Ramblings of a mother, decorator, and DIY'er...

MY WEEKEND IN A FLASH

2012-01-30T08:45:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was very laid back for me. For the past few days, my voice was on vacation. I sound horrible. I did manage to do a few things like… Go thrifting (for clothes of course!)

(Neon green top $1.65)

(pink and navy blazer $5.95)

(Turquoise sweater $2.29)

(I thought it would be cute paired with yellow shoes!)

(Cardigan $4.29, navy and brown belt $0.99, clutch $1.99)

I’ll admit it, I’m a little obsessed with finding clothes at the thrift store. I’m trying to only go once a week now. Last week I managed to buy 2 bags of clothes plus at least 10 belts and 2 purses and a jacket for $47. I think I’m going to do a post or something on the accessories I find. The best part about finding purses and belts while thrifting is that you don’t have to worry about anyone else having them!

Oh and don’t worry, I am doing a little something around the house

I spent some of Saturday watching paint dry. trying to find the perfect blue for my family room. This blue may be better for furniture. So I’m headed out today for another sample pot.

Have you used blue in your homes living area? It proves to be a hard color to get right for me unless it’s a darker shade.

AND THE WINNER IS….

2012-01-25T07:43:00.001-05:00

Sing! Who wants the Casablanca Trellis.

ROYAL DESIGN STUDIO STENCIL GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-23T08:56:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday!!! I’m not sure how it is in your neck of the woods, but her in Atlanta is cold, wet, and dreary outside. I figured I would start the week off with a giveaway!

I was contacted a while back by Royal Design Studio to review one of their fabulous stencils! I chose the Large Hollywood Squares and I must say that I am very pleased with the product!

I originally planned to use the stencil in the powder room, but then I realized that I had never stenciled anything before and was a little intimidated. So one night, I had a dream about stenciling three “panels” on my dining room wall to frame out some pictures. But again, I chickened out! Even though I’ve seen stenciling everywhere, I still felt uncomfortable taking on the project. Just when I was about to throw in the towel, I figured I would start even smaller and still carry out part of my last idea.

Now that the tree is finally out of my living room, I wanted to do a little something in there just to add some pizazz

I decided to stencil a part of the wall above the french dresser

How lonely does that tray look? Anyway, I thought stenciling a portion of the wall would make the area a little more interesting. So after measuring and taping off the area I wanted stenciled (with my ScotchBlue painters tape!), I got busy with the stencil

The directions were pretty straight to the point. Use a little paint, roll off excess paint on a paper towel, take your time.

(these are the supplies I used: towel, small amounts of paint, roller)

(first roll. Notice the small amount of paint on the wall?)

Going over the the stencil several times with light coats of paint will give you the perfect outcome

BUT, if you’re impatient like me, then you will start to think you can add more paint to your roller and everything will be fine. Notice the imperfections on the left side of the stenciled wall?

In the end, the stencil turned out great! Now I need to figure out if I’m going to frame it or not. If you haven’t noticed, I’m trying to set up a little bar area on the dresser. More on that later

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!

Royal Design Studio is offering one of my readers a chance to win their very own stencil!!!

HERE’S THE SCOOP:

Go to Royal Design Studio and find a stencil that you love for $50 or less and come back and leave a comment letting me know which one you want. That’s it!

The winner of the Stencil will be announced on Wednesday Morning January 25th!

Good Luck!

Disclaimer: Royal Design Studio sent me their Hollywood Squares stencil free of charge for my review. The fact that I love their stencil has nothing to do with it being free, but simply because it’s a great product!

FYI, I BET YOU WOULD HAVE GRABBED THESE!

2012-01-20T17:11:00.001-05:00

These chairs were $80 for all 10. OR, you could buy them separately at $8 each.

I left them.

Yes. Yes I did.

(I think I lost some cool points today)

Hope your Friday is better than mine.

MY FIRST VLOG!!!

2012-01-17T14:10:00.001-05:00

Ok guys, this is my first vlog (YouTube video)!! Please be gentle with the feedback, but please tell me how I could make it better. Enjoy!

The video was too long for YouTube so here is the last part!

IF I WERE TO START VLOGGING, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO HEAR ME TALK ABOUT?

2012-01-16T12:16:00.001-05:00

Lately I’ve been going back and forth on if I should start doing video blogs and posting them here. I’ve seen several other bloggers do it and I actually enjoy listening to them and seeing what it is that they are talking about for that particular video.

Do you subscribe to YouTube channels? What are your favorites? AND, what would you like to hear more of that aren’t that popular on YouTube?

Here are a few of my favorite subjects:

FASHION

THRIFT STORE HAULS (clothing and accessories)

Mini sequent dress for $5.00. This would be so cute for a New Years eve party!

Coach bag $6.99 another one of my scores!

FURNITURE MAKEOVERS

THRIFT STORE HAULS (home accessories)

NATURAL HAIR CARE

BEAUTY

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH EARRINGS!

So, would you be interested in me vlogging? If so, about what?!

LAZY OR BUSY: CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT, BUT MY TREE IS STILL STANDING!

2012-01-16T11:23:00.001-05:00

Is it sad that my tree is still standing in my living room?

And my dining table looks like this

And my husband took down the wreath and sat it by the door.

I don’t know what my problem is lately, but I haven’t had the energy or interest in doing anything to my home. But I did get dressed and headed out this past weekend to celebrate my husbands birthday! Check out what I wore here! I also did a little thrifting and purchased a few clothing pieces and handbags including another Coach bag! I’ll share all of that with later

THIS IS TOTALLY ME!!!

2012-01-13T08:52:00.001-05:00

I swear this how my life is! If you don’t get a good laugh from this, I’ll be over to check your pulse

Happy Weekend guys!

MY WEEKEND IN A FLASH

2012-01-09T08:40:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday! Just popping in to share a few snapshots of my weekend

I have gotten hooked on going to thrift stores and finding fabulous clothing pieces. This pink Lord and Taylor blazer was a total score for $4.29. It’s a wool/cashmere blend and it’s perfect with my grey skinnies!

I’m in the middle of putting together a list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30 and wearing red lipstick in one of them! I wanted to start small, so I purchased some red Revlon lip gloss. The color is called “Fire” and it was just what I needed to give me the confidence to go forth with finding the right shade of red lipstick. Next stop, the MAC counter!

I love pops of red in the winter time. And this red “MJ” inspired jacket from Ashley Stewart was the perfect addition to this blue and black ensemble.

Vintage COACH anyone?! Ever since I found out COACH brought back their classic bags, I’ve been on the hunt for one of the originals. Lucky me because I found one at thrift store for $15.99!

I spent Friday night wondering why I never wore these shoes… I’ll fix that this upcoming weekend

I’ve been going back and forth on cutting my hair again. I love my curls, but I also loved my shaved head… This weekend, I almost pulled out the clippers. But for some reason, I can’t do it. Maybe for the spring.

Lastly, I attended my sis inlaws surprise birthday party Saturday night… It was a great night and a much needed kid free outing for my hubby and I. Below is one of my favorite photos of the two of us from the party! I him!

That’s my weekend in a flash, how was yours?!

So, its 2012…Now what?

2012-01-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

Alright alright alright!!! The kids are in school, and its time to get back into the swing of things. Its finally 2012, what does that mean for me and this blog?

Home to Three Duncan Boys has been great to me in the nearly 3 years I’ve been writing it. For a while I’ve been considering quitting the blog because things are a little different in my life now. Hell, I’m just different in general! But then I realized, I have built quite the community here. I have been feeling like I’m limited with what I can talk about on this site, though. So with much thought I’ve started another blog (insert gasp here!). My other blog, which is titled I AM THAT GIRL, is more of a lifestyle blog.

There, I will talk about a lot more than just design. Because this blog was created to be a “home” blog, I didn’t feel comfortable doing that over here. I also pondered if I should move my Google connect followers (you guys) to that blog and just do away with this one, but then I figured that if any of you wanted to follow me on that blog, you would do so on your own. For now (because I am terrified of change), I will continue to post on this blog as well as I AM THAT GIRL. But, I seriously feel like because the other blog will represent me more, this blog will eventually get the short end of the stick. My other blog will consist of my DIY and home updates, but I will also share some of my outfits/fashion when I’m headed out, some of my must haves, etc.. Basically, it will be the journal of L.Duncan! So if you’ve always wanted to know what I’m really like, oh trust me, you will definitely find out over there!

