Erica's Inspirations

TOMS has ballet flats?

2012-02-02T12:59:00.001-05:00

Yes they do!! I could not be more excited! I know this is not usually a "fashion" blog....but I just had to share the news. As of yesterday, TOMS shoes released their new line of ballet flats:

I have my eye on these!

But honestly, I would be happy with any of them! What are your favorites?

I'm a little disappointed at the cost. $79? I feel like it is less shoe than the typical TOMS that sell for around $50. I guess I will just save up my clothing budget funds and snatch these up as soon as possible. :)

e-design: Before and After

2012-01-31T13:51:00.000-05:00

We all love a good before and after, don't we?! I certainly do! Especially when it comes from one of my clients!!

Remember this e-design I did for Brittney's dining room?:

Well, she sent me some before and after photos. Below are a couple shots of the before....basically a white box. Here is the view from the living room and front door:

View from the kitchen:

And here is the AFTER!!!:

Doesn't it look great?! They executed the plan beautifully. Only one more purchase to go...the bamboo shades. I really like the Bible verse she added to the wall....so perfect for a dining room!

Oh, I forgot to mention this last time...Brittney has a hilarious mommy blog! You should totally check it out HERE!

Closet Organization - Part 1: The Office

2012-01-24T17:07:00.000-05:00

Over the long MLK weekend I became a organizing crazy woman! What started as a simple task of tidying up my office ended up being a complete reorganizing mayhem of my office and master bedroom closet. And, to be completely honest, it actually took 2 weekends to do this.

In today's post I will show you the office. I'm still doing some final tweaks in the the master closet.

I'm embarrassed to show you the before....but I also want you to see how far I have come. So, pride set aside, I'm keepin' it real. Here was my office before the organizing began:

I know, I know. You are all SHOCKED and APPALLED :) because if you've been to my home I usually have it pretty tidy. Well, if my mom and sister are reading this....they know this is totally me. Growing up, my room was almost always a disaster zone. I guess that is pretty common for the creative types like me. Thankfully, I grew out of that...mostly.

This room was a crazy mess after Christmas because I used it as my wrapping room. Instead of cleaning it up, I just closed the doors and forgot about it for a while.

Want to see how clean it is now? Drum roll please.............................................................here is the after:

Yay! I tidied everything up. I made the cream computer cabinet my "couponing station".

Really, all that means is that it houses my printer and basket of coupon inserts.

Now I have a clean slate and am wondering how I want to decorate it. I may have to create an e-design mood board for this space ;). It is too boring and un-inspiring as it is. I don't think it looks bad, but it certainly isn't fun or creative in any way.

As far as the closet goes I just thinned it out and tidied it up a bit.

This closet houses all my sewing fabrics, sewing machine, table cloths, party supplies, wrapping supplies, paint chips, drafting supplies, photos, you name it and it probably lives here :). I removed a white shelf and used it in my master closet instead. (Post coming soon) I don't think you can really see it in the before picture, but it is there...trust me.

Ahhh, it feels so nice to have a nice clean room! I feel a little cleansed myself!

What have you tidied up lately? Doesn't it feel nice?! I feel like I can breathe and creative juices can flow.

Speaking of organization, my friend Lauren has totally inspired me to get organized...and dress cute :)!! Check out her blog called "Form and Function by Lauren". I'm definitely going to get her help soon! You should too!

Printer's Drawers

2012-01-18T14:52:00.000-05:00

After nearly 3 years in our home, we finally hung our printer's drawer. "What's a printer's drawer?", you ask. Well, it is an actual drawer that was used to hold stamps in a printing office or mail room. It is literally an antique wooden drawer with lots of cubbies.

Here is mine and how I use it (warning, these are iPhone photos):

My family has a tradition of using a printer's drawer to house all our little trinkets from various travels and memories. When we go out of town and visit a new place, we try to find a little token to remember the trip by. Since most the cubbies are quite small, we typically look for pins or small key chains. I think this is a great way to display souvenirs without ending up with lots of clutter. Plus, it is just fun to look at and a definite conversation starter when people visit our home. I still have lots of cubbies left to fill.

Here is a close up of some of our high school trinkets:

And then a couple mementos of our mission trip in Nicaragua:

In case you were curious, I asked my mom and sister, Leslie to send me photos of their drawers. (that sounds awkward:))

Mom's:

I love how full hers is of all of our memories. One day mine will be as full too. She has stamps with our names, guitar pins from Hard Rock Cafes they've visited, and lots of other little trinkets that mean something to my family.

Leslie's:

...now I'm wondering if I hung mine upside down :).

I'm sure there are many ways you could use a printer's drawer. You may remember a previous post (here) where I showed a printer's drawer used to organize jewelry.

If you are wondering where to find a printer's drawer, search local antique shops, yard sales, and flea markets.

Email Client: Brittney's Dining Room

2012-01-13T10:03:00.004-05:00

Brittney was actually both an email client and an "in person" client :). She came to me for help with her dining room which was a blank slate at the time. The only thing staying in the space was the dining table and chairs. Brittney wanted help selecting paint, window treatments, and a new light fixture. We did a lot of back and forth email brainstorming and I went by her house to pick out a green wall color to match the curtains. Here is what I came up with:

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I felt the room needed some color and most of all some pattern and texture. We wanted to achieve an updated traditional look in this space that wasn't too fancy. Their dining room is their only eating space so it gets used A LOT. It needed to be comfortable.

Oh, get this....that curtain is not your typical window panel. No. It is actually a shower curtain. Yep! I have found that it can be quite difficult to find a large scale, patterned, pre-made curtain. A custom curtain was out of the question due to the budget. I had Brittney order the longer length (84", same as a typical curtain) and then hang it with the large wooden rings shown. Also, the curtain panel was so wide she was able to save money by ordering only one panel and had her mother-in-law trim it in half and hem the edges. If I didn't tell you this little secret, I bet you would have never known. :)

By the way, before and after pics are in the works but I was too eager to post this. I will share them with you soon. We are just waiting for the last curtain panel to be hemmed.

Happy Weekend!

Email Clients - Peggy's Living Room Design

2012-01-10T17:04:00.002-05:00

I don't know if you knew, but some of my e-designs are done completely by email. Aren't modern conveniences wonderful!?

One of my recent email clients was Peggy. She wanted some help getting her living room pulled together. They already had a sofa and love seat but needed help picking out paint, a rug, curtains, and other accessories to make the room feel more complete.

After Peggy filled out my design survey and sent me pictures and dimensions of their space, I got started. I typically pick an item to start brainstorming with. The obvious option for this job was the rug. We wanted color and pattern and I needed to learn her more about her style. I sent Peggy an email with images of lots of rugs that I thought would work well in the space...but they were all very different. After that email, the rug was decided upon and I was able to build the room around that piece. Here is a collage of items I came up with after several email exchanges:

It's warm, cozy, traditional - yet modernized. Exactly what they were looking for. So far they have painted the space the lovely shade of blue/gray I picked out called Comfort Gray by Sherwin Williams. They love the color!

Here was the layout recommendation I quickly sketched up:

And a before shot of the space. You can see she had tried for a while to pick out paint colors with no luck:

Hopefully I can get some progress shots from her as the tackle this room. If I do, I will post them here for you to see.

If you live on the opposite side of town or in a completely different state (or country for that matter) I would love to help you make your house a home. Just contact me via my Design Consultations tab at the top of this blog.

Christmas Recap

2012-01-06T12:40:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love Christmas time! Unfortunately, as I get older, it comes and goes much more quickly than the year before. My favorite parts are the endless amounts of family time.

This year we spent Christmas Eve at my in-laws opening presents and eating a traditional Christmas lunch. I kind of forgot to take photos there but I did manage to get just a couple:

My beautiful Mother-in-law with the gift I gave her...

Poor Cocoa doesn't understand why her cousin Layla (or niece?) gets to lay on the sofa when she cannot.

Then dad asked me to grab some photos of the airplane that he and Matt have been stripping.

And speaking of airplanes...

Later that afternoon we went over to my parents before our Christmas Eve service. We brought over a surprise for Evan....

Matt's childhood airplane for him to ride

or FLY

That evening we went to our church's candlelight Christmas Eve service and came back for dinner and a movie. We typically do some sort of soup from the crock pot so it is ready when we get back from church. Afterwords we watched the best Christmas movie ever...Elf! Love that move!

Christmas Morning we got up early to come back to my parents and see Evan's reaction to what Santa brought him.

A big Batman tower!!

I got these reindeer antlers at the Dollar Tree. They looked too cute on the boys! Here is Levi enjoying his present from us. This Sophie Giraffe toy was a huge hit! I highly recommend it for teething babies. (check it out here)

Grammie found a super cute frog umbrella for Evan.

and a hooded Thomas towel

And a pop-up book from Poppy...

Matt was excited to get a fire pit from Mom and Dad!

Evan helped Levi open his presents...

Then we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus :)

The day after Christmas we went shopping for my sister Leslie's birthday (in January). It is a yearly tradition for us. We scored big at Banana Republic Outlet at Tanger!! It was a blast! We also learned NOT to go to Lenox Mall the day after Christmas....that place was insane!

Tuesday we had everyone over to our house for lunch. I should have posted this next photo in my Christmas Outtakes post :). Runaway baby and runaway Ryan (playing football on the Kinect)

Ah, that's better...

Grammie and Poppy time! Oh he's getting so big!

Tuesday night we went back to Mom and Dad's for dinner and games. Mom's good friend Lauren and her kids came over to see the kiddos. We had an impromptu jam session....or pickin' as we like to call it...

Even Evan chimed in on the piano...he had rhythm too!

