Black & White, what makes it work

Black and White is such classic color combination and it never really goes out of style, but for some reason I cannot get enough of the updated black and white trend that is everywhere right now. Seriously, I'm helping plan my younger sisters bridal shower and I just want to make EVERYTHING black and white. My sisters/ co-party throwers have to remind me, "Where's the color Amber?"

Oh, let's pause for a moment. Did you catch that little tid-bit in that last paragraph? Yes, My sister is getting married!!! My LITTLE sister!!! I think it is insane, I still think of her in diapers, but alas, she is an adult now and that girl is getting hitched! She was scheduled for an LDS mission last time I posted about her, but some handsome lad just swept her right off her feet and changed her plans. So excited for her happiness!

Any who, my desire for everything black and white made me stop and think for a little bit. Why am I (and lots of designers out there) loving black and white so much lately if it's really always been kickin' around? I decided to analyze myself and think about what makes black and white work and what does not? This is what I came up with.

First up, and probably the biggest part of the most recent trend I'm loving, is having crisp geometric patterns. I think this is the quickest way to make black and white feel updated and clean. It just makes my eyes happy.

Next, the BOLD factor. A small black and white strip just doesn't do it for me the same way that a big and bold black and white strip does, you know. The bolder the better! Something that really grabs your eye and calls out for attention.

And finally, I also am really loving those classic pieces that are some how being updated by our tried and true black and white combo. It feels like home and comfortable, but also new and fresh at the same time.

Lastly, as much as I love black and white trending right now, I have also seen it done badly. The most sure ways to suck the life out this duo is making it too fussy and fru-fru. If there is detailed or intricate patter, or honestly, just something very girlie, it doesn't do it for me in black and white. I like the masculine side to this color combo.

I also don't think that black and white has the magical powers it takes to revive dated patterns and shapes. Taking a 1990's floral pattern or furniture shape and pairing it up with our contrasting friends just doesn't quiet cut it. Somehow I think it just makes it more obviously dated.

Finally, if something looks really cheap it's not going to float in black and white. That will just conjure up images of the Las Vegas strip and yard long alcoholic beverages to me. Maybe that is because I live in Las Vegas, I'm not sure. But if something already look cheap from the start, then black and white again isn't going to save it. It may even make it look worse.

So that is my .02. I am trying desperately not to just buy everything black and white these days while still looking for ways to bring those crisp, clean, and bold ideals into my life. I will have to share pictures of my sisters shower and all it's black and white goodness this summer! There is some yellow and green in there as well for the shower, so I think it will look amazing.

source, source

Decorating by Memory- Part 3

I finally got around to making a mood board that I think combines my families style, more specifically my grandparents style, and modernizing it into something that I could bring into my own home. I started this adventure here. My idea was to decorate my home using my own family and experiences as inspiration instead of the typical inspiration sources.  I hoped it would help me make my home be really about me and my family and not copied from some book or website.

So let’s look back and see what mood boards I came up with. The first was inspired by my father’s side of the family . . .

They are kind of traditional and classic. Lots of gold/brass, mirrors, and wallpaper with hints of natural elements sprinkled in there.

The other moodboard was inspired by my mother’s side of the family  . . .

 

They are a bit more rustic. Lots of leather, classic farm pieces, wood, and femine touches from my grandmother.

I thought about these boards, my grandparents, my happy childhood memories, and then went to work trying to combine these pretty different styles into one that I would want to bring into my own home. This is what I came up with . . .

 

It surprised me how rustic it ended up turning out, but there are just so many great rustic pieces out there right now. Now, I don’t think I can actually afford many of these pieces (of course) but this is an inspiration board after all, so it is just something to aspire to.

Here is the breakdown of what I was thinking-

Wallpaper: I like the idea of using wallpaper or a painting treatment to mimic wallpaper, since my grandmother uses wallpaper often throughout her house. But instead of mauve florals, I like the idea of using an earthier grass cloth. I have seriously always been in love with the stuff (it also reminds me of going to church, every LDS building in the west seems to have textured wallpaper). I am not sure if Jeff would ever allow it, or if we have the right space for it in this house, but one day I WILL get to use it!

Painting: I really want to collect paintings and art like mine and Jeff’s grandparents did. I feel like original art from an artist is maybe less available than it was for them, but thanks to Etsy and popular website like 20 x 200, great copies of art are more available than ever. I have always loved this print from 20 X 200. I could “imagine” the art piece without the typography in any of my family members’ homes, but the typography makes it more modern and suitable to our homes style. Jeff and I are already slowly starting our own art collection and I am excited to see it grow.

Light Fixture: I LOVE this light. It totally reminds me of the father’s mother! She loves glass and brass, it is all over her house, and the round globes kind of give the light a mid-century modern feeling to me, which also reminds me of her. I think if she were to redecorate a room right now she would totally want this light!

