August Break: Kentucky

Pin It

August Break: North Carolina

Pin It

August Break: Muscat

Pin It

August Break: Chang Mai

Pin It

August Break: Kathmandu

Pin It

August Break: London

Pin It

August Break: Copenhagen

Pin It

August Break: St Petersburg

Pin It

August Break: Rajasthan

Pin It

August Break: Agra

Pin It

August Break: Rio de Janiero

Pin It

Then and Now

This was my guest bedroom when I moved in.  Paint and wallpaper courtesy of the previous owner, not at all what I was after.

My first makeover - I really wanted to experiment with a dark paint color (I'd never dared go dark before.)  I loved this at the time - and even found a comforter on clearance at Kohls that matched, giving me a tone on tone look for the entire room.


Lately, it felt old and dated and I knew that putting dark carpet under the dark paint just wasn't going to work for me.  What I really wanted was board and batten, but I'm not super handy, don't have the proper tools, or the budget right now for what I want.  So I decided to "fake" it the best I could with a little paint.  Two coats of primer and a coat of paint later the room is so much lighter and brighter.  Best of all, this makeover cost nothing (except for the new carpet that was going in anyway.)  I already had the paint and the linens.  You can't beat that price.


Please ignore the fact that I haven't gotten around to moving the large map (of Paris) up above the headboard, I plan to get it done eventually, I swear.

I'm a week late, but I've decided to join Susannah Conway's August Break.  For the rest of the month (and maybe into the first week of September) I'm just going to post a photo, no words, no songs.  I think it is a brilliant way to spend the last month of the season focussed on life and less on blogging.

I'd better make this last song a good one.  Matt Bauer is a new discover of mine this week.  He's a bearded guy (you know me and scruffy musicians, swoon) with a beautiful voice, who sings songs that make me stop everything just to list.  Take a listen to his Don't Let Me Out:
Pin It

Master Bedroom - After

Friday I shared some before pictures from my master bed and bathroom and I've finally gotten around to taking some after shots. I, still haven't hung a single piece of art on the wall and the curtains haven't been hung, so I guess these aren't true after shots, but they are the best I have.

The carpet turned out great, it scared me at first because it was so much darker than what I had before, but after a day or two I'm loving it.  I still have to deal with the two holes in my living room wall that the furniture movers left me with.  I'm convinced there is no house project that can be done without something going wrong.


The walls are a blue/green/grey mix from Martha Stewart called Winter's Day.  I've fallen so in love with this color I think I'm going to use it to freshen my living room. It comes off as a neutral, and changes in different light.  The duvet is a rust/orange color and came from West Elm (no longer in stock.)

I'm still hoping I'll get brave and paint the cupboards a soft white sometime in the future, but for now it just feels amazing not to have a place covered in dated wallpaper and grungy carpet.

The Flaming Lips recently played a show in Salt Lake, and while I don't love all of their stuff, I pretty much think their "Do You Realize" is amazing.

Pin It

Pinterest Challenge

Last week I was reading some of my favorite design blogs and saw the Pinterest Challenge that had been issued by three of my favorites Sherry of Young House Love, Katie of Bower Power and Emily of Secrets of a Stylist.  The challenge was just the motivation I needed.

Source: littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com via Jamie on Pinterest

One of my very first pins was for Amy Butler's customized Ikea Maskros light I saw on Little Green Notebook.  I've been trying to come up with a fun, non-toy birthday gift for my niece who turns 4 this month, and since all of her toys and clothes came out of storage just two weeks ago the last thing she needs is more of either item.  I decided I would honor her love of all things purple and pink (she reminds us all at every opportunity they are her favorite colors) and build her a custom light fixture for her room.

She was with us at Ikea when I purchased the light - and I'm happy to say she noticed the light in a display and mentioned she liked it. (I think this girl has a future in design, she loves Ikea and will grab my hand to show me her favorites, and her taste is surprising modern.  She also loves to look through fashion magazines picking out the gowns she likes best.)

The light was a bit more expensive than I thought, but once I had the idea in my head I couldn't resist.  Luckily I got a great deal on the paint (30 cents a bottle at Michaels!)

Saturday was painting day - and just in case you are wondering, the light has 84 "flowers" on it to be painted, and I painted both sides.  I managed to watch two movies while painting.  For anyone wondering, I used basic craft paint and small sponge brushes, but spent the entire time wondering if it wouldn't have been easier to lay them all out and spray paint them.

Sunday I discovered the light actually need to be hung before you assemble it - but I wanted to have it done so I could submit it for the challenge, SO I got creative and hung it from the chandelier in my kitchen for assembly.  I have no idea what I'm going to do with it for the next two weeks or how I'm going to get it to her house (I'm thinking it may need disassembled and then reassembled, but at least I have the satisfaction of completing the challenge.)


I'm happy with the way it turned out and can't wait to see it hung in her room.  I'm now looking forward to trying out some of the other ideas I've pinned.

Did anyone else out there participate in the challenge?  Wondering what Pinterest is, want to follow my boards, or need an invitation?  If you do, let me know I'll send you an invitation.

I watched Eat Pray Love this weekend (thanks Kristine!) and have been humming this song every since.

Eddie Vedder - The Long Road





Pin It