Decorating |

Versatile Pieces for Entertaining AND Decorating

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Christy

It seems like we entertain a lot in my household! We are lucky to have friends and family who love to drop in for a few days (or longer). We do tend to see them more when we’re stationed in fun locations–Virginia Beach and Nashville have kept my guest room full–and I’m guessing that Savannah will continue that streak. Plus, with a husband in the military, we have hosted so many unit get-togethers over the years, and that’s one 0f the things that we both enjoy.

While I am absolutely not afraid to serve my guests on paper plates (I LOVE to throw away the dishes when we’re done!), I do still look for display and serving pieces that will help me to dress up a table or an event, even if we’re just using paper and plastic. Presentation is everything! I wanted to show you guys a few things I’ve found over the past months that look great incorporated into my home decor, but will also do double-duty when I need to entertain.

I found this cute chalkboard at Hobby Lobby for $10. It’s hanging on my pantry door right now, but it also has an easel stand on the back. Wouldn’t it be a great menu board at a party? Amy shows you how to make one of your own here. By the way, even if I don’t update what’s for dinner every day, I do have to update which kid sets the table and which kid clears it. Clearing the table is their least favorite thing in the world and heaven forbid they have to do it two nights in a row! I always remind them that I have to cook every. single. night, but they are unmoved by my plight (much as I am by theirs!).

I’ve been looking for a nice old toolbox, and I have no doubt that I’ll find one at some point, but I found this new-one-that-looks-old at Home Goods a few weeks ago. I’ve been putting my fresh fruit in it on our kitchen island, but notice that we’re completely out at the time the picture was taken. Guess it’s time to go to the store!

There’s a plastic liner inside, so it could hold herbs, too. My plan for it during our next party is to line it with napkins or towels (maybe even burlap?) and fill it with rolls or small bags of chips.

This great tiered basket looks like chicken wire and is a gorgeous gray color. It was $15 at Hobby Lobby (you probably already knew this, but you must only buy these items when they’re on sale for 50% off!). It also folds, making it super-easy to toss in the car for a function that’s not at your own home. I see it holding plates, napkins, and cups, although it would look equally nice holding the rolls and chips, like I mentioned above. While it’s at work in my house, it’s going to either hold washcloths and towels in the bathroom; or onions, potatoes, etc. in the pantry. I haven’t decided yet!

I made a trip to World Market last weekend. I can’t go very often–Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, and World Market are absolutely deadly for me and I have to limit my trips! I snagged two darling pieces, though. First, the “Patisserie” cake carrier:

Source

It’s only $24.99, and so cute and retro! I almost sent Amy one for her birthday, but opted for jewelry at the last minute. It’s perfect to carry a cake, pie, or cupcakes to an event, and it dresses up my pantry’s top shelf in the meantime.

The other thing I bought was this wire 3-tier drying rack for glasses. Now, I’ll admit that I’m not sure that I’m going to keep this one, even though I love its industrial look. The price was right at $14.99, and it’s solid and well-made, but I’m not sure I want something else on my counter. If I had a baby and was constantly air-drying bottles, I’d use this in a HEARTBEAT. It would also be great for smaller buffet-style parties–which is why I bought it. What do you guys think?

Source

I’d love to hear what you all use to multi-task between decorating and entertaining. Obviously, pieces like old enamelware and wash basins are classic for icing down drinks, but do you have any other great creative ideas? Share them so we can all “borrow!”

Thanks for stopping by~

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Posted in Entertaining | Tagged Decorating, entertaining, pieces, versatile | 6 Comments

Turquoise, Pink, and Purple Bulletin Board

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Terry

Big Girl Bedroom with New Custom Made Cork Board

My son’s very best girl friend recently turned 7. Hannah the Banana is a sweet girl near and dear to all of our hearts, especially my oldest son’s. They grew up together, born a couple months apart, and have been connected ever since. It is such a sweet relationship, one that I hope never changes.

Her amazing mama turned her little girl room into a stylish big girl room as one of her birthday gifts. I, of course, wanted to be a part of this transformation and thought that a bulletin board would be the perfect accent piece and a special gift for a growing girl. With new bedding ordered and a color palette of turquoise, purple and pink I quickly got to work.

I have done a few bulletin boards around my house and love to see how a bit of fabric and glue can really change up a cheap cork board. Since this was a gift, I wanted to create something a bit more special. HomeGoods sells amazing framed bulletin boards, so that was my first stop. They didn’t have the color I wanted so I simply spray painted the board bright turquoise.

