Charlotte Cottage

Recovered Ottomans and A Roadside Treasure

2011-06-12T14:08:00.004-04:00

It's been a very productive weekend here at the Charlotte Cottage - thrift shopping, landscaping, rearranging furniture, and even some DIY'ing! But the thing I am most excited about was a total surprise and super easy! Check out this gorgeous roadside treasure I found on my way to the dog park - a rustic white iron fireplace cover!

Isn't it a huge change from this black one I had before?

I loved the black one, don't get me wrong, it was a great buy from Target several years ago, but this white one seems to have really brightened up the entire room. It's inspired me to lighten up things a bit and go for a more "summery" feel in the living space. So, I'm on the hunt for some pillows and have been re-arranging furniture and accessories to get that look. Which leads me to the next topic, the recovered ottomans.

This DIY project has given the room another fun summer touch. I've been eyeing these little ottoman's from Target for a while now. I love the curved crossing legs and I knew they would be super simple to recover. So, when they went on sale, I finally broke down and ordered them - click here to find them on target.com (free shipping too!).

I had some pretty navy and white fabric with a fun coral pattern that I found on one of my Metrolina shopping sprees, so I decided to use it for the ottomans. Other than that, all I needed was a good pair of scissors and a staple gun, and wah-lah!!!

And here's some pictures of how they fit into the room with the new furniture arrangement. I love how this arrangement opens up the view to the fireplace and built-ins. Plus it turned my 4-seater living room into a comfortable 6-seater!

PS - The curtains aren't installed yet. I have them hanging over the shutters for now to see if I like them. Are you digging it or does it feel like just too much blue & white pattern? Hmmmm....

Old Shutter Becomes a Coat Rack

2011-05-05T08:49:00.003-04:00

I've been wanting a place to hang coats and things by my front door for a while. When I found this old shutter at one of my favorite places to shop, the Gibson Mill Depot in Concord, the light bulb went off... Why not add hooks and turn it into my own cottage style coat rack?

Don't you just love the rustic edge and chippy blue paint? I can't seem to get enough of that look!

This turned out to be one of the easiest projects ever once I figured out what hooks to buy. The piece itself was so unique and pretty in itself, I opted for some simple silver hooks from Home Depot. I think they contrast nice with the shabby look of the shutter. Only trick is that I had to get different screws, because the ones that came with the hooks were meant to go into a wall, and were too long.

Once I had the supplies, I just made some quick measurements to make sure my hooks were spaced evenly, and drilled them in. Then I added a couple d-hooks to the back of the shutter for hanging. And here is the final outcome - functional and fabulous :)

April Craft Party {Fun with Moss}

2011-05-01T08:45:00.020-04:00

For April, we gathered at Christina's house in Plaza Midwood and had some fun with moss, making topiaries and wreaths....

I created a couple mossy goodies... First, a wreath for my door. I think it turned out kinda fun, but now that I see it in this pic, it needs more bright green on the left side (one more thing for my to-do list!).

Second, a little moss ball vignette. I couldnt decide where to put this. I tried several places and liked it by this lamp at first, but felt it was too hard to appreciate all the pretty texture of them from so far away...

In the end, the coffee table in the screened in porch was the perfect spot. It really tied in with the green color scheme and nature theme going on in there. What do you think?

For some ideas, inspiration, and instructions, check out these great posts Christina shared with us:

DIY Headboard

2011-05-01T08:08:00.001-04:00

I've seen this done so many times in blog world, so I finally decided to give it a try. With help from my good friend and DIY'r, Susan, we pulled it off! It was actually pretty easy. We used the instructions from Centsational Girl that can be found here. Check it out!

March Craft Party {On A String}

2011-04-13T20:44:00.001-04:00

For the March Craft Party, we decided to go to the On A String Bead Shop in Myers Park and make our own jewelry! I had never done anything like this before and was super excited to see what it was like. I have to say after this experience, I am totally hooked and can't wait to go back for more!

Check out this beautiful shop and some of the fun stuff we made!

February Craft Party {Book Wreaths}

2011-02-12T10:10:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to report that some of my girlfriends and I have officially kicked off a Craft Club where we get together each month to do some type of craft, drink some wine, and enjoy a night of being super girly. With glue guns in hand, we each made our own book wreath, using these directions from Living with Lindsay. Here are some pictures from one of the most fun nights ever :)

I love how each one turned out so pretty yet slightly different, almost matching each girl's personality.

And here are a couple of them once they have brought them home...

I haven't quite decided where mine will end up yet, so for now it's just hanging here....

Can't wait for the next Craft Party!

I'm Flattered!!

2011-02-07T21:09:00.001-05:00

I am totally flattered because Megan from Pink to Green gave me the Stylish Blogger Award! It totally made my day that she would even think of me!

After receiving this award you have to pay it forward and follow the rules:

1) Thank and link back to the person who awarded you
2) Share 7 thing about yourself
3) Award 10 great bloggers that you have RECENTLY discovered
4) Contact those bloggers and tell them about the award

So here are the 7 things about myself in no particular order...

(1) Love some red wine and cheese, not only because it's so dang yummy, but because it reminds me of good times hanging out with good friends. Speaking of good times with friends, I can't wait to share with you about a recent craft party where we made book wreaths, so keep your eye out for that!

(2) Target, can't get enough.

(3) Hydrangeas, especially big fluffy white ones, are my favorite flower. Check out this easy and cheap art work I made by taking pictures of the hydrangeas from my yard.

(4) I'm currently obsessed with Ikat fabric - on anything and everything. I recently ordered some pillows from etsy with a red ikat pattern, and my homeade dining room curtains are an ikat pattern too.

(5) I think Starbucks, or any good strong coffee, makes me a better woman, haha.

(6) Love finding good deals at Garage Sales and can't wait for the good weather again so I can get up early on a Saturday morning, grab a cup of coffee (of course), and go treasure hunting. One of my favorite finds is this old vintage suitcase for $1, see it on top of the white coat closet to the right of the art wall?

(7) I have a weird thing for architectural salvaged pieces, especially old shabby corbels like the one above.

Ok, I know I am now supposed to share the love with 10 new blogs I have discovered, but I have to admit that I'm kinda distracted by The Bachelor which is currently on, so I'm going to stick with my top 3 newly found blogs for now :)

Cottage and Vine

I Heart Organizing

Living with Lindsay

The Versatile Subway Tile

2011-01-23T21:38:00.003-05:00

Some friends of mine are getting ready for a big kitchen renovation (so jealous!), and a debate came up on whether or not to use subway tiles for the backsplash. Of course, I had to throw in my 2 cents which is that subway tiles are a classic, timeless choice. And that they are super versatile, working for all different types of styles from cottage to contemporary. So, I figured I should put my money where my mouth is and pull together a few examples of why I love the versatile subway tile...

So, what do you think? Would you use subway tiles in the kitchen?

Pictures from HGTV, My Home Ideas, Coastal Living, and Lonny Magazine

The 3-Year Laundry Room Makeover

2011-01-17T09:00:00.012-05:00

Actually, make that three and a half years :)

As you can see, this wasn't some huge renovation that should have taken a long time. It really was just a simple re-vamp of a small space. It could have been done in a weekend if I would have really focused... ooops!

Luckily the recent living room renovation inspired me to get it done. You see, after knocking down some walls, the door to the laundry room became much more viewable from the main living area. And I definitely didn't want any of our visitors to sneak a glance of the huge mess that has been in there for... well, 3.5 years.

See how the hallway is almost gone now?

Somehow I have lost track of all the "in-progress" pictures, so I'll just give you a quick summary of the things I did to spruce this room up...

Year 1

(pretty much the first week I moved in)

Painted it a bright cheery yellow color
Updated the floor with stick-on laminate tiles
Added shelving above the washer/dryer

Year 2 & 3

Filled it up with too much junk
Had trouble finding anything
Avoided doing laundry until it was a must

Year 3 - 3.5

Put a fresh coat of white paint on the built-in shelving
Added beadboard wallpaper to the back of the shelves
Replaced the regular door with the french door from the old hallway
Made a burlap curtain for the french door
Organized everything in pretty bins and baskets

Here are a few more pictures so you can take a closer look...

One reason it took me so long to finish this project was because I just had SO much stuff! So, I had been waiting to find the perfect piece of furniture to put right outside of the laundry room. I felt like I needed that extra storage space before I had the confidence to dive in and organize it all. It was a tough piece to find since I only had a small area to work with. Luckily, I found this great old cabinet at the Antique Show at Metrolina just in time.

It had a pretty ugly pink color on the inside when I first got it, so I just painted over it with some leftover Silver Sage (a Restoration Hardware paint color). Added some baskets on top for even more storage and made the little chalkboard out of an old picture. This is also right outside of the bathroom door, so I put extra bath towels, wash cloths, and other bathroom goodies in here for easy access.

So once I found this old cabinet, I had no more excuses and had to just go for it! I took everything out of the laundry room and spread it all out, threw away a bunch of stuff, tried my best to categorize everything else, then went to Target to stock up on bins and baskets, and finally put it all back together! Oh yea, and then just yesterday, I added the labels :)

Needless to say, I'm very happy and relieved that it's all done. Shew.

No more avoiding laundry for this girl!

For lots of amazing organizational tips and inspriration, you should check out I Heart Organizing and all the projects being posted on her latest linky party for transforming small spaces...

Myrtle Beach in December

2011-01-16T13:30:00.002-05:00

Hey ya'll, I'm finally getting around to downloading some pictures from our trip to Myrtle Beach this past December. Alvin's parent's recently moved there, so this was our first trip to go visit them. We all had a great time catching up, checking out their new neighborhood, and eating some yummy food. Since we brought Baxter with us, we stayed at a beach house and had fun bringing him out to the beach every day. It was pretty chilly, but Baxter didn't seem to notice at all :)

Anyway, I couldn't resist sharing these pictures, some of which might make it into a frame one day (just click on them to enlarge)...

Frugalicious Pillows!

2011-01-14T23:38:00.006-05:00

I just made my first Etsy purchase and I couldn't be more excited! I have been searching for the perfect pillows to go in my living room, but was having so much trouble finding anything I liked at a reasonable price. I'm that girl that falls for the $100 pillows - ugh, totally not in the budget. So, when I came across a give-away on Cottage and Vine from the Fabulous but Frugal shop the other day, I was so happy. The Fabulous but Frugal Etsy stores (yep there are 2!), DIY Pillows and Idari, really offer some great deals on super pretty and up-to-date fabrics! Here are a few examples....

