gibbgabb

baby charlee.

2012-02-06T09:16:00.000-06:00

Three weeks ago my dear friend Jordan had to have an emergency C-section and

baby Charlotte Kate (Charlee) joined us 6 weeks before her due date.

At 3 lbs. 7 ounces she had to stay in the NICU and is still there, being

cared for and gaining weight ounce by ounce.

the baby shower for the "mother to bee" was this past weekend

and it went really well. Mommy and baby

received so many sweet things!

We had fun putting together the table of goodies...

We also did a blessing table for baby Charlee...

Also...I made a blessing for Charlee, printed it out on cardstock,

and framed it so Jordan can hang it in her room...

There were so many precious people that came to the

shower to celebrate and bless Jordan and Charlee!

thankfully sweet little Charlee is doing much

better after three weeks of care and growth!

She is up to 4 lbs and should be coming

home in the next week!

I'm just so thankful for this sweet little angel

and can't wait to love on her some more!

our exterior before and afters.

2012-02-03T11:34:00.000-06:00

Big News!

We finished painting the siding on the

exterior of out home this past weekend! Woo Hoo!

It was a huge project...

9 months of scraping, sanding, priming, caulking, and painting!

I wish I had taken more before pics but here are a few:

The gray/brown paint on the wood siding was cracked, brittle and peeling off...

BEFORE

Here's a close up of one of the big front windows...

they were painted peachy tan and a mess:

BEFORE

you can't really tell that well but all of the paint along the

front which faces West was just bubbled up and flaking

off if you just ran your hand across it...

and take note of the adorable drooping rain gutter:

BEFORE

Here are some pics of after we scraped off most of the loose paint:

and here are some pics of it primed (we used a tinted primer):

goodness gracious these pictures are rough...

but it has to get worse before it can get better!:)

yes, it only had primer on it through the Christmas Season :)

still just primed:

At one point the hubs removed the entire front door to level it...

it's kind of a weird feeling having your front door leaning against

your porch and to just have a gaping hole in the front of your house!

we then completed the garage door and I wrote about it here

Once we completed the painting we installed our new porch lights:

and finally here are some after pics!
We still haven't installed the new shutters but
I just couldn't wait any longer to share pics! :)...

It's feeling a little bare naked with pathetic winter grass, lack of landscaping
and no shutters, but it sure is a GREAT feeling to have the main
part of this curb appeal project completed!!!

Now we need to prime, paint, and install our new shutters (built by handy hubs!)

Right now I'm thinking we will be painting the
new shutters black to match the front door...
thoughts or reccommendations are appreciated!!

hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

light it up!

2012-01-30T12:34:00.000-06:00

The hubs installed the new front porch lights this weekend!

and I LOVE them!!!

I love the contrast of the black against the newly painted siding!

and now the glossy black front door has some buddies:)

and of course here's a before pic...for comparison:

BEFORE

AFTER

For a while there I was debating on whether or not to get this

fixture because of the size, I thought it might be too big,

but it turns out - the existing fixture was just WAY too small (and ugly :)

and you might be noticing the oh so completed paint job

on the widows, eaves and siding! I'll post more on that later.

such a good feeling to come home to this...

hope you all have a wonderful Monday!

garage facelift complete.

2012-01-23T12:46:00.000-06:00

We have now been working on the exterior of our house now for nine months...

we should be giving birth to the finished project soon!;)

LOTS of Scraping & Sanding

TONS of Priming & Caulking

and loads of HOURS have gone into improving the exterior of our home!

we aren't quite done yet, but I have a little sneakity peekity to share!

I did a post last July about an idea for our garage.

it was in serious need of help!

I wanted to add some charm and personality
without breaking the bank...

and.......

I'm happy to announce that we've

finished the garage facelift...

and we are super happy with the end results!

it definitely upped the charm factor on that end of the house!

now we just need to get after it and finish up everything else...

I can't wait to share the rest of the exterior with y'all once it's complete!

Hope you have a happy Monday!

feliz navidad.

2011-12-06T10:28:00.000-06:00

i really had fun with our Christmas cards this year!

i got the idea for this silly card from a funny pic

of the hubs and i at Jordan and Clark's gender reveal party.

I showed my idea to Kristina @

everyday lovely and she totally

got my vision and with her crazy skillz

made our kitsch-tastic christmas cards...

i love them!

and I really enjoyed working with kristina...

y'all should check out her stuff. She is super talented,

super sweet and was really prompt.

Feliz navidad, friends!

girls, snow, paint.

2011-12-05T11:06:00.001-06:00

I had a lovely weekend with the ladies in Dallas....

we ate great food all weekend and

just really enjoyed being together!!!

supper at Mattito's / breakfast at Bread Winners

a little bit of shopping...

the weather was dreary but the company was cheery!

(check out that cute little pregger belly on jor....)

and to start off the work week...

SNOW!!!

here is our house sans shutters and paint.

We have scraped, sanded, primed

(we used a tinted primer on the body), caulked and now

we just have to wait

for a warm spell to paint!

(We've been working on this since April...

so don't be surprised if it takes us til April to finally finish :)

We decided on white eaves/trim and black shutters/door

I think they will be a nice contrast to our selected paint color

Kelly Moore's - Beachcomber.

just a reminder of what the house looked like when we bought it...

Can't wait to get it all done and show finished pics!

hope you all have a great week!

hoopy.

2011-12-02T11:24:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure where I saw this idea...most likely pinterest.

Fabric as art in needlepoint hoops.

I had a few fabric scraps that had all the colors

that I want to incorporate in our guest bedroom...

so I slipped the hoops over the fabric and cut off the excess.

we have a pair of twin beds in there

and these hoops were just the thing for over the headboards...

please note my sweet husband's craftsmanship in the

beautiful headboards that he made:

hope you all have a lovely weekend!

So excited to get Christmas underway at our house!

gender reveal partay!

2011-11-09T11:59:00.002-06:00

It's a GIRL!!!

This post is way late but I just wanted to share a few pics of

the gender reveal party that we had for

mommy and daddy to be:

Jordan and Clark Harrell!

They wanted something creative to announce their baby's gender...

so we came up with the idea to have them stuff pink or blue candy into a pinata!

So when the pinata was busted open we all found out at the same time!

Kristee made this adorable bunting banner, we

made colorful tissue flowers to hang from the trees, and...

we had a photo booth!!!

We are SOOOO excited to welcome sweet little

Charlotte Kate Harrell (Charlee)

into the world!!!!!!

also...these are the invites for the partay...

They were designed by Kelly @ KMann designs...

she did such an awesome job... as always!

I love it when I get an invite or card in the mail that she has designed!

Hope you are all having a great Wednesday!

zig zag.

2011-10-13T13:27:00.002-05:00

i have been wanting to liven up a couple of terracotta pots

in my dining room that I have my topiaries in for

a while now and just wasn't sure what I wanted to do...

well I finally decided on ZIG ZAGS...

so I got out my painter's tape and spray paint...

and made these lil cuties...

I really like how they bring a graphic look to each end of the shelf...

Since I was so happy with the zig zags in my home I decided to

make a big one for outside the front door of the studio...

and stacked some punkins up on top!

Have a great Thursday, friends!

client living/dining.

