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While my business is a HUGE part of my life so are a lot of other things like family, crafting, travel, cooking and vintage things. This is the place where I get to share those things. Thanks for reading!Folks We Love
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Tag Archives: interior design
Interior Design :: Our Entryway
The entry way is one of the spaces in our house I’ve thought a lot about but done little to nothing with. I have big plans, but because of time and budget (if we paint the entry way, we have to paint the living room, kitchen, dining room and hallway cause they’re all connected) I’ve only done arrangements in it. I want it to be spectacular because its the first thing people see when they walk into our home. And I knew I wanted a fancy frame in high gloss black.
So one day I went to an estate sale with my dad, its kind of this thing we like to do together.
And I saw this frame…
Well not THAT frame exactly…but an old school gold sort of gaudy (unless you’re into that style) frame very similar to the one above that was exactly what I’d been looking for to frame a photo of Bill and I from our wedding in our entryway.
And it was $5.
Yes there were more than one.
No I did not buy them all.
Yes I am still kicking myself.
The plan: spray paint it high gloss black.
The frame I got was roughly about a 17×24″ frame (thats the inner cut out). I saw a similar one, high gloss black at a craft store for $39, and it was an 8×10″ frame.
Yes I’m still kicking myself for not buying them all.
So hear’s coat #1 of the spray paint. And no, we don’t have any grass in our front yard because of the drought and my refusal to pay a one million dollar water bill. Please excuse our dust bowl.
Anywho I think I did about six thin coats, spraying back and forth to be sure everything got covered evenly and without gobbing on spray paint.
And here’s the final look:
I still have tons to do in the entry way, lots of plans and I’m not totally sold on the picture being the only thing hanging there centered on the wall but I haven’t figured out what else to up there. I’m very particular about everything in our house having some sort of meaning. The entry way table is actually a dressing table, its an antique and it was my grandmothers. We had it shipped here all the way from New York. The wine corks are a collection of what we’ve had over the years and what friends and family have collected for us (more on that in an upcoming post). Lastly, the small photo is of Bill and I under the LOVE statue in Philly, where Bill is from.
I’m still playing with ideas but so far this is what I know I want for sure:
One day it will be complete and all will rejoice.
I’d love to know what everyone else has done in their entry ways, do you have big entry plans?
A Lone Trip to Ikea
Last weekend, when Bill went to Mom and Mike’s to help with construction stuff, and Sam and I went along for the ride, I snuck away for a couple of hours for a lone trip to Ikea. Afterwards I was telling a friend about my lone trip and she was like, “you went by yourself, thats no fun!” And I was like, oh no, it was tons of fun. I love going there by myself, early, before the crowds. Its peaceful, it gets my creativity flowing and it inspires me for craft projects and new decorating ideas.
Like this poster for instance…something like this would be SO easy to create in photoshop and print on photographic paper. It inspires me to create font art.
(Sorry about the coloring of the photos, I was kind of shooting in stealth mode.) I also LOVE the back splash on this kitchen, and the flooring. Makes me smile. Oh and can I please take that fridge home with me? I bet IT won’t freeze my lettuce and cantaloupe when they roll to the back of the fridge.
Ikea warehouse from the showroom floor.
I’m thinking about one of these above the toilet in our guest bathroom, not decided yet.
INSPIRATION!! Can you feel it?
I want these pots too (but the price seems SO not ikea $30? Really?)
Our Ikea has also recently expanded their food selection, meats, cheeses, lots more frozen stuff. MMMM. Then I saw this, gooseberry preserves. I used to pick gooseberries at my grandfather’s house when I was little. On the next trip I’m buying some of this stuff for sure (I felt the need for more lingonberry).
Anniversary Weekend ~ Part Tres
Sunday was pretty relaxed. We ate breakfast at District 7 again and waited for my mom to pick us up from the hotel (we had abandoned our car at her house). We said hi to the pup at Mom’s, they watched their Grand-dog while we were on vacation, and headed back out on the town. Bill finally caved on my insistent desire to go shopping and we headed over to the Galleria area to Highland Village which houses almost every single one of my favorite “look, be inspired, but never can afford” shops.
Shop Number 1 :: Anthropologie
First off, I love anthropologie, everything about them their products, their displays, everything, except their prices. For example, these letter hooks, $14.99. I found the EXACT same letter hooks for $3.99 at Hobby Lobby. We hung a B and a C in our bathroom so we would know who’s towel is who’s.
I love that they use real plants in their displays. Notice the succulents in the glass jar, I will be making some of these for my house.
Love the mugs, love the aprons. The desire to sew a few of these is HUGE.
LOVE the use of glass tiles and glass shelves in this cubby.
Shop Number 2 :: The Paper Source
I have received their catalog forever and have always loved their insane assortment of paper products and just fun stuff. Last summer Houston got a location! This was my first visit and it was just as I expected, however, not quite as cool as the one in SOHO in NYC. But still, awesome
Shop Number Three :: Restoration Hardware & West Elm
So I can’t remember if I took this at West Elm or Restoration Hardware but both are AMAZING interior goods places. I get SO many ideas every time I visit.
