Nursery Talk

Lets start by saying, this is so unlike me to be dreaming up plans for a nursery. I'm going to blame it on my best friends who are all trying to get preggers right now.

I stumbled across this picture and fell in love. I'm not really traditional in the way of nursery décor, and I'm more concerned about the long term functionality of a room… that’s probably why I like what my friend, Oh Louise, did for little Walker so much.

This room is so clean, simple, and transitional. It could easily go for a bambino or bambina with a few very small tweaks. Everything except the crib, teddy bear and rocking horse could be used anywhere in a house. The flooring is amazing. I'm not sure a baby even deserves to have such nice carpet, but once you're ready to transition your tot to a big kid room, you could move them to a another bedroom and use this as a guest room. Give the kiddo old carpet, so you're heart won't break when they decide to turn it into an art project, right?!

When you live in Texas, ceiling fans are a must-have… at least for this girl. Its really funny how much the ceiling fan bothers me in this room. I'm going to think that they just hadn't gotten around to replacing it with a nicer looking fan before this pic was taken. Maybe even something like one of these…. Or maybe stick with painted blades and some glitz for a little girl?

What do you think? Are you loving the big bovine? Or are you more traditional?

Love the look? here are some of the moving pieces:

• Oeuf Sparrow crib, $760 (pricey, but they build their furniture sustainably sourced wood, finishes are free of VOC health hazards, non-toxic and water-based, and all factory wastes are recycled - nice). If you're on a budget, you can get a similar look at Ikea for $120.
• Rocking Chair, $405. I personally may opt for something a bit more substantial that Mr. Husband may actually want to sit in, like this or this, or the awesome glider that was made for Walker's nursery.
• Bovine paintings and prints (similar): here, here, here, or commission a piece from an artist like this or like this.
• Antelope carpet, $5.85/sq ft. Thanks to research done on the part of MFAMB in this post. I'm sure that you could find it for more/less... if its gets too expensive to carpet the whole room, or if you have wood flooring, think about having an area rug made from the carpet.

Tweet

DIY Door Makeovers - Part 1

Dear Blogosphere,
Its been quite a while since we last had a visit. I had  a fun girls trip with my mom and sisters that I had to prep for, enjoy, and recover from. Don't worry though… I'm back and ready to continue our meaningful relationship.

A lot has been going on in this crafty case since I returned from my trip. Remember this post about the bi-fold closet door make over? Its happening! 

We are literally in the middle of the project, and like most of the projects I drag Mr. Husband into, I totally underestimated the amount of time it will take to finish. That being said, I thought it would also be a good idea to throw in updates to a few more interior doors. Why not?! Right?

All of the doors in our house are circa 1978 hollow panel doors with jank door knobs that should be replaced. When we moved in, all we did was paint them white – which honestly didn't even come close to hiding the hideousness. I couldn't justify spending the money to replace the hardware on these doors because they were just so sad and gross.  I was all but resolved to having ugly doors for the remainder of our time in this house, until I took a visit to my friends house that she recently had remodeled (I have every intent of crashing her house to share with you once she's settled and gives me the green light, don't worry!!).

Her new doors are lovely. They're heavy, solid, thick wood doors. What caught my eye on them specifically was the trim that was used to give them the custom look.
BAM! My doors may not be heavy, solid, or thick, but they could certainly take some trim to dress 'em up!

So, that was the second half of our weekend door make over project, that didn't get finished this weekend…. That probably won't be done for a few more weekends. Oh well, its going to be bad ace once its complete. Here's a teaser pic to wet your pallet….

PS – I totally rocked my leopard print fur trapper hat on my ski trip. My sisters were pretty jealous.

Tweet

Master Bathroom Update

Hello lovelies.
Here's a little sneak peak at our master bathroom update... I'm so happy with the way its turning out, and can't wait to share the finished project!