2011-10-06T10:23:00.003-05:00

Some friend's of our just moved back to Abilene and

purchased a fabulous old house!

It's on lots of land and has fabulous features like 2 large fireplaces,

hardwood floors, wooden beam ceilings, and lots of

quirky/awesome little tid-bits that you only get with an older home.

They have been living "small" for the past few years, because he

was finishing up his medical residency. So they needed a

game plan to get this place

full, furnished and feeling like home!

The large downstairs dining and living spaces was

the first order of business...I sketched out a scaled layout and then

cut out different paper furniture pieces to scale so we could

get an idea for what the space needed and scoot everything

around until it was just right. (sorry for the bad phone pic)

then I presented her with this concept board for the living room...

they've got two little kiddos and have to plan accordingly...

so I chose slipcovered furniture, a dark patterned wool rug,

and a high/low mix of accent furniture and accessories.

i also did a mantle concept board because it is the

focal point of the room and will set the tone for the space...

and here is the dining room furnishings board...

and a mantle concept for this room as well....

it's going to be gorgeous! Can't wait!

I hope you are all having a lovely Thursday!

If you are interested in a consult for a room design of your own,

please feel free to contact me at rgibbs.design@gmail.com for information and pricing.

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." II Timothy 1:7

funny puppy.

2011-09-08T09:14:00.001-05:00

Had to share these funny pics...

We took the pups to the lake earlier this summer and they loved it!

When we left they hoped onto their blanket in the backseat

and leaned against each other just panting their heads off...

After about 10 minutes the panting stopped and I turned

around to see that they had fallen asleep leaning against each other...

precious heads. :) i just love them.

client bedding.

2011-09-06T14:41:00.001-05:00

i had the privilege of working with

Alye,a 13 year client, this summer on her bedroom...

she has great taste and is just a precious/happy girl.

i chose a greyed purple for the walls and a combination

of custom/stock pieces from Eastern Accents...

I cannot speak highly enough of ths companies quality.

-excellentay.

We haven't finished the room but I wanted to share...

here is the bedding still in the packaging...

we also ordered this bed, and i haven't taken pics since it has been set up but...

this morning i got a picture text from Alye's mom...she said...

"Alye LOVES her room...and wouldn't leave for

school this morning until her "BEAUTIFUL" bed was made!"

love it! Wonder how long that will last! haha

client master bath remodel.

2011-09-02T11:27:00.000-05:00

Master bathroom remodel for a client in Haskell, Texas...

BEFORE PICS:

leopard wallpaper

(kind of awesome/but super dark and not appropriate for this space)

wall to wall carpet, and tacky brass fixtures...

BEFORE

chandy that I felt looked cheap/silly...

BEFORE: itty bitty dated shower

BEFORE: small shower and under utilized

storage get nixed to make room for....

a beautiful spacious shower!!!

Selected Finishes and Concept Sketch...

More AFTER pics:

shower details: rainshower head / bench

wall paper removed, walls/woodwork painted,

awkward double doors to W/C replaced with single door,

all new hardware/fixtures, carpet replaced with gorgeous 20" x20" tile...

We kept the cultured marble counters to keep the budget down

and I think they turned out looking a okay with everything else updated!

shower tile close up...

diagonal 6" x 6" above chair rail, 20" x 20" below,

2" x 2" mosaic on floors and ceiling...

i hope this sweet family will be able to

enjoy this beautiful bathroom for years to come!

client design.

2011-08-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

Some super sweet friends of ours are having baby boy number

three any day now. About a month ago she asked me to put together

a design for their master bedroom. They decided to put new baby

in the bedroom with them and she was super stoked cause

that meant that they "had" to do a master bedroom makeover!

They are a super fun family and love bright colors and a contemporary style!

She found some baby bedding on sale at Target that was

lime green/orange/gray...and that was my inspiration for the entire room...

One design element that we decided to work around (for fear of what was behind it!)

was a large wall of mirrors behind the bed...i found the solution was found on Etsy.com...

11" radial vinyl decals that i hoped would make a

statement in the same way a large scale wallpaper would...and at the same time

would distract from the huge mirrored wall!

a new rug, fabric to add length and pattern to plain white

curtain panels, artwork, pillows etc... were all ordered

and arrived last week! we got together Saturday morning

and had a fun time putting it all together!

i think the biggest impact was definitely the mirror decals!

we loved how they turned out!!!

i painted this tree triptych to hang over baby's crib...

i tried to pull in as many colors from the other
artwork and fabrics as i could...

another handmade piece in the room is this pillow...

eventually it will sit in an upholstered rocker that has been
ordered but has yet to arrive!
...it is cut out white felt on a solid orange fabric...
super cute and super easy peasy to make!

and this is the last pic I have because my camera died

...typical. i always forget to charge it!

i had so much fun putting this room together for this precious

couple...now it's time for baby boy number three to arrive!!!

fashionista inspiration.

2011-08-18T12:00:00.001-05:00

i was cleaning some folders out on my computer and came across

these style boards that I put together back in the Spring:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE LARGER

I have some friends that put on a fabulous consignment

boutique twice a year called My Sister's House....

CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE LARGER

this year they asked me to make a few style boards

for Spring Trends... and i really enjoyed putting them together!

CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE LARGER

maybe now we can all be inspired to seek out some upcoming fall trends...

and start hoping for cooler weather!!

CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE LARGER

what are some clothing trends that y'all look forward to for fall?

bachelorette bash.

2011-08-16T14:04:00.000-05:00

my sweet sweet highschool friend, Simran, is getting married in November!!!

Her bachelorette partay was this past weekend in Breckenridge, CO....

YAY for the bride to be!!!

She gave us our bridesmaid outfits the first night we were there....

LOVE THEM!!!!

...this is the AMAZING cabin we stayed in.

we were all ooohing and aahhhing over the gorgeous scenery the entire trip.

I didn't know any of Simran's other friends going

into the weekend but by the end I felt so close

with all of them! They were all so sweet and welcoming!

we had a great time white water rafting, singing kareoke,

having a spa day, eating and just having an overall

fabulous celebration for Simran!

my home is a fine art museum ;)

2011-07-28T15:59:00.001-05:00

hello lovely people....i hope everyone is having themselves a fantastic week!

today i am going to share a recent artwork project with you...

it's a collage of different colored/patterned papers that i first saw

on pinterest via bonnie's beautiful blog: going home to roost. she put together
a great tutorial that was easy to follow.

it's an fun and fresh patchwork/cube art piece that was fairly simple to construct:

here is what I used to make it:

- pretty paper/anthro magazines

- modge podge

- scissors

- tape

-a right triangle with a 45 degree angle (to make the diamonds)

The trick to making the cubes look 3D is to cut out

an equal amount of light, medium, and dark toned pieces.
Put the light on top the dark on the bottom right

and the medium on the bottom left of the cube...

i definitely recommend taping each cube together before you paste it down.

That way you can better control the overall outcome of texture/color dispersal.

i chose papers that had lots of intricate details and looked very textural.

I used a 5" white mat and framed with a 3" thick wood frame that

was a 90% off HOBBY LOBBY find!...woo hoo!

and i'm loving it hanging in the corner of our living room!

hope you feel inspired and are proud of me.
peace out.

carriage faux.

