Words of Wisdom: Comparison

Yup. 

[And although I love Facebook, it can be dangerous for this exact reason!].

Source: piccsy.com via Connie on Pinterest

Design Ideas: Making Accessories Count

I just love this quote because it's exactly how I feel about accessorizing. Since I've been focusing on my master bedroom the past few weeks, I'll share a couple places where I've used this theory in my own room!

This is my bedside table. Let me give you a quick run-down on why I have each item out:

1. The little girl was a gift from my mom. It's called "the dreamer," she said that it reminded her so much of me when I was a little girl. It's always been special, but since my mom died when I was 23, it's even more special now and will always be next to my bed.

2. The white capiz shell vase is pretty, and it functions as a little mini trash can :) Thinkn' outside the box, people!

3The magazines [sometimes it's a book I'm reading instead or in addition to] get to stay because I really do read them!

This is on my table in the master bedroom: silver candlesticks were a wedding gift, the books are a couple of my favorites and the ceramic magnolia was my mom's.

I also have this photo on my table. It was a moment that I snapped in between attempts to get a "good" photo of my kids. I love it because it tells a story about each of their personalities! It's an informal photo, but I put it in a beautiful crystal frame... it makes the photo feel more important and the frame feel less "stuffy!"

There are just a few ideas for accessorizing... choosing just a few items that truly make your heart smile can make any space feel warmer!

Monday [P]inspiration: Dressers that Inspire

One of my most favorite things to do is give an old dresser new life with paint. Here are some inspirational pieces that I just adore! As always, click each link to discover the fabulous blog behind the beauty.

In a world of Chevron... I'm more of a herringbone lady. That's why I love this dresser sooooo very much!

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It's what's on the inside that counts... at least for this dresser! I love the pop of fun that these pink drawers add to this piece- so fun. 

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From completely boring to completely stylish. I'm loving this muted Union Jack dresser!

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And then there's this dresser... which isn't muted at all! So fun and vibrant. I love it.

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 I really like how this dresser has only been painted on the outside, but the drawers were left alone So. Very. Cute. And I especially like the styling... well done!

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And last but not least, here's a great rustic redo. Really cute handles too... what an inexpensive way to add character and interest.

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Words of Wisdom: Joy

You can choose to live your life with the joy of the front row or solemness of the third row. The choice is yours. ~ Author Unknown

Who knows... maybe the ladies on the 3rd row were just having a bad day... and they thought perhaps a roller coaster ride would cheer them up [if so, it was an epic fail!]. But the truth is, when I saw this photo I didn't even notice them until I read the quote because I was just drawn into the happiness and fun that these front ladies exude!

Design Ideas: Make a Gallery Wall

We're taking another peek into my Master Bedroom for today's design idea... it's my impromptu gallery wall! 

Here's how it came together- I thought to myself "Hey, I need something on that wall." Then I looked through my pile of artwork that had been taken down and stored [hoarded] away and found pictures that related to one another visually [gold & silver was my theme here]. 

Once I found what looked good together I laid them out on the floor and "played" with them until I found an arrangement that worked. Next I hung the large pieces of artwork first and filled in the smaller ones at the end [working from the center out]. 

I love this wall because it's random artwork that I've had forever and each piece makes me happy for one reason or another [plus, I think they all look pretty darn nice together]... not bad for a completely free and completely impromptu project that took about a half hour!

Monday [P]inspiration: Front Door Love

Nope. It's not Monday, but I wasn't able to post yesterday, so this is the Tuesday Edition of Monday [P]inspiration! Today I'm looking at front doors- they can say so much about who lives inside a home... or they can say nothing at all! Personally, mine isn't very "snazzy," so I've been admiring other brave souls who aren't afraid of a little color...  and I LOVE the very last door pictured here, it actually inspired this entire post :)

What a fun entry, love the green door!

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Funky done right. What I love the most about this door are those giant numbers, so cute!

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Not sure I could ever go pink with my door... but this one is adorable!

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 Are you afraid to paint your door a bright color [me too!]? This blue door provides a great example of how accessorizing can make a huge difference...it's the yellow accents that make this front porch feel fun so go wild in the details!

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I just love this bright yellow door... so cute and cheery!