Shop Number Four :: Sprinkles Cupcakes
So this is a new one to me, but I’ve been wanting to stop in. The front of the store is very plain, with just a little neon sign that says Sprinkles. Its self proclaimed (with the assistance of The Food Network) as “The Worlds First Cupcake Bakery”. The creator, Candace Nelson is a frequent judge on Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars”. It made me feel fancy, however I did not try a cupcake (we had just had lunch at Niko Nikos and were about to explode).
Shop Number Five :: Urban Harvest Farmer’s Market
And I still did get my farmer’s market fix, even though we missed it at Discovery Green. I normally don’t like chocolate but Brown Paper Chocolates had a espresso kahula dark chocolate that made me melt. I highly recommend.
Shop Number Six :: Z Gallerie
Always a favorite, Z Gallerie has funky home furnishings at prices I could think about affording. And like the rest in this list is a great place to get inspired and to find design ideas.
And that my friends concludes our second anniversary.
Posted in Life, Photography
Also tagged anniversary, Anthropologie, bill, Brown Paper Chocolates, Highland Village, Houston, Restoration Hardware, shopping, Sprinkles Cupcakes, The Paper Source, travel, West Elm, Z Gallerie
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A Baby Shower
This last friday there was a baby shower for a good friend of mine. The story about how baby Riann came into the world is just fantastic. It begins as a before baby mini vacation that turned into a five week when can we bring home baby San Francisco adventure. Their story is not mine to tell but I can only share that I am so thankful that they are finally home safe and sound with the ever so perfect baby Riann in tow.
And thus, upon their return we had their baby shower. Which now that I’ve been to a shower where the baby has already arrived, I much prefer it. 
Nicole, Stacy and I prepped for this shower weeks ahead of time. We planned. We toiled. We labored. And here are our fruits!
Ok so I’m really proud of the sweets table! It was truly a team effort and it worked out beautifully!
I had the grand honor of making all the printables. SO awesome! I may post a free template…who knows. 
Someone gave her a framed photo of the first time she felt baby Riann move. Mad props for A. Taking the picture and B. Framing it so beautifully.
And Stacy hung a clothes line across all her banisters. When we sent out the invites we also sent a little card encouraging guests to bring an unwrapped onsie. SO FUN! Tons of onsies decorated the banisters. It was grand.
And at the end of the shower the most perfect, baby doll sized little girl came to visit us. I love her. Seriously, she’s perfect.
Posted in Design, Party Styling, Photography
Also tagged baby, baby photography, baby shower, green, party, Photography, pink, printables
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Friday Flight ~ Vol. 10
What can I say, I’ve got Ethan Allen on the brain. I love this bed. The linens aren’t really my style, but the bed frame itself reminds me a lot of my childhood bed. I’m a fan of the curves and the color and the ode to more country/classic style. And guess what! Its on sale for a breezy $1,599 for a queen. Maybe I’m cheep, though I’d rather call it thrifty, or maybe I’m just not up to speed on the cost of furniture lately, but this seems like a lot to me. Still I like it.
The Photography Chronicles ~ 10
I know you’re not supposed to lust…but seriously…Ethan Allen has captured my heart with this display. Bill and I visited Ethan Allen while we were waiting to close on our house back in March of 2010. I love Ethan Allen (sorry Martha, but they do compete for your place in my heart)…I do not however love their prices. SOOO I’ve been trying to capture this kind of look in my living room. Except with yellow and gray, black and white. I’ve purchased several great pieces, trash picked a few others, and was gifted still a few others. Our couch is the same style as the one in the picture, only cream, and so old that the style has come back around. I l-o-v-e that chair…and the lamp…and the zebra pillow. Sigh. One day my living room will be complete.
Posted in House & Home, The Photography Chronicles
Also tagged bill, Ethan Allen, house search, living room, Martha Stewart, new house
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The Photography Chronicles ~ 6
Meet the cowboy chair. I’m told it was a wedding gift to my mother and father. It sat in my mom’s house for as long as I can remember. It was then passed back to my dad. Then to the old lake house. It now sits in our guest bedroom. Its one of my most favorite chairs. Its got character and I love the color (yes avocado green makes me happy, don’t judge me, its coming back). One day when I have kids I will photograph them when they are still pudgy babies, sitting on it, in nothing but a diaper. You just wait, you’ll see.
Posted in The Photography Chronicles
Also tagged family, Photography, The Photography Chronicles
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The Bathroom Remodel, Under $500
I’ve been busy. Life has sort of taken me by storm. In the midst of it all, while trying to do some simple painting in our hall bathroom, I noticed a small little thing…the vanity was rotting. Like crumbles when you touch it rotting. Then I noticed the vinyl tile, it was coming up around the toilet. Bummer. So a simple paint job turned into a full remodel of the bathroom, all for under $500. Yes. Be impressed.
Here’s the whole remodel and how we did it for under $500.
The Original Bathroom
I took these pictures when we first saw the house back in February. It was staged and they were taken with my iPhone so please excuse quality and the bird house/accessories, not my choice.