Terra Cotta Charcoal Gray Richloom Mod Floral Pillow

Aqua and Green Ikat Fabric Lumbar Pillow

Red Orange Coral Fabric Pillow

Waverly Cream Navy and Green Lattice Fretwork Lumbar Pillow

Annie Selke Ivory & Rasberry Floral Lumbar Pillow

And would you believe, all of these pillows are under $20 bucks!!! And better yet, some of them offer FREE shipping! Plus, she'll even take a custom order, so if you see a fabric you like, but you want a different size, just ask! So, which ones did I end up getting? Well, she had a Buy-3-Get-1-Free special on pillow covers at the DIY Pillows store, so I couldn't resist! I got 2 of each of these...

Navy Damask Indoor Outdoor Fabric
(love the dog-friendly factor!)

Red Ikat

(you know I love Ikat!)

I think these choices will go really well with these Pottery Barn pillows that I got on sale a while ago...

Can't wait for them to get here so I can show you how it all looks pulled together!

Baby Steps to a Better Blog

2011-01-12T21:53:00.005-05:00

As you may notice, I've made some small changes to the look of Charlotte Cottage. In the same way that I am always striving to beautify my home, I've been wanting to beautify my blog for a long time too! As a beginner in blogland, I was a little intimidated and thought maybe I wasn't tech-savvy enough. But I finally got past my doubts last night and after just a few minutes of research (a.k.a. "googling"), I realized that there was hope. After taking a couple of baby steps towards a better blog, I feel like I've gained confidence to start trying more new things.

The background is the most noticeable change, but that is pretty simple to change. There are so many good sites out there to find free blog backgrounds and they all provide easy instructions. The linen one I am currently using is from the Background Fairy, you can find it here.

Other than the background, there are a couple other small tweaks that took me a little research to figure out - The header is now centered and has new font. Both of these changes are not currently available as simple options to set within the blog designer. So, here is how I was able to do it....

(1) Centering your Title

Go to the Template Designer and Select Advanced --> Add CSS

Then simply copy and paste the following text:

#header {width:586px; margin:0 auto}
h1.title, .description {text-align:center}

The red number above can be changed depending on how you want your picture to look. For mine, I used a width of 900px because I wanted to have my picture stretch all the way across the top. When you enter the CSS text and play around with the width, you should see the preview screen changing accordingly. So just keep playing with it until it looks how you want.

Once you have it looking how you would like, just hit "Apply to Blog".

(2) Changing Font

Most blogspot templates are pretty limited on the fonts available, so the only way I could figure out how to change it to something more unique was to edit the html itself.

First, I had to play around with some different fonts to decide what I wanted. So I just used Word to see what "Charlotte Cottage" would look like in some of the standard fonts available.

I decided to go with the fourth one down, Lucida Handwriting.

Next, go to the Design tab within your blogger pages, and click on the Edit HTML link.

Then, look for the .Header h1 tag within the code (you can do a Ctrl+F to search through the code until you find this spot). It should look very similar to the code shown below. Then, just add the line in red with the font of your choice - "font-family: your font".

.Header h1 {
font: $(header.font);
text-shadow: 1px 1px 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
font-family: lucida handwriting;
}

Just use the "Preview" button to check out your changes and when you are ready, hit "Save Template".

----

So that's it, so easy. Ok, not exactly the same as an easy button from Staples, but totally do-able! I've still got a long way to go and a lot to learn to get there, but for those of you that are also intimidated by your blog, I'm here to tell you that you don't need to be a web designer or a html geek to make it look pretty. You just have to be willing to play around and do a little bit of trial and error to get what you want. Isnt' that what we do with our home as well?! And remember, just take baby steps.

My next goal is to update the image on my header to have multiple photos like so many other great blogs do - Cottage and Vine, Whisperwood Cottage, Beach Cottage. See what I mean, so pretty! Before I can get that right, I probably need to learn how to take better pictures. Centsational Girl has some great tips for that here. Good Luck!

2011: Here we go again!

2011-01-08T11:09:00.004-05:00

Wow, I can't believe we're already several days into 2011. Although the holidays were a bit hectic, they were so focused on fun and family, that I didn't really care. Things seem to have gotten even busier in the new year. Maybe because I really got used to a lifestyle without my normal 9-5 job over the 2 week vacation? Anyway, now that I am back to reality, my mind is spinning with so many home projects I want to get done in 2011! Here we go again!

Here are the first few things I am hoping to accomplish:

- Paint the Guest Bedroom - I'd love to do some horizontal stripes like The Lettered Cottage did in the Reading Room.

- Make a Headboard for the Guest Bedroom - My favorite DIY headboard project is this one by Centsational Girl, so I'm going to try to do a simple rectangle version.

- Organize Everything! Files & Office Stuff, Kitchen Cabinets, Media Cabinets, Clothes, Laundry Room, etc. - This is a very lofty goal for me since organization is my biggest weakness, so I'm going to try to take it one step at a time. There are some great inspiratios and how-to's out there for organization, so I'll be looking to them for the help I majorly need!!! I really like the step-by-step organization instructions in this post by Young House Love. If you like that one, they have even more great tips here and here. Now for some inspiration pictures, because after all, it has to be pretty!

Pictures all from Making it Lovely, a new favorite blog of mine!

What projects are on your priority list for 2011?

A White Christmas

2010-12-26T17:15:00.004-05:00

So it's actually the day after Christmas, but considering it started snowing early yesterday evening, I'm calling this a White Christmas! The first one we've seen in Charlotte since 1947! Anyway, it's a beautiful winter wonderland that I'm enjoying from inside my warm and cozy living room :)

Ok, I braved the cold for a few quick shots from outside....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Lonny Look-Alike

2010-12-21T21:08:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine, Danielle from Bella Vita, recently posted about her Love of Lonny Magazine. I had never heard of Lonny, so I went to check it out and was amazed by all the gorgeous inspiration pictures. In the Living Room section, I came across this picture. Recognize anything????

Yep, I have the same curtain panels in my dining room!! I recently gave you guys a sneak peek of them (click here) and still haven't posted a picture of the final outcome. So, now is as good a time as any....

First, a couple pictures of how I made them. I just measured them out and then used some of that fabric glue/tape that you can find at any craft store to give it a finished seam. The key to getting them the right length is to do the top and side seams first, then hang them on the rod with the clips you are going to use. Once they are hanging, you can easily just fold over the bottom at the level you like and hold it together at that spot with a binder clip or whatever you have handy. Then simply take the curtain panel back down to iron on the fabric glue for the bottom seam. I like them to be touching the floor, but not actually resting on the floor - pretty much the same way I like my jeans :)

And here is the final outcome... I love how they look with the rustic pieces and the pop of red as the accent, but I also can't wait to try changing out the red with the sea glass color that is shown on the walls in the Lonny picture. Seems like this pattern and color can go from rustic to glamorous in an instant!

Here is how they flow with the rest of the living/dining area....

Fun with Poinsettas

2010-12-19T20:07:00.020-05:00

The fireplace mantle filled with bright red poinsettas...

I also added a couple stems in the little bookcase nook...

And finally, one in the bathroom...

Isn't everything more festive and gorgeous with poinsettas?! Ok, adding a little red ribbon, candles, and white lights doesn't hurt either :)

Ikat Love

2010-12-03T23:14:00.006-05:00

Here's a quick sneak peek of how the new dining room is coming along, I'm loving the big bold ikat pattern in the fabric I chose for my DIY curtains! More to come soon!

From Calico Corners, this is the Kalah fabric in Blue. I got it when they were having a sale, plus when I ordered a sample from the store, it came with a coupon, I think another 10% off. So, if you are buying a lot of fabric from a store like this, its a good idea to have them send you a free sample just to get the discount!

Welcoming Art Wall

2010-11-27T09:40:00.028-05:00

With a couple days off over Thanksgiving, Alvin and I were able to create this art wall in our entry area. This is the first wall you see when you walk into the house, and it's always been so difficult to figure out how to utilize the wall. We've tried lots of things, but this is by far my favorite! It took a little bit of work and creativity to put it all together....

First, we painted the old armoire, which we use for our coat closet. Here is what it used to look like...

We didn't bother sanding, we just primed and then painted with basic white semi-gloss paint that we had in the basement. It took 2 good coats of paint after the primer, but we didn't worry too much about making it perfect since the it's supposed to look old and shabby.

In the end, we added some pretty clear knobs that I had in my craft bin, and put an old suitcase and basket on top to give it some more height and color. The suitcase was a $2 purchase at a garage sale and it stores a bunch of my craft goodies. I am pretty sure the old basket came from a garage sale as well, and it stores some of Baxter's toys. As you can see, I take advantage of all storage opportunities!!

The vision for this art wall actually started when I was playing around with the location of this yummy white shabby bench that I recently purchased at the Metrolina Expo Antique Fall Classic.

When I set it against this wall , and placed the big silver mirror on it, which was a purchase from Lowe's years ago, it hit us that this was the perfect start to an art wall. The old dough bowl also came from the Fall Classic and the gorgeous shells were actually a gift from Alvin's mother, she had collected them over the years on her beach trips... love them!!

So, once we had established the location of the big pieces - the armoire, the bench, and the mirror - we were able to see how much space we had for actual art. So we measured it out and taped our space down on the floor to play around with the layout before actually putting anything on the wall.

We actually ended up changing the layout a bit once we started seeing it on the wall and getting new ideas, but this is a great way to get a good start on things at least. The collection of photos/art includes prints and photos of Charlotte, a couple pictures of Baxter, an old music sheet, and 2 canvas paintings that Alvin and I made together. The frames, picture ledge, and little mirrors come from Ikea, West Elm, and Target.

(1) David French Print - There are 3 different prints framed in black and brown floating frames from Target, but this one is of our neighborhood, Plaza-Midwood.

(2) Old Pictures of Charlotte Street Cars & (3) Old Pictures of the Carolina Theatre in Charlotte (both from around 1930). I found these online and just had them printed out in black & white at Target.

(4) An old sheet of music with the title "Sunshine Kisses". I found a stack of old music sheets at the Metrolina Expo a while ago for about $1, and this one happened to be in the stack. Alvin's nickname for me is Sunshine, so this one seemed worth framing :)

(5) A couple pictures of Baxter at the beach and on a boat, we just couldn't resist adding our cute little guy to the art wall.

(6) Canvas Paintings that Alvin and I created together! Alvin just found a simple sketch of some coral and we used a projector to trace it on the larger canvas. Alvin actually just hand sketched the design on the smaller canvas. Then we just used some old paint that was in the basement, along with a couple tubes of acrylic paint we got for $3 each at Cheap Joe's Art Stuff on Monroe Rd. We tried to add lots of texture by keeping it thick and layering similar colors in each section. It was really fun and easy!

So, there you have it...I hope you are inspired to make an art wall of your own!

Spring Cleaning in November

2010-11-22T21:53:00.006-05:00

We had 2 Sunny 70-degree days this past weekend in Charlotte, so it inspired me to do a little "Spring" cleaning on my screened in porch. The porch has basically been a storage room for the past few months during the renovations, so it felt great to get it back to a useable space again. Just a little vacumming, dusting, and rearranging was all it took! Now I can enjoy it again while we have these spring-like days in the middle of November...

Elizabeth Home Tour 2010

2010-11-05T21:40:00.013-04:00

Well, I'm finally getting around to posting about the Elizabeth Home Tour which was over a month ago. So I've forgotten which pictures go with which houses and all that, but who cares about all that mumbo jumbo anyway... it's all about the eye candy!!! Enjoy the pics...

It's time to stop and smell... the paint fumes!

2010-10-11T10:07:00.002-04:00

Well, the transformation is finally coming to a close and I am SOOO happy with how it turned out. Since I last posted about this, a lot has happened - including sanding and refinishing the floors, improving the built-ins with extra trim and moving them closer to the fireplace, and of course painting everything.

Click here to see how far it's come!

The paint just finished last night, and ever since then, I've just been standing in the middle of the room, taking in the sweet smell of fresh paint... such a beautiful smell after so many months of anticipation!

You probably won't be surprised, but I changed my paint color at the last minute - literally, the painters were there waiting to get started and I made them put two more samples up on the wall. The second one turned out to be perfect - It's Benjamin Moore Pale Oak, with a flat finish to hide flaws in the old walls. It was a complete accident that I found this color, crazy how things just work out. The trim, built-ins, fireplace, windows, doors were all done in the plain old base color by Sherwinn Williams, semi-gloss finish of course.

Other than a few paint touch-ups, the only step left is for the electrician to put everything back into place including the chandelier. Oh yea, and you may notice we removed that big fan in the living room. It was blocking the fireplace mantle, so Matt suggested we take it out and intall recessed lighting intead. So, other than that, we're done!!!!

Hope you enjoyed the pics.... Can't wait to start decorating!

Highlights of the Dilworth Home Tour

2010-09-26T21:35:00.002-04:00

Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day for the Dilworth Home Tour! Susan and I made a day out of it, stopping about halfway through for some guacomole and tacos at Cantina... mmmm. Anyway, they wouldn't allow cameras, but I still snuck in a few pictures to share, shhhhh. :)

This was a cute 3/1 on Tremont Ave with a classic bungalow layout...

I loved the mantle and built-ins around the fireplace...

This stunning front porch on Park Rd has been featured in Southern Living magazine...

And the kitchen was beautiful as well with cabinets all the way up to the ceiling and a libray ladder to help you get to them...

Then to make it even better, they added a huge skylight...

Plus, this breakfast nook with original built-ins and tons of charm...

Our favorite house had to be this one on Dilworth Road East...

Unfortunately, I got in trouble for taking pictures here, so I only got this one of the dining room. But you can tell why I like it - the wainscotting, chandelier, and hydrangeas at each place settting... so pretty!

Oh, and I also snuck a picture of this great patio on our way out...

And finally, this house is one that I've always thought was so pretty from the outside...

But you wouldn't believe how crazy this place was on the inside - Horse hair fabric lining the walls of the entry way with bright pink dog statues welcoming you in. The entire place was very eclectic with bright colors and super modern decor. I did really like the master bath though, it was one of the only rooms with a pretty neutral decor, but still tons of pattern with the wallpaper on walls and ceiling...

And the backyard had an amazing courtyard with firepit and pergola...

Ok, I hope you enjoyed!

By the way, if you are like me and can't get enough of looking at houses, the Elizabeth Home Tour is coming up next weekend. Also, Homearama is going on in Cornelius now through Oct 10th. I love this time of year!

Trim & Ceiling Design Revealed

2010-09-15T09:08:00.001-04:00

The trimwork has been installed! I am soooo happy with the way it turned out, it's amazing what a difference it has made. It still needs to be painted, but you can really start to see the vision coming together now. The picture above is the ceiling in the dinng room where the chandelier will eventually hang. The ceiling is one of my favorite parts of this renovation because of how much character it adds to the space. And it all started because of the ugly attic pull-down....

This pull-down was in the old hallway, but since the wall was knocked down, it is now in the larger dining room area. So, after a lot of brainstorming, Matt and I came up with the idea to hide it by adding a pattern of trim on the ceiling. I wanted to keep it pretty traditional, so we stuck with basic squares and went from there to make it fit the odd dimensions of the room and still cover up the ugly opening. Here is what the attic pull-down looks like now...

Once it is all painted, you won't even notice that it's there!

Here is another angle, see how it just blends right in??? Love it!

So, outside of the ceiling, the main trim work was around the opening. These pictures came out a little blurry, but here is what it looks like. You can see how it goes all the way from the opening to the ceiling like my first inspiration photo.

Here is a close-up...

The crown that wraps around the top is new as well, and it goes around the entire living room now. We used to only have the original picture molding, but I decided we needed to add some more depth to the living room since so much was going on with the dining room. The new crown molding is actually not the standard, it's called "cove" molding because of the shape.

Also, see the unfinished piece of trim just below the cove molding? That is new picture molding which we added to help maintain the original style of the house and tie it into the other rooms that still have the original picture molding. We re-used some of the old picture molding by installing it in the one room that didn't have it, the hallway to the bed/bath area.

Here is the look of the molding going around the room. It's hard to tell from this picture, but once this is painted, it is going to be beautiful!

Well, that's it for now...

Goodnight!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

2010-09-13T22:00:00.001-04:00

Can you count the number of paint samples on this wall?!? And this is just one wall, haha. I am definitely the Queen of Indecision lately. This renovation has come with way more decisions than I ever would have thought, paint is just the obvious one. I really wanted to do all white, but realized it's just not practical. So, I decided a really light neutral would be a good compromise. What's funny is that the very first color I put on the wall is going to end up being the one, except I'm going to lighten it by 50%. It's Glidden Natural Wicker, which you can find in the top right color palette here. Hopefully I won't change my mind before it's time to paint :)

Another decision I am trying to make right now is on the hardware for the built-ins. You would think I could just find something at the local hardware store, but no such luck. I tried to do that but just wasn't excited about anything I could find at the store and I wanted something slightly larger than the standard since the cabinets are pretty big. So, I've been searching online on all kinds of websites from http://www.myknobs.com/ to http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/. Luckily I narrowed it down to oil-rubbed bronze for the finish, but it still has been very difficlut to find a set that would work for the drawers, doors, and the bookcase nook. I want to find all 3 from the same manufacturer to make sure the color turned out pefectly matching. Here are some of my favorites... There are so many more, but I think you get the picture!

Now, what am I to do with the two wall sconces that are hardwired on either side of the mantle. They are currently some cheap-looking ones that we spray painted silver a long time ago. I really want to replace them with something nicer, but am having a tough time deciding of course. I found several great sites to search for lighting including http://www.rejuvenation.com/, http://www.barnlightelectric.com/, http://www.csnlighting.com/, and http://www.schoolhouseelectric.com/. For some reason, I was really drawn to the sconces that were really meant for outdoors, but here are several that I'm considering...

So many decisions, so little time...

Built-Ins... Almost

2010-09-09T20:39:00.007-04:00

A cottage transformation wouldn't be complete without adding some built-ins.... not only because of the character they add, but also for the much-needed storage! So, here is a sneak peak of the built-ins that were installed around the fireplace the other day....

Look at all the storage on each side!

On the left side, we have drop-down doors in place of the drawers in order to accomodate media components. They both look the same when closed though...

As great as these cabinets are already, unfortunately there are a couple things that didn't turn out quite right... but that is to be expected when you are working with a house built in the '30's. Afterall the floor is not level, the window is crooked, and the fireplace mantle is not centered! I call that character or charm, but it is called a pain in the b-u-t-t if you are the guy making the built-ins, haha.

If you take a close look, the countertop is completely touching the fireplace on the right side, but on the left side there is a bit of a gap. Well, that is due to the mantle not being centered....

Even closer up view of the left side...

And the right side...

See the difference?

So, after several nights of feeding Matt some beers and brainstorming, he came up with a brilliant idea. We are going to notch out the hearth and then push the cabinets all the way up against the mantle on either side. Of course, this will require changing the countertops to fit correctly, and adding a filler on the outside of each cabinet so that they are flush with the wall.

Baxter checked out the hearth and thinks it will work!

This idea also ended up solving the other small problem. This drawer on the right side was too close to the wall which will soon have trim on it. It opens fine now, but it would run into the trim and be blocked from opening if we left as is. So, scooting everything over closer to the fireplace will give the drawer room to open after the trim is installed.

All the brainstorming also added a couple more ideas to the design of these... Now we'll be adding some detail/trim around the top edge of the countertop and we're adding crown molding at the top of the mantle to finish it off and tie it in with the rest of the molding be installed.

All of this re-work is most likely going to mean removing the cabinets all-together and taking them back to the shop, so it could take a little while, but will be worth the wait!

Oh yea, and I almost forgot the bookcase nook leading into the bedroom area...

I love how this little nook is turning out!

Ok, next step is to install all the trim work, so stay tuned for more updates soon....

Flea Market Finds

2010-09-05T20:50:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite shopping spots in Charlotte is the Metrolina Expo when the Antique Roadshow is in town. It happens the first weekend of every month, so there are plenty of opportunities to find some treasures! I like to try and go whenever I can, so I definitely jumped on the opportunity this Labor Day weekend to shop for my living/dining room re-do. As I sit here on Sunday evening, I am the happiest girl ever because...

(1) I'm enjoying a fabulous glass of red wine from a bottle that Alvin purchased recently at Lake Norman Cottage (by the way, this is an awesome spot for wine and cottage decor, and they even offer wine tasting on a boat which I highly recommend).
(2) One of my top 10 movies is on TBS right now - The Holiday, which also happens to have some great houses that you can check out here at Hooked on Houses.
(3) I don't have to work tomorrow, woohooo!
(4) And of course, I found some amazing items at the Antique show this weekend!

So, as I enjoy my wine and movie, I'll share my fun two-day antiquing binge. First, here are a few things I liked as I was browsing through all the different booths...

Here is the one thing I really regret not getting. It would look great hanging on a wall with a mirror behind it. I'm definitely going to keep my eye open for something similar next month!

