you can never have too many pillows

I have an affinity for pillows. I love how delicately they can transform a room. I finessed this little microsuede pillow made by my friend (Trisha Lou) with a hand cut desaturated grey flower in microsuede and crowned it with an essence of pearl.

Maybe I can scrape together a few more go in my little etsy shoppe too. This one has found a home in my office...and this little blossom is tempting me to change a design plan that I thought was already fixed. Hmm..I love dreaming the possibilites. What do you think?

(Bare with me...I only have nighttime pictures..the life of a mom, wife, & student.)

And just to keep it REAL within my little world (on the other side of the room)....this is how I spend most of my nights from 8 to midnight. Studying...

(Atticus, my ever present study buddy and camera hog)

Cheers~

e

Linking to Cottage Instincts: Make it Your Monday

perfecting the PB calligraphy lamp shade

And so after a week of mind numbing pharmacy exams, I found myself completely succumbing to the release of crafting. After weeks of playing with several small attempts in completing my Pottery Barn Calligraphy Shade, I dove right in after my Therapeutics exam and it was…true therapy for my aching soul.

Now, since this was going to be a copycat, it had to live up to my expectations…which are high. Afterall if it doesn’t look as good as the original then the point and effort seem mute. I knew a few things. I knew I wanted them for our master bedroom, I knew the overall design scheme I wanted and I knew..KNEW what would make the shade even more perfect and better yet, what would make it MINE.

Instead of random phrases or sayings…I decided to use our own love letters.

I used the words my husband wrote me in our last anniversary card for my lamp shade and for Mr. B's, I opted for a few old love letters I wrote to him when he was a camp counselor. Words are so powerful and I thought this would be the element that would transcend an ordinary Pottery Barn piece into a treasured heirloom.

Taking advice from the lovely Freckles Chick, I used the free Byron font from dafont.com and went to work.

Here is my practice shade (I got it for $3 at a flea market) from Friday.

new pics taken with my neighbor's Canon 30D --LOVE this camera!

As you can see from the pictures I did not have a stand..just the shade, but I wanted to share with you my progress. I have larger shades for my bedroom and so the font will have to be a tad larger and I will tweak the spacing a bit more, but I think my pictures capture what I ideally hope to have gracing our completed master bedroom very soon.

Needless to say...I think I am quite happy with my little lamp shade.

What do you think?

Cheers~
e

Please note I am linking these fabulous Linky Parties: Cottage Instincts (I also want to THANK Cottage Instincts for showcasing my PB Number Pillow -- you made my weekend!), The Twice Remembered Cottage, and Funky Junk Interiors

PS I am thinking about making a few custom ones for neighbors (here at home) and maybe even for etsy (yes..I have a happy little EMPTY shoppe right now)...I even thought about a giveaway too. Any extra cash in my pocket would help me indulge in my decorating, but I thought I should see what you ladies think first.

c'mon get happy

What a delightful way to start my weekend! I was nominated for my first blog award by Sixty-Fifth Avenue.

What an honor!! I encourage anyone and everyone to go visit her charmed little world. She offers a pinch of inspiration with a dash of loveliness that composes into a wonderful story of her life, her family, and her projects.

After a week consumed with exams, it is so pleasant to indulge in not only blogging, but what provides me sheer happiness.

Here are my top 10 elements of happiness:
1. Family & Friends – simply said, they are the foundation for what makes me happy
2. Blog Friends & Blogging – after the day is done, they help me relish in the sweetness of life
3. Sweet Tea (specifically Olive Garden’s Peach Bellini) – my mom was such a sweet valentine and actually bought me a gallon of Peach Bellini Tea to carry me through my studies this week



4. Pie – everything is better with a slice of pie. You can’t go wrong with Derby Pie, Key Lime, or Strawberry Rhubarb



5. Musical Theatre – LOVE LOVE LOVE the theatre! I majored in it just for fun along with my chemistry degree. Hehe! I seem to enjoy having my foot in two worlds: science & art



6. Pottery Barn – was there ever a doubt?



7. Photography – even though my camera is behind the times, the essence of the perfect picture captivates me (now if ONLY I could take that kind of picture)



8. Finding a Deal – whether it is that glowing orange red tag at Target or whipping out the Hobby Lobby 40% coupon, I love a good deal.



9. Defining my Home – you may call it decorating but I call it defining. I just adore creating a home that makes my soul exhale.
10.Accomplishment – whether it is raising a bright, young man in this world or completing my PharmD... I find sheer joy in accomplishment.

Now I must bestow the Happy 101 honor on 10 lovely blogs. I am sure a few have been nominated before but I love peeking in on the lovely lives of these beautiful people.

Here are my 10:
1. It’s the Little Things
2. Freckles Chick
3. The Lettered Cottage
4. The Cutest Little Blog
5. My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
6. Much to Do with Nothing
7. Grace Happens
8. Butterfly Genes (I LOVE the name)
9. Beneath my Heart
10. Rejuvenating Trisha Lou

I am thrilled to introduce you to my friends..both close and far. :)

Cheers~
e

easy as...(pb knockoff pillows)

I am positive a blogger out there has done this before if not several talented ladies, but this was my 1st completed pottery barn project and I am just smitten with the results. These pillows add a sophisticated yet unpretentious element to our family room.

The pillows are premade from Walmart in "fresh ivory" that I purchased on clearance for $2 each due to red dots in the center. Silly red dots trying to steal the show! Black fabric paint hides your ambitions. I then piddled with Word using the text box to supersize my numbers in the Engravers MT font. I then printed my numbers and made my stencil using Contact Paper. After a little cutting, peeling, and painting...I have my welcomed additions to our lovely home.

Follow-up -- I have decided to keep the velvet drapes. The birthday boy convinced me. I decided to make them a tad more alluring with cream so I added ivory sheers that I found at Target for $5 for BOTH (once again -- clearanced)! Granted I had to "de-capri" them....but they look so dreamy nestled next to the rich velvet. I promise to update with pictures once the blinding snow is more subdued, but for the time being just know I am captivated by the imperfect union of the two.

Cheers~
e

I also posted my delights at Cottage Instincts: Make it for Monday!
and at The Twice Remembered Cottage: Make it Your Monday.

happy hearts day

I just adore Valentine's Day...maybe it's the chocolate, but it's so fun to let the people you love know how much you adore them. Indulge in the sweetness of the day and relish in the warmth of your loved one's embrace.

Sending sweet thoughts of love and happiness to all of you out there on this day of affection.

Cheers~
e

no longer married to a younger man

Mr. B does not celebrate birthdays, at least not like I do…but they are growing on him. He doesn’t want me to ever make a fuss or broadcast it so in that respect posting this 2 days AFTER his actual date of birth can in no way be linked to celebrating his birth.

How I love this man.

This is one of my favorite pictures of him

From the very first day of grad school when I saw him sitting there dead center in the front row, I DISTINCTLY remember saying to myself, “Now THAT is going to be trouble.”

This is a scanned film photo of us during our 3rd week of class right after we had a HUGE debate in our ethics class. Everyone in our class thought we either hated each other or were madly in love. Hehe!

To saying I do

I have never felt my heart so full till…

I saw him hold our son in his arms and become more than a man, but a daddy.

Within our little family of three, I have found those little moments that I get to witness between him and Thurgood make our yesterdays so very sweet and our tomorrows so very promising.

From our recent snow storm, Thurgood and Mr. B had to play snowball

Happy Birthday my love! I have loved every step of our dance together.

Cheers~

e

flat tire + sweet tea= decor confession ***UPDATE - see the very bottom**

I didn’t go to school today. As I was about to buckle my child into his car seat this morning a tad before 8 am, I noticed a FLAT tire that was just glaring back at me. I will spare you the drama that unfolded. I will fast forward to me sitting here at McAlister's sipping sweet tea as my chariot (the wrecker) leaves my car at BigO's as I await for them to install 4 new tires. So I thought now is the best time to engage in a little decor confession.

Funny thing is, I have MANY confessions that I want to share with you. Secrets that I don’t even share with Mr. B or some of my best friends. I truly feel connected to you because I feel that you of all will understand. So…my 1st revealing secret:

I STASH many of my décor purchases and slowly have them “appear” over time.

My trick may not be so tricky but you would be amazed how much stuff I have accumulated over the years and how much stuff can fit in my trunk. I just love decorating, but I have found bringing bags of stuff home does not delight my husband (keep in mind I am quite thrifty, but space is precious in our home which aggravates Mr.B when I crave a decor fix).

Ok..so why am I confessing that I am a decorating chipmunk? Well I am playing with the idea of refreshing my living room. This rejuvenation would possibly lead to jumping on the drop cloth bandwagon and introducing them in my family room.

