Becolorful

Where I Blog: Going Bright and Bold at BeColorful

Welcome to BeColorful!

 

 

Over the weekend I read about a  Where Do You Blog? party at Centsational Girl  but because we were out of town I didn't have the opportunity to take pictures of my office until today. 

So even though I'm late to the party I thought it would be fun to submit my rather unwonted bright and bold space.

 

So where do I blog?  Well, this is my little corner of the blog world.

 
 

 

You actually step down one step into this room

It used to be a sleeping porch.

The windows slid all the way down into the walls revealing the screens.

A great idea but really it made for a very cold space in the winter.

 So we replaced the old single pane windows and added insulation to the walls about five years ago.

 

 

Some may prefer a calm  and neutral backdrop to spur on their creativity.

In a sea of white rooms I am an anomaly. 

I am a believer that you have to go with what you love and what works for you.

For me, that thing is color.

It is my mood lifter and soul soother.

 

This is the one space in the house where I could go totally feminine. So I did.

 

   


 
 

If I were only able to pick one color out of a crayon box it would be a bright, full bodied coral pink like this.

This is my happy color.

When I combine it with apple green and black and white I am in a "totally me" space.

This is the space for my more personal treasures.

It is so tempting to leave all things loved out to share but there comes a time when I eventually need to clean house and dial back the tchotchkies. Looking at these pictures I can see I am there.

 

This is where I keep my flirty gifts from friends, the pictures that I love,

 

 

my favorite quote ever,

 
 
 
 
 

 and cards that are the mile markers of my life. 

Like this one that my first born left for me when she took off for college.

I can't even begin to tell you what this card means to me.

Then again, if you are a mom I don't have to tell you.

Lest you think we are totally sappy and goody goody here,

let me reality check you.

This is another card I also received from said sweet daughter. She made it herself.

 

Yes, sorry to disappoint but we are definitely a PG13 rated family now that our babies are older. 

I hope you are not too offended.

Just keeping it real here.

This is my desktop.

 

Whoever said, " A creative mind is seldom tidy" must have had me in mind. :)

FYI, I have a bad case of Mac Love and can't imagine going back to a PC.

Blogging on a Mac in a pomegranate colored room...

life doesn't get much better.

I have filled this space with random pieces of furniture that  make me smile.

This picture is my nod to the Hollywood Regency style that I find myself coveting this year.

This little side table came from an antique shop and the upside down fish are supposedly a symbol of good luck and prosperity.

 I figured not only were they interesting but good for the karma.

 

This old chair came from a consignment shop and replaced a much newer more contemporary  chair. I liked the vintage look of this one though with its channeled back and velvet fabric. It kind of has a FRIENDS vibe for me.

 The pillow here is from Susan Sargent. I adore her stuff.

 

Recently, though, a friend gave me this oh - so - thoughtful pillow as a gift and a tribute to my blog and business.

Usually nobody comes up here so it was fun for me to share my office and the place where I write my blog and read yours.

 

I have been blogging for almost two years

and want to say thank you to all of you who follow me. 

I love reading your posts and I look forward to  pulling up to my computer every morning with a cup of Joe or late at night with a vodka tonic, knowing I will be inspired by you.

XOXO,

P

 

 

Motivation Monday Linky Party # 1 and Pillow of the Week

Pillow of the Week # 29

 

This week's pillow of the week is this fun red and white number from Serena and Lily 

 

Isn't this fun? I love the contrast piping.

 You can buy it here.

On another note, this is my first linky party.

Yay.

So scared it won't work.

I have never tried this before.

 I am learning as I go.

I hope it works.

I am calling it Motivated Monday and just about anything goes here.

Monday is a fresh start day.

I promise myself I will be organized and get my act together.

It usually doesn't last until Tuesday but on Mondays I am optimistic.

Today can be a day for you to post what you accomplished last week or over the weekend.

You might choose to share an image of something you saw that has inspired you to take on a new project.

We might be inspired by it too.

Maybe you want to share your before image and where you hope to take your project.

If all works out for both of us,

this post will work and the linky party really will exist.

I will host this party again next week and you could share whatever stage your project is at seven days from now. :)

Here's to hoping it does work out for both of us!

So whatever floats your boat, something you want to brag about, something you hope to do, or something in various stages of completion... just share it with us.