Mirror: This mirror was a good combination of both sides I thought. It’s a mirror, for my father’s side, but the rope and iron frame totally makes it work for my mother’s side. I would hang this up in my house in a second.

Chair: This chair was another great combination of my two worlds. The leather is totally up my cowboy lovin’ families alley, but the classically modern shape, kind of mid-century again, makes this chair reminiscent of the modern classic pieces the other side of my family uses. It’s a wonderful fit for my place, I love mid-century modern, have you seen my couch? Now only if I had a few grand to purchase two of them.

Side Table: This is me and my grandmother through and through. Every table in her house has a glass top and brass legs. It is just her. But again, the unique and modern shape would make it totally workable for a young family like mine.

Ottoman: There is just something I have always loved about ottomans. The idea of having one covered in a cowhide just blows my mind though. It is awesome sauce! (I know the thought of real animal hide at home may turn the stomach of many people out there, I get that, but having one or two hides around has just always been the way it was for me. However, having a stuffed and preserved deer head in my home would totally gross me out, so I get it. )

Sideboard: This sideboard from West Elm is amazing. It totally reminds me of the old barn wood that my grandparents used to panel their walls up at the cabin. I love how it is rustic, but with really clean and simple lines.

Rug: Since the cowhide is on the ottoman, I needed to do something else for the rug. And as much as I like the apple green shag carpet that my grandparents use to have, I decided to go with a more modern white shag rug. It would never survive in my house in real life, but it’s nice to dream!

Accessories: The drift wood, owl lamp, and geological rock book ends are a complete tribute to my father’s parents. The brass figurines, antler inspired candle holder, and vintage books are in tribute to my mother’s parents. They were all given a little bit of a fresh twist from how they display similar items in their homes but I think they work. I must say they all live quiet well together. My grandmother already gave me the brass giraffes who live in our guest room - I love them.

So that is that. I have enjoyed this experimental examination of my families style and how I could bring their touch into a more modern and family friendly space that I could create in my own home. Even if I can’t really afford many of these exact pieces, it gives me a great point of view to follow when I am shopping, rummaging in an old antique furniture store, or at my local thrift store. It defiantly feels homey and cozy to me.

(PS if you are worried that I’m not including my hubster in this style inspiration, I did try. I asked him about what he could remember from his grandparents’ places and what style of theirs he liked. I got a huge blank, yet confused, look from him. But I think his grandparent’s style was somewhat similar to my grandparents. One side was farmers/cowboys, another grandparent was also a math teacher, and in visits with his grandmother, I can see that they also appreciate original art. His great grandmother and great grandmother used to be quite the artist themselves.) Sorry if I forgot to link any image sources, I linked as many as I could remember.

Decorating by Memory- Part 2

A couple of months ago or so I started thinking about trying to decorate my home just based on the people and places that I love, instead of trying to find my homes style inspiration in more traditional places (ie: magazines, Pinterest, blogs). I discussed the whole idea here and even made up a mood board that reminded me of my grandparents (on my father’s side) style.

I told you it would take me forever and a day to get my act together and do one for my other grandparents (my mom’s side), and it did, but I am finally done with the mood board. You can see my mom’s side is a bit more rustic. My Grandpa is the truest cowboy I know, growing up on a farm, becoming a rancher and a teacher, makes things from leather, rides horses all over timbuktu, quotes cowboy poems at random, and always wears his cowboy boots and hat (even on Sundays). He is amazing. As is his lovely wife, my Grandmother. She is one of the best cooks I know, always smiling, and talented in whatever she tries her hand at. I’ve said it before; I have the coolest grandparents ever!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

(Sorry, I forgot to get image sources for 1 and 12)

  When I envision my grandparents style I envision:

·         Old barn or fence post wood covering walls. Antlers strewn about the cabin or mounted on the walls. My grandparents also have a great collection of wonderful art that they have collected from friends and purchased throughout the years hung all over their places. (A lot of it looks similar to painting #3.)

·         They also have brass and porcelain figurines that my grandmother has collected. These brass giraffes pictured in #4 are the same small figurines that she has already gifted to me. She has had them ever since I can remember. She also has glass grapes from the 70’s. Got to love it!

·         My grandparents are always wearing turquoise – rings, necklaces, belts, plain stones, what have you - and they always have some strung up on hooks in their bedrooms or bathrooms. Turquoise always reminds me of them.

·         I think of classic Windsor styled chairs, rustic leather and cowhides with them as well. They have similar furniture pieces at their place. Some of it that my Grandfather made himself, was inherited, or a rug made from a cow that they use to have on the ranch.

·         My grandparents use to live by an orchard and they still have wood orchard baskets that they re purpose and use to gather up other items now. Some of my favorite memories as child are riding through the orchard on horseback and being the perfect height to grab all the fresh peaches and plums that I could stomach!

