31 Days to Decorate Confidently. Day 10: Walls

For the next few days we’re going to explore the different surfaces of rooms starting with walls…

Think outside the box and explore the unlimited possibilities for your walls. Paint is a beautiful option, but make sure to discover and consider all that is out there!

Wall finishes include paint, wall covering, faux finishes, bead board, wood, murals, fabric, wall quotes and so much more.

Research the durability of the finish you are considering. How do you clean it? Is it washable or scrubbable? Will it hold up well in high traffic areas?

Assignment: Keep your inspiration photo close for reference and explore magazines and internet sites such as pinterest, houzz, decorating blogs and other internet sites for ideas you may not have considered. Add any new ideas to your inspiration folder.

Enjoy! Amy xo

Want to start at the beginning of the series? Click here!

Fifty Reasons I’m Happy Today

Fifty seems to be a popular number lately. I’m fifty… that doesn’t really make me happy, but it doesn’t make me sad either. I’ve just finished reading Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed… yes, I did love those books, but they’re not the reason I’m happy today. This has to do with something I have been battling since I had the last of my three kids over twenty years  ago… my weight.

I have tried practically every diet out there. I’ve lost weight. Gained weight. Gained more. It’s a vicious, evil thing, but I think I’m finally starting to win the battle. I still want to lose more, but as of today I have lost 50 lbs and because of that, here are the reasons why I’m happy today…

1. Three years ago I was Pre-Diabetic. Today I am not.
2. Three years ago I was anemic, today I am not (If you are anemic, I highly recommend Flora Vital).
3. Three years ago my good cholesterol was low. Today it is normal.
4. I don’t get out of breath when I walk.
5. I bought a large instead of an extra-large when shopping the other day.
6. I can wear my wedding rings again.
7. I don’t have to add extenders to any of my necklaces.
8. I am starting to prefer tighter clothes.
9. I have 10x more energy.
10. I bought a bathing suit that I actually like. I wore it this weekend. My husband said I looked sexy, although I’m pretty sure he had ulterior motives, haha! For the first time in many years I was not ashamed to be in a swim suit.
11. I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
12. I ate out  and ordered a gyro. For the first time, I realized I would have rather had a soup and salad.
13. Several times over the past few months I’ve gained 4 lbs or so, but I didn’t freak out… I just promptly re- lost it each time. This gives me hope.
14. I am finding healthy recipes are really quite good.
15. I discovered the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and now crave carrot and green juices – I am thankful for both
16. My feet aren’t stiff when I wake up. I can walk all day long and they still don’t hurt.
17. My knee doesn’t hurt. I used to wear a brace. Today I don’t even think about it.
18. My back doesn’t hurt. Well, today it does, but that’s only because over the weekend I lifted a heavy piece of furniture, so that’s my fault! Normally, it doesn’t hurt like it used to.
19. I am now buying a size nine shoe instead of a 9 1/2. Mostly because…
20. My feet don’t swell. Nor do my fingers, ankles, etc. I contribute this to the fact that I don’t drink anything carbonated anymore. No soda and it’s rare that I ever have a beer.
21. My kids are proud of me. Not that they didn’t love me fat, but they like me healthy.
22. As my face thins out, I am not getting more wrinkles. That really was a concern, haha! I know, I’m vain.
23. My husband and anyone I travel with loves this more than me, but I don’t snore anymore… or so they tell me.
24. When I travel, I have to pull the seat belt tight… by more than several inches. There was a time I worried about getting it buckled.
25. I don’t have the desire to read any self-help books anymore. I’m ready to live what I’ve read.
26. I am feeling creative again.
27. I rarely feel like I need an afternoon nap.
28. When standing up and looking down, I can see my toes.
29. I no longer look like I’m pregnant.
30. I realized the other week that I was crossing my legs while sitting. It dawned on me that I hadn’t done that in years.
31. I eat almost all fresh vegetables (versus from a can or frozen)  and find that not only are they easy to prepare, but I really do like them.
32. I can sleep at night without an arm going numb.
33. I find I like to go out…I am feeling more social.
34. Dressing fashionably seems possible again.
35. I am comfortable.
36. I am more confident.
37. I am less of an apple shape.
38. My BMI dropped significantly.
39. I have more balance. I can easily stand without holding on to anything and put my pants on one leg at a time.
40. I don’t dread getting on the scale, in fact I semi-look forward to it.
41. If I eat big one day or even over one weekend, it’s okay. I get back on track the next day.
42. I don’t feel I’m on a diet, but that I have adapted a new way of eating. Translation: This just might last.
43. There’s an extra giddy-up in my step that I didn’t know I missing until I got it back.
44. I don’t even think about looking at plus sizes when shopping.
45. I think I actually might someday soon get back into my original Calvin Kleins from back in the day. Fingers crossed!
46. When I go to the market, I find I’m now shopping the perimeter of the store and rarely go down the aisles. That translates into: I’m eating fresh food as opposed to processed foods.
47. I wore jeans for the first time in over 15 years.
48. Although I have always sweated a lot, ugh… I sweat much less than I did 50 lbs. ago.
49. I can wear 3″ heels again.
50. I find I am much more heat tolerant.
51. I am not taking any supplements (the benefit of which is now being debated) because I am getting all my nutrition from the food that I eat

