A little about me...

Mckae over at Kae's Corner Design nominated me for the liebster award. Thank you Mckae! Since I've already received it, I thought I would just answer some of the questions. That way you get to know me a little bit better! =)

1. What is your favorite sweet treat? I'm going to have to go with anything chocolate!

2.What is your favorite room in your house and why? I love Bryn's nursery. It's fun, colorful and I love sitting in the rocking chair.

3. What is your TV guilty pleasure? I really hate to admit this, I love Pretty Little Liars, and watch way to much reality TV. I know, I know  I need to stop, it's not good for me but I can't help it.

4. What is your dream job? What I'm doing now, I love being an Interior Designer.

5. What is your favorite thing about blogging? The people, I have met so many great people blogging! Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and who has featured me!

6. What are a few things that your dream house would have? Hardwood Floors, amazing architecture and a ton of character. I want lots of white and an open floor plan.

7. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Oh my this is a hard one. But I would love to live next to the ocean. Maybe Hawaii, that would be fun!

8. What is your favorite time waster? Pinterest and Facebook, they're addicting.

9. What are your favorite pizza toppings? Chicken, spinach, bacon, artichoke

10. How did you choose the name for your blog? Well I wanted something catchy and fun. I was always saying look at that visual eye candy, and thought that would be a great blog name. 

11.Who is your favorite designer (either interior or fashion)? I would have to say Kelly Wearstler or Emily Henderson.

Trendy Fall Color: Bordeaux

The "it" color for fall is Bordeaux! The deep red is the perfect color to get you excited to start wearing fall clothes. Even though I'm sad summer is almost over, I am excited about wearing cozy sweaters and fabulous scarves. I also LOVE a well tailored jacket!

1// Essie Nail Polish in Bordeaux
2// Revlon Lip Gloss
3// Bordeaux Coat
4// Moroccan Rug
5// Handbag

Designer Look On A Budget

I love the calm sophisticated look of this room. It's perfect for a little girl, and will grow with her as she gets older! The white mixed with espresso floors and ceiling is classic. Throw in touches of pink and it's ultra feminine.  The base is neutral so whenever your child changes their taste it would be easy to add a new rug a pillows for a whole new look. This room was featured in Lonny Magazine's August 2012 issue, and was designed by Estee Stanley. You should check out the whole house it's amazing!

 Here's how you can get this designer look on a budget!

1// Make your own Cork board Hobby Lobby cork board ($5.99) with a linen cream fabric. ($11.98)

2// Ninda Upholstered bed ($599)

If you want to save even more money here upholster your own headboard and box spring for a less expensive price tag. Find out here and here.  I did one for a client for around $200.

3// Polished silver sconce ($160 x 2)

4// Kendall Ivory Sofa ($599)

5// X-side table ($89)

6// Pink Lamp ($115)

7// Woven toy storage basket ($169)
Ross and TJMaxx have these for cheaper sometimes.

8// Pink Striped Rug ($208)

Total : $2116.97

Navy Finds

Striped Rug // John Robshaw Pillows // Colorblock Silk Skirt // Necklace

David Hicks La Florentina

 I know this fabric has been around for a while, but I still find myself obsessing over it. La Florentina by David Hicks, isn't it divine? How about upholster it on the back of a wing back chair? Why yes that would be delightful!

This settee upholstered in it is absolutely divine. I love every. inch. of. it.

It's such a versatile fabric. It looks great in a room full of neutral, or pair it with a more colorful palette.

This fabric comes in a variety of colors. You can find it here it runs about $98 a yard. You can also find many great throw pillows on etsy.

I also found this great knock off. It comes in a lot of different colors and is a steal at $17.50 a yard. Find it here. 

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Dreamy Closets

I hope everyone had a great weekend! We had a lot of fun, we celebrated the hubs birthday this weekend, with lots of food and fun.

Image Source

  I wanted to talk about closets today. I know we all wish for that dream closet that we can walk into that's superbly organized, that's full of clothes and rows, and rows of shoes. In our dreams right? I'm sure some people have these closets, and I am envious of you but for now I can only dream. Maybe one day.....

I love the functionality of an island in a closet. Its great to throw outfits together on, hold jewelry and store small items.

Shoe racks in closets are a great way to see all your shoes without having to hunt for them.

 

This closet has a lot of window light! It's a great way to be able to see everything you have, and make sure you put the right colors together!

In this closet you can bring a friend, have them sit down and critique your outfit!

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Bright Orange Finds

Rug // Watch // Handbag // Pillow

Wednesday Wants

While on Pinterest I've been finding some great bargain pieces that make me want to do a happy dance. I hope you enjoy these to, I love finding a steal of a deal. What about you?

Greek Key Side Table

$155

 

Carved Oak Side Chairs (set of 2)

$388

Brighton White Linen Storage Bench

$192

Mosaic Medallion Rug

$89

Amazeballs right?