·         #9 is a saddle stool. Obviously for their saddles, but we also use them to catch a seat if needed. They even have stools made from old milk jugs. I didn't quite understand why they'd want to sit on something so uncomfortable growing up, but now I like them for their rustic charm and 'use whatcha got' spirit.

·         Lastly, BOOKS! My grandfather was a teacher so it is no surprise that he has a lot of books, but his books are amazing, hard covered, worn, and smell like travel. His books follow them wherever they go, and they go a lot. Having books around me – good books – reminds me of him.

Next up in this little experimental series is my combo mood board. I am going to take inspiration from BOTH sides of my family and see what I can come up with for inspiration in my own place. How will I get them to meld together? Will I ever actually get it DONE? Who knows. Time will tell J

Decorating By Memory Part 1- (places you love)

I haven't wanted to blog lately. Which is a problem, because I blog to keep myself motivated and accountable. I blog so that I WANT to do crafts, make things, decorate, and be part of that community. Sadly, however, real life seems to be taking a hold of me lately. I am so busy that I can't keep my head on straight, let alone try to think of creating something pretty. I guess that is how summer always is though. So I thought up a plan to get myself motivated again. After all, fall is just around the corner, time for baking, making, and getting my act together!

Something I have always struggled with is "defining" my home decorating style. I never know if I'm classic, rustic, country, modern, or what. I take style quizzes and read up on the styles but nothing ever seems to fit me. That is when I it hit me, I am not one of those styles that can be pulled from a box. I am ME! And I am happiest when I am surrounded by those that I love and things that remind me of the amazing people in my life. I was a history major, so I have always been a sucker for history, but what I finally decided is that I want my home to remind me of MY history, my family, and all those memories that I treasure up in my mind. Not just with the pictures on the wall, but with my decorating style as well.

(This is a poorly taken photo of little me)

But how do I do that? Of course I have to have a plan. What is life without a plan? This is when I thought up my idea. Why not create mood boards and lists filled with things that remind me of the people and places that I love? If I fill my home with those things, then I will always feel comforted and loved at home.

First up, I decided to create a mood board after my Grandparents on my fathers side. Not necessarily things that they have in their house exactly, but things that remind me of them and hanging out with them, listening to their stories. Those are some of my most favorite and treasured memories!

Sources: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, 9, 10

 

This is how I envision my grandparents style. When I think of them and their homes I think of:

• Brass: Lots of gold and brass. I use to be a silver girl, but now I always find myself going for gold and brass over silver. I get it, my grandmother is a smart lady for liking these metals.

• Luxury: My grandmother is a very stylish and classic woman. One of my favorite stories is that she bought her mother a fur coat with her first real paycheck, when what they really could have used was something much more practical. So when I think of them I think of fur, velvet, soft shag carpet (like the green shag in their old house), beautiful floral wallpaper, crystals and sparkly things.
 
• Mirrors & Glass: My grandparents always have lots of mirrors around too. My parents inherited this extremely large mirror with a golden frame that goes above their fireplace. It use to be in my dads house growing up. Currently, my grandparents have two walls completely covered with mirrors in their house.
 
• Owls & Figurines: I also think of owls for some odd reason. My grandfather always reminds me of a wise old owl. No more reason behind it then that I guess. Plus, they have tons of figurines and chachkies from all of their worldly travels

• Rocks: My grandpa is always collecting cool rocks that he finds on his hikes and walks. He brings them home, places them in the garden or on a shelf. I try to do the same, but I don't find as cool of rocks as he does.
 
• Petrified Wood: Grandpa is also always bringing home drift wood or petrified wood. He sets it on a table and admires its shape and beauty. I love this about him. He finds beauty everywhere.
 
• Family Picture Galleries: My grandma has a row of family portraits that lines her hallway. They are all in non-matching gold frames. She keeps pictures of her loved ones always near her.
 
• Roses and Cyprus: Lastly, I also think of rose bushes and cypress trees. They have had them all over their yard in both of their houses. A good garden definitely reminds me of my grandfather.

Next up is my grandparent on my mothers side of the family. I have lots and lots of things to choose from there. Can't wait to put it together! (. . . but I will most likely get distracted and it'll take me a month- haha).



Window Shopping Wednesday- Art

Spring and summer really, REALLY make me want to go shopping. I've been having a hard time keeping my wallet in my pocket lately, and for some reason I keep wanting to get my wallet out to pay for some art.

It's not for very expensive, "La-Ti-Da" art, but I have a hankering for art. I haven't really spent much on art in my life. Maybe because I'm going to turn 30 soon is making me think I need some more grown up visuals on my walls?

Here's what's gotten' me drooling lately . . .

If I had children I would be all over these.