By the end of the night Layla was worn out by all the commotion. Here she is passed out in my lap with her chin on the dining room table...

All in all it was a wonderful Christmas. A great time with family, a couple days off work, and a time to reflect on Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection. Did everyone else enjoy the holidays?

Christmas Outtakes

2012-01-03T14:29:00.000-05:00

As I sort through all the photos I took over the holidays I came across some funny outtakes. So, while you eagerly await for me to put together my Christmas post you can enjoy a few snippets.

It is nearly impossible to get a photo of two wiggly boys...especially before nap time! :)

And finally, Evan usually dislikes photos being taken...but sometimes he requests them. Like this moment. He was snuggling with his brother and said "take picture Ekka" (a.k.a Aunt Erica). I grab my camera and suddenly the pictutre is not quite as cute anymore.

Evan is still smiling and Levi is screaming.

Isn't Christmas more fun with little ones!?!

2011 Christmas Decor

2011-12-25T16:24:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! I cannot believe how fast the month has flown by! I figured it was about time to show you a few changes I made this year to my Christmas decorations.

We had a third stocking holder that crashed and died on the hearth. It said "Hope"...I guess we're just hopeless this year. :)

The only difference this year from last year (seen here) is that I incorporated burlap into the decor. I bought a wide burlap ribbon at Michael's and wove it around the tree.

My mom came over to ~~help me~~ tie the bow for the tree topper. Unfortunately, the burlap ribbon was not wired so we had to layer it with a gold wire ribbon to give the bow some structure. We Mom hid the gold ribbon under the burlap...you can't even see it.

I also purchased 4 yards of burlap fabric from Hobby Lobby to use as my tree skirt. My previous tree skirt was silver and did not look good with the new ribbon. The new skirt is a no-sew option that is just gathered around the tree on top of the old skirt. I kept the old skirt under the burlap to give the burlap fabric something to cling to. It has worked nicely and I have not had to "fix" it.

I kept the mantel simple this year by only changing out the bows on the glass jars and weaving more burlap ribbon into the same garland I used last year. I meant to tie a burlap ribbon to the wreath...oh well....today is Christmas...there's not much point in doing it now :). Especially since we're "hopeless" and all.

To go along with the natural burlap-y theme, I decided to wrap some presents in brown paper. I bought builder paper at Lowes. It is like craft paper but comes on a huge roll. I think it is 100 yards for $8. That is pretty cheap wrapping paper that I can use year-around. I dressed up the plain paper with some fun bows and ribbons.

Our simple breakfast table setting...

Ooooh, Layla's all sparkly :)

And lastly, our dining room...

I hope you and your families have a very Merry Christmas!!

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Finally.....progress!

2011-12-20T11:43:00.003-05:00

We have lived in our home for nearly 3 years (in February) and have been wanting to paint our Master Bedroom. Well, we finally did over the weekend!

We painted the room Sherwin Williams Dry Dock. I thought it was a nice warm color that was darker than beige but lighter than a chocolate brown. I call it "Moussey".

BEFORE, the headboard blended into the walls. There was little contrast between the walls, curtains, and lamp shades (photo shows old curtains):

Photo with new linen curtains on walls before paint and before we widened the positioning of the rods:

AFTER (or should I say Progress...I'm not sure when it will ever be "done"):

The headboard definitely pops off of the wall now. Learn how we DIYed the headboard HERE.

Did you notice something else we finally accomplished? Look hard. We Matt added drawer pulls to the dressers.

I bought them on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $1.36 a piece

We couldn't find the right style screws in black, so we are going to go back and paint the exposed screws black with an artist brush.

I still need to recover the side chair, buy bamboo shades, do some accessorizing on the nightstands, and possibly add some more artwork. But for now, I am very pleased to have a cozier room that feels more complete! Merry Christmas to me :)

Speaking of Christmas...it's just around the corner! Next up is a post on this year's Christmas decor.

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Our Thanksgiving in Mississippi

2011-12-02T11:00:00.001-05:00

The whole family traveled out to Jackson, MS to celebrate Thanksgiving and Evan's 3rd Birthday at my sister's house. I will let the photos do most of the talking...(I took over 200 pictures last weekend, so I will just show the highlights)

A group shot of the family after eating our delicious Thanksgiving lunch...

Their friends Christina and Derek joined us for lunch as well. They wanted one final couple picture before their daughter arrived. (Just heard little Evelyn was born on December 1st!)

We had a beautiful table setting...and Evan helped Leslie make the turkey-rice-krispie-treat-place-cards. They were equally as yummy as they were cute!

Mom and sis wrapping things up in the kitchen...

Thursday night and Friday morning were the usual "Black Friday" shopping adventures. This year was a little too crazy for me! I much preferred when stores opened at 4am because fewer people were shopping. With stores opening at 10 or midnight....MANY more people were out. Mom and I barely came out of Belk alive! :)

Friday was Evan's Birthday. We went to his favorite pizza restaurant for lunch where Poppy let him ride a reindeer :) (iPhone picture)

Saturday was Evan's Birthday party at a local park. It was a Backyardigans theme. I had no clue what this was until last weekend....if you are as uninformed as I was, it is a really cute cartoon! Here is a glimpse into his party...

First up, Little Levi looking adorable :)

Leslie and I made the cupcakes. I thought the icing ended up looking like Chick-fil-A Icedream...don't you?

The kids colored as they waited for their parents to fix their lunches...

Poppy gettin' his grill on...

"Smile Dad"

Grammie time...

Evan, about to blow out his candles...I love the focused gazes on his friends' faces :)

This is an "I don't want any pictures Aunt Erica" shot...

Boys playing...

Finally, me and my man. As the designated photographer I often forget to get shots of the two of us!

Then on Saturday, we girls spent the afternoon shopping and supporting Small Business Saturday. This type of shopping what right up my alley. Smaller crowds. Quaint shops. And fun girl time!

We had a jam-packed weekend and it was a blast! I can't wait for them to come home for Christmas!

Wedding Weekend

2011-11-14T13:24:00.001-05:00

We had a great get away 2 weekends ago. Matt's cousin Lindsey got married on Tybee Island and I was a bridesmaid. I didn't get a ton of photos because I was busy enjoying the wedding. It was a beautiful wedding at the Tybee Island Wedding Chapel, featured on the move The Last Song with Miley Cyrus. It had so much charm there was little need for decorations.

The reception was a blast! We danced the night away! Here is Matt, Lindsey, and I at the end of the evening:

I just realized I didn't take a single photo of the groom...ha! What can I say...I was busy being a bridesmaid :)

My Most Amazing Frugal Finds Yet!...until next time

2011-10-19T09:33:00.002-04:00

I have returned to blog land to share with you the fabulous finds I found while yard-sale-ing recently with my parents. Two nice neighborhoods in our area were having community yard sales that weekend. I practically bought something at every stop because the finds were amazing.

My favorite find of the day was this bergere chair and ottoman:

I payed $10 for it! It needs to be re-upholsterd one day...but it is sooo comfortable. For now, I have it in my office since the navy upholstery does not match the rest of my home. Ballards has a similar chair starting at $1,400!

I got to thinking that navy can be modernized if I pair it with the right fabric pillow. Below I tried a few options I had on hand for sewing projects. Navy, pink, green, and gray is a fun color scheme. Maybe I will paint the walls gray one day, hang curtains, and possibly paint a lamp pink! :) Possibilities are endless.

My next deal were these custom made window treatments.

A total of 8 panels (made for 10' ceilings) were only $30. These had been used in the lady's home when it was a model home. She originally wanted $10 a panel and my mom and I must of had a face that read "Seriouslly? This lady is Crazy!" because she quickly said, "Is that too much?" in a sweet and innocent tone. We examined them closely and tried to decide how many we would want and how much we would pay for them. I technically only needed 4 for my bedroom. You can't tell from the photo, but they are very high quality, lined linen drapes. I figured I may as well buy all of them if she gave me a deal. I asked if she would take $30 for all of them...and she said "yes"....YAY!

I still need Matt to move the brackets out so you can see more of the window. I also still need to purchase bamboo shades. I'm not sure how much longer I will have to say that. The shades always seem to be at the bottom of the priorty list since we already have functioning shades in our bedroom.

Did you notice the other new piece? No, not the cat....the chair :). I got the bambo chair for $5 and I plan to recover it:

I'm not sure if our room will be it's forever home....who am I kidding, nothing in my home has a "forever home"! I also purchased 3 yards of striped fabric for only $3 (probably to re-cover the bamboo chair). I do not have a photo yet, but I will show you when I re-cover the chair.

This brand new clock for my kitchen, $6:

Not pictured, I bought a $5 Jones New York skirted suit for work, a $5 Banana Republic Suit Jacket, a vintage globe for $1 (missing a base but Matt is going to rig it up), and an intersting do-hickey (that's a technical term) for $1 that once held a large round plate and is quite heavy. I will show you more on that later.

After a fun shopping day, I could tell my husband that I spent $60 and saved him at least $1,500. I'm just sweet like that...saving him money :).

I've Got a Crazy Idea

2011-08-08T16:39:00.000-04:00

Every now and then I get a crazy idea...ok, well...pretty often I get a crazy idea. I usually share them cautiously with Matt after much thought and research because I know he will think my crazy idea is just that...Crazy! Well, with my most recent idea, I think Matt is on board! So, are you curious about what my idea is?

I want to buy a house! I know, we have a house...and I LOVE it! But, after my trips to Nicaragua I often feel like I have just too much and I want to simplify. There is something to be said about a simpler lifestyle. I want extra money to do more missions, etc....and wouldn't it be awesome to have your home paid for in 5 years!!

