That green-eyed monster & coastal cottage decor

I am always slightly envious of those bloggers that can post some fabulous and inspiring post on a daily basis with their latest, and marvelous,"trash to treasure" how-to, or the spoils from their weeked thrifting excursion, or even simply a few hints on how their perfectly coiffed homes became, well, perfectly coiffed. I would love for this to be one of those posts, but, alas, it is not. Shocking, I know, but my home is not perfectly decorated, my pillows have not been karate chopped, I still have fake flower arrangements (okay, some of you may need to pick yourselves off the floor after that last confession of a major faux pas), I have a menagerie of half-finished projects bursting forth from every closet in the house, my almost-3-year-old daughter still sleeps in her crib because I haven't completed (or even started) her "bed" project yet, my freshly painted walls (of which are about to be re-freshly painted) don't even match my curtains (gasp!), and frankly, I don't know when any of it will be done. Is anyone in the same boat? Do you have projects, rooms or even entire homes that are not only not finished (I mean, who ever really is FINISHED with decorating their home), but that you sit and stare at and go, "Will I ever get done?"

SIDEBAR: I did present my "designer's challenge" corkboard o' ideas to the hubs and nearly squeeled with glee that he like it. That being said it is simply a matter of $ that I am able to complete "the vision". Yes, I have named it.

So, all of that being said, since I do not have the funds for such extravagant things as curtains, paint and accessories, I have been scrubbing cabinets, trimming trees, baking, reorganizing like a maniac, and trying to come up with ways to repurpose some of my old things that are collecting dust. None of these things are blogworthy, therefore, I won't bore you with pictures.

Speaking of pictures, I have a real "thing" for picture frames. I love them. I love pictures. I don't even care of whom. Seriously, if you meet me for the first time, I am not even slightly annoyed when looking at the 42 pictures of your children that you have crammed in that insanely, ridiculously, ginormous wallet of yours. I will be thrilled, genuinely thrilled to look at them. It is even worse at people's homes. I will stare at a wall of pictures for hours and "oohhh" and "ahhhh" over little kids with crooked bangs and missing teeth. Anywho, this picture frame thing has me in a tizzy. I have way too many frames, way too many pictures, and nothing on the wall. I can't commit to hanging any of them. I don't know how or where to begin. It really is a problem.

Well, I have enclosed some gorgeous pictures of homes that I want mine to look like. I am not at all original. All of my friends know this. I steal every good idea I ever have. I guess it wouldn't really be "my idea", but you know what I mean. I can copy someone else like nobody's business, and I am proud of it. That is where all of the best ideas come from...somebody else. HA! Anyway, here goes... (sorry the pics are small..they all came from Coastal Living Idea Houses over at http://www.coastalliving.com/) This, as well as Traditional Home are my new faves since Country Home and Cottage Living bit the dust...may they rest in peace...I am still heartbroken...

My 2 newest obsessions...don't worry, they're legal.

Finally...a finished project!!!

Yes, here is proof that I actually finished painting my bannister. Glory, glory, hallelujah!!! Much better than the old scratched up oak railing of old...One project down, about 723 more to go!

Okay y'all...I have to confess, I have been cheating...on my blog. I have discovered Facebook. Lord help me, I am truly addicted. Well, wait a sec...I haven't downloaded the app to my phone yet, but I do visit it quit often and get all tingly when I have a new "friend request" from someone I haven't seen, nor heard from in a bazillion years. Have you tried Facebook? If you haven't, you should. My sis says it is "lame" and that MySpace is the only legit social networking tool (well, she didn't say that last thingy, but I didn't know what else to call it and it made me sound kinda smart), but I bed to differ. You can block out the freak shows and pervs, all the while reconnecting with some people that you haven't thought about since 5th grade. All of a sudden, you are best buds again and know every time they have sushi, go to the mall, or have a baby. It is amazing!

Okay, second obsession, running. GASP!!! I know, it is the craziest thing. I was a "runner" in high school. Well, let me re-phrase that...I was a short runner in high school (both in stature, as well as distance). Nothing over a 400-meter-dash please, but I have become a crazy person with the running. I will go to the gym and bust out a 3, 4, 5 or 6 miles like I am on a mission. I am not boasting because I still jiggle WAY to much for my own taste, but have mercy y'all...this is a major accomplishment. I will say that when I get home, my routine involves lots of scrubbing, soaking and numerous applications of Aspercream. Okay, enough about that. I just thought I would let all of my peeps, that haven't totally given up on me and my pathetic lack of blogging, the reasons why you haven't heard from me in a while.

Okay, now to the good stuff...those of you who know me well, and know my husband at all, know that T. has an opinion on decorating. No, it isn't the opinion of, "whatever you think looks good, Honey" (I only can dream of these words ever coming out of his mouth). He actually has an opinion about what window treatments, fabrics and accessories we should use. So, I am pulling a "Designer's Challenge" up in here... I am desperately wanting to redo the decor of our little casa, and I think that bombarding him with everything at once will either (A) make him see the entire picture as a whole and fall in love with my ideas and inspired design, or (B) will completely overwhelm him and he will be totally helpless to make any decision, in which case he will turn over full design responsibility to me out of sheer anxiety. Either one is a viable and preferred option.

Right now, our decor is more "what is on sale, passed down or brown...we like brown". We have a little French Country, a little eclectic, a little old world...a little of everything and nothing really works in my opinion. I have thought long and hard about what I really want my house to feel like and I really like beach cottage-meets-Pottery Barn with a twist of country. Is that a style? Probably not, but here is a small sampling of what I have come up with...

The most glorious paint colors. The Antique will be in the living and dining room & the Beach House will be in the kitchen. "They" say that blue isn't good in the kitchen - it isn't an "appetizing color". First of all, I need less of an appetite and second of all, I don't care...I like it.

Great stripe for accent pillows.

Love this for the back of the slipcover for my parsons chair in the DR. I am going to do the rest in a neutral color and monogram the front in a chocolate brown.

The hubs hates zebra, but I think I can sneak it in on a couple of throw pillows and small pillows on the back of the DR chairs. GRRR Baby, GRRR!!!

I love, love, love this linen. It is super affordable, is an amazing color and would be great for some curtains and, maybe the slipcovered chairs.

I found these little napkin rings for $.80 at the Crate & Barrell outlet!

These will definitely be replacing my lampshades on the chandelier.

I love this for a side table between 2 chairs.

I have a ton more, but pictures take too long to download, and I have no patience when it comes to my computer. So, here it is...I will be giving my presentation soon...wish me luck!

I'm here!

Okay y'all, I am here. I have taken a very long sabbatical and have tried to knock some things off of my "to do" list. I have almost completed the stair railing and a few other odds and ends, but we, again, have reworked the layout of our bedrooms. E has moved back upstairs (thank goodness) and that has allowed us to move little W into his own room. All this means that (A) I can "girlify" (yes, I made up that word...isn't is awesome!) C's room again (YES!!!!), butch up W's room (double YES!!!) and (2) I can finally get everything decorated how I really want to. The upstairs is being transformed from a computer/sewing/crafting/toy/play/t.v. watching/storage room into a magical (well, maybe not magical) 6-year-old's mega-cool suite. Needless to say, there has been more furniture moved around and things carried up and down the stairs and stuffed into new places, that I have had little time to do the things that I had on my list in the first place. Here is the new (and shorthand) version of "the list":

1. Finish de-junking E's room, make curtains, wallpaper the back wall & back of bookshelves then organize & accessorize bookshelves (there are a lot of them...a LOT..no, I don't think that you understand, A LOT)
2. Purchase & finish "big girl" bed & dresser for C's room (I think I am going to attempt to distress & stain some pine pieces)
3. Re-finish my Memom's old vanity to put in C's room (This is, by far, the best thing about C having her own room...we actually have room for this piece...I'll add pics later), make a ginormous fabric covered bulletin board for her room and find a bookrack that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and FINISH HER BEDDING! Oh, and girlify to my hearts content, of course!
4. Add wallpaper on focal wall in W's room (I will attach a picture when I get to Lowe's...I obviously have a specific one in mind), possibly repaint...yes, definitely repaint. By the way, with all of the painting that we do, you would think that we actually LIKE painting, but let me leave no room for speculation...I HATE PAINTING!!! I would rather do the following things than paint a room: burn my hand on a hot cookie sheet, stub my pinky toe on a piece of furniture, lose power in my house during the winter, eat steamed squash, step barefoot on a lego, clean up after Thanksgiving dinner and, last but certainly not least, have a piece of spinach stuck in between my front teeth ALL DAY LONG and noone tell me. (That was for my Mom by the way =P)
5. Oh yeah, and finish the stair railing while my children are still, well, children.

I could go on and on and on and on, but I am a smidge anxiety stricken at the thought of all that I have on my plate. So...off to paint! Wish me luck & it's good to be back.=)

Sabbatical...well, if that includes painting, sanding, sewing, etc.

Okay y'all, I am taking a sabbatical from blogland after my next post. I know I have been a slacking for a while anyway, but I have some home renovations (mainly refinishing cabinets, repainting, getting some neverending projects completed) that need some finishing up. I will post some before pics tomorrow and when I'm done. At least I know that if I acutally post it, maybe you all will keep me on my toes and I will actually get around to completing them. I am the Queen of Unfinished Projects (yes, you may bow and kiss my ring).

Okay, so on the list...

1. Paint bannister


2. Touch up nursery (includes distressing and staining new bed & dresser) and finish decorating it


3. Repaint master bedroom, get new laps, finish up window treatments, hang painting


4. Completely overhaul laundry room (it is sad)


5. Possibly repaint kitchen & get pictures on the walls


6. Make some sense of our upstairs space (I am at a complete loss)


7. So a few other random sewing projects (finish bedding for nursery, cushion for porch swing, pillows, etc.)

That is it. Well, that I can think of at the moment. I have only had 2 cups of coffee so far today, so I am running a little on the slow side.

Watch for before pics next post & don't forget to visit my shop! 50% off of everything! Tell all your friends! Please...I have to finance all of these projects!

Blessings!

Super-mega-ginormous sale at my etsy shop....

Yes, you heard it right folks, I am having a SUPER-MEGA-GINORMOUS SALE at my esty shop. I have too much stuff that I need to purge so that I can start on some new things. Yes, the spring cleaning bug has hit me like a Mack truck and it is even spilling over into my shop!

From now through the end of March, everything is...wait for it....HALF OFF! (Okay, imagine someone yelling, it echoing several times, fireworks going off, a huge inflatable gorilla blowing in the breeze and bright, colorful, yet annoying graphics saying "HALF-OFF!" flashing on your computer).

Go on over and check it out!