Hello & A Quick DIY

Hello All!  It has been WAY too long.  I am alive!  My Summer break from blogging turned into a sabbatical!  Life got the best of me... in a good way.  I turned 30 in October and have been putting priorities in place.  Blogging was one item that didn't seem to fit into my new daily routine.  I actually thought I wouldn't come back, but due to the sweetest emails from blog buddies I couldn't stay silent anymore.  I can't promise daily posts, not even weekly, but I promise to clean the cobwebs off my keyboard a bit  more often.
I couldn't not come back with a simple DIY I thought I would share. With the adoption moving right along, we have been looking at our house with baby goggles.  Seeing little projects that help with organization and clutter.  One area that needed help was the entry way.  We had this large empty wall going up our stairs.  I thought about just hanging art, but with the baby and living in rainy Oregon, a place to hang clutter ( diaper bags, jackets, scarves ect.) would be useful.

Sorry I don't have a picture of the wall without the beams already up, but just imagine it without.  So I simply purchased some wood beams from Home Depot. While I was there I picked up some Allen & Roth iron wall hooks for two bucks a piece. We trimmed the wood to the length of the wall then drilled them into the wall with anchors for durability.  Then I simply caulked around the beams to give it a custom look. After a little paint that matches our other moulding in the house and a touching up the wall paint it was time to add the hooks.  And viola!

The whole project cost under 50 bucks.  Can't beat that! Especially for adding esthetically pleasing organization to the house.

Glad to be back,
Heather

Happy 4th

Happy 4th everyone!  I loved catching up on sll my favorite blogs this morning to see how you are celebrating.  We are having our annual block party.  All our neighbors bring out their bbq's to the side walk and we have a huge pot luck.  I am in charge of corn and this year.
I have received a few emails asking if everything is ok due to my lack of posts.  Sorry for the radio silence.  We have been gone for almost 3 weeks.  First California and then Puerto Vallarta!  We called the trip our "babymoon," knowing it might be one of the last major trips we take for awhile.  I know in the near future my reality will change from laying out by the pool with a margarita to applying floaties and being paranoid about sunscreen.  I couldn't be more ready! 
I will make sure to share pictures of our trip this week. 
Have a fun and safe 4th!

Be Well,
Heather

Miscellaneous

Hello Strangers!  I should be calling myself the stranger.  Life has been life (busy) and in my little free time I have ditched the computer for yoga and sitting in the backyard with my dog. 

 Lately my thoughts and inspiration have been miscellaneous.  I thought I would put them all in one post so I can move on in my own mind.

I am loving the organic elements in the above picture.  The wood, iron, woven basket, air plant and color scheme. Those pillows are quite glorious. 

A am really liking this wood post propped up in the corner of the room with the Terra cotta pot.  I would love to replicate this in my own living room.  I have my eye out for a post.  Lord knows I have enough plants to pick from ( Crazy plant lady.)

The iron bookshelf in the corner and the display of books flat with bindings out. Simple, stately, organized.

I love the black paint with the gold simple knobs.  It gave me the idea to paint Collin's dresser with chalk board paint and use brass hardware.

The light coming into this room is beautiful as well as the idea of incorporating a mirror in the gallery wall.

The perfect leather couch! Simple bead board with a photo ledge.  I'm trying to decide if this is what we are going to do behind our couch?

I love the coffee table with the stacks of books underneath.

The minute I saw this photo of the grey/blue against leather I was in love.

Simple black bead boarding. Never thought to paint it black before. Really liking how masculine it feels.

* All photos can be found and sourced from my boards.

Thanks for letting my mind ramble.  I promise to have a more organized post next time.

Be Well,
Heather

I'm Sexy and I Know It

This pillow from Anthropologie has got sex appeal!  I first saw it pinned on Pinterest and on my "Wish List" it went.  I never thought the wish of owning it would become a reality due to the $150 price tag.  But the pillow Gods were in my favor!  I was browsing Anthro this week and saw it in the sale room for $50.  That is still more than I would normally spend on a pillow but I couldn't get it off my mind and I learned the hard way that if you see something that makes you so happy you can't forget about it, you better buy it! So I did and now it lives on our bed.  It will probably live in every room of our house from time to time.  It just looks good everywhere! 