I found a house for sale that is being auctioned soon. It was already listed REALLY cheap before it entered pre-auction status...as in the cost of a nice car. I don't want to give away too many details now...because I don't want anyone else to want it too :). Basically, it is a 1970's wood siding house that anyone but me would find ugly. The designer in me can totally see the potential. It is a 4 bedroom 3 bath house on a wooded acre lot with lots of shade and privacy. And, it has over 3,000 square feet. Here is a sketched version of the home:

I envision painting the exterior vertical siding a gray color like this home:

It would be fun to go from a traditional home to a modern home. I would probably do a whole new style at this place. A modern meets rustic style with lots of colorful artwork. I envision light gray walls, dark wood floors, a neutral pallet, lots of white with pops of color. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?

In the end, this may just be one of my crazy ideas that go nowhere...but who knows...I may be starting a new blog about the renovation of my new home and the selling of the other! We figure if we cannot sell ours we could rent the 1970's home for a while. It would be pretty easy to make a profit on it.

So what do you think? Am I crazy? Or have you ever wanted to simplify? Or do you just love coming up with crazy ideas as much as I do?

Pallets

2011-07-21T14:29:00.000-04:00

This post is completely about pallets. Not as in color palettes or a pile of blankets on the floor, but shipping pallets. Maybe it is old news, but I have been noticing a lot of creative ways to use pallets in home decor lately. They are all over the blog world and Pinterest (side note...if you haven't joined Pinterest, you totally should...check out my boards HERE and follow me).

I love any design trend that can be done cheaply and resourcefully. I remember as a child I would decorate my room from anything I could find around the house. I would check the garage and attic for items I could salvage or re-purpose. It was so fun! I wish I had pictures of some of my creations. One time I used 3 dresser drawers and set them up to create a faux fireplace and mantel. I also created my own ottoman out of a cardboard box, pillow, a sheet, and tape. I never said it looked good :).

So, back to pallets.....here is some inspirational eye candy. I will let the pictures do the talking.

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I might would build the rolling coffee table or make one of the daybeds for my basement one day. Would you replicate any of these? Have you been resourceful in decorating your home? Do tell!

New Uses for Towel Bars

2011-06-13T14:05:00.000-04:00

I came across some interesting ways to use a towel bar. Who knew they weren't just for towels!?

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I think these baskets are technically hanging from grab bars. Neat idea though!

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Use shower hooks to hang your necklaces.

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Use fabric and a double rod to create a book sling.

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Hang lids inside your pantry door to keep things organized.

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Or even hang your cleaning supplies...but only if they look that cute. I don't know about you, but my cleaning supplies do NOT look like that :)

Happy Monday Everyone!

Design Your Own Fabric

2011-04-25T15:13:00.000-04:00

I recently discovered this cool site where you can design your own fabric (thanks to YHL). It is called Spoonflower. It is not the cheepest fabric ever, starting at $18 a yard, but how cool would it be to have fabric you made displayed in your home! Or you could wear your own creation! I cannot wait to do this one day! The options are limitless!

Young House Love designed this custom fabric for their daughter Clara:

How cute is that!?

Spoonflower also has fabrics available for purchase. They have great options for nurseries. Here are a few of my favorites:

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What kind of fabric would you custom design?

Good Friday!

2011-04-22T13:14:00.000-04:00

Today, believers remember Christ's suffering on the cross for our sins. He paid the price and I am so grateful! Click HERE to read the story of Good Friday.

Tonight, Matt and I are attending a simulcast of Secret Church by David Platt, author of Radical. Ever heard of it? We are pretty pumped! It is an in-depth scriptural study that starts at 7 and runs till 1am. I'm not used to staying up that late anymore, but I am sure it will be worth it.

I hope you all have a memorable Easter and celebrate Christ's resurrection from the dead!! We will be attending our church's early service and then hosting our families for lunch. Hopefully I will remember to take photos and share with you.

Happy Easter!

e-design: The Frandsen's Basement (part 3 of 3)

2011-04-20T10:23:00.000-04:00

Today is the final post of the 3 part e-design for the Frandsen's Basement. If you are just tuning in, you can see the Media Space e-design HERE and the Kitchen & Wrapping Station e-design HERE.

As a reminder, below is the floor plan I designed for their entire basement. I will show you the Bathroom and the Mudroom in this post.

The Frandsen's requested that a small full bathroom be incorporated into the basement. I tucked the bathroom in the corner behind the entry door so that it would take up less visual space. They also requested pebble stone tiles for the shower floor which you can see I included in the e-design below. I continued with the theme of mixing modern and rustic elements together.

Bathroom e-design board:

Bathroom Breakdown:

1. Paint all walls a neutral gray: SW6163 Grassland

2. Apply an acid stain in a dark finish to the concrete floors.

3. Install these pebble stones in shower.

4. Install white subway tile like this on walls as shown in elevation.

5. Hang this mirror above the vanity. Ikea also sells this similar mirror for a lot less.

6. Install this light fixture above the vanity.

7. Use this vanity from Restoration Hardware.

8. Use this faucet.

Next up is the Mudroom. This space is immediately off of their garage. They pass through this space daily as they enter their home and go up the stairs to their main floor. The Mudroom needed to function as a place to store bags, coats, wine, and include a pantry for lesser used items. Here are some before shots:

And, so you don't have to scroll to the top, here is a close-up of the Mudroom in plan:

Mudroom e-design board:

Mudroom Breakdown:

1. Paint all walls a neutral gray: SW6163 Grassland

2. Hang this mirror above the chest.

3. Use a dark bronze lamp like this on the chest to tie in with the pendants.

4. This chest can be used to store wine and is a great place to drop your keys when you come in from the garage.

5. Apply an acid stain in a dark finish to the concrete floors.

6. Hang two of these pendants in the mudroom and use clear Edison bulbs.

7. Hang this artwork between the two garage doors.

8. Buy two of these lockers to store your coats, shoes, bags, and whatever else you need to stow away.

9. Lay this runner centered in front of the lockers.

10. Install this flush mount, dark bronze fixture in the pantry and in the stairwell.

11. Hang a wall mounted water feature like this so that you see it coming down the stairs straight in front of you at the landing.

12. One or two of these baskets will be great for storing umbrellas, etc.

13. To the right of the lockers, hang this unique wine holder.

14. Install doors to your pantry similar to this inspiration photo. The frosted glass panels will glow when your pantry light is on.

I hope you enjoyed this basement e-design as much as I enjoyed doing it!! If you would like to check out past e-designs you can go to the Design Consultations tab at the top of the blog. Also, if you are interested in an e-design or a in-home consultation you can email me at erica.harless(at)yahoo(dot)com. I enjoy working with a variety of styles and budgets!

e-design: The Frandsen's Basement (part 2 of 3)

2011-04-18T13:29:00.000-04:00

I'm back to share the next space within the Frandsen's basement. Today we will look at the Kitchen and Wrapping Station. They wanted the kitchen to have a refrigerator to store drinks and icecream, a microwave to pop popcorn, and a sink to rinse dishes. The wrapping station needed to store wrapping paper and also function as a serving station for entertaining.

As a reminder, below is the overall basement layout. To see the previous e-design board for the media space, click HERE.

Again, here is the basement layout with a closeup on the Kitchen and Wrapping Station:

Kitchen and Wrapping Station e-design board:

Kitchen Elevation:

Wrapping Station Elevation:

Kitchen and Wrapping Station Breakdown:

1. Paint all walls a neutral gray: SW6163 Grassland

2. Apply an acid stain in a dark finish to the concrete floors.

3. Install Ikea cabinets in this Adel style with this hardware.

4. Install white subway tile like this on walls as shown in elevation.

5. Use a black granite or quartz countertop.

6. Use this faucet.

7. Use this under mount stainless steel sink. I think a small bar sink will be best for this space.

8. Have an island/table made in reclaimed wood in a similar finish.

9. Use these barstools around the island and at the wrapping station.

10. Hang two of these pendants above the island.

11. Hang this clock to the left of the kitchen cabinets, before you get to the wrapping station. Additional artwork options include a set of these number prints. You could order just the numbers that have significance to your family.

12. Hang this file organizer on the wall to the left of the wrapping station (the shared wall with the bathroom).

13. Use one or two of these tall cabinets at the wrapping station to store tall wrapping paper tubes and other wrapping accessories.

Don't forget to check back in for the final post of this 3-part e-design! Next up is the Bathroom and Mudroom!

e-design: The Frandsen's Basement (part 1 of 3)

2011-04-14T11:11:00.000-04:00

The Frandsen family completed a total home remodel not too long ago and did a fabulous job! There home has a casual craftsman feel with attention to every detail. The next project on their list was their basement. They approached me for help in the design as they had run out of ideas and inspiration.

The concept for the basement was to create a modern yet rustic space that would tie into the rest of your home. The basement needed to house various functions which included a media space for watching movies and playing video games, a kitchenette for popping popcorn and entertaining, a wrapping station that doubles as a serving station, a full-size bathroom, a mudroom, and a pantry. Based on these requests, I designed all of these functions into the space while incorporating their desires for architectural features, a fireplace, and a space for an aquarium. A lot of requests for a modest sized space, but we made it happen! Since there are so many spaces I am breaking this e-design into three separate blog posts...so stay tuned.

First, here is a glance at the entire basement floor plan I designed:

Today I will be sharing with you the Media Space. Here are some before pictures of that area of the room:

Again, here is the basement layout with a closeup on the media space:

Media Space e-design board:

(click image for larger view)

Accent Wall Elevation:

Media Space Breakdown:

1. Paint all walls a neutral warm gray: SW6163 Grassland

2. Apply an acid stain in a dark finish to the concrete floors.

3. Accent wall to include this electric fireplace insert (or this one, or this ethanol one), these stone tiles, and reclaimed wood planks for a rustic yet modern combination. See sketch above.