2011-07-27T16:43:00.001-05:00

so this is what i've got...

a fantabulous lean-to "garage."

It is actually a wood shop for rather talented carpenter. but i call it our gah-rahge. :)

and this is what a garage should look like....at least in my dreams:

night and day difference.

well i love me some carriage doors...

the wood detail, little windows and decorative hardware

adds a bit of charm to an otherwise boring-o basic...

so tell me your thoughts on this idea...

take this blank slate...

and jazz it up with a lil somethin like this....

a few pieces of wood, some paint and a big pretty handle...
it obviously wouldn't be a functioning pair of doors, but
i think it would be a good look.

Painting the added pieces black would look good with the shutters, don't you think?

We are currently scraping, caulking, priming and painting our entire exterior
so I think this project could be happening in the near future. woo hoo!

Hope you've had a happy hump day!

jarring.

2011-07-12T10:16:00.001-05:00

I found a lovely little blue and white ginger jar at my fav flea

market this weekend... i placed it on top of a cabinet in our living room

with some other watery hued jars and bottles...

it's a cool and serene little grouping that is just the thing

to chill our senses (lol) as we walk in our front door from the 100+ degree

weather that we've had for over 30 days now!

hope you all have a lovely Tuesday!

FYI: the only project we have going on at our house this summer is

painting the exterior, and if it was painting and painting

alone it would be a much simpler project!

We are scraping off all of the old paint (which is uber time consuming),

replacing planks of siding where needed,

sanding (which is icky!), priming, caulking and painting!! ahhhhh!

soooo that is why there is a huge lackage of posting from

me this summer! Hopefully we will be done by fall!

Just wanted to let y'all know where I've been!

floored.

2011-06-28T09:06:00.000-05:00

check out these great pics of unique and beautiful flooring...

i think it takes a good bit of ~~creativity~~ guts to

make your floor such a bold statement...

cottage living

decor pad

elle decor

what do you think? bold statement on the floor a good idea?

or best to keep it neutral and bring the bold in elsewhere?

bedroom bliss.

2011-06-15T16:41:00.001-05:00

peeps....where is this image from??? House Beautiful perhaps??? Let me know if you know. Thx!

hot air.

2011-06-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

I saw this cutie trailer on my way back to Abilene from

Tuscola a few weeks ago and grabbed my camera real quickly to

snap a few pics. Since then I 've thought what a cute babies room

hot air balloons would make! I like that they are uni-sex,

can incorporate a variety of patterns/colors, and would be fairly simple to paint/draw.

and then this week Shelbi of Events by Shelbi Rene posted

a really adorable baby shower featuring hot air balloons!

love this...

typically i am not into "themes" but i can definitely

see this in a sweet little bebe's nursery.

What do ya think? are you for or or against themage?

rug redo.

2011-06-04T10:30:00.000-05:00

I blogged ~~last month~~ in April (wow where has the time gone????)

about a rug that I had ordered back in
November finally arriving for our living room.

Weeellllll.....Long story that I will try to keep short:
I don't have that rug anymore.

The company that I ordered the rug from called me about

two weeks after I'd gotten it and said that I had to return it.

Absolutely HAD to return it.

Our rep could not give any reason and told us that he

wan't given any information except that he HAD to get it back.

Of course the first thought that crazy me came up with

was that it was contaminated with anthrax or that is

was some sort of health hazard or something.

dramatic much?

My much more level headed hubby said oh it's probably

some sort of copywright issue or something,

and of course that's what it turned out to be.

So ANYways...I had to choose a new rug to replace that one.

i think it is actually for the best because that rug was looped wool
and my sweet pups paw claws were snagging it up.

So the new rug is a cut pile wool instead which
I think will be mucho better for everyone.

here she is...

isn't she a cutie?

I put together a lil design board tosee how it would work in our space

check it...

The overall scheme is cool grays/blues with plans to accent with

either warm yellows or coral.
ooohhh yeaaa.

hope you have a great weekend!

stylin shelves.

2011-06-03T08:26:00.001-05:00

I really really think one of my favorite things to do is to rearrange.

i love me some change.

using the same pieces in new and different ways is always fun.

our house is small so the furniture layout can't vary too much,

but everything else is changed up all the time.

i think it's fun to display things in a way that brings attention

to a specific piece that wasn't getting as much attention before...then

people think you got something new! :)

bookshelves are a great place to showcase your stylin skills...

here are some fabulously styled shelves for inspiration:

...fav**

love the stripey pillow shams btw

small personal details take time to look over and draw you in.

fav #2 (so fresh and so clean clean)

...another fav (i love the wide variety of all of the items shapes and sizes)

QUESTION: have any of you put up wall paper, fabric, a

contrasting colored paint or anything else on the backs of your shelves?

How did it turn out?

antlers what up.

2011-06-02T09:23:00.000-05:00

What are your thoughts on the antler wall mount trend?

LIKE IT? LOVE IT? OVER IT?

when i first saw this trend i thought i would be poser-ish if i did it cause

i've never shot at or thought about shooting ANYTHING. but I've

really started to enjoy the touch of natural/organic that it brings to a space.

What's your opinion on this trend?

a polka birthday.

2011-06-01T09:22:00.000-05:00

Memorial / my Birthday weekend was a great one!

The hubs and I attended Polka Fest of Ennis with some precious friends...

Here I am with Josephine the Polka dog...

my sweet friends surprised me with SPRINKLES cupcakes and

some super fantastic presents. Thanks ladies. yummmmmm....

The second half of the weekend was spent with my family at Lake Texhoma...

we had a lovely time chillin on the boat and hanging out together.

i'd do it again.

Have a happy hump day!

eggs and roses.

2011-05-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

The hubs has been doing some carpentry

work for the Riley family from church,

They live in a really cute house and have chickens!

She sent lucas home last week with this sweet basket of goodies...

fresh eggs...

amazing roses from their yard that smell heavenly...

a jar of pancake mix...(which were delicious)

and a jar of syrup!

the basket also included three delightful books,

2 of which were about decorating... I thouroughly enjoyed getting

this sweet home made gift and just had to share it with y'all!

and just to make you smile...

a picture of my snuggle bugs trying to share the bed. goobers.

happy wednesday!

xoxo

rug time.

2011-04-19T09:32:00.000-05:00

i had a little "rug hunt" last fall and went through several options for our living room.

Well this is what I ended up selecting....

it's from Sphinx Rugs, here is the description:

100% wool hand-tufted rugs with a unique flat surface reminiscent of the hand embroidery used in traditional soumak rugs. The selection consists of open and large scale patterns in a mix of sophisticated modern and traditional styles. Each pattern is distinctive in color, from subtle gray and lavender to deep traditional red with accents of bright gold and aqua blue.

unfortunately this was a new design that actually hadn't even been produced yet. booo. so after ordering it on November 30th. I waited ~~patiently~~ until April the 5th for it to finally show up! geez louise.

The package it was delivered in said: BY BOAT FROM MUMBAI TO SAVANNAH

I'm no shipping specialist but that doesn't seem like a very efficient route does it???

ANNNY WAAY....it's here now!

here is a pic from my phone...sorry not a very good pic!

I really like how it looks with the wood flooring and it's SUPER thick and squishy!

which the hubs is a big fan of.

