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Slowly but surely I am making progress on this wine cabinet.
I burned my design into the cabinet and then painted over it.
My next step will be to go back in and reburn some of the details that filled in with paint. I still have the borders and feet to finish painting.
As for the top, it has already been burned. I just need to decide on a color scheme.
Any ideas?
xoxo,
p
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So glad you stopped by.
It's Motivated Monday here at BeColorful.
If you missed last week's event, these were just a few of the incredible projects that were linked up...
Ever since I saw that upholstered bed in Don and Betty's bedroom on Mad Men I have envisioned one for us. This DIY post from
makes me think it could become a reality.
She even added silver nail heads to this project. Swoon.
Don't miss this amazing re-purposing of an old dining table into a cocktail table and a shelf unit. I would have considered it a lost cause. I guess I don't have the same vision as
And who doesn't like the guilty pleasure of chocolate chip cookies? You probably have your own recipe but I was intrigued by this one for the
Not Your Average Chocolate Chip Cookie
from
Maybe after my annual check-up and weigh in at the doctor's office next month I will treat myself to these.
Wondering what to do with all of those scrapbook flowers and embellishments now that you've moved on from scrapbooking?
I liked this idea from
Really really pretty.
This post from
just made me smile. She had a pair of shoes that were showing some wear on the toes so what's a girl to do? Well, spray paint them of course.
Love her take on the whole color block trend.
Then there was this compact bar that I think is genius.
shows us how to create this fold up bar that she and the hubs made for their deck.
Seriously cool.
It just isn't Motivated Monday with out a colorful furniture or design update so I had to showcase this stunning green dresser from
I'm crazy for the color and really like that she left the top stained and then added that glaze to pull the whole look together. S'wonderful.
:D
Shifting gears here, I know that this is usually a venue for showing off things we have made but I think that there is a creative element of design to pulling a great style look together too. I consider it an art form. :D
So when I saw this post from
I knew I wanted to highlight her fun sense of fashion. I will confess that I look forward to pulling together a look that is a bit out of the ordinary. Something that doesn't scream I Put No Thought into this. I just bought it off the rack- Mall Style.
I could tell that this blogger shared my passion for fashion.
:D
Her post just spoke to me and I wanted to be sure and share it with some of the other fashionistas out there because fashion posts are just so inspiring. Who isn't looking for a fresh twist to their everyday looks?
Thanks Lauren.
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Let me begin by saying I am not a runner. Read top heavy and weak knees but also the fact that I have forever been plagued with shin splints.
So why would a non-runner like me fork over $155 for a pair of running shoes?
Well, for starters, I saw them in the January issue of Departures Magazine and I was drawn in by the fun styling and popcicle colors. I know, shallow, right?
Then last month I was getting ready to head out to Las Vegas. If you have ever been there you know this is one place that no matter where you go you will be doing A LOT of walking. I thought these little lovelies would be a great thing to take along.
I wasn't familiar with the brand. I looked for them locally and while we were in Vegas but without any luck. I searched for them on-line when we got back and found them on the Newton site in a variety of styles and colors. I read a bit about the shoes and canvased numerous reviews and the more I read the more intrigued I was. Apparently unlike most running shoes on the market that encourage a heel strike gait, these shoes, with their lower heel and amply cushioned ball area are designed for a mid-foot strike.
I didn't realize that a heel strike was detrimental but apparently it is and it can lead to an increased incidence of shin splints. Hmmm. interesting.
This made sense to me and is probably one of the reasons I never liked Nike Shocks.
Like I said, I am not a runner but I do like to walk for exercise. The problem is every Spring when I resume my walking regime I have to start so slowly and gradually increase my distance and pace. It is frustrating because I just want to get up and move but If I kick it up too fast that nasty sharp pain that I am all too familiar with will reappear. The more I read about these shoes the more anxious I was to try them.
They arrived last week and I have to say I am crushing on them big time. They took a bit of getting used to. The extra cushioning on the ball of the foot felt somewhat strange but not in a bad way.
A trip to NYC is in my near future and I am thinking of ditching the Sex in the City fab shoes look for this turquoise, yellow, and orange sporty style. I could pair them with a short skirt from Lucy or Athleta and work the athletic vibe.