Ooops. That’s fifty-one reasons. I could come up with forty-nine more, but I won’t do that to you…

So there you are. I am not at the end of my journey to getting slim and healthy, but I wanted to share this mile stone with you because it has been such a struggle for me over the years.  If you have the same struggle I want you to know that there is hope. You can do it. It starts with baby steps and it’s more about choosing to embrace a life style change than about starting a diet. For me, it was cutting out sugar, white flour and processed foods. It was adding juicing (fruit and vegetable juices), nuts, beans and vegetable soup. For you, “it” may be Weight Watchers or Counting Calories. Whatever “it” is, I will tell you… there are fifty reasons to say yes to “it”. Every single one is a life changer.

This is really about designing you so you can live it to the fullest. We don’t get any do-overs in life, but we it’s never too late to make changes! Change may seem impossible at times, yet truly it is not. If I can do it, so can you! xo Amy

Cord Clips, a Zit Zapper and Where Will You be Five Years from Now?

I love things that work, don’t you? Here are a few things we’ve found lately that we really like!

APPLIANCE CLIPS

Appliance Cords on my counter drive me crazy and Gigi has been buying clips designed for appliances from our favorite organizational store, BUT at $6.00 a clip, we think it’s a bit pricey. We found these hair clips from Goody sold in packs of three for under $3.00 and we think they work pretty darn well, don’t you? They’re not as well made, but heck, for less than a $1.00 each even if they didn’t hold up as well it would be no big deal to replace if they broke! Gigi uses them for her blender, juicer, hair dryer cord, etc. I’m going to have to get some for my house!

The $6.00 clip

The $1.00 clip

ZIT ZAPPER

Apparently, it’s the week for confessions… here’s number two. Argh. I still break out occasionally. That is so not fair, don’t you think? I have read that if you have a pimple and it rears its ugly white head, you should pop it until it bleeds to get the infection out. The problem is if you use your dirty little fingers you can make it worse. Enter this nifty tool…

We found this at Home Goods… I love that store, but Wal-Mart has them as well! It keeps you from picking too much and is germ free! PS. We also discovered that they still make tinted Clearasil… anyone remember that? It was my BFF in High School!

FIVE

Where will you be five years from today? Let’s just admit it… life flies on by. How many things did you want to do today that you thought to yourself… I can do it tomorrow? Think about this…

Five years…260 weeks…1825 days…2,333,000 minutes

What will you do with it? What could you do with it?”

When I was in my early thirties I remember being overwhelmed with three babies less than two years apart in age and wishing they were older. Now that they’ve flown the coop, I would give anything to have that time go slower. I don’t know about you, but I have lots of things on my bucket list and time continues to fly by. This book ($8.09 on Amazon) is a quick read – fun, thought-provoking and inspirational. In fact,  it makes me want to get my rear end up off this chair and get moving. I’ve got lots of things to do before 2017 arrives! See ya! xo Amy

Make a Creative Date!

see something new this weekend...

