Becolorful

Lindsey Phillips Ballet Flats - A Great Gift For the Women On Your List

When I go Christmas shopping for the women on my list I often end up buying two of the same thing; one for them and one for me. This time I am doing the reverse. I found something I like so well I may end up going back and buying more for gifts. 

I found these great little numbers up in Galena last week and thought they were just hands down fabulous so I bought a pair for myself in silver. They seriously feel like bedroom slippers. Yesterday I was putting up Christmas decorations and wore them all day and they felt amazing. 

 I decided I had to give them a shout out because not only are they oh so comfortable but because they are also so versatile. The toe embellishments snap on and off and you can buy more of these "shoe jewels" to change out the look of your shoes. At roughly $70.00 they are easy on the pocketbook and they would be a traveler's delight. With the embellishment options  ( $12.00 a pair) your can dress them up or dress them down or mix colors to work with different outfits. The shoes come in copper, black, and silver and I just saw today that they can now be ordered in gold. Check here to see all of the options. In a word they are flat out fantastic. 

 

 

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Now that the Thanksgiving holiday is already behind us I am looking forward to tackling the not so insignificant task of decorating for Christmas. As I am packing away my ambers, browns and golds and pulling out the numerous totes of greens and reds I have time to reflect back on yesterday.

I have a lot to be thankful for. Yes, there were some empty places at our table and we will miss those loved ones forever but all of our babies are well and safe and two of them were with us.

 

 
 

How lucky am I?   I am married to the kind of guy that chips right in and helps  to make the day a relaxing and enjoyable one for all of us. One of my favorite times of the day is when we are alone and we are cleaning up after our big meal. We  are able to bond over the private jokes, concerns and the pride we share for our family.

 He's not mad, just concentrating while cooking :>) 

 My mom was also here to complete my family circle and like the rest of us she knows how to tell a good story. We had some real belly laughs and some great food. I sometimes think I could easily downsize and have a home with out a dining room, but when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas I am also thankful for all of the space this big old house offers up. It is the space and the home I always dreamed of and when it fills up with the people I love I know that I am truly living the dream. Wow, I'd better stop or you'll all be hating on me. :) Does it help if I tell you that 2/3 of my Christmas tree will not light up? It's true.

 Thank you too for Liz who has taught me to have my camera handy so I never forget these days and thank you to James for taking this picture for me.

 

 

Laundry Room Panache

Voila! Finally I have been able to get back on track and "finish" my laundry room. Our home is very old and our laundry is in the basement but with large windows that let in a lot of light and look out over a brick courtyard . The view outside is a pretty one so I don't feel like I am laboring in a dungeon. 

About a year ago I decided I was really over the green and white vine and leaf patterned wallpaper in this space and decided to do something totally outside of the box for me. I painted this room a pale aqua. I later did my studio space in a bolder version of this same color but when I first stuck my toe into the blue world it was, for me, a risk. A year later the paint job was all that I had accomplished in my laundry room make over. It was an improvement but I didn't love it. 

I would still like to replace the TV with a small flat screen... someday, and I would really like it if I didn't have the drop in ceiling tiles but hey, in this old money pit we never know when we are going to need access to water pipes or electrical wiring. It is much easier to pull out a few tiles than to tear into drywall. So they stay. 

Still, I was able to make a few improvements that make me happier when I am sorting, shifting, folding and ironing.

I made some curtains out of Pier 1 napkins and a little black fabric. My windows are dirty so I closed the curtains for the picture. :)

I 

I added a few tchotchkes in black and white.

 

and I rescued this lamp from storage and added a new shade. I bought the lamp at Target a couple of years ago for $10.00 and knew that eventually I would find a home for it.

The wall decor is a big black tray from Ikea

 

 

and so are these great red press on vinyl poppies. I love black and white but I have an addiction to color and these gave me the pop and wow factor I needed to be happy.

 

I struggled to find just the right rug. This tile floor gets cold in the winter. Then Liz sent me a link to a shopping site where everything is black and white. She knows me so well.  This site had me at hello. It was love at first sight for me and it was here that I found my rug. The best part was it was only $39.88! 

