The Dirty Truth. Everything You've Wanted to Know About White Slipcovers.

Ahh.  White Slipcovers.  We love them don't we?

Windsor Smith

One for the Inspiration files

Thank you all for the feedback on the shutter color.  Great minds think alike!

I came across this photo this evening while perusing iVillage.

Oh yes, that tub is beyond gorgeous, but what really has me excited is the shelving.  I would LOVE to one day have built in shelving accessible to me while I'm IN the tub.  Not only is it beautiful, but it is also functional.  Design 101, right?

Definitely filing this one away for Master Bathroom ideas.

:)  Courtney



Extension ladder... STAT.

Yes, I'm in desperate need of a fireman and his ladder.  Okay, I'll just take the ladder.

I have fallen in love with this exterior.

The variance in brick tones adds a lot to this home, as does the architecture, but the shutters and the window boxes also add a lot of charm. 

What do you think?   Are black shutters boring, or classic?   Drab, or debonair?



Here is our home now.

We have a long way to go to improve the exterior of this house- Starting with correctly pruning those bushes...  My This Old House magazine came in the mail yesterday and they have a great article this month about how to correctly prune overly grown plants.  Perfect timing.

Of course, it is always fun to look back on where we've been.

This is the front on the day we closed, 10 months ago.

And now...

Please excuse our hideous ADT sign. haha.

Then...

Whew... look at that dirty brick.  Thank goodness for pressure washers and my husband's insistence that we buy one. haha.

Have you had enough yet?  haha

Then...

Different view, but now..

Excuse the horrible photo shopping, but I think black would look pretty gosh darn good.

Yay for fun plans!  :)  Paint = Cheap.  Cheap = doable.  Now I just need that extension ladder.

Courtney

Overstock Chairs = Love

In my constant search for inexpensive furniture, I've came across these lovelies from Overstock.com

Isn't this green floral chair great?  A pair of these would be quite the statement maker for our front room that I'm trying to redo, or umm.. do.  A perfect mix of traditional shape with a modern print.

I really love the front legs with the casters.  Adorable.  $262, with other colors available for less.  See Here

Or, there is this bonded leather chair.   Definitely easy care for a house with three boys.

I love the nailhead trim, and of course the caster legs.  I'm just not too sure if I like the vinyl-y look.  Hmm.  $312 Here

Speaking of nailhead....  Oh LaLa.

I love this one, oh and looky there, those legs again.  :)  $399. Here  Hmm, but no reviews on that one yet.  HAVE to have reviews.

I usually like my white in slipcovers though, so that it can be washed.
Another easy keep clean version would be this.
Nailheads.Check.   Quilting.Adorable.   Lovely curved arms.Seriously Cute.   Bonded leather.Easy to clean.

$274, Here


Last, AND least... as far as price goes, another patterned chair.
Pattern can definitely make a statement, and not much makes a statement quite like zebra print does.

I really like the shape of this chair and the turned legs.  $198.99 Here  That print is definitely a commitment though.  :)

Have you found any thing great on Overstock lately?

:) Courtney



For the Love of the Topiary

Up until a few weeks ago, when I thought of a topiary, I thought of late 80s, early 90s, country style decor.

However, my opinion of them has changed for some reason.

I guess I need a little more green, crazy shaped foliage in my life.  :)

When I received the latest Pottery Barn catalog in the mail a few days ago, I noticed they used them quite a bit in their staged rooms.

Just check out how these beauties really make these spaces more inviting.

Here is a traditional 3 tiered one livening up a bathroom vanity.

Pottery Barn

 Here is a large, single version on a Dining Buffet

Pottery Barn

 This table top is filled with little mini versions.

Pottery Barn

 These of varying heights really stand out against the cute, striped cafe curtains.

Pottery Barn

 This is a larger version of the 3 tiered in the first photo.  This beauty graces a side table in an otherwise neutral living area.

Pottery Barn

I think I'll be bringing a little more plant life into my home this year via topiaries like these.

:)  Courtney



The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Room.

The house we currently live in is much larger than our first home.  So, when we moved in, we were lacking the right amount of furniture to fill it (or even make it look decent).

When you first walk into our home, you enter a space that was originally meant to be a sitting room combo dining room. -Except, I'm thinking it was never really meant to be USED because it's really too small to serve that purpose.

Since we only had one living space in our last house, we used our old livingroom furniture to fill the family room near the kitchen in this house.

So, since March, we've used the front room as a land all for JUNK.  Oh nice, right?  The first thing you see when you enter our house, is our entry wall to one side, and to the other... a dresser, a buffet, a dining table being used as a desk (which I'm currently typing at), chairs (to the table) lined up against the wall, and a tent.. fully pitched that the boys play in.  There is also an abundant amount of stuff that I have no where else to store.  -Stuff that I'm not willing to part with because it was passed down by family. 

Imagine all of these mismatched items just placed in the room, looking very horrible and mismatchy.  I'm all for mismatchy.. in a good way, but when a stranger (like an AC repair man) comes to your home and asks if you JUST moved in, it's not really a good sign.  :/

My mother, the wonderful woman that she is, gifted us Christmas early this year and while the money (she never knows what to buy) would be better served elsewhere, I'm REALLY tempted to get this room looking the way I'd like.

This is my inspiration.

And this.

Unfortunately I do not have sources for either of these photos because I saved them several months ago without taking note.

Aren't they lovely?

They're quite different - one is more clean lined- solid rug, less ornate furniture, while the other is much more busy, yet still casual due to the eclectic style.

The do have several things in common.   White sofas.  That's do-able.  Multi-purpose, both have desks.  Light colored window panels- already have those.  Storage- one via a large bookcase, and one via a large hutch.

I plan on selling our dining room table and turning this space into a sitting/office combo, just as the photos above.  Hopefully I'll be able to score a few Craigslists finds and make this happen in the next few weeks!   If you know of any photos that fit this style, I'd love to see them.  :)

- Courtney

Genius, I tell you.

No, not me.   LOL.

Whoever came up with this idea.

You recognize it right?  By the way, I found this photo at the ThisOldHouse website.

This vanity is based around one of those cheap (normally very ugly), under $100, vanities from a big box store, that includes the sink/countertop already attached.

What a genius way to make something so plain and blah look customized.

Speaking of bathrooms, I'm painting one of ours today.  Send me happy husband vibes will ya?  He's in for a surprise when he gets home from work.   heh.  :)

-Courtney

Family photos in the living room- a No No?

What is your opinion on this topic?

James Carrier, MyHomeIdeas

Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn

When selling our home, we removed every ounce of personalization.  It makes sense to make your home on the market void of photos so that potential buyers aren't distracted.

What about when you're living there?

Most decorating sites will tell you to leave the photos of family in albums or in rooms less public than a living room.

I know my feelings on this subject, but I'm interested to know what everyone else thinks and why.

Do you have photos of your loved ones on display in the more public rooms of your home?

Hopping on the Dropcloth bandwagon.

I think I might be the last one on this train, but I've decided to slipcover the nursery chair in a drop cloth rather than dropping major mula on purchasing one.   I'll save the details on that for another post, but I thought I'd share (and store) a few inspiration photos for all of us to enjoy.

Wow, drop cloths can be used in so many ways.

Most of us have seen this amazing upholstering job over at Miss Mustard Seed's.  That link will also provide you with a great tutorial.

Here is an adorable slip for an equally cute-shaped slipper chair over at Screaming MeMe

Aw, cute puppy too.

Ohhh.. what about drop cloth curtains?  Here is a great example of how they can be used as panels at Beneath My Heart

These valances are pretty darn adorable.  Homebody Holly

The source is unknown for this photo, and I don't know if these are made from drop cloths or not, but I imagine these would be super easy to create with a little paint and painter's tape.

How could I imagine it would be super easy?  Well, it looks pretty easy when Cottage and Vine explains it.  Here is her beyond beautiful version.

Speaking of stripes... I am SO doing this.  Drop cloths turned into Floor cloths @ Sew Incredibly Crafty

Here is another great floor cloth using Fabric and a Drop Cloth @ High-Heeled Foot in the Door

Are you inspired? I know I am.  Considering this 'trend' seems to have come into being well over a year ago, I'm pretty impressed that all of these items have some pretty amazing staying power. 

I need more bleach, and more drop cloths.  Pronto.

Have a great football watching Sunday!  Go Texans and Go Cowboys!

Today's activities

I've decided to start another project around here, because.. you know, I have NOTHING else going on, and absolutely NO other projects to finish up.  

Okay, well you guys know that isn't entirely accurate.  *Insert one of those famous blushing smiley faces here*

So what am I going to be working on??

Trying to turn our really non-existent entry way into something that will work for our family.  We currently have a basket overrun with shoes, a doormat to catch dirt, and a shelf with pegs that falls off the wall every time I try to hang something on it.   Yeah.  It ain't workin'.

I have mega dreams of a phenomenal, knock your socks off entry.

Oh the organization...

Pottery Barn

I'd love to NOT be embarrassed when we have unexpected guests.

Domino

haha.

I really just want something beautiful.

Landry & Arcari

Or, you know... somewhere nice to decorate for the Holidays.

Good Housekeeping

Dreamy eh? But see, my issue here is budget.  I have exactly this much to work with:  $0.

haha!   Yep.  ugh.  Can you say broke?  Perhaps you've noticed my addition of Google ads to try and make maybe 5 bucks a month? haha.   I need something to fuel my decorating obsession!!!

So why even start this new project?  Well, I have a few things in the garage I think I can re-purpose, some left over paint from other projects, and perhaps not the Know-How, but a Major-Want-To.  I also now have a school aged child, and we NEED some organization in our lives.

We'll see how this goes.

I shall check back later with progress!  ..... hopefully.   :)  Hope you all have a fan-tabulous day!

Picnic table... In a dining space??

While googling images tagged "decorator table" and "dropcloth"  I somehow stumbled upon this fabulous photo.    A little odd, since it doesn't include a decorator round, or a dropcloth.


Are you as in love with this as I am???

A PICNIC TABLE????   IN A DINING ROOM???    I am LOVING this.  I'm quite jealous that I never thought of this on my own.  Especially when searching frantically for an affordable breakfast table a few months ago.

Oh.. and with end chairs.  SO cute.

Can I completely steal this idea even though I have two tables already???  Would it be completely wacko to sell a perfectly good farmhouse dining table (it is counter height which I'm not too crazy about anymore) and pick up a picnic table for my formal dining room??   It certainly isn't that formal is it?

Oh, but it is charming.

And donchaknow (Texan girl here pulling out the midwestern accent LOL) they just had to use pumpkins to completely and fully win my heart over.   SIGH.  

What do you think?  Completely wacko, picnic tables are outdoor items only?  Or undeniably charming??

By the way, these photos are from CountryLiving.  Found HERE