 

I took a workshop on creativity many years ago and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’m not sure if it’s because it was really fabulous workshop or because it was the first time since starting a family that I stepped out of my mom role and started to re-discover myself. It’s probably a combination of the two. 

One thing we  did over the 12 week workshop was to commit taking a creative date each week. The point was to go somewhere new and explore new experiences. It could be anything really. Shopping a flea market, seeing a play, going to a museum or sitting in a park. The payoff is a couple of hours to yourself to actually be present in the moment and to really “see” new things. This is when your creative mind opens up. A beautiful painting may inspire your next decorating project, a musical may get your soul dancing again and the park may clear your head of the day-to-day things so you can dream a little. 

I know… the house needs cleaning and you have things you need to do, but scrape an hour or two just for you, I promise you won’t regret it!  Tonight I’m going to a fun evening at the Senior Showcase at CCM (The University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music).  The creative energy within those walls is amazing! The next step for some of these kids is Broadway, so it’s going to be pretty special evening. So how about you? Can you find a couple of hours to explore something new? Have fun and let me know what you did! 

Ask Amy: Combination Guest Bedroom and Nursery

A Nursery that Doubles Perfectly as a Guest Room

 

Photo from OhDeeDoh 

Chrissy lives in a 2 bedroom house and is expecting their first child – congratulations Chrissy! She’s wondering if they can keep the queen bed in the nursery for guests! I say absolutely! Especially when the baby is young. As he or she grows, you may want to change the queen size for a small sleeper sofa or futon, but for now, I think it can work perfectly for guests coming to see the new baby and to help you out! 

So what do you have to have in the room? My three essentials are a crib, rocking chair and storage. A small chest of drawers would be nice for storage of clothing, diapers, etc., but the closet will suffice if you can’t fit it into the space. You want to avoid being cramped. Less is definately more! A changing table can be overated – you can use a foldout padded vinyl mat on top of the bed or crib.  If you have space for a small chest of drawers it may possibly double as a changing table if you think it’s necessary, but always put safety first. 

If you don’t  have space for a chest of drawers, try a small end table next to the bed or rocker with drawers to store diapers and changing products. The thing is to look for items  that are multi purpose. Shelving can hold photo frames and treasured items, but can also hold adorable storage boxes with items that you need to access. 

Don’t forget under the bed. You can get inexpensive storage boxes for clothing that the baby needs to grow into. In fact, you might even want to raise the bed with bed raisers which will give you more under the bed storage. A bonus is you’ll give your back a break if it’s doing double duty as a changing area. One word of advice…pay the extra $10.00 for wood one’s. I bought my daughter the plastic variety for the queen bed in her new apartment and they lasted until her 6′ 6  boyfriend sat on the corner. The bed busted right through them, haha!  Welcome to the new apartment Mike! Luckily, no one was hurt, but it’s not worth the risk. 

Here’s a few photo’s for inspiration that I found around the web. I didn’t find many with a guest bed, suprisingly just the one above and the one below, but I’ve included a few storage ideas I thought could work for you as well… 

Probably bigger than Chrissy's but another multi purpose room

 

All Photos below from HGTV 

Store Items in stacking baskets that are seasonal or for the future

 

www.bhg.com 

Look for unique pieces that are taller rather than widewww.bhg.comBaskets on wall book shelves can store items you need quick access to such as diapers & wipes

 

  

Baskets can provide storage on wall or bookcase shelving

 

 www.bhg.com 

Pottery Barn has a ton of storage ideas

Potterybarn.com 

Good Luck Chrissy and let us know how it turns out 🙂

Step One: Finding Inspiration – A Kitchen on a budget

My friend Lori called me a few weeks ago and wanted help picking colors for her kitchen. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get together with her and her husband Bill for a few weeks, so I gave her some assignments before I met with them. I thought I’d blog about the process with you from beginning to end and also share my thought process so you can see how some of the decisions were made. Although I did get together with them this weekend to choose the paint colors, it really has been a project that they have done on their own. They key to a successful project is to really think it out before you run to the paint store.  When I talked to her a few weeks ago, she was biting at the bullet to get going, but by pulling back and really thinking it out, I think they’ll have a kitchen that they really love on a budget that they can afford. 