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And this is the door that started it all! I immediately fell in love with this pin... and I am determined to make this happen in the near future [maybe not in orange, though]!!

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Words of Wisdom: Strength

We have been promised that God will not give us more than we can handle. Go be strong and courageous!

How to Make a Soft Wall

A couple weeks ago I shared a post about creating a soft wall in your home. Since that post I've had several requests to share exactly how I made mine... and because y'all know [no, I'm not a southern gal, but I still love a good ya'll every now and then!] how much I love a good DIY,  I am all too happy to oblige!! 

In fact... I'll do you one better and show you two ways to make a soft wall [who doesn't love a good 2 for the price of one... especially when it's free to begin with?! ]

So, here we go: the first soft wall example functions as a curtain in our master bedroom.

And the second soft wall functions as a room divider in our home office.

To create the curtain you'll want to start with a panel that is the width of your wall plus extra [you decide how much "extra" fabric you want- the more fabric the more fullness you'll get]. And you'll need the panel to have grommets across the top. You can either purchase them pre-made or you can simply use a grommet tool to make your own [which can be found at any fabric store and are inexpensive and simple to use... so please don't be intimidated if you've never "grommeted" before!]

Now head to the hardware store to purchase everything to hang your curtain [you'll spend around $10 for all materials... it's quite inexpensive!]. Purchase a fairly strong grade of wire [the heavier your fabric the stronger wire you'll need]. You'll want the wire to be the length of your wall plus around two feet [you can cut any excess wire... but it's really hard to add more!].

Then purchase two screw eyes to screw into each side of your wall [look on the far left side of the photo... that's the eye]. Notice that it's screwed into the adjacent wall... Now, in order to get the wire pulled tightly you'll want to get a turnbuckle as pictured below [thank you to Laurie B. for telling me what it's called!!]. As you can see, you'll hook one end to your twisted wire, and the other into your eye...then twist the middle to pull it tight.

And that's it. It's all very thin and small, so it basically goes unnoticed and let's the curtains "shine."

Now... the office example is waaaay easier, but a little more $$ [isn't that just the way it goes?!]. I simply purchased an universal track system, which can be mounted directly onto your ceiling [this cost around $30ish]. Follow the directions to mount it to the ceiling, then simply clip your fabric into those little clippys [another very technical term curtesy of Salvage Savvy!] that are attached to the track and, voila! You're done [this is certainly the easier method...].

 Personally, I'd suggest this method if you're going to be "fussing" with them often... the tract slides quite easily and is kind-a fun [plus it sounds like one of those hospital curtains, which is pretty awesome]  :)

Monday [P]inspiration: Saw Horse Tables

I've noticed that I've been inadvertently pinning a lot of saw horse tables these days... which is weird because as a contractor's daughter I saw many, many saw horse tables as a kid [none of which were ever stylish]! But that is soooo far from the truth these days...

Isn't this desk just beautiful?! I want to sit right there and read that book!

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[Alright, my spacing is acting-up for some reason, sorry this looks off center & whompy!] Anyway, I love the clean lines of this table, especially with that gorgeous chair!!

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First of all, I want those scrumptious gold chairs!!! This is simplicity that's beautiful!

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Another eclectic office space that is just lovely. The clean lines of the table work really well with that amazing screen. So, so nice!

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Shhhh.... no talking, let's just enjoy all of the perfect details in this little space! [I WANT that desk!]

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This outdoor table is much more rustic and "chunky" which is totally appropriate for the space. I really like this look as well.

And that's it. Just a few examples of why I'm diggn' saw horse tables these days!

Words of Wisdom

Love this.

Monday [P]inspiration: 4th of July [yummy stuff]

Warning: this week's [P]inspiration has nothing to do with interior decor or diy tips or anything of the sort. So sorry, but you see- this week we're celebrating the 4th of July, and I just don't decorate my home for the 4th of July. [I don't even have a wreath or flags or anything.] In fact, I've never even made a cute little patriotic craft [I know, I'm terrible, but I promise that I still LOVE my country!]. Instead of all that good stuff... here's what I do on the 4th of July: I eat [alot and often]. Sooooo, in honor of that little fact I'm sharing some fun patriotic foods :)

  

These are all pretty and yummy looking treats, be sure to click on the image to find the recipe!

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