We can all be inspired by your progress or sympathize with your lack of time and energy. We are all here to encourage one another.

I really don't have rules. 

I don't like rules.

That said, it would be nice if you link back here by pasting my Motivated Monday button in your blog post and if I have at least three entries it would be kind of you to comment on at least two other submissions. 

To enter: 

just go to the blog post you want to feature

highlight and copy the title of that blog post and paste it into the URL link below.

Enter the title of your post or your blog name.

You will be asked to choose a thumbnail image from your post.

Enter your email which will not be public.

You will then be directed to choose a thumbnail image from your post.

Choose your image and submit your entry.

Voila you are there.

Thanks for participating.

XOXO,

P

A Window Curtain Update

This is what the room looked like last year.

The balloon curtains came with the house when we bought it ...

twelve years ago.

They were probably close to ten years old then.

So this spring I took them down and we lived with  naked windows.

I really didn't mind that look

 

but while at Ikea this spring I bought some plain white panels to replace these draperies in my living room.

 The more I thought about it though, I realized I was settling and so I decided to have draperies made for this room. It is the first room you see from the front door and I want it to be right. So I took the Ikea panels and put them in the sunroom/family room/green room. 

I never know what to call this room but I do like the new look.

 

Now I think I'm ready to update the side tables.

Why can't I just be happy for five minutes?

:)

XOXO,

P 

Please link up with my Motivated Monday very first linky party here at BeColorful.

It should be up and running by Sunday.

Thanks. Hope to see you there.

For now linking up here:

  
 

 

Not Your Grandmother's Clock

It's not for everybody and it probably doesn't look like the hall clock in your grandmother's house.

This is a clock I painted a couple of years ago for our get away home in Galena, Illinois.

I ran across these images on my laptop and thought it would be fun to share them.

I found the clock at a freight salvage store for $99.00

I liked the lines of the clock but it had been painted in a floral victorian motif that really isn't my style.

At that price, though, I thought it was worth bringing home and turning into a conversation piece for our home.

I wasn't confident with my free hand lettering yet so at this point I was still using rub on letters. I put this quote along the top that reads Make Time in Galena to Celebrate.

This phrase seemed appropriate since this is where our family likes to come to celebrate the holidays, birthdays and even a wedding.

I embellished the sides by painting elements that seemed to reflect the Galena Territories and the beautiful countryside in this area.

 

 

I use painter's tape to help create the stripes.

 I added some names of the places that are unique to the area to my design.

  

Finally I switched out the hardware for something with a bit more sass.

 

I was pleased with how it turned out 

and for less than $100 I have a whimsical unique piece to greet us and our guests every time we visit.

I hope you will be able to join me Sunday for my very first linky party here at BeColorful.

It is Motivated Monday

I'm hoping you will link a project you are thinking about doing, something you have started or something you completed and want to share with the rest of us.

 I have the grab button in my sidebar.

Please feel free to take it with you.

Hope to see you Sunday if not before.

XOXO,

P

In the mean time I will be linking up here:_{Attic Mag and these fun parties too.}

 

Hey, I Made a Blog Button. Now Can I Throw A Linky Party?

 

 

Okay, so I'm not a super techie. In fact I'm really not a techie at all.

 

I am low brow.

I'm a tech faker.

I have no clue what I am doing.

I am sure this is something that is oh- so -easy for some of you to do.

Me? Well it took me about six hours and it still isn't quite right

but hey, it works

 

and I am basically strutting my stuff around the house letting the hubby think he is married to somebody really smart.

Whatever, he doesn't blog.

I think my secret is safe.

All I can say is thank God for google.

Meanwhile, I still have some funny little arrow thing in front of my grab button but I'm afraid to mess with it for fear I will lose everything.

Plus , it seems to take forever to load but it's done and I'm sticking with it ...

for now.

Next, I am going to try and host a blog party.

There it is I've said it.

It's out there for everyone to read.

Oh no.

Now I have poster's remorse.

I've committed.

 

^{Motivated Monday}
 

So this is my plan-

 I want to see whatever you are motivated to start, finish or have accomplished.

Show us a picture that inspired you.

Maybe it will inspire the rest of us too.

I just hope you will link up.

Because seriously?

 I am a little freaked out.

What if nobody comes?

Oh God.

Please come!!!