Also, if you're a fan of C. Wonder, get your bottom over there ASAP for the 2 day flash sale. 75% off Sale items! I am ridiculous and purchased this amazingly perfect leopard trapper hat ($13.99) to wear with these fun emerald studs ($8.99) when I ski at the end of this month. My sisters and mom will not be surprised.

Tweet

Tuesday Morning Treasures

Okay kiddos, we have a lot of ground to cover today so lets jump in! I probably need to start taking my camera with me when I shop so I can stop apologizing for these jank phone pics....

First stop, a Dallas antique mall that turned up a few interesting pieces, including this lamp. Its a really good size lamp and looks expensive in person. I'm sure its not antique - or even vintage - but its a good deal at $57!

Right: antique mall, Left: Pottery Barn

WARNING: This next one may offend some of you soft-hearted animal lovers.... BUT it was already dead - nothing I can do about it!
I'm really diggin the antelope love happening right now. Check out the post Sadie + Stella did not too long ago on antelope floor coverings. I saw this and instantly thought it would be completely amazing as a layered piece in an office or along side a bed. Mr. Husband didn't think so, but I'm pretty sure his judgment was fogged by the not so glamorous taxidermy accompanying the hide. If you're not into the killing animals for fashion and style, then check out the animal safe choices at your favorite flooring shop!

Target. For real. I first saw these little cuties on one of the blogs I read (and now cannot rememeber which one to save my life - sorry!) and went directly to Target.com to buy them, but they were already sold out. I went to a few different store locations and finally gave up with the assumption that it wasn't meant to be. Until... a few nights ago when my Mom and I stopped by Target to pick up some Advil, and ended up leaving with a shopping cart full of goodies (shocker) - including 1 of these benches for $59.99!

I was thrilled to have found just the one, but was hoping that they would tell me where I could find a second in a nearby store. Well, that nearby store was a good 30 minutes away - and way out of the way from anything and anywhere I go. I finally got around to driving myself out to the middle of no where in not such a good part of town where I probably should not have been by myself at night (oops), and there sitting on the shelf were 2 more benches! I snagged the one additional that I needed, and quickly made the observation that this was the Target I needed to frequent for all things home related. They had everything on their shelves, that has been sold out in my local stores for weeks!

Along with my new x-benches, I found a small stash of Nate Berkus decor pieces that were 50% off (still full price on Target.com)! I also picked up a version of this wall art with a silver/pewter frame and matted for $14.97 (pics to come in a later post)!! For this reason alone, I will be making monthly stops to this Target location.

 (tray $15, silver shell $10, chain $7, box $10, tall vase shown $12.50, short vase $11.50)

Tweet

Baby Walker and His Nursery

Meet Walker. He's 10 days old and ridiculously cute (duh). He belongs to my sweet friend Eleanor of Oh Louise!, and I'm so happy to be an honorary aunt.

We got to meet him for the first time this weekend, and it was magical. After a long night of doing his best to keep his parents awake, little Walker was quite the charmer. He starred at us, made funny faces, slept a little bit, and did this really sweet fake cry where his face looked like he should be screaming but he wasn't actually making any noise. Love him.

On top of being a pretty cool baby, his mom hooked him up with a pretty sweet little baby bachelor pad. These pics are from my phone, and don't do the room justice but I was too excited to wait for good pictures. Its a woodland creature wonderland... not too baby, and will transition to a big boy room without doing much of anything (but knowing Eleanor, she will probably give it a new spin when that time comes anyways).

She's a really gifted thrift-finder (here, here and here) and did a great job of mixing old with new in Walker's nursery to stay true to her style.

 "Woodland Tumble" bedding from Baby Bliss, Squishable Round Fox, Orange and White Rug, Animal Prints: Left, Center, Right

This is one of my favorite things in the room. I know a book shelf wall is a pretty common thing to have in nurseries right now, but this is special. A lot of these books came from their gender reveal party we (myself and 5 of our dear friends) hosted. We didn't know if Walker was going to be a he or a she, and they hadn't registered... so we asked every one to bring a book and write a message in it. If you look closely, you can see a "Merry Christmas Curious George" book... hilarious because Eleanor is slightly obsessed with Christmas, and a "Ferdinand the Bull" book, which was one of my favorites growing up. Its just sweet and I love it.

