (actually, no spacing!) of the photos in this gallery wall caught my attention.

Casual, comfortable and collected with a great mix of styles and patterns.

 A library in the dining room and the perfect pair of drum pendants....sigh.

I've always brought home souvenirs when we travel, but this makes me think I need to up

 my game. :)   

 I've been conditioned to raise an eyebrow at light golden wood tones, you too? Next time I
 start to question them I'll keep an open mind. Beautiful neutrals against crisp chalky white walls!

 Hope you found some inspiring ideas!

My Five Favorites - Decorating for Spring

Happy March friends!

 This month My Five Favorites is focusing on Decorating for Spring.

 I've definitely got a case of Spring Fever, we've had gorgeous weather flirting with the 70s,

 and it has me in the mood to add a few fresh touches.

 My pals and our special guest are also sharing their favorites. 

Kris @ Driven by Decor

Lisa @ Shine Your Light

Jennifer @ Dimples & Tangles

We're excited to have Sherry Hart @ Design Indulgence joining us as our guest this month.

She's as hilarious as she is talented, and her blog posts are likely to elicit oohs and ahhs, as

 well as, coffee spit on your keyboard. :) She has quite the reputation for putting together

 amazing neutrals, I still swoon every time I see her fabulous dining room!   

Sherry Hart - Design Indulgence

 #1

Wheat Grass

It's not just for Easter! Although I do plant it every year for our Easter table, I love

using it just as much to add a dose of freshness and texture to our home throughout

 the early spring. You can read the easy wheat grass planting instructions here.

   

#2

Bright Books

I go through my books and pull out some with bright covers to give my

vignettes some pizazz.    

One Room Challenge - Another Craigslist Bedroom

#3

Simple Solid Pillow

 For the perfect pop of color and super budget friendly. 

Zippered pillow covers are available at IKEA in a several colors from $4 - 8 here.  

#4

Spring Blossoms

No commentary necessary ~ other than I wish they lasted longer! 

#5

UN-decorate

I love a clean, edited space and spring is the ideal time to pack away decor, 

delight in not having to dust and clean it, open the windows and enjoy the freshness

of the season.      

One Room Challenge - Kitchen Reveal 

Happy Spring Decorating!

 Don't miss these ladies' My Five Favorites:  

 Kris @ Driven by Decor

Lisa @ Shine Your Light

Jennifer @ Dimples & Tangles

Sherry @ Design Indulgence

You might like these previous Five Favorites too:

My Five Favorites - Paint 

My Five Favorites - Quick & Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas

My Five Favorites - Home Organizing Tips

My Five Favorites - Decorative Accessories