How To Tile A Herringbone Floor | Part II

If you missed part I you can find it here.
Once you've let it dry for 24-48 hours its time to pull your spacers out. Pull out all the spacers and start cleaning up all the thinset between the grout lines. We found what works well is using a standard screwdriver and a wet rag to make sure you don't have any thinset that's going to poke through your grout. If you do have any left and don't get it all you will see it through your grout! This part I think is the biggest pain but it's well worth it if done right. Just make sure to use light pressure as you do not want to chip the tile.

Now grab your putty knife and slap on the grout in the grout lines. You can press a little but not hard enough you will scrape your tile.

Next take your rubber float and press the grout down firmly. If you have any spots that aren't all the way filled just add a little more grout and go over it again.

Then grab a sponge and dip it in a bucket of clean water. Ring out most of the water and run along the top of the grout. You'll want to do this step about three times or more until you have any excess grout cleaned up on the tile.

 Now there is a lot of different times out there on how long to wait before sealing grout. I've heard anything from 24 hrs to a week. We usually stick with about 72 hours but just go off of what the manufacture says on your bag of thin set and the sealant you're using. (Mine says wait at least 48 hours) When you apply the sealant apply it to the grout only. If you get it on the tile you will have a hard time getting it off and it can stain your tile.

Whew! That was a long post! I hope I answered all your questions let me know if you need any further explanations.

How To Tile A Herringbone Floor | Part I

We tiled this herringbone floor ourselves, and it has a big impact on a tight budget. Now we are NOT professional tilers so take all this advice at your own risk. This is just what we did, and what we have found works for us. This is about our 5th floor that we have tiled ourselves. Doing projects like this yourself can save you a boatload of money!

We started out on a cement floor. If your tiling over cement floor you do not need to put cement board down. If you are tiling on wood, you must put cement board down first before you begin these steps.

To create this pattern you must start at an angle. It is very helpful to open a few boxes and lay the tile out and make sure it will work. For us it was the entryway into the Family Room. It reduced the number of cuts that needed to be made and helped us start with a straight line. A helpful tip is to use a laser level to make sure you have a straight edge. Don't go off the wall lines, walls are almost never straight!

Once you figure out where your starting lay your Thinset down. We found it easiest to use a putty knife to put it down then use the trowel to go over it. The trowel will insure that you have the same thickness all over. Make sure that your thinset goes up to fill all the holes in the trowel. Only work in small sections, you don't want the thinset to dry before you can lay the tile down. We do a little section, lay the tile, then move on.

(Using the putty knife to put the thinset down.)

Once you have the thinset evenly placed down, lay down a piece of tile. Just move it a little back and forth while pressing down firmly. The Herringbone pattern is simple to create, the trick is to make sure you keep the pattern consistent when making your cuts. Having a reference picture on hand can help to lay the pattern. Try to lay your tile so you never have to step on it again, the last thing you want is to tile yourself into a corner! So it's always good to plan it out ahead of time! =)
We chose to lay down all of the solid pieces first and let them dry in place. Coming back another day we did all of the edge pieces that needed to be cut. This allows you to pre-cut the tile before you mix the thinset instead of cutting the tile as you go and battling thinset that is drying up.

(Scraping the thinset with the trowel)

 Before you put your spacers in, run it along the grout lines to remove any extra thinset. This will help prepare the tile for grout. We used to always put our spacers in the four corners where the tile meets. But we found they are really hard to get out when it's dry. So now we place them like this, on there side and about 4-6 per side.

 

Then you're just going to let it dry once it's all done for 24-48 hours or follow the manufactures instructions on your bag.

Part II coming tomorrow!

Monday:

Skip to my Lou, Sumos Sweet Stuff, Sew Can Do, Org Junkie, Creating My Way To Success

Craft-O-Maniac , DIY Show Off, Colours Dekor

Tuesday:

Home Stories A to Z, Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, Not Just A Housewife, The Blackberry Vine, Today's Creative Blog ,
Vintage Wanna Bee, Uncommon Designs, Sugar Bee Crafts, Funny Polka Dot Giraffe, j

Wednesday:

Fabric Bows and More , Ginger Snap Craft, Primp, Tales Of A Trophy Wife, Southern Lovely, Creations Of Kara, Rae Gun Ramblings,

Lil Luna, Savy Southern Style 36th avenue, 

Thursday:

Delightful Order, 

Shabby Creek Cottage, House of Hepworths, Beyond the Picket Fence

Friday:

The Shabby Nest, A Little Knick Knack, French Country Cottage, Chic On A Shoestring, Simply Designing, Simple Home Life, Thirty handmade Days, Delicate Construction, Five Days Five Ways, Truly Lovely,At The Picket Fence, Sassy Sites , 
Whipper Berry, Tidy Mom, d

Saturday:

Remodelaholic, Positively Splendid, Tater tots and Jello,

Sunday:

It's overflowing, Nifty Thrifty Things,, Under The Table And Dreaming 
Sew Chatty, 
,I heart Naptime

High End Vs. Low End Reveal

That was fun, thanks for playing everyone! Now for the big reveal.... are you ready for this......??