Have an amazing weekend friends!
Heather

Window Watching

Apartment Therapy

I ran across this photo a few months back and it really intrigued me.  At first glance I saw two corner windows.  Looking again I noticed one window was creatively a mirror.  I love how the mirror reflects the window and vice versa.  How cleaver.  Well what do you do when you run across something so cleverly fantastic? Copy!

I put my mirror a bit higher than the first photo because before we know it there will be a little guy getting his sticky fingers all over everything, and I can't wait ;)

Before the mirror, I had nothing in that corner.  I now feel like each side of the hallway arch speak to each other and look balanced without looking two similar.  The mirror also bounces light around which is nice.

I added an Ethiopian basket above the mirror to create a little vignette and add some warmth and texture to my new white walls.  The adoption agency gifted us the basket when we were put on the list as a "Family in waiting."  It is very dear to me. 
I look forward to sharing the progress of the living room.  Thank you to all who left comments about the white walls.  I appreciated all the support and great ideas.  I love feedback!

Be Well,
Heather

In Transition

I thought I would share a shot of the living room with the newly painted white walls.  I am not as excited as I would have hoped. Why? Because I had NO IDEA how changing the walls from a beigy color to white would make such a drastic change!  My room went from warm to way cool ( not the "cool" kind of cool either.)  My whole house has a warm tone to it and painting the walls white seemed to really change the whole feel of the room.  I am not saying I don't like it, I'm just saying I am now in transition.  I did not think that changing the wall color meant I now see accessories, such as pillows and wall art that needs some tweaking. 
I need to tell you guys that normally I am really decisive and like what my gut tells me when it comes to decorating my home.  I have wanted the living room white forever and now that it is, I am second guessing myself. 

What I learned from this....

Paint can change everything, make sure you are up for a decorating challenge after painting and I personally don't like the transition period in decorating a room.  I feel unbalanced.  Hopefully I can find my balance in yoga tonight.

This doesn't mean I am not up for the challenge! I will be back soon with the tweaks I have in mind for making this room warm right up.

Be Well,
Heather

White and Wonderful

 We took the plunge and started painting our living room walls white.  I have been wanting to do this since we practically moved in but was apprehensive about it looking like one of those manufactured basic white walled homes.  These inspiring images made me realize how sophisticated, modern and timeless white walls can be and I decided to go for it.
When it came to picking the white, I thought how hard could it be?  HARD! There are grey whites, yellow whites, cool whites, warm whites, blah whites, bright whites ect.  I was looking for a cool/grey white that was on the creamier side with NO yellow undertones.  I know, a lot of descriptives for a color that is not even a color?!  I narrowed my search down to two and still staring at them.  We are hosting a big graduation party for my husband and his team for the police academy in 2 weeks and my walls look like this!  I better make my mind up quick.

Here are some more images of wonderful white walls.

* All images can be found here.

Be Well,
Heather

Closet Cleanup

I finally finished the closet.  It kind of put me over the edge having my whole closet upside down for a week, but it was good motivation to get it finished.  I really like the dark walls.  It kind of reminds me of Carrie's closet from Sex in the City.  I spray painted the hardware black  so there wasn't a huge contrast in the walls.  I organized my jewelry in small bowls that I have collected from random stops to Good Will over the years and a divided lucite tray.  Finally, I made a pin board that I wrapped in linen to hang my necklaces on.   All in all, it sure feels good to get organized. 

I couldn't forget to display a picture of my mom.  After she passed I inherited a lot of her gorgeous jewelry.  It's a neat feeling putting her jewelry on in the morning and seeing her picture.

Here's to Spring Cleaning!

Be Well,

Heather

Coming Out of the Closet

Sorry for being such a silent blogger.  I have been in the closet.  Let me explain.  I had a bit of nervous energy this past weekend while waiting for some good news concerning the adoption process.  I walked into my closet to put away clothes I was in the process of folding and before I knew it, I was painting.  I am notorious for doing this when I have a lot on my mind.  When I feel I have no control over a big issue in life I find something I can have control over.  That usually entails a paintbrush. 

I took the above picture while emptying all my clothes.

