TGIF - The Gems I Found

Enjoy the weekend friends,

we're only getting 5" of snow this weekend! :)

Less talk, more action ~ great inspiration to participate in life! 

Love this swing tassel tank from Old Navy for $27

A classic ~ Cafe Stripe 9' Umbrella $59

IKEA Solar Powered Pendant Lamps get an A+ for ambiance.

Cinco de Mayo, friends, margaritas,
my favorite Fish tacos w/Chipotle Cream and Grilled Corn with Spicy Butter & Lime
Muy Bien!



Inspired by the simplicity and symmetry of Emily's pretty porch.

One Room Challenge - Week 4 - Craigslist Scores!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by to check in on Week 4 of the ORC!

It's crunch time, and there is still a boatload of shopping on our list for my client's

Great Room. I'm keeping this short and sweet and going to bed so I can be up with

 the chickens and at it.    

If you'd like to catch up:

Week 1 - The Plan
Week 2 - Fabrics & Fireplace Tile, Mirror & Sconces

Week 3 - Sofas & a Stool

The Craigslist Gods smiled upon us! :) 

 I was on the hunt for some sort of console to place behind the sofa. 

In my Craigslist search I came across this pretty piece on the left, I thought we could

take it up a notch by painting the diamond shape wood detail gold to look like

metal. When my client went to pick it up she texted this photo saying

she LOVED this secretary they were selling, and would be willing to sell her existing one

 to replace with this. Unfortunately, the seller thought it was a VERY valuable antique and

 she left with just the console. :(

It took several days of negotiating but he finally came around and we couldn't

be happier, it's gorgeous!   

Here's a peek at our console with the detail highlighted in gold. 

Rub 'n Buff is your BFF!  

And, we scored this fabulous, comfy, tufted leather chair. It has that timeless

character we were looking for to achieve a collected style. 

We've been searching for the just-right side table or garden stool and need to make a 

decision.     

The secretary will fit perfectly in the space to the left of the fireplace,

 and leather chair to the right. 

 We decided on our rug and have our fingers crossed it will be here in time,

we cut it close! These were our top three, all from World Market,

 do you have a favorite?   

 This week we'll be focusing on drapes, a media piece and artwork. 

You can check out my previous One Room Challenge Reveals:

Spring 2015 - Another Craigslist Bedroom - Featured Designer

Fall 2014 - Craigslist Bedroom - Participant

Spring 2014 - My Kitchen - Featured Designer

Fall 2013 - My Master Bedroom - Featured Designer

Spring 2013 - My Bathroom - Featured Designer

Are you following along with all the other ORC participants' projects, such a crazy

 amount of inspiration from lots of favorite bloggers and former ORC designers!

 You can check it out at Linda's @ Calling It Home.

And the 20 featured designers are knocking it out of the park!

Check them out here.

TGIF ~ The Gems I Found

Happy Friday friends, enjoy these gems! 

Stephanie Kraus Designs fabulous Kitchen Before & After

What's Ur Home Story gave these bar stools a new life.

Brooke @ Velvet & Linen shares the varieties of roses throughout Patina Farm.

Telluride Place Setting  - geometric in black and with subtle touches of gold.


Yum! Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt Almonds here

Seleta shared 'How Stylish Notes Make You Smarter.'


This week's favorite vignette...

One Kings Lane - Heidi Merrick


Have the BEST weekend! 

One Room Challenge - Week 3 - Sofas, Sconces and a Stool

Hi friends, we're at the half way point in our One Room Challenge and
although it feels like we're on track and knocking things out, our shopping list is still long!
  If you're new here, I'm working on my client's Great Room in their
new home. We started with a blank slate, you can catch up with previous weeks:  

Week 1 - The Plan

Week 2 - Fabrics & Fireplace Tile, Mirror & Sconces

Fireplace, hearth and sconces are complete.
I can't wait to get our ornate gold mirror up there and style it up.

If you're a regular you know I love thrifting and the thrill of the hunt.
I was on a mission to find some artwork, but a foot stool or ottoman was also on my
 list and look what I spied! :) 

Not at all what I was expecting, but perfectly unique!
It's tiny, but packs a punch after I reupholstered in classic Ralph Lauren zebra print.