Moving on to what’s coming up over here… I have a few DIY projects coming up. I need to finish the powder room I started before Christmas

I also need to add some color to my kitchen.. I’m very happy with the paint color for the cabinets, but as you guys mentioned before, it needs a little dose of happy!

(my refrigerator no longer says that. It now says 0 days til Christmas, lol!)

And I have a family room that needs some furniture in it badly!

For starters, I’m thinking this piece would be perfect

2012 is here and that means it’s time to get down to business! Let’s GO people!

What does 2012 mean for you?!

LOOKING BACK AT 2011 AND AHEAD AT 2012

2011-12-30T09:03:00.001-05:00

Well good morning to ya! Can you believe its been over a week since my last post? I decided to take a little break because my boys were out of school and I wanted to focus on them and just relax and enjoy the holidays. I hope all of you had a blast!

2011 has been really great to me as far as the blog is concerned. First up, I got to be a part of the team of House of Fifty!

Then I was asked to makeover a room at a shelter here in Atlanta for the organization Room Service Atlanta (created by Erika and Dayka)

Before

After

With that project, I never would have been able to pull it off without all of you (Seriously!!). From the support financially, to all of your comments cheering me on, I want to Thank You again for your help!

I started on my bedroom (yawn…again…yawn)

I think this room is finished. Seriously, how can it not be??? Anyway, moving on!

I flew out to New York for Blogfest 2011 and had an AMAZING TIME!!!

My boys rooms were featured in our local newspaper!

I attended a “meeting with Coke” and met some really cool ladies!

I cut my hair!!!

Let me pause for a minute and say that this haircut is my absolute favorite!!! I have never felt so good! I’m currently growing my hair, but I think I’m going to cut it again for the summer

Oprah came to town and I had a chance to meet…errr, see her!

Actually, I saw more than just her!

I painted my kitchen cabinets (again!) and my refrigerator (with chalkboard paint!)

AND….. I used Annie Sloan’s chalk paint for the first time

2011 really was a great year for me! I did all of that and was able to share it with all of you. Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by and read about what’s going on in my little part of the world!

For 2012, I’ve been thinking of a lot about things that I want to do. When I started this blog almost three years ago, it was basically to have an outlet of sorts because I was (in my mind) JUST a stay at home mom. Since then, I’ve grown and I’m more appreciative of where I am in life and for my life in general. I can’t explain to you exactly what I mean in this post, but I will soon. For 2012, I’m not making any “resolutions”. I’ve noticed towards the end of 2011 that I’ve been breaking out of the shell that I (along with others) put me in. I guess you can call it coming into my own? Well, that’s going to play a major role in 2012 for me. Again, I really can’t explain it right now, but hopefully you’ll be here to see it all happen

If you look closely at the above two pictures of me, you’ll see that those are two totally different people. One is who I created over time. She is the proper version of me who did everything “right” or to everyone else’s standards. The other picture is of the person inside of me that just couldn’t bring herself to come to the surface because of the fear of what everyone else may think. She is fearless, fun, and sexy! She loves fashion. She loves traveling. She loves taking risks. She loves good food and great friends! She is a rock star in her own right, and she is ready to be set free!

I hope you all have a fabulous New Year and I hope to see you back here soon!

HALCYON GREEN 6213

2011-12-19T21:01:00.001-05:00

I may not have the chance to post tomorrow, but I wanted to let you all know the color of the bathroom walls. The powder room is painted Halcyon green by Sherwin Williams.

These pictures definitely aren’t the best, but they are close to what’s in there!

By the way, I need a rug for my kitchen… I think something with green in it? Or maybe blue? What are your thoughts?!

THE FOOD WAS GREAT. THE COMPANY WAS EVEN BETTER!

2011-12-19T08:13:00.001-05:00

On Saturday I popped in to let you guys know that I’ve been busy preparing for a small gathering at my home. Saturday came and went and I must say that I had the greatest time hanging with my friends! We’re usually so busy that its rare that were are all together.

Everything was perfect. The food was great, but the company was even better!

I think the sangria made me tell everyone to pose for a picture! We look so cheesy

What did you do over the weekend?!

LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY PARTY!

2011-12-17T14:40:00.001-05:00

Hey. I’m still alive! Last week I decided to host a holiday party (which is TONIGHT!). The party is not going to consist of many people (about 12 adults including me and my husband), so the menu is short and sweet!

Meatballs

Shrimp

A variety of wings

Roasted green beans

Mac and Cheese

Roasted potatoes

Stuffed mushrooms

(via)

There will also be several desserts

(via)

And a little something to drink

Cranberry Pomegranate Sangria!

(via)

And of course it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t have to do a project the night before the party!

Remember my powder room that I started on?

I finished painting it last night! Here’s a sneak peek

What you see on the walls in the powder room are shadows from the light fixture. I changed out the glass globes from the opaque ones that came with it to clear that I found at Goodwill.

I’m going to try and snap as many pictures as I can before and during the party. I’ll share them on Monday!

Happy Weekend!!!

IS THIS NOT WHAT YOU SEE???

2011-12-14T21:34:00.001-05:00

The other day I mentioned that I was redoing my blog. Because I am working on it myself, I’m sure that it does not look too professional. One thing that I have heard is that the fonts on are large. I am looking for someone to design a real header for me so bare with me on that. I was over to my sisters house earlier and when I saw my blog on her laptop I was so shocked… It looked terrible!

Is this not what you see?

I am very curious as to what it is that you guys see because on my computer everything looks fine. I guess I’ll go play around with it some more

Still sprucing (the kitchen!)

2011-12-12T12:53:00.004-05:00

Christmas is creeping up so it's crunch time to make sure all of the shopping is done and the house it tidy before the boys are out of school for winter break (starting Friday...eeek!). I'm currently adding a little Christmas cheer to the kitchen. Just a few touches here and there. Hopefully I can post my Christmas house tour tonight. We'll see.... Tomorrow may be better as far as quality photos are concerned!

How much do you have to do?

SPRUCING UP THE BLOG

2011-12-08T07:30:00.003-05:00

Hi guys! I'm alive and well over here. I have a million things to do around here and I was recovering from yet another cold (well, me and my 3yo). Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and ask your opinon on the new look of the blog? For a while I've been wanting to revamp it and make it seem not so "motherly"! I also wanted it to be clean and crisp and easy on the eyes. I have a few things to do before it's completely done.

Also, the address is still http://www.home23duncanboys.com/ but the name of the blog has changed. So you may notice that in your reader or email. Its now Ramblings of a mother, decorator, and DIY'er. That may change too since it was something I came up with on a whim.

The best way to know that your blog is nice and reader friendly is to ask the people who read the blog what it need and what they would like to see. So.... What else do I need (besides a nice header!)? What did I take away that you liked? Can you even see this post?! Ok, I was being funny with the last one:)

Thanks for your help! I'll be back soon with regular posts.

CHRISTMAS TABLE

2011-12-05T10:13:00.003-05:00

Hi guys! Today I wanted to drop in and show you my table decorated for Christmas. I couldn’t get a really good picture ( I never can), so you are really going to have to trust me when I say it looks pretty good!

Remember when I told you I had a chandelier to hang that I found at Goodwill? There it is (more on that later!)

My most favorite thing on this table has to be my bread board! I ordered it from Diana over at Our Vintage Home Love. I can’t wait to place my muffins on top of it for Christmas breakfast.

Well, that’s about it for now. I need to finish doing some cleaning around the house and start on my powder room “secret” project.

I hope you like the table. If you think its not all that, I would love to have you over for dinner to change your mind. We’re having pot roast tonight

Catch you later!

I’m not a photographer, but…..

2011-12-04T00:02:00.001-05:00

Today was just too nice of a day for me to NOT take a few pics of the boys!

I see a new header in my future! Just when I was going to try to revamp this blog so it won’t seem like a “mommy blog”, I saw this picture and knew it would be perfect!