Walker is pretty cool. I think we're all really pumped that he's finally here! Way to go El! 

(please disregard the no-makeup face, oops!)

P.S. - Once she's back from maternity leave, you people need to check out her Etsy shop - its legit. Muah!

Tweet

Dog Portrait

Remember this post about the watercolor dog portraits?
Well I finally got around to ordering one of Mitzi, and holy moly its so freaking cute!
She made this (in 3 days!) ridiculously amazing painting for $37 - including tax. WHAT?! Go check here out on Etsy.

 

Here are the original pictures I sent her to work from if you're curious... She's the cutest ever! Mr. Husband and I are completely in love with our little valentine!

And to think, I thought Valentine's Day couldn't get any better when I opened my mailbox to find this litttle gem... then my little sister emails me an amazing Groupon deal for Copper Mountain lift tickets (we happen to be taking a sister-mom ski trip at the end of the month!) that we took full advantage of... AND THEN Mr. Husband sent me the most amazing succulent garden to work. It makes me happy. Happy Valentine's Day y'all!

Tweet

Bright & White Rooms I Love

Two of these rooms have me seriously considering a move to Arkansas. Or, if I'm being less dramatic I could just say that I am way in LOVE with these simple white rooms. They're colorless and full of color at the same time.


The subtle hint of purple in this bedroom is dreamy, and the almost bare floors really warm the space and keep it from feeling too sterile. The elements of this room are so simple that it would be simple to recreate - probably part of the reason why I love it... its real and liveable. Like a fashion equivalent to casual chic.

Seriously y'all - how about that headboard? Mr. Husband and I have made an upholstered headboard for our guest bedroom and it was no big deal. Now, I'm thinking we should give this extra tall, cutout silhouette a whirl.

via

This room may not be all too practical for every home, but thinking about my Aunt's small river cabin I couldn't think of a better solution for the space. First, I love it and there's something almost whimsical about it. The thought of kids climbing into the built in bunks, and friends circled around after a long afternoon outside... LOVE. The rope chandelier is fantastic and compliments the exposed rock. I also really love the larger size wood plank wall in contrast to the smaller wood plank ceilings. Can you imagine a more fun place to spend your summers?

via

One more.... Okay, on top of this just simply being a beautiful kitchen - I love the back wall. I am obsessed with the windows, the plants and the fact that the natural green is the only color. The whole thing is ridic. Can you imagine that fireplace in a master bath - yes please! 

This kitchen is too pretty to cook in... which is perfect, because I don't cook!

Tweet

Tuesday Morning Treasures

(Posting a little early this week for this) If you don't live in Texas you won't understand this... Its so difficult to find plants that are beautiful, blossom, and that can survive the Texas heat. That's why I love the August Beauty Gardenia. Its fine in the heat and can live through an ice storm. The blossoms are small, but really pretty and fragrant.

If you live near a Calloways (check their site for locations), they are offering Buy One Get One Free tomorrow! You get can get 2, 3 gal. plants for $25! They're easy to care for - promise!

If you don't live in Texas, you may also not know that Horchow has Dallas roots, and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with 40% off 40 weekly specials. I have been in love with this mirror for some time, and this week its part of their 40% off promotion!

I would LOVE to recreate this bookcase in one of our spare bedrooms/study (which hasn't been touched since we moved into our house - oops).

via

and a little visit to our friend Craig and his list.... I found these two barstools a while ago for $45. If I had a bar of any kind, I would have snagged these up and transformed them into a little Lilly Pulitzer-esq with a fun print on the seat.