(I was trying it out in my living room before delivering it to my client's home, dangerous!)

It will coordinate with this special chair that's been in the family for years.
The next time you see it it will be a timeless statement piece with new cushions and a
 makeover in the same zebra print.  

Another super easy DIY this week.
My client had a round marble top table, the size is perfect at the corner of the two
sofas and we loved the round shape, the marble not so much! We decided to paint the
 table and turn the top over, painting the bottom side, in case anyone ever did like the marble.
I used my favorite products to give us a glossy lacquer like finish.
 A quality Purdy brush and roller, and oil based Rustoleum Protective Enamel.
(Thank you Purdy for the nice surprise delivery!)

I love traditional style pieces painted in high gloss for a youthful look. 

Two coats down, one to go.  

We made a decision on our pair of gray sofas!!
Super comfy, and a kid and pet friendly color that they won't have to fret over, won out.
Of course, we'll ditch those matchy pillows for something more unique. :)

 


That's it for this week!
 Next week, Craigslist furniture shopping and rug shopping is on the agenda.

 Are you following along with all the other ORC participants' projects, such a crazy

 amount of inspiration from lots of favorite bloggers and former ORC designers!

 You can check it out at Linda's @ Calling It Home.

DIY African Mud Coth Pillow

We survived a big spring snow storm over the weekend, you can check out my girl Rio,
and our yard and buried in the snow on Instagram. I don't mind it at all, it's so beautiful,
 already melting, and we're headed for balmy high 70s by the weekend!
   I feel a little silly giving you instructions because this DIY Mud Cloth pillow is super
 simple. You truly can't make a mistake! 

I googled 'African Mud Cloth' Images for pattern inspiration and combined several

designs I liked. You'll find some are more simplistic and sparse than others,
 I preferred the more detailed patterns. 

I started out with black fabric, but didn't find a pen that gave me crisp white

lines, they seemed to fade out against the black. In order to get the darker

color for my pillow I went with more pattern to cover the light background. 

 Supplies:

1/2 yard fabric - I used a heavy cotton twill

16 x 26 Ikea feather insert for lumbar here - $6.99

4 - 4" Tassels from Hobby Lobby similar - $3.99/pkg of 2 ($2.50 with coupon)

Sharpie Permanent Marker Black - Fine Point

Scissors

Ruler

Measure and cut fabric to desired pillow size:

Practice:

Play around with different patterns from your inspiration designs.
Mix and match your favorite combinations to get a feel for what you like, and how
the Sharpie marker writes on the fabric.  

Have fun drawing:

A hand drawn technique is what you're going for. Throw perfection out the window
and start doodling with a tribal vibe. You don't want anything fancy, or curly swirly.  
You can see how imperfect mine is, but when you see the overall pattern on the pillow
it's not noticeable. 

Sew together and add tassels:  
I'm assuming you're familiar with sewing the pillow together, but if not there are a
multitude of easy tutorials on Pinterest, including new sew, envelope style, zipper, etc.
under DIY Pillow Covers.
I sewed a tassel at each corner for an extra detail.  

It's a fun print that easily coordinates with other patterns, too.  
That's it friends, have fun doodling! 

One Room Challenge - Week 2 - Fabrics & Craigslist

Hi friends, welcome to ORC Week 2, dang these weeks fly by!

Thanks so much for your excitement and encouragement for our Great Room project

 last week! I'm so excited to share our fabric choices today and give you a better feel

 for our eclectic mix! I was thrilled that my client was on board for a not-so-typical

 color combination.

 As I mentioned in Week 1, we'll be using two gray sofas, we chose pretty, bright

pops of fuchsia, and bold pattern with high contrast to give the room some pizazz.   

Here's a peek at our fabric choices for the first floor of their home,

I thought you'd like to see all of them. :)  

The Great Room choices are the three at Top Center and two at Top Right.  

My favorite paint color, that I've used in three other One Room Challenge rooms, 

 Benjamin Moore - Simply White is the choice once again.

 It's always just so perfect, I can't quit it!   

We chose a marble basket weave tile for the fireplace surround, and were so excited to

 see progress, only to notice the floor tiles they installed weren't correct, they should be

honed black marble. 

Our first Craigslist score was this ornate gold mirror for above the fireplace! Woo hoo! 