I'll get some better pics of it in the room later to share with y'all.

hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!

before and after fun II.

2011-04-14T10:51:00.000-05:00

Here are some Before and After pics of a kitchen remodel that we completed last week...

First I have to start out with a

DISCLAIMER:

these lovely clients had a horrible plumbing leak right

before they came to us for help, so these pictures show

the kitchen at its absolute worst with everything out of

the cabinets and piled around, so just keep that in

mind when you see these crazy before pics:

BEFORE:

The Layout of the Kitchen/Dining area was not very functional for this family.

They needed more storage and

more countertop space, but wanted to keep

as much dining seating as possible.

This is the

BEFORE LAYOUT:

*click on it to see it bigger*

There wasn't a good definition of space and the layout was akward.

There was a peninsula that juted out into the kitchen and had hardly any storage in it.

_________________

The Design Plan:

My client wanted something with fun color and

touch of contemporary personality to liven up her traditional kitchen...

The Peninsula was removed and in it's place a new custom pantry was built.
The cabinetry was extended and a large bar with oodles of extra storage and seating for four was installed.
6" x 6" tile with a decorative insert replaced the laminate backsplash
A "granite look" laminate with beveled edges relaced the old laminate. This is a great alternative when you are on a budget.
Antique Brass Cabinetry hardware was replace with Oil Rubbed Bronze knobs.
The fluorescent fixture was removed to make way for recessed lighting.
Three Oil Rubbed Bronze Pendants with an awesome Chisled Turqoise Detail hang over the new bar.
The old cabinet finish was freshened up with a darker chocolate brown stain.

This is the

AFTER LAYOUT:

*click on it to see it bigger*

and Voila! The after pics:

Love me some Before/After action. Hope you do to! :)

and I hope y'all are all having a great Thursday!

marblization.

2011-04-12T14:34:00.001-05:00

I had a client bring this lovely picture

to me that was ripped out of House Beautiful:

she was in love with the wallpaper,
and wanted to use it to update her pink plaid powder room:

the only problem was...

the torn out magazine page is ALL we had

no name, pattern, brand, color, ANYTHING.

well after ~~a bit~~ weeks of research I found

that Twigs wallpaper company makes

this pretty hand painted marbelized
paper and it is called "Pheasant."

The closest carrier of this brand was in Dallas so after

a day a market I ran by to see what

colorways they had...

I loved seeing all the different colors...

this paper is so cool because there are irregular
variations through is that give it a really unique quality

this is the one that was in House Beautiful....
Orange:

And THIS is the one i selected
for my client...
Peach:

It was a subtle version of the orange and it
looks GREAT in her under the stairs powder bath...

much better than pink plaid huh?

she is a painter herself so she really appreciated the hand crafted qualities

I don't know how well you can tell in the picture,

but the ceiling is the underside of the steps and it is mirrored,

I love how the paper is reflected onto the ceiling:

It seems that more and more people are wanting wallpaper.

I love it.

What are your thoughts on papering the walls?

flower bed dreams.

2011-03-31T10:07:00.000-05:00

just dreaming about my beautiful flower beds...

ahhhhh one day...

i really love the english cottage garden look...

or whatever this is...

the carefree/casual, anything goes look

so fresh and happy...

_________________

our house had five bushes in the front flower

beds when we bought our house...

(this is the pic off of the realtors website)

to this day still only five bushes!

this summer's project is scraping and painting the exterior.

not much to dream about! haha

so no fabulously lush flower beds in my near future!

but one day hopefully. :)

here's to a happy thursday

and to happy dreaming!

xoxo

scalloped cornice and ballerinas.

2011-03-28T16:56:00.000-05:00

some of you awesome people voted on which fabrics to use in a little

girl's nursery for one of my clients a few months ago...

and the crowd favorite was the design that incorporated the
sweet little degas ballerina fabric....

wellllll my client agreed with all of you! She loved the ballerina's!

we haven't installed yet, but i just wanted to
share some pics of the finished pieces:

and don't you worry... we definitely have some custom
curtains out of the ballerina fabric for our little missies play castle!
(they are still wrapped in plastic, but will soon
be a part of a little princesses dream world:) haha... oh to be 4 again.

didn't it all turn out super cutie pie?!

hope every one of you has had a great monday!

craigslist two.

2011-03-22T18:28:00.001-05:00

just been cattin' around on craigslist again...

Check out these fun bamboo pieces:

$50 bamboo/cane headboard

i love this headboard and can see it

painted out in a glossy coral or white!

bamboo/cane dresser

get it, paint it and have a look like this:

elle decor

___________________________________________________

I just think that this would be pretty in

a small entry...and it's 75 buckaroos

__________________________

so maybe this dresser has red flowers painted on the side,

but a few coats of paint and it could

be a REALLY fabulous piece:

if you painted the inset areas in a different color you

could have some super stylish storage for ...$10?!? do. it.

and then accessorize it like this:

___________________________

check out these saweet mid century consoles that
would be a perfect place for the telly to perch upon...

these consoles are straight up Emily Henderson style and would fit
perfectly into a room like the one she designed on her latest episode:

___________________________

i love the tribal-esque fabric on this great little side chair....

and a great deal at $225 especially

since you wouldn't have to reupholster it!

a very ANTHRO look, don't you think?

except without the huge-o price tag.

__________________________

mid-century hutch, table and chairs ($350) wowsa:

k that's all.

peace out girl scout.

pinched.

2011-03-17T22:38:00.001-05:00

i wore purple today. oops.

normally it wouldn't matter, but my boss' two little grandson's (7 & 4)

were at the studio for about thirty minutes this morning,

and they punished my left arm several times for not having any green on.

so here is what i should have worn:

1. Flutter neck shell Top- Ann Taylor LOFT

2. Detail on front of shell top

3. Cardigan- JCrew

4. Crystal Confection ring- Kate Spade

5. Malibu Hoops- Forever 21

6. Pin Slim Patent Belt- JCrew

7. Seaport twisted bangles-Kate Spade

8. Dropped gem bracelet- Banana Republic

9. Make Fast Flats- Anthropologie

10. Black Matchstick Jean - JCrew

teal counts as green right? or would i still have gotten pinched??

my grandpa always used to tell me that i needed to wear

orange and green on St. Patrick's day.

i never knew or asked why...i just thought he was being funny.

so i looked it up today and there is a reason

that some people (very few) wear orange!

Orange is symbolic of Irish Protestants

while Green is symbolic of Irish Catholics.

On the Irish flag, there is an orange stripe,

a green stripe and a white stripe.

The orange is for the Protestants, the green is for the Catholics

and the white is for the hope of peace between the two.

wonderful. a history lesson for all of us. :)

i am headed out of town until monday...so it's an early

weekend for me! Hope you all have a lovely one!

xoxo

yellow.

2011-03-14T09:15:00.000-05:00

i planted some carolina jasmine on either side of our front porch last Spring

and it grew really quickly over the summer.

I did everything i could to keep it from freezing over the winter,

and for the most part i think my efforts paid off!

The tops of the vines are not blossoming yet,

but the bottoms are full of cheery yellow flowers...

a few little guys are showing up here and there up top...

but for the most part there are just little budsies still...

they smell great when you walk out on the front porch...