Here’s a couple of photo’s of their kitchen as it is now…

Main kitchen above and side door next to eating area is below

INITIAL QUESTIONS

 What is your budget? Lori and Bill want to keep the project as inexpensive as possible. It’s one project of many that they have planned, and they don’t want to go to the expense of a full kitchen remodel.

What do you want to keep? Actually, the better question is what do you need to keep! Obviously, we’d all like to have everything new, but that’s not always realistic. Keeping their budget in mind, they have chosen to keep the existing cabinets, mini-blinds and appliances, but do want to replace the vinyl floor with a new wood floor and  the olive green sink with a white one. Fortunately, Bill is a willing to do all of the works (gotta love that!) which will save them alot of money!

Summary: Knowing the above, this is what they have to work with…

• Worn, but charming painted cabinets that could use a little revitalization.
• White refrigerator and dishwasher
• Tall Painted bead board wainscoat which adds to the charm of the kitchen
• Nickel finish table and 4 chairs with wicker seats. (Table has a glass top with blue inlay tile underneath, but we will not design around that, as we can ultimately cover the blue if need be.)
• Olive green double oven that will eventually be replaced
• Red coffee maker that was a gift from Bill’s parents

Do you have a particular style, color scheme or look in mind? They really didn’t have anything in mind or at least like most people they couldn’t verbalize it. They just new they wanted a new look. They wanted something fresh and inviting. A place they wanted to spend time in.  

HOMEWORK

I had Lori go through magazines and websites on her computer to find pictures of things that she loved. When looking on the web, some good places are sites of stores that you like, better homes and gardents (bgh.com)  or even blogs like this 🙂  Lori doesnt’ need to necessarily find photo’s of  kitchens, but rooms that she liked the look of. She also might find a piece of artwork, a color scheme, or a vignette that she likes. The point here was to  look and earmark anything that caught her eye and made her feel good. The only rule is don’t think too much. The end goal here is to find an inspiration picture or two.

Why do you need an inspiration picture or item? An Inspiration picture or item is a visual guide to help you start a project. It’s an invaluable tool, as it can keep you on track as you  become overwhelmed with  decisions you’ll need to make. It could be a treaured picture or item that you want to incorporate into the room or a photo of something that you love that you found in a catalog or online. Maybe it’s a photo of a room that catches your eye and you want to achieve that look and feel.

In Lori’s case, it was several things. Last week, she found first found a look in a pottery barn catalog that she loved…

And then she found a valance that pulled in the colors of her stove and her red coffee maker. 

Bill was a little iffy on the valance, but agreed to hold judgement till they saw the real thing. I took the inspiration photo’s and made the color board that is at the top of the post and suggested that the next step was to order the valance and see it it was right. She did get swatches from the local pottery barn, but with the size of the print, it was too hard to tell if it would work. 

Tomorrow, I’ll let you know if it matched and the next steps they’ll take!  

 

Ask a Decorating Question: Working around a Forest Green Carpet in a Bedroom

Photo courtesty of www.bhg.com

Patti wrote us over the weekend with a Decorating Question regarding her bedroom. She has forest green carpet, oak furniture, white walls and burgundy comforter and wants an updated look without having to replace the carpet.

I actually had a similar situation with dark teal carpet that came with the house we bought – I really didn’t like it, but it wasn’t in the short term budget to replace. In my case, I chose to paint the walls a warm beige color and used neutral bedding with accents of tiffany blue and deep brown. It turned out really nice and Patti, I’m thinking this approach with different accent color may work for you as well.