These 34" Savoy House sconces will flank the mirror.  

Remember our inspiration pic, our mirror and sconces are both larger in scale. 

This week we're finalizing our decision for the gray sofas, doing two simple DIYs,

and scouring Craigslist for a sofa table.  

Are you following along with all the other ORC participants' projects, such a crazy

 amount of inspiration from lots of favorite bloggers and former ORC designers!

 You can check it out at Linda's @ Calling It Home. 

TGIF - The Gems I Found

Happy Friday friends!
Some of you may be getting TGIF on Saturday, we had no Internet for 36 hours.
After troubleshooting on the phone for an hour with no luck I knew the dreaded,
"We'll have to send someone from our technical team out." was next.
I was, oh so happy to have been offered the 7am slot! Seriously.
It's amazing how a simple Internet connection can put a bounce in your step! :)

Apt Envy
An inspiring story of how a woman reinvented her home (Craigslist played a big part)
 and life, and lost 45 lbs after divorce. Did you recognize the Ikea Billy bookcases flanking
 the fireplace?  
 

(Please share source if known) 
I'm itching to start planting and love walking out my back door and clipping fresh herbs.
Here's a perfect list of what to plant how to grow it.  
11 Essential Herbs for your Edible Garden

When my gorgeous mature friend (that looks 29) shared her favorite skin care products 

I couldn't click over fast enough.   

Stella and Dot
 Perfect for traveling - this lightweight convertible sarong goes from swimsuit cover up
 to infinity scarf.

I'd consider myself a pro when it comes to shopping at HomeGoods & TJ Maxx, :)
 but I learned a few new tricks from
19 Freaking Amazing Ways to Save at TJ Maxx 

My favorite vignette of the week by Elizabeth at Little Black Door
You can find her on Instagram @littleblackdoor 

Here's to a great weekend!

One Room Challenge - Week 1 - The Great Room

Thanks so much for stopping by to follow along with another One Room Challenge!
 And, a huge thank you to Linda @ Calling It Home for organizing this fabulous event
 for our blogging community!
Nothing like deciding to jump on board last minute, I had planned to sit out this round
 and cheer on my pals from the sidelines. 

In keeping with my personality I changed my mind!    

I've been working with a client on the design for their newly built home and hadn't considered
participating until another client (last ORC Bedroom Reveal) mentioned it. I'd always
 associated the ORC with more of a makeover and a boatload of DIY projects
 (see my previous ORCs below!).
Well, we're starting with a beautiful clean slate that doesn't require any of that, and
 although I know many do it, I feel kind of guilty (I'm sure I'll get over it!).
I promise I'll have some sort of DIYs so I don't feel like a slacker!

Ebanista

I'll be sharing my client's Great Room, we're creating a cozy, comfortable space for
their family of four and golden doodle to lounge, watch tv, read, and hang out together.  
Their stylish mom loves glam, pops of color and zebra.
We'll be refreshing some furniture they own, purchasing a few beautiful statement
 pieces, and of course, using unique Craigslist finds. :)  Fingers crossed! 

  The Plan:

collected, timeless, mix of styles
white walls
white drapes
neutral with pops of color
ornate gold mirror over mantle
statement sconces
pair of gray sofas
zebra
leather
rustic media console

   Inspiration Rooms:

The Design Co.

 Designers - Lucas Studios

Before:  

Unfortunately, I didn't plan on the ORC and didn't take photos of blank white walls, so this
 is it for now. Envision big blank wall to left, and windows to right....sorry, I'll have some soon!


I did take a photo of their stunning staircase. :)

We'll be using this secretary, previously in their son's bedroom.

This antique marble coffee table will work its way into the plan.

As will this fun chair.

That's it for this week friends,

next week I'll be sharing our fabric plan and our first Craigslist find!

You can follow on Instagram for the latest up to date progress.

If you'd like to check out my previous One Room Challenge Rooms:

Spring 2015 - Another Craigslist Bedroom 

Fall 2014 - Craigslist Bedroom  

Spring 2014 - My Kitchen

Fall 2013 - My Master Bedroom

Spring 2013 - My Bathroom 

 Be sure to stop by Linda's @ Calling it Home and check out all the ORC participants!