A New Thing for Me

As a result of my love for chalkboards...







I have developed a love for



I just saw them advertised on



She told about the Mister Art website where you can find these for a big discounted price (once at the website, just search for "chalk ink")!! And we bloggers, designers, stylish women, etc. love a deal!

I am so excited for mine to come. I think it will revolutionize my chalkboard experience!

Link Up to Mood Board Monday

Today I chose to create my dream living room. A combination of West Elm and Pottery Barn, makes this designer girl very happy. This living room is expensive, but I was dreaming and held no expense. Beautiful quality.

If you cannot afford these items, stores like Home Goods and Target will often produce replicas at more budget-friendly prices.

Enjoy!

The paint for this room is Sequin SW6394 from Sherwin Williams






The bones of the room:

Manhattan Leather Studio Sofa (from Pottery Barn, Camel, $2699)
Manhattan Leather Studio Chair and a half (from Pottery Barn, Espresso, $2199)

I purposely chose coordinating colors in the same piece for a visual flow while preventing the space from becoming stagnate.

Manhattan Leather Studio Ottoman (from Pottery Barn, Espresso, $499x 2)

I would place these in front of the camel toned sofa.

The Zebra Rug (from West Elm, 9x12, $749) would ground the space and provide a unique flavor to the warm and modern space.

I chose to accent in antique reds with furniture that provide the pop of green an even greater impact.

Leena Media Consol (from Pottery Barn, Red, $499)
Emmet Cabinet Side Table (from Pottery Barn, Red, $399)

I would dress the windows in Espresso toned Dupioni Silk Pole Pocket Drapes from Pottery Barn (50x96, $99 per panel). The silk would add depth and texture while the espresso tone would blend with the space.

The Celeste Chandelier from Pottery Barn ($299) would provide lighting from above.


The Jewelery of the Room:

The main accessories I used were from the new Patch NYC collection at West Elm! I love this collection and it was such a privilege to design a room around these items.

I used the Pear Thistle pillows and the Ivory Rose pillows ($34 for each cover). I would place several of these all over the sofa and chair.

I would also place the framed thistle and framed rose on the wall in a vertical fashion ($34 each).

Next to the West Elm Patch NYC art, I would place horizontal and vertical pieces of Amalia Elena Veralli's Green and White Tulips-2009 (Pottery Barn, $399 each).

These art pieces would be on the wall in a collection style above the sofa...

I also chose to accent with the Hanging Bud Vases (Pottery Barn, $12.99 clearance).

The Eagan Multipanel Mirror (Pottery Barn, $699).
This mirror would be placed above the consol to hide the TV which is recessed into the wall.

I would place the Brookshire Ceramic Lamp (Pottery Barn, $199) on the side table.

I hope you've been inspired and enjoyed this room! I am happy to provide more realistic design consultations for your everyday needs too!

Make sure to check out the Pewter+Sage blog for more inspiration and other Mood Board Links!

A Project To Come

I've been hoping to work on some more furniture, but I've also been hoping to come across a great deal. Today was the day!

I found two tables (an end table and a coffee table) on Craigslist for $25!! They are both solid oak. Scratched up, but with beautiful bones and ready to be painted! Although I'm not yet sure what color I'm doing,I'm so excited.

Enjoy the pictures and I will hopefully soon have a reveal.




{Ignore the fact that they are in my van/garage...the only downside to the solid part is that they are so heavy and I can't move them myself!}

Why I'm so excited:

The Caroline Bedside Table from Pottery Barn for $349


or

The Preston Cocktail Table from Ballard Designs for $349


I love the coffee table too. I would have paid the $25 just for the side table, but to have the coffee table too. Such a deal. And look at those chunky legs! (only a compliment when talking about furniture or children whose age can still be discussed in number of months)

Breath of Fresh Air

"Throw open the doors, and let in the light. Make your home a happy gathering spot, a family refuge, a personal exclamation--it's SPRING!


I saw this quote in the new May issue of Better Homes and Gardens. It caught my attention lately because this season of spring is so inspiring, especially in our homes. The colors are bright and the air is fresh and it's popular to clean obsessively!

I took the opportunity to catch some spring in my home. Enjoy the pictures and let yourself be inspired by the ideas or colors.

Outside: Breathe in the blossoms and decorate in color!







Inside: Pull Back the curtains and open the doors. Enjoy the natural light and fresh air!





Inside: Let the outside elements in!
These are flowers from my yard that instantly freshen up my table and these little birds are ones I found from an adorable boutique in Sisters, OR when my family was on vacation!




Enjoy your day, take a breath of fresh air, and be inspired!

Linking to:

Inspired Room

Are you In?

Gina at the Shabby Chic Cottage is hosting a fantastic party for her blog anniversary. I'm in...are you?

Molding

I love molding and it is a fairly inexpensive way to create custom art. I have a molding focal wall in my family room!

I painted a section with the darker color on the same color card that I used for the wall's color.

I then outlined and measured for the molding squares.

In the center are two candle sconces that have been in almost every room in my house. I got them several years ago at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They were on clearance and originally black!

The green toy storage you see with the baskets was a section of old cabinets in our kitchen. When we remodeled the kitchen we added molding and painted it. I got the baskets at Ikea.