The side on the left is the low end!  Great job if you got it right!!

High End:
Chair $895
Desk $999
Rug $3000

Low End:
Chair $233
Desk $549
Rug $423

Via Copy Cat Chic

High End Vs. Low End

Today, let's play another round of high end vs. low end. I thought it would be fun to have you write in the comments which pieces you think are the high end and which are the budget friendly version. The difference in prices are astonishing! It will be fun to play, and tomorrow I'll post the results with all the sources. Let's see if someone can get them all right! One side is high end the other side is low end.

Via Copy Cat Chic

Coral + Navy Outfit

I think I'm to obsessed with this color combo, I just can't seem to get enough! I love the bright pairing of coral with a more sophisticated color like navy blue. Simply Stunning!

Gold Necklace // Coral Pants // Blue Blazer // Nude Sandals // Nude Handbag // Chambray Button down

Girly Glam Office Reveal

*Update*

I've had so many people ask about sources for this office. So I'm here to spill the beans.....

The desk was a thrift store find.
You can find the mirror here.
The stencil was bought from cutting edge stencils, you can find it here. Paint color is RH silver sage.
The pillow is from caitlin wilson textiles in Navy Fleur Chinoise Pillow.
The tile was found at Home Depot. The brand is Daltile the size of the tile was 10" x 14" I had them cut them in half so they were 5" x 14". It's a ceramic tile made to look like carrara marble. Super durable and easy to work with.


Monday:

Skip to my Lou,

Craft-O-Maniac , DIY Show Off, Colours Dekor

Tuesday:

Home Stories A to Z, Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, Not Just A Housewife, The Blackberry Vine, Today's Creative Blog

Wednesday:

Fabric Bows and More , Ginger Snap Craft, Primp, Tales Of A Trophy Wife, Southern Lovely, Creations Of Kara, Rae Gun Ramblings,

Lil Luna, Savy Southern Style 36th avenue, Vintage Gwen

Thursday:

Delightful Order, 

Shabby Creek Cottage, House of Hepworths, Beyond the Picket Fence

Friday:

The Shabby Nest, A Little Knick Knack, French Country Cottage, Chic On A Shoestring, Simply Designing, Simple Home Life, Thirty handmade Days, Delicate Construction, Five Days Five Ways, Truly Lovely,At The Picket Fence, Sassy Sites

Saturday:

Remodelaholic, Positively Splendid, Tater tots and Jello,

Sunday:

It's overflowing, Nifty Thrifty Things,, Under The Table And Dreaming

Girly, Girl Nursery Feature

I met Elizabeth from my E-design giveaway, she was the winner and I got the fun task of working with her designing her living room. She has impeccable taste and her house is all ready fabulous!

Elizabeth is also the owner of a shop called Pretty Smitten.  You need to check out her shop it has some serious eye candy!

When I saw her nursery she just completed, it was to cute not to share.

Enjoy!

How Elizabeth describes the room:  "When we found out we were having another girl I knew they would share a room. I loved the idea of having one wall wallpapered, and when I saw the wallpaper from Anthropologie I fell in love! Everything just went from there. I wanted everything else to be fairly simple so that the wallpaper can take front stage. Moving the dresser into the closest left the room a lot more open and able to accommodate two cribs. A lot of the other items are left over from the room when it was just my older daughter's. I love that its a room they can grow in...I picture two twin beds on the wallpapered wall in the future! Now it's one of my favorite rooms in the house. And I'm pretty sure the girls love it too...my 21 month and 3 month sleep and nap in there together peacefully!"

Sources:

Wallpaper - Anthropologie

Cribs - Jenny Lind cribs by Babies r Us

Drapes - pottery barn kids (had the roman shade made)

Playhouse bookshelf - land of nod

Rug - pottery barn kids

Art work - Sarah Jane studios on etsy 

Chandelier - ikea

Love it - Artist Feature

Have you seen Selena Beaudry's artwork? I am completely smitten. You need to go check out her incredible artwork! It's truly beautiful!!

How Selena describes her work. 

"The piles are thoughts, a series of words or sounds. Sometimes it’s a scream, other times babble or a screech. The collages are more lyrical. They string together and flutter and dance across the page. Some are tougher, zigging and zagging across the page bumping and bouncing into one another. The paintings begin by tracing parts of the collages, allowing me to indulge in my love of paint. They combine the dance with the babbles and the screams. Each of the pieces begins to take on its own essence or story. A piece can be about a foggy day, a woman with smeared lipstick on her face, or eating so much you might throw up."

Navy + Stripes: Outfit

Stripe Cutout Dress | Mosaic Bib Necklace | Band Rings | Vintage Leather Tote | Wedge Espadrille