Bright Turquoise Frame!

Next was finding the perfect fabric to cover the cork. Her new big girl bedding had lots of bright colors and patterns with a bit of a Moroccan feel to it. I felt that I needed a neutral fabric to match her new bedding but I didn’t want a solid white. I found this amazing fabric with a circular patterned print that worked perfectly with her bedding.

Spray Glue works wonders on cork boards... I really love that stuff.

I tacked the corners of the fabric to hold it in place while the glue dried.

I wanted to add a border and found this hot pink pom pom trim that I fell instantly in love with. It still has that Moroccan feel but it is also playful and girly. I didn’t want to choose something too grown-up for the border as she is only 7. My girlfriend and I embrace that our kids are growing up, but we also want to enjoy each phase. I definitely wanted something that reflected her maturing style but I also wanted to keep it age appropriate. I am in no rush to for anyone to grow up fast ! I think the pom poms are a sweet touch of fun and color.

Hot pink pom pom trim makes the perfect statement!!

I finished off the pom pom trim with some silver accent tacks.

I felt that I needed to include some fun push pins to tie it all together. Since I already had these silver pins on hand, I figured that I could jazz them up for her girly board. I had some extra pom pom trim and cut off a few poms and hot glued them to the top of the pin. I also purchased a .99 cent flip flop bedazzle kit from JoAnn Fabrics a while back and loved the idea of adding some flowers and jewels to this piece. I simply separated the jeweled flowers from the set and hot glued those to the top of the push pins, which added a bit of whimsy to the board.

Creating custom push pins to match this fun big girl bulletin board

I also had purchased a wooden “H” to personalize her board. I wasn’t sure what to do with it but I wanted to have something hanging on the board when we presented her gift. I had lots of purple glitter and some clear spray paint top coat. It was as simple as that!! I stapled some ribbon to the back of the H and hung it center stage.

I simply covered the "H" with Mod Podge and then sprayed a clear top coat to ensure the glitter wouldn't come off.

Here is the final product hanging in her new and improved big girl bedroom. Check out her new bedding and adorable her peace sign artwork. She is growing up, as is her fashion forward style!

Big Girl Bulletin Board

Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in DIY, Kids Rooms, Organization, Real Spaces | Tagged bedroom, bulletin board, Decor, Decorating, girls, Pink, Purple, Push pins, Turqoius | 7 Comments

Bible Study Brunch {Easy Entertaining}

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Terry

This post will kick of a new series here at 11 Magnolia Lane called “Easy Entertaining” which will offer our menus, recipes and tips to easily pull together events in your home.

This spring I volunteered to host a Bible study. I am really excited to have such a wonderful group of ladies come into my home to discuss this wonderful book, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Ann is an avid blogger, homeschooling mother of six children, and Christian woman who admits that her life is a mess but finds grace every day through God. I was in tears reading the first chapter, but don’t let that derail you! It is really a beautiful story which I am grateful to read and share with you.

One Thousand Gifts, Bible Study

Anytime I have people over I do three things. First, I bake something tasty, then I add some flowers around the house (usually something I can pull from outside as I hate to pay for flowers) and lastly, I tidy up!

I love to entertain with something homemade to make my guests feel welcome and comfortable. While it is not expected that I would do this every Wednesday for Bible study, I guess I just cannot help myself as cooking and baking make me happy. Here are a few easy steps to creating the perfect brunch for 10-15 women, whether it be a Bible study or just brunch with friends.

What to serve

Try to serve something most people love. Banana bread is always welcome, and I always have over-ripened bananas in the freezer so they are always available when I am ready to bake.

Most guests love muffins of any kind, so having a variety of breakfast breads is a bonus. Whenever I bake muffins I always freeze half the batch. It is a great way to be prepared for a party even if you don’t have time to bake something homemade. Muffins last awhile in the freezer and taste wonderful after they thaw. Since I had 6 blueberry muffins hanging out in my freezer ready to go, the only thing I had to bake for this gathering was the banana bread. Of course, there are plenty of store-bought options for baked goods but I prefer to make things myself as I know I am adding fresh ingredients, which makes it healthier.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
1/2 bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. gentle mix in chocolate chips with a spoon and then pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins pulled from my freezer

adapted from Cooking with Coconut Flour by Bruce Fife

Ingredients

3 eggs
3 T melted virgin coconut oil
3 T raw honey
1/8 t almond extract
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 C sifted coconut flour
1/4 t baking powder*
1/2 C fresh blueberries*

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Heat an empty pan until hot, and turn off the heat and melt the coconut oil.
Blend all ingredients, except the blueberries, in a high speed blender until smooth. *I have a Blendtec and use the batter button.
Fold the blueberries into the batter.
Pour the batter into 6 lined muffin cups.
Bake for 16 minutes.