Those are my babies

MY HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (sneak peek!)

2011-11-30T11:12:00.003-05:00

Hi guys! I just wanted to pop in and show you a few snippets of my home as I slowly but surely decorate it for the holidays

Here are a few snapshots of my living room

Here a few snippets of my dining table

(the tarnished silverware is only for decoration!)

Well, that’s it! I have a few more things to do and I’ll show you everything

Have you started decorating for the holidays?!

Join me as I link up over at A Thoughtful Place!

And the Inspired room!

I CHEATED AND I WON!

2011-11-29T09:25:00.001-05:00

Well hello out there! How’s Tuesday morning treating you? I hope its better than Monday morning because we all know that Monday morning is the worse with it being the start of the week and all

Last night, I wrangled in the big Christmas tree from the garage. Well lets back up, I guess if my husband brought it in and I stood there and watched with a I DON’T WANT THIS TREE IN MY HOUSE look on my face, I really didn’t do much huh? Anyway that’s not the point. The point is I didn’t want the tree in because:

a) it’s too big for my living room.

b) I have to rearrange the entire space to make it fit.

c) it’s too big for my living room.

After he brought it in, I stood there and looked at the box for a while (wishing and hoping it would suddenly decrease in size) and then began to just go with it and put it together.

With artificial trees, there are like 3 or 4 parts that you must put together to build the tree. Well…… Here is where I cheated. Instead of using all of the pieces that came with the tree, I left out a section. Cheating? Yes. Winning? ABSOFREAKINLUTELY!

My living room still had to be rearranged to accommodate the tree, but at least I don’t have to use a step ladder to decorate the tree. Oh and use all of those ornaments…

(the tree is kinda fat at the bottom, but whatever!)

I thought it was so cool to have a huge tree, but this year I would have preferred this

(Country Living)

No worries. I have a mini tree (2 to be exact!)

So there you have it, I cheated and won! Now I just have to finish decorating the tree and put the room back together!

If you have a chance, please stop by and check out Vicki’s blog. She featured me in her Coast to Coast series today!

BECAUSE I’M A “SHOPPING NINJA”!

2011-11-28T10:04:00.001-05:00

From Thursday night up until last night, I was a busy woman! Thursday we went to my husbands aunts house for Thanksgiving dinner. After a few hours there and knowing my brother and sister in law had been in line at Best Buy and Target all day, I was ready to head home so I too could join in the BF craziness!

On the ride home I got a little excited about everything that I wanted to purchase

Old Navy scarves for $1.00?

$15 Kohls cash?

3 wheel scooter for my munchkin?

The amount of money I really have Vs. what my husband think I have?

After changing into my BF attire, I headed out. Walmart was my first stop and it was a disappointment

Seriously, before the sale even started everything was gone I wanted to kick someone. But I did manage to get the boys pj’s that I buy during BF every year.

Then after making it through the crazy parking lot to my car, I headed over to Kohls and got in line while my mom was at Old Navy in line

I did manage to get everything I wanted/needed. We were out from 9:30 until 7:30am the next morning! I tell ya, if you haven’t been black friday shopping before, you really should. It is so much fun (and funny too!).

I was crazy busy this weekend. Later Friday, I met up with my brother and sis in law and took the boys to Dave and Busters

We wore them out, I tell ya

I also hosted a sleepover for my oldest son who turned 7 last week

The party had a “super hero” theme, so my husband and I were Super Parents!

IT WAS CRAZY over here!

Then yesterday, I attended my friends birthday party

Yes, she is a diva! But she is a smart diva at that. While there, she told me that she applied to Harvard for her PhD!!! She will definitely get in. I’m so proud of her!

Oh, and she also gave out the cutest little favors… cupcakes in a jar

So after a weekend like that, you would think that I would be tired, right? Nope! I can’t stop thinking about this pillow so I’m running out to get it.

THEN, I am going to start decorating for Christmas!!!!! I just love this time of year!

So, what did you do this weekend?!?!

BLACK FRIDAY TIPS

2011-11-23T12:35:00.001-05:00

Hi guys! I’m in the middle of cleaning and cooking (I have collard green duty), but I wanted to pop in and and repost my tips for Black Friday shopping. The stores are opening up EXTRA early this year which has really dampened my spirit when it comes to this special shopping day for me. But I am planning to go out, just not super early on Thanksgiving Day. I hope these tips help you with your shopping tomorrow night/Friday morning!

The day that you guys have all been waiting for is finally near! No, not Thanksgiving, but the day after…Black Friday!

Yes! My favorite day! Why? Because I get to shop without my husband asking me what I need! For some odd reason, he NEVER questions my reasons for going out at 4:00am to shop!

Because I know many of you will be out Friday morning, and that for a few of you this will be your first time out, I decided to share a few tips with you. Hopefully I can help you make the most of your shopping adventure!

KNOW THE SALES

Find out all the stores that are participating in Black Friday. From there, find the stores that offer the best deals on the items you need and also find the store that offers the second best prices!

PLAN YOUR TRIP

I have a mall literally 10 minutes away from me. And surrounding that mall I have Target, Best Buy, Toys R Us, and Sams Club. I also have a Wal-mart close by, but in a different direction than where majority of the stores are. This problem is where my next tip come into play…

GET FRIENDS AND FAMILY INVOLVED

Okay, so you have to go to Target for a TV, but you need a laptop from Wal-mart. Have your friend or family member go into the other store while you are in Target. Or how about this, you don’t really need any of the major items from a particular store, but you do want a few of their stocking stuffers, the same plan works for that too!

HAVE YOUR LIST READY

There is nothing worst than waking up at 3:30am and having to make a list. Better yet, getting out of the house and not being able to find your list. Print out your shopping list and print multiples. Give one to EVERYONE you can think of just in case you do forget it, you can call that person. Oh and leave one in the car too!

CASH OR CREDIT?

My advice for this question…CASH! Or, better yet, DEBIT! Okay, I know that some credit cards have rewards with them and that’s fine. For example, with my Target card, I can get 10% off with the coupon I received the other day plus an additional 5% off for using it. They also have coupons in their ad that ends today that I can combine with those discounts. Did I use the card? YES MA’AM!!! BUT, i turned around and paid it on the card. See this is what I learned (the hard way), a deal is not a deal if you’re going to pay A LOT more for the item later. It took a while, but my husband finally got through to me;-)

BE CAREFUL

Here a picture of one of my carts last year. Notice that it is still dark outside… Also, notice the guy in the background. Nothing happened with this person, but you never know who is out there watching you. I see a lot of people go out and put things in their cars and then head back inside. DO NOT DO THAT. As soon as you head inside, BAM, your car is broken into and that’s not good! If you must go back into a store, I suggest you go to your car, act like you are leaving and then park your car in a different parking spot. And try not to pack things into the car, but into the trunk.

HAVE ENOUGH ROOM

So you get to the store and realize that getting that 42” flat screen is worth it after all. Well, not if you’re packing it into a Sebring! My truck seats 8, but with the third row let down, I can still seat my Black Friday “crew” and my items! My back windows are tinted, but I do plan to take a quilt with me to cover my items…Be Careful!

HAVE FUN BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS TOMORROW!

I always have fun! Even when I don’t get a particular item that I had my mind set on. Shopping on Black Friday is really fun, but don’t forget that the sale continues on Saturday! So if you oversleep Friday, set your alarm for Saturday!

I hope that these tips are helpful when you get out Friday! I wonder if I’m missing anything…Do any of you have any tips of your own to share?

P.S, I learned from Mrs.Chic that Goodwill is participating in Black Friday with everything being 50% off! They are definitely on my list!

MORE CHAIRS??? Yes, but they’re different!

2011-11-21T14:32:00.001-05:00

More chairs? The first thing my husband said when he saw these chairs in the garage. My response was yes, but they are different. Aren’t these the cutest chairs?! I love the pedestal base and the back of them.

I didn’t get the larger one (it was sold when I went back). I thought about using them in the living room, but they are on the small side so I think it would be perfect for the family room. Can you picture these being painted a pretty color with a great fabric on the seats?!?! OMG, I can’t wait to get started on them

ps, they were marked down to 11 bucks each, woohoo!