YAY for Spring!

i hope you all had a restful weekend
and for those of you who are teachers...
yes, i am jealous of your spring break. ;)
so enjoy it thouroughly!

client.

2011-03-11T12:25:00.000-06:00

i have a client that lives in a relatively new builder grade type home,

the walls are white, and the floors are puny laminate and cream carpet.

she has asked me to "warm it up" and make it more personal and inviting.

the home DOES have some interesting features...

which i plan to emphasize with paint...

and she has several really beautiful pieces that she inherited from

her mother that are a great starting point for the design of the space

in addition to her exsisting furniture we are getting

a chaise, a large tufted ottoman, a couple of fabulous

wingback chairs, a console table and a side table.

here are some of the finishes i've selected so far:

1. existing sofa pillows

2. wingback chair fabric

3. accent fabric

4. accent fabric

5. leather for tufted ottoman

6. sofa fabric

7. new wood flooring

8. silver/gold leg finish for ottoman

9. Wall/Ceiling Paint: BM Oakwood Manor

(looks lighter in pic, it's a warm gold/cream)

10. Ceiling accent paint BM Silver Mink

(for recessed ceiling detail)

11. furniture layout

this fabric, along with some of her existing artwork

gave me the color palette for the space:

this fabric will be on two wing back chairs

that have tufting and nailhead details:

and no, i didn't draw these out of proportion!
..haha...they really are going to have the oversized flared back like that.

i can't wait to see them once they are finished!
I'll be sure to share the results with y'all!

have a wonderful weekend!

weekend wedding.

2011-03-07T14:01:00.000-06:00

we went to my brother-in law's wedding this

weekend in Dripping Springs Texas...

the wedding was at Vista West Ranch which was a really beautiful/rustic location.

I didn't get any pics of them, but Susie was a gorgeous bride!

here are a couple of pics off of the venue's website

the hubs was a groomsman, so he was busy busy all weekend...

and i got to spend the weekend with these lovely ladies:

precious Miss Whitney Pinson (who is dating another one of my brothers-in-law)

Autumn Whitaker (who i just met this weekend, love her)

and my sweet sis Amanda! We had a blast hanging out, eating frozen yogurt, and relaxin.

and here is my sweetie pie in all his windswept wedding glory. ;)

it was a WINDY/CHILLY day! we were all glad that the reception was inside!

Hope you all had a great weekend and a good start to this week!

laundry fiesta.

2011-02-25T10:17:00.000-06:00

We have been feeling REALLY anxious for Spring

up at work and we decided to get an early start on it...

so yesterday, spring came to the studio. ;)

We have gotten so many pretty new fabrics for Spring and i

wanted to diplay them in a way that would catch your eye

and draw you in so i made a four "laundry" lines

and clipped up some of our favs...

We also made TISSUE PAPER FLOWERS!

we had a fun, crafty time makin them...

and then i just placed them throughout the retail part of the studio

for some fun pops of color!

now if Spring would just ACTUALLY come, that would be great. haha

hope you all have a very lovely weekend!

spring teaser.

2011-02-18T10:25:00.000-06:00

i might just be a wee bit obsessed with

JCrews Spring Look Book...it's just down right yummy.

and according to Pantone's top ten color picks for Spring 2011,

they are right on track with the color trends...( i'm sure it was by accident :)

i also love the bright orangey red lipstick on each of the models

would i look like a clown? most likely.

these scalloped pink shorts with the cutie pie bow are my favorite.

tribal prints and stripes both seem to be all over the place.

am i ready for Spring to officially be here?

duh.

i just know this fabulous weather is a tease, but i hope not. ;)

i hope each and every one of you has a WONDERFUL weekend!!!

polish present.

2011-02-15T10:16:00.000-06:00

Meredith at Sweet T family hosted a Polish Swap

and I joined in for the fun...

my super polish swap partner, Kim, got me Essie's

NEED A VACATION.

Perfection...I love it! and I got it yesterday,

What a great Valentine's Day surprise!Thanks Kim!

have a wonderful Tuesday!

digest this.

2011-02-11T11:22:00.000-06:00

reader's digest books come in SO many different colors...

i have collected bunches of them since college to decorate with

( i've only read TWO stories out of them...both murder mysteries...haha)

every book has a different spine color and a

patterned paper on the front and back covers.

i love finding these books at thrift stores in their

solid book jackets and and taking the jackets off to see

what pretty paper is hiding inside...

the book spines are very pretty, but lately I have been

wanting to create a fresher look. so i just turn the books

around and feature the cover papers instead of the spines...

i have always found them at various thrift stores,

but i was looking on Etsy the other day and found some!

Rene at Cottage and Vine sells them in her Etsy shop... check em out!

craigslist creativity.

2011-02-08T10:52:00.000-06:00

craigslist can be awesome as well as aggravating.
I've been looking for a certain sized love seat for a good 6 months now. no luck AT ALL.
but during my weekly scans, i do run across some stuff that is pretty nifty...

thought I'd share some...

this $100 craigslist mirror could look

fabulous as-is or with a fun coat of turquoise...

very FURBISH-esque...no?

pic via i suwannee

__________________

this brown tufted 7 footer looks pretty rough in this pic,

but the ad says EXCELLENT condition.

would have to see in person for sure...

$280 would be a steal for this much vintage/anthro-ishness, and

the neutral brown might just work a little better with your

color scheme than this $6K yellow babay...

________________________

i think this small scale swivel wicker would be

cutie pie as additional seating in the corner of a bedroom...

$25 you Dallas peeps...

it faintly reminds me of this gorgeous

peacock wicker chair...mmmm

or this one from Charlotte magazine...

or you could paint it out and put a fun little cushion on it...

_____________________

and for $50 you could bring some femininity into your space
with this pink winged back chair that's in "great" condition...

great price, if it's really in "great condition.

_____________________

this head/foot board would be really pretty painted white...

in my bedroom. :)

have any of you seen this love seat on craigslist...?? it's the one I've been looking for. ;)

perfect width 43", perfect depth 34", perfect shape.
...and I'm not picky on color... I'd be happy with any
neutral, grey, dark navy, or chocolate brown.
let me know if you find one similar!

haha...in my dreams!

high gloss.

2011-02-07T10:45:00.000-06:00

I've just been admiring Tia Zoldan's chic ecletic home in L.A.

it's lovely...check it out in the premier issue of High Gloss (the online mag)...

and check out Jamie Meare's (i suwannee and furbish) AHmazing home...

also featured in High Gloss. i just LOVE her style.

and her humor...i could read her witty posts all day long.

and if you go check out the magazine, look at the ceiling

on page 101...they did the fretwork detail on the

ceiling that i did on my side tables. I love that idea...never would've thought

of putting it on the ceiling!

have yourselves a happy happy Monday!!

fretwork.

2011-02-03T10:26:00.001-06:00

i finished the guest room side tables a while ago, just haven't put up pics yet...

the fretwork look is easy to get with painter's tape

i used a champagne colored spray paint, let it dry,

taped off the areas i wanted to stay gold,

rolled on a coat of white, peeled off the tape and voila...

these are actually two different tables, but it's totally not

noticable on opposite sides of the room and with their matchy paint jobs...

now onto our SNOW DAY #3!

i hope the rest of you who are stuck find something to keep you occupied,

and those of you who escaped the frizzard (freezing blizzard)...

tell the world hi for the rest of us and enjoy your freedom!!!

xoxo

snowie.

