I have a HUGE love of great advertising.  I just have to share this hilarious new ad for the iPad.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUZNrDUpJq4

I'm Baaaaack!

Who said blogging would be easy?!  