Happy Valentine's Day!

Did you celebrate Valentine's Day over the weekend or do you have big plans for Monday night?  We are generally pretty low-key when it comes to celebrating Valentine's Day.  (For the record, we aren't unromantic, we just don't need a special day to remember to tell each other how much we love them.)   

In honor of the "holiday," here are some rooms that are Valentinesy (yep, just made up that word).

(all photos: decorpad)

And I've seen this image pop up on a few blogs recently and love it.  It just screams Valentine's Day to me!

(photo: ban.do)

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!

P.S. Megan from Honey We're Home came over this weekend to help me organize our pantry.  I was so thrilled to meet her!  She is so sweet, was a pleasure to work with, and did a wonderful job getting our mess of a pantry in order.  If you need some help getting things organized at your house, definitely contact Megan.      

Blog Awards.

A big thank you to the following awesome bloggers who nominated me for the Stylish Blogger Award.  (And an apology too for it taking me so long to accept the award!

A Thoughtful Place

It's a Lunsford Thing

The Fabulous Design File

Simply LKJ

La Borda Bleu

Thanks also to Lauren Lane Decor for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award (frankly, I'm not really sure what that means, but I will take it as a compliment!).

To accept the awards, I have to share 7 things about myself.  So here it goes . . .

(1)  I don't know how to apply eyeshadow.  It's like I have a mental block.  I generally don't wear it, and when I do, I just put one color all over my lid. 

(photo: here)

(2)  I have freakishly tiny fingers and wrists.  My ring finger size is 3.75.     

(3)  I started dating Justin when I was 15 (we were both sophomores in high school).  I actually didn't like him at first, but with some encouragement from friends and family, I eventually came around and gave him a chance.  Thankfully I did -- we have been happily married now for 6.5 years!

(I'm not that much shorter than Justin -- it just looks that way since he is standing on some of the tree roots)

(4)  I dislike every Katy Perry song when I first hear it.  For some reason they always annoy me, and I end up changing the station.  But at some point, I force myself to listen to the song and always end up jamming to it eventually.  In fact, I was just listening to Firework.

(photo: here)

(5)  I am an only child. (Hopefully you're not thinking to yourself "oh, that explains a few things.")

(6)  I love pajamas.  Unless we are running somewhere after work, the first thing I do is go upstairs and immediately change into pajama pants or shorts.  Justin is always impressed with how quickly I can change into them. 

(photo: jcrew)

(7)  I received my one and only B in college my very last semester.  Stupid finance.

(photo: here)

Now, I am also to pass along the awards to 15 recently discovered great bloggers.  Because I've been remiss in accepting the award, many bloggers out there have already received the award.  But this past weekend, I updated my blog roll to add some fabulous new-to-me blogs out there.  So check out the updated list and go visit some blogs!  I am such a rule-breaker (actually, fun fact number 8, I am very much a rule-follower -- almost to a fault sometimes).

Verizon iphone.

First things first . . . thank you for all of your sweet comments on the trellis wall!  Several of you mentioned that you were in the process of doing something similar or that you wanted to tackle the project.  Be sure and come back to share pictures (or to commiserate, if needed)!

In other news, I've had a Blackberry for almost 4 years.  And while I still have to keep it for work e-mail, I got the Verizon iPhone on Monday.  (I was one of those crazy people who set my alarm for 2:00 a.m. and ordered it online last week.) 

(photo: here)

I am currently in the process of trying to navigate my way around the phone.  I keep looking for the Blackberry key!  But so far I am enjoying the touch screen and viewing the web and facebook on a much larger screen.
 
Anywho, I need your help (since I could possibly be the last person out there to not have an iPhone until now).   Are there any tips or tricks that I need to know?  And something I am super excited about -- what apps are must haves? 

Bathroom Trellis Wall.

I am slightly embarrassed to direct you back to my original post on painting the trellis pattern on a wall in our bathroom because you can see how long the project has taken me to complete.  But it is officially done and I like the way it turned out (and that's all that matters)!

I used the template from here and traced it onto the wall with a pencil.  Along the way, I used a level to keep things from going cattywompus.  Once I had drawn the pattern over the entire wall, I went over my lines with the paint.  Following Centsational Girl's lead, I picked up some acrylic craft paint at Hobby Lobby in metallic taupe and champagne.  I used about a 50/50 ratio of the two for the wall. It required 2 coats to get an opaque finish. 

I like how the paint varies based on the lighting/time of day.  It's hard to fully capture on camera, but you can tell how the color looks darker or lighter depending on the lighting in these pictures.  (As a side note: the frame and the print are from Ikea.)

In case you're curious what's in the apothecary jars, one of them has epsom salt and the other has bars of Ivory soap. 

As I referenced before, this project took a lot longer than I expected.  In full disclosure, it really was time consuming for me.  It's not hard to do, it's just tedious.  It took me one evening to trace the pattern on the wall.  And I'm just estimating here since I did it over a long period of time, but it probably took me close to 3 full days of painting to complete the wall.  I think you can do it in less time if you: (a) aren't a perfectionist; and (b) find a paint that looks good with only 1 coat (or are ok with a more translucent look).  

A few tips if you decide to tackle this project:

-- Have a massage scheduled.  My shoulders and neck were sore from reaching/looking up and from dodging the chandelier, which I knocked my head on more times than I care to admit.

-- Some wine (or other alcoholic beverage of your choice) is certainly needed.
 
-- I am slightly OCD.  This project is probably not the best if you're a perfectionist.  I spent so much time fixing very minor mess-ups, when in the end no one would have noticed them anyway.  Towards the end of the project, I realized not having the project completed was bothering me a whole lot more than a few little imperfections in the pattern.  So my goal then became just to get it done, with the realization that it didn't have to be perfect.  In the end, I don't even notice where I decided to stop freaking out about everything not being just perfect and instead just doing a clean job where it doesn't look messy.  The end result looks great (if I do say so myself) and that is ultimately what's important.  I wish I would have thought about this when I first started, but at that time, I really didn't know what I was getting myself into!

-- Test different brushes to see what works best.  I used one brush for my first coat to trace around the pencil and then a different brush for the second coat.  Finding the right combo took a little trial and error, but saved time overall.

-- Start from the middle of the wall and work your way out.  I started at the left and worked my way to the right.  As you can see, I had to add little curves along the far right side to make the pattern meet the corner.  Oops! 

Now when I take a bath I can actually sit back, relax, and enjoy the finally-completed wall!

Houston House Envy.

I have been anxiously awaiting the premier issue of High Gloss magazine, and today was the day!  I have seen some great images today around the blog world and am excited for all the awesomeness High Gloss has to offer!  I can't wait to sit down and pore over the details. 

But first, I had to dive right into a Houston home in a neighborhood that I love.  Houston blogger (and fellow attorney), Averill Conn from Odi et Amo, wrote the article about a very inspiring home that is right up my alley.  Frankly, I would love to track down the homeowners, show up at their doorstep, and ask for a tour (and if I can be their new best friend).  Let's check out the home (for bigger pictures, which I am sure you will want to checkout, go to the mag's website). 

I am a big fan of mixing the older with the new, and this (I am guessing) entry way is the perfect example.  The antique piece of furniture with the modern wallpaper, which I love, is lovely.  I am also digging that gorgeous lamp.

The glass-top coffee table is so different, but it works so well with the space.  And how great are those upholstered cane chairs?  The fabric on them rocks.  If you look closely, you can see a bar cart peeking out in the corner.  Those pieces above the fireplace are awesome, and I feel like they could be a DIY project.

This next room makes me swoon.  Um, the pillow in the couch . . . fab-u-lous.  I love the styling of the shelves -- silhouettes are a favorite of mine.  (You can check out one of the ones I have displayed on our bookshelf here of my grandparents.)  Did you notice the lucite coffee table and the fun fabric on the pillows under the coffee table?  I am not sure what the other room is to the right.  But the schoolhouse pendant (similar one here at Restoration Hardware) and the leopard print rug are the bomb dot com (that's right, I said it).   

In case the homeowners, are looking to change things up, I will take the dining table and chairs. :)  I am loving the mix of the white and black.  And the pink fabric on the chairs . . . love it.

I am also a big fan of white subway tiles -- they are so simple and classic.  The kitchen just looks fresh and clean, and the rug is just the right amount of pop.

How fun is the office?  Love the chippendale chair and the pops of color against the dark wall.

Tufted headboard, amazing lamps, fab artwork, gorgeous nightstands, and cloth-bound Penguin classics.  Check, check, check, check, and check.  The combo makes for a stunning, but not overdone in the least bit bedroom.  

(photos: high gloss mag)

Seeing all of these pictures makes me want to paint every room in my house a shade of gray.  There are very few rooms I see where I love all of the elements.  But every room featured from this house is simply perfection.  I will be saving these images and using them as inspiration around our home.  I also can't wait to check out the design resources around Houston the article mentions!    

January Guest Posting Recap.

As Justin recently asked me, can you believe 1/12th of the year is already over?  January was the month of guest blogging for me.  In case you missed it, I guest posted over at Honey We're Home about how I keep my magazines organized. 

I also shared our bedroom wallpaper panels and living room bookshelves over at hi sugarplum!  Cassie showed Riley and Zoey some love too (they are letting the fame go to their heads).

And last but not least, I shared my thoughts on design trends at Modern Jane. 

 

If you don't already read Honey We're Home, Hi Sugarplum!, and Modern Jane, you should definitely add them to your daily rotation!

 

Happy Birthday Puppies!

We celebrated two dog birthdays this past weekend (and my father-in-law's too)!  Riley turned six this past Wednesday.  What a sweet little puppy.  Who couldn't love that face?

And here is he (being wrangled by my mom) modeling his party hat over the weekend.  Let's just say that the dogs did not appreciate the party hats and getting them to stop pawing them off and pose for a picture is next to impossible.   

And precious Zoey turned one today!  This is her the first day we picked her up.  Could that face be any cuter?

She is a little mess, but getting sweeter by the day.  Just the other weekend, she "helped" with the laundry.  We were folding towels, and next thing we knew, she had jumped in the dryer! 

Since we were at my in-law's celebrating my father-in-law's 25th birthday, the puppies were able to run around with my mom's dog and my in-law's dog.  They all had fun celebrating and enjoying dog cupcakes from Sprinkles. 

And from the looks of things, the dogs enjoyed them . . .

Happy birthday to the two cutest dogs! 

Kate Spade.

I recently stopped by the Kate Spade store and there wasn't much I didn't like.  That didn't surprise me, but what stood out the most (well, besides these shoes) was the store's amazing gallery wall.

It's such an eclectic mix, but it all looks cohesive with the black frames.  (The arrangement nicely demonstrates Cassie's point over at hi sugarplum about the power of black frames!)  The pink peonies were the first thing that stood out to me.  (I love me some pink peonies.)  I am also loving the simplicity of the ampersand and the shadow boxes with dominoes and match boxes.  The configuration is well balanced and the overall impact of the collection is simply fabulous.  

Oh, and in case you're wondering . . . I didn't walk out of there empty-handed.  I snagged this little necklace.

Isn't it cute?!

(photos: justin's droid; kate spade)

Decorative Tray.

You may have seen these images before, but have you seen the details behind those great orange and white chevron trays?

(photos: martha stewart)

I would have never have guessed, but they are cookie sheets covered with fabric!  How great of an idea is that?  (And I love the greek key ribbon bookmark peeking out from that book.)

You can watch the how-to video on Martha Stewart's website.  It's super simple:  just use spray adhesive to cover the tray in fabric and then put a piece of felt on the bottom.  She also had a piece of acrylic cut to size to set in the tray, but depending on what you planned to put on it, you could skip that step. 

I have several baking sheets that have seen better days in the kitchen, but would look fabulous covered in fabric!

Better Late Than Never?

This post totally wins the award for being the most out of date post of all time.  I actually forgot about the holiday dresses I posted about here altogether and thought about not posting them (since it's the end of January after all), but I told you I would show you the winner, and I keep my word!  (I am sure you have been anxiously awaiting the results!)

{And I promise all of these looked better on than what they look like on the hanger.}

This one was the 2nd runner up (like beauty pageant style results).  I liked the cut, but it washed me out a bit -- I am super pale.  The fabric was a very cool texture and had a little shimmer to it, that you can't see in the picture.

When I originally posted about the options a thousand years ago, I didn't have the red dress because my Nordstrom didn't have it in my size.  But it was really the dress I saw first in the catalog and loved.  So they tracked one down for me.  The color and style was my favorite, but it was too big.  Boo.  It was the 1st runner up.

How great is Nordstrom's customer service?  Look at this sweet letter I received in the mail a couple days later.

And for the winner: 

It's pretty plain, but it looked better on and it had some fun detailing on the skirt.  It also had an exposed zipper in the back, which I liked.  I added a green necklace to add some interest up top.  I tend to settle on "safer" things more often than I would like to admit (especially when it comes to work-related things).

And yikes, this is not a good picture of either of us, but you can at least see the fun necklace I wore with the dress to jazz it up a bit.  It's from Anthro (I couldn't find it online anymore to link to).