2011-02-01T16:14:00.000-06:00

the mister and i are all cozied up at home today
because of a few inches of snow.

i just love how texans can't handle snow
and shut down EVERYTHING. :)

and yes you can laugh at my attempt to protect the carolina jasmine that is growing up our porch posts. haha... i wrapped it with some leftover blackout lining...don't know if it helped...but i guess we will see in a couple of days when it is 75 degrees again!

the pups are lovin the snow...i think this only
their second or third time to see snow...

they ran circles around the yard forever...when i finally decided to video them...

they saw me and decided to come in....sillies. Emily got some way better shots of her two pups!

the hubs just made chocolate chip cookies (his specialty). gonna go eat em up.

peace out, girl scout.

before & after monday.

2011-01-31T16:56:00.000-06:00

i hope you are all having a lovely Monday! it has been 70 degrees

and sunny all day today. i've been loving it. but tonight we are

supposed to get snow, ice, freeezing ickiness. eeewwww

i took a few quick pics to share with y'all at a client's house today! we are wrapping up a kitchen remodel...

our budget kept us from getting new cabinets, but we worked with them and updated the backsplash counter tops and flooring. Relocating some appliances and knocking out the wall between the kitchen and the dining/living has made a HUGE difference.

We are not quite done, but i just had to share these quick pics with y'all because it is such a dramatic difference!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

the backsplash is a realllly pretty marble mosaic...
the undercounter lights we put in accents the splash
as well as provide excellent task lighting for her
new granite work space.

it might not be as fun looking at people's houses that y'all
don't know, cause it's not as personal, but I hope you don't
mind me sharing a little of my work on here. :)

xoxo...bundle up tonight so you don't freeze your bootie off!!

stylin' oh yea.

2011-01-28T09:09:00.004-06:00

Thank you, Rene, from the oh so lovely blog Cottage and Vine

for giving me the Stylish blogger Award! It means alot coming from you!...
her blog is definitely one of my favs.

if it was a trophy...i would place it on my mantle...

that is...if i had a mantle. ;)

Part of the award requirements was that
i share 7 things about yours truly...
so here we go...

1. I am a homebody.

100%.

Being at home just satisfies me and brings me joy.

(perhaps one day i will be able to call the house in the

above picture my home, then i would never leave.)

2. I adore my family and the family that i married into.

the Lord has greatly blessed me.

3. i love my dogs. they are my children.
even if im not allowed to call them that...per the mister.
they make me oh so happy.

4. i am so thankful for friendships...a have some Ahhmazing

gals in my life....and i love each one of them oh so very much!

(no worries...this list is not in order of importance...

my dogs are not ranked higher than my friends...

at least not most of them.

kidding. of course.)

5. I LOVE me a hot bath.

Especially after a long day of work, when it's chilly out.

Technology has created this incredible thing called a HOT SOAK tub, that i just recently discovered.

It doesn't have jets, bubbles or anything, it just keeps the water toasty for as long as you would like.

I only ever get out of my bathtub when the water is getting too cold, so i could REALLY have a fabulous relationship with this invention.

6. I love reading blogs!

i get inspired and entertained daily by all of you and your blogs!

I feel like there are soooo many out there

that i have yet to discover. and that's just fun.

and i don't drink coffee, i like how it tastes, i think i'm just scared that
i'll get addicted to it like the rest of the world.

7. i loved the Harry Potter books. fact. proud of it.

got my first one for my 11th birthday (thanks grandma),

and have been obsessed ever since. don't love the movies too much.

...if you were on the edge of your seat for that list, which i'm sure you all were...then you'll love this.

And now for my 10 Stylish Blogger picks of 2011...;)

Keeping Up With the Manns

Oh My! Oh Me!

Events by Shelbi Rene

Smitten Design
lullaby lubbock

Creative Juice
mr. b and me

Our Blue Door
Finding Beauty Through Closed Eyes
Mackey Madness

I love reading each one of these blogs every time they put up a new post! go check them out for yourself!

As part of accepting the award and spreading the blog love, they'll...

1. Thank and link back to the person that awarded them.

2. Share seven things about themselves.

3. Pay it forward to 10 (or so) recently discovered bloggers.

4. Contact those bloggers about the award!

i hope everyone of you has a great Friday and a Fantastic weekend!!!

out of my box.

2011-01-26T17:24:00.000-06:00

i made a little fashion board...

i was going to put together a complete outfit, but was unsuccessful.

so what i ended up with was a

collection of pretties in golds and coral.

i'm NOT recommending that you wear ALL of these

items at once, but if you did i wouldn't be mad.

just jealous. ;)

1. Only Gold for Me Nailpolish..........Sephora

2. Coral and Gold Earrings.................Forever 21

3. Honey Branch Necklace................Bananna Republic

4. Metallic Striped Cardigan...............Ann Taylor

5. Super Skinny Leather Belt..............Bananna Republic

6. Scotty Essential Flat.......................Bananna Repubic

7. Harlow Bracelet............................Rebecca Minkoff

and then there is this stinkin cute top....

i had to share it with you because i heart it.

thankfully they are out of my size, because

i don't need it / don't need to spend the mulah on it.

but it is 50% off so hopefully one of you will

love it as i do and will go grab one before they are all gone.

Silk Ink Splash Print Top................. ANN TAYLOR ~~$88~~ $40

tomorrow is thursday, i love thursdays!

i hope you all are having a

productive and delightful week.

xoxo

market.

2011-01-24T11:26:00.001-06:00

i was at Dallas market on Thursday and Friday last week.

i got alot done and had a good time seeing all of the

beautiful showrooms.

love this lime washed dining table and the tufted chairs...

...there was a pair of these fun patterned chairs

with this awesome highbacked velvet sofa...

i'll take the whole set, thank you.

this chair was so pretty with peacock feather

embroidered silk on the sides and back.

i had to take a pic of this to show the hubs

...golf club entaglement art ...haha

this one made me laugh...Beatles embroidery...niiiiice

and probably my favorite...

the George Cameron Nash showroom in the Design Center...

simply stunning...every inch of it...

and then i crashed. : )

i also got to see this sweet lady when i took a break
and was checking out the jewelry. it was so fun to run into you, mrs. b!

hope you all had a lovely weekend and have a great Monday!!!

what i'm loving wdnesday.

2011-01-19T13:42:00.000-06:00

I am linking up to this blog that i found out about from this blog for What I'm Loving Wednesday! ;)

today I am loving...

this adorableness...

these cutie pa tootie booties...

my sweet goobers... they just make me smile
every time i walk through our door...

that i get to go to ZUMBA tonight!!!

i really look forward to MWF evenings because of ZUMBA!

that i just got to eat a yummy burrito from
my fav:
Sharky's Burrito Co.
(Now i just need to go work it off tonight!! ;)

that i am going to market in Dallas tomorrow! I'm looking

forward to checking out all of the latest and

greatest that the design world has to offer...

my bestest friend. sooo thankful for this guy.

i hope you all are having a wonderful Wednesday
full of lots of things that you love!
xoxo

baby room. (not mine ;)

2011-01-18T15:56:00.001-06:00

i don't ever share projects from work on here, but i am

doing a precious little two year old girl's bedroom right now and i am just

really enjoying all the precious prints, polka dots,

and pastels. so i thought i share two options with

y'all and see which one you like better...

this little sweetie "likes" butterflies and ballerinas & pastel colors.