I THOUGHT I KNEW, BUT I DON’T…. HELP PLEASE!

2011-11-17T12:12:00.001-05:00

I mentioned that I already knew what pillows I wanted on my sofa in the living room. Well, turns out I don’t really know. I know what I like, but I can’t decide on which set of pillows. Tell me the option you like most

Here is the space

and here are the options

Option 1

Chiang Mai Dragon in the mocha colorway

2 brown and ivory trellis pillows

along with the two citron pillows I have on the sofa already

Option 2

2 chiang mai dragon pillows in aquamarine

Two of the Cats Cradle pillows in navy

along with the two citron pillows I have now

Option 3

Chiang mai in the alabaster colorway with navy blue backs

La Fiorentina by David Hicks in the wine and magenta colorway

As you can see, I love Schumacher's Chiang Mai Dragon. Which ever option I decide on, the fabric itself will be used on my dining chairs too. After seeing the pillows together in this post, I have an idea of which one I would want to see in the space. Lets see if you agree

Can you help me out?!?! Please!

INTERESTING QUOTE

2011-11-17T08:48:00.001-05:00

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

-George Bernard Shaw

USING WHAT YOU HAVE… {Thanksgiving tablescape}

2011-11-15T14:50:00.001-05:00

Can I just say thank you for all the love I got on my living room?! Seriously, who would have thought I would have gotten such a reaction. I think I’m gonna start decorating like this all of the time!

Today I wanted to share my Thanksgiving tablescape with you. Btw, is tablescape a word or is it something we bloggers came up with? Anywho, I already told you that I wanted my table to consist of mostly things from nature. I should have said things that humans made to look like stuff from nature because everything I used is fake, faux, whatever you want to call it!

I started with some fabric that I used last year for my Christmas table. On top of that, I used kraft paper. You know those rolls of kraft paper that you see at Lowes or Home Depot? I’ve even seen them at Target, but mine came from Lowes because I grabbed a roll for when I’m painting my furniture. Next up, I pulled out”some” of my milk glass. I have a lot. No seriously, I have A LOT!

I stuffed them with a bunch of faux foliage (stems I picked up from Target last year, some moss I had in the garage, and some plum colored plant thingy from Michaels). The plum colored plants I bought recently because they were 80% off plus I had a 25% off coupon which made them 79 cents BOOYAH!

The plates I already had which I always pull out when I’m setting the table. These plates were mentioned in one of my first posts (2 years ago!).

The green glasses are from Goodwill. I went back and forth on if I should buy them because they were priced individually. I really hate when they do that

I pulled out my pretty little napkin rings I used last year for Christmas, but then I thought about the paper I had in my craft drawer. Plum colored paper was just the perfect touch for this casual table. I cut little strips of paper, wrapped it around the napkins and tied it with twin. How easy is that?!

The pumpkins came from Hobby Lobby last year and the pinecones are a mix of the regular kind and some that I spray painted gold.

I really don’t know how to take good pictures of table settings. I ‘m going to try some more to see if I can get a few more shots that are a little better. I still have a lot to do in this tiny little space. Well, not really a lot. I have a chandelier that I picked up from GW last year that has been sitting in my garage. It’s time to hang that baby! Plus, I’m make some of those little paper wheels (is that what you call them?) to hang of the back wall. I’ll be sure to show you that.

So, what do you think?! Have you put together your Thanksgiving table?!

DETAILS OF MY LIVING ROOM

2011-11-14T22:45:00.001-05:00

I want to thank you guys for all of the comments on my living room. I really am happy with the look considering that I really did just put it together on a whim (And I was terribly tired too!). I wanted to touch on how exactly it was done. One comment that stood out to me was LindsB about how it look like it took forever to do this. If I’m right, she is saying that it looks like the room was pulled together over time.

LindsB said...

Seriously if thats using what you have, I'm coming shopping in your garage! LOVE that you just pulled this together, it looks like it took forever to do this! Rock on!

When you think about it, it really did take me forever to put this together! Just a year ago, I had none of these things. For example, the brass birdcage was found a few months ago for $5 bucks! The magazines that its sitting on? Well they are from my trip to NYC for Blogfest (I just found them buried in my closet!).

The coffee table is a purchase I made from another blogger over a year ago. I paid her $60 for it after she refinished it. I’m actually going to paint it another shade of white because this is a bright white and it kind of stands out from everything else when you look at it in person.

The paper-weight is another item that I received from Blogfest. It’s by John Derian.

The lamps are from my bedroom The brass piggy bank is a recent find from a thrift store for $1.21. The Buddha is from HomeGoods two years ago. It was originally for my bedroom, but I didn’t use it in there so to the garage it went. You’re gonna see Readers Digest books a lot in my home. I love their covers so much and you just can’t beat the price of them from GW. My sister in law was at an estate sale and purchased 12or 13 of them for me for 10 cents each! Now I have at least 50 of them!

I got the mirror from GW for $20. I am planning to use it for my powder room, but it looks so good right here that it may stay for a while! The suitcases are just three of about 15 that I have! the bottom two came together for $3.53 at GW and and the smaller one was about the same price itself.

This silver bowl with the blue inside was 50 cents at a yard sale (again over a year ago!). And again, I love my reader digest books!

The orchid is not real at all! I found it at HomeGoods earlier this year and it was $4.00 because the pot is broke. The regular price was either $14.99 or $19.99. The cranes were found jus the other day for $1.21 each! I was so excited to find them! Crazy excited really!

And last but not least, the red tray that seems to be you guys favorite! I found it at J C Penny on clearance. It was like $10 bucks. I’m thinking maybe $13 or so because I remember using one of my $10 off $10 or more coupons which made it next to nothing.

I’ve always liked rooms that look like they’ve been pulled together over time. I think people fail to realize that even in design, you don’t just snap your finger and your space is done. How I pulled my space together is a great example of when you purchase things that you love, they will work together. All of these things are different and purchased at different times, but they work so well in the space. I am happy

USING WHAT YOU HAVE (sneak peek of my living room!)

2011-11-14T12:38:00.002-05:00

Last night while I was painting the last cabinet in my kitchen, I got the urge to pull together my living room on the fly using what I have.

For the past year, my living room had been bare. Ok, who am I kidding, it has been my catch all room when I’m working on projects! So last night when I saw one of the boys riding the back of my sofa like a horse, I decided right then that I had to make better use out of my living room and I started by moving the sofa in there. After pulling pieces from different rooms and from my garage, I ended up with this

I’m so excited to finally use this coffee table! I purchased it over a year ago from Dayka and a few days later the glass broke. I went to Lowes today and had a piece of Plexiglas cut for it (I have three boys, remember?!) and I am so happy!

I mean, I still have A LOT to do to say that this room is “finished”. I need to add some pictures and art to the walls. I need more pillows and I know exactly which ones I want! With the holidays knocking at the door, I had to do something fast. Next is the dining room and then I’m going to finish the kitchen which is really really close to being done. Using what you have is a great way to decorate when you’re in a hurry and on a limited budget (and believe me, my budget is teeny weeny!)…. So, what do you think?!

Hope you’re having a fabulous Monday!

Linking up to Tuesdays treasures over at My Uncommon slice of Suburbia

CHALKBOARD PAINT MANIA

2011-11-10T08:51:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I picked up the beautifully framed piece of art

ok so maybe the art isn’t so beautiful, but the frame certainly is!

After removing the fabric and foam board that was used as the art, I popped in a piece of wood that I had cut at Lowes (the wood was like $3).

Well, this picture was taken to show you the wood inside the frame. I actually painted the wood with chalkboard paint before I really popped it in there

Here is the after

(I need to go grocery shopping…)

You should definitely try this! Go to a thrift store, find a great frame, and make a framed chalkboard…

Especially if you’re not into painting your fridge with chalkboard paint

And I must admit, WE and I do mean we, love the chalkboard fridge!!!

CAN YOUR DESIGN STYLE CHANGE?

2011-11-09T21:16:00.001-05:00

While finishing up my kitchen and thinking of my family room and other rooms in my house, I’ve noticed something. My design style has changed (insert gasp!). Now usually this wouldn’t be a big deal, and I’m pretty sure it still isn’t, but it’s a big deal for me because I mean it’s the complete opposite of what I liked just six months ago.