 

Tell your blog buddies. 

Submit several posts.

I have visions of  only two entries and one will probably be my daughter's.

I will guilt her into submitting something.

Oh my gosh, really, what if that happens?

I am a small blog so I hope people will find me.

Please pass the word and I will do my best to figure out what I need to do  here on my end.

That is the other thing I am freaked out about.

I really haven't looked in to how to do this yet.

Is there a YouTube video on how to do this?

Note to self, check on that.

I start thinking about the week ahead on Sunday 

and I start my weeks with the best of intentions..

I usually fall far short of those intentions 

but on Mondays I am motivated.

So, I decided to call our little soiree Motivated Mondays.

I think I will have the party start on Sunday when we start planning our weeks.

I will be reminding my readers to check in on Sunday, or Monday and to be sure to link up any project they are motivated to start, one they hope to finish, or something they stuck it out to the end and actually completed.

Sometimes it may be an image we saw out here in blog land that has us inspired.
 

If that is what motivated you then I hope you will share it.

Ideas motivate  all of us.

I hope you will link up yours.

XOXO,

P

Pillow of the Week #28 Navy Quatrefoil

My choice for Pillow of the Week this week is this smart and crisp navy and yellow accent pillow from Room Service.

I am a fan of the quatrefoil and I think this navy with the yellow piping is particularly striking. IIt sells for $70 and you can find it here.

XOXO,

P
 

Subway Art Meets A Violin

 

What it is:

One of the things on my to do list this week was to paint a violin.

The violin was a project that will benefit our local symphony school. 

The school,  the administrative offices for the symphony orchestra, along with its performance home were all destroyed in the 2008 floods.

Although these violins did not get wet, they were ruined just the same because of the humidity in the building and the inability of anybody to get in there to save them.

Consequently, they were offered up to local artisans to decorate them as they saw fit

and they will all be auctioned off next month to raise funds for the school.

I thought this would be a fun challenge and a small contribution on my part towards local flood relief. 

How I did it:

I  first painted my violin white.

I was thinking of purchasing a Silhouette to do more subway style art for not only this project but also for The Traveling Door sale this November but I quickly learned that the Silhouette isn't compatible with my Mac.

So sad.

So I had to go the old fashioned method.

I printed out the names of places that are unique to Cedar Rapids on computer contact paper.

I cut out each of the letters and pasted them to the violin.

Then I painted over the entire piece with black paint.

After carefully removing the letters I touched up any areas that needed to be cleaned up.

It says:

Czech Village

Orchestra Iowa

TCR (Theatre Cedar Rapids)

CRMA (Cedar Rapids Museum of Art)

and Brucemore.

I tricked out the back with black and white stripes,

 

and did a decoupage treatment with sheet music to the sides.

 

My Motivation

My take on this project was to give a shout out to our city and its efforts to rise above the devastation and reclaim its position as a cultural gem of the Midwest.

For me this piece was pretty subdued and subtle and

I was pretty pleased with my efforts until I saw what my friend did.

String Bling

Now hers is "off the chains".

Mine will be the wall flower to her starlet but I'm okay with that.

I think it is fun to see the different directions and looks these pieces take on. 

There will be something for everybody.

This project is called Art Strings and my friend took her inspiration from that name.

She aptly named her piece String Bling.

Now those who know me know I have a weakness for bling.

Love it.

I am usually the one that is over dressed for every event.

What can I say?

I love to dress up.

So when I saw her violin I was over the moon in love with it.

I want it.

Where could I put it? :)

 

How cool is that?

She glued on each and every one of those rhinestones.

 

I'll bet she closes her eyes at night and dreams in bling.
 
 
 Thank God these were children's violins and not bass cellos.

She would be at it still and it would have cost a small fortune.

 

Sherri says, though, that this blinging thing is addictive.

She wants to bling everything. 

Her phone,

picture frames,

anything with a flat surface.

We could have a blinging party. :)

All in all, this was a fun project and I can't wait to see all of the violins displayed at ARA Gallery.

You can bet I will take pictures to share with you.

XOXO,

P

Linking up here:

"

Striped Sofa Table

It is finally finished.

This was a commission piece..

When I first saw it 

I thought it would be easy.

In reality this was a strain on my brain.

The colors were different for me.

The flat surfaces were narrow.

I didn't have a total plan in my head.

In other words,

I was winging this one.

This is what it looked like when it came to me.

 

My inspiration came from Ann's color and fabric swatches.
  This next photo was taken last month with my old failing camera. 

Sorry.

I couldn't even fix the coloring in editing.

The only real surface to play with was the top.

Because this piece is going in a lake house my first thought was something along the lines of a boldly striped beach towel. 

So I painted the top with varying sized stripes. 

It looked blah and boring.

Maybe it needed some red?

I always use red.

No red isn't in her color scheme.

Delete the red.

Opt for a darker blue as an accent color.

Still not there.

Add a bit of pattern.

I usually pop these funky pieces with black and white but to work with her look I went with chocolate brown and creme.

Added some script for a subtle pattern.

 

and words around the base that reflect their lifestyle.

 

 
 

I was ready to call it finished and even took photos.

The camera doesn't lie.

It still looked undone.

I didn't want any more leaves.

Too country.

I didn't want to go too crazy.

This is probably way out of her hubby's comfort zone as it is.

I thought about polka dots but that might be too cutesy.

So I went with another stripe pattern

and added some circles to the inside of the side braces.

 

I liked that touch of the darker blue.

Typical me, it was after 10 pm.

I had to call it.

Mike was leaving for Missouri in the morning and was taking it with him.

So one more coat of poly and off it went.

A bit sticky but it is now off to it's new home.

I told Mike to tell her not to set anything on it for a week.

It is just so humid this time of year.

Things take forever to dry.

She will be putting it here,

behind this sofa I think.

 

I can see it. 

Can you?

Now I'm off to paint a violin.

More about that in a day or two.

XOXO,

P
  
 

Linking up at these parties:

 

 

Poopsie's and Sticks

 

 

Poopsie's, a Galena staple is closing.

The owners are retiring.

Now that probably makes a lot of people sad.

It's too early to say if I will miss it.

They had some great merchandise.

I was usually interested in their selection of Sticks art pieces. 

On the other hand, I wasn't a fan of the way they did business...

a bit too much attitude.

I think there are some fabulous stores and some fantastic shop owners in Galena that will step to fill in the void.

 

If you are in the area be sure and stop in to see a couple of my fave's:

Carlotta's -my number one stop  for reasonably priced but wonderfully unique clothing finds. 

Timothy's On Main - another great clothing boutique with amazing jackets and jewelry - a little bit of New York in the midwest.

Pollyhop's -  has that whimsical twist on home accessories. Maybe they will take on the Stick's line?

Simply Elegant - clothing, jewelry and handbags to make you swoon.

Brio's - a small jewel of an art gallery featuring talented but affordable artists.

Lulu's - where else can you find great shoes for $29.00?  Gotta love that.

Galena Canning - Chef Ivo's  tasty creations that you can take home.

... and that's just a few that come to mind.

No, Galena will be just fine.

In the meantime I have taken advantage of Poopsie's  departure sale.

Lucky me.

A major Stick's score-

This shelf can sit on top of a flat surface or be hung on the wall and I love this red.

 

Great details in these pieces.

I also came home with with these two heart throbs.

 

 

 
 

Oh yeah, happy shopper.

Be sure and stop in if you are in the area and snag a few bargains of your own.

XOXO,

P
  
  

 
 

Pillow of the Week # 27 The New Traditional

Pillow of the Week 27

 

 

This week's Pillow of the Week is a Crimson and Creme flair inspired by an antique Indian chintz.

Now I usually don't think CB2 when I am looking for something with a more traditional flair but that is where you will find this eastern influenced lumbar pillow.

I think it would look good mixed in with either modern or conventional surroundings.

It's a keeper and you can buy it here. 

It's a Start: Committing to a Living Room Makeover

Linking up this post with White House Black Shutters.

My dilemma? What color to paint the ceiling?

 

If you are a follower you have maybe read about my living room here and here.

You might also remember that I'm totally disenchanted with it.

We have lived in our home for twelve years.

Before this home the longest we lived anywhere was four and a half years - not long enough to feel the need to redo what I had already done.

This house is rather large so it took me maybe eight years to really work through every thing the first time around.

So now, those areas I did first are in desperate need of a metamorphosis. 

Meet my living room.

I know.

It doesn't look like me

but there was a time when I loved it.