Notes

These are enjoyed best warm from the oven.
I’ve made them again and they puff up more with 1/2 t of baking power and brown a little more. I like them better this way.
Frozen blueberries tend to make the muffins a bit soggy, if this is your only option, try using sugar instead of honey.

In addition to the bread and muffins, I served iced water, hot tea, and coffee as they are really the perfect complement to any breakfast bread. I know the ladies enjoyed having something to nibble on while we dove into Chapter 1.

How to decorate

Spring Flowers

Spring is here and there is an abundance of flowering bushes and trees all around my property. I simply went outside and cut some spring branches and placed them around the house to bring outside beauty in.

I created two centerpieces simply by filling two large glass cylinder vases with some of the fresh cut blooms. The first vase I used as a centerpiece for the buffet table. It was simple, pretty and added that special touch that every party needs.

Buffet table with spring flower centerpiece

The glass vase didn’t work as well for my entry table so I needed a simple fix to cover up the glass. I simply wrapped two pieces of printed craft paper around the tall glass vase which added a bit of color and the extra flare my entry hall needed. It really changed the look of the vase and it seriously took two seconds to tape the craft paper to the base.

Entry table with craft paper wrapped vase

Lastly, I had a few sprigs left over that I simply laid around the house on trays and books, etc…

Use leftover flowers as decorative accents

Presentation

Don’t stress over a perfectly clean house. That is something I have had to let go of over the past six years as I have two small boys and they just make my house messy:). Stick to your normal cleaning routine and on the morning of your party, take 30-45 minutes to tidy up where your guests will be. Straighten up the pillows on the couch, fold the throw blankets, wipe down the counters, and check the bathrooms. Typically you will have to clean more after your party (especially if you’re serving food), so don’t stress over the larger cleaning tasks like dusting, scrubbing or vacuuming. Tidy up and have a fabulous and easy brunch!!

Don’t forget to enter our spring giveaway for a gorgeous natural burlap tote {here}.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining, Events, Weddings & Events | Tagged Banana Bread, Blueberry Muffins, brunch, Decorating, Spring | Leave a comment

Decorating for the Next Ten Years

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Amy

Christy's Kitchen Re-do

First off, I am by no means and expert or even a decorator but recently I find myself more frequently having discussions with friends about ways to update their home (especially their kitchen and bathrooms) and not:

hurt their resale value
do something they won’t like in a few years
not have to spend a fortune on a complete overhaul.

Many people I know purchased a new home (or new to them home) during the real estate boom in the early 2000′s. At that time, I was selling homes for a high-end builder so I was involved in the kitchen decor selections for literally hundreds of homes. What I recall is at that time everyone wanted the same thing–some combination of cherry or maple cabinets with a beautiful wood stain and granite countertops. Stainless appliances were still an upgrade some buyers weren’t willing to pay a premium for but double ovens with a separate cooktop were already an essential.

So, I am guessing many readers are thinking, “Yep, that is my kitchen!”.

This is my kitchen, we built the house in 2004. As you can see, we didn’t have the budget for stainless or granite, or even double ovens then.

My former kitchen

If we hadn’t moved last year, no doubt I would have done a revamp on this kitchen, probably on a smaller scale then Christy’s amazing kitchen re-do but an update none-the-less.

The obvious way to update your kitchen nowadays is painting the cabinets and add new countertops. If by some chance you haven’t seen the update Christy did to her kitchen here is Part 1 and here is Part 2. It was a huge project for her with a big pay-off, she went from a nice kitchen to an AMAZING kitchen, and made it truly hers.

After designing a new kitchen this year and staring at hundreds of kitchens online, I can safely say the trend is white cabinets with granite counters, a combination I love. Like this kitchen in Christy’s former home that inspired much of my current kitchen decor picks.

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But, a friend asked me last week, “will that be the next “dated” look? And, if it is what will be next?” And, that is what I have been pondering.