Is that too Midwest of me?
I'll look like a tourist won't I ?
C'est la vie. I am what I am.
I know how girly this all sounds and that all the real runners out there are rolling their eyes by this point but hey,I do intend to wear these shoes for some serious fitness walking. It's just that for some of us shopping is a true endurance sport too.
:D
Besides I can still rock the heels at night.
Newton running shoes, this is what I love today.
xoxo,
p
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So, creatively, this has what I have been up to.
I'm painting this cabinet to be used as a wine cabinet.
The wood burning is rather time consuming but I think the added dimension makes for an interesting look.
I have another side yet to go along with the borders and feet.
I'm not sure yet what the plan is for the inside but if you are looking for me I will be in my painting garage.
:D
xoxo,
p
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" I believe in PINK "
~Audrey Hepburn
I was absolutely tickled pink a few weeks ago when I received a pretty pink inviatation in the mail for a bridal shower. I knew that this would be one of those great eye candy events that has the guests talking about it for weeks.
Both the adorable younger sister, that was co-hosting the shower, and the beautiful bride are two of my favorite Pinterest muses for anything style related. Some people just have the eye. I think they must have inherited it from their fabulous mom.
:D
How cute are they? I know it is hard to tell but the stunning blonde on the right is my dear friend and mom to the bride. Talk about great genes!
So, let's just put it out there now. Get ready for an abundance of pics. You can thank me later. :D Now go pin your hearts out peeps or you can just follow the board Showers
:D
I was oohing and aweing the minute I came through the front door. The house looked so amazing and femininely festive with all of its nods to pink.
From pink themed framed signage
to pink garlands,
pink balloons,
and pink poms, this venue had pretty in pink stamped all over it.
There was pink champagne with raspberries,
pink lemonade,
even the buffet table was pink.
The attention to detail was inspiring.
I loved these napkins. They are so out of the ordinary
The food was almost too pretty to eat but too delicious not to partake.
Now, Taylor, one of the co-hosts and sister to the bride, would really like to make a career out of party planning. After seeing what she did here, I think that she really has a flair for this and it could very well be her calling.
My words of marriage advice?
1. Seperate closets
2. seperate bathrooms
3. An agreement that when traveling, no matter how inconvenient or no matter the cost, you are always entitled to at least one checked piece of luggage.
4. He can pick the car you pick the color
and
5. Unless he has an interior design degree, the final word in decorating is yours.
:D
It was such a fun PINK afternoon.
Thank you for including me and best wishes Lauren.
xoxo,
p
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It's the Motivated Monday feature time again and I wanted to share with you some fantastic and diverse projects from last week's event.
Drum roll please...
First up, I was pretty impressed by this DIY closet overhaul
via
She put a lot of thought into this and carefully mapped out a plan to maximize her space.
To see her befores and the final result click here.
Then there was this furniture transformation using the Annie Sloan chalk paint and wax shared by
I really need to give that paint a whirl. This was one rough piece when Melody first decided to tackle it but look at it now. Gorgeous.
To read about the process click here.
This furniture post from
also has my creative wheels spinning out of control.
It looks like something out of an over priced high end catalog or boutique doesn't it?
I'll let you in on a secret. It is a humble RAST chest of drawers from Ikea!
I'm so buying one of these.
Ikea, I'm on my way.
Want to know more about how she did this? of course you do. Click here.
Have you ever made anything with that polymere clay? Me either but
not only shows us a fun hair clip project this week but includes a recipe so you can make your own clay.
I'm intrigued.
This was a week for a real variety of projects. So from hair clips to range hoods, you had us covered.
:D
Seriously, a range hood make over. Isn't it pretty?
for the how to's and to see the before images stop by
Do you have a friend that is hitting one of those decade birthdays?
Then you will definitely want to visit
for some rockstar party ideas.
This party was for a friend turning 40 but it could be changed up for any of those
"special" birthdays.
Finally, there were also some great sewing projects and even though I am seamstress challenged, I thought this one towel tote from
was particulaly creative and realatively easy.
She includes an easy to follow tutorial with lots of photos so you can make one or five of your own.
:D
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Navy and Pool. It really isn't all that new but until recently this color combo just hasn't been on my design radar.
I have really never been much of a blue girl but lately I find myself drawn to the navy and turquoise hues. I like to give them pretty names so I call them navy and pool.
These are some of the images that have inspired my latest color crush.
For me it started with simple geometric patterns
Tobi Fairley
but quickly moved onto fashion and color blocked accessories.
Bright by Black
Carolina-Prep
Then I started seeing in home decor and I knew my wheels were turning.
How could I incorporate these colors into my greens, corals and yellow rooms?
Post Local
Yorkshire Linen
Eventually this former blue disdainer was craving a pool and navy inspired room or at least elements of one.
Christopher Farr
Martha Stewart
via Flower Hill Designs
Decor Pad
via Flower Hill Designs
Apartment Therapy
Pool and navy, maybe in a bedroom? an upstairs bath? Maybe I will start slowly with just a few accent pieces but I think I will find somewhere to incorporate my latest color love.
:D
xoxo,
p
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Somebody, ME, had a birthday recently and my sweet daughter remembered me with a book I had been wanting and then she surprised me with this clever invention,
Now why didn't I think of this???
I have finally accepted it, I am the palest white woman ever. If that wasn't bad enough, now the damage from past efforts of baking myself in the sun to overcome this less that desirable title are showing up everywhere. So in recent years I have become a true fan of the "Fake Tan".
It took awhile but I think I have finally mastered a basically streak free routine. I still haven't found a product that is totally odor free but Lancome's self tanner is my latest favorite. The problem has been those hard to reach spots. Yes, I have a hubby but putting on my tanning lotion apparently wasn't in our vows. So when this little wonder showed up on my birthday I was genuinely stoked. No more white shoulder blades! This is why we need other women in our lives; to show us all of the cool things we may have otherwise missed.
:D
When I googled the product for an image I found that it is available through Amazon, Nordstroms, and Ulta.
Aren't daughters fabulous? Look how great it was all wrapped!
xoxo,
P
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Welcome to this week's
Motivated Monday
here at BeColorful.
So sorry for the late posting but it was a full week with a bit of this.
plus a party for my father-in-law,
a graduation party for a niece and nephew and an update to
Mac OSX Lion.
This update was the biggest reason for my late post. Switching over to a new computer and operating system has had a bit of a learning curve. Did you know that on Lion you can no longer "save as"? Wow, that made loading images from blog links a bit challenging but I am slowly grasping these "new fangled" options.
So this week I am just motivated to learn how this whole new Lion thing works.
:D
It appears that all of you have also been busy.
These were some of the many highlights from last week that I thought were intriguing.
Right out of the box I fell for this upgraded mirror from
So did you guess what she used for that sunburst border?
Painted stir sticks! Genius.
For those of you that are up for a more challenging task this DIY media cabinet is inspired. From the detailed tutorial to the spectacular end result this is one motivating project that deserves to be added to your Pinterest.
For those of you looking for something a bit simpler and that immediate gratificating, then this idea from
should be the project for you.
The numbers, the black and white, love it all.
Then there was this good to know post from
Just this past week this trick for how to tell if an egg is still good came up in a discussion. I had forgotten this little tip but when I saw it on a Motivated Monday blog link last week, I knew this helpful hint should be shared.
Finally, a few years back I had a dated fabric covered desk chair in a nasty shade of dirty burgandy. I would have loved to have recovered it. If only I had known how. That chair is long gone now but if you still have yours then you will want to stop by
to see how she created her fabulous pretty pink chair update.
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Last year I had done another silverware caddy for this same client.
On that first box we left the interior intact and I tried to suggest some alternative uses for it
but this time she wanted the second box gutted and painted. I wasn't able to paint it because of the residual glue. When I tried to sand it I found the wood lifting too. So I opted to line the box instead. Hobby Lobby carried the larger sheets of felt that I needed for this project.
My client had sent me a picture of a red toile pillow from her bedroom and let me know that she wanted this piece to coordinate with the rest of the room. So I used that photo as my jumping off point. Knowing that the other colors she wanted to incorporate were black, white, and a silvery blue I delved in to come up with something I hoped would work for her.