At one point I loved contemporary with a side of traditional. Now, I’m loving a more laid back style. Think farm house/cottage. Does that make sense?

Here are a few examples

I mean, I haven’t gone country or anything (not that there is anything wrong with that), but it’s definitely not contemporary. What could be the reason for this sudden change? I have no clue, but if I had to guess, it may be from the eye candy here in blogland, or maybe it’s my sudden need to be comfortable in my space. But hey, check this out, I only feel the need to do this in one part of my house. How weird is that??? As far as my living and dining room is concerned, I still want that to be contemporary with a mix of traditional. What exactly does this mean?

How can someone have this

And in another room have this?

Let me say this, I know that it is ok and possible to love more than one design style. But is it possible to combine the two tastefully? Should I channel my inner Sarah Richardson? Ha, yeah right!

And I’m not the only one that is going through a style change, if you haven’t already, check out Sarah’s post. I feel her completely!

Have you went through any changes with your design style lately? Or am I the only one “lucky” enough to be experiencing something like this?!

A DISCOUNT AT FLAIR DESIGNERY!

2011-11-09T08:23:00.001-05:00

Hi guys! Abby over at Flair Designery wanted to offer you all a discount on anything from her shop!

Here are a few of my personal favorites:

As seen in House of Fifty, the Holiday Mod Collection

Trimming the Tree Holiday invite

Multi-Colored Chevron Notecards

Want some Christmas cards like mine?

And if you’d like a custom order, she offers that too!

You know the saying “what you see is what you get”? Well with Abby, what you see on her site is nothing compared to everything she can do! Trust me, the girl is fabulous. AND no I’m not being paid at all to say this!

Another thing that I love about Abby is her prices. She is not out to rob you! So with prices like hers with an additional percentage off, you’re really getting a deal!

Abby has graciously offered my readers 20% off of anything in her shop! At checkout, all you have to do is enter code HOLIDAY20

The discount is available now until November 18th so hurry and get those business cards or any other type of stationery you may need

ps,

because I’m nosey, if you do purchase something, let me know what you got!

NO FUSS HOLIDAY

2011-11-08T20:43:00.001-05:00

If you’ve been reading my blogs for a while, you know that I love color! Like LOVE color. But lately I’ve been crazing a palette for my home that lacks a lot of color. Have any of you experienced that? It’s completely the opposite of what I have been wanting for years.

Along with less color, I’ve been wanting to do less as far as design goes. Just something simple and cozy.. Could it be the weather?

Simple no fuss décor

I think its because of my life as a blogger. You know, tweeting, pinning, Facebooking, blogging, etc.. All of those things entertain my eyes for hours, so when I close my laptop, I want them to rest. How will they rest if I have color, pattern, and stuff everywhere?

The holidays are upon us and I have already pulled out my décor. When I started going through everything and putting together my ideas for a Chiang Mai inspired Christmas

I had to stop that idea quickly as it had already started to give me a headache!

So now I’m to plan B

A simple holiday that that is mostly inspired by nature. Who gets tired of nature?

So for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’m going with lots of greenery, pinecones, burlap, twine, and wood. I may throw in a a little purple for good measure

As of now, a Christmas tree is not on my list of things to do either. Do we really need to have a tree up every year? I don’t think so!

What about you? How are you decorating this holiday season?

MY WEEKEND IN PICTURES

2011-11-07T09:09:00.001-05:00

Hi guys! Today’s post is full of pictures. I need to get a few things out and then I’ll talk about everything later in the week. I’m kind of in the middle of something right now

I started painting my refrigerator in chalkboard paint (Oh yes I did!)

I’m not done, this is the during picture!

I hung a bamboo blind over my sink

I almost decided to do away with the blinds all together, but I changed my mind. I’ll talk more about this later too.

I got my copy of House of Fifty in the mail! Boom Bam Bim!

Oh yeah, it still ROCKS!

I pulled out my Christmas decorations and headed to Michaels to see what else I needed. I NEED THESE GOLD LEAVES!

Took back my WACK hardware that I ordered from Home Depot

They were supposed to had been apart of the same group…Clearly they aren’t

Brendan found some that he thought would work

I vetoed that… And found some we both agreed on!

The clutch that I won from Hammocks and High Tea end up being blue suede and I almost ran and kiss the delivery guy when I saw the color!

I think I need a blue sofa for my Chiang Mai Dragon!!! More on that later, too!

I almost ended my blog over the weekend. I wrote this long post about why and how I can’t do this and can’t do that and blah blah blah, then my internet went out. I tell ya, there is a higher power out there with plans for me that I can’t even imagine!

I’m glad that I couldn’t post that. What would I do without you guys?!
Happy Monday!

ps, you know how I love Abby from Flair Designery, right? Well… I’m working on something with her for any of you that have considered ordering from her shop. Stay tuned for that!

L.D out

GIVING THANKS EARLY….

2011-11-03T09:52:00.001-04:00

Have you ever been so grateful for having certain people in your life that you really don’t know how to show them? That’s how I feel about Janell, Abby, Rachel, Myssie, Tricia, and Tonia. Who knew that this blog would put some really cool people in my life and what’s amazing about it is that they are all in different parts of the country!

You all know that Janell is the first blogger that I ever interacted with. I never in a million years would have thought I would meet her and later be working for her in House of Fifty

Then you have Abby. I found a new friend all because I needed business cards! She goes above and beyond to make her costumers happy (I know because I’m one picky customer!) I really don’t know what else to say about Abby other than she ROCKS at what she does. Seriously, look at the Christmas cards she designed for me

and lets not forget my business cards

She also did an amazing job in House of Fifty in an article for entertaining children at a Christmas Party (starting on page 162!)

Rachel is a girl after my own heart! She made me realize that’s its ok to reinvent yourself. She does that wonderfully! She started out as an interior designer and now she is all about vintage (and trust me, she has an eye for vintage!)

I never thought I would ever get the hang of twitter. Now I have a twitter BFF! Actually I have 2!

@Myssie_pillers

and @DIY_Tricia

D.I.Y. Tricia

Just a gal who starts home improvement projects that her husband usually,

reluctantly, has to help finish.

And they are also friends! Long time friends who found each other again through my tweets!

And last but not least, I have Tonia. Tonia, Tonia, Tonia! Tonia and I laugh all the time. Tonia and I have a terrible terrible thrifting habit. Tonia gives me great advice (sometimes!). She also has a great way of making me think about things even when what she says irritates me (seriously). She really is a wise woman.

I posted last night on Facebook that God is good to me. I never thought in a million years I would be where I am. I always knew I was destined for something better and I ended up with the BEST!

I’m very thankful for the people in my life. VERY thankful. And as for the readers of this blog, I am grateful that you think its worth reading everyday.

I hope you’re having a wonderful day!

WORKING IN THE KITCHEN… Window Treatments

2011-11-01T14:43:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I left off saying that I was headed to Ikea. Well, shortly after my son and I arrived (and I mean shortly), he said he was sick and well… all kinds of stuff happened

So my trip was cut short, but I did manage to grab a curtain rod. While I was there, I had my hubs hang some bamboo blinds for me in the kitchen. I’m not sold on them as of yet (I’m thinking they need to be hung higher), but I do love the fabric that I’m using for curtains

The fabric is by Robert Allen. The name of the fabric is Khanjali and the colorway is Glacier. I purchased my fabric from Calico Corners.

Pardon the dark pics, did I mention that now I have TWO sick kids??? So I’m working around a lot

I actually purchased this fabric to use in the family room, but decided that I loved it in the kitchen too. I have 12 yards and I’m using all 12 at this window. I don’t want the window to look “cheated” out of fabric!

I still have to do a lot of hemming. I decided against using the campaign dresser in here. I think I’m going to try a window seat instead. Cabinet hardware should be here soon so the kitchen is moving right along! I do need to do a few things in my dining room and living room to prepare for Thanksgiving so I’m probably going to be bouncing between these rooms in the next few weeks.

BTW, as you can see, I have yet to add the seats back to the chairs… I’m hoping I have enough fabric left over from the windows to use on them (fingers crossed!).