The Process
Ok so it was this can of paint that began the remodel. I must thank you again Martha. Martha Stewart Paint $25, except Home Depot was running a special so I got a $5 mail in rebate. Score!
After I saw the stupid leak from the toilet we gutted the bathroom (everything except the tub). Our good friend Bill is so awesome, he came over and helped us with the whole project. We never could have pulled this off without him. Especially when we realized it wasn’t just the toilet leaking but also the sink area. So key #1 to an under $500 bathroom remodel, have a friend help you who knows what he’s doing.
And you’re thinking, “Oh your husband works at Home Depot, so you got a discount on everything, that’s how you did the whole remodel for under $500.” Yeah well, Home Depot does not give an employee discount. I know, shocking right? Its also horribly disappointing. I suppose sticking your tongue out a little helps?
New tile! We went to a place called Floor and Decor Outlets, they were very helpful and we got the tile, thin set, and grout for about $80. Not too shabby!
The Big Reveal
We got the vanity at Home Depot as well, on sale for $169. It included the sink. We were going to just use the toilet we had, but I figured the few hours I was going to spend cleaning the tank and everything was worth at least $68 so we just bought a new one for…drum roll…$68, which included all the insides. We bought new trim, it was roughly $15. The trim paint was around $15 as well (and I have a TON left over). I went dark which was a brave step for me, but it turned out awesome.
As far as the accessories go I had most of them already, but in case you’re curious…The shower curtain I purchased when we first moved in for $15 at Wal-Mart. I had the rug and accessories, they’re from Bill’s bachelor days, but they are pretty cool. The towels I had as well, but they are Thomas O’Brien from Target, Best.Towels.Ever. So plush and awesome, and very well priced, around $15. The tulips are made of metal and about three years ago I managed a cafe that was inside an interior design/boutique/art/market thing. They were in a booth directly across from our cafe and I lusted after them for months until the manager of the market bought them for me for Christmas. They hold tea light candles and I just love them. The frame was a wedding gift and it has photos in it I took when we went on a cruise last October.
I still have to hang the mirror. I purchased a basic beveled mirror from Wal-Mart for under $10 (you can see it leaning against the wall in the first picture). I’m going to frame it out with fat wide trim and paint it with the same paint as the trim in the bathroom. We’ll eventually update the shower head and the light fixture but this was project we weren’t really planning on doing so it will have to wait until later. Also, Sam Dog snuck into the second picture, she’s the black blob near the bottom of the shot. And yes, that is a book on the back of the toilet, its titled What’s Your Poo Telling You and I highly recommend it. And that’s our bathroom remodel for under $500!
Posted in House & Home
Also tagged bill, Martha Stewart, Northwood Church, Photography, sam, walmart
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Oh Color, How I love Thee
There are just a few things that I am pretty obsessed with…Martha Stewart, Shoes, Design, Humorous Moments of Life, the few things I’m probably forgetting, and color. I wrote my senior thesis paper on color and its effects on advertising. It was fascinating really, and, it was beautiful. Because its color. And I often think we take it completely for granted. I’m sure of it. I’m also sure I could post a very lengthy blog post on color, but I’ll refrain. Instead I will focus on the topic at hand: Pantone.
If there was a god of color it would be Pantone. They are the self-proclaimed, “world-renowned authority on color”. And it’s totally true. Basically, back in the early 1960s this guy named Lawrence decided to fix a problem; inconsistency among colors in the graphic arts (which he noted was due to every single person interpreting the spectrum of color differently, which makes total sense if you think about it). So Lawrence decided to make a book, fan style, called the PANTONE® MATCHING SYSTEM®, or PMS, that would set the standard for what color was supposed to look like.
Now, everyone uses it. Yes, everyone. If you deal with color, you know Pantone. And they’ve branched out from that little fan book into just about everything. My favorite lately is paint (sorry Martha).
Today I got an e-mail from Pantone alerting me that the Top 10 Pantone Colors for Fashion Spring 2011 have been released. Knowing this is not only cool, but makes me feel super fashion savvy. The seamless integration of the Pantone system into the fashion industry makes my heart go pitter patter. You can download a PDF of the Spring 2011 colors which includes color picks from top designers such as Tommy Hilfiger, Betsy Johnson, Carlos Campos, AND sketches from some of their new lines. I love fashion design sketches and will one day have a few framed on my walls. The Fall 2010 PDF is very awesome as well. So, I strongly encourage you to check it all out on Pantone’s website here.
The full history of Pantone can be found on their website www.pantone.com.
(Pantone LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated. © Pantone LLC, 2010. All rights reserved.)
Posted in Business & Marketing, Design, House & Home
Also tagged Color, fashion design, graphic design, Martha Stewart, Pantone
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House Makeover Overload
The weekend…well last week, has been spent working on the house. We’ve been patching walls, painting, updating hardware, and building new furniture. A friend even trash picked the perfect coffee table which I have major plans for. Here is my loving husband doing one of his favorite things, putting things together. He told me that I couldn’t help. He’s fantastic.
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