MIA

I have indeed been MIA for over a week now.
Work is sucking up every last ounce of my
energy. But I hopeful things will be improving
soon.

Since spring has indeed sprung in my neck
of the woods, it has me thinking about lovely
outdoor spaces. I often wish I lived in a cool
urban loft with a fabulous rooftop deck.

Maybe like this one in San Francisco...


Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

The Art of Art

I tend to get tired of things rather easily, so in the
art department, I often frame my own photos.
Or go for other frugal yet creative ideas like framing scrap-
book paper which can be switched out regularly. I
put this collection up in a corner of my living room...



But I did splurge this past weekend and picked up
one of the Rodney White canvases that I've had
my eye on for awhile now. I originally went to
buy Seek Happiness, but didn't really like the colors
in person. So I went for Do Things. It goes
perfectly in my kitchen, and I just love the message
as well.


What are your favorite ideas for unique art?

Afraid of the Dark...Accent Wall

I'm toying with the idea of painting a dark accent wall
in my bedroom, but I can't seem to commit. I have
vaulted ceilings, and the obvious place to put said
accent would be on the wall with the bed. But
I admit, I'm scared. That would be one big dark
wall. I considered going lighter, so perhaps it
wouldn't be quite so dramatic, but then again, I
I guess I really want that wow factor in my mostly
neutral room.

I've read a few articles which talk about how
a dark wall will accent light furnishings and
accessories. Or if you have a great piece of
art you want to showcase, the accent wall
is a good option.

I do love the look of both of these rooms...

Sunset Magazine

Decor*Pad

I guess it comes down to the fact that it is just paint, and
if I don't like it, I can just paint over it.

decisions, decisions...

Any thoughts? What would you do?

Gray and ...yellow?

I've been on a gray kick for awhile now. I am using
it in my master bed and bath, and I just can't
seem to get enough of it. But I've recently spotted
a lot of gray paired with yellow, and I'm hooked.
I think it started with this DwellStudio coverlet
from Target...


Then I saw this scrapbook paper from Cosmo Cricket...


And this Amy Butler fabric...

These adorable magazine storage boxes from The
Container Store...


And the piece de resistance, this GORGEOUS
bathroom...

Coastal Living

Love it, love it, love it!!

Bag It

Work has been crazy with a capital C-R-A-Z-Y
this week. But in my few spare minutes I ran across
this gorgeous bag over at See Jane Work.

There are several fabric choices.
A close-up of my fave...

$124 is rather steep for my budget, but I do LOVE a great bag.

Happy Wednesday!

Sweet Tooth

I have quite a sweet tooth, and it was driving me crazy
this weekend. So what to do? Bake of course. I do
love baking. Nothing fancy really. Mostly cookies
because they are pretty quick and easy, and the
possibilities are endless.

I love chocolate, but GASP, I was actually out of
chocolate chips! Shame on me! So after I perused
my recipe file and my cabinets, I opted for these
Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies.

* 1 tsp baking soda .
* 1 c butter, softened .
* 1 tsp vanilla extract .
* 1 1/2 c powdered sugar .
* 2 3/4 c all-purpose flour .
* 1 large egg .
* 2 tsps pumpkin pie spice


Directions

* Step #1 In a mixing bowl, add four & baking
soda; stir carefully to mix; set aside.
* Step #2 In another mixing bowl, mix butter
& powdered sugar together.
* Step #3 Add in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla,
& egg; stir this to mix.
* Step #4 Mix in the flour mixture; mix well.
* Step #5 Cover up dough & put in the fridge
for at least 2 hrs.
* Step #6 Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface;
cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
* Step #7 Bake in a 350° oven on ungreased cookie
sheets for about 8 mins or until golden.

And to go with my lovely sweets, how about a
lovely suite. I know, kinda corny. But I love this room.
All set for tea and treats.

House to Home

Pretty Things

Alas, the stars were not exactly on my side yesterday as my
horoscopes had indicated. I struck out in all my shopping
ventures. However, I did not let that stop me. If at first
you do not succeed, you shop online! Well, I still didn't
pick up my lamps or my ottoman, but I found some
pretty little things at Elizabeth's Embellishments. If
you have not stopped by this site, I strongly encourage
you to do so.

I really want one of these mirrored trays for my
bedroom...


And I love these little glasses. I would probably
line them up and put votives in them, or maybe
a single flower stem...

And look at these bottles! More to feed my current obsession
with crowns...

I think I want one of these signs for my office door...


I wish you all a Very Happy Weekend!

All images from Elizabeth's Embellishments.com

Written In the Stars...

So I admit it, I read horoscopes. There are a couple
that always seem to be eerily accurate at times. And
hey, who doesn't want a heads up if you are going to
have a rough day, eh? Well the two that I read each
morning had a very interesting forecast for me today.
Both said I had "marvelous" stars for decorating my
home. Now any day, is a good day for decorating
in my book, but heck, with the stars on my side as
well, who am I to argue with that.

So I think I need to hit some of my favorite shopping
spots this afternoon. Maybe swing by Homegoods and
they will finally have the perfect set of lamps for my
master bedroom.

Something like this...

European Trading Co

Or maybe Target got the ottoman that I want back in
stock and it's half price. Ok, ok, maybe I pushing
it with the half price.



I'll let you know if I have any luck, and the stars were

indeed, on my side.

For Crown and Country

I picked up this little gem at Michaels last week for such a
steal. $12.99 with 40% off, and another 20% off on top of
that with their special coupon. Such a great deal! And
I don't know what it is about this little bottle, but I do
love it. It set me off on a tangent for all things crown.

There are the Keep Calm Posters...
(I have several I'm going to order from Etsy)

Keep Calm Posters - Etsy

And the Pillows! Oh the Pillows...

Helkatdesign - Etsy


Les Petit Tresors - Etsy

And other little lovelies...

Okiobdesigns - Etsy

Etsy is such a dangerous place isn't it? I could spend hours
scrolling through all the great stuff. But that's another post.

Happy Wednesday!

To Paper or Not to Paper... That is the Question

The house that I grew up in had just about every wall
papered with fruits or flowers. There were also stripes
and geometric shapes thrown in for good measure.
Honestly, I really didn't care for it. And I vowed I would
never put wallpaper in my home. Well, I'm
beginning to rethink my position.

You have to admit, it's come a long way. I think
wallpaper used in moderation, and especially the
modern styles of today can make quite a lovely room.

The Metallics...

Cole and Son

House to Home

Lovely Damasks...

Thibaut

And just as an accent...

Ideal Home

So what do you think? Would you or have you put wallpaper
in your house?

Is It Gray or Grey?

I'm still working on my master suite makeover. I have
nailed down many pieces and my color scheme. It's gray
and cream. I happen to run across this room from Houzz
via Shabby Nest blog. Gorgeous! And I followed the links to
the Tess Collection at Serena & Lily. If I had not already
purchased a new comforter, this would probably be on order.
I'm going dove gray for the walls, a cream satin tufted head-
board I got at Target.com, and white comforter. Think I'm
going to throw in some black accents since I picked up these
great boxes at Michaels.



My choice of gray has once again shown me how tricky
paint colors can be. Gray is definitely no exception.



I've tried about 4 or 5 shades of various brands of paint.
Some too light, some too dark. Others have too much of
a blue tint or a taupe tint. It's almost maddening. But I
did finally decide on a silvery dove gray that I really like.

Any paint colors that have driven you crazy?

London calling... Again

Yes, yes, I know, I have written before, a couple of times
actually, about shops and sites in the UK. Sorry, I have
found another one. I really must stop picking up Ideal Home.
This time around it's B & Q. What drew me there to begin
with was this wall mural featured in the March issue .
Yes, we've seen them before, but this one just caught my
eye for some reason. Lovely mirrors too like this Large
Mosaic Mirror here . They have Inspiration and
Knowledge centers too.
Cheerio!

Brandon Barre + Candice Olson = Fabulous

I recently ran across these lovely interior shots by Toronto
photog Brandon Barre on Freshome.com. But I quickly
realized these were shots of rooms done by Candice Olson
on her show "Divine Design". She is one of my favorite
designers. And after a few Google searches, I see these
two work together quite often.





Images from: www.brandonbarre.com

A Little Cream With My Coffee

I'm loving these creamy rooms from House to Home...

Lantern Envy

I was obsessed with finding some lanterns for my front porch
over the holidays after seeing a display on TV. They filled
some tall rectangular ones with white lights and garland.
Gorgeous!

Low and behold I was strolling through Homegoods the other
day and they had tons! A little late for the holidays, but I'll be
ready for the next one. I just need to spray paint them black
as they are red and navy blue now. No biggie. I'll post them
when they are done.

And they also had this lantern at such a steal {12.99!!} I
couldn't leave without it. I think it looks fab on the coffee
table in my sunroom.




Thank you Homegoods!

Shifting Into Neutral

I've found myself drawn more and more to a neutral
pallet lately.

Love the checker board pattern on the sofa...




A soothing pretty space...




How fabulous are these doors...



And just because I watched it for probably the 20th time
last night, and it's the inspiration for my own master suite
makeover, Amanda's bedroom from "The Holiday" ...



Images 1. Soho Hotel 2. Unknown 3. Salvage Architecture Antiques.com
4. Hooked on Houses blog

Pretty In Pink

In honor of Valentine's Day, a little pink inspiration...














Cheers!

Images: 1. Brandon Barre Photography 2. from Design Pink
3. Haymarket Hotel 4. ArchitecturalSalvageAntique.com
5. Palace Eats