As I mentioned in my kitchen post I knew I wanted white cabinets in my new home. I really love clean, light “white” but not everyone does, I know that. However painted/colored cabinets are really growing on me, especially light gray like these.

The beautiful kitchen from Life in Grace

What about black cabinets? {I foresee something similar in Terry’s future kitchen re-do, No?} Leave it to Tori Spelling, I thought the cabinets in one of her homes, which they had painted black, were just fabulous.

Black cabinets in Tori Spelling's Kitchen via Decor Pad

I also like the look of “mixed” finishes quite a bit, and expect this trend will continue to grow in popularity. And what it means is that you can re-do only one of your main kitchen elements like the island and not the entire kitchen, which is a great time and money saver.

I love the green cabinet with the dark island

This picture (above via Decorpad) exemplifies so many current trends. The contrasting dark island brings in furniture details and of course there is exposed shelving but how about that gorgeous glassed-in cabinet? I. Love. it.

Another trend that is also a reasonably easy update is to bring furniture elements into your kitchen. Kitchens with character often look like the elements were acquired over time, and not only do furniture-style cabinets add interest but they also obviously add great storage. Now if I could just find one like this for my home…

source

Granite cabinets still remain the gold standard, but as with anything that becomes wildly popular it’s possible they will become the hallmark of this decorating era. We went with the carrara marble in our home as I have mentioned, but I also love seeing stainless steel and butcher block/wood counters which can be less costly alternatives.

: source

How many great ideas does this picture encompass? The wood countertop, the furniture island and that fabulous paneled ceiling?

Aside from the beauty shots I used above to exemplified what I see as trends, what I really want to talk about are real, everyday updates to standard builder kitchens. If you have spent anytime in “blogland” you are familiar with some of them, but they all show such creative ways the average person can make their home truly theirs. And that is really what its about at the end of the day, right?

: Jones Design Co

This is such a creative remake of a builder kitchen, with beadboard, removing the upper cabinets to make open shelving, and adding a banquette. I love that most of it they did themselves and were fearless with their choices.

: At the Picket Fence Kitchen Re-do

And how about At the Picket Fence? They even gave us a nice compilation pic that shows the before. I love her kitchen island re-do, it has SO much more character and interest now and she did it herself!

If all else fails, this re-do shows a great simple way to add character. Creatively Living took off her cabinet doors, painted chalkboard paint on the backs of her cabinets and added some beautiful styling. What a fresh change.

: Creatively Living at Home

I saw this kitchen makeover recently at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and couldn’t pin it to my Kitchen Inspiration Board at Pinterest fast enough.

: Remodelandolacasa.com

I plan in the future to copy her vent hood cover, and I love how she went at her standard builder kitchen and made it look like a professional designer, contractor and a whole crew of tradesman were involved. I am pretty sure if she and Christy got together, there wouldn’t be much “ugly” decor left in the world anywhere!

These are just a few ideas and inspirations. We plan to continue this series with a few more posts. Christy will be talking about ways to add value to your home, as a military wife who moves constantly she knows her stuff. I will be back with a final post on getting over that fear of “messing up” your home, something I think we all deal with.

In the meantime, what did I miss? Let me know what other fabulous kitchen makeovers are out there that I didn’t cover.

Thanks for stopping by,

Linking up to~

Posted in Home Inspiration, Real Spaces | Tagged Decorating, Design, diy, kitchen, kitchen trends, paint, painted cabinets | 3 Comments

Home Goals for 2012

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Terry

This is a great blog challenge–one where you can sit down and outline what you plan to tackle in your home this next year. We are joining in at The Nesting Place “Home Goals” challenge today and sharing what is topping our home “To-Do” lists as the new year begins.

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I have three large projects planned for our home this new year.

The biggest project we have planned this 2012 is turning a part of our “L” shaped basement into an office/education room for me and my boys. This project requires some hired help, I wish I felt handy enough to do it all on my own but sometimes you just have to ask and/or pay the professionals. Here are a few shots of our before basement. Work begins this month so I hope to have lots of updates over the next few months on 11MagnoliaLane.

Our second project is adding a bench seat to our kitchen dinning area. The bench seat will offer some additional storage as well as two custom book shelves to store my favorite cookbooks. I love the design our contractor and I came up with. I think it will work well with the half wall that separates the kitchen and family room. I am also super-excited to have cushions and pillows made to add some style and color to the kitchen area.