If you're a sucker for cane furniture like me, you'll love this sweet twin bed. I was thinking that it would be good to use the footboard as a second headboard (they look like they're the same size) and make two beds from the one. Its pretty girlie in white, but its possible to make great for boys as well by painting them dark grey or maybe even a matte navy. For $85 you can't beat it!

Tweet

Social Dress Shop

Seriously good find....

If you're in need of a cute dress, head over to The Social Dress Shop - they do 2-3 day priority shipping so you can still get a dress for your big Valentine's Day plans!

Even better... use code Love25 to get 25% off your order!

Tweet

Project List Sneak Peak

Hello people.

Thought I would share a couple of big projects I'll soon be forcing Mr. Husband to help me with in our house. I'm so excited and will definitely share our progress over the next few weeks.


First, we will be working on our spare bedrooms' closet doors. We inherited wood panel acordian style doors that I really no-likey (who does?). I have been wanting to do something with them - like leave them out by the curb - but didn't want to spend a ton because those rooms are rarely used.

Then I met Abby via her blog, DIY Design and she solved my problem. Her blog is full of amazing DIY how-to's and she has really great detailed notes and pics! She had the same jank panel doors in her studio and transformed them into nice custom-looking cabinetry. Totally copying her project!

DIY 5 Panel Shaker-style bi-fold closet doors for about $30 each!

All of the doors in our house are the similar wood panel doors that we painted white when we moved in. I'm thinking that I could do something similar to this project to jazz them up a little bit too!



The second project is a hybrid of two rooms: this one from Rambling Renovators, and this one from The Lettered Cottage.

The point of the project is to add a little bit of storage and update an otherwise boring room. I want to use the Ikea wardrobes, but leave the space in between open for a desk now, and possible a crib or bed later on (depending on which spare bedroom we decide to use for a nursery when the time comes).

Rambling Renovators Baby Room

And I will probably tack on this one small little side project for Mr. Husband before Summer hits... I want him to make me a couple of these chaises with the wood we have piled up in our garage. He will think I'm crazy, but seriously - how hard can it be?

Tweet

Moths...

holy shniza!

Recently Mr. Husband and I have discovered a huge life destroying minor moth problem in our closets. In most cases I would be elated by the fact that most of the damage was done in Mr. Husband's closet, but not so much.

Baby moths (I don't like using the word larvae because it sounds jank) like to eat natural fibers to grow big and healthy, so naturally they go for the expensive stuff... Like all of Mr. Husbands nice silk and wool suits. That's right - all of his suits, aside from one, have been destroyed.

Those of you who don't live with a guy - or your guy doesn't have to wear suits - or your guy doesn't care about wearing nice expensive suits, you may not be thinking this is a big deal. WRONG. If we were to replace each of the lost suits - not to mention everything else that was ruined - right now, it would cost us $$$$ (lets just say I could buy this bed, and most all of the accompanying pieces from RH that I've had googlie eyes on for a while).

So, needless to say we were mad and in full on moth fighting force. I hope that you never have to go through this, but if you do here are the steps we took to eradicate them (borrowed a little of everything from several sources).

1. Wash and dry on HIGH heat everything, and dry clean the items that can't take the heat. Keep the clean clothes out of your closet.

2. If its freezing temps outside, leave your shoes and bags outside over night. I decided it would be okay to put some of mine in the freezer. (hot and cold temp changes kill the little buggers)

3. Once you've removed everything from your closet... clean. Vacuum and then dumb the vacuum in an outside trash can. Wipe down everything with disinfectant.

4. Have an exterminator visit. I'm not sure what they do or spray, but it can't hurt.

5. This is the one that kills me... force yourself to purchase some mothballs (gag) and sit them in your closet for a week or two. If you don't mind smelling like an old lady, you can leave them in your closet. If you've never smelled mothballs before - I seriously doubt you will be leaving them in your closet.

6. Get yourself some cedar boards and line at least one wall of your closet - depending on the size of your closet (ours are small). Some one even said the spray cedar essence once a quarter for good measure.