4. Use this sectional sofa in dark gray from Ikea.

5. This rosette pillow and this pillow would look great in the space.

6. This dark red swivel chair can be placed by the fireplace. Its low profile and compact design are perfect for this space.

7. Use this 8x10 shag rug from Lowe's (I have it in another color and love it!) to ground the seating in the media space. This soft surface will also help with the acoustics of the room.

8. Use this media console below your projection screen to house your DVDs and video game components.

9. Use this Ikea shelving unit to house your aquarium and other decorative objects.

10. These baskets fit perfectly on the shelves and hide anything from board games to throw blankets.

11. Hang this unique USA artwork above the sectional.

12. Use two of these lamps on a simple sofa table behind the sectional.

13. This side table will slide up perfectly to the sectional’s chaise.

14. This checkerboard can be used on the other chaise as a tray.

15. This fabric can be used to hang in front of the dropped ceiling to create a nook for the sectional.

So, what do you think so far? This was a very fun project for me...mixing modern furnishings with rustic finishes may just be my new favorite style! Please check back in to see the other two posts!

If you are interested in an e-design or a in-home consultation you can email me at erica.harless(at)yahoo(dot)com. I enjoy working with a variety of styles and budgets.

Master Bedroom Progress

2011-04-07T12:44:00.000-04:00

We now have curtains hung in the bedroom! Yaaaay!

It is amazing how curtains make a room feel so much more finished! I originally wanted to sew my own curtains...but it was going to be so much more expensive...not to mention time consuming. I figured it was going to cost me around $300 to make curtains...I bought all 4 of these panels for about $100. I purchased the curtains long so that I could hang them high near the crown molding. I think the combination of high curtains and tall headboard add visual height to the room as well as a feeling of grandeur.

When hanging curtains, make sure the bottoms gently grace the floor...you don't want high-waters :)

Did you notice the little paint squares taped to the wall?

Next up is deciding which color works best and getting the walls painted. I want the walls to be darker than the headboard so that it will pop off the wall. I think I am going to have to buy some small paint samples to actually paint on the wall because I cannot make up my mind between three different colors.

Then, of course, I want to get some wooden/bamboo shades to replace the burgundy ones. Can you see why I always have them drawn up for photos or when we have company over? What were they thinking?

Oh, and here is the other side of the room. I don't think I have ever shown it on the blog. Nothing spectacular...but I do love the artwork. That peice was the inspiration for the room's color scheme. The chairs were a garage sale find. I paid either $5 or $10 for the pair!

Anyone else recently install curtains? Did you find pre-made curtains to be more affordable as well?

Levi's Newborn Photoshoot

2011-04-04T09:42:00.000-04:00

A couple of weekends ago I drove out to Jackson, Mississippi to meet my new nephew Levi. When Levi was only 5 days old I took these shots of him and his very proud family.

This first group of shots were edited as black and white photos with a hint of color for my sister's use on Levi's birth announcements:

I LOVE the family shot! That's how you get a toddler to smile for the camera...just have his parents swing him! :)

Cute little feet! Kind of reminds me of a heart!

Levi in his going home outfit from Grammie. Too cute! This little man was quite modest, he refused to pose for any photos in only his diaper...let alone nude! How do photographers get those naked baby shots? Are their studios 85 degrees??

Love candid family shots!

The proud Grammie and Poppy!

...and proud Aunt Erica (as Ryan likes to say "Antartica")

Finally, a little mommy-son time.

I did something a little crazy...

2011-03-28T16:09:00.000-04:00

...I entered a contest to be a guest dancer on ABC's Dancing with the Stars!! Ha! I'm serious :)

No, I'm not a skilled dancer...but I do LOVE to dance. Dove had a contest where you had to send in a 60 second video clip about why you like Dove and their new Visible Care Body Wash and then why you want a close-up on Dancing with the Stars. The grand prize winner wins a trip to L.A. (with a guest) and trains for a week with a professional. Then they perform the dance on the season finale (or late in the season, I cannot remember). There is also a $5,000 prize!

I know it sounds crazy...why would I want to train for 8 hours a day to dance on a TV show?? Well, as odd as it sounds....it has been a dream of mine. Kind of a bucket-list item that under normal circumstances would be totally unattainable. How fun would it be to get all glammed up to dance on the show!

Want to see my video? It is hard for me to watch and not critique every little thing I do...I mean...do I really sound THAT southern?!?! Hopefully they are looking for a southern belle :) (we were required to wear either a tank top or a towel...I chose the tank top)

This post is mainly for my small group girls who are dying to see this....so please don't laugh at me :)

Oh, and if I win....I will remember you when I am famous....LOL! (again, a little joke for my small group girls)

Baby Pictures...Soon

2011-03-24T15:08:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to update everyone that I will post the photoshoot of my newest nephew Levi as soon as his birth announcements have been sent out. I didn't want it to be old news for all of Leslie's friends and family when they got their cards. Please check back soon....he is SO adorable!

In the meantime, here is a cute and candid shot I got of big brother Evan...equally adorable. He is camera shy...so you have to take his photo when he does not expect it :)

And another one....doesn't he look so innocent yet mischievous at the same time!?!

Love, love, LOVE him!!

Spring has sprung...and a baby

2011-03-14T20:46:00.000-04:00

First things first, my nephew Levi came into the world today! Levi Matthew Dean was born at 9:12am weighing 7lbs 11oz and 21.5 inches long. Yay! I am so proud of my sister and glad she was able to do a VBAC! My mom is out there with them now...and my dad and I will drive out on Friday to stay for the weekend. The plan is for me to take his newborn pictures. It will be a first for me but I welcome the challenge and just can't wait to meet the little guy!

Speaking of photography and new birth....ok it's a stretch...I took some photos yesterday with my new portrait lens of all the flowers in bloom in our yard. Spring has sprung!

I was amazed at the boketh the lens creates in the background! It can be difficult to not make everything fuzzy....but I guess practice makes perfect.

Oh, and I cannot finish this post without showing this funny picture I got of Annie mid-lick :)

I LOVE SPRING! I especially love the time change and it getting darker later! How about you?

Mother-Daughter Shopping - A Birthday Tradition

2011-03-08T13:16:00.001-05:00

My mom has a tradition with my sister and I that she takes us shopping for our birthdays. We have been doing this probably since college and I LOVE it! The budget is $100 and we can spend it however we like. I used to buy clothes or purses....but now, being a homeowner, I always seem to want something for our home.

My birthday is actually tomorrow, March 9th, but we went out on Saturday. I like to stretch my birthday out as long as possible...more like a birthweek...or even a birthmonth :)! I feel a little strange about this birthday....I know everyone still thinks I am SOOO young...but turning 26 (yes only 26 to everyone rolling their eyes) means that I am no longer in my "early twenties"...I'm just that much closer to 30! Ha! No tears yet...so I guess I'm handling it better than I thought I would...haha!

This year I was unsure of what I wanted to look for on my shopping day with Mom, but I knew I wanted to try a store that one of my friends and blog followers had recommended: Ballard's Backroom. There are several locations for this store and I went to the one in Atlanta. Ballard's Backroom is a retail and outlet version of Ballard Designs. Y'all, it was awesome!!! I totally recommend it to everyone who needs anything for their home :)

You want to see what I got?

Yep, I finally got the bamboo chairs for my dining room that I mentioned in this previous post. (Thank you Amy for telling me they were at Ballards Backroom!)

I wanted to add a little fun and funkiness to my dining room and I think these accomplished just that. I love that everything is not matchy-matchy but still coordinates well together. See in the photo above how the chairs are silvery-gray and so is my chandelier....and see how the criss-cross backs to the chairs relate well with the criss-cross window panes on my hutch?

Oh but wait, the excitement continues! Want to know how much they were? Well, they were originally $250 a chair if you bought them directly from Ballard Designs...but they were $99 at the Backroom. BUT, that is not all folks!!!! They were then marked 50% OFF!!! So, the chairs were only $50 a piece! $50!! Mom bought two of them for me and I (or we could say Matt) bought the other two for my birthday.

Happy Birthday to me!!

The birthday fun continued as we perused local fabric stores like Lewis & Sheron and Forsyth Fabrics. We clipped fabric samples for potential master bedroom curtains. I'm not sure there is a winner yet. I will keep you updated on the progress.

It would not be our traditional mother-daughter shopping date without lunch together. We ate at Rosa Mexicano at Atlantic Station....yum! I think I've mentioned them before here on the blog....but they have the best tableside guacamole!!

We wrapped up the day with a trip to HomeGoods and then milkshakes from Chick-fil-A. So fun! I just love traditions and quality time with my mom!

In other news....I might possibly be sharing my birthday with my nephew, Levi. My sister Leslie was due yesterday but has still not gone into labor. March 9th sounds like the perfect birthday if you ask me!! :)

It's here!

2011-02-18T18:52:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you are not as excited about this as I am....but remember this post about gift ideas for the camera lover? Well, I ordered a camera bag for myself with my Christmas money and it just came in! Here it is in the fabrics I selected:

(the photo from my camera phone makes the inside look blue...but it is actually gray)

I love it! Now I just need to buy those lenses I've been staring at to fill up the pockets :). First on my list is a portrait lens. I need to go ahead and order it so I can take 2 week old pictures for my nephew Levi . He is due March 7th....so I better get on that!