It’s November! Can you believe it?!?!?

HOUSE OF FIFTY IS LIVE!!!!

2011-11-01T09:14:00.001-04:00

The latest issue of House of Fifty is live! Check it out and let me know what you think.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2011-10-31T09:35:00.002-04:00

Well my nephews costume party was a success over the weekend and so was my boys costumes!

Here are the 3 Duncan Boys version of Alvin and the Chipmunks!

My youngest truly is Theodore. I handed him an apple just for the photo and by the time I started taking the pictures, he was halfway finished with it!

ALVINNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!

I’ll be back tomorrow with an update on the kitchen. I’m headed out to Ikea this morning to pick up a few things. How was your weekend?!

I'm linking up to:

3 DUNCAN BOYS HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

2011-10-28T09:21:00.001-04:00

Last year you may remember the costumes I put together for my boys and nephew

My oldest was a pirate

Nick, my middle son was Indiana Jones

Bren, my youngest, was a fire fighter

And my nephew was the cutest cowboy

I was so happy with how these costumes turned out especially since most of the clothing items used were from Goodwill!

Well, this year, my boys wanted to be all kinds of stuff. My oldest wanted to be Michael Jackson, Nick wanted to be a black spider, and Brendan wanted to be part of the pit crew of Nascar (seriously). I really planed to make all of that happen, but then I remembered that I wanted them to be Alvin and the Chipmunks!

They are totally cool with that, but there is a problem. Nick (my middle son) would be PERFECT as Alvin! But, my oldest wants to be Alvin because he thinks Alvin is cool. So what do I do? I planned to dress them as the original Alvin and the Chipmunks with the turtlenecks, but do you think the newer version would satisfy everyone?

Call me old school, but I really like the Alvin and the Chipmunks that I grew up with

Stay tuned…. There might be some bribery going on around these parts. My nephew’s costume party is tomorrow so I have to make a decision NOW!

What say you? Old school or new school?!

KITCHEN TABLE AND CHAIRS UPDATE

2011-10-27T22:34:00.001-04:00

Remember the table and chairs in my kitchen?

The plan was to paint the table the color of my upper cabinets and then change out the chairs for the bentwood chairs

Before I started to paint the table, I remembered the table that I had planned to use in my bedroom

Could it work in my kitchen? There was only one way to find out!

It’s definitely smaller than the other table that was in there (about 10 inches smaller), but I think I like it better. It is large enough for four large plates which is perfect for the boys. All of us rarely sit at the table in the kitchen together (we us the dinner table for that).

I’m wondering if I should leave the base of the table “brass” or if I should spray it white? I’m leaning towards leaving it brass. Also, finding the right fabric for the seats of the chairs in proving to be a challenge. I’ll keep you posted on what I come up with. Oh and as far as the cabinet hardware, I think brass is it! Now I just need to find some I like and order them

I’M A WINNER!!!!!!!

2011-10-25T17:59:00.001-04:00

Guys I am so excited right now. I have already gotten one thing that I wanted for Christmas!

I am a fan of the of the H&HT Facebook page and they were hosting a giveaway in honor of their new fabulous clutches. I am beyond thrilled right now. I emailed the link from the H&HT website to my hubby to let him know what I wanted for Christmas and danggit I won one!! I guess now I can email him the link to their FAB gold and white chevron drawer liners

I’ll also take two of their new candles for good measure!

For more info on on Karen and Hammocks and High Tea, you can read this post I wrote back in February on her or checkout her website here

Thanks again Karen!

FURNITURE IN THE KITCHEN… Have you seen it?

2011-10-25T11:46:00.001-04:00

The other day while browsing through my blogroll, I came across a post written by Jenny from Little Green Notebook. She mentioned using a campaign dresser in the kitchen and then shared this image

(images via)

I wasted no time doing a Google search for campaign style dressers in kitchens and the first one that I found belonged to Dave and Joi from Neustra Vida Dulce

Shut the front door!!! How fab is that?!

Now I know that you’re probably wondering where I ‘m headed with this so let me explain. I have a campaign dresser in my family room. Remember the one I painted green?

Well I never told you something about this dresser. The bottom two drawers are STUCK! Like in order to open them you’re going to hurt yourself! So I had planned to toss it out because I was so frustrated with the piece. But after seeing them used in the kitchen, what do you think about this one being used in mine? I could paint it the shade of white used on my upper cabinets and I think it would be great for extra storage (the drawers that I can open). BTW, the drawers aren’t stuck from me painting them, they were always hard to open.

I’m definitely going to give it some more thought and maybe even try it out

I have one more chair to paint and then I can show you the chairs. Then I need to start on the table… and then I need to start on the gallery wall. Oh, and THEN I need to start on a chalkboard project. Stay with me guys, I am a one woman show!

But seriously, what do you think about a dresser in the kitchen? Can be like a buffet, right? Let’s Discuss!

KITCHEN CHAIRS PROGRESS

2011-10-21T09:34:00.001-04:00

Just popping in to say that the chairs are looking great!

I wish my camera showed the true color of the paint. They are a nice shade of turquoise. I’m using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Provence. If you remember, I used it on this dresser too!

Speaking of this dresser, how fabulous does this picture look?! Rachell of Moments of Happiness Designs wanted to style a few of my pieces to use for her site and I think she did a fabulous job!

See you back here on Monday hopefully with some finished chairs and the start of a kitchen gallery wall

STILL WORKING IN THE KITCHEN

2011-10-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

Morning peeps! The lack of posting this week came from the fact that I was still working in the kitchen. I managed to finish the doors on the upper cabinets and now I’m moving on to the window treatments..

I found this fabric at Hobby Lobby months ago and it was deeply discounted! I have a little more than seven yards of it and only paid like $24! At the time, I had not a clue what I was going to do with it, but I loved the dusty blue and off-white stripes so I figured it would work somewhere in my home.

I have a double window in my kitchen with a white faux wood blind up (not a good look).

Because I’m going to have a few other painted projects in the room, I plan to install bamboo blinds to add a little warmth to the space. Speaking of other painted projects, I am prepping to paint my kitchen table and chairs

That table has definitely seen better days. If you notice, I only have three chairs at the table right now which brings me to the chairs in the background.

I’m going to paint these and add some different fabric to the seats.

I’m actually headed to my kitchen now to do some work so I should have an update tomorrow. Let me share a little side note with you on the projects that I’m doing around here. I have accumulated so many things during all of my thrifting excursions that I plan to use as much of those items as possible. I was out in my garage yesterday and was blown away by the amounts of fabric, frames, accessories, etc.. that I have just collecting dust. I even have paint and primer that I I have never used! This is a low budget makeover and I am so happy about that

Here is a list of things I still need to do in the kitchen

paint table and chairs

add frames to wall above table and chairs

“make” and hang curtains

paint last cabinet in kitchen

FIND HARDWARE!!!

change lights

find a rug

touch up banister/railing

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE….

2011-10-17T09:33:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday, I attended the O, You! 2011 conference that took place here in Atlanta. To say that I was excited would be an understatement. Seeing Oprah live has been one of those “bucket list” things to do for me and when her show ended, I just KNEW that I wasn’t going to be able to do it. Well… I guess you can say that my thrift store shopping actually paid off!

I often check out the book and magazine section of the thrift stores and in one particular O magazine, there was an article on weight loss so I grabbed it. After coming home and finally having the chance to read it, guess what the first page was that I came to?

WHAT?!?!?!?! Join Oprah Winfrey and our experts for a day you’ll never forget. I ordered my ticket so fast!!!!

I arrived at the Georgia World Congress Center at 6:45am and it was CRAZY out there (in a good way!).

Imagine 5000 women all ready to see Oprah and her team of experts (well, 4995 women and about 5 men!)

Gayle King was the first one to come out and speak to welcome us to the conference. She is so funny and pretty! I loved her purple dress!

After Gayle, Lisa Ling came out on the stage

Let me tell you, this woman is GORGEOUS! So pretty! If you watch any of Lisa Lings’ documentaries then it wouldn’t surprise you to know that she spoke about things like child prostitution and mothers in jail and what not. What moved me about her speech was when she admitted that sometimes she questions her faith after many of her experiences. She also said that thankfully she has a husband that is very deep in his faith which keeps her going. She shared what she called a poem that her husband shared with her that had almost all of us in tears…

This guy was walking through the town and passed a young boy on the streets. He was hungry and begging for food and money. The guy asked God, “God, why would you let something like this happen to him? Why don’t you do something about this in the world?”

God didn’t respond immediately.

After the guy made it home and settled and all was quiet. God then answered “I did do something about it. I created you.”

**I’m crying now**

After Lisa, the rock star himself made it out! Dr. Oz!!!!!

Along with Martha Beck and Susie Orman (another rock star!)

(terrible picture)

For those of you that don’t know, Susie Orman is the business! This lady gave the best advice (as always). One thing that she stuck in my head was

“There is nothing wrong with accepting money for energy”

This came about because a lady told her that it’s hard for her to accept payment for things that she like to do. I do the exact same thing. I turn down money all the time…

“Keep stepping and your passion will find you”

“If you turn your back on money, you turn your back on yourself” –Susie Orman

Martha Beck was brilliant as always

“Fear nothing, the darkness is gentler than you think” –Martha Beck

Oh and Sarah Blakely (the creator of Spanx) was there too!

Before Sarah started Spanx, she didn’t know what she wanted to do with her self. All she knew was that she wanted a better life. She said she had no clue what her passion was.

Donna Brazille was there

She and Susie together was a hoot!

(I wonder how Susie would feel about this picture!)

Donna spoke on Joy. And always having joy and being ok with sharing your joy, but not giving it away and letting people steal it.

And of course there were makeovers with Adam Glassman and Val Monro!

Their tip: EVERY WOMAN NEED A NUDE PUMP!

After all of that, it was time for O herself!!!!!!!!

When Oprah stepped out on that stage, my heart was so heavy! Oprah. I was in the room with Oprah!!!

Here are a few of speech that I remember:

*We are all looking for the same thing in life

*Strength x strength x strength x strength x strength = POWER

*Don’t care about what anyone say about you and what you do. As long as you know who you are, that’s all that matters

*The knowing of who you are is the difference between progressing and not

*What you are afraid of does not exist anyway

*When you constantly ask others what they think about something, you are asking the wrong the source.

*If you don’t ever have the time to be still, you don’t have the time to live fully.

*When over coming the fear of failure, ask yourself : What am I afraid of?

What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?

What she knows for sure?

Your life and what you do with it matters…

After the show, I cried and cried and cried… I cried because there was so much to take in. I cried because I was surrounded lots of great people. I cried because I attended this event alone and I wish every woman I knew could have been there. I cried because I SAW OPRAH! I cried because I realized even more that I need to be still for a moment.

What do I know for sure?

I know that I have A LOT to work on

I also know that I will be at the next O, You event in 2012!

SEARCHING FOR HARDWARE….

2011-10-13T20:26:00.001-04:00

Now that the kitchen cabinets are pretty much done, it’s time for me to find some hardware for the cabinets.

Let me tell you, that microwave is driving me CRAZY….. And I doubt I’ll leave the two doors off of the cabinets flanking the sink.

Here are the knobs and pulls I’ve picked out so far

oiled rubbed bronze cup pull

oil rubbed bronze knob

antique pewter cup pull

antique pewter knob

Or do you think brass would be better?

Brass would be my first choice since I have had a love affair with white kitchens with brass hardware and lighting, but I’m not sure if it would look right with my cabinets….

Before I forget, a few of you have asked about the color of my lower cabinets and the color is Sherwin Williams Intellectual Gray 7045

So, which finish should I pick????

LOWER CABINETS: Sneak Peek!

2011-10-12T10:31:00.001-04:00

These pictures are of poor quality, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of how the cabinets are coming along. I was a little freaked about the color being too dark, but they look great now that the doors are on. I’m going to look for some new hardware soon, but first I need to finish the upper cabinet doors!

What do you think?!

ps, anyone like to clean floors and wanna come clean mine? I’ll buy ya lunch

CHECKLIST: Working while the paint is drying…

2011-10-11T15:07:00.001-04:00

I am on a roll around these parts… After painting the doors to the lower cabinets and waiting for them to dry, I started priming the powder room.

There is no time to waste!

By the time I cut in all of the corners and trim, the primer was dry on the cabinets and ready for me to paint them!

What has gotten me through all of this work? 2 Alieves a day and 1 Motrin PM at night

This checklist is kicking my butt, but I’m loving getting these things done. I have a “Make your own chalkboard” post coming soon. Also, are “drop cloth” drapes still in style? They may be going into my living room and dining room

What are you guys up to?!

CHECK LIST: Don’t think I’m not working over here!

2011-10-10T16:22:00.001-04:00

I’m trying to give you an idea of how the color looks!

Hopefully I’ll have better light for you tomorrow. I think it looks great, but I’ve already gotten the stank eye from my husband… We’ll see what he thinks of it when I’m done.

BTW, do you think I should leave the doors off of the upper cabinets that flank the sink? Of course I’ll only display my good dishes and all that random stuff will be moved to a new spot. AND, I’m thinking that my microwave is getting the boot (well, maybe I’ll just move it to the pantry?)… We’ll see

GIVING MY ALL

2011-10-10T08:38:00.000-04:00

I’m not sure if I mentioned on this blog that I am expanding Swoon Worthy Boutique to include vintage rentals

Vintage is all the rage right now from vintage styled ads

(Pottery Barn)

(Kate Spade)

To vintage inspired weddings!

(www.untamedheartphotography.com)

This venture has become one that I am very excited about and I’m giving it my all to make sure it succeeds! This morning, while planning my photo shoot, I had a mini panic attack. I thought of how AMAZING this is going to be once it takes off. I’ve heard of people being concerned of failure when launching a new business, but I’m not thinking of failure. I’ve been a stay at home mom for nearly seven years now and the thought of me being a successful business owner excites and scares me A LOT! It reminds me of becoming a mom for the first time. Giving birth and taking care of another human being… The responsibility is HUGE, but everyday I give it my all. That’s what I’m doing now. I woke up one morning (last week) and decided that I don’t want to be mediocre. I want to be the best at everything I do. No matter what it is.. blogging, motherhood, friendship, work, living… I want to be the best. The best way to be the best is to give your all at everything you do and that is what I plan to do!

Now that I’m done rambling, here are a few photo’s I took earlier today!

Here are a few of the boys that I snapped while they were playing. As you can see, I’m trying to be a better photographer!

My sister took this picture of me last night saying that this is all I do… She’s almost right

IF you have a second, take a moment to listen to the song I listen to EVERYDAY

Have a FABULOUS Sunday

CHECK LIST: PAINTING CABINETS AND SUPPLIES

2011-10-07T08:48:00.001-04:00

Starting from where I left off yesterday, I’m here to talk about the supplies I use to paint my cabinets. I use Whizz door and cabinets high-density foam rollers. I love these and I use them for my cabinets, my doors, and my furniture makeovers. They are found at Lowe’s

Gotta love Scotch Blue painters tape! Again, another must have in my stash…

I love love love Sherwin Williams paint. I’m painting my upper cabinets in Aesthetic White 7035. This white is not a bright white and it’s not a yellowish white either. It has a gray undertone and it’s the color of the trim and SOME of the doors in my home (another thing to add to the check list…paint doors!)

Because the bottom cabinets get the most wear, I decided to prime them again and my go to primer is

Some prefer oil-based primer, but I decided not to go that route. Plus I wanted to add this, I’m not painting my cabinets again because the the last paint didn’t hold up. I’m painting them to go with the colors I painted my downstairs late last year. I want all of my trim and wood work to be cohesive.

My go to brush is

I know a lot of people swear by Purdy brushes and yeah they are good, but I’ve never had a problem with my trusty ole Shur-Line for 6 bucks!

The little craft brush (above) is a MUST for me! I use it to get in the small spaces. Let me tell you, these brushes are my FAVORITE when I’m painting furniture! You can find them at Hobby Lobby or Michael's.

So after sanding the cabinets

and wiping away the dust

and taping

I started painting!