And now for the things I decided to purchase...

If you read my last post, you know about my current fabric frenzy. Well, I fell in love with this fabric and just had to have it. Let's hope I can figure out what to do with it :)

How great is this pitcher with the navy blue stripes???

A perfectly shabby artichoke to add to my new collection...

I loved this old chippy-paint corbel. The picture doesn't even do it justice, but it's got a pretty blue-gray color that will tie in wonderfully with my new color scheme.

That stool I've been using to prop everything up is a purchase as well. It's also got a pretty shabby look, check out the sea blue color that shows up under the white paint. I'm using it right now as a side table for my wine :)

I got a great deal on these botanicals, only $1 each!

And now for my most exciting find yet! I have been looking for something like this for a while now. Pretty much ever since I saw the dining room from HGTV's Sarah's House. I love that show, she has the best taste. Check out how she put vintage corbels in the opening of her dining room.

So, I want to do the same thing in my new opening with these....

Aren't they great!! It's soooo hard to find a matching set in this good condition, so I couldn't believe my luck when I found this pair in the right size and perfect style. Here's a little more of close-up...

And finally, my last purchase is actually a gift for my most frequent reader and good friend, Susan. I just couldn't resist purchasing them since they were a steal compared to any other oars I've seen. And these have a nice light blue/turqoise color to them. I think they'll look adorable in her lake house, even if she just leans them in a corner somewhere. Hope you like them Susan :)

Fabric Friday

2010-09-03T15:57:00.005-04:00

Ever since I tried out the iron-on fabric glue strips that comes with Ikea curtains, I am sold on the fact that I don't have to limit myself to the curtain choices that are out there. So, as part of my transformation, I am planning on making my own curatins, woohoo! First step of course, will be to find the perfect fabric! Today I got the chance to stop by a great little fabric shop in Elizabeth called Zoe on 8th. She doesn't have a huge selection to sell to the public because her main business is to sell to retail shops, but what she does have is really nice and she has a section of some great remnants.

I immediately came across a gorgeous outdoor fabric in the navy and white colors I like, so they cut me a little swatch to take home. She didn't have enough to make curtains out of, but it was a Better Homes and Gardens fabric, so I decided I should try to find it online. After a quick search, I didn't find that exact fabric, but I did discover lots of great fabric at JoAnn Fabrics, plus they are all 50% off right now! Here are some of my favorites, and I think I've picked out one for the curtains. Which one would you chooose?

Annie Selke Links

Waverly Outdoor Coral Trellis

Waverly Outdoor Sundial Nautical

Waverly Carino Azure

Better Homes and Gardens Blue Traditions Wicklow

Waverly Moorea Lapis

Annie Selke Tala

Waverly Outdoor Muse

As for the Zoe shop and the BHG fabric, I think I'll end up going back to get that fabric and save it for when I learn to make pillows one day!! Oh, she also gave me a great tip that there is a custom upholstery shop right here in Plaza-Midwood! It's called Design Upholstery of Charlotte and they also make custom furniture. Since I've been wanting to get a couch with a dog-friendly fabric, I will definitely be going to check them out. I already sent in an email for a free estimate, so I'll let you know how it turns out!

Oh yea, and to pick the best curtain fabric, keep in mind that I am planning on getting one of these Dash & Albert Indoor/Outdoor rugs for the living room (so excited about the dog-friendliness of these!):

Captain Stripe Navy

Otis Navy

Thanks for your help and have a great Friday!!

The Transformation Continues: Floors Phase 1

2010-08-20T16:28:00.006-04:00

This pile of wood was been sitting in the living room for a while, so I am happy to say that the pile is now gone, and it's all been integrated in with the original dining room floors to ensure a seamless look in the big open space we have created. What's cool about the pile of wood is that it is actually salvaged from a house that was built in the same decade as ours - the 1930's. By using wood from the same time period, and in the same width of course, it will look like the floors have always been there and keep the character of the house in tact. Plus, it's always good to be "green" by re-using something old!

You may be asking why we had to put in so much new flooring. Well, the dining room and hallway, which are now just one big space, had different types of floors! Since the dining room floors were the same as the living room, we got rid of the hallway floors and then spread the exisiting dining room floors across the room into where the hallway used to be. Then we randomly mixed in the salvaged wood to fill in the rest of the space, which should help it all blend together and keep the look as cohesive as possible.

By the way, when I say "we", I really mean the floor guy, haha. I can't take credit for any of the physical labor. And the idea for blending the two floors together was all Matt, my contractor. I just love knowing that we're taking extra steps to make things look like they have always been this way!

Ok, now for some pictures. I couldn't get the best before pics since the floors were all covered up at the time, but you can at least see the big gaps in the floor where the wall used to be:

And here is how the floors look now after blending in the salvaged wood. Keep in mind that the 2nd phase will include sanding and staining them so that it will all be one color and nice and smooth.

Can't wait to see them after they are sanded!

Truly Delightful

2010-08-11T22:20:00.004-04:00

As you know, it's been pretty crazy at the Charlotte Cottage with the renovations going on, so tonight's happy hour / trunk show was a truly delightful break from all that madness. I was lucky enough to get invited to a Stella & Dot trunk show hosted by my friend Danielle Wilson. Her twin sister, Michelle, is in the financial industry by day, but has recently started up her dream business - Delightful Fashion. Check out her website and the services she offers here. I really want to do the Wardrobe Edit! As a part of her fashion business, she is also a Stella & Dot Stylist.

I ended up getting the gold necklace above, which is part of the La Coco concept. It is such a cool necklace because the brooch is interchangeable, plus they have several add-on strands to give it a little extra something. I love these brooches and add-ons...

They also offer lots of other fun necklaces, earrings, etc. Here are some of my favorites....

Drywall and Daydreams

2010-07-29T22:25:00.004-04:00

After the Total Transformation that happened so quickly on demo day, things have been creeping along. The electrician came in and did a few things, a new footing was placed under the house for additional support beneath one side of the new opening, then we had to wait on a couple inspections to take place, and finally the dry wall was put up. With the drywall, you can really start to see things coming together!

The electrician moved the chandelier wiring over a little bit since the dining room is so much bigger now. We decided not to put it exactly in the center of the room though, since the dining table will still need to be placed slightly off center to create an easy walk way to the kitchen. You can also see in the pictures below that we actually added a layer of drywall to the dining room ceiling. This is part of our plan to conceal the attic pull-down, which I'll explain more in another post.

The electrician also had to find a spot for the switches and outlets that were in the old wall. They actually had to add some extra outlets (bonus!) just to meet today's codes which this 1930's house never met before. The doorbell, alarm system, and smoke detector also had to be moved. The smoke detector change actually caused some drama by going off a couple of times in this process and dispatching the fire department. After the second time the fire men showed up, I finally figured out how to reprogram my alarm system so that it wouldn't go off anymore. :)

So, by now you may be wondering what is going on with that new doorway at the end of the old hallway....

In order to really define the dining space and remove the look of the hallway, we wanted to put another doorway parallel to the kitchen door which would make the space perfectly square. The problem was that the hallway turns the corner towards the bedrooms just a foot or so past that. So, if we just did a normal doorway, it would have felt awkward because the corner of the wall would be too close. Luckily, Matt thought of an amazing idea --> Extend the doorway all the way to the corner, and add bookshelves on either side of the doorway to give it purpose and tons of character. I love this idea because it is so unique and also gives a little bit more of a seperation between the living space and bedrooms. So far, this little nook has been framed, drywalled, and the electrician added a recessed light in the ceiling.

Still can't envision it? Check out this picture from houzz.com, one of my favorite places to find inspiration. Now imagine something like that on both sides of the doorway. Pretty cool, right?

So, while all this work has been going on at the house, I've pretty much just been day dreaming about how to decorate once it's all done. I found some pretty pillow covers on sale for only $19.99 each at Pottery Barn the other day. Looks like PB.com is sold out of them now because they no longer show up on their website, but you can still find them on eBay by searching for Pottery Barn Brighton Pillow Covers. For some reason, they reminded me of something Sarah would like from that HGTV show, Sarah's House. Anyway, they served as my inspiration for this little mood board I put together for fun. I also used a couple of the items that I loved from Michelle's Beach Condo Design.

Can you guess where some of these items are from? :)

Total Transformation

2010-07-16T08:58:00.002-04:00

The transformation of my little house on Chestnut Avenue has finally begun and I am absoulutely giddy with excitement! It only took one day and one man to come in and completely transform the look and feel of the entire place. I am completely amazed what knocking down a couple walls can do - the space is completely transformed from small choppy rooms into one big open space that I've been dreaming of for over 3 years!

It really feels like the house is 10 times bigger now, and I can't wait to get to the finished product and throw a big party to enjoy it. I'm getting a bit ahead of myself though because even though the demo only took one day, it will take about another month to finish off all the details like the floors, electric, trim, paint, etc. My awesome neighbor, Matt Ferguson, has his own contracting company (check out his website here - Stirling Group). I'm so happy that he was nice enough to take on this project since he does such a great job with restoring old homes. He is a perfectionist and really thinks about all the little details that will make this new space something special. Anyway, much more to come about the details as we go through the process. For now, are you ready to see the transformation!?!?!?

BEFORE:

View from Front Door....
(As you can see, I played around with some paint samples and Somebody, named Alvin, was drawing on the wall...)

View of Hallway from Living Room...

View from the Kitchen.....

DURING:

AFTER:

View from Front Door...

View of where the Hallway used to be...

View from the Kitchen (in front of the door this time)...

So, what do you think?!?

Inspiration for a Renovation

2010-07-13T21:00:00.001-04:00

When I came home today, I noticed a bunch of 2x4's and one really big piece of wood stacked up neatly in my driveway. This made me sooooo excited because..... this means my living/dining room renovation is about to begin!!! Yep, that's right, we're getting ready for a big renovation - the plan is to knock down the walls that surround the dining room, opening it up to the living area and hallway. This is something I've been dreaming of ever since I moved into this little house over 3 years ago.

So, plenty more details on the big renovation will be coming soon. But for now, I am looking for some inspiration on how to decorate once this is all done. I'm pretty much planning to start from scratch, while still using some of my main pieces of furniture. Since the living room doesn't get much light during the day, I really want to lighten up the walls with a cream or light neutral color, which means the rest color pallette is pretty much wide open. I guess I didn't get enough of the blue and white color palette with Michelle's Beach Condo Design, because I'm still really drawn towards that as I search through room galleries online. Maybe it's because these colors are so timeless, or maybe it's because I want to feel like I'm at the beach all the time :)

This is actually the inspiration picture we are using for how to structure the opening between the two rooms. Notice how the trim work around the opening goes all the way up to the ceiling? That's the look we are hoping to acheive as well. And I like the neutral colors in this space with the pops of turqouise. There is something so cozy and happy about this room.

Now here is more of the classic blue and white pallette with a pop of yellow, love those colors together!

Love the three rooms below and am thinking of going with a striped cotton rug like they have. The third one came from the Something's Gotta Give Beach House, which I read about on one of my favorite blogs, Hooked on Houses. It's a great place to go for inspiration!

Now that the living room will really be open to the dining area (you'll completely see both rooms as soon as you walk in the front door), my biggest challenge will be how to decorate the two rooms so that they flow together, yet still have their own identies. Here is a dining room I like that would continue the blue and white look I am invisioning in the living room....

Or here are a couple pictures with a bit more playful option - adding red into the mix. I also love how both of them use the full height of the wall to decorate. Pictures and curtains hung all the way up to the ceiling in the first one, then high shelves display colorful old jars all the way around the second room.

I like this one mainly because of the window seat, which I REALLY want to add to my dining space as well, but that might have to wait for Phase 2 due to the budget, still trying to decide. If I did add one, it would have to be used for extra storage as well, so I'd want some drawers on the bottom and bookshelves on either side.

And finally, this picture reminded me that I've really been wanting to try and pull off a dining table with a mixture of chairs like this one.

Oh yea, and one more idea that I've been dying to try - Wallpaper! I just ordered some samples of the Sherwin-Williams EasyChange wallpaper last night... so hopefully one of the samples will be the key to my design!

Michelle's Beach Condo Design

2010-06-27T15:57:00.756-04:00

Michelle and her husband Bryce recently purchased a great little condo at the beach where they go to get away and relax. When I mentioned that I've been dying to try out my design skills on a coastal-inspired theme, she volunteered her condo for me to get my fix! So, here goes...

First, here are a few Before Pictures that she sent me. She wanted to keep her couch and dining table, but she is willing to do a little bit of DIY to change things up.

To get started, I got inspired from some beautiful spaces on websites like Coastal Living and Traditional Home. As you can see from my favorite rooms below, I was drawn to the classic color palette of blue and white, yet they all have a pop of a brighter teal or cobalt blue. The other trend you can see througout these rooms is how the dramatic blues are balanced out with natural tones and textures.

So let's jump right into the mood board and see if you think I incorporated the elements from my inspiration rooms...

1 - The windows are such a great feature in this room, so I wanted to highlight them with something that would draw your eye to them without distracting you from the view. I also wanted to ensure the look would be classic and timeless. These Concorde Medallion Curtain Panels from Ballard Designs were just the ticket! At $69 per panel, these are a bit of a splurge, but the impact will be worth it! Get 4 of them, so you have a set for both the living room and dining room windows.

Hang them with this pretty Drapery Rod Set with blue glass finials from Allen Roth which you can buy at Lowe's for just under $30. Since the configuration of the window nook in the dining room is so unique, you may need to use this simple and cheap solution from Ikea - Curtain Wire - to hang the curtains in that window. I used it for my screened in porch and it worked great!

To finish off the window treatments and give you privacy when you want it, I would suggest hanging these Levolor Plantation Blinds in the Honey Pine color from Lowe's on each window. You can just get the biggest size you need and have them cut down to the right size at the store. This option will give you the look of custom blinds without the cost. The maximum size of 72" x 72" is only $112, so you'll get a custom look for under $250.

And finally, we need to address the skylight windows in the dining area. I think they look great totally open like they are, but if you want to tone down the light a bit, try installing some Decorative Window Film from Wallpaper for Windows. I like the white, sandstone, or sky blue colors in the see-thru option. Or you can try an etched glass pattern, but stay away from anything too symmetrical or it could be hard to keep straight.

2 - Ok, on to the next key element in the room, the rugs! For the living area, I love this Mattress Ticking Rug from Dash & Albert. It's a casual and durable woven cotten material with a completely nautical pattern. The low price tag of $194 for a huge 6'x9' rug makes this an even better choice!

3 - I'd also like to see a rug in the dining area to really define the space, plus it gives you the opportunity to bring in some more texture. Since we've already got some major pattern going on, I wanted kept this rug simple. This classic Seagrass Rug in the Blue border from Ballard Designs will definitely do the trick. Get the 6'x9' size at $199 to keep the space feeling as large as possible.

While we are talking about textiles in the dining area, I also wanted to suggest this great Tablecloth on sale for $50 from Verde Lifestyles. I'd love to see it used on the dining room table to really tie the dining and living areas together.

Now, moving onto the new furniture pieces that will make the layout work.

4 - Place this Ikea Bookcase horizontally against the far living room wall and it will become a true focal point, full of both function and style. Use it to place your TV, then fill the shelves with all kinds of coastal-inspired decor. Add some baskets for some hidden storage as well. Oh yea, and I almost forgot to mention - it's ONLY $69 bucks!! You really can't beat that anywhere, I love you Ikea :)

5 - This Trunk / Coffee Table from Pier1 Imports is the perfect place to put your feet up while you're watching TV. The texture and tone of this trunk is super beachy and will really warm up the space. Bonus - you can store your extra beach towels in it! This is one of the pricier items at $199.95, but still a great deal for such a multi-functional piece with a high-end look.

6 - I can't get over what a great deal this Accent Wood Bench is from JC Penny. At only $44.99, I think I am going to have to get one for myself! You can put this just about anywhere, but I think it fits best in this space as an end table to the left of the larger couch which will be dividing the living and dining areas.

7 - I am so in looooove with the Lazy Susan Oval Ring Side Table that I found on Amazon.com on sale for $105.95. Something about it screams "super chic beach house" to me. I would love to see it placed to the left of the loveseat where it will be seen by all. In fact, I just have to put another picture of it here to drool at again...

8 - How cool are these Vintage Style Metal Stools on Overstock.com?!? They come as a pair for $99.95, so I couldn't resist adding them to the design. Put one of them to the left of the Ikea TV Console/Bookcase and add a plant, maybe some succulents. Then use the other one as a little end table next to the chaise I'm about to tell you about....

9 - The window nook in the dining area is a great spot to create a window seat. You can accomplish it pretty easily with this budget friendly Slipcovered Chaise from Ikea. At only $299, it was by far the lowest cost option to create a comfy reading nook. As far as placement goes, I think you can try several things. The first thing I would try is to push it all the way up against the window with the backrest on the side closest to the door. Center it as much as possible so that the drapes fall to each side, but make sure there is enough room for the door to open. I am hoping this way will create a little walkway in between your new reading nook and the door that leads to your balcony.

Once you get the placement of the chaise just right, add a bunch of pillows against the window to give it a back rest. Don't worry, I'll give you some ideas for pillows towards the end. I'd also like to see one of those metal stools (#8) placed right next to the chaise - either right behind the backrest or to the side - you'll have to play around with it a bit, but it will provide a perfect spot to put a drink and a book. You could also switch out the metal stool with the wood bench (#6) if the space allows for something a little more substantial in the reading nook.

Oh yea, and as far as the chairs that are currently in this space, I'd put one of them in the far corner of the living area, just to the right of the windows. Replace the chair cushion with a more neutral color, preferably white, which you should be able to find at Pier1 or World Market pretty easily. By placing a chair in that corner, you will create a well-rounded conversation area in the living space. And as far as the other one, maybe you have an empty corner in a bedroom?

One more piece of furniture, that didn't make the mood board because it's only optional is the Anywhere Console Table in white from Pier1 Imports. If you can find it, I think it would look great behind the couch to add some substance in the dining room, but it is no longer showing up online. I am hoping you can find it in the store since Pier1 is not really setup for online shopping anyway. It was about $129 from what I remember and it has the perfect modern yet classic look about it - but the key to this piece is that it is only 13" deep so it is great for small spaces like this.

Now that we've gone over all the major furniture pieces, let's talk about lighting, wall decor, and accessories - the really fun stuff!

10 - I chose the Adair Floor Lamp in Satin Nickel from Pottery Barn. As usual, PB has created a timeless classic that you really can't go wrong wtih, and I love how the shape and details give it a subtle nautical look. It's currently priced at $179, so this might be one item that you wait to purchase after it goes on sale or search eBay to see if you can find it cheaper there. If you do get it, I think it would look best to the right of the Ikea Bookcase (#4).

I'd also like to see one of these Atlas Table Lamps that I found on Overstock.com placed on the end table to the left of the main couch. It's got a similar nautical style that the PB floor lamp has, but I am not a big fan of the shade it comes with. Try replacing it with this PB Braided Drump Lamp Shade, the medium size which is on sale right now $27. The Atlas Lamps are sold as a pair for $166.99, so the other one would look nice on the Ikea bookcase next to the TV. Probably on the left side of the TV since you'll have the floorlamp to the right. Or, if you want to skip the floor lamp, then try putting this table lamp on the right side and it may be just enough. The table lamp would also look great as a bedside lamp, so plenty of options to justify the second one :)

12 - Now for our first Wall Decor item. These Old Wooden Shutters will add a ton of character to the space. I would get two pairs of the 55" size and hang all 4 of them right next to eachother on the wall behind the TV. Center them above the console, just a couple inches above it. At $50 per pair, you're getting a lot of bang for your buck since these will cover a lot of your wall space. Plus, the added height and interest on this wall will really help create a focal point in the room, yet keep the focus off of the TV. It would also be fun to hang some starfish randomly across the shutters. Get this Set of 15 from ZGallerie for only $15.95....

12 - I always like to incorporate a mirror or two into a room, and this Teak Wood Octagon Mirror in the Walnut finish from Verde Lifestyles has just the right look, hang it on the living room wall across from the window to reflect the light. I love how the shape is unusual, but still so simple and clean. And of course the natural wood tone helps round out the other wood tones and warms it up even more. Notice that I've included 3 wood tone pieces (Trunk, Bench, Mirror). I think rule of thumb is that you need a minimum of 3 for any element you are trying to add to a room in order to really get the full effect. Then we can add to the effect through baskets and other accessories, but the foundation is set with the 3 key pieces. Anyway, this mirror is on sale right now for $207, plus it looks like you can use this online code (summer2k10) for another 15% off!