I actually printed out her picture and enlarged it so I could see some of the detail work since toile is not my usual painting style.
Then to pull the blues and reds together I did a border of flowers utilizing both colors.
The black and white border and feet are my nod to the flirty and fun and the blue and black damask reflects a more classic style.
It was a bit challenging to pull together the whimsical look she likes with the more traditional elements but stretching the brain is always a good thing.
xoxo,
p
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So glad you stopped by. It's Motivated Monday here at BeColorful and I'd love it if you would join in the fun. What have you been motivated to create? Maybe you need a bit of inspiration. If that is the case then you came to the right place.
Here are a few ideas for you from last week's post.
A great homemade granola recipe from
Can't wait to give this a try.
Looking for a unique way to "gift" a grad?
You really will want to check out this creative gift card concept
via
because we all know that what they really want is cold hard cash.
Hell on Heels Housewife
cracked me up.
How fun is this?
There is how to on her blog so you will definitely want to pin this for later.
This next recipe sounded so bizarre that I almost didn't even read through it but then I thought a bit sweet, spicy and salty.... it must be good. So what is it?
Cocoa Toasted Cauliflower
via
Sounds just a little bit awful but it looks tempting.
Go figure. I'm pinning this one too.
:D
Then there were the painted pieces that I am always always drawn to but these were totally inspiring for me and creating visions of new color palates in my head.
This jaw dropping blue jewel from
has me itching to start painting again.
What a great vignette.
Then I went a bit Lady Gaga for this perky pink piece of perfection from
Delightful! Plus, she did it all with spray paint. Incredible.
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I don't even have a dog but if I did my princess pooch would definitely be sleeping on one of these lovelies.
A Lucy Designs dog bed.
Hand painted and one-of-a-kind.
The detail work is more than impressive
and as if these weren't amazing enough I was blown away to learn that they are made from upside down end tables!
To have one of these beauties all of your own you can shop her Etsy site by clicking
Lucy has been one of my favorite bloggers for inspiration and support for several years now and she is just as fun and sweet as she is talented.
I LOVE LUCY DESIGNS
:D
xoxo,
p
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In an earlier post featuring our living room makeover I lamented over my need for a bit more pattern and perhaps some pops of color in this space.
As is usually the case, pulling a room together is sometimes just a series of smaller trials and errors and this room proved to be no exception.
It goes without saying that I am a color evangelist but occasionally, and this is that occasion for me, I like a more neutral sophisticated look.
Our home is a collection of rooms of color. Yet, I wanted to bring in a couple of calmer, color- subdued spaces too. But after I had most of the bigger pieces in place I was still struggling with myself. It still wasn't right. My go to easy element is color. The more I thought about it the more I began to convince myself that I should introduce some brighter colors into this room for that quirky unexpected twist so I brought in this piece.
My mom came over and put into words what I already knew.
The bright bold painting that I had just hung and written about on the blog was okay but it was actually a bit like the old game "One of these things doesn't belong". I like that unexpected element but maybe this wasn't quite the right thing. If I hadn't already wondered about that myself then the canvas would have remained right where it was but I appreciated her honesty and knew she was right.
So although I still loved the boldness and the color of the canvas, I knew it would look better in another space. So I have moved it to the dining room and I think it works wonderfully.
More on that room soon.
Other than introducing pattern and color to our living room, my other hurdle has been the accessories and where to find them.
I live in one of those fly over states and although we have a couple of nice furniture and design stores, the fact that we have so few resources thwarts my ability to buy locally. A few years ago there were more choices but it seems as if the furniture business has suffered some collateral damage from the housing downturn. I doubt that I am the only one that is finding this to be the case. So what's a girl to do?
Shop on-line of course!
Actually, a major portion of this room is the result of on-line shopping.
The rug, tables, mirrored chest and piano are the only things that I bought here in town.
The rest of it was all an on-line purchase, including my latest pillow acquisitions.
Love love love these TRINA TURK greek key pillows that I bought on Joss & Main
Now, what to do about that fireplace???
It is such a yawn.
:D
xoxo,
p
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