What about my velvet drapes? Oh I still adore them and might move them into Mr. B’s “play room” --- I mean MAN room, but I am just yearning for Spring. Trust me, I will not get rid of them. I just thought using drop cloth would be a smashing way of incorporating the cream that I already have on my cabinets. Aside from extra drop cloth for drapery panels..I have enough “stashed” from the remnants that I used for the toile pillows to make numbered pillows for my sofa. Like this:

My sofa is that same wheat color as in the picture above so I thought using the drop cloth pillows with a dashing number would be fresh and new for the room. Plus!! There is no competition with my lovely Colette. And lastly, we have a set of French Doors off our dining room that has no window treatment. I could, perhaps, hang another set of drop cloth there too (I would have to make a dash to Home Depot. I don’t have THAT much drop cloth).

What do you think? I plan to stay away from the roads today. I was just not meant to be out today. Which gives me plenty of time to experiment at home.

Ok...I am needy today...so what do you think? Really.

Cheers~
e

**********************UPDATE*********************
So here is my little experiment:

I "nestered" up some window treatments with my drop cloth (I would make the drapes more tighter with more clips but I just wanted to "see" the effect) and made a PB numbered pillow. I actually used a Walmart premade pillow in "fresh ivory" that was clearanced to $2. The price inspired the number. So what do you think? Would these pillows work rather than making drop cloth pillows and how about the drapes? Mr. B still likes the velvet better, but I am calling for opinions. :)

Stay tuned....

tempted by the fibers of another

I have a confession. I think I am committing a serious infringement on a current friendship and I think I need help. Her name is Colette and we have known each other for 5 years. She dazzled and delighted me from the first time we met and more importantly, has graced my home with her synergistic marriage of warm color and subtle silver grey highlights. She cushioned the first steps of my son, withheld her own against our many cocktail mishaps, and comforts me as I study late into the night. Let me introduce her to you:

What we haven’t disclosed to you is our ups and downs with integrating her colors more artistically throughout the family room/great room, let alone our home. Let me state this off the bat. I am all about flow. To me, there is beauty in having rooms play off one another. I know some people have different views of this philosophy but I know for a fact that this is one aspect of design that I am firm on. I simply love a home that has a unifying palette (my only exception would be for a child's room).

Also, I LOVE neutrals, but I admit I have an affection for rust (not orange.. but rust) and steel grey or unsaturated blues. And so this rug was able to gently harmonize both.

BUT...I think I may have fallen out of love. I don't know what has caused this but I seem to be tired of my friend Colette.

Enter Kate:


I think I am smitten. I think she would look majestic on our floors. I think she would be a refreshing change and embrace the color palette I find myself gravitating toward. I think she would create a more perfect flow for our home.

And then there is exotic Malika:

all rugs are Pottery Barn -- of course

What a TEASE! Not only does she fascinate me with her blue temperament but do you see that hint of rust peeking out? (syncope occurring)

I think I have issues.

Do I give Colette a second chance? Do I scrimp and save for a rug for the second time? Do I scour ebay day in and day out? Do I sell an egg and splurge?

Deep down I still love Colette..maybe I just need some convincing to stabilize my roaming eye.

What is a girl to do?

Cheers~
e

UPDATE: We were unable to tour the Old Louisville home due to a sneaky winter storm. We have rescheduled for Friday of next week. Stay tuned!

old louisville part 1: darling, I love you, but give me Park Avenue

So this Friday my father and I will be doing one of our favorite activities: house hunting.

Mr. B and myself have this dream of finding a home that can become home for not only us, but for our son and my parents. We completely embrace the idea of a multi-family home. We know this may not be for everyone, but after talking to our family involved, we have come to the conclusion that life is too short to not be with those you love. You only get one chance to experience this life, and we know we want to spend it together.

Right now our eye is on Old Louisville. There is so much to love about Old Louisville: aged homes, Victorian architecture, small communities, rooted history, and Southern charm.







Ok, let’s talk about the home dad and I get to peak into.

The home is located on Park Avenue right across from Central Park. I believe this home has so potential.



Here is the foyer…imagine the possibilities.



Wouldn't a staired picture gallery be amazing?



The living room...



Now imagine turning it into this:



The kitchen (how I would LOVE to tackle this project)...



And use these picture as my inspiration:





The dining room...love the built ins!



And to use this lovely inspiration from Layla at The Lettered Cottage:



The 3rd floor is an entire master suite (Sounds like it is right out of a Candice Olsen Divine Design). If only I could entice her to do some discount work for me.



Playing off the lines of the ceiling, how serene would this master suite be? (But I would prefer more neutrals.)



What I have not pictured is the in-law suite in the back. It is not close to being darling but I believe it definitely is calling to be redone.

I will let you know what we think!

Cheers~
e