13 & 19 - The Shabby Metal Stars and Distressed Oars are such fun items and will really add to the charm of this space. Get 3 of the blue stars for $35.95 each and hang them on the dining wall opposite of the TV. They will help balance out the shutters. Then I would just get the 5' oar with stars for $49 to hang horizontally above the curtain rod in the living area. Distressed, Shabby, Rustic - whatever you like to call it - the key here again is that we are getting the full effect by doing it in 3's! (Shutters, Stars, and Oar)

You hanging in there? We are almost to the end - Just a quick summary of the candles and small accessories, then we'll go over the pillows (my favorite thing!). And finally, I'll wrap things up with some paint suggestions and DIY ideas!

14 - I would love to see one of these Oval Candle Wall Hangings from West Elm in the reading nook on the wall to the right of the windows. It's $39, so just the one is all you need. If you wait a little while, I bet it will go on sale! I love how the oval shape ties into the nautical look that we already have in the lamps (#10) and that unique oval side table (#7).

15 - These Hanging Bubbles from Areo are so cute! Try doing something daring and hanging these from the ceiling between the dining and reading nook. Mix up the sizes, which cost between $8-$12 each, and put different things in them like sand, tealights, and this pretty blue beach glass also from Areo. I have to give a shout out to this fabulous home decor store, Areo, since it's located in the town I was born... Laguna Beach, CA! I really hope I get to check out this store in person next time I visit :)

16 - Find any corner with a little extra floor space and fill it with 1 or 2 of these Mason Lanterns from Z Gallerie. They come in two different heights and are on sale for $29.99 and $39.99.

17 - These Ikea Vases are a great accessory for just about anywhere. They come in 2 different sizes for $14.99 and $19.99. Fill them with candles and use them as a centerpiece on the dining room table, or fill them with shells/sand/beach glass and put them in the bookshelves under the TV.

18 - My favorite item in this mood board is the set of Blue Glass Fishing Balls from Wisteria. They come in a set of 6 for $24, which is a steal if you've ever seen the real vintage ones sold at flea markets. They would be great fillers for the bookcase shelves, would also look good in a bowl on the coffee table, or just place a single one on top of a stack of books. You can't go wrong with these!

We are finally to the pillows! You really can't have enough pillows in my mind, but I am very picky when choosing because the pattern, color, and texture are so important. I stuck with navy as the base color because I thought it went best against the greenish tone of the current couch. Then I tried to find pops of lighter blues like cobalt and teal. I stayed away from really light or baby blue tones because I think it would have been too "blah" against the couch.

The key to making this work is to first try and cover several of the existing pillows on the couch with a solid pillow cover, one that is thick enough to not show the color through. I think our best option will be finding some white quilted euro shams, since they should be about the right size to cover up the existing pillows (take a quick measurement to make sure though, they need to be about 26" squares). The PB Pick-Stich Quilted Euro Shams are currently on sale for $35 each, so get a bunch before they are gone! Note: You may be able to get away with just removing 1 or 2 of the existing pillows and still have enough cushion to lean on. Try it out and see what you think before you place your order, so you can minimize costs as much as possible.

Then add a couple basic pillows to tie in our primary color, navy. These Piped Pillow Covers are a fabulous option to use on all the upholstered pieces. Get 2-3 of the 20" squares for the couches, then probably at least 3 to add to the chaise and lean them against the window. It will give it the window seat look we are going for. For $29 each, these are reasonable enough price to buy several. If you have to watch the budget, then skip a couple of the decorative pillows below for now, and start with these.

Now that we've covered the base couch pillows, here are the fun decorative pillows from the mood board....

20 - This Big Nautilus Hook Pillow from the OuterBanks Trading Company has got such great rich colors and texture, that I couldn't resist adding it to the design even at the slightly high price of $55.

21 - These Coral Fish/Shell Pillows also from OuterBanks Trading Co. are a must have at only $49 for the set of 2. There are a bunch of other great pillows in their Sea Life Collection, but they are a little above a price point that I would pay, so watch for these to go on sale...

22 - The Skipper Striped Pillow from PB is an extra long lumbar pillow. At 36" long it will make the perfect pillow to transform the Chaise into a window seat. The sale price of $29 makes it an even sweeter deal.

In case they run out of that one (which they tend to do with good items on sale), the Harbor Stripe pillow for $25 would also work to create a window seat feel to the chaise, but you'll probably need 2 of them.

23 - From OuterBanks Trading Co once again, you can get this adorable Crab Pillow for a pretty good deal at $39. I'd like to see it on the rattan chair that you'll move to the corner of the living area.

24 - This French Blue Leaflette Pillow has a great pattern in just the right color pallette for this space. Plus, it's on Clearance at Main Cottage for $30... Score! I think I would get 2 of them at that price and put one on each couch.

Ok, is that enough pillows for ya?! We are at the final stretch - time for paint and some DIY Ideas!

Let's start with paint, because that is pretty easy. Now, all of my decor choices should work fine with the current beige and blue walls. But, did you notice the common element in all my inspiration pictures above? Yep, completely white walls. I've also noticed this trend in a ton of magazine and catalog rooms, and the white walls somehow always make a room look so clean and light, making the decor stand out. I especially think the white walls work well for a coastal theme, so my suggestion is to go all white!

I keep reading from different sources that the Benjamin Moore Decorator's White is the perfect white paint color, plus it's in the Pottery Barn Spring 2010 collection so it must be good! Another suggestion that is a little more off-white, also from the same PB collection, is Benjamin Moore Mascarpone. I don't think you can go wrong with either of these choices. But, if you aren't feeling the white, I also like this super light neutral from the collection, Benjamin Moore Sandy Beaches, and what a great paint name for a beach condo.

Now for DIY stuff - Here is an easy idea for the Chandelier over the dining table. Just take some basic twine, which you can pick up at Lowe's for only a couple bucks, and simply wrap it around each section of the black iron until all you see is the twine. See the picture below of the PB Chandelier to get a better idea of what I mean. All you need is a little hot glue at each end to hold it down. And for the sections where there are 2-3 "branches", I would just wrap the twine around the whole thing, so it will look like just one piece when you are done.

The next DIY idea is pretty simple too. I'd love to see you paint the dining room chairs in a fun bright blue color. To get the best results, I'd follow these basic instructions on Young House Love or go for a slightly distressed look using these instructions on Centsational Girl. I like this color - Hyper Blue by Sherwin Williams.

And finally, adding some architechtural detail would make a huge difference in this space. So, the simplest way to do that with a beachy vibe is this - Add some basic planks of wood going vertically up the entire wall. Top it off with the same type of wood going horizontally across the top of the wall right next to the ceiling. And then you'll probably need to add some type of trim molding to make it blend with the current floor molding. You should be able to get your local hardware store to cut the wood for you, and then just invest in a nail gun and a level to make the installation easier. Even doing this on one wall would look great! Can you see the impact it has in the pictures below?

Or, another idea for adding architechtural interest is to put in faux-wainscotting. Here is a quick how-to from This Old House. Here is another great article, All About Wainscotting to get more ideas if you're interested.

Ok, if you have made it this far, I'm impressed.

Happy Decorating!

Online Shopping Sites

2010-05-24T20:22:00.006-04:00

I'm always looking for places to purchase unique home decor items, I need to break away from Pottery Barn every once in a while! And I've really been at it lately because one of my friends asked me to do a mood board for her beach condo! So, I'm busy working on that and can't wait to share with you all. In the meantime, I thought I'd share a few of the websites I've found for some fun and fairly budget-friendly home decor items....

(1) Wisteria

(2) Vivaterra

(3) A Rustic Garden

(4) Dash and Albert

(5) CSN Stores - Living Rooms Direct & Bedroom Furniture

(6) The Livable Home

(7) Laurie Anna's Vintage Home

Saving the Roses and a Bird!

2010-05-14T11:27:00.000-04:00

This morning, after taking Baxter for a quick walk to the park, Alvin and I decided to get some yardwork done before the work day started. As he was mowing the front lawn, I pruned the knock-out rose bushes. Unfortunately, they were looking so dried out and most the flowers were dead, with no sign of new buds coming in. They started out so strong this spring, but I think there was a week or so of no rain that caused them to get dried out. So, in hopes of saving them, I decided to go ahead and cut off all the flowers and cut the bushes down a bit to give them a fresh start. I was able to save a few of the flowers and am enjoying them in the white ceramic vase you see above. Hopefully my plan will work, and with some daily watering, they will come back strong. Cross your fingers for me!

Then as Alvin was finishing up the mowing, he noticed a young bird laying on the side of the house. The poor thing was breathing really hard and looked like it had a small cut around it's neck area. So, we put it in this box and made it as comfy as possible with a soft old tshirt and some grass. We weren't sure if there was anything more we could do, but we called 311 (Mecklenburg County Services) to find out. And they actually sent over Animal Control who picked up the bird. They told us they had a wildlife specialist that would probably be able to save the bird! So, we feel very good that we gave the little guy a chance. Hopefully he'll fly back here one day and eat some seed from our bird feeder :)

This Weekend in the Queen City

2010-05-07T17:53:00.003-04:00

For those of you that don't have a million house projects to get done this weekend like me, you should check out one or more of these event going on around the Queen City this weekend!

Garden Tour hosted by Wing Haven Gardens in Myers Park
Beer, Bourban, and BBQ Festival in Southpark
NC Changing of the Seasons Art Exhibit in Noda
Mitchell Gold 20% off Sale at the outlet in Hickory

Oh, and planning ahead for next weekend? Check out the Pet Palooza in Independence Park!

*Photo courtesy of the Charlotte Observer

Plaza-Midwood Home Tour

2010-05-01T19:50:00.002-04:00

The Plaza-Midwood Home Tour turned out really great this year, with a mix of different types of houses, along with a couple of cute condos. All of them had such unique styles and so many fun decorating ideas! I was so glad I got to enjoy it with one of my friends, Lindsey, who has an amazing knack for decorating and gardening. In fact, I really want to do a virtual home tour of her house for you guys because it really looks like it should be in a magazine.

Anyway, I digress... Let me get to the highlights of the Home Tour today. I only wish I would have taken more pictures, but it was crowded so it was hard to get pics without people in them and without feeling like I was holding up the crowd. The pictures really don't do it justice, but this what I was able to get...

The first stop was one of the units in this adorable quadraplex on Thomas St, it was one of my favorites. I love how they mixed modern and antiques in this entire place. The dining area is a good example of that with the old antique table mixed with the modern clear chairs. Plus, they really used every little nook and cranny to make this small space funtional...

Then we headed to the other side of the Plaza to this charming place on Kenwood...

Then we went around the corner to this absolutely beautiful backyard and garden off Midwood Place. Check out the outdoor fireplace, and water features were hiding everywhere...