I LOVE THIS BRUSH!

You can kinda see the difference between the two whites. The new white on the left, and the bight white on the right. I do like the white that I had on them, but the new white is going to be perfect with the wall color!

Now, I mentioned painting the upper cabinets Aesthetic White… The lowers will be another color! Here is a hint

It’s Intellectual Gray by Sherwin Williams7045. I went back and forth between this color and Amazing Gray7044, but I ultimately chose the darker color. Amazing Gray is truly amazing, but it wasn't too much of a difference with my current wall color which is SW Accessible Beige7036.

I’ve already started on the bottom cabinets. I’ll keep you posted on the progress. Will I be finished by Monday??? We’ll see

Happy Weekend!

CHECK LIST: PAINTING CABINETS {prepping}

2011-10-06T11:39:00.001-04:00

Well hello! It’s almost noon here and I wanted to get this post out before it got too late. One of the largest tasks on my Check List is painting my cabinets. Of course I’ve painted them twice since I’ve been in this house, but I’m preparing to do it again one last time (no, seriously!).

The first step in painting cabinets is prepping them. This is actually a very important step. Because my cabinets have already been painted and primed (TWICE), I’m going to skip priming them again this time around.

And because I have three active kids running around, I’ve decided to do this in stages. First up is the upper cabinets. To start, I got out all my prep supplies that I will need

(TSP substitute, gloves, rags, sanding block)

I’m using TSP substitute to remove the grease from the cabinets

(Can you see the grease and grime?)

Before I use the TSP, I remove the doors

And now its time to work!

Make sure you use gloves when working with TSP and of course read the label

Can you see the grease on the cabinet? I used TSP on this, but because this grease was pretty thick, I had to sand a little to remove the rest of it

Then I did the same to the side of the cabinet

After making sure all of the grease is removed from the cabinets, its time to sand all of the cabinets to give the paint something to grip to.

If you are starting from scratch with painting your cabinets, you will pretty much do the same thing.

1. Clean cabinets really well

2. lightly sand them

3. apply primer

4. let primer dry for the amount of time suggested on label (VERY IMPORTANT)

5. apply paint

Next I will show you my supplies that I use to paint my cabinets!

On another note, did you guys grab the BHG Christmas ideas magazine??? I know it’s a little early to think about Christmas, but I had to snatch this issue up since it featured my girl Kate (aka Centsational Girl)!

Super Congrats to her!

Now let me get back to work!

MAKING A LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE

2011-10-04T13:47:00.001-04:00

While getting things together for Swoon Worthy Boutique, I had a mini panic attack. I have been going going and going trying to make sure everything is together with the added aspect of my business. I realized that I will get caught up in something and abandon other things. One thing that I have abandoned (and it has me in somewhat of a funk), is my home.

There are quite a few projects that need to be done around here so I’m going to start doing them now! I think this will not only ease my mind a bit, but it will also increase my blogging (I know I’ve been slacking around these parts!). Tonia from Chic Modern Vintage told me to write a list and place it on the blog. I hesitated about doing this because I knew that I will have to carry out with what I put on here! But that’s ok. I’m so ready to start back focusing on my home (while at the same time managing Swoon Worthy).

My list of things to do

FAMILY ROOM

Replace Ceiling Fan
Finish painting ceiling (I know… pure slacker!)
Make Curtains
Purchase Curtain Rods
Find TV stand or bookcase
Paint inside of fireplace
find a sofa
find a coffee table
finish painting spindles
paint the powder room
new light fixture for powder room
find a rug

KITCHEN

Paint Cabinets
New dishwasher
New Vent for over stove
paint table and chairs
rug for kitchen
new light fixtures
find hardware for cabinets
find a rug
curtains

Dining Room

touch up paint
paint and hang thrift store mirrors
replace chandelier
find rug
recover chairs
curtains
purchase rod
Decide what to do with pantry

LIVING ROOM

Curtains and rod
rug
touch up paint
find console table
sofa
reupholster chairs
pillows
replace light fixture
rug
lamps
art
bulletin board
paint front door

Yep, I have my work cut out for me, but you know what? It’s doable! And I look forward to getting a chunk of this list knocked out by December 1st!

Think I can do it?!?!

FYI, the list will be posted on my sidebar so you can see my progress as I check things off. And of course I’m going to blog about everything!

SO I ORDERED MORE CHALK PAINT!

2011-10-03T08:09:00.001-04:00

I swear I’m addicted to chalk paint now! I ordered the color “Provence” for a french dresser I purchased a couple of weeks ago. Here is the before

And here she is after her makeover

Provence is not bright like the picture shown above. It’s more like this

But I think the first picture looks a whole lot better

Have you used any chalk paint lately?!

THE WINNER IS....

2011-10-02T09:01:00.002-04:00

The winner of the Scotch Blue painters tape giveaway is

Luisa Cruz said...
I never thought about painting an old suitcase, great idea! Have you considered a damask stencil in the middle? I would use the ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape with Edge-Lock™ Paint Line Protector tape in painting the back wall of my new IKEA bookshelves. I think that painting them a contrasting color will really make the items in display pop, but it is soo difficult to paint bookshelves once they are already built.

September 21, 2011 12:48 PM

Congrats Luisa! Email me with your information (shipping address) and we'll get that out to you!

Ramblings of a mother, decorator, and DIY'er...

MY WEEKEND IN A FLASH

SPONSORED POST: HEAD AND SHOULDERS

AND THE WINNER IS….

ROYAL DESIGN STUDIO STENCIL GIVEAWAY!

FYI, I BET YOU WOULD HAVE GRABBED THESE!

MY FIRST VLOG!!!

IF I WERE TO START VLOGGING, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO HEAR ME TALK ABOUT?

LAZY OR BUSY: CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT, BUT MY TREE IS STILL STANDING!

THIS IS TOTALLY ME!!!

MY WEEKEND IN A FLASH

SPONSORED POST: Joyful Noise

So, its 2012…Now what?

LOOKING BACK AT 2011 AND AHEAD AT 2012

HALCYON GREEN 6213

THE FOOD WAS GREAT. THE COMPANY WAS EVEN BETTER!

LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY PARTY!

IS THIS NOT WHAT YOU SEE???

Still sprucing (the kitchen!)

SPRUCING UP THE BLOG

CHRISTMAS TABLE

I’m not a photographer, but…..

MY HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (sneak peek!)

I CHEATED AND I WON!

BECAUSE I’M A “SHOPPING NINJA”!

BLACK FRIDAY TIPS

MORE CHAIRS??? Yes, but they’re different!

SPONSORED POST: HEAD AND SHOULDERS

I THOUGHT I KNEW, BUT I DON’T…. HELP PLEASE!

INTERESTING QUOTE

USING WHAT YOU HAVE… {Thanksgiving tablescape}

DETAILS OF MY LIVING ROOM

USING WHAT YOU HAVE (sneak peek of my living room!)

CHALKBOARD PAINT MANIA

CAN YOUR DESIGN STYLE CHANGE?

A DISCOUNT AT FLAIR DESIGNERY!

NO FUSS HOLIDAY

SPONSORED POST: Bounce Dryer Bar

MY WEEKEND IN PICTURES

GIVING THANKS EARLY….

D.I.Y. Tricia

Just a gal who starts home improvement projects that her husband usually,

reluctantly, has to help finish.

WORKING IN THE KITCHEN… Window Treatments

HOUSE OF FIFTY IS LIVE!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

3 DUNCAN BOYS HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

KITCHEN TABLE AND CHAIRS UPDATE

I’M A WINNER!!!!!!!

FURNITURE IN THE KITCHEN… Have you seen it?

KITCHEN CHAIRS PROGRESS

STILL WORKING IN THE KITCHEN

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE….

SEARCHING FOR HARDWARE….

LOWER CABINETS: Sneak Peek!

CHECKLIST: Working while the paint is drying…

CHECK LIST: Don’t think I’m not working over here!

GIVING MY ALL

CHECK LIST: PAINTING CABINETS AND SUPPLIES

CHECK LIST: PAINTING CABINETS {prepping}

MAKING A LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE

SO I ORDERED MORE CHALK PAINT!

THE WINNER IS....