So now I have one more room that I can check off my to do list for awhile. The next projects will be more difficult. I think I will wait until after the holidays to start in on those but it's never to soon to start mulling over ideas and possibilities.

 
 
 

 

Funky Hand Painted Furniture in a Traditional Home

I always put in one controversial item, it makes people talk. ~ Dorothy Draper

 

Those of you that know me know that I have an old home that is basically decorated with a traditional flair but if you are visiting here for the first time you may not know that I also paint furniture and I am part of a fabulous group of women called The Traveling Door. Our group recently had a sale and I would have to say that considering the economy, it was a huge success. I did have two pieces, though, that did not sell and rather that store them in the garage until our next event, I brought them into our home.

To try and meet the needs of an ever changing market I am trying to honestly evaluate why these items did not sell. That sounds kind of whiny or that I am fishing for compliments and I don't mean it that way. I get it that wildly crazy pattern pieces just aren't going to appeal to everyone,  I did sell pieces very similar to this one so I am comfortable that there is a niche market for these kinds of conversation or statement pieces. My altered furniture is definitely unique - controversial even, but I think the bigger hurdle is that people see these pieces in the store and can't imagine them mixed in with their more traditional furnishings. So I thought I would show a couple of examples of how well I think these two styles compliment each other. I like to think that mixing these two looks gives a room such an edge and a thrill of the unexpected. To me this light hearted look says, "I don't take myself too seriously". 

This is a four drawer chest I brought back home and placed at one end of the dining room. I know I am breaking a rule by placing it in front of a window like this but hey some rules were made to be broken.

 

*Those of you that are more observant will notice that I changed out the dining chairs for the captain's chairs. What do you think works better stripes or floral?

I also have a clock that did not sell and I tried putting it in the dining room as well but I think one statement piece like this in a room is enough.

 

So I moved it to the living room.

My living room is also very traditional. So much so that I am itching to have a chance for a do over but I need the auto industry to make a come back first. Keep in mind I pulled this room together ten years ago. My tastes have evolved and our life style has changed dramatically since then. Regardless, I think the whimsical touch of the funky clock helps to dial down the formality of the room. Well, at least it's a start.

 

 

Not every room in our home is so formal. Painted pieces work easily with a more casual style as well.

 

 

 

So when something unusual jumps out at us I think we need to not dismiss it because of it's uniqueness or it's color or pattern. It is scary to do something bold but safe is so mundane. So seek out something controversial. Embrace it. Update a tired look or give new life to your tried and trues. Think of a new ways to use what you have. Paint them, stripe them, cover them in polka dots.  Perhaps that piece you see at the store would work in a foyer, or bathroom, or child's or teen's room. For some reason it seems easier to do something a little out of the ordinary in those spaces first - at least until you become more comfortable taking a  decorating risk. Think outside of the box. Use pieces in unintended ways. Then when people come to visit they will leave your home feeling inspired and motivated and they will owe it all to you and your creative style.

Jewelry Cabinet Minus the Before

I really wish I had remembered to take a before picture of this little jewelry cabinet. I found it at a salvage store. It was made of an ugly brown nameless wood and the mirror that was supposed to be on the front of the door was missing. 

Along with my surplus of belts I also have a copious amount of jewelry. My jewelry armoire was overflowing and I knew when I saw this pathetic orphan piece that it would be a perfect addition to my closet. So I painted it black, added some foam board and fabric ( actually a napkin from Pier 1), and I ordered some great push pins. Voila now the front of the cabinet has a new life. I can use it pin up inspirational photos or even more jewelry.

But seriously, isn't this great? I think you could modify any old medicine cabinet with hooks and pockets and have something very close to this. It doesn't take up much space but is another element to help keep a girl organized.

My Love Affair With Belts { and subsequent storage issues}

Very simply, I have a love affair with belts. Actually I have a love affair with a lot of things; sunglasses, shoes, jewelry, pink lipstick, gift wrap and anything black and white. My latest quandary though is what to do about my belt passion. Let me be honest here. I am not looking for a cure. All I really need is a better way to store them. I keep reading that I should edit my closet and if I haven't worn it for a year I should get rid of it. Really? I have tried this with varying levels of success. Some things, though, either have a way of multiplying or I just can't break up with them and move on. Belts are one of those things that I hold on to for years. They have a rather short life cycle. Waist accentuating or hip slung, skinny or wide,western or urban,understated, or all out glitz - it doesn't really matter. Each of them have a way of reappearing on the fashion front every few years. A belt is never really totally out of fashion and  doesn't seem to take up much space. As a result it is easy to justify holding on to it. Now occasionally I will find something I like waaaaaay more than what I already have. This I call my replacement purchase :) and I can let go of my previous friend rather easily. More often than not, though, my new love becomes another addition to my collection. 

This is the result of too little editing and too much belt love -

I have belts hanging here

 

and here. But that's not all.

 

 I live in a  rambling old house with teeny tiny closets so when we moved in eleven years ago I converted the smallest bedroom - and it is almost too small to even call it a bedroom into my walk in dressing room. Because the house is old I don't have all of the cool built ins of a newer home. I would love big pull out drawers with dividers for all of my belts and jewelry like I saw on The Rachel Zoe project or at Ikea in their big closet models. I would also love a huge wall with hooks so I could see everything at a glance.  Alas, wall space is  at a premium in my vintage space although I do have about three feet floor to ceiling that I could work with. 

These current belt hook bars really aren't cutting it for me. They look a bit messy, they hang one on top of another and the whole thing lacks that inspired touch. I am thinking of maybe putting up a painted peg board. Any suggestions are welcome. I am kind of hitting a creative wall with this. 

 I like to keep my favorite belts out where they are easily viewable. I know it looks like quite a few faves but these really are my chosen go- to belts and they work well with everyday looks. I have others that either don't hang well, are seasonal or total glam for parties and holidays. These I have organized into a great set of Ikea shoe organizers called skubbs. 

 

with the drawer inserts  You can't beat these prices and they are so easy to use. Plus they come in black, white or orange. I, of course, had to go with the black and white but I like them mixed together. Then I labeled each drawer accordingly. 

I am one of those out of sight out of mind kind of people so the tag reminders are a necessity for me. They also keep me organized and nudge me to put things away where they belong. Everyone thinks I'm neat and tidy and orderly. I am so not. That's why I do this.

 

So now this has become my overflow storage of the things I can't part with but still love. I had one drawer left at the bottom that I tagged for receipts. I'm thinking of adding another set or two of these skubbs. I could use them for costume jewelry or tights and leggings. I could also see them used in a craft room. You just need a bar to hang them from.

As for the tags. I printed them on my computer and then used my Making Memories tag maker and rims to complete the look. The tag maker took a little practice and I learned that I need to use card stock not just scrapbook paper but now that I have it mastered this little beauty has almost replaced my label maker.

Goodnight Carlotta

I can't believe that Halloween has come and gone and it is already November. October was like a movie played in fast forward. Now with Halloween over I am starting to focus on Thanksgiving. Just like Christmas, I don't like Halloween decorations up after the holiday has passed. It's just so 2008. I find that looking at them after the holidays is like looking at my rumpled party clothes the morning after or the dinner table after a big meal. It's a bit of a let down.

Unlike Christmas, packing away the holiday remnants is a breeze. I have one large tub dedicated to Halloween specific items and another for fall flair. I seem to be better about using or tweaking what I have with a few small additions instead of the reams of chotchkies that tempt me and follow me home from the store at Christmas. I bought this very cool mask,though, and named it Carlotta.  Naming her is weird. I know. Anyway, I bought her late in the month at Pier 1. I probably paid too much because I bought her a day before their Halloween sale but I knew if I waited that she would be gone. I'm kind of sad to pack her away but how fun will it be to open up my tote next fall and greet her again. She will be my head start on next year's festivities. So good night Carlotta and Happy November to all.