Next, we strolled all the way to the end of Chatham Ave, and it was definitely worth the walk! I absolutely LOVED this place, it had tons of character and the master bath was to die for. Oh yea, and look over the bed, they hung twine with photos kind of like I recently attempted with the bird prints. I like the look of theirs way better, so it's inspired me to re-vamp mine, haha....

Ok, next was this awesome renovated bungalow on Dearmon Drive where they opened up the living area to the dining room with some little half-walls and columns, plus added built-ins on either side of the fireplace. It is very similar to the look I really want to go for in my place!

After that, I started to lose track of things and can't remember which picture is from which house. But the first half of the tour was my favorite anyway, so I think you got to see the best of it all! After the tour, Lindsay and I sat on my screened in porch and enjoyed a glass of wine, and some cheese and hummus, which totally hit the spot.

As we were talking, we decide to go check out a couple of garden centers nearby - Royal Gardens on 7th St in Elizabeth and Campbell Gardens in South End. Royal Gardens had a great deal on some Thyme, so we both picked up a couple of those, and then I found this really unique hanging plant at Cambell Gardens. I need to take a close up of the flowers, this pic isn't doing it justice...

But I'm too lazy now, it's been a long day. I'm ready to have a glass of wine and read some more of the book Susan got me the other day, The Fixer Upper. Just started it last night and it's already got me hooked.

What a great day!! :)

Getting Crafty

2010-04-30T10:09:00.002-04:00

Several weeks ago, Susan and I went to the Metrolina Expo Antique Show and I came across a whole stack of vintage music sheets for only $2 bucks! This totally inspired me to get crafty and start making my own cards. I started out pretty simple with some burlappy sage ribbon, a roll of twine, and Aleene's Tacky Glue that I found out about from this post from Young House Love. You can get the glue at Michael's for like $1.79.

I enjoyed it so much that I went back to Michael's and picked up a few other types of ribbon from the $1 bin, and splurged on some stamps and a few charms from the jewelry section. I actually had several people to send cards to for birthdays and stuff, so I started to branch out and try different things. Here they are...

Then I decided to take this old candle that was kind of falling apart, and give it new life, using the same concept...

Remember that window I recreated for my screened in porch, from this post? I also added some ribbon as a border around each of the window panes to hide the mistake I made by not removing the old paint. It really softened the look and the sage color tied it into the theme for the room.

Finally, I used some of the ribbon to frame out 2 of the vintage botanical prints that I found in DC (one of the only non-bird items i purchased, haha), and then hung them with ribbon too.

Anyway, I'm still playing around with all this stuff, but it's been fun to get crafty!

Road Trip to Atlanta

2010-04-29T15:38:00.004-04:00

I took another road trip 2 weekends ago, this time to the big city of Atlanta, or as some call it, "the ATL". I went to visit my "boo" (ATL speak for boyfriend) and attend one of his friend's weddings. I actually got him to smile in this picture, and for those of you who don't know Alvin, a true smile in a pic is hard to come by, so I had to include it here :)

Anyway, we lucked out that the Dogwood Festival happened to be going on, so we got to go check it out on Saturday morning. There was tons of different types of art, several things I liked, but I guess I was being lazy because I didn't take any pictures except for a few of the Jack Hill work, which was absolutely hilarious because Alvin's full name is Jack Alvin Hill, and this happened to be the one and only type of art that Alvin actually liked. Take a look at the pics and you'll see why...

The apple below with the two naked body shapes at the core is called "Love at First Bite". The rest had funny and creative names as well, I wish I would have written them down...

Ok, I think you get the idea, haha.

Now, onto the main point of this post, the part that you design lovers (Susan!) will enjoy. When Alvin is working in the ATL, he gets to stay in a place that is walking distance to tons of shops, one of which is ZGallerie. I had forgotten how much I LOVED this place until I walked by and re-discovered it there, and the prices for the home decor items really aren't that bad - alot of stuff for $20 and under. Oh how I wish Charlotte would get one of these stores. [Correction: As my friend Susan pointed out in her comment below, we DO have one of these in Charlotte, it's at Northlake mall. That could be dangerous!] I spent a long time slowly walking through this store practically drooling over the decor. Here are some pics so you can re-live it with me, enjoy...

Bird Obsession Continues in DC

2010-04-15T12:15:00.019-04:00

Renee, step away from the birds. At least that is what I SHOULD have been telling myself, but that would be no fun! Instead, my eyes were drawn to them like they were chirping my name. Ok, that sounds kind of creepy, but you get what I mean. I was in heaven looking at all the pretty bird decor I discovered in the shops on King Street in Old Town, I've never seen so much of it! Here is what I ended up with, all from the European Cottage Living store...

A set of sage green tealight candle holders...

A super shabby ceramic bird house...

And these 3 hooks that will be perfect for hanging necklaces or scarves in my dressing room...

Then at the Arlington and Georgetown Flea Markets, I found a bunch of vintage bird prints from the 1800's...

So I picked up several of them and have already hung them above my bed with some twine and clothespins...

A couple close-up's...

Alvin is cringing at the girliness of it all, but I just love it and it was super easy! I may try to tone down the girliness just a bit though by slowly adding other non-bird vintage prints to the twine, in more neutral colors and hanging them in a less symmetrical way, kind of like how they did it in my inspiration room which came from the Pottery Barn catalog. They do this in a lot of their bedrooms, here is one example.

Believe it or not, I did buy a couple non-bird things too. I love these vintage prints (from the 1700's!) and since it's hard to find frames this size, I have another simple idea for hanging them which I hope to get to next week...

And finally, I got a few pretty books for only $1 each to add to my collection. One of them is about the Outerbanks of North Carolina! Here they are, the 3 in the middle of this stack...

Oh, and one last thing.. you know I couldn't resist this book which I found hiding in the many rows of $1 books. I told you, they were chirping my name, haha...

Apartment Crashing in DC

2010-04-14T10:45:00.002-04:00

If you read my last post, you know I just got back from a fun weekend visiting my good friend Candice in DC - Arlington, VA to be exact. And not only was Candice an awesome host, but she has an amazing style - classic, timeless, minimalist - all things that are hard to acheive for a girl like me that jumps on every trend (birds, hello!), acquires stuff at every garage sale I pass, and is constantly re-arranging furniture and decor at home. So needless to say, I totally admire her style.

Candice has collected some great furniture pieces and accessories over the years that have really come together in her Arlington apartment.

Like this lawyers bookcase filled with gorgeous blue pottery...

And guess what? She has made over half of the pottery you see, here is a close up of some of the ones she has made...

This very pretty and functional piece stores all her nice wine glasses, etc...

I love the way this artwork looks with the unique sideboard table. Oh, and see that pretty piece of glass protected on the floor under the table? She's planning on hanging that up as artwork somewhere, can't wait to see where it ends up!

And check out the size of these pine cones!

She stacked these books on the floor next to her bookshelves, totally something Pottery Barn would do. And she actually reads them, so I'm doubly impressed, haha!

And now for her bedroom. I love the simplicity of the bed, with simple white pillows, a pretty blue quilt, and a big fluffy duvet at the end. And that mirror leaning on the wall is such the perfect idea for that spot between the windows.

She's got a couple classic antique dressers that give her some stylish storage on the other two walls in the room...

And my favorite piece of all is this trunk that she actually uses to store all her big pots since her kitchen doesn't have much space...

This unique piece with the rope handles adds a ton of character...

And finally, this sweet little table that she's decorated with tons of beautiful shells that she has actually collected on beaches all over the place, what a great collection!

Ok, that is it for this home tour, hope you enjoyed crashing Candice's apartment with me!

Design Tip of the Week: Always leave some space for dancing

2010-04-13T12:11:00.006-04:00

Yep, that's right, leave some space for dancing. If you don't have the room for an open space at all times, just be sure you have a space that has some easy-to-move furniture to allow for a little bit of dancing room. If not, you'll miss out on special moments like this...

My parents showing off their new shag dancing skills during their visit on Easter Weekend :)

Adventures in DC

2010-04-12T20:52:00.006-04:00

I had a very fun adventure this past weekend, going to visit my good friend Candice at her new home in Arlington, VA - just outside of Washington, DC. It turned out to be a perfect weekend - filled with lots of shopping from Flea Markets to the shops of Old Town, great food at some of her favorite spots, and some good old sight-seeing.

Friday Night
I arrived at around 4pm, after my 7 hour drive that actually flew by since I was listening to "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein. I highly recommend this book - especially for dog lovers! Once I got settled in, Candice took me for a walking tour of her neighborhood and we stopped for some yummy gelato. Then after a quick change, we hopped on the metro and headed to the POV Lounge at Hotel Washington. After waiting in a line to get in, we were escorted up to the bar in a tiny old-school elevator, and once we arrived on the terrace we could see what all the hype was about. Check out the view, although the picture doesn't even do it justice...

After that, we walked down the street to Old Ebbit Grill for dinner, a historic spot where some of our past Presidents used to frequent - I love knowing the history of a place. Plus the cheese plate was to die for! Mmmmmm.

Saturday Morning
Candice and I both woke up around 7am Saturday morning feeling pretty sluggish (probably due to one to many yeunglings!). But, after she made some perfectly brewed bold coffee, I felt much better and ready for a fun day. First stop - we headed to Eastern Market for that area's big Flea Market. After a quick walk around her own neighborhood flea market - which was pretty impressive - we hopped on the Metro and were at Eastern Market in no time. This flea market was huge and buzzing with activity. So many people and so much good stuff from fresh veggies and flowers to unique artwork. Here is some of the stuff I loved...

This stained glass window was really unique and I was hoping Candice would buy it for her pad, but after much thought, she decided to wait... I still think she should go back and try to negotiate the price down if the vendor is back with the windows next week :)

I loved how these stars had the white chipped paint, but too expensive for me...

My bird obsession continues, and this won't be the last of it on this trip...

It was very hard to resist these wonderfully feminine and flowery scarves...

I am always a sucker for old cabinets, doors, and other salvaged wood re-purposed into something functional....

This booth had all kinds of unique key holders made out of all kinds of materials, such a great idea!

What a creative way to display earrings, hanging on a lampshade...

Next we decided to walk to the Capitol, so I snapped a couple pics of the houses as we left the Eastern Market area so you could see how cute this area is...

The walk to the Capitol was a pretty good hike, long enough that we decided to take a quick pit stop at Starbucks. The warm coffee was just what we needed to revive us on the windy, chilly walk.

And finally we made it to the Capitol where I took tons of pictures. Every angle of this building is gorgeous, but when we came around the corner towards the front we found the perfect photo spot from under this Oriental Cherry Tree....

Here is one from the front...