Our last project is to paint our staircase railing black as well as remove the carpet and add ebony wood steps with a white kickboards. We recently had a flood and had to replace all the hard wood floors on our entire main level. We originally had 1.5-inch cherry planks and we decided to upgrade 4-inch ebony beech. We are thrilled with the results but the cherry railings and tan carpeted steps are an eyesore when you enter into our home compared to the new floors. So that is our final “must do” project for 2012.

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With a brand new house my list of projects is a mile long! To be honest, sometimes I stare at these new rooms and think where am I going to start? This post gave me a good jumping off point, and here are the top priorities on my “to-do” list.

Starting with my kitchen…I have a great new kitchen but it needs some personalizing and some “warming up”. It also needs more storage as I have the world’s smallest pantry (in my opinion…). So here is what I am working on in the breakfast area… new curtains, covering shades for the chandelier, adding open shelving above the desk and I am trying to hunt down a cabinet off Craigslist to help store some of my kitchen overflow. Oh, and we are also having a bench built (just like Terry) for under the window area for more seating.

This is what we hope will be our new kitchen table, I just sanded it down today. I adore my round one (shown above) but it just doesn’t hold the 5 of us comfortably.

This was the table my family used when I was growing up. I actually sanded off some of my younger brother’s childhood “doodling” on it today (from about 20 years ago) which made me glad we were re-purposing it. It is butcher block, so its crazy heavy. Maybe once I make it pretty again my husband will forgive me for carting it along with us through like 20 moves?

After the kitchen, my laundry room is high on my list. I have laundry room envy whenever I see Christy’s gorgeous laundry space! {Notice we have the same chandelier? We do that sometimes, unintentionally, our taste is very similar}. I have a nice space to start with, but need to make it more practical with organization, shelving and some color.

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I’m kind of heaving a sigh of relief because my biggest project, the kitchen, is DONE DONE DONE (not that I’m gloating or anything). But, there’s plenty more to do. My husband keeps wondering what I actually liked about this house when we bought it, since I’m changing everything! I keep telling him that I saw the potential and I just need to bring it out. Not sure if he believes me.

At the top of my list for 2012 is the master bedroom, sitting area, and bathroom. I think we often neglect our master bedroom when we move–first we paint and fix up the kids’ rooms so they’ll feel at home right away, then I deal with the kitchen and the living areas, and then finally (maybe) I get to the master bedroom. But, really, it should be a room that we love to be in. I’m almost embarrassed to show you the paint color on the walls now, but you’ll understand why it has to go:

The picture doesn’t really capture the brightness of the green. My dining room was painted almost this exact color, but that was ten years ago. My, how our tastes change! I’ve already painted the master bathroom (Pebble Beach by Benjamin Moore, it’s gray with a tiny touch of blue), and the sitting area got the first coat tonight. The actual bedroom will be last because I have to find a friend or neighbor with an extension ladder so I can get to the vaulted ceiling. Good times! Here’s a sneak peak at the bathroom so you can see the color:

The best part of the bathroom is the rocking chandelier I bought off Craigslist and hung over the bathtub, but you’ll just have to wait for the reveal to see that!

Another task is to put built-in shelves in the bathroom, and possibly in the sitting area. My chief contractor, aka my husband, will be starting that this weekend. Also, my entire house needs crown molding, and I will finally get to use that nail gun I got for my birthday! Last, but not least, I want to hang sheer curtains on the screened porch. I scored some gauzy (almost tulle) curtains at Ikea in December that were 2 for $4.99, so once spring is sprung, they’ll get to go out back to dress up the porch. Maybe in each corner?

I’ll think of more along the way, I’m sure. After all, give me a can of spray paint and I’m happy! Meanwhile, we’re all looking forward to sharing with you as we reach our 2012 home goals!

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Don’t forget to enter to win the yummy Toyko Milk handcream and beautiful Ruby Red Ring we are giving away this week! Enter by leaving a comment on the post HERE.

*ALSO*

For those local Warrenton, Virginians…Janet from The Empty Nest is giving an Annie Sloan chalk paint demonstration on Saturday January 21st, check out the details HERE.

Posted in General & About Us, Home Inspiration, Real Spaces | Tagged 2012, Decorating, diy, goals, home | 8 Comments

Home & Garden Tour

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Amy

Yesterday was a fabulous girls day. Terry & I and our friend Lydia, went on the Garden & Home Tour here in our area. As Terry was the smart girl who remembered her good camera, she will have to follow-up with the good pictures. But here is just a taste of what I caught with my phone. The homes were stunning, and the gardens gorgeous.

