Party?

Have you seen all the cute party products at Target lately?

I love the line of Spritz!

Here are a few peeks...

love all the color

skewers with labels

food pick flags

Love them - simple, stylish, colorful and affordable.

happy :)

Home Goods Happy!
Recently went to source some ideas for projects and to continue my search for a small side table.

Have to say it was not as full as usual, but still managed to find some great things to take pictures of to share!

Here you go...are you Home Goods happy?


Great outdoor options...

love the modern lines of these planters

more planters, i think the big ones would be great for a container garden or a small tree

great outdoor seating option

woven planters

great baskets for storage...love the one with the painted number 1....you could do this with a basket you already own too...SPRAY PAINT and DIY stencil

cute little tray table for serving drinks this summer on the patio

perfect patterned pillow

rustic console with great storage

this chair and I were meant to be together

great sign

I sooooooo wanted these Ralph Lauren lamps!!! But we went our separate ways and will never see each other again.  I know this ...because you think on anything in this store...it will be gone once you go back.

and lastly this sweet little stuffed elephant for a nursery

Happy Shopping!

Light and Bright

I love creams, whites and muted colors in furniture, accessories and textiles.  This European inspired look is really hot in interiors right now.  The look is crisp, clean and ethereal.

I wonder would my house stay this clean and "white"?  ABSOLUTELY not, but I love the look anyway.   Here are a few inspirational interiors that "do" this look so well.

Check out this Houston Home Tour ....beautiful home!

I could move in tomorrow!

What a welcome entry

via decorpad

Cozy corner

  via Chris Barrett Design

Love everything about this room - tall drapes, light fixture, soft fabrics ...classic styling

 via Houzz

Dreamy bedroom

via BHG

Rustic kitchen

via House & Home

Cozy entertaining area...check out the brick paved floor to the left!

via Traditional Home

Gorgeous kitchen and keeping room

via West End Cabinet Company

Happy Weekend y'all...

Hi!

How are you?  It has been a while!

So I will start with my excuse for the delay in posting anything for a while...  I have been really focused on some, much needed, home projects.

Every heard the saying the cobbler's children have no shoes?  Well, that's me.  I never seem to have the time or money to focus on my own house.  So I decided it was time to get a few updates done.  And as you can imagine one thing led to another.  So....hopefully, I will be able to post some pics soon once I have some things completed.

Until then a few random thoughts of things I have seen and loved...and just so we are clear....that IS the USUAL type of thought I have.  Random. 

Love these new Saybrook rugs from Ballard Designs....and even better they are indoor/outdoor.  These rugs are great under a kitchen table/eating area - because they are durable and allow for easy clean-up.  Great pattern and colors!

 via Ballard Designs

I love, love, love this lantern!!!  It's from Lowe's and very affordable.  Wouldn't it be great in an entry or two of them together over a big kitchen island?

via Lowe's

Check out this armless settee from Nate Berkus HSN.  Great solution for an area where you don't have a lot of room but need comfortable and chic seating. 

via Nate Berkus

Love the fabric Cross Section in Charcoal from Waverly.

Fun and functional table from World Market.  Round coffee table in hammered steel creates a rich texture with functional storage (the top comes off).

via World Market

Have a great week ....now back to my projects!

Friday...

Thank the Lord it is Friday.  I needed this day.  A day to get caught up, to not have to be somewhere, a day for new inspiration.

Of course, I get side-tracked.

I have a new obsession ...Instagram.  Have you tried this?   It is an application for your iPhone that helps you create unique images with the pictures you take using different filters.

Here's how it started.  My favorite coffee mug from a dear friend.   I especially like the filters that make your pics look "old-timey".

And then I couldn't stop...

Can't wait to try this out on the kids when they get home! 

Happy Friday everyone!  Hope you find a few distractions of your own today.

Picking a Paint Color Help!

Picking a paint color can be a tricky proposition.  Especially when it involves a big area.  

I am in the process of repainting the downstairs living areas and it will all be one color.  Currently, I have Sherwin Williams Autumn Blond -  it's a great golden beige that has served as a perfect backdrop to our home's decor for 11 years now.  They don't list it as a color on their cards anymore but if you ask for Autumn Blond at SW ...chances are they can mix it for you.  It's a great color....but I am ready for a change!

I am looking for the perfect greige - a little grey and a little beige and I want it to be a warm neutral, not "cement dungeon gray".  I started by looking on-line for paint samples.  I usually go with Sherwin Williams paint but that is just a personal preference.   Several paint companies will categorize their paints by cool and warm, by collections and color.    It makes it easier for you to narrow down your choices.  Some even have applications that allow you to "try on" colors.   I have a paint chip deck so I looked thru that, magazines, Houzz and I love looking at the HGTV Dream House picks.  Sometimes, you might want to pick a paint color from something of inspiration in the room like a piece of art or a fabric.  I also look at friends houses that have recently painted and that is where I got the start on some of my color choices this time around.  Once, I find the colors I like I also do a Google search of the paint color name and see if pics pop up of whole rooms painted in that color.  This will give you a good idea of how the color will look all over a room.

Another hint - when looking at a paint sample card the colors graduate in saturation as you go down.  I look at the last color, the most saturated, this will tell me what color tone my choice will have predominantly.  Have you ever picked a taupe and then once you put on the wall it "reads" pink?  Or painted a gray, that "reads" green.  For instance, for my picks the last most saturated color has brown in it rather than gray or blue.  Unless, you understand color chemistry and ratios, this is a quick tip to help you determine what color your pick will "read" once on your walls.  I have found this especially helpful when you are looking at beiges, greys and blues.

So here are my narrowed down picks - what do you think?

SW7036 Accessible Beige

SW7038 Balanced Beige

SW 7031 Mega Greige

SW 7022 Alpaca

I know, I know greige is not very exciting....and these colors look almost identical but once I get them on sample boards I will be able to see the differences.

Next step, is to live with a few of the colors.  I get samples of 3-4 colors (narrow it down for yourself - it is costly to get a lot of samples and frankly too many choices may just confuse you).  I paint a decent size piece of foam core board a couple of coats of each sample.   You will want to see how the color does in different lights - natural sunlight, ambient light and at night.  So having it on a poster board allows you to move it around the room to test this out.  Advice I got from a professional painter - don't paint large samples directly on your wall in a visible area.  When it comes time to paint over those areas you may get some differentiation in the paint coverage as you are painting over darker or lighter colors.  The sample process is very important as it will save you money in the end by allowing you to pick the right color the first time.  

Hopefully, I can make a decision soon and post a newly painted, beautiful room!

Take it Outside!

Don't know about you but the weather in Texas lately has been amazing {as soon as I post this though the weather WILL change}.  But for now, I have done lots of yard work lately and the nice weather has got me thinking about entertaining outdoors.  Wouldn't you love to have a cocktail party on the patio, dine alfresco or just enjoy a glass of wine with a few friends enjoying the fresh air?

Here are a few ideas to make that special get together easy and stylish!!

Use outdoor pottery as a wine chiller.

via

Love the look of this large basket to contain your bar items. 

via

LOVE this melamine collection from Pottery Barn - it looks like real Italian pottery in the picture.  The rope detail adds an unusual sophistication to outdoor dinnerware!

via

Love this entertaining stand from Pottery Barn.  Great piece because it allows your table display to go vertical.  The top could be used for a candle to create ambiance, and the other two layers for stacking plates and napkins.  Or use the top for a dip and have baskets of dippers like crackers and veggies on the other two layers.

via

Check out these Super Chill servers from Frontgate.  Made to keep your "cool" items chilled for up to eight hours without need for ice and with no condensation.  And they're stylish too!

via

What about hosting an outdoor screening of your favorite movie under the stars?

Here's an outdoor movie screen - too cool!  This is quite an investment because you have to buy the projector and stand - but I also researched and you can rent the whole shabang from local rental companies for about $299 to accommodate 10 guests in your backyard.

via

Cute paper containers for fruit salad serve with skewers instead of silverware. 

via

Ok, ok....I know this is totally out of the budget for most of us.  But we can dream can't we?  Wouldn't this be awesome for making wood-fired pizzas?

via

Now get out there and enjoy the weather...or as we say in Texas "at least while it lasts"!