I searched through Better Homes and Garden’s idea area and found the photo pictured above of a bedroom that I think could be a great inspiration photo for you to use as starting point and added some suggested colors to the left (and a green one below to represent your carpet). It’s done in neutrals – with shades of white, creme and beige; accented with an orange-red in the form of pillows, accessories and artwork. I would start your project by choosing a warm neutral beige for your walls, making sure that it doesn’t fight with the finish of your oak furniture. The one in the photo above is actually a little cool.

Select multiple paint chips at your favorite paint store and tape them to your furniture. Stand back and squint. You’ll see some that will stand out like a sore thumb – get rid of those. What you are looking for is one that makes your wood appear warmer and even more beautiful against it. Once you choose a wall color, select several shades (both lighter and darker) in that family to use as reference when shopping for other neutral items such as bedding and pillows. The key to developing a success neutral color scheme is that the shades all work together. Using the “squint test” is a great way to see if they work together – if they blend, they work well together. If one sticks out – find another!

A simple way to shop for items, once you pick a paint color and other neutral shades is to staple or tape the paint chips you select to an index card and keep it in your purse. I’d also suggest matching a chip to your carpet and adding that to the index card as well so you have that  to reference when shopping as well.

Once you get your neutrals in place – painted walls and bedding, it’s time to add some accessories which is what will make your room special. I’d go with an orange red and dark browns (almost black). Don’t go too red, or it will look like christmas 🙂 You might also want to add a large area rug in the bedroom to “absorb” some of the green and a smaller one in your bathroom to pull the colors into there.

One thing to note about a neutral color scheme is that it’s details and textures that will make it really special such as in the photo above.

Here are some things I found that could work on a budget and look fabulous!

Nate Berkus has beautiful neutrals and textures (shown above) found at Linens and Things that just happen to be on sale!

And check out this Tulipere from Ballards. Fill it with fresh tulips or find some fabulous silk one’s at a craft store such as Hobby Lobby or Michael’s.

The Pillows above and art below are from zgallerie. Pillows may be a little pricey, but I like the bold stripe.

This pair of canvas prints may be the perfect touch for the walls – they are simple yet will really pull the room together.

These assorted items from Crate and Barrel Accessories are perfect for a little punch to a neutral room.

A rug like this from Ballards placed in the bathroom can pull all the colors together and provide some softness to the room. You might want to even choose to be really bold and paint the walls the organge-red color that you used to accent the attached bedroom!

Good Luck Patti! Send us Pictures when you’re done!

Amy & Jayne

Introducing Dish on Design Workshops and Decorate Fabulously!

 

Whew!!!! If your’re wondering why I’ve been so quiet, it’s because we’ve been working really hard – like night and day crazy hard, to nationally launch our newest brand – Dish on Design Workshops. We are sooooo happy to introduce the first Dish on Design Workshop – Decorate Fabulously! It’s been 3 years in the making, but we think it has definately been worth the wait!

Jayne are I created Decorate Fabulously! to bring together our two favorite groups of customers – homeowners and design professionals.  If you have a passion for decorating or even a fear of decorating, this workshop was written just for you! In the spirit of a  “Girls Day Out” you can spend a day with a design professional in your area who will walk you through the world of decorating with lots of designer tips, inspiration and hands on projects! You’ll explore everything from inspiration to completing a project; including how to draw a floor plan and furniture arranging. As a bonus, you’ll even take home a Decorating Assistant.

So far we have instructors (Design Professionals) in Idaho, Washington, Atlanta, Oregon, Florida and New Hampshire and we are adding more every week. Check out our website weekly for more information and updates at www.dishondesign.com We think you are going to LOVE it!

My Books at the Beach this Week

Every summer that I can remember, I have spent a week at the beach. This year is no different as we packed up last weekend and headed to Florida with the kids and my parents. Several years ago, I started bringing along Anne Morrow’s Gift From the Sea. It’s my favorite book to read at the beach. Each time I find something different to inspire me and I am still amazed that it was written over 50 years ago. I was even more in awe of Anne Morrow when I discovered that she was Anne Morrow Lindbergh; mother of the baby that was so tragically kidnapped and killed years before. If you are looking for one book to take to the beach – this is always my pick.

This year though, I decided to bring three different books. All three motivational, all three pretty wonderful. Here are my thoughts so far…

To kick off the trip last Friday, I began with The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. It’s a book that everyone should read. Give it to someone as a graduation gift, share it with a friend, and make sure your kids read it. I really do believe that I am a glass is half full kind of gal, I take things in stride, and am overall a pretty happy person – but I was humbled by this book and truly inspired to live a little more aware of the moment. On Friday I heard that Randy passed away and my only thought at the moment is that because of his life, the world became a better place. It’s a must read.

On Tuesday I began The Winners Manual by Jim Tressel, head coach of The Ohio State Football Team. I have to admit that I’m a little biased – that I already knew I would love it. I got to page 7 of the prologue and had tears in my eyes. Why? Because as I read, I realized how truly blessed my son is to be able to spend 5 years of his life learning from this great man as an OSU Football player. You may not be an OSU football fan. You may love to hate the Buckeyes, but the Winners Manual is really not about winning a football game, but leading a winning life. Coach Tressel has been collecting for years stories of faith, family, and principles that he believes are important to becoming a winner. Every year he shares an updated collection with his players. Here he shares the people and stories that inspired him along with tons of great quotes. I’d tell you more, but my father stole the book right out from under me and being the nice daughter that I am, I moved on to my third book. I’ll get back to the Winners Manual on the way home. So far though, I think it’s also a must read and apparently alot of other people agree as it just hit #3 on the New York Times Best Seller list for Inspirational books.

The book that I’m reading now is Tony Dungy’s Quiet Strength. At this point you would probably assume that I am a huge football fan, and you would be correct, but I’ve actually never read a book about football. I’m really not reading about football this week either. All three books are about life, success, love, family, inspiration, and more. Two of them just happen to involve football. Well, actually all three do if add Randy Pauch’s dream of playing in the NFL. Even if you are not a big football fan, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy these last two books.

Tony Dungy interests me on several levels. Initially, he intrigued be because I think the Indianapolis Colts led by Peyton Manning are a really fun team to watch. Secondly, I saw Tony Dungy on the tonight show after they won the Super Bowl and I found him to be humble, interesting and inspiring. The third reason is really a mom thing. When anyone says my son is undersized for a linebacker, all I have to do is refer them to the Colt’s roster. I appreciate that he chooses players based on talent and heart rather than numbers. 

I haven’t finished the book yet, but so far it is really very good. Tony Dungy is a man with a strong christian foundation who loves God, his family and the game of football. He writes an honest account of the role that they have all played in his life to date along with the people and events that have influenced his path in life. Yes, it’s a story thats written around football, but again, it’s not really about football as much as it’s about faith, honor, integrity, inspiration and life.

My thought is you just can’t go wrong with any of these books. I’d recommend all three. Even if you don’t love football I think you’ll walk away with a sense of renewal and energized to strive to do great things with your life.

Get Inspired by Sex and the City

I amazingly had never watched Sex and the City until last year. Thanks to my DVR, I have now seen every single episode. Imagine how excited I was when Ashley (my daughter) and I each won 2 tickets for the early screening of Sex and the City last night! Personally, I was excited just to have a girls night out. She on the other hand was excited about that too, but was equally as excited about the mandatory, ‘I have nothing to wear’. pre-screening shopping marathon that was necessary in order to attend the event.

As luck would have it, she found the perfect pair of hot pink 5″ pink stillettos with a fab flower atop each toe that perfectly matched her pink chiffon knee length new dress. I admit that for a very brief moment I had a flashback to my twenties and slipped a pink stilletto onto my freshly manicured toes. WARNING: If you haven’t worn stillettos in twenty years – you probably shouldn’t wear them in this century – trust me they are dangerous.  Did I really once dance in these till the wee hours at Studio 54? That’s another story, but, I do think believe that Ashley and I have gone full circle. I pulled out my pink vintage purse that I bought in the NYC village flea market before she was born and instead of rolling her eyes, she actually carried it to the preview. For those of you with teenage daughters – there is hope for you yet!

So, back to the movie… Did I say it was Fabulous? Here’s my review: I LOVED IT! My plan was to keep an eye on the amazing interiors I would surely see and then report back to you. I don’t think I saw any. I was so wrapped up in the girlfriends, steamy scenes, stylish clothes and of course the amazing shoes, that I swear they didn’t show any interiors. you’ll have to tell me if I missed something 🙂

Since I sadly have nothing to report regarding the inside of their homes, the philosopher in me feels compelled to encourage you to find inspiration for yourself and your home through Carrie and the girls. Note: Some of what I write below will make more sense after you have watched the Movie. Here are my thoughts…

Rekindle a Friendship. When I won the tickets to Sex and the City, something propelled me to call a friend that I dearly love, but whom I hadn’t called in a shamefully long time. She asked me as we were driving to the theatre, why I asked her when she had never seen a Sex and the City episode. I answered simply and honestly – “because I missed you”. It was like we had never missed a beat. It’s those kinds of friends; the one’s who love you inspite of yourself, that you should call.

Learn from Carrie: Style is not determined by Budget. It’s true. You’ve seen Decorate on a Dime and Shabby Chic. Find an inspiration picture. Study the lines (curvy, ornamental, sleek, etc.), note the patterns, explore the use of texture and use that as a guideline for shopping. Style is about knowing the attributes that make a room beautiful. It’s NOT about the label.

Honor the Samantha in You. Most of us are so busy working, nurturing others, and taking care of our homes that we forget out ourselves. You may even say that we ‘lose’ ourselves. I ask you this – if we don’t honor who we are, who will? Make YOU a priority in your life!

Forgive like Miranda.  Forgiveness can be hard. Let’s face it, it’s easier to stay mad than to forgive. But life is too short to carry the weight of anger and hate. Try to forgive someone who has hurt you. It doesn’t mean you have to like them or even have a relationship with them, but yours will be a much lighter load and you may even find that forgiveness can change your life for the good.

Be a Charlotte. Do you ever look at someone who is ‘always’ happy and want to slap them? Is anyone ever really that happy? The truth is no. But the other truth is that happiness is a choice. You can choose to see the glass half empty or half full. You can be a pessimist or an optimist. You can CHOOSE to be happy or choose to be sad. Sad has it moments, and sometimes we need to be sad – but if you remember to choose happy most of the time – it’s a much better life!

Enjoy the Movie! I think you are going to LOVE it!

 

Finding Inspiration in Nature – Blue Skies

Isn’t this the coolest picture? Jayne received it in an e-mail and I just had to incorporate it into today’s blog. Sometimes all you have to do is look around you to find inspiration. We met last week with Natasha Lima Younts (www.herminieshouse.com), a top decorator from Miami Beach who recently re-located to Georgia. She has the most gorgeous portfolio, but my favorite thing is her signature blue ceilings. They are simply beautiful, with an understated elegance that is amazing. In fact, I was in a room that she designed and it wasn’t until I looked up that I realized the ceiling was blue. Because it was not an intense or deep shade of blue, it was very peaceful and suprizingly neutral. You definately don’t have to have  a blue color scheme to feature a blue ceiling. She painted her walls a lighter shade of golden yellow which  works well with lots of different elements and accent colors. I love that color as well and used a slightly deeper shade of it in my last two homes- Shades of yellow are one of the new “neutrals”  that are growing in popularity.

 If you decide to try a ceiling inspired by nature (I definately intend to!), here are some tips:

• Use a crown molding around the room to frame and separate the ceiling from the walls.

• Opt for a “happy” (but subtle) shade of blue. If you choose a blue that has too much grey, it could feel like a cloudy day. Personally, I prefer brighter days! A subtle, soft, muted shade of blue with a hint of grey or even a tinge of green is perfect.

• Choose a matte finish when buying your paint for a smooth and soft appearance.

Nature can be a source of so much inspiration and it’s everywhere you look. From pebbles on the beach to the blue skies above. Take a moment and really look around you; you just might be suprised at what inspires you!