The wood print made out of animal silhouettes is beyond charming.

If I had a boy I would be all over that Rocket Print. Love the colors, love the graphics.

For a girl I would love that elephant print! It gets my imagination going.

Let's be honest, the Star Wars poster is for Jeff and I, but it'd still look cute in a nursery.

1, 2, 3, 4

I want these for me. The first scene I could see going in our hallway as just a happy little print.

I've wanted that Shore wording picture for almost a year. I should just really get it!

The Whippet print looks almost EXACTLY like Scout. Down to the spots on her nose!

I want that old WPA Zion poster for our office. It combines 3 of my favorite things- history: because it's a WPA poster, hiking: because I love to hike Zion, and travel: WPA posters were created to make people want to travel after the war.

1, 2, 3, 4

Who doesn't love a good map? These two would look wonderful in the office. I wish I could have them both, but they are some of the priciest pieces of art on the page!

1, 2

These last two maps are my favorite. I can imagine both very easily in our guest bedroom, but they are so pretty that I would hang them anywhere. Please, oh please, be mine!

1, 2

Window shopping online can be really fun, but come summer, and nearing my birthday, it really is hard not to pull the trigger and purchase one of these guys. Who knows, maybe I will someday. Maybe I'll get myself a birthday gift this year!

Online Decorating Magazine Amazingness

Did you know that you can peruse magazines online while you’re at work or just aimlessly searching the web? Sometimes without even having a subscription or anything. I’m not talking about the West Elm Catalog (although that is entertaining), but actual magazines that are only published online. It’s pretty amazing. I need to remember to check the sights more often.

So that I have everything all in one place, I thought I’d write down a list (I’m feeling very list-like lately) of all the cool sites that host online magazines.
Styled by a subtle revelry must be first on the list. Four to five years ago the creator of Styled, Victoria, and I were in the same spot. We were married with no children and working the same J.O.B. Her life however has truly transformed with the birth of her adorable twins, awesome blog, party planning services, and of course, a nifty online magazine free to you and me! Even without knowing her, its plain for everyone to see how hard she works on everything she does.

You can find Styled here.

Next on the list has to be Lonny Magazine. This Bi-monthly magazine is so great. The editor and chief is the same as that other beloved magazine that was squashed a few years ago. For the life of me I can’t think of the name of it right now, which is awful, but the magazine is most definitely not. Maybe Domino magazine? No matter, Lonny definitely stands on its own and I LURVE it!

You can find Lonny here.

I’m also starting to fall for Trad Home. I don’t know why the older I get the more traditional my taste becomes. I think it’s kind of odd, but I’ll go with it. Maybe it’s because I’m tired to paying for things and just want pieces that will last a long time? Whatever it is, Trad Home online magazine is a great way to introduce myself more fully into the world of traditional home decor.

You can find Trad Home here.

A more recent discovery to me is Matchbook magazine, even though they’ve been around for just over a year. This is a great “lifestyle” type magazine, more than just about pretty things, although there are plenty of pretty things to be found inside the pages (or screens ?) of this magazine.

You can find Matchbook here.

Another good stand by is Rue magazine. So, so pretty and full of inspiration. This one kind of skirts both design and lifestyle as well.

You can find Rue here.

And lastly I found a few other online mags while searching for all those links above. These look very promising and I’m excited to test them out!

Ivy and Piper

Nesting Newbies

Pure Green

I can barely believe all this amazingness is available for free online. I am not much for magazine subscriptions that come to the house, but I totally adore these online magazines. Enjoy!

The LIST

My last post about feeling like I’m in a rut with the house got me thinking about “my list”. You know, the list that I keep running in my head with all the ideas I have to revamp our little condhouse. Everyone has their own list. I recently came across a list Jeff wrote with ideas on how we should spend our tax return money (an awesome list with vacations, cool toys, and perks- but of course we are going to use it to reduce debt and not have any fun. We’re cool like that). I thought it was very enlightening because what’s on his list is very different than what is on the list I carry around in my head.


Back in January of 2010 I wrote a small list of things I’d like to change downstairs, so I thought I would jot down an updated list for the house and then, maybe – just maybe, I’ll even review my 30 x 30 list. I only have a few months for that you know. Imagine that Amber, don’t be scared, you’ll be alright! Gray type is the old stuff and blue is the NEW. Here she blows . . .

THE LIST

Kitchen:
Granite Updated counter top for the kitchen island
Cute cafe curtains for the kitchen window (I should post about this one)
Microwave mounted above the stove
Herringbone marble subway tiles for the back splash
Fix plumbing behind the fridge so we can hook up our water and ice

(I’d love new appliances too, but since those normally stay with a house, I think I’ll wait to make those big purchases in a more “forever home.”)