This doesn't seem like a lot, but its a long and ANNOYING process that will have your house in shambles for a while. Not to mention you will need to prepare yourself for a pretty hefty dry cleaning bill (Mr. Husband haggled with the our dry cleaner and got them to bring out total bill down by $100 - so don't be afraid to ask for a "bulk" discount).

Happy Moth Hunting Games.

Tweet

Livable Style

As much as I love flipping through the pages of Elle Decor, I almost love seeing real livable spaces more. Er, I mean its all livable - but more like, we have kids and want to be comfortable, but also care about living in a beautiful space.

I got so excited when my friend who is currently looking for a house sent me a link to this one. Its in a suburban area of Dallas, probably upper middle class families - nothing fancy and definitely not expecting the inside to look like it does when I saw the picture of the outside of the house (which is nice but doesn't really mirror up to the inside).


Their living room is open, full of great texture, and just enough color. LOVE: deep seat sofa, layered rugs, fiddle leaf fig tree, sunburst mirror, the sofa is not pushed right up against the wall, and fun paint on the inside of their built-ins.

The master is large, and no surprise that I love all of the shades of blue! and LOVE the open spacious, clean and well lit bathroom.

Again with the blue - I LOVE. and can you even tell if this nursery is for a boy or girl? even better. 

So refreshing to see homes like this in the middle of the 'burbs where you may not expect it. It almost makes accomplishing some of these looks in your own home seem more doable!

Tweet

What to do with White Walls

For those of you who are renting, leasing, or are otherwise too LAZY to paint....

Here are some fun ideas to bring color to your walls without paint, and without dropping a small fortune a large piece of art.


DIY diamond accent wall with duct tape. This is awesome - no paint and depending on the size of your wall, you could easily spend less than $30! Check out the full post and details on The Nesting Place.

They used white tape on a wall that had already been painted. If your wall is white, no worries - thanks to all those kiddos who decided it was cool to make their wallets and prom dresses out of duct tape, there are a billion different colors and patterns to choose from.

Use plates, platters and trays to create a collage of sorts. I really like these three shots that show a good variety of ways to select colors and shapes. The second image has an interesting hombre effect that I love!

 via

via

Create the look of one large piece of art by using paper (scrapbook, wrapping, wall, etc.) and frames. You could use 16 of these record frames from Target, $10 each, and cover a little over 4' x 4' of wall space with a custom look. I also love the idea of using something like this mirrored frame to make it a bit more dramatic!

Last but not least, a great idea to not only add color, but also add texture with fabric.

Here’s the general idea: Use particleboard covered in fabric to lean against your wall. That way, you don’t have to worry about nailing and hanging anything. Easy.

 

You will need:

Plywood (like this, $23.97 at Lowe’s) 

Staple Gun
 Fabric

Step 1) Assume the fabric you find will be 52” wide and you need 2” on each side for securing the fabric, the max width will be 48”. Keeping that max width in mind, determine how tall you want your “wall art” to be. If you don’t have a truck, bug a friend who does and get yourself to hardware store. Let some one know what you’re working on and ask them to help you find a piece of particleboard or plywood and cut it to your desired dimensions.

Step 2) Pick out fabric and have it cut to the length of your board, plus 4” to be used in securing it to the board. I would select a fabric that has a colorful floor or background. This will help it to really contrast against the white wall – like the yellow in the picture.

Step 3) Iron your fabric if necessary. Lay the fabric face down on a hard flat surface. Place the board on top of the fabric, leaving at least 2” on each side of the fabric showing. I would begin at the top edge in the middle, carefully folding the fabric back over the board. If you feel comfortable with a staple gun, go ahead and begin securing the fabric down. If you’re not such a pro, or have selected a fabric with a geometric pattern or something that requires it to be super straight and lined up, I would fold the fabric back and use so masking or painters tape to hold it in place while you staple. 