(she has really developed taste for someone so young...

lol or maybe mamma had a little influence over her style preference ;)

i'm not a huge fan of themed rooms, so a couple of pillows and a fun

cornice window treatment will be the real pizazz...

the rest of the room (white bed, with pale pink and white

monogrammed bedding, neutral walls/floors) will be classic and can

remain the same as this little baby grows older.

so here is OPTION #1: powder blue and pink ballerinas

(scalloped cornice board and 3 throw pillows in sketch)

*the edges in the sketches are blacked in for my upholsterer to

see the shape better...the actual cornice will be self-corded

all the way, with a beaded trim detail at the bottom.

and here is OPTION #2: pale green, pink, and purple butterflies

(scalloped cornice board and 3 throw pillows in sketch)

...sooo.... i know which one is my favorite. ;)

which one would you choose out of the two?

puppy love.

2011-01-17T10:28:00.000-06:00

the weekend was great! it was so nice spending time with my

precious family-- we just relaxed, ate, talked, went on a

long walk, and just enjoyed being together!

i picked up some flowers at HEB friday afternoon...

they were sittin' so fresh and pretty in the kitchen all weekend.

my brother brought his doggie that they recently had neutered...

and little buddy has beeen having a problem with healing because
he won't leave his stitches alone....sooooo...they came

up with the ingenious idea to put a bathing suit on him to keep him from

messing with the stitches.... they put a bathing suit on him!

sorry that it is a horrible picture, but you get the idea.

he was pretty cute in his board shorts! so cute in fact that i think our
little Heidi Sue might have just fallen in love with him...

she wouldn't leave the front door and moaned
and whined for thirty minutes after buddy left!

it was PAH-thetic!!!

poor baby...got her little puppy lovin heart broken.

have a good monday!

quote friday.

2011-01-14T11:18:00.000-06:00

__________

__________

__________

__________

__________

my fam is comin in town this weekend! woohoo!

i hope you all have loverly weekends!

simone.

2011-01-12T09:57:00.000-06:00

I picked up this ugly little duck at a junk store in Albany a while ago...

pretty rough lookin huh?

well, i knew i wanted to paint it and recover it...

and i have a 1/2 yard sample piece of fabric from the studio,
that had been discontinued about a year and a half ago.
When I saw that this fabric had
been discontinued I was totally shocked cause its a really
pretty piece... so I snatched it up before it
got thrown out and have been
saving it to make a pillow or something....

then I found out why it had been discontinued....
PB bought all the rights to it...
and called it the Simone Pattern...

recognize it?

well...i got my little stool all sanded, primed and painted

and now it is lookin all Pottery Barnish in its new duds...

my plan is for him to live in front of the front window of our dining room.

...the pups loove looking out that window and i think having

something in front of it will help prevent them

from smooshing their little noses against the glass. I've been going

through Windex like a crazy person.

hope you are all having a very happy wednesday!

pretty wall.

2011-01-10T13:23:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking about wallpapering the wall behind the bed in our master bedroom

for a while and have found several papers that would be marvelous, but I'm just

not willing to shell out that much cash-o-la for a house that we have

no idea how long we'll live in.

sooooo....I decided that stencilling might be a better option,

with a mucho better price tag. At first I thought

about making my own stencil and being a super crafty queen

but now after seeing all of the amazing options out there, I think I will be

making a stencil purchase for this project.

I've been collecting images that have stenciling on the walls

and I was planning on doin a post with theses images

here in the next few weeks.

Then this morning when I saw that one of my

favs: Cottage & Vine, was having a stencil give away, I decided

to go ahead and post them...

love the chainlink
via

pretty trellis
via

I like that there isn't alot of contrast in this one, very subtle.
via

i like this larger scale
via

via

so fun!
via

Diamond Damask

Chainlink

...both of these are on the list of possibilities. Which do you like?

The Diamond Damask or the Chainlink?

donezo.

2011-01-04T14:02:00.000-06:00

i finished the window treatments for our dining room!

...i made 4 unlined panels with 4" double hems and sewed rings on the top

...we had the rods all ready and the rings were

originally silver so I painted them black to match the rods.

the fabric is pretty heavy weight so I didn't feel like lining was necessary.

i haven't ironed them yet...i'm hoping the

wrinkles will magically fall out by themselves ;)

i decided that I would probably want to keep to drapes

pulled open most of the time, so I went looking for some pre-made

roman shades and found some on super duper sale at jcpenny...

and here is where the pics get dark... oopsies

if i backed up far enough to get a pic of the entire window,

the light coming from outside made the pic get all shadowy...
and i didn't take the time to figure out how to get it right...
sooo these two final pics are

darky but hopefully you get the overall idea...

well...that's that!

i hope each and every

one of you is having a great Tuesday!

pups present.

2010-12-30T10:30:00.000-06:00

i made a doggie bed for my sweet Kody and Heidi for Christmas

with some remnant pieces of upholstery fabric.

I made a huge pillow that I stuffed with left over batting

from some of this year's upholstery jobs.

Then I made a big pillow case with a ginormo

36" zipper on one end.

It was a very simple project...but it was greatly

appreciated this Christmas by....my dogs,

myself, and... the rest of my family...

we all had a great time snugglin with the pups on their new bed!

Kody and Heidi also enjoyed the extra

cushion on the four hour drive to San Antonio...

maybe one day our puppies will become grown ups...that aren't as messy

and they can have one of these beauties. Ahhh....i just love all
of the patterns and colors they offer. too cute!

Hope you have a lovely Thursday!
xoxo

dressing the naked windows.

2010-12-29T16:17:00.002-06:00

the Dining Room has been in need of some window clothing...

for quite a while.

My husband who is only concerned with FUNCTION...

never BEAUTY keeps reminding me. ;)

So this project is a - keep the glaring light outta my eyes/give

me a lil privacy at night time - project.

ok...maybe it's also a - add a lil sumpthin soft and pretty - project.

either way....I am making drapes for the dining room!

I wanted something neutral, but that still had a lil personality...

and I believe this ROBERT ALLEN print is gonna do a fantastic job:

and yes...I did unroll all 12 yards and have them hanging like sheets

in my windows right now. but not for long...hopefully.

If all goes according to plan...I should have them finished by Sunday night.

(haha...we will see about that)

2010.

2010-12-28T16:55:00.001-06:00

i got this idea from a sweet high school friend...

2010 was a full year and i really enjoyed looking back at each month...

i am so thankful for all of the wonderful people in my life and for all of God's blessings...

January: We got to spend time in Brazil, visiting the Christ

statue was amazing, the beach was gorgeous, and the

time spent with the hubbies fam was priceless.

February: was cold. i think i only left the house for work and

one time for ACU's sing song...most of the time was spent on the sofa with Lu and pups.

March: one of my besties was wed and i got to spend time
with lots of lovely girls!
and my baby brother turned 15!!!

April: was sad and glad. my uncle "bud" passed away in a vehicle accident.

