I need a money tree.

Have you ever thought of your dream home?  You know, the house you'd own if money were no object and budgets didn't exist.  The house you'd buy after Publisher's Clearing House knocked on your door and you picked the winning lotto numbers.  The house you'd live in if you didn't have bills to pay, children to care for and had enough time on your hands to make every room perfectly accessorized.  I don't live in that house yet and The fiance's yet to be successful harvesting that money tree, but one day... 

Dining Room

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Bathroom

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Bedroom

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Keeping my eyes on the prize.

"Enjoy every minute."  "It's just one day."  "This is such a fun time in your life."  I have been repeating these words of wisdom throughout the initial stages of planning my wedding, cause let's be real ya'll...this wedding stuff is stressful.  Don't get me wrong, I'm loving every minute of staring at dresses, choosing flower arrangements and playing around with color schemes.  But our guest list?  Don't get me started.  And all the opinions?  I just want to scream.  However, through all of the chaos and tears (yes, there have been a few tears), this bride-to-be is making some serious progress.

Set a Date

Select a Reception Venue

Initial Menu Meeting

Book dress appointment

Select Rehearsal Dinner Venue

Book Band
Choose Save The Dates & order samples

 

All in two week's time, might I add.  Moving forward, I am tossing all of my energy into finding a photographer and selecting my florist.  Mom's making a trip down this weekend and we're hoping to knock out a lot-including my first dress appointment.  So excited!  I've slowly starting to form an image of this big event in my head and it looks a little something like this...

All courtesy of The Knot 

Home Sweet Home

 Now that I know with 100% certainty that I'll have a new home in 6 months (I'm grinning from ear to ear right now), I've got to get on the ball with the living room.  I want at least one room to be complete pre-wedding and there ain't much time.  Yikes!

So here's what we're working with on the living room side-o-things:

I know my mom is just going to squeal with delight when I inform her that not only do I need her to plan a wedding, but I'd also like some throw pillows and floor-length drapes.  It may be more of a shriek than a squeal, and I'm not sure delight will be the emotion of choice.  I love you, mom.

OK, here's where I need some assistance, folks.  I'm in the market for a coffee table, an area rug, and another print for some accent pillows.  I love my classic color palette, but I do need a pop and after swooning over so many fabric swatches lately, I've got designer's block.  Help!

Please Accept My Apology.

Insane deadlines at work and celebrating my recent engagement have pushed blogging to the back burner.  I'm sorry, ya'll.  Will you forgive me?

Since my lunch breaks are now consumed with planning The Wedding (and staring at my ring, duh), my daily blog reads have taken a hit too.  I did manage a few peeks at my favs: 

Erin's done it again.  Yet another fabulous DIY with an unfinished dresser.  Perfection!

Big Boy Room Reveal, and let me tell you, it's good!  Sterling is one lucky boy.

 

House of Turquoise, 'nuff said.

 

Along with wedding goodies, it's obvious I need to run out and buy something tartan. 

Ok loves, I pinky promise that I'll be back tomorrow.  With an actual post.  I swear.

Fawning Over Fabrics

Some girls gush over designer purses and name brand labels, many love diamonds and expensive David Yurman and most covet all things glamour.  Don't get me wrong, I love it all but I just die for a good fabric swatch.  I know, so weird.  There is something about putting together prints side by side and beginning the creative process that slaps a big ole smile on my face.  I'm getting giddy just thinking about it!  Speaking of giddy, my living room swatches, from Calico Corners in Richmond Va, recently arrived and I am beyond smitten!

I'm envisioning the navy/white geometric print and the green/white buffalo check tossed on the couch as pillows (Two 18x18s and a neck roll).  I'm still searching for another color to sprinkle in with the pillows, but I think these selections are a great start!  The third swatch is my current front runner for drapes and I'm seriously considering an animal print accent.  Wouldn't that be fabulous?!?   

I held the swatches against the small square I painted in the living room and I'm in love.  Remember, I used Benjamin Moore's Kendall Charcoal and I couldn't be happier with the color.  Looks like I'm ready to move forward with pillows and drapes, and get this...my mom is a seamstress and makes all my home decor at $0.00 labor costs!  She is ahhhhmazing.  She gives me kick pleats, throw pillows, roman shades, shower curtains, bed skirts- you name it, she makes it!  How'd a girl get so lucky;)

In more important news...T.G.I.F folks.  