From there, we walked through the Mall area towards the Washington Monument, which seemed much closer than it really was... and by the time we got half way there we were pooped, so we decided to hop on the Metro and go back to Arlington for lunch. After a yummy lunch where Candice got her french fry fix, we took a break at her place to shower and get ready for the evening.

Saturday Night

Candice had the great idea to drive out to Old Town and do a little shopping on King Street and then eat at her favorite sushi restaraunt, Red Curry. During the shopping trip, we found two of my favorite stores ever - European Cottage Living and Decorium. They both had a ton of bird items, so of course I was in heaven. I'm pretty sure I drove Candice crazy "ooohing and awwwing" over all the pretty bird stuff, but she was a trooper and waited for me to look around and choose a couple of items, which I'll share in another post. I was so happy because the stuff I got ended up being cheaper than expected with the 20% storewide sale that was going on!

The dinner at Red Curry was soooo good, probably my favorite meal of the trip. We ordered the Union Street Roll and Dynamite roll, along with some normal stand-by items like tuna and avacodo rolls. I really wish I would have taken a picture of the plate, it was so pretty! But we were pretty hungry so the thought didn't cross my mind, I just dug in, haha. After dinner, Candice took me on a night time driving tour of several of the monuments which was very cool. What a great day!

Sunday Morning

Much to my delight, Candice and I had decided to get up early and go straight to the Georgetown Flea Market on Sunday. So, we got our coffee fix at Starbucks... I let Candice try my Cinnamon Dolce Latte, the best drink ever, which she enjoyed :) Then we hopped in the car and drove over the Key Bridge to Georgetown. I thought the market would be in the main area near the strip of shops/restaraunts that I've been before, but I was glad when Candice drove deep into the neighborhood away from the tourists to another part of Georgetown. Here are some pictures of the streets we walked on to get to the market...

This flea market was slightly different from the one at Eastern Market, it had more true antique's and tables to hunt through "junk", which I loved. And also some really pretty jewelry, which you'll see below. Here are a few things that caught my eye...

So, I wanted to buy a ton of stuff, but ended up spending my whole budget on several of the bird and leaf prints since they were a great deal, way lower than I had seen before. I've already got a couple projects in the works for them! Plus I got a few $1 books that had pretty covers, you can never have enough books!

After that, we got some grub at Dean and Deluca and sat outside to enjoy the warm weather. Then we finished the trip with a stop at the popular Georgetown Cupcake which Candice says always has a line around the corner. Luckily, the line went pretty fast, and I got the White Chocolate Rasberry flavor which was the best cupcake I've ever had!! I also asked about one of the flavors I saw them giving someone else, and was surprised to find out that it was the "Super Secret Flavor of the Day". They said if you know the secret flavor and ask for it, you get the cupcake for FREE! So, they were nice enough to let me try that one too - which was Oreo, mmmm...

While we were slowly savoring every yummy bite of our cupcakes, we noticed how pretty the flowers were...

Well, that was pretty much it, can you believe how much we packed into this short trip!

Next up, I'll take you on a home tour through Candice's place - she has some great antique pieces of furniture and a classic, timeless, minimalist style that I completely admire!

Seasons in Plaza Midwood continued...

2010-04-05T15:31:00.002-04:00

During my lunch break today, I took Baxter for a walk/run and brought along the camera so I could get some shots for my Seasons in Plaza Midwood art project. As you may remember from that post last November, I've already collected some shots during the Fall and Winter months, so I wanted to be sure and get some of the Spring before too late. The early Spring bloomers, like the cherry blossoms, are already starting to fade, so I knew my time was running out. Spring is never long enough! Luckily the dogwoods are just about at their peak, so I was able to get this great shot by the church near The Plaza and Central Ave. If you look closely, you'll see Baxter relaxing on the stairs as he patiently waited for me to take the pics, what a good boy :)

While I was out, I also snapped a shot of this cool historic house on The Plaza...

I heard that it was moved from the 4th Ward to this location years ago, so I did a quick google search on it and found this great article about it's history. Here is a little exerpt from that Carolina Corner article...

"...the grand houses that once graced the North Tryon corridor gave way to commercial development as the uptown area spread. Victoria escaped demolition, thanks to the owner's decision to move it to Plaza Hills [now known as Plaza-Midwood].

The plan to relocate the house all the way across town was a big risk. The developing neighborhood lay at the end of the streetcar line, way out in the country.

The move, which took place sometime between 1910 and 1920, would impress even modern professionals. Horses pulled the two-story house intact, rolling it over logs for about 10 miles to its new site."

A Monday of Surprises

2010-03-29T21:50:00.003-04:00

Today started out rainy and cold, and it looked like it would be just another Monday full of clouds. There were tornado warnings late yesterday and thunderstorms all through the night. Luckily I had power in the morning, so I could make a cup of coffee and work from home. Once I got settled at my desk, Baxter made himself comfy in all the porch pillows I had brought inside to keep out of the rain...

A few hours later, the mailman came by and I was suprised by this sweet card from Alvin! It definitely put a smile on my face and made the cloudy day feel much brighter. Then, soon after I got this card, the sun actually DID come out! It felt like Alvin sent me the sunshine :)

So, I opened up the windows and let the fresh air flow through the house while I worked the rest of the afternoon. My Monday was definitely getting better!

After work, I decided to take Baxter over to the Chantilly "dog park" so that we could both enjoy the sunshine. There is a big creek that runs across one side of the park, and it typically overflows with a big rain storm. It looked like it had overflowed the night before, because there was a bunch of branches, sand, etc. on the banks of the creek. In all the mess, I came across two pieces of driftwood - free home decor! Another fun surprise for my Monday!!!

Nest (n.): A place of retreat, rest, or lodging

2010-03-25T16:54:00.007-04:00

Some of you may remember the post last year about my Screened Porch Makeover. Well, the spring weather has really inspired me to finish decorating it, and I'm going all out! This is the one room that I feel like I can go crazy with a cute theme and shabby chic decor without it feeling overdone. I'm still working on it, but I've put up some fabulous curtains from Ikea that have transformed the room, and I have just about completed the main piece of artwork that will be displayed. I couldn't wait to share the artwork project...

The old glass cabinet door that you can see was hanging in my porch before was cool, but I wanted to take it to the next level.

So, I thought and thought about how I could make it more of an art piece. After my recent shopping trip at Sleepy Poet, and discovery of my bird obsession, I had decided to go with a bird theme in the room. Then I came across these pretty Wall Tiles at Crate & Barrel and the light went off in my head....

So here is how I created my unique piece of art....

Step 1: I saved this image off the C&B website, then zoomed in as big as it could get on my screen. Then I taped some graph paper to the screen and lightly traced out the pattern with a pencil. This worked out perfectly since I was able to get the image large enough to fit perfectly into each window pane. And since I had 6 window panes to fill, I just added my own little touch to the middle panes.

I love this Pottery Barn pillow, so I pretty much copied their idea... haha. "Nest: A place of retreat, rest, or lodging." What a perfect theme for a relaxing porch....

Step 2: I glued the graph paper to old file folders to ensure the stencils would be sturdy enough for painting later.

Step 3: I cut out the design to create my stencils - this took a little more time than I thought, but the great thing about this design is that it doesn't have to be perfect. I just watched American Idol while I made the cuts, so the time went by pretty quick.... I loved Crystal's Janice Joplin song this week. :)

Step 4: I cleaned the windows on the cabinet door and taped the stencils in place. (As you can see, I didn't bother getting off the old paint that was on the windows, I figured the white paint would cover it up, but looking back now, I definitely would have taken the time to get off that old green paint).

Step 5: I spray painted everything white so that the design would show up clear.

Step 6: I covered up each window pane, and then spray painted the wood with glossy black paint.

Step 7: I removed the paper and the stencils....

Step 8: I haven't done this step yet, but it looks like I'll need to just go over the clear part with a q-tip to soften up a few spots where the tape mark is showing... can you see it on this close-up in the top of the middle branch and in the two bird tails? You can also kind of see it in the close-up of the word "nest". It's a little more noticable in person, but I have already tried to blend it in a bit by rubbing a q-tip over the area and it seems to work pretty well.

Step 9: Hang and enjoy!

And as I mentioned in Step 4, that old green paint that was on the edges of each window pane probably should have been removed before I did all this because when the light shines through, you can definitely see it. Lesson learned, but I think I'll take it as an opportunity to add one extra touch to the artwork. More to come on that...

Oh, and last thing... I am loving these branches from my cherry blossom trees!

Spring is here!

2010-03-22T21:33:00.001-04:00

Yippeeee! It think Spring is finally here! In honor of this lovely time of year, I thought I'd share a few pictures of the flowers I'm enjoying in my yard. I wish I knew who planted all these pretty tulips years ago, I would give them a big hug!

And the camelias have been blooming most of the winter, but they somehow look even prettier lately...

I even see leaves coming out on all the hydrangeas that I planted last year in my big landscaping project (click here for post), so I am very thankful that the hard work might actually pay off this year!

And my cherry trees are starting to bloom! They are on their last leg, some of the big branches have died. I think the cankerworms must have gotten to them long before I moved in, so I should probably replace them. But I just can't bear to let them go... look how pretty!

Basket Rescue & Estate Sale Deals

2010-03-19T11:02:00.000-04:00

One of the great things about living near Myers Park, a very prestigous neighborhood in Charlotte, is that the people living there will throw away some nice stuff without a thought. So, every once in a while, I'll spot a little treasure sitting on the side of the road around trash day. About two weeks ago, I found this awesome basket just laying there all lonely next to the trash can, hoping it would find a new home before being taken away to the dump. So, I rescued the poor little basket and took it to its new home where it is very much appreciated! Sure, one of the handles is messed up, but that can easily be fixed just by cutting off the handles and nobody will ever know! For now, the basket is very happy holding a pillow and some fabric remnants...

And speaking of fabric remnants, I have to share where I got the lovely polk-a-dot fabric. On my way to the dog park a few weekend's ago, I saw a sign for an estate sale and went inside for a quick peek. Most stuff was already gone, but I found some great items and got them all for a total of $20, including the fabric which is really thick, good quality fabric that I would expect to be $30 - $60 per yard from a nice fabric store. Anyway, here is everything I got for the $20 bucks!

The fabric which was a total of $12....

The cute silver tray for $5....

These clear knobs for $3...

And they threw in this vintage purse for FREE! I can't wait till my next vacation when I can use this as my carry-on. For now, I may try to repurpose it as a plant holder or storage for all my winter gloves/hats.... so many possibilities...

Great deals make me so happy :)