I know what you are thinking.  That is one dark color.  Don't worry ladies, I have a vision and think it will be fabulous.  After some minor tweaks and final touches, I am looking forward to having a beautiful, organized closet. 

Be Well,

Heather

Collected

When I ran across this image on Design Sponge it stopped me in my tracks.  To most, this might be an image you would pass by without thinking much about.  To me, there was something very welcoming, even cozy about this shot. 
My mind started to wander.  What is the homeowner like?  Artistic?  They must like succulents.  I wondered if each plant was a gift?  Different pots, plants, stages of growth. 
The color scheme in the photo was intriguing.  The dusty wine floors, natural woven mat, assortment of green and the navy door. 
Did the owner get that cute bell hanging on the door somewhere special or was it a quick after thought to hang it there. 
When I see images of homes with stacked books, plants, dishes etc, I wonder how long it took them to accumulate the set to create such a beautiful "collected overtime" look. 
Collected over time.  That is definitely where my style leans.  I sure can appreciate beautiful staged rooms.  Rooms that a designer has just put their seal of approval on, but it is my belief that a home comes alive over time.  Your energy, trinkets, personality, crumbs make a home, home.  Some of my favorite spaces I see in media are images of homes in use.  Kitchens with pots boiling and cookbooks open. Living rooms with magazines flopped open on the floor next to a chair with messy pillows.
Just a thought. Sorry for my rambling.

To see what's past that front door go here.  Such a cute home!

Be Well,
Heather

Staghorn Ferns

On the way home from the coast, I had Matt stop at one of my favorite little nurseries where they have such unique plants. Everything is so beautifully placed, it feels like you are in the Secret Garden.  In one of the gardens I looked up and saw a ceiling full of Staghorn ferns!  Yes, My latest obsession.  I love everything about them.  The moss, the green, texture of the leaves, mounted on weathered wood... ugh!  

Needless to say, I purchased my very own!   

Staghorn's consist of clusters of several fronds that resemble antltlers which is how they get their name. In nature, Staghorns live on the sides of trees sending their roots into the bark.  This is why they must be mounted with moss on a wood plate.  I have been googling the care and maintenance of these beauties and luckily they are super easy to take care of.  They are in the same family as air plants, so they lend to little maintenance.
 Every Staghorn has a label on the wood that dates the fern.  Like the picture above you can see the metal tag.  It says it was mounted on February 10, 2010.  My fern is already two years old.  I guess they can live up to 70 years and get 100 pounds heavy! 
I thought I would leave you with a few inspiring images of Staghorns. 
If you have a Staghorn or know about them, I would love to hear about advice and care.

* All images can be found and sourced here.

Be Well,

Heather

Going Coastal

Hi all!  Sorry for the lack of posts.  The hubby and I took a trip to the coast for a few days to celebrate our anniversary.  We even took the pup.  She loves running up and down the beach collecting sticks.  It was so relaxing to unplug and enjoy some down time with Mr. Right, heeheee. Not only was it relaxing but inspiring.  We went into many art galleries, walked up and down little beach communities and enjoyed looking at beautiful coastal gardens around the cottage.  It got my design wheels turning which I can't wait to share with you.  Sometimes it takes unplugging to find yourself again. 
I will be back tomorrow morning with a post about my new favorite green object. Make sure to check back! Now I'm off to catch up with all of your fabulous posts!

Be Well,
Heather

Domino on Stands!

When I say "run like the wind" to  get the Special Edition Domino issue, I mean it!  It is fantastic.  I had a lot on my to-do list this morning and got zero done because on this magazine.  It is smart, inspiring, fantastic design on beautiful glossy pages. 

Be Well,
Heather

Next DIY?

West Elm

I really like these modern iron lanterns from West Elm.  I don't like them enough with a price tag of 40 bucks.  I find that a little steep.  I did however find spot the below lanterns at Home Goods yesterday and noticed they had the same lines as the above ones.  I know they aren't exactly the same having handles and frosted glass centers,  but the frosted centers slide right our leaving room for a pillar candle just like the West Elm lantern.  It would be easy enough to take some iron black spray paint to them and viola!  With a price tag of 12 bucks a lantern at Home Goods, I am debating my next DIY?

Be Well,
Heather