And I said yes!

Before we even left for San Diego, I got the biggest surprise e-v-e-r....this little beauty!  The Fiancé sure picked a winner (I'm talking about the ring, not me..hehe) and I'm not ashamed to admit that I look at my finger about one million times a day.

 

After donning the bling for about a week now, I've finally decided to get into the nitty gritty: wedding planning.  I told myself I would enjoy this process, remain positive & under no circumstance would I become a Bridezilla.  Well let me tell you folks, Day 1 of planning has certainly tried my patience.  Big time. Who knew coordinating a reception venue on the same date as an opening with my church would be such a task?!?

Although my blog is dedicated to creating beautiful spaces, I've decided to set aside one day a week to track my wedding planning progress.  It will be a great way for me to cross items off my list, plus putting together a wedding is a bit like putting together a room, right?  I'll need to select my color palette, linens, photographer, menu items, band....and the list goes on.  Stay tuned because I'm sure to need some support along the way;)

In other news, my living room fabric swatches came in and I'll be sharing them tomorrow along with a sneak peak of our painting progress.  Oh and it's almost the weekend...hallelujah for no alarm clock, college football and...more planning.

 

Back to Reality

Vacations are beyond amazing, but man do they come with an awful recovery period.  I'm still on west coast time and instead of sipping margaritas and walking on the beach in Coronado, I've got my nose deep in some excel worksheets.  Terrible.  I'm not happy about this.

San Diego was, without a doubt, the most beautiful place I've ever been in my 26 years of life.  The water is the sharpest shade of blue I've ever seen, so blue that I had to splash around just to make sure it was legit.  The Fiancé and I saw it all: La Jolla, Coronado, LA, Hollywood, the San Diego Zoo, Monday Night Football at Qualcomm, & we even snuck into the Beverly Hills Hotel so that I could look for Lindsay Lohan.  No dice. 

I promise to show you guys lots of pictures but today I'm catching up on a billion emails and time is getting away from me.

I leave you with the image I've been staring at since we boarded the plane yesterday. 

San Diego, I miss you.

 

 

Guest Goodness

Hi everyone!  My name is Erin and I write the blog Richmond Thrifter.  The name is kind of self explanatory...I live in Richmond and love to thrift!  I also love a good furniture before and after and try to do a few a month.  I sell some of my finds and redos as a vendor in an antique/thrift store and just started up my jewelry "shop" on Etsy.  

Alright, enough about me!  
Kendal asked to feature one of my rooms so I went with the room we use the most, our family/tv room.  




I just recently slipcovered my couch.  I liked to refer to the old couch as "The Napkin."  He's narsty!  Embarrassing, really.
Years of baby puke, food spills and Lord knows what else.I tried NOT to document it's existence so this is the best "before" you're gonna get!
My son could not even bear to show his face...its that bad people. 

 


It was in good shape, bones wise, so instead of having to deal with getting rid of it and buying a new one I wanted to find a way to make it work.

So I put a slip on it.

Actually someone from a local fabric store gave me the name of a guy who slipped it for me.
 I DESPERATELY wanted to give the whole prison reupholstery a try.  (Did you know they do reupholsery at prisons for dirt cheap) but it really was going to be a big pain in my rear.  For smaller projects I think its perfect, however, this couch is in our main living area and having it "incarcerated" for a few weeks/months really wasn't going to work well for us.

The jury is still out whether the white will hold up with a 6 and 3 year old but I'm hoping bleach will be its new best friend.



The pillows I got off Etsy.  SUCH a great place to find affordable and unique pillow covers.  The chair prints are from another Etsy shop called Annechovie.  Adore her prints.  And the trunk/coffee table/toy catch all was thrifted and inspired by this post from the always fabulous Centsational Girl.

A friend got me this card catalog at an auction in Connecticut.  
Amazing friend right!

I loved adding some glam to these plain picture frames.  See that tutorial here.