Once you’ve worked your way around the board, lift it up to see your work. If you need to make adjustments, just carefully pull the staples out with pliers and give it another go.

Optional - If you want to jazz it up a bit and like the framed out look, you can easily accomplish this with a few additional steps. If you have some one like Mr. Husband who is pretty handy, they should be able to frame this out for you with no problems. If you don’t and you’re on your own – here’s a fast and easy shake down to get the job done. 

You will need: 
4 pieces of pre-primed trim (like this, 3 pieces total, $10.68 each at Lowe’s)
DAP household silicone sealant (white if you’re going to paint the trim white – or clear)
White paint (like Valspar semi-gloss/eggshell)

Take the length and width measurements of your board to the hardware store. Ask some one to help you pick out pre-primed trim pieces and cut them to your measurements (they should even be able to cut the corner angles if you don’t have a skill saw at home).  Go ahead and paint your trim pieces prior to attaching them. You may have to do some touch ups, but it will be easier than waiting.

If you have a nail gun, I would recommend using it. If you don’t, there’s a plethora of permanent craft glues that will get the job done. Lay the pieces on top of the board to see how they look and fit, and then secure them down. If using glue, make sure you use enough and give it plenty of time to dry.

At this point you can still see the fabric on the sides of your board (unless you have a Mr. Husband handy who properly framed it out for you). Use the DAP to fill in any space in between the board and the new frame you’ve made. Let that dry, and then paint over the DAP and the fabric on the sides of your board. You may have to let the paint dry, and do several more coats until you are able to completely cover the fabric and get the desired coverage.

Tweet

Tuesday Morning Treasures

This past weekend, I was able to do some thrifting with my Mom. She's the only person I can do this with, because she actually spends more time digging through everything than I do. If you're patient, and can commit to using your imagination (and lots of hand sanitizer), then you will be able to walk away with some awesome thrifty finds.

Here are a few of the items we found this weekend. I have a few additional pieces that I'm going to post about later... a little DIY thrift store makeover treasures!


This mirror we found at Goodwill for $45. It was large (approx 3.5' x 3.5') and solid wood with beveled glass. It was kind of shabby chic and wouldn't need any refinishing if you're into that, but I was thinking it would look awesome in a fun color like yellow or coral!

I really L.O.V.E. this barcart. This was in a suburban antique mall for $99! If it had been in a Dallas antique mall we would be looking at at least double that. If any of you out there live in the area and want the details, let me know!

Clothes. Some people are kind of freaked out by finding clothing in thrift stores - and sometimes I am too. For some reason if they are a nice label it makes me think that they couldn't have come from that bad of a place, right? Either way, I wasn't really even looking, but these four tops kind of found me.

1) Ann Taylor Loft sweater, 2) Equipment mint green silk button down, 3) Theory pink linen button down, 4) Ann Taylor leopard print cardigan.... total? um $22.28! plus the dry cleaning, bill of course.

And don't forget about Craigslist...

Table and Chairs for $120. I'm thinking these chairs would look pretty awesome with some white lacquer paint and new fabric on those cushions!

Hutch, $350. Not bad as it is, but would be really fun to add a little bit of trim to it, paint it, paint or wallpaper the back wall of the shelves with a good pattern. I would probably find some new handles and straighten up those cabinet doors!

Tweet

Lust List... Tom Ford

Tom Ford's Large Jennifer Flap-Top Bag. In ivory, to be specific.

Tom Ford is one of those fabulous people who literally created his own mystique (Austin, Texas born to realtor parents and now fashion icon), and continues to build it by openly discussing quirky habits like taking 5 baths a day, and creating his own list of gentlemanly commandments.

Neiman Marcus was the first retailer to sell his Handbags and Shoes online; making it much easier to frequently view/drool over them. (Enjoy)

This bag has to be my all time favorite bag. Its perfect. Not too small. Not too big - aside from the price tag in relation to my budget.

Tweet