Living Area:
Nicer TV stand (not just my old dressers painted brown, maybe something that is actually wood),
Brown carpet tiles for an area rug, I got an even better rug! Woot! Woot!
Pair of unique antique chairs to replace the Salvation Army finds
Round glass kitchen table from Crate & Barrel w/ upholstered dining chairs
Buy/ make an upholstered ottoman/coffee table in burlap or something
Reupholster or make a slip cover for my sofa in a linen fabric
Add more texture to the room through fabrics, plants, and natural materials
Large art piece or installation to go above the sofa
Finish the flooring with baseboards and trim
Paint the Stairwell
Tare up the carpet on the stairs and install wood

Clean out the closet to prepare for when it’s a bedroom
Fix electrical for light and ceiling fan

our back yard no longer looks like this. All those plants died

Outside:
Fire pit
BBQ
More seating
Bamboo & Shrubbery (Something I won’t kill off so fast)
Stained cement
Update patio table top with rustic farm wood
Create a planting or art instillation to give us more privacy from the street
When kids come- make sand box, chalk board wall, and toy storage benches


Guest Room:
Turn into a Nursery/Kids room someday. (It is okay for now; we don’t really use it that often.)

Office:
Add art and accessories to the entire space
Add some kind of blind treatment
Paint the settee legs gray
Add texture with a rug, pillows and throws
Clean out the closet to make it more functional
Fix electrical for light and ceiling fan



Master Bedroom:
Re-paint the room a warm taupe-y gray. (Enough with the Easter green walls. I may even go white?)
Possibly do a wallpaper-like paint treatment on the bed wall
Navy and burlap decorative bed pillows
Better art for above our night stands
Make legs for Jeff’s night stand
Better style our nightstands
Buy an attractive laundry basket
Fix electrical for light and ceiling fan



Upstairs Bathrooms:
Paint Walls (Master= Navy, Hall=?)
Install Board &; Batten wall treatment
Flooring (hopefully cork)
Paint vanity cabinet
Update lighting
New shower curtains
Hang bathroom friendly art

Geeze, and I thought my Jan 2010 post was reaching for the stars. I’ve actually done better on that small little list then I thought I would ever do. Hopefully in another couple of years I have a few more checked off my list of wishes! (I understand this list means nothing to anyone except to me, so sorry for anyone who actually tried to read this.)

Alright that is enough listing for one day. I just don’t have it in me to look at my 30 x30 list today. I’ll take a gander at it next week. After all, a girls got to pace herself from all that list making and not actually doing anything. All that typing is just such hard work!

I'm Stuck!

I seriously feel like I am in a decorating/ updating rut around here. I’m at that spot in finishing our home where I don’t really know where to go or what the next step is. We have most of our main furniture pieces (even if I'd like to upgrade some of them), I think that our rooms function well for what we need, but I don’t know how to bring my house up to another level. What do I add? Should I take things away? Will I have to spend big bucks to get my home looking more polished? How do designers make a room feel so complete and finished?

I feel like I am at a crossroads of sorts. So, I have been trying to brainstorm and think about what I can do next. I tried to do some research on the subject but Google wasn’t playing ball. I guess Googling things like “How can I bring my homes decor up a level?” didn’t really translate well. It brought up pages that were literally talking about raising a home’s elevation. Eek! Not what I’m looking for!

So I looked up my Pinterest page and started to look at rooms that I like and decide what makes them seem finished? Here is a list that I’ve come up with for how improve my homes overall look:

Texture: There is so much beautiful fabric out there that I really should start adding more fun pillows, change up the curtains (or add curtains at all in other rooms), or be more creative covering items with it. No matter how much Jeff may disapprove I’d even like to add more rustic elements like burlap, wicker and wood. I need to start adding things that will bring in more layers on top of what I already have and I hope it will create more depth in our spaces.

Kristen, at the blog Sixth Street Design (source for the picture above), really knows how to do this. I think she may be obsessed with fabric and pillows a little bit . . . in a good way. But while following her blog I’ve been introduced to a lot of wonderful fabrics and has really made me aware of what a difference just a little (or for her, sometimes a lot) of fabric can do to a room.

Art: I am always way too cheap to buy real art. Like, I won’t even pay $30 bucks to get something off of Etsy. That may be okay if I had any artistic talent whatsoever, but I have tried making my own art before and failed miserably. I need to just buck up and but the Benjamin’s down! My grandparents have a cabin that is full of art and paintings they have collected over the years. I LOVE IT. Each piece has a story, or brings back memories of where it used to hang in their old house. I need to think of art as of an investment and something I will enjoy for many years. Maybe I’ll start slow, and purchase less expensive items first, then try and work up my courage for more substantial pieces.