Added some estate sale artwork, Target foo dogs and a thrifted dresser.  
And BOOKS!  
I love decorating with books! 

I love a collected look so that's the goal for me.  

Throw a bunch of random junk together and hope it works!!!

Thanks for having me Kendal and letting me share some of my projects!  

Have a great day everyone!!!

See Ya Later Alligator....

After while crocodile. 

I'm bidding adieu my lovelies and heading to the west coast.  I'm pretty positive I haven't been this excited for something in a long time.  Not only do I get to skip out on work for a few days, but I get to dip my toes in the sand, drink wine and eat great food, and hang out with lions and tigers and bears, oh my!  Oh yeah, and spend mega-quality time with The Boyfriend....I mean fiancé!  You heard me, he put a ring on it!  Obviously I'll be dedicating a post to this momumental occasion, but I've decided to keep you in suspense until my return;)

While I'm away I'll have a S-U-P-E-R fun treat for you: My first guest post from a legit, real-time, fancy-pants, ahhhhmazing blogger!  Erin, from Richmond Thrifter, will be hanging out early next week to share one of her favorite spaces in her own home.  I'm beyond excited, more like ecstatic, or better yet freaking thrilled!  Erin's blog is one I visit every morning and you'd be silly not to add it to your daily to-do list as well.  She is an insane DIY-er with an awesome eye for great style and simplistic beauty.  I'm so honored to have her come visit!

I'll be back in full force next Wednesday, although I'll probably feel like this:

 

And in case you didn't catch it...I'm engaged!  Wahoo:)

Pretty in Pink

"And last week I saw Cameron Diaz at Fred Segal, and I talked her out of buying this truly heinous angora sweater. Whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed."  Elle Woods is always on point.

Switching up our usual Monday night routine of dinner and Dancing With The Stars, Jenna and I headed to "the theater "(sounds like we're important, doesn't it?) for opening night of Legally Blonde, The Musical.  It was insanely amazing.  I'm talking Jenna and I barely spoke to one another because we couldn't take our eyes off the stage amazing.  The music was ridiculously entertaining, the actors were incredibly talented and Elle's wardrobe...I'm still picking my jaw up off the ground.  Wow.

In honor of Ms. Woods and her signature look, I've pulled together a handful of pink that is seriously to die for.  Drumroll please....

 

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Hey Doc, I think I'm coming down with a serious case of the pinks. 

 

 

Obsessed.

According to Wikipedia, a Bergere chair is defined as "an enclosed upholstered French armchair (fauteuil)^[2] with an upholstered back and armrests on upholstered frames".  According to me, a Bergere chair is perfection.  I can't find a single thing wrong with this vintage french design from the exposed wooden framing to the air of elegance they bring to any space. Basically y'all, I'm obsessed.

Last year, I was lucky enough to score one of these beauties off Craigslist and it was obvious that the guy didn't know what he had.  The structure was rock solid, the cushion was super firm, and the carved detail was unbelievable.  The seller asked for $40, I offered him $25 and bam...we had a deal! Sucker;)






















"Are you going to recover that thing, or is that the look?"  I get this question from The Boyfriend about once a month.  For someone who possesses zero opinion on home decor, he sure does worry himself to death about reupholstering this chair.  Unfortunately my bank account has seen a lot of recent activity lately due to an upcoming trip (3 days people!!!!) and these monthly things called bills so my chair has been put on the back burner.  I keep telling The Boyfriend that he is more than welcome to complete the project on his own dime but as you can see, the chair still sits untouched.

Here are some of my thoughts for Mr. Upholsterer:

Classic Khaki

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Swanky Stripes

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Or how about some loud prints

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After choosing our living room paint color, Benjamin Moore's Kendall Charcoal, I stumbled upon this little gem and thought it would look gorgeous draped on my bergere.

Problem is, I can't find it anywhere!  Ugh!  The print is Ikat Ochee Feather Grey by Braemore, but after an hour of searching high and low, I've come to the conclusion that the fabric is either:

1.) sold out 

2.) discontinued
or 

3.) a figment of my imagination

I found the swatch on one of my favorite online sources for design, DecorPad, but that's where my search ended.  If you know where I can buy this fabric, PLEASE help a sister out!