Actually, I had just finished a book on The White House and I had devoured the pages of Jackie Kennedy's makeovers.

I guess I was a Jackie wanna be.

I had also fallen in love with the house at the end of the remake of Miracle On 34th Street.

Do you remember this house?

 

I spent the better part of an hour looking for images of this house on the internet and came up with a big fat goose egg.

These are off of my television.

Desperate blogger here.

I loved the reds and golds.

The foyer was yellow.

So happy and a look I wanted in our home. 

I thought it was classic and I would never tire of it.

I did though.

So, unbeknownst to my big guy, I ordered new window treatments about a week and a half ago.

Actually, he does know now.

I told him Friday night after the three margaritas I had during our neighborly house crawl that for some reason never got beyond our house. 

He took it well.

He usually does but I've learned

it is all in the timing. :)

So with new treatments on the way I will be taking these down.

I intend to hold onto them though.

I spent way too much for them.

As I explained to a neighbor, I ordered them a couple days after my ACL surgery.

So, I blame it on the drugs.

With these curtains down we will repaint the living room walls.

A neutral beige.

Confusing isn't it.

How can a woman who calls her blog BeColorful have a beige living room?

I don't know how to answer that but I think it is going to work for me.

Maybe because for me, it is a color I've never explored before.

I have also noticed a pattern in the images like these that I have squirreled away in a living room dreams folder on my desktop.

Most of them are neutral colors.

 

The new window treatments will look a lot like these but a bit lighter.

This light and airy space just had me nodding my head in agreement but I wonder if it would feel a bit cold during our long midwest winters?

 

Again, similar draperies but I was also drawn in by the rug and that stunning mirror.

I wish I could replicate that view. Wow.

 

This look is a bit more formal and I don't think it is really what I am going for but I was attracted to the sophisticated drama of this space and the simple drapery panels.

This image has been my desktop wallpaper this past month. I was intrigued by the all white, the furniture arrangement, the subway art, the pendant ceiling fixture and the window treatments. I can't say I like the Eric Roth piece above the fireplace. Well at least not in my living room. It just doesn't say welcome to me. :)

This is a familiar photo to many of us but again I liked the furniture arrangement, the light walls, the bright art work and the stripe rug.

  
This is more that a little over the top but one element of the zebra print would be fun to dial up the liveliness factor and I like the black and white against the creme walls. I also love those slip covers but I have just about given up on that. I can't seem to find any body in our area that will do these anymore.

Finally, how pretty is this space. I hadn't thought of using green but I am crazy for that wallpaper. I will never do wallpaper again but maybe I could cover a couple of canvases in paper to create an architectural element. 

Just a thought.

That chair is fabulous and I do have that Ethan Allen love seat that I could recover. 

I am fairly certain I will be going with a creme/beige wall and the woodwork with remain white but I am thinking I should maybe put a bit of color on the ceiling.

It would set off the woodwork nicely.

This room faces north and east and gets a bit dark in the afternoons so I need to consider that.

I am totally in the dark though as to what color I should do.

This room has the nine foot ceilings.

Suggestions please.

  

 

I know I am probably going at this all wrong but I went into Pier 1 yesterday to pick up some more margarita glasses for the house crawl and I found these two lamps. 

 

 
 

I liked the shiny reflective surface of the bases and I can see them in my neutral space. 

The shades offer a bit of pattern that should easily mix with whatever else I bring into the room but I could see these lamps with a plain linen shade too.

That's how I shop. I buy when I see something that excites me.

That is how I decorate too. I combine the things I love and although it may not be a decorator's dream it becomes a space that is uniquely me and the decorators be damned. 

I feel like I have a lot of house projects going on right now.

There are a lot of needs here all of a sudden.

I have a couple of bathrooms crying for an update and

I still haven't really completed this bedroom that I started last winter.

I have made some more progress  here though and hope to share with you soon.

I am also working on another bedroom in Galena.

The one with the grape merlot wall.

The wall is the only thing here that is staying.

Once I find my artwork for that wall I will be reposting my progress there as well.

So stay tuned. I am obviously A.D.D.  Addicted to Decor and Design and I don't see a cure anywhere on the horizon.

Have a fabulous week.

I have to run

I have work to do.

XOXO,

P

Small Rooms Discipline the Mind aka The Teeniest Bathroom Ever

Small rooms discipline the mind 

                                  ~  Leonardo Di Vinci

 
 

I live in an old home.

We have five bathrooms.

When we moved in, though, there was only one powder room on the first floor.

It was and still is miniscule.

It was obviously added later -

after the house was built.

It is tucked in under the front stairs.

It is so small you actually step down one step into it so you don't hit your head on the sloped ceiling.

 
 
When we added onto the house ten years ago we made sure to add another bathroom on this level.

Interestingly enough,

our guests seldom use that one.

They always seem to gravitate to this one.

I truly believe someone saw this room and then came up with the term water closet.

 

So when I saw a post on Houzz today featuring small bathrooms,

I just knew I had one that was in the running or could take the cake for smallest bathroom ever.

It does pose some decorating challenges.

First of all,

see that top row of tile?

When we first moved it it was blue.

Country blue.

I did country blue back in the day.

I'm over it.

Never again.

So, I painted over it.

A temporary fix...

twelve years ago.

Funny, some things just drop off of my radar.

Someday I will revisit this but it isn't high on my list right now.

There isn't any color in the world that I could have painted this room to make it look larger.

 

Sometimes you just have to embrace the obvious and look for the positives.

For instance, I think I was able to paper this room with about half a roll of wallpaper.

I've never been able to say that before.

Or, and I don't know how to say this delicately, but this room is designed perfectly if you have a bad case of the flu.

Think about it and study the picture.

Need I say more?

The biggest draw back here, there isn't an exhaust fan.

To solve that problem, the light is a motion/timer light.

Your stay here should probably be brief or you will be sitting in the dark. :)

There weren't any real options here.

If these walls could be pushed out or up I'm sure someone would have done that decades ago.

This space is what it is.

So I roll with it

and decorate accordingly.

When I found this quote I knew I had the perfect spot for it.

So I printed it out on my computer and framed it.

Probably five dollar wall art

but definitely appropriate here. :)

As I look at it now I'm thinking I need to print it out again.

This font is looking dated.

I tried this.

Too small.

I  

This is better.

 

It was time to lose the faux flowers too but I would like to bring a pop of red back in too.

I'll shop the house later.

So like I was saying.

Some people may say I have accentuated the negative.

I like to think of  it more along the lines of being able to laugh at yourself.

What's the saying?

Women admire men for their strengths but love them for their weaknesses.

 Maybe it is that way with houses and rooms too.

Too perfect may not be a good thing.

At least that is what I keep telling myself.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. :)

Have a great weekend.

XOXO,

P 

Linking up these great parties: 

Pillow of the Week # 26 Black and White Delight at Modern Chic Home

 

It's perfect.

The design is so right.

Love the black and white.

A Trina Turk creation

and you can find it here.

I love Modern Chic Home.

How great is this mirror?

and these accent tables are sophisticated and fun and the same time.

Total infatuation.

Totally inspired.

 

 

Want a splash of color?

 

They come in aqua too.

The finds here are just so unusual yet classic.

I was so intrigued with this ceiling fixture.

 

A great look for such a mundane element.

Modern Chic Home I love you.

XOXO,

P
  

  

 

Crate and Barrel's Purple to My Rescue

One of the things that has kept me busy the past couple of weeks has been stripping wallpaper and repainting a bedroom in Galena.

We bought our getaway home here about eight years ago and haven't regretted it once.

Galena is a beautiful corner of the world.

It is only about an hour and a half drive for us but with views like this it feels like we are in a different part of the country.

 

We bought our home here completely furnished.

I always tell people we bought groceries and margarita glasses and moved in.

They left the dishes, the picture frames - everything.

The home had hardly been used. The mattresses in the guest rooms still had the protective wraps on them.

To not have to go out and buy everything right from the start was a huge savings for us.

In the beginning I thought I could live with it the way it was.

I convinced my big guy this was the house for us because we wouldn't have to do a thing.

Well, not really.

Could we really leave it untouched?

No.

It was really pretty ugly.

The place was dripping in Waverly.

Now there isn't anything wrong with a bit of Waverly here and there.

I have fallen for more than one of their gorgeous prints

 but the previous owner must have either founded the company

or had a butt load of stock in it.

This house had Waverly upholstered furniture,

Waverly drapes,

Waverly wallpaper,

Waverly towels,

Waverly bedding,

Waverly lampshades,

even Waverly pictures and bath accessories.

Every room felt like a Waverly Granimals room in a box.

Every surface was dripping in rose, yellow, and blue.

It was an explosion of florals, plaids and bows.

Bows were EVERYWHERE.

Now bows might be nice in a little girl's room or a nursery but they definitely weren't working here.

Ultimately, it all had to go.

So over the years every room has been stripped of it's ultra feminine wallpapers, floral and moire fabrics, ruffled bedding and of all those bows.

We were down to the last room.

Adam's room.

It had been papered in a yellow stripe paper.

Not a bad look really, except it was topped with a border of mini blue and yellow flowers ... definitely not what an eleven year old boy wanted in his room.

So to buy some time I painted out the border with a dark navy paint.

Added some masculine bedding,

a ski poster,

and then I hung Adam's first pair of skis on the wall.

Skiing is what he does up here in the winter months.

  

I forgot to take a picture before I started moving stuff out of the room but here is one with some of the wallpaper still in tact.

 

The room had worked for quite awhile.

Until recently when I decided I was finally ready to do something different here.

Mind you the house is plastered in oak.

Oak, oak, oak.

I'm not a fan but it somehow seems less offensive in this more rustic venue.

Still, I'd rather not draw attention to it so I paint with colors that I hope detract from the woodwork.

I considered colors I'd never used before.

 

That would explain the purple wall.

Actually, it is called Merlot Grape.

Galena is a small town and the paint options are limited.

I didn't feel like going into the city so I went to the local True Value and came up with my merlot number.

I think I'm going to like it.

Crown molding is coming.

 

This was not Adam's bedding.

Until recently this room had a queen bed.

The bedding that was here made its way to another bedroom back at home.

This bedding was an impulsive online purchase that went wrong.

It is way too short for the bed.

Amazing what flaws and failings you can crop out of a picture. :) 

The other walls in the room are a taupe/sand color and this is where I'm going with the bedding.

The sandstone from Pottery Barn.

Then my Crate and Barrel catalog came last week and guess what?

It was loaded with my Merlot Grape color.

Merlot Grape sounds a lot better than purple don't you think?

I'm not trying to sound pretentious,

it's just that the word purple conjures up some nasty decorating images in my head.

Check out these pillows.

We're actually talking options here.

Something this easy never happens to me.

Then I saw this and my mind went yet another direction.

I love love love it.

It could pop the merlot grape and creamy white duvet with a bit of pattern or maybe in the colder months I put a bit of color on the bed like this.

 

Oh my gosh my head is swimming and these are just from the Crate and Barrel catalog.

What else is out there?

There is a bathroom off of this bedroom and you know what that means ...

If you repaint and trick out a bedroom ... you're going to need a spruced up bathroom to go with it. :)

I need to run.

Someone is coming to measure the room for window treatments.

I'll keep you posted with a reveal soon.

XOXO,

P
     

Connecting Here Today: A Soft Place to Land

PurseN Love

 

Do you have one yet?

You're definitely going to want one.

I bought mine last week.

What am I talking about?

A PurseN !

I know, right?

How can I be so stoked about a purse organizer?

Yet, I seriously am.

I used to have one of these.

This was my Pouchee.

Well actually mine was black.

This is a picture lifted off of the Pouchee site.

Initially I was excited about it but I quickly found out it wasn't really all that.

It is probably perfect if you carry a smaller bag.

For me, though, I seem to be drawn to the large totes.

So the problem with the Pouchee was it was too small.

I would throw my purse into the back seat or onto the counter and the Pouchee would tip over inside my purse dumping everything into the bottom of my handbag.

Why bother?

It does have little magnets to hold it together at the top but you have to line them up just right.

I never did.

Even if I had taken the time to do that 

I usually had too much stuff in it for it to close snugly.

So I'd been looking for something better for a while now.

I'd seen those little numbers that look like a line up of pockets that you coil around the bottom of your purse but somehow that just didn't spin my wheels.

Then one day last week there it was in all of it's glory.

Tada! My dream organizer insert.

I chose the black one with the animal print lining.

 

Are you swooning over all of those pockets?

I did.

Being a bit cynical though I had to try it out.

