I've been neglecting you...

I've been lacking in creativity for my home lately. That was until I went to Hawaii.
Our condo in Maui gave me SO much inspiration. So much that I wrote down the style of bedding, furniture and accessories. It was decorated with an island retreat theme which is expected considering where we were :) What surprised me was that it wasn't *flashy* island decor.

Our Condo:
Furniture from Tommy Bahama--$$$
Bedding from Eastern Accents--$$$
Accessories on walls I found at Banana Wind in Maui who's website is under construction. They have some unique treasures. I wish I would have bought this stuff while I was there, dang it!

I decided that I wanted to incorporate this design somewhere in my home. The only place I could really think of was our guest bathroom. Obviously the bedding wouldn't be used (I probably can't afford it anyway) but the color scheme and design is what I'm aiming for...

Our guest bathroom:
Lowe's woven paintable wallpaper
Carved wood accents (target or order them from Hawaii)
Wood trim to frame mirror
I plan to use a small postcard I found as artwork













While in Hawaii we went to a coffee plantation and they were selling big burlap coffee bags for $8 dollars. We brought one home to frame. We're not sure where it will go just yet.













I love to buy artwork from local artists when I travel. I plan to frame this with the rest of my "artist collection"

Easy Peasy Potpourri

I usually only make this around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday but hubbie LOVES the smell.


Recipe:
1 orange (I used clementines, since it's what we've been eating lately)
3-4 Cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon or so of whole cloves (about 8-10)

Slice the orange, don't worry about peeling it. Place everything in a small pot with about 1 1/2 cups of water. Let simmer on the stove, on a low temp for the rest of the day. Don't forget to add water every now and then, since the water will eventually evaporate.

My potpourri usually can last for about 4-5 days.

P.S. Cinnamon sticks can be expensive if you purchase them at the grocery store. I bought this bag at the dollar store.

Kitchen is finished!

I finished painting the kitchen last weekend. I LOVE the color of the paint. It is exactly what I have been looking for.

Think Like A Decorator

For years I have collected pages from magazines, jotted down notes and taken pictures of decorating styles. I learned in school to make a portfolio of my dream home.

I have condensed my portfolio to a small notebook so that I can carry it with me.

I include paint colors, dimensions of my rooms and furniture pieces I need or want.

The internet is so helpful when looking for ideas too. I sometimes print pictures of ideas I like and tape them into my book.

Right now (thanks to my handy portfolio) I am starting to paint:

(Kitchen--Whole Wheat) (Bathroom--undecided)

Bedding mistreatments

I love, love, love The Nesting Place (see her blog link to the right). I especially love her motto: "I doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful". Over the weekend I dusted off my glue gun and went to work.

(Before)
I have been unhappy with my bedding ensemble. The more I thought about it the more changes I wanted to make.

It is still a work in progress but here's what I was able to do so far:

Bed skirt and decorative pillow using a glue gun.
I do own a sewing machine in case you were wondering.

Feeling very inspired..

The Bathroom Wall is finished! I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. My husband was a little surprised as well. Painting a "faux" technique is not as easy as you think. Tips to remember for next time: Cut cheese cloth in sections and work in sections. Paint glaze dries faster than you think! Ask for help, it's easier (and faster) with two people ;)

On another note I am LOVING the new Pottery Barn catalog. Mixing old and new styles is my favorite. My poor catalog has notes, and folded corners on almost every page. I use catalogs as a reference for furniture and accessory placement. I very seldom purchase anything from catalogs because I know if I look hard enough I can find something similar (and more unique) than what they have.

My next project:
Re-upholstering an old chair and re-painting an old head board.

Antique Aquarium

Many many years ago B.M. (Before Marriage) I had an idea to create an aquarium out of an old television set. My first T.V. was a 1950-60's Hoffman with doors that would close to hide the T.V. I bought it at Deseret Industries and had my boyfriend (now husband) remove the "guts" so that it would operate just the way I wanted.

Today, we have a Sylvania (don't ask me what year) I think maybe late 50's. Jay has been nudging me to get the tank up and running again. So for the last few weeks I have been running water cycles in my aquarium. I have it up in our living room. It makes for a really fun conversation piece.

Hopefully in a few weeks it will be ready for fish.

(side note-this television is big enough for a ten gallon tank, right now, I have a smaller tank.)