This is just the garage/guest house, wait until you see the rest.

This is the kitchen garden. It would make Martha Stewart jealous!

Someday I plan to design my pool around a gorgeous flowering tree, too. Stunning!

So, I think I will just move in here this summer...

Did you want to see these close up? Here they are. Those Garden Club Gals know what they are doing don't they?

We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the homes (ok maybe we took one or two…but don’t tell!) so we have tons more to share. It was a wonderful day, especially enjoying a relaxing girls lunch in the midst of all the hard work of home touring.

I hope everyone enjoys a very blessed Easter holiday.

Posted in Events, Home Tours, Real Spaces | Tagged Decorating, Gardens, Home Tour, pool | Leave a comment

Builder Kitchen Island Re-do

Posted on April 15, 2011 by Amy

Kitchen Island

While I never loved my builder cabinets, I especially hated the fake looking wood on my very standard kitchen island. So, a few years back I took a paint brush to my island thinking I might eventually redo all the cabinets. Well, life happened {and my third child} and my kitchen island literally sat half-done for years. It drove me crazy, but somehow I never got around to finishing it off.

Here in the "in-between" with 3 sides painted.

Yes, I was too chicken to paint the front cabinet doors, so for several years (I still can’t believe it as I type it) it sat like this, with the front still in the natural color. {Can I tell you how happy I was when I saw that Thrifty Decor Chick did the same thing? Validation!}.

But, with our impending move, I finally motivated to finish the project. And you know, it was so easy I don’t know why I put it off for so long?

The finished result is so much nicer. While our grand plan was to have a larger granite piece put on the top so we could seat all 3 children at the island, we will leave that up to the new owners of this home. All I did –other then sanding, priming and painting all 4 sides (this time) a creamy white– was that I added basic corbels from Home Depot under the counter and thick baseboard trim around the bottom. Very simple updates, but it looks so much more custom now.

The "After", So much better...

Linking up to~

Posted in Before and After, DIY, Home Inspiration, Real Spaces | Tagged Decorating, easy updates, kitchen, kitchen island, painting cabinets | 3 Comments

I {heart} IKEA…

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Amy

Last week Terry and I got ourselves a babysitter and went off on a field trip to IKEA. I was in search of new family room curtains (you can read about my Ballard failure HERE) and some more storage to make my soon-to-be “for sale” house less cluttered. Terry is creating a fabulous kid/art/storage/learning center in her basement (maybe that was still a secret?) Anyway…its going to be AMAZING, but I will let her tell you more on that soon.

We had a great time. IKEA can be so very overwhelming, so we didn’t linger too long in the areas that didn’t have what we were trying to focus on. This is, to me, the only way to deal with the place –when you suffer from Design ADD like I do– unless you want to never accomplish anything and feel overwhelmed at the end of the day. Of course when this happens I am also strangely inspired by all the cheap creative design ideas that run around in my head upon leaving the place!

Here are some of the quick snaps I took of what I was impressed with this trip. (sorry for I-phone photos in the strange IKEA lighting)

I LOVE this new white furniture…I really would like this glassed in Armoire in my daughter’s room. Its really an adaptable piece that will work as she grows, and I think it was only around $300? And it has a matching dresser too.

And this bookcase wall could work anywhere, what great storage. And I have always loved these chaise lounges…my bedroom really needs one, I think…

In the kitchen section, I loved both of these …the gray subway tile was so fresh paired with their white cabinets. I could also see this in a yellow/white/gray kitchen, which is so popular right now.

And…for those that don’t like the idea (or work involved) of painting older cabinets, new IKEA cabinets are a great option. These black cabinets were really nice looking, and they would work great in an office space too. (like my black and beige office space, maybe?)

I did find curtains, they have a great selection…I will be back with a post on my family room update, we are two weeks and counting on listing the house for sale. I have a TON to do!

More info on these products can be found here:

http://www.ikea.com/

Posted in General & About Us, Home Inspiration, Shopping | Tagged cabinets, Decorating, Ikea, inspiration, shopping, white | Leave a comment

And Finally…A Headboard

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Amy

While you can certainly find upholstered headboards galore in “Blogland”, I am so pleased that a) I got around to making one and b) that it came out just how I wanted it to, so I had to share.