Finish those finishing touches: DUH! I have lots of little unfinished projects around my house. Example? We still haven’t replaced our base boards from the flood. If I can tackle those small projects here and there I am sure my home will start to feel more finished. I’d like to have a few quick lessons and familiarize myself with Jeff’s power tools. That way I could safely dive into projects myself, instead of waiting around for that magical day when we are both off work at the same time. Last time we refinished the floors getting the molding done was my favorite part! I couldn’t believe what a different it made.
Go outside my comfort zone: Contrary to how it may sound above, I love my house. It totally feels like home to me, an escape from the big bad world. BUT, I think I need to stretch myself more when it comes to the interior. Maybe try a color I normally wouldn’t go for, or take a leap when I usually always hesitate. Nesting place did a post last year dedicating a day in March as "Take a Risk Day." I need to heed her advise and start taking a lot more risks around here!

I see stylist who suggest purchasing multiple items to try them out in a space to see which one works the best, and then return the ones that didn’t. I, of course being super cheap, would never try and do that. But, at the same time, I have issues like- I feel I can never get the bookcase in the living room styled right. Maybe it’s because I’ve had the same items on it for pretty much 4 years! I should try something new. Maybe multiples of something’s new and see what actually ends up working!



(Lucky for me one of my favorite stylist Emily Henderson is starting lessons on her blog next week about how to style things. Hurray for me . . . and anyone else that reads her blog. She is also the source for the picture above.)

If all else fails, hire a decorator for a consult: I most definitely can’t see myself laying out thousands of dollars for an interior designer to come re-do my house, but designers do a lot more than that these days. I could hire a designer to come in, look at my space with fresh, well trained eyes, and have them give me some new ideas on how to finish my space.

For a little more mula a designer can even be hired just to finish a space off and make it seem more complete. Crazy right? And with all the design bloggers out there that will send you a mood board or can be hired a la carte, it is more in reach these days than ever. I think it would be fun, but I’ll see how far I can get on my own first by trying some of these ideas above.

Master Bathroom Plans

I have some big plans for our Master Bathroom in addition to our Guest Bathroom, since really we should be taking care of that one first, as it’s the bathroom we use every day.



1) I have always liked Navy, White and Gray for bathrooms, and since we have Navy accents all over our master bedroom, I think this color combo will fit right in. I still want to paint the bathroom cabinet white, like in the guest bathroom, and above the board and batten we’ll paint a nice dark navy (like in the picture, which can be found here.) Our master bathroom has the most sunlight in our entire house, so I’m pretty sure it can handle a dark paint color. We'll see.

2) I’m still hoping I can score a deal on some new lighting for both bathrooms, but if I only find one sweet deal, it is definitely going to be going in this bathroom!

3) I like the idea of putting up some nautical or ocean like art and accessories to bring up the room a notch. This is a free print from the NYPL Digital Gallery. (I can get lost on that website for hours). I don't want it to scream NAUTICAL THEME in your face, but a few touches will go a long way. I'm really digging all this stuff with octopus prints lately.

4) We still want to DIY board and batten along with some new base boards. I think putting it in both upstairs bathrooms will add some character to this cookie cutter.

5) Again, the same cork tiles as the guest bathroom. Keeping a lot of the same materials in both spaces will help the upstairs flow well.

6) I really want to try my hand at this DIY shower curtain. It seems simple enough, and I love the thin blue strips and ruffles. It totally floats my boat! Oh, I can tell limiting the nautical touches is going to be hard for me!

Guest Bathroom Plans

In vain I have struggled, it will not due. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I want to renovate you!

It looks like bathroom renovations are making the rounds. I’ve recently seen these other bathroom renovations from other bloggers (here and here). Ugly bathrooms everywhere beware!

A couple weekends ago Jeff and I made a trip to Lowes to investigate this Board and Batten business I’ve been day dreaming about. We played around in the isles with different boards and trim to see what we’d like. We even came home with some boards.


Here is a secret about me, which anyone reading this blog could probably tell; I am not the biggest detail person when it comes to home design. I am more of a big picture kind of gal. I’m not too worried if what I’m doing is the correct way or will stand the test of time, as long as I get the overall look I’m after then I’m usually happy. (I am totally the opposite at work- perfectionist with everything. It’s weird.)

This drives Jeff NUTS! He doesn’t like to do the work necessarily, but he likes things done the right way and to perfection. If something isn’t straight or isn’t smooth with one of my home projects it eats at him until he has to fix it. He is my detail man.

Well, with the Board and Batten, I had chosen to follow this tutorial and use polyboard so the boards would be thin enough that I wouldn’t have to buy new base boards. When we tested it out in the isle of Lowes however, we realized that our cheap builder grade base boards were still a little too thin for the polyboards. Jeff knew the boards not sitting flush would drive him crazy.