Our family all gathered in Monroe for his funeral. It was a time

of mourning as well as a good time of fellowship. April was also Easter

in Tulsa with the family and the annual Back Porch Formal

(which is a fun get together that Lucas and the guys have put

together for the last four or five years) this year it was at Possum Kingdom Lake!

May: my little sister, Sara graduated from high school.

my brother in law, Chris graduated from med-school.

Bryan and Becky (the in-laws) came for a visit!!

and Lu and I got to spend Memorial weekend in

New Braunfels with some of our very dearest friends.
(and it was my birthday month! ;)

June: my family had their family reunion.

It was in Branson, Missouri and we had a blast with

all of our extended family!

July: this was a month of projects around the house, and of going

to San Antonio and helping out the sister with projects at her new house!

She always had her front door decorated with a welcome sign

when I got there (notice the change in front door paint color

...i love the new blue!) We had a girls weekend in San Antonio

as well and the mommies got to come!

August: my Ahhhmazing little sister, Sara, graduated from MARINE boot camp!
We all went out to South Carolina for her graduation
and we couldn't be more proud of her!!!
I got to go to Canton with 6 of my most favorite girls in the world
and Went to Matt and Emily's lovely wedding (the reception was AHHhhhdorable)

September: I finally got that porch done! (woo hoo!)

Precious perfect baby Peyton was born to the Sheets,

and we got to watch brother Ben #86 play for the ACU Wildcats!

October: Bryan and Becky were here again and it was so good

to spend time with them! We MISSS them SOO much!!! (they live in Brazil)

My sister and her hubby ran a half marathon and

I went down for moral support!! They did great!

November: My friend, Pam visited Abilene and we went to ACU

homecoming events together...she is coming to ACU in January! Can't wait!

Thanksgiving was spent with the family in Dallas!

I I got to see my sweet Simran friend, who is getting married in 2011!!!

December: wood floors, christmas decor, gift wrapping,

time spent with friends and family, and a lovely
San Antonio Christmas!

I hope you are having a lovely week!

take a lil time to look back over this past year and

reminisce on all the memories and blessings from 2010!

merry & bright.

2010-12-27T09:02:00.000-06:00

The felt Christmas gift embellishments turned out pretty fun and swell if i do say so myself... ;)

I used lots of different colors on some packages

and stayed with traditional red and green on others...

Our Hobby Lobby didn't have muted colors or pastels

which would be good for shower gifts or birthday gifts

year round...maybe Michaels will?

Hope you all had a lovely
Christmas!!!

christmas cards.

2010-12-22T10:49:00.000-06:00

i wasn't planning on sending out Christmas cards this year,

but when I saw that the talented Michelle Herrick was having
a fabulous give away, i entered it not really expecting
anything, well I won one of the items!

...which was 25 - 5"x7," front and back Christmas cards
that she would design for us! woo hooo!

so...this lucky gal got to send out a few super snazzy cards this year!

and look at just how sweet and adorable she is... she sent
us the cards and envelopes inside of this cute tin
box that she had put our image on...

we LOVE them!

Thanks so much for the lovely cards, Michelle! you're the bestest!

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to all of you
lovely people who read my lil bloggity blog!

silent holy night.

2010-12-21T16:10:00.001-06:00

Silent Night, Holy Night, All is calm, All is Bright, Round

yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight,

Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing alleluia;

Christ the Savior, is born! Christ the Savior, is born!

Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light

Radiant beams from thy holy face,With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth. Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

soo thankful for God's precious gift! and so thankful

we get to celebrate Him by being together with family!!

I'm so excited for Christmas! ; )

hope you are having an enjoyable Christmas week

and that it is as stress free as possible!

Tour of Homes

2010-12-20T12:03:00.000-06:00

Cottage and Vine is having a Christmas 2010 Tour of Homes...

go check out all of the fabulous houses and thank you for visiting ours!

welcome to OUR little Christmas cottage...

simple branches and silver balls add a little sparkle without looking over done.

handmade ornaments were fun to make and helped save on cost!

...using a family quilt as the tree skirt added a personal touch as well

as bringing in the blue that I wanted to incorporate this year

the front door

...a lit garland on the buffet ( i just don't want to ever take any of

it down! it makes our casa feel oh so cozy at night time! )

the dining room wreath was a lot of fun to make while

drinking hot chocolate and listening to christmas tunes!

our funky DIY star tops off our tree with a little pizazz ;)

...and here is the tree in all its gold, silver, white and blue glory!

Kody and Heidi say thanks for stopping by!!!

May you and your family have a wonderfully blessed Christmas!

beauty shots.

2010-12-16T14:06:00.003-06:00

Here are some final shots of the dining chairs in all their made over glory! ;)

They've come a long way from where they used to be...

and I've been planning and working on these little dudes for months now...

...they got little felt feet last night so they won't scratch the new floors

and are now sittin' pretty and ready to be sat upon!

so come on over and set your tooshie down on one of em!

;) happy happy thursday everyone!!!

great guy gifts.

2010-12-15T12:23:00.000-06:00

everyone one has been compiling gift lists for him/her/self...

and this morning my co worker was looking on Amazon

for a gift for her son and asked me to help...

well..whilst looking around i couldn't help but notice all

of the amazing finds that I'm sure any husband, brother,

boyfriend, dad or son would thouroughly enjoy...so i thought i'd put a

lil list together and share them with you...(click on the pics)

for starters...check out this cute little number...

...and at $230 dollars off the original price, how can you resist????

...this is a good look for any man who is still trying to find

that special someone to impress...you should definitely consider

this option as a gift for that great bachelor friend of yours who just can't

seem to snag the right girl's attention.

next up we have these fabulous men's cut offs...

...can't you see your best guy friend runnin around next summer in these?

these are not being sold as girls shorts, i promise. click on

them to follow the link if you don't believe me

...This is probably my favorite...can't you see it...

Christmas morning pics with you and your sweetie

all decked out in pink footed onesies!!! perfection.

And what guy wouldn't be thrilled to get his

hands on this super sweet man's pilgrim costume??

All in all, I think I've given you a very diverse list of great guys gift options.

You can thank me later.

wreathsies.

2010-12-14T10:42:00.000-06:00

i made a lil wreath for the dining room a couple weekends ago...

i used a grapevine wreath and spray painted it metallic silver.

Then I attached silver, blue and gold balls all over it...

i found three sparkly silver floral stems at hobby

lobby and tucked them in and TA DAA!

it adds just the right amount of sparkle and festivity to our room of dining.

(and p.s...

....the cream platter and the green creamer and sugar bowl in the center
of the shelf above the wreath are no longer with us. They fell to their death as we
were prepping for the wood floor this weekend. sniff sniff.
not heirlooms or anything, thankfully, but they will be missed)

here are some other cutie pa tootie wreath ideas...

1. check out these TWO ahdorable wreath ideas that crafty julia from
mr. b and me made!...i LOVE them!

2. this absolutely gorgeous boxwood wreath
that Rene at Cottage and Vine made...maybe i'll attempt next year.

3. and Melissa at The Inspired Room made a really pretty white
wreath with faux snow spray and white berries that looks
sooo lovely with all of her other beautiful Christmas decor.

check em out and good luck wreathing!