For YEARS my husband and I have needed a real grown-up bed, and we have been planning on upgrading to a king-sized “Sleep Number”–but life tends to get in the way and we have yet to do so. While that is still our plan, this will then become our guest bed (hopefully) in the near future. I expect it will get a lot of use as we are moving to the beach, and therefore hoping for lots of company!

A few things I wanted to mention now that I have completed this project. Its SO easy! It took me just a few hours, and cost less then $100. The hardest part was getting it hung on the wall. Its still not 100% straight and that would be because our level has gone missing, it would have helped to have it. My husband and I each say the other used it last…hmmm….

First off, I procrastinated this project for months years because the idea of getting to Home Depot and getting a 70″ by 30″ board, cut and out the door with (screaming) child (ren) in tow was just too much for me. So, in my usual fashion, last weekend I sent my husband to handle it for me, which he kindly did. I purchased regular right-off-the-rack linen from Joann’s…I didn’t want to wait for special order fabric. I was nervous about this, but it worked perfectly. I did use a cotton lining layer over the batting just as a precaution, however.

My favorite part is the Monogram. Can I tell you how wonderful Diane is from Klein’s Embroidery? She was super patient with my (graphic designer) self that just needed a particular style of “B” for our monogram. She let me find one on the internet (which I did from Embroidery Arts) and she downloaded it for me and created perfectly on my fabric. And, she now has it on file so I can use it on other projects from here on out, my perfection-istic side is just thrilled to pieces with it. (Any of you with a “B” name out there are welcome to use it, just give her a shout!)

I used the nailhead trim on a roll, which was really easy to use, but hard to find. I ordered it from Beacon Fabrics and I have tons leftover.

We hung it in the wall studs, with D ring hooks as I saw recommended by Centsational Girl (who has a great, inspiring tutorial on this project here) and since its coming down in a few months to move, we didn’t stress too much over it, but it seems very secure and at least not too likely to fall on our heads when we sleep.

I won’t bore you with all the steps. But here is a quick look at what I did…

Here is the fabric, which I spent a great deal of time ironing first. Isn’t that monogram pretty? I love monograms…sigh…

I covered the board first in white cotton batting (two layers) stapled it on, and then over that, stapled on plain white cotton lining fabric and pulled very tight.

Here is the “underlayer” picture.Here it is all covered.I added the nailhead trim (oops no picture) but its easy. And here it is all, hung up and done. Like so many things, I wish I had done it years ago!

Note: I am now off in search of the perfect accent pillow…that cute fleur de lis is “borrowed” from my living room for the photo op. (I just couldn’t wait till I found a new one to post this) So, I am off to ETSY to search for the ideal grainsack or maybe burlap little pillow…hmmm….we’ll see what I find! Suggestions?

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Posted in DIY, Home Inspiration, Projects & Printables, Real Spaces, Uncategorized | Tagged Decorating, diy, headboard, make your own, Monogram, nailhead trim | 4 Comments

Model Home Inspiration

Posted on January 16, 2011 by Amy

Yesterday Terry and I (along with our friend Trinity) stopped off at a Model Home in our area. Its been awhile since I had been in one, but this one was an amazing source of decorating ideas. We were “oohing” and “ahhing” and had our I-phone cameras snapping away throughout our visit.

Terry is going to have to follow-up with a “part two” post, she has some pictures I didn’t take especially of some very pretty (and easy to copy) window treatments which are pictured below. Model homes usually have a color scheme throughout and the Designers have a “theme family” (ages, number of kids etc.) in mind. This home was rich in vibrant reds, beige and black–jazzed up with some fun animals prints. I am more of a “light color” person (really, my whole house could be white, white, white if I didn’t have messy children) but I still found many design ideas I loved.

Here is some inspiration ideas from the home I thought I would share.

Game Table In the Basement (Cute Chairs!)

A cool room for a guest or teenage girl (love the wall treatment)

I could (may have to...) make this mirror

Love this pillow, two great things--animal print WITH a ruffle

Can you see the adorable ruffle on this curtain in Red?

Loving the black vanity and Gorgeous wallpaper!

(See the girls also admiring this pretty room?) And…this is the window treatment that we checked out EXACTLY how they did it (stay tuned for part 2!)

More on this window treatment to follow...

Had to get a close up of this wallpaper...love it.

A simple bulletin board idea...

And here is Terry, who happens to be stylishly sporting the same colors as the Model Home!

And then, off we went for our girl’s lunch after our detour through this inspiring home. Hmm…this could EASILY become a habit! All in the name of Blogging, right?