Have a fabulous weekend!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

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I realize I am a day late posting this...but yesterday was crazy! I hope each of you had a fabulous day with the one you love!!

Matt and I celebrated throughout the weekend. He was SO sweet and had little surprises planned for me each day!

Friday evening he greeting me with 2 dozen roses.

Saturday morning he had this little surprise waiting for me when I woke up:

Along with a sticky note that read "I love you, but He loves you more." ( I nearly cried!) I had been wanting this study Bible for a while now. I only had a thinline ESV, which was great for transporting to and from church, but it had absolutely no notes or studies. This bible probably weighs 5lbs because of all of the notes in it!! Some may think it is silly, but this was probably my favorite Valentine's gift ever!

Then...as if the weekend wasn't already incredibly awesome... on Sunday he cleaned the house, cooked dinner (very yummy grilled salmon and shrimp) and we watched our wedding video together. It was very very sweet! He knows me too well. I love him so much and am blessed to have him as my husband!

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10

I'm on the hunt again

2011-02-09T14:38:00.000-05:00

I'm always hunting and searching for something for my home or a client's home. Right now that something is cute drawer pulls...for me. Remember how I mentioned I wanted to get hardware for my plain Ikea dressers in my master bedroom? Among other things like curtains and paint and probably new bedding soon.

Well, I was inspired by this photo on Emily A. Clark's blog:

Doesn't the Ikea Malm dresser look all snazzy now with the chrome drawer pulls!?! It looks very contemporary and expensive! I LOVE it!! Since my drawers are white I was thinking of using dark bronze pulls for contrast. I don't think silver would show up as well.

I have yet to find just the right hardware and at the right price on my internet search. Here are some "maybes":

This one is a rustic ring pull and costs $3.75 a piece. That would be $45 for all 12 pulls.

These are from Cost Plus World Market and are only $8 for a set of 4. I'm not sure that they are the look I want but it would only be $24 for the project.

Or I could go a different route and use pulls like these. They are from Hobby Lobby and are $4 each....$48 for the project.

I also checked out Anthropologie online and they have some great knobs but they are a little too expensive for my budget and not exactly what I was looking for. I think I will have to get out and about to to find what I want. Perhaps I could find some at a antique shop or salvage yard. I want cheap and unique...anyone have some suggestions?

Coupon Organizers - 2 down...3 to go

2011-02-01T12:49:00.000-05:00

In my last post I showed you the design I came up with to organize my coupons. Here is a sketch of what the inside looks like:

I was surprised how quickly they became a hit. I originally made one as a prize for Bunco, not intending to get any "business" out of it...and ended up receiving 2 orders that night. After telling some of my girlfriends about it...I received 3 more orders!

Without further adieu, here are the two organizers I just completed (fabrics picked out by the "customers"):

I have always LOVED this guitar print! This one is for a female musician friend...quite fitting if you ask me :)

I apologize for the poor photo quality and lack of an interior shot. I was eager to get this post up and used the photos I took from my phone last night.

Any crazy couponers out there? I'm still learning...but I love when I can save money!!

Life here lately...and coupon organizers

2011-01-24T13:45:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts here lately. I have had a TON of things going on. Life has been great...and super busy. Matt and I have been very involved in our church lately and have been enjoying lots of social activities with friends. Fun, fun, fun!

I have also been doing a lot of sewing lately. It seems there is a baby boom going on in our LifeGroup, so I have been sewing burp cloths for the expectant mothers. I've also started sewing coupon organizers and currently have 4 orders to fulfill and 2 to make as gifts. I have not posted these on Etsy yet since I still have so many to make. Here is a very quick/rough sketch of the coupon organizers, I failed to take a photo of my example before I gave it away:

(click image to view larger image)

The left image shows the organizer when closed. It kind of looks like a fabric covered journal. The right image shows what it looks like all opened up. I love how you can have your list and coupons all in one spot. The back pockets are full length so that the one on the left can hold the extra large coupons (like the Bed Bath & Beyond 20% off coupons) and the right side can hold the back of the notepad. I continued to make more pockets/dividers all the way down and on both sides. I figured that the pockets behind the notepad could be for lesser used coupons like "Pets" or "Toiletries".

I will add photos later and links to Etsy when I post them. Let me know if you want to be on the waiting list!

Lastly, I have started on a new design project for a client. I am designing their basement to incorporate a mudroom, pantry, and media room with a full bath and kitchenette. This is going to be a fun project and I hope to include you along the way!

Well, that is pretty much it for me here lately. What has been keeping you busy?

Friday's Frugal Find

2011-01-14T11:29:00.000-05:00

Can you believe today will be my first day back at work this week!?! We have had a terrible freeze down here in GA and we do not have the supplies or equipment to make the roads safe like the northern states do. So, I have enjoyed 4 glorious "snow days".

Before I got stuck in my house for a few days, I found these frugal finds....

First up, from Goodwill, is this small teak bowl for $3.50:

It was a little dirty and worn, so I have washed it and will moisturize the wood with some olive oil once it completely dries. I think it makes a great fruit bowl or could be used as a centerpiece.

Also at Goodwill, I found these wooden candlesticks for about $5 for the pair:

They could use a little TLC, but I LOVE how chunky they are as well as the dark finish!

My last frugal find for this Friday was found in the clearance section at a local furniture warehouse store. I noticed this canvas print, but it didn't have a price on it:

The other framed canvases were listed at $75....and honestly, I thought they were quite ugly...as in vases with roses on a black background in gody gold frames....so I assumed this one must be even more. I was about to leave the store and the owner asked if I saw anything I liked. I mentioned this print and asked how much it was. He said $20. I guess he could tell that wasn't good enough for me...:)....and he quickly said.."Well, I guess I could sell it for $10." SOLD! You can't beat a large 24x36 painting like this for only $10! Sometimes it pays to be impartial about something. I try not to seem too interested in anything that I can negotiate the price on. :)

There was a slight defect on the painting, the right edge curled up slightly....either from a fall or moisture. I think my "concern" for the "defect" made him bring it down even more. See the curve?:

I know...it doesn't bother me either. You really cannot even notice it. I'm still trying to decide where I want to hang it. I'm pretty sure it will go in my guest bedroom where a lamp can kind of conceal the "curve". I bought it thinking it could go on a blank wall in my dining room, but the blues in the painting are a brighter blue and it doesn't go very well with my blue-green-grayish walls.

Have you found any frugal finds lately?

THE Headboard

2011-01-04T15:42:00.002-05:00

It's finally done!! Remember my post here about wanting to build a wing back headboard that I could slipcover one day? Well, it felt so good to already cross off an item from our 2011 House Project List! Honestly, this was a 2010 "to do" item...but whatever....it is DONE!!

Here is the play by play...mostly via photos..because I know you just want to scroll to the bottom and see the finished project. :)

First, we went to Home Depot with our measurements and had them cut the plywood to size (first cut is free). If we were better prepared we could have had them cut the 2x4s and 2x10s....but we felt we needed to visualize it a little more first. When we got home, Matt cut the 2x4 supports to length as well as the 2x10 "wings" in the basement.

We brought everything upstairs for assembly because we knew the headboard would be too heavy to carry up the stairs when completed. Very glad we thought that through!!

We threw an old sheet down to protect our hardwoods from the rough surface of the plywood on the reverse side.

We had plenty of help from the "children" along the way :)

We flipped it over and tested out the "wings" for the sides. Honestly, I was a little disappointed that they did not stick out further...but Matt reassured me that they would be just fine. :)

I measured the board and transferred those measurements to my foam using a Sharpie...again with help (that's Gracie playing with the tape measure). For the foam, we bought a 4" king sized memory foam off of Overstock.com. And...ignore the mess...I did not clean up for photos...reality is in right now, right?

And I cut it with an electric turkey carver...a little strange I know...but it works wonderfully! I was quite surprised that there was no mess!

Then, using Gorilla Glue, we secured the foam to the plywood (sorry no picture). Next I laid our fabric over the foam to trim to size. We used a queen sized sheet set I found at Marshall's. It was the easiest way to get fabric large enough for the job....it was also super cheap!

I wrapped the sheet around the foam and stapled it to the back of the board using a staple gun. I pulled the fabric taught until it made the sharp foam edges into a gentle curve and stapled once on all four sides of the board to make sure it stayed in place. Then I continued to pull and staple every couple of inches until all sides were done.

Next up where the "wings". I cut the foam narrower than the boards so that the foam would not be in the way when we connected them to the back of the headboard with L brackets.

I repeated the same gluing, cutting, and stapling process on the wings. But this time, I had to use the fitted sheet. To make the ironing process easier I cut off the bottom elastic edges so the fabric would lie flat. It actually made a really cute ruffle that I might have to create a project to use it on :)

I only stapled the top, bottom, and inside corners so that I could wrap the fabric over the L brackets and staple to the back of the headboard.

Here we were attaching the wing to the already assembled headboard.

The front, before the fabric wrapped around.

And....drum roll please........................introducing my modern interpretation of a wing back headboard.........

What do you think? I love that it is BIG and it makes a statement. I also love that we can sit up in bed and lean against a cushy surface! Plus, ~~if it gets dirty~~ when it gets dirty one day, I can just sew a slipcover for it!

Now you can see why the other items made it on the Master Bedroom to do list. The headboard currently blends right in with the walls and I want it to pop. So, next up we will be painting this room either a taupe that is several shades darker than the headboard, or an entirely different color...still haven't decided.

We also desperately need new window treatments and shades. The ones that came with the house were burgundy!!! Not a very neutral option! Also on the list are drawer pulls or cute knobs for my Ikea Malm dressers. We bought these in the scratch and dent section of Ikea for only $39 a piece. They may not stay in this room forever....but they offer great storage.

I guess you want to know how much this project cost us?? Well, here is the breakdown (based on memory :)):

(2) 2x4s = $12
(2) 2x10s = $16
sheet of plywood = $8
set of queen sized sheets = $20
king size memory foam = $60
hardware = $12
Gorilla glue = $5
Staple gun = $20

The project cost us $153 . Great deal if you ask me! Similar headboards that I liked sell for $2,000! And this one is custom...just how we want it. Plus, we built it together...awww.

Home Projects for 2011

2011-01-04T11:45:00.001-05:00

I have made my typical New Year's resolutions, but thought my home could use some as well.

{source}

Here are some projects we hope to tackle 2011. I am including both the easy and affordable projects as well as the "in my dreams" projects that could roll into future years at the bottom of each list:

Living Room:
1. buy and install new curtains up by the ceiling
2. install grass cloth roman shades
3. possibly paint a deeper neutral on the walls
4. buy or reinvent a sofa table
5. new sofa - "in my dreams"

Dining Room:
1. replace chairs with bamboo chairs as shown in this post
2. re-think the current light fixture - paint, add shade(s) or install new

1/2 Bath:
1. paint or wallpaper
2. add decorative mirror
3. add artwork

Master Bedroom:
1. ~~build upholstered headboard~~ (we completed this over the weekend! Click here to see it)
2. buy and install new curtains
3. change blinds to grass cloth roman shades
4. paint
5. add hardware to nightstands

Master Bath:
1. paint
2. new linens and rugs
3. add artwork

Craft Room:
1. organize
2. paint
3. install board and baton (possibly "in my dreams"...we shall see)

Bonus Room, a.k.a. "Man Cave":
1. paint
2. artwork (partially done)
3. buy and install new desk/shelving systems (I have my eye on the Expedit system from Ikea)
4. decorative pillows for futon

Basement (all of which fall in the category of "in my dreams"):
1. organize
2. insulate and sheetrock walls to create a family room
3. install duct work for future connection to an HVAC system. Will not need to connect until a bedroom is finished off. The basement maintains fairly comfortable temperatures year around.
4. stain concrete floors

Outside:
1. plant trees in front yard (2 lovely trees died last year and they were the only ones in the front...boo...it looks quite plain now)
2. repair planks on deck as needed
3. pressure wash gutters
4. buy a gas grill?
5. paint front door and shutters (either in 2011 or 2012, when needed)

Wow! That was a longer list than I thought!! I'm not saying I'll get ALL of these done in 2011...but it will help me keep my priorities straight when budgeting or shopping. :)

What would you like to get done in your home this year?

**edited to add headboard link**

Christmas Decorations at the Harless House

2010-12-29T14:28:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I had not done a single Christmas decorating post! Shame on me! This is predominantly a decorating blog!! I know Christmas has since passed, but I wanted to capture these photos for reference next year.

Well, without further ado, here is what our home looks like for the holidays:

I basically kept everything rather simple. Most of what we have are hand-me-downs...and I am very thankful for them! The 9 foot tree was my parents. It no longer fit in their home so they gave it to us...SCORE! It is a HUGE artificial tree and it was bought before they started making the pre-lit kind, but I will gladly string on the lights each year without complaining.

I went with a vintage color scheme of red and granny smith green. (I put our poinsettia on the cabinet so our four-legged children wouldn't eat it :) )

I found these felt ornament placemats at the Dollar Tree along with the little picture frames I used as placecards. It is amazing what you can find there. I get a lot of my gift bags, wrapping paper, and tissue paper there...you certainly can't beat the $1 price! ;)

I filled the frames with photos I edited on Picnik of each family member. I had each person wear a Santa hat and made it look like it was snowing.

I added a little green pine garland with some red beads to the chandelier. I also added some garland to the floating shelf in my breakfast area. It was a quick and last minute solution on where to put all of my Christmas cards.

I simply hung each card by clothespins. You could glue ribbon to the pins for a more festive look. I didn't have the time and this worked just fine for me :). As the Nester would say, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful."

Over the blue chest in the back hall, I added a simple wreath with brown ribbon and an ornament. I didn't think the red and green would go very well with the artwork or blue chest.

Finally, I personalized each of my gifts with a little tag including a photo of Matt and I. I printed them from home, taped the photos to colored cardstock, and ran ribbons through the punched holes. VERY easy and everyone loved them!

I hope each of you had a very Merry Christmas!

DIY Artwork

2010-12-22T13:07:00.000-05:00

Remember my anniversary post {here} about my gift to Matt:

Well here is how I made it in case you wanted to make one yourself:

Take a photo that you love and edit it on Picnik (the larger the file the better)
Insert the edited photo into a Microsoft Office Publisher document with the page size formatted to the size you want printed. Mine was 24"x36" for a poster print. Drag the photo from the corners until it covers the entire page.
Now that the photo fills the page, make sure it does not look pixelated. If so, you will need to use a higher resolution photo.

I wanted the photo to be in the background so that the text would show up....so, I clicked the Rectangle tool from the Objects toolbar and covered the entire photo by dragging it from one corner to the other. (If the Objects toolbar is not in view, click View on the upper toolbar, Toolbars, and check Objects)

With the rectangle still selected, right click and select "Format AutoShape"

Change the line to "no line"
Next, change the fill color. I chose a beige color, but you could do gray or white....or any color for that matter
Set the transparency to a number that looks good to you. I chose 40%. Here is what your photo will look like now...more muted:

Now, insert a text box and type whatever you would like in the font and color you prefer.

Finally, save as a PDF if you are having someone print this for you.

Hint: If items do not appear in the order you prefer (like you can't see your text, picture, or colored rectangle) click the item to select it, then right click and select Order and you can move that item to the front or back or anywhere in between....a lot like Photoshop.

The multiple steps make it look harder than it really is. If you have any questions just leave a comment and I will do my best to help you out.

A Christmas post is coming soon...I promise! :)

Happy 3rd Anniversary Honey!

2010-12-15T09:25:00.000-05:00

Today is mine and Matt's 3rd wedding anniversary!

I cannot believe we have already been married for 3 years or that we have been together for over 8!

He is my best friend and the love of my life at the same time. I am very blessed to have such a kind, loving, intelligent, and godly man as my husband. I had always hoped I would find someone that could be the spiritual leader of the home, silly and fun to be around, handsome, handy around the house, caring, and romantic....well I found all that and more in Matt! Not a day goes by...literally...that he does not tell me that I am the most beautiful woman in the world :). Three years later I am starting to believe he really thinks so :).

We don't typically buy each other presents for our anniversary. We usually just do something special together. Our first anniversary we stayed in Asheville and visited the Biltmore at Christmas time. It was beautiful....cold...but beautiful!

Last year we stayed local and got massages in the morning then went out for dinner at fondue place called The Melting Pot. The chocolate fondue is to die for!!

This year we will be celebrating our anniversary with a nice dinner in ATL followed by going to the Cirque du Soleil Ovo. We have never been to any of the CdS shows and are really excited to see what it's all about. The frugal part of me cannot go without saying that I got the tickets for 1/2 off! :)

I broke the no gifts rule (really an unspoken rule) this year. I decided to make a piece of art for Matt using our family scripture verse:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

So, I bought a 24x36 poster frame at Hobby Lobby (1/2 off...of course) and debated on if I wanted to only have the scripture....or if I wanted there to be a background behind the words. I decided on using one of the first photos I took with my new camera as a background. Here is what I came up with:

My only concern is that I hope it doesn't look like a church bulletin from the 1960s!!

(I caught Annie checking it out...it looks like she is reading it :) )

We have been wanting to bring more scripture into our home to serve as a reminder of what is truly important. Matt hung the print at the landing of our stairs that leads to his man cave (a.k.a. office). I thought the pathway in this picture went well with the scripture when it says "when you walk by the way." In case you are wondering, the lower right corner is the verse in Hebrew. Matt likes to reference the original Hebrew and I knew he would appreciate it on the poster. He LOVED the gift and the fact that I made it from one of the photos I took.

Happy Anniversary Honey! I love you and look forward to all the adventures and memories we will make in the years to come!!
xo-Erica

Gift Ideas for the Camera Lover

2010-12-10T10:07:00.000-05:00

Now that I have joined the fabulous world of photography, I have been noticing lots of cool gift ideas for the photography lover.

Like this ornament for $14

Then I discovered that camera bags don't have to be boring! Etsy has some great bags! Here are just a few that I found and each fabric can be completely customized:

This bag is a great starter bag that can hold a couple of lenses and is $80. (definitely not cheap...but totally original). I love the color combo on this one!

Here is the inside:

This next bag is probably my favorite style because it has room for growth as you add lenses over time. This one is $85.

Here is the inside. Notice how it can hold a ton!

There are also lots of affordable stocking stuffers, like this notepad for only $7 on Etsy:

Anything with the phrase "I shoot people" just cracks me up...like this $24 necklace:

And finally, there are custom camera straps like this one for $24:

If they have a small digital point and shoot camera, you can find cute carrying pouches and wristlet straps on Etsy too.

Happy Friday!

xo - Erica

e-design: Powell's Living Room

2010-12-07T10:35:00.002-05:00

You may remember when I created an e-design for the Powell’s Den {here}. We basically started that design from scratch because they wanted to move that furniture into their Living Room. They thought their red sleeper sofa would work best in the Living Room since it is in a more secluded area of the home and would be more private for overnight guests. I couldn’t agree more! They rarely used this room because it felt cold and unfinished. They asked me to help make the room more inviting and cozy so that it will be used more often.

Here are a few before shots of their Living Room:

The layout was not working well for them and the lack of a rug and window treatments made the room feel uninviting. Ready to see the e-design board?

e-DESIGN BOARD:

FLOOR PLAN:

ELEVATIONS:

Paint tone on tone stripes on wall behind sofa. This will create interest to an otherwise boring wall. Use paint listed in breakdown below, then tape off 12 inch stripes with painters tape. In between the tape, paint a glossy clear coat to create a subtle stripe. All other walls will be the solid semi-gloss.

e-DESIGN BOARD BREAKDOWN:

1. Re-purpose existing red sofa,

2. Green chair/ ottoman,

3. And recliner from your Den and use in your re-designed Living Room. Use this brown slipcover on your recliner. I strategically placed this chair in the front left corner so that it would be the last item in the room that your eye would notice.

4. Add warmth and coziness to the room with this taupe (technically Chocolate) low pile shag rug. I personally have this same rug in my Living Room and LOVE how comfy it makes the room feel and how easily it hides stains! Great for kids (or pets)! The best part is that it is under $200 for an 8x10 rug!!

5. Next I would have curtain panels made out of this fabulous fabric that helps to tie all of your colors together. This will definitely help the room feel more “finished” and cozy. Hang on a dark bronze rod halfway between top of window and ceiling and extend beyond window frames.

6. Paint walls SW 7694 Dromedary Camel

7. Re-use existing side table

8. Re-use existing round side table and cover in this chocolate linen tablecloth

9. Re-use existing TV cabinet

10. Find a small scale wooden arm chair like this to position near the TV cabinet. Antique shops are great sources for finds like this. You could re-cover the seat in a coordinating fabric to the draperies. In the mean time you can use your existing wooden rocking chair.

11. Re-use existing cabinet or use a collection of stacking trunks like these. You could store toys and linens for the pull out sofa bed.

12. A new pair of lamps will look great on either side of your red sofa! I recommend checking out HomeGoods for deals on trendy lamps! For now, update the look by replacing the lamp shades with this linen drum shade. They are only $14 and can really freshen things up.

13. Now you can layer in the accessories! These bird cages will add height and interest to the top of your TV cabinet.

14. This sunburst mirror is an option if you no longer want to use your existing rectangular mirror.

If you are interested in an e-design check out my Design Consultations tab at the top of the blog for more examples and further details.

Saturday Photoshoot on the Square

2010-11-28T16:42:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving!! I certainly did! I will update you on all we did soon. But first, here are a few shots I took of the family on the city square yesterday:

(my sister Leslie, her husband Ryan, and their son Evan)

(I love the excitement in Evan's face!)

(My parents: Steve AKA Poppy, and Janie AKA Grammie)

(Matt and I)

I hope I am not boring my readers with my new hobby...I am just really enjoying playing with the camera and editing the photos on Picnik. If you haven't checked out that site yet...you definitely should. It is so fun and easy!

Layla - AKA "The Model"

2010-11-22T13:42:00.000-05:00

Layla was my model this weekend as I played around with my new camera. I think she has a knack for modeling. What do you think? :)

I love how this one captured her playfulness!

She is a little scruffy right now....but she is a new model and cannot afford a hairstylist yet ;)

I tried to get shots of the kitties this weekend too but had no luck. They move SO fast and HATE the flash. I will have to try to get daylight photos of them. Here are a couple of terrible outtakes :)

Not too pretty! (they are...but not the shots)

BTW - I haven't had a chance yet to watch Oprah's Favorite Things show from Friday, but my mom said they gave my camera away. How cool is that!?!

Friday's Frugal Find

2010-11-19T11:05:00.000-05:00

Found this table on Craigslist for only $35!

It is 34" square with a bronze metallic finish on top and shiny silver legs. If it were a little smaller it would make a great, large-scale bedside table. It could also be a desk or small dining table.

Happy Friday!

My First Shots!

2010-11-17T17:19:00.000-05:00

No, I did not just leave the doctor. My camera came in today!!! I have no idea how to work my new camera yet, but had to share the shots I took on my walk this afternoon. Keep in mind that I am new at this and that they are not edited.

My friend Ann and I try to walk the trail 3 days a week. Some weeks we do more...others not at all. Here is the start of our walk on the trail that wraps our work campus:

Aren't the fall colors beautiful:

I am constantly amazed that I get to walk these trails at work! It is truly breathtaking and I am very blessed!

Here is my typical ride into work:

Well, there you have it....my first shot (pun intended) at photography! It is amazing the difference between a point and shoot camera and a DSLR! I think I am hooked!! I can't wait to start editing!

I'm on the hunt.

2010-11-16T10:46:00.000-05:00

I decided I wanted to bring a little more funkiness into my dining room. I envision doing this by bringing in some painted chairs. I'm kind of tired of my table and chairs matching...plus I've never been a huge fan of the style of my chairs anyway. So...I have been scouring Craigslist often looking for bamboo chairs like these:

{source}

I plan to paint them white, gold, or a distressed gray-blue color. I haven't decided. Really, any low back and wide chair could work. These chairs from House Beautiful are quite nice as well:

{source}

This purchase is low priority right now...but I have learned that it takes a while to find what you are looking for on Craigslist. However, if anyone finds them please let me know! :)

Thanks!

Christmas is coming early!!

2010-11-11T09:32:00.000-05:00

I am SOOOO excited I can hardly stand it! I just ordered my Christmas present the other night. Want to see what my giddiness is all about?

Here it is:

{source}

Ooooh! Ahhhhh! And I am not waiting til Christmas to use it either. I figure I need to practice and learn the camera before the holidays get here :). Now I will have no more excuses for having lousy camera phone shots :).

So, what is it? It is the Nikon D3100 and it has some awesome features! One of my favorites is that it is also a HD video recorder and records in 1080p. I liked that I wouldn't have to buy a video camera and have two different electronics to carry around.

I originally was going to get the most budget friendly option that included an entire kit, but after much thought, I decided to invest in the base now (with one lens) and add more high quality lenses as time goes by. It was quite a splurge, but we had been saving for it...making Dave Ramsey proud :).

I know I am an amateur...but I hope to get better over time with lots of practice and research. In fact, Katie from Bower Power has a post yesterday about her favorite photography sites with tutorials and inspirational photos .

Hopefully my present will arrive next week and I can start practicing!

Happy Tuesday...and a New Listing on Etsy!

2010-11-09T10:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday! I know....not two words you normally put together. Usually, Tuesday's are the most boring days of the week. Monday is a fresh start...Wednesday is hump day...Thursday is one day closer to Friday...and Friday means the weekend is almost here ;).

So, my husband and I have a weekly tradition on Tuesday mornings to swing by our local Chick-fil-A to pick up breakfast (we carpool). It is our special Tuesday treat. We come so often that the drive-thru lady recognized when we bought a new car!! :) She also knows what our usuals are. We either get the chicken breakfast burrito combos with a DDP (Diet Dr Pepper):

{source}

or a #1 chicken biscuit add egg and cheese with DDPs:

{source}

We are pretty predictable. Occasionally we will switch it up just to keep them on their toes. ;)

Anyways....none of that was important. What I really wanted to tell you was that I just loaded a new burp cloth set on my Etsy shop! I love the retro feel of this green geometric paired with the owl print!

What do you do to make Tuesdays more exciting?

Taking my own advice...

2010-11-08T13:23:00.000-05:00

After my recent post about jewelry organization, I decided to quit procrastinating...take my own advice...and organize my jewelry. As I have shared before, I have a great jewelry cabinet....but I still managed to make a mess of it. All of my earings and necklaces were getting tangled and I couldn't clearly see what I had.

I am ashamed to show you the before pics...but they make the after so much more exciting. So, here is the before:

Now, erase that from your memory....and only remember the after :)

Being inspired by Sherry's ceramic egg crate...

I used these 2 large egg crates and a pair of sissors:

And came up with this:

(you can see the crack in the right corner that made this cost less than a 1/3 of the retail price)

I love how the crates separate my earings and pens. I used the crates to group like objects together...like all gold earings in one crate, red in another, etc. The egg crates are currently unfinished cardboard. I might spraypaint them a glossy white or black. What do you think? Will a paint finish tarnish my jewelry?

Regardless...I am very pleased that I can see all of my jewelry! There were several things I even forgot I had! :)

Cost of this before and after: $0

Friday's Frugal Find

2010-11-05T11:50:00.000-04:00

If I had the time...I would so grab this $10 bamboo table from Craigslist! I know it is nothing special now:

But look what it could be with a can of antique gold or nickel spraypaint:

{source}

Or:

{source}

Here is a room that uses a bamboo table:

Depending on your style, you could even paint it a punchy color like yellow...if your style is like this:

The Craiglist option is quite a bit chunkier and does not have the delicate lines of the examples shown....but hey...it's ten bucks! :)

DIY Invitations

2010-11-03T15:36:00.001-04:00

This year, for the first time, I have designed all of my invitations (minus Evites). I would see cute invitations on Etsy and think...."I could do that." For some reason I think I can do TOO many things on my own...but this one was actually pretty simple. I didn't use any of my fancy Adobe programs for these either. I just used Microsoft Publisher that comes with most Office packages.

The first invitation I made was for a twin baby shower I hosted. You can read more about that here.

You see, I knew in my mind what kind of invitation I wanted and it would include a nest with 2 blue eggs. Well...this did not exist. Of course!! So, I decided to make it myself. I googled images of nests and finally came across this one and designed the rest of the invitation around it once I edited the image colors on Picnik (LOVE this free site!):

(I edited names and address for the World Wide Web :) )

Then later in the year I made this invitation for Emily's shower that you can read more about here. I actually only printed this for her and I sent an Evite out to 20+ guests from church.

Just recently I designed invitations for our departmental Christmas party. In the past, we would usually send an email or print a quick flyer for everyone's inboxes. This year, I recommended that we print invitations instead. It was very cost effective...really all of them were. I just sent JPG files off to Sam's Club to be printed like photos. Super simple! All the other invitations were 4x6 sizes, but we made this one a 5x7.

What do you think? I certainly do not claim to be a graphic designer...but I love the chance to be creative!

Friday's Frugal Finds....on Monday

2010-11-01T16:57:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know. It's Monday. I did not get a chance to post on Friday. I only had a brief day at work before I left to go visit my sister Leslie for the weekend. Her family moved out to Jackson, MS a year ago :( . We had a great time hanging out with the family, attending the fall festival at their church, and getting to hear my brother-in-law Ryan preach on Sunday morning. It was a whirlwind of a weekend....but TOTALLY worth it!

So, I found some cute finds at Walmart and just ordered them! I have been wanting some jeggings (jean leggings) and found them for a great price at Walmart. While on the site, I noticed a couple other finds. I have never bought more than t-shirts or workout clothes at Walmart before...so I am not sure how well they will hold up. I figured that these items are SO trendy that they will last at least this season. I will let you know how they turn out.

Here's what I bought online:

These jeggings for $12!

(I will only wear mine with a tunic...you probably have to be a size zero to pull this off!)

Then I thought I could use a plaid shirt that would look cute during Christmas time...and to go with the jeggings. So I got this tunic with ruffle details for $12:

Then I found this all-in-one jersey dress that can transform into 4+ different styles. It was $18.

I thought I would wear it like this to our work Christmas party with gold jewelry, shoes, and maybe a chunky gold belt:

but you can also wear it like this:

or this:

So what do you think? Good finds? Hopefully I will get my shipment in by next week and I can let you know how they turn out.

Jewelry Storage Solutions

2010-10-26T12:35:00.000-04:00

I have come across several clever jewelry storage solutions lately and wanted to share them with you!

I personally have this jewelry armoire that I bought at Pier 1 for a discount (it was slightly damaged). Website says it is $350, I got mine for $100 nearly 2 years ago.

Well not everyone has room for a piece of furniture to be completely dedicated to housing their jewelry...so here are some more ideas:

This idea (seen here) uses low shallow saucers in a drawer. I LOVE this, don't you? It makes each piece look so beautiful! She purchased the saucers for just 50 cents a piece! You could also try a variety of colored tea cups and saucers.

Sherry at YHL stores hers in a ceramic egg crate. You could also use ice trays or muffin pans...just think outside of the box!!

I have seen several blogs use picture frames to hang their necklaces and earrings from. Like this one for earrings that uses a plastic canvas sheet found in the cross stitch aisle at a craft store:

And finally, here is a clever use of an antique printers drawer. I will have to show you how I use mine one day.

Anyone have a clever jewelry storage solution? Or do you plan to incorporate any of these ideas? Do tell!

I can't make this stuff up!

2010-10-22T14:55:00.000-04:00

Really....I'm not joking...this exists!

It is a sofa that transforms into a billiard table. I accidentally found this while googling images of sofa tables. I thought it was a joke, but apparently it sold on Ebay. No worries...I have no plans to incorporate this into my e-designs! :)

Friday's Frugal Finds: Liberty of London at Target

2010-10-22T09:33:00.001-04:00

Today's Friday Frugal Finds are not Craigslist or yard sale finds. Shocker, right? Instead, I wanted to find some items that anyone could buy, no matter where they lived. Well, if you have loved the Liberty of London collection at Target as much as I have you will be excited to hear that the collection is on clearance right now! I LOVE the vintage feel of all the patterns. This would be a great time to stock up on some Christmas gifts!

This melamine platter was $12.99 and is now $9.08

This set of 4 mugs was $19.99 and is now $9.98

Or, get this set of 4 mugs for only $6.98!

Make it a gift by adding this frame that was $9.99 and is now $4.98

And, if you need any fun pillows, this set of 2 pillows were $24.99 and are now $8.74!

There are obviously a LOT more items on clearance...I just thought these were some of the best buys. To check out all of the Liberty of London collection at Target, click here.

Happy Friday everyone!!

Get Organized in October

2010-10-05T12:52:00.000-04:00

The Nester is doing a series called 31 Days To A Less Messy Nest and I wanted you to know about it! Today she encourages "Empty Tables".....and I could not agree more!

Here is her family room that she uses as an example. See the empty coffee table and how it makes the space look cleaner? Now the table is ready for use. I'm not sure I can completely give up all of my accessories on my coffee table, but I definitely try to live by this rule with my dining table and breakfast table!

Check out the Nester's blog everyday this month for more ideas about keeping your home from looking messy.

Friday's Frugal Finds: Yard Sale Finds

2010-10-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

This week, instead of showing you items you can find on Craigslist, I wanted to show you a couple of things I found at a couple of yard sales last Saturday.

First, I bought this punch bowl with cups and a TON of glass goblets and various size drinking glasses for only $15 total!! The punch bowl came in handy at Emily's Shower the next day!

I have always loved antique glassware and usually prefer it over silver because it is so much easier to clean and maintain. I actually see these glasses quite frequently at antique shops...so I knew I was getting a deal. As you can barely see in the photo, one of the glasses has a $3 sticker on it. I thought maybe she was asking $3 a piece...so I asked the lady..."is this $3 for the set?"....and to my surprise, she said yes!! There were 3 sets for $3 and she had a $10 sticker on the punch bowl. That would have been $19 (in case you didn't feel like adding that up)...so I offered her $15.

At another house I found this greenish blue crackled set for only $5!! It goes perfectly with the colors in my house! Each piece still had the clearance stickers on them for $19 a piece! I didn't feel right talking her down...I'd say I got a good deal at five dollars!

I had two more finds last Saturday...but I will save them for a later date. They will definitely be Before & Afters :). One was a $5 chair (like I need any more chairs) and the other was a set of 3 gold framed mirrors for $4. Check back to see how I transform them!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Emily's Baby Shower

2010-09-27T12:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, my small group and I hosted a baby shower for our friend Emily and her new baby Easton. I have shared about Emily here before when she was doing an experiment as 50 Days as a 1950's Housewife this summer. Her and her husband adopted Easton as a newborn about six weeks ago. You can see more of her journey as a mom on her blog here.

Here is Easton....isn't he the cutest thing EVER!!?? I mean, look at those cheeks!

As both decoration and a gift, I made my first ever diaper cake. Who knew it would be so easy...or that it would take like 80+ diapers!! That should last them a few days :). I also bought wooden letters at Hobby Lobby and scrapbook papers that matched the nursery color scheme. I used them to make Easton's name so she could hang it in his nursery. It was super easy and everyone loved it!

(my camera has died...so all of these pictures are from my blackberry....a blogger really needs a camera :) (hint-hint)

Here is the dessert table, minus the punch bowl. I decided to make 3 different types of cupcakes. I made devil's food with buttercream icing, strawberry with cream cheese icing, and yellow cake with rich chocolate icing. Nothing was from scratch, but I did make two simple tricks to the ingredients to make them taste more homemade. The tricks are...substitute water for milk...and substitute oil for salted butter and use the exact same measurements. Then, I just used icing right out of the can and loaded it in a pastry bag for decorating. So Simple!

Again, super blurry, but I decorated these cupcakes...

....with this buttercream icing (in sky or baby blue) that came in a bottle with different nozzles for decorating. I used the star shaped nozzle. It was about $4 at the Publix (and I think I had a $1 off coupon).

In the foyer we had a scrapbook with little note cards that each of us wrote a sweet note to Emily or Easton. The note cards can be placed in the book with a photo of each of us holding Easton. The basket was another gift for Easton. We each brought a book to put in the basket to help start his library. She loved it!

I hope to get some better pictures from the girls soon so you can see more of the party. We had so much fun that when the shower was over everyone stayed around to chat, laugh, eat a little more, and sip coffee. It was fabulous!

The house always seems so quiet and empty after a party...and now that my house is all clean...I need to have another one ;). Maybe tomorrow?

Friday's Frugal Finds

2010-09-24T09:15:00.001-04:00

Here are some fabulous Craigslist finds for you! Apparently it is a good day for antique lovers. Act fast if you want them :)

$100 for this antique dresser!

$90 for these 2 twin beds! These would be cute in a kids room each painted white or any color to compliment the room. Sort of like these photos:

Finally, I found this chair:

$20 for this antique, cane back chair. Needs a cushion, but you can customize it yourself. Great side chair!

Just for smiles...

2010-09-23T16:49:00.000-04:00

My little Layla's new spot:

She is not too thrilled that I am taking her photo!

I moved my dining table against the wall for a shower I am having this weekend. Apparently she was tired of being in the way while I was cleaning and decided to lay on the table base :). (appologies, photos were taken with my phone)

We can't forget kitty Annie...taking her turn...up high and away from the dog :). How regal is that pose!?!

See you tomorrow for Friday's Frugal Finds!

Inspiration: Sharpies!

2010-09-23T10:09:00.000-04:00

Y'all, I just started following this fabulous blog called A Penny Saved! She has great style and is just as frugal as I am! Look what she did with a Sharpie!:

She based the design off of one of her favorite wallpapers:

To see how she did it, check out her post! Anyone else inspired to "try this at home?" I know I am...maybe as an accent wall in my 1/2 bath. I have always wanted to install wallpaper in there. The great thing about this idea is it only costs you the price of a few Sharpies! Plus, when you are tired of it, you can paint right over it!