Good Bye Dining Set

Our dining set is getting ready to go to it's new home. I wish we had many dining sets to give away because apparently there are quite a few of you in need of tables and chairs. But alas we only had one set and we're pleased that it's going to a good home.

Now that the old dining set is on it's way out, I get to focus on what's coming in to take it's place. My main desire in a new dining table is that it be regular height, not counter height. I'm not that tall and I've learned that counter height chairs are not that comfortable for me, so moving to a regular height table is a must. Also, I would like the table to seat at least 6 people, more if needed. This means I'd like a rectangular table and it would be ideal if it had a leaf to expand the table. But that's not a necessity. With a regular height table we can always pull up more chairs and squeeze another guest at the table. We couldn't do that with our counter height table because our extra chairs were regular height and they weren't tall enough to pull up to the table.

So the search is on for a new dining table and some chairs. I'm scouring Craigslist and thrift stores to find a table with good bones that we can sand down and paint or refinish. That's my first priority - to find a good, cheap table that we can makeover and will fit our needs. Then I'll be on the hunt for some chairs. John and I are thinking that getting a bench for one side of the table would be a fun addition too. So maybe 4 chairs and a bench...or 6 chairs...or 2 head chairs and 4 side chairs. There are so many different ways we can go with the chairs that I still haven't made up my mind yet.

Here are some tables that I'm admiring right now. I'd love to find one of these at my local thrift store :) Which one do you like?

Crate and Barrel - Basque Honey

Pier One - Carmichael

World Market - Sourav

Lovely to Look At On Friday

Source: Shoebox Decor

Beautiful Blossoms

I was so excited when Camila from High-Heeled Foot in the Door blogged about the Boston Public Library flickr account. The library has hundreds, maybe thousands, of prints that can be downloaded for free. I found these gorgeous blossoms that I think would add just the right touch of chic-ness to my bathroom. I'll probably put them in white frames to make them look seamless against the wall.

Bathroom Inspiration

There are 2 rooms in our house that have not been touched since we moved in over a year ago....the guest bathroom and the master bathroom. At the time we moved in, we had no idea what we wanted to do in the bathrooms so we just left them as-is. And it was probably for the better. We've had a lot of time to think about what we want and shop around. And of course John and I want different things. So here it comes, the compromise. Shocker, I know. John gets to design the guest bathroom and I get to design the master bathroom. You might be thinking that I'm nuts, letting my husband pick out the decor for the guest bathroom, but let me tell you, he has a great eye. I'm so excited to see how they both turn out.

Because John and I don't plan on living in our condo for the rest of our lives, we are choosing to make easy and cheap upgrades that will give us the most bang for our buck. I'll fill you in on the details as we go, but we're not doing any huge renovations (that I know of).

I've been doing a lot of web-surfing, searching for inspiration for my part of the compromise - the master bathroom. I really want a relaxing, spa-like feel in our bathroom. Pale color on the wall, crisp, clean and white. Here are a few that I really like...

Decorpad

In the above bathroom, I like the sunburst mirror, the gorgeous tile and the large trough-like sink. But I really love the crystal knobs on the vanity. Note to self: start looking for cheap crystal-like knobs. Up next...

Southern Living

The tub would be a wonderful addition, but no major renovations, remember? I love the ledge lined with candles. Candles definitely make a bathroom feel like a spa. Note to self: incorporate candles into the final design. Next...

Good Housekeeping

The countertops in the above picture look a lot like our existing countertops. And don't they go great with the white vanity. I love the towel shelf/rack above the toilet. Does anyone know where to get something like that? It makes me think of a hotel room, which always feels relaxing, like I'm on vacation in my own house. Movin' on...

House and Home

Here it is! This light gray color will go perfectly with the dark gray in our master bedroom. The white vanity with gray marble countertops and gorgeous crystal knobs are exactly what I want. The tile part way up the wall has a bead board appeal, which I love and want to try in the master bathroom! And I also love the thick moulding and the fresh flowers on the counter. Perfection.

So let the fun begin. My task list looks something like this (although it will probably change a million times before I'm done):

- find a light gray paint color

- find new flooring

- look for crystal knobs for the vanity

- look for a new towel rack

- cut mirror down and frame with moulding

- find new bath rug

- find new faucet to match towel rack

- find new light fixture for above mirror

- learn how to install beadboard & moulding

- look for ways to organize the stuff in the drawers & cabinets under the vanity

I'll post "before" pictures as soon as I take some. Promise.

In the meantime, what do you like about these bathrooms? Anything you don't like and think I should stay away from? Any suggestions on paint, flooring or accessories?

I Need Your Help!

I need help figuring out what curtains I should hang in our living room. We have dark bamboo blinds, which I'd like to keep, but I also want curtains. Please help! Leave me a comment with your suggestions. I'd love to get your feedback. And if there's anything else you want to suggest about our living room/dining room, please feel free! :)

Has It Really Been 2 Months?

My last post was 2 months ago! I can't believe it's been that long. I guess I've been busy :) John started his first semester at the University of Central Florida. He's pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and wants to get certified in Criminal Profiling. His classes are going well and he's really excited about being a student at UCF now.

His birthday was in January and I surprised him by finishing his man room. Do you remember his man room? It has a built in bar and an Xbox, but other than that it was in a pretty sad state. I used Christmas gift cards and lots of help from his family to pull off the surprise. His dad and grandpa invited him to lunch on Saturday before his birthday. They had strict instructions to make sure it was at least a 3-4 hour lunch. They did great! John had no idea that while he was at lunch, his siblings and I were decorating his man room. When he came home, I couldn't wait to spill the beans...and he was in complete shock! Speechless, really. I was just exstatic that it all worked out.

I've kept busy with my normal routine of grad school and working full time. I was able to take a much needed 2 week stay-cation from work over the holidays. But when January hit, I was back in more-than-full swing. Tax season is upon us and my work week just extended to 6 days. I'm finishing up finals in my two classes, but start another two next week.

The next 2 months will be much like the last two months...busy. We hope to be able to break up all the work and school by spending time with some friends and watching our new flat screen TV. Yes, we just entered the 21st century and I'm loving every second of it! The Olympics look so much better on a 42" flat panel, what can I say. John found this amazing deal that we just couldn't pass up. And the fact that we had been saving for a television and this came in way under budget made it even sweeter!

I'll leave you with one final thought. As I was reading one of my favorite blogs today, I came across a mood board (mock up) of a living room that is very close to the look I'm trying to achieve in our living room. What I love about it is that it mixes red and turquoise accents - exactly what I've been wanting to try! We have so many similar pieces, including the chocolate L-couch, the brown curtains, and the symetrical paintings. I can't wait to start incorporating a few more elements into our living room to bring the whole thing together! I'm definitely on the look out for an armchair, a rug and turquoise vases. Love it!

courtesy of Young House Love

Dreams

Have you ever not dreamed because you didn't want to be disappointed if it didn't come true? I didn't think this was true of myself until recently.

When I was little I dreamed of what I would be when I grew up, and I wasn't afraid to dream BIG. I remember dreaming of being an Actuary. An Actuary, of all things. You probably don't even know what that is. For fear of boring you I will just say that they work with statistics. And I didn't just want to be any Actuary. I wanted to be an Actuary for DISNEY! You see, my brain concluded that since Disney was a huge company they surely would employee Actuaries. I have no idea if that's true or not, but I dreamed it.

Wondering where or why I came up with this dream? Simple, someone told me that there are very few Actuaries in the world and therefore they make LOTS of money. Well that was a cinch...I wanted to do something that very few people did and makes lots of money doing it...and possibly get to know Cinderella while I was at it.

Since then I've had other dreams too. I've dreamed of meeting the man of my dreams, falling in love with him and having a spectacularly beautiful wedding. I dreamed that for a while. And then it happened. My dream came true. But what happens after your dream comes true? Do you stop dreaming? I guess I did.

Besides the man-of-my-dreams dream, I can't remember the last time I dreamed something wonderfully fantastic. I was thinking about this the other night and I just couldn't remember. Then I wondered, why not? Why haven't I been dreaming? And I think it's because I was afraid they wouldn't come true. Let's see - my dream came true and then I concluded that I shouldn't dream anymore because they wouldn't come true. Like, I used up my one dream ticket. Maybe I don't want to get my hopes up, or have people think I'm unrealistic, or looney, or whatever. Just let things happen and if it's meant to be then it will be. I don't know if that's totally bad, but something in my soul has started stirring.

What if I started dreaming BIG again? And yeah they may not come true, but what if they do? What if by dreaming I open myself up to opportunities that may not have been possible otherwise? What if I dare to tell God what my BIG dreams are? Would he think I'm nuts? Tell me that those types of dreams only happen to other people? I don't think He will. You know why? Because he knows the desires of my heart, even if I never speak them. I think that many times He's waiting for us to open our hearts up and dream. To not be ashamed of the desires of our hearts but proclaiming them and then waiting with anxious anticipation for Him to make our dreams come true!

Because of this, I'm going to proclaim one of my BIG dreams right here on this blog. I dream of one day raising a family in a large, gorgeous stone house. There I said it. Whew. That wasn't so bad. Dreaming about a stone house led me to Google (because let's face it, almost everything leads me to Google nowadays) where I found some amazing homes that I wanted to share with you.

Are you scared to dream BIG?

What I'm dreaming about from Ikea

Two of these for the guest bedroom windows...

Lots of these for around the house...

One of these for next to the guest bed...

One (or maybe two) of these for above the desk...

One of these for the guest bed...

One of these for the laundry room...

One of these for the entryway (or maybe the kitchen)...

Lots of these for the many windows in the living room...

Two of these for the kitchen (painted black)...

Lots of these for the dining room (DIY project!)...

Lots of these for the hallway...

Inspired Spaces

My friend Hilary launched her blog this week...it's called Inspired Spaces and I'm so excited to see how it all unfolds. Her first post is about a chair makeover she did. The fabric she chose is fabulous! I love how she saw potential in a beat up, raggedy old chair and turned it into something spectacular!

Go check out her blog....Inspired Spaces

What I'm Admiring Right Now

Here's a look at some of the things that other creative people are doing, that I'm admiring right now:

This entryway decorated for Halloween is absolutely goregous! I'm already trying to convince John to let me do this is in our entryway :)

Life in the Fun Lane

Isn't this kitchen so cute! Can you find her refrigerator? It's that cabinet-looking thing on the far left. I love it! If we had a cottage, I would totally want this kitchen to go in it.

The Old Painted Cottage

This was the inspiration for our black cabinets. If you've never checked our Layla's blog "The Lettered Cottage" you should definitely go take a look! Her house is goregous.

The Lettered Cottage

This bedroom caught my eye because it reminds me of our bedroom! I love the grey walls!

Nestled In

I was simply amazed at this homemade sunburst mirror. She found a gold mirror at Home Goods and glued bamboo skewers onto the back, then spraypainted the entire thing black and then silver. I'm totally inspired!

Three Men & A Lady

Fabulous Friday: Bedroom Inspiration

Aren't these fabulous rooms? I'm hoping our bedroom turns out like one of these. I love the gray and yellow color combination.

(Courtesy of Design Sponge)

Fabulous Friday

So nice to look at...wish it could be mine...

Decor Pad

Fabulous Friday

This is lovely...

Jeremy Levine Design