Much to the sales associate's horror, 

I emptied the entire contents of my purse on the counter.

Thank Heavens nothing really embarrassing rolled out.

I had to see if everything would fit!

It did and I didn't even bother emptying it out again.

I just put it in my purse right then and there and

I handed her my Pouchee to bag up.

Some petite little thing will love it.

As for me,

I never know what I might need so I bring it all.

Seriously, all of this stuff fits into this little lovely.

I can't tell you how happy this makes the order loving side of me.

A place for everything and everything in it's place.

Lord, am I anal or what? 

See that empty pocket space over there on the left?

Now that's for my camera.

I am so good to go now.

I talked mine up so much my mom had to get one too.

They come in all sorts of fun colors and patterns.

There really are great even if you don't change purses that often. 

Just having a pocket for everything is fabulous.

You can FIND things.

Now there's a concept.

To everyone's surprise I now answer my phone.

Before, my calls would usually go into voice mail before I could find it.

One of my favorite things about this organizer is that it has a zipper on the inside for things that absolutely can not get lost and need to be a bit more secure.

Plus there is also another zipper that can reduce or expand the middle section  so you can make the PurseN a bit larger or smaller to fit well into the purse you are carrying that day.

Yes, I'm feeling some serious love here.

PurseN Love.

I bought mine at a local department store but click here for more info.

On another note to all my blogger friends -

There is a new linky party on the block.

This one is at Madigan Made and it all about quotes and words.

Could life get any better?

My purse is organized and there is a quote party coming on.

It's this weekend.

Check her out here.

XOXO,

P

Pillow of the Week # 25 A Bit of Brussels For Your Home

This week's pillow of the week comes from Anthropologie. 

They call it Streets of Brussels.

 

Love it. It sells for $68.00 and you can buy it here.

To view past pillows of the week click on the Pillow Talk in my sidebar.

That's all.

Short and sweet. 

Busy busy busy.

More tomorrow.

XOXO,

P

 

Pretty Packages All in a Row

While linking up to a crafty party this morning I saw this fun Pretty Package Party.

I have always loved to wrap gifts. 

It's just another way to create but with paper, ribbon, texture and color.

 I even did a post a while back stating my probable need for a gift wrap intervention. I have a whole closet dedicated to this obsession.

When I wrap a gift I like to consider the recipient and the occasion but I also like the wrapping to be a hint or reflection of what is inside.

This past weekend I had the fun taks of shopping for a gift for a baby girl. I found this precious little handmade skirt and tank top at La Vie en Rose in Galena, Illinois.

 

I bought something that would fit her next year.

This shop had so many great choices but I was drawn to this unusual color combo for a baby girl.

 

I gathered up some wrapping paper, card stock, a paper flower I'd purchased from Michael's some time ago, a bit of ribbon, and a couple scrapbook embellishments.

I cut the card stock into 2" wide strips and accordion folded them, taped them together to form a circle and then built up the flower with the other paper embellishments and a large brad that I painted to match the flower on the dress.

I think it has the same feel as the gift.

At least that is the effect I was going for.

 
So there you go.

It's a wrap.

For more inspirational wraps be sure and stop by The Blackberry Vine

XOXO,

P

Linking up this post with Today's Creative Blog

 

 

and Sugar Bee Craft Edition

 

    

The Traveling Door Show: 100 Days To Go and One Thing Finished

I can't believe it.

One hundred days until The Traveling Door Show.

For those of you that are newer readers,

I am part of a group of artisans consisting of five women called The Traveling Door.

We painted a big old door purple and embellished it in our own distinctive style.

The door has become our logo and our notice to the public of where our next show will be.

Because we don't have a permanent venue it made sense to call our group The Traveling Door.

So with only one hundred days to go I am proud to announce that I have already finished my first piece.

Thank you Jen for the inspiration.

A couple of months ago Jen, a neighbor of mine, and I both painted our front doors rather unorthodox colors. Then I saw this oh so inspiring post on her blog about the upside of being unique. It  featured this quote from the book The Big Orange Splat. I think it would be fun to have this quote somewhere in my home. It just kind of echos what's in my heart. I hope you will find the time to read her blog post. She is a marvelous writer.

So one project down and ninety nine to go. 

Hey, a person can always dream. )

Have a great week.

X0X0,

P 

LInking up today with these great parties: