Stoned...

I confess, I'm not much on rustic interiors, and in

particular interior stonework. But I think I'm changing
my mind after seeing these lovely spaces...





Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!

A Winning Kitchen...

Last week I was dreaming up what I'd do to my bathroom
if I won the HGTV Fall Fix Up Sweepstakes. I thought I'd
give my kitchen a little sprucing up this week.

I am fairly certain I want white cabinets. And as a
stark contrast to them, I'd want a lovely dark espresso
wood floor. I do have room for a small island, so to
add some further interest, I think I'd paint it black.

I love this kitchen. Light and bright, clean lines, a bit
of open storage, and that backsplash! Love, Love, Love it!


And this one too. Very similar, and another great backsplash!


I was sort of shocked when I saw this photo. It's almost
an exact match to the current footprint of my kitchen...



Although only a tiny sliver of the kitchen itself, and it's
not my lovely dark chocolate floors, I do adore
this space from House and Home...


But then I think about flipping my color scheme. How
about a dark kitchen. Maybe black or how about dark gray
cabinets like these lovely spaces...



When you add in cabinet profile, color and hardware,
flooring, wall color, countertops, and backsplash the
possibilities really are endless aren't they.

"A Game of Pretend"

I was just reading a neat little article over at Shine
on Yahoo. It basically asked the question, what would
be your version of "Eat, Pray Love". I think it's safe to say
that with the impending opening of the movie, Elizabeth
Gilbert's story has gone full-on viral. And I'm sure
given the popularity of her story, the Shine writer was
not the first to suggest this topic. But more so, I loved
the writers take on the fact that sometimes, just
imagining a "dream life" or what you would "makeover,"
helps you realize what you truly want from life.

Some good food for thought on this Friday afternoon.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

If I Won...

I mentioned yesterday, that I entered the HGTV
Fall Fix up Sweepstakes. I usually don't enter contests,
it's just not my thing really. But I guess my imagination
and desire to make some updates around the house got
the best of me when the commercial came on the other
night. So of course it got me thinking, what would
I do if I won?

First up, my bathroom. I have so many ideas! It's
not a big space, but totally workable and just in
need of some updating. We'll start from the floor
up. I adore marble. I'm torn between this lovely
weave pattern from Brooklyn Limestone...



Or a larger simpler tile like this...

Cococozy

I am very fortunate to have a separate tub and shower.
Although I must admit, anyone who is claustrophobic
may run the other way from my little corner shower.
But I think if I opened it up with frameless glass panels
it would do wonders for it. I'd add a little bench, but
otherwise, this shower is perfect. Simple tile and
a skylight!



Let's see, next up, the tub. I like my tub.
But maybe a little marble around the ledge...

Old House Journal

And some kind of built in shelving like this would be
functional and beautiful...

Style At Home

On to the vanity. Currently I have one of those huge
mirrors that cover the length of the double vanity.
Ever since I bought the place I've wanted to swap it
for two mirrors. Love these...

traditional bathroom design by new york interior designer Robin Muto

And then the vanity itself. Marble top, of course. And
I'm thinking white or a pale gray. This one is pure
perfection...


But all the marble and lovely finishes aside, the one thing
I want most in my bathroom is...

eclectic bathroom design by new york architect Richard Bubnowski Design LLC

A Pocket door!

So which room would you tackle first if you won?

HGTV.com - Thanks~

I popped over to HGTV.com last night to enter their
$75,000 Fall Fix Up Sweepstakes (more on that another
day), and was pleasantly surprised to see they had re-
vamped their site. I kind of well, hated, the old site.
I found it hard to navigate the picture galleries, and
quite slow to load. It's still not super-speedy, but I
found it much easier to view all the lovely room pics.

A few that caught my eye...




Always nice to have another source for inspiring rooms, no?

More Bookmarks

With the help of my nifty new cold laminating
machine, I finally finished up a few craft projects
I've been working on for months. Not sure what
got me on the bookmark kick, but I seem to be
stuck on it at the moment.

Love this one...


And these turned out so cute. Although I've had to try
several types of magnets to get them to work...


It always amazes me how different a color can be from
computer screen to actual print. But I still like these...


Funny, I'm guessing there are a lot of folks out there who
have switched over to a Kindle or other personal reading
device. So bookmarks may soon go the way of let's see
CDs? Landlines? Well, you see where I'm going. I'm
just not there yet. I kinda like lugging my big bulky
book around. Especially when I've got a cute bookmark
to go with it.

Mirror, Mirror...

...Quite literally on the wall. This weekend, I finally
got around to a project that's been on my list for
months. Since I changed the color schemes from
brown and blue to gray and cream in my bedroom,
my mirror, which hides behind my door, was in
desperate need of a makeover. I had picked it up
quite awhile ago at TJ Maxx for about 20 bucks.
Never really liked the finish but it worked in the room...


I had spotted this beautiful mirror at Homegoods that
I loved, but it was the wrong size and I figured I could
replicate the finish on my existing mirror. (Wish I
would have snapped a picture!). I also had a TON of
paint samples I had collected when I was in search of
the new wall color, so I was thrilled to be able to put
them to good use. So I put on a base coat of a dark
french blue-gray...



Then I mixed a lighter gray with some water and brushed
over it...


It took a few passes to get a finish I liked, but I really
love how it turned out. It looks fabulous with the wall
color...


A side note, as always, I need to work on my photography
skills. Since I had to paint it in place on the wall (long
story), getting a decent angle, and decent lighting proved
quite a challenge. But I digress. You might also notice
my door in the reflection. I've borrowed an idea from
Centsational Girl's gorgeous office. I'll try and post
about that project another time. I have to admit, it
was a bit tricky, but it adds so much interest to a boring
old white door.

Happy Monday!

Get Busy Livin'...

And if you don't know the rest, well, I insist you go rent
"Shawshank Redemption" immediately. Come back
after you've watched it.

It's been a really crazy few weeks. I've been dealing
with some health issues that have had my nerves worn
thin. Lots of tests and then the horrid waiting for results.
I confess, I'm a bit of an overanxious, paranoid person,
with a way too over-active imagination to begin with, so
the waiting...brutal. Thankfully, I received good results
back from the one big test. I felt like I had been holding
my breath for the past couple of weeks, but now, I can
finally start breathing again.

Anyway, I guess I'm a bit of a cliche. It takes something
like this to make you wake up and stop letting day
after day, week after week, month after month
(you get the idea) blend one into the next. I want to
make some changes. No, I need to make some changes.

First up, I have got to do something about my job.
I know, a job is a job. And I'm not saying I have to
love what I'm doing. However, when the thought of
your job makes you feel physically ill, instantly
raises your blood pressure, and kinda just makes
you want to cry, I think that's a sign maybe it's not
the right place for you. So I'd say it's time to get
busy and work on those changes...

Fall

I've noticed a trend lately in the blogosphere. Many
people seem to have had it with the hot hazy dog days
of summer and are dreaming about fall. I too find myself
longing for that chill in the air and the turning of the
leaves, but most of all I'm longing for the clothes!!! Didn't
help when I popped over to Nordstrom.com today and
what did I find on the front page, one of my favorite
things in the entire world. BOOTS!!

Lovely rain boots...


Cool lace-up boots...


Comfy warm boots...




And a classic equestrian...



Then I spotted this look in a Talbots ad. Love the coat!


I always say I hate to wish away time, but I must admit,
I'm looking forward to fall and all the lovely things that
go with it.

Jackpot!

It was another tough week, so I decided I'd treat myself
to a little retail therapy last night. Even if I didn't find
anything, I figured it would be good to just get out of
the house. I'm happy to report I scored big!



About a month ago, I had spotted these adorable
canisters in Homegoods. I wasn't ready to commit
at first glance, but halfway through the store I realized
I WANTED THEM! I went back to pick them up, only
to find another customer placing them in her cart.
DRAT! Since then, I've popped into various other
stores like TJ Maxx hoping I'd run across another set.
No such luck. Until last night when I found them at
Marshalls. Score #1! I didn't waste a second grabbing
them this time around.

I continued the peruse the aisles and there it was, score
#2! Found this gorgeous lantern...


I got both pieces for less than 20 bucks! I do love a
good deal, and two is even better!

Random Favorites

Sorry for my lack of posting this week. Too much going
on, and I'm afraid everything else has taken precedence
over the blog. But I thought I'd take a moment to share
a few of my favorite spaces I've run across lately.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Nothing special really about this room. I just love how
it's bathed in such a warm golden glow...


Pretty sure this pic from House Beautiful has been on
many blogs, but it really is a perfect outdoor space, No?



What more can I say, what a view...




I just love this living room/kitchen space. It just looks so
homey...


And finally a hallway. I seem to have a thing for entryways...


Have a great Wednesday!

Virtual Vacation - Los Angeles

This week's virtual vacation is in honor of the small
earthquake that quite literally shook me awake at 5am
this morning here in Virginia.




I bet LA would not be on most people's list of vacation
spots, but I confess it's on mine. Probably partly due to
my fascination with the glitz and glamour. But much
like Chicago, I grew up watching TV shows and movies
which depicted the city as such a cool place to be.
I've visited a few times for work, and even got to stroll
around the Warner Bros. lot and see "Stars Hollow"
and "Luke's Diner" from Gilmore Girls, but the city
and surrounding areas have eluded me.
So let's get going!

The Itinerary...

Day 1 - Catch an early flight out
~Arrival and check-in at the hotel
~Stroll down Rodeo Drive
~Coffee and a bite @ Urth Cafe
~Back to the hotel for some lounging at
the fabulous rooftop pool



Day 2
~Breakfast @ Joan's on Third
~Griffith Park


~Swing by the hotel and change
~Head for Malibu on the PCH
~Stroll through the Getty Villa and enjoy the sunset


~Dinner @ Geoffreys Malibu

Day 3
~Brunch @ Tart
~Off to Venice to visit the canals and do a little
shopping around Abbot Kinney


~Off to the airport to catch a flight home

I'm so ready to get outta town! How about you?
Have a wonderful weekend!

Seaside Prints, Good For Any Season

I popped over to the Ideal Home magazine website
this morning to see if by chance they had the preview
for August's issue posted yet. No such luck, but I did
run across an article about these adorable prints from
artist Caroline McGrath's Seaside collection. I found
them so cute, I thought I'd share...



I have some friends who live in Maryland and love crabs,
and would probably get a kick out of this one...




I would love to have an all white, or at least
mostly white kitchen, and these prints with their
fun pops of color would fit so perfectly into my vision.

I'm definitely bookmarking her site!

All images from http://carolinemcgrath.co.uk