Then we tried it with the baseboards we are replacing the downstairs with after the flood. They fit much better. After some discussion we decided this was the way to go. We’d just have to replace the baseboards anyways and suck up the cost. And if we were replacing the baseboards then we really ought to just tackle the floors at the same time. And if we were going to do all this work then we’d better do it the right way and start from the ground up instead of working from top to bottom. Oh, and we’d better do it for both upstairs bathrooms.

That’s right; we are just getting too far into it. I guess we both are annoyed by the bathrooms enough that I think my priming adventure is going to turn into two bathroom renovations or face lifts. What have I done? I’m still kind of hesitant to start with bathroom renovations when we have other priorities in our lives that should be taking precedent. Jeff’s answer to my hesitation was to just use what we’ve got. I always like this answer. So what have we got that we can use to fund these bathroom reno’s?


(Pic found here.)

We are going to just use what we have in our change piles around the house (all over the house), which is usually the change in Jeff’s pockets and the tips he gets at work. It may just take us forever, but at least we will be working towards more beautiful bathrooms and not dipping into any savings.

Trying desperately to bridal myself, I have come up with the following plan for the guest bathroom:

I need to plan this whole thing out in the beginning because it may take a very long time to get this all done using change from around the house! Here's the details (mostly so I remember).

1) Paint and accessories: I want to somehow use the dark gray and bright olive green that are on the shower curtain to inspire the paint color and the accessories that go into the room.

2) Lighting: This will probably be the last thing we put in the room, if even. The lighting that is in there works fine, but hollywood lights bug me, so if I can find a good deal I'll switch the lights out. (This fixture can be found here.)

3) Paint Cabinets: I plan to paint our vanity white (using the tutorial from here). The cabinet already has a lot of paint spills on it from the previous owners and the wood veneer itself doesn't seem to be standing up very well. A fresh coat of paint would do the vanity good.

4) Board & Batten: Hurray for installing some molding interest!

5) Cork Tiles: We want to lay down some cork tiles down in both bathrooms. Cork is a classic material used in bathrooms in other parts of the world and can stand up to moisture when properly treated. Plus another great bonus is that Jeff and I can do the labor ourselves, which we would not be able to do with installing tile in a second story bathroom with slanted floors. We like a medium toned brown, found this one at Lowes, but we'll shop around for the best price.

6) Change Shower Curtain: This is the current shower curtain in our master bathroom (it is olive green and gray, just a bad phone picture). I've always planned on moving it to the guest bath, which will one day be the kids bathroom. I love that it is really fun and kind of reminds me of bubbles but it doesn't scream KIDS BATHROOM!

This isn't really that much work, but knowing us and working with a pretty much non-existent budget, even this much work will probably take us a long time. Like, a really long time knowing us, but I refuse to lose hope. The bathrooms in this house are going to get better!

Of course this isn't everything on my wish list. I'd love to start from scratch, or at least change out the tub/showers and all the hardware, but I can deal with builder grade faucets and laminate counter tops in this house. That money will be better spent when we've settled into our forever home and not our home for right now.

How to Make a Moss Covered Letter- My Easter B

After perusing Pinterest last week for cute Easter decorations I decided to go home and make myself some Easter inspired décor. I started with the moss covered letter from here.


I kind of decided to make it before I ever hit up a store or anything. I was waiting for dinner to be cooked and decided to start doodling a “B” stencil outof an empty cereal box we had sitting by the kitchen trash can. Hey, I was bored and inspired, so it works.


Once I had cut it out I realized that it probably wasn’t thick enough to attach moss to, so I traced the stencil and cut it out of an empty cardboard box I had in the garage.


I glued the two “B” stencils together, just to make it a bit stronger, and because I had both cut out already, so I used them both. Once I had glued the two together I started to paint them with the 2 colors of green craft paint I had on hand. I have never done anything with moss before, so I wanted to make sure that if it didn’t give full coverage that the green paint would show through and not old trashed cardboard. I painted both the front and back. On the back I epoxied a soda tab at the top so that I could loop some ribbon through it later for hanging. By now my dinner was done. (Ding! Hello pot pie!)


The next day on my way home from work I picked up a few supplies at Michaels. One of course being moss ($7 before coupon), and the other I’ll get to in a bit. When I got home I traced and cut out my “B” stencil from the moss. I traced it a little bigger than the actual stencil because I had not worked with it before and I wasn’t too sure if I'd need extra moss. (Any extra I ended up folding over the cardboard “B” later, but I don’t think it was necessary. Especially with how thin my “B” was.)


Next I took my glue gun and just glued the moss to my cardboard, folding over any edges when needed, until I got the look I wanted.

I left it alone for another day and let it all dry. I filled in any sparsely covered spots with the lose moss I had from cutting out the moss stencil the day before. Once it was all purty I looped some ribbon through the soda tab and hung my new wreath from our living room mirror.

Don't mind the lines on the wall, that's just a shadow from the blinds. I should have pulled them up.


I lurve it! It seems fresh like spring to me.

My other Michaels purchase was a bag of eggs ($6 bucks before a coupon). I had some Martha Stewart Glitter that I picked up at TJ Max for $3 over a year ago. I’ve wanted to have some glittery Easter eggs ever since the purchase, so I just decided to do it already.


Once I got home though I thought the Michaels eggs were a little too purty to put glitter all over them, so I decided to split them up and glitter some and not glitter some.


No tutorial needed here really, I just painted the eggs with Elmer’s glue and sprinkled with glitter until it was all covered then let fully dry.


Along with my one other previous Easter décor . . . (Peep Calm and Carry on printable from here)

I now have a few other items to add to the collection. I am still considering making a bunting banner from burlap that says “He is Risen”, but for now I think I am good. My house seems much more Easterfied!

Pinterest Pickings- Easter

I made a goal with myself this past Christmas that I should try and add one decoration per holiday, every year. (Maybe not every holiday, but the ones I like.) Valentines totally passed me without too much thought, but I’ve already got my eyes on Easter. I love Easter and the real reasons for its celebration, not so much for the fake grass, plastic bunnies and all that. Although, the fact that Easter does have the best candy (hello Cadbury eggs!) doesn’t hurt.

Even though I love Easter, I have pretty much null in terms of festive decorations. Easter decorations seem to go cheap and corny pretty easily. There has to be some pretty and tasteful Easter décor out there, right? So, I turned to my favorite pal Pinterest to look for some Easter DIY inspiration and found some really cool ideas that would make for doable DIY decorations.

Wreaths:


I love this moss initial from here


This adorable wreath from here

Eggs:


This cool idea to decoupage eggs (could do with wood eggs too) from here


I love this idea to bring in the resurrection into your Easter decor. I would put "He is Risen" on mine. Find it here


I already have some Martha Stewart glitter for these eggs.

Other:


I have always wanted one of these Easter trees, but I can't ever seem to find the right branches.
This has totally gotten me motivated to make at least one thing this year for Easter. I was also thinking of trying to start a tradition of maybe making a breakfast quiche or a pear tartine or something every Easter morning. Or maybe reading about Christs resurrection before heading out to church. It totally handle some family traditions.

Slow Down Nelly!

I am desperately trying not to let my priming the guest bathroom turn into two total bathroom overhauls. My design sensibilities are quickly running faster than my bank account can keep up with. I find myself drooling over these amazing new cork tiles I found via Pinterest . . .



Maybe wanting to change out the lighting to something less Hollywood . . .

And totally jonesin’ for some marble counter tops . . .


BUT, in reality, I really should just be trying to figure out a paint color, right? (Thanks for the suggestions) I have many home decorating fantasies. Yes, they really are fantasies, I dream about decorating sometimes once or twice a week. It’s a sickness. And again, yes, it really does feel like a sickness when you don’t have the funds or talent to pull them off.

There is one fantasy, however, that I think we might actually be able to bring into reality. I love the look of Wainscoting or Board and Batten in a bathroom. It looks great in any room really, but I’ve always had a soft spot for that traditional touch in a bathroom. Both our bathrooms are so small I couldn’t imagine that it’d be too much money or hassle to try our hands at a DIY wall treatment.

Those may be famous last words, but I started to look into the process and what it might cost. There are many tutorials on the subject and lots of information out there to find. I first started to look up the ones I’ve had pinned on Pinterest, you can find them here, here, and here.



Here is what I took away from my quick research:

1. Board and Batten can typically be accomplished for less money than Wainscoting, especially if you planned on using a Wainscoting Kit to make it a little easier on yourself (like I would).



2. There seems to be a couple of standard heights for Board and Batten, the lower height is 3 feet and the taller is 5 feet.



3. There doesn’t seem to be a standard for the width between the vertical boards. I saw everything from 16 inches to 24 inches. Most people stayed bigger than a foots width between the boards, but it was just dependent on their space and airvac returns, light switches, and whatnot.



4. In order to cut costs on the Board and Batten, you can forgo the Board (the smooth back paneling boards) and just put up the Batten (the vertical boards.)



5. The costs seemed pretty steady between $100- $250 bucks for a modest sized room.



6. I totally want to actually price out what it would be to Board & Batten my bathrooms! I can maybe do this!

I don’t want to get too carried away with the bathrooms. I shouldn’t put that much money into the house due to the ever falling Vegas home values, but doing a little somethin’ somethin’ to make our years here more enjoyable isn’t all that bad. I’m excited to have something kind of figured out for the space and to make a trip to Lowes over the weekend and see what I can figure out! Maybe I’m just procrastinating picking a paint color, but I’d like to think I’m making some kind of decision making progress!