I'm linking this to:





and

A Giveaway from Nesting Place

Do you want your decor to be so much more than just pretty or space-filling? I want it to be remembered by those who have spent time in my home. I would like to encourage and refresh my guests or maybe leave a lesson in their hearts from something that is written on decor.

As my children are getting older, I want them to be surrounded by truth and encouragement. The Nesting Place is featuring a giveaway from DaySpring. There are a few different ways to win, but one is the opportunity to win a customized sign! How fun. Creating it will satisfy the design side, while them taking care of the rest will satisfy the like to be spoiled/I'm a really busy mom and open paint cans around babies is bad...side.

Enjoy the sign I made...it's just a design right now. Hopefully, I'll win and it will be sent to me. Yes, please!!

Chalkboard Paint

I have a serious relationship with chalkboard paint. I'm head over heals in love...if I had time, I would do a project with it. every. day.

Now, my relationship just went to the next level thanks to Hudson paint. They have 24 colors of chalkboard paint. No longer are you stuck with the classic look. Your possibilities are endless!!

My mind is going crazy as the ideas spill over each other. It's quite expensive so you have to know exactly what you're going to do with it. That won't stop me from dreaming.

Maybe. one day. there will be. that lucky project. For now, you can swoon too...at Hudson Paint.

Make New Friends Friday

I love having friends. I've always been a social girl; you know the type that would like to have coffee with their OB after they're finished having babies or they want to keep getting together with someone who bought something off of Craigslist from them...yep, that's me! Blogging has only increased that abnormality, I mean beautiful trait, in me.

So, when Jill from Barnes Yard, started hosting a party






I was so in! This is great and it gives us all a chance to see more blogs that we will be ignoring our kids, I mean waiting for nap time, to enjoy...

Here is my "new friend!" Her name is Natalie. Her blog is It's a Wonderfully Crazy Life. I first "met" her when she became a fan of my blog. HOW NICE OF HER.

I have really enjoyed looking around her blog.

LOVE her new floors:

My Mantels

I LOVE decorating mantels. While I don't care for my corner frustration in the living room; I have enjoyed the challenge in practicing design tricks. I have loved my family room mantel.

Here is my corner mantel in the living room:



Pictures of my kiddos and some touches of spring. All of the milk glass and white pottery was purchased at Goodwill for around $8. I cleaned it up and onto the mantel it went. The flowers and branches were used in my wedding almost 4 years ago and the basket was from a baby shower.

The Family Room Mantel:



This mantel was originally on a different wall, up way too high, and white (when we moved in). It was painted green when I decided that the family room would be my black and white room with apple green accents. I found the empty frame at a garage sale for a $1 and painted it black. The white chalkboard is the Lettered Cottage inspired one that I made here. You can't really tell, but I wrote the word "grace" in several languages. The pictures, shots from Europe, were taken by my sister in law. She has such a good eye! This mantel is a favorite of mine to decorate and gets switched up quite a bit!

Enjoy.

I'll be linking up to:



and

Saturday Project RECAP

Yesterday, we did head out to Bring Recycling, as a family. We "found some treasures," but that project will have to wait for another day. I do not have all the pieces yet, and if I'm really trying to reproduce something for cheap...I have to be patient!

Seeing as that would have to wait, I took a trip over to G.W. (Goodwill) during nap time. I found these pictures


.

Special, I know...but if you are going to change an item completely, it's best if it's hideous, I mean special, beforehand. It just makes for better pictures that way! These 2 pictures were the perfect size frames and they were an additional 25% off their already cheap price!

Now, to the project. I was on Layla's (The Lettered Cottage) blog the other day, and was super inspired by her double-framed chalkboard. Check it out here. I had to make one of my own.

I'm in love with my outcome!




I gutted the frames (Goodwill $7 for both).
Put a piece of plywood in the large frame (on hand from my hubby's garage).
Painted a square of chalkboard paint (on hand--who doesn't) and topped it with the smaller frame that is raised.
I sanded the edges to "age" it.
Now, it's going to wait 3 days (per the paint instructions) to be seasoned with chalk and used!! Which means, I have 3 days to find the perfect spot for it because it wasn't just an inch too big to be on my mantel, like I originally intended...no, I would not do that!

Total Cost: $7 and an afternoon...not bad!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Look for some fun Dollar Tree transformations to come later this week!

I'm going to link this to Thrifty Decor Chick Before and After Party: A DIY Cloche!!

Our Day

As my little lady gets older and is able to do more in her day, I want to have a plan. I want to make sure she is achieving the appropriate milestones for her age. With my good intentions, often comes fatigue from the night before or distractions from the younger brother or a forgetfulness that I blame on previous pregnancies!

I love charts but was never able to find what I wanted...until I found an old wooden frame at G.W. I just sanded it and polished it with a little wood stain. I then painted a board with chalkboard paint (my project "go-to"). With my paint pen, I made a chart with each activity/chore I wanted her to accomplish in a day. A schedule of sorts. She has the satisfaction of checking things off. I have a reminder of things I'd like to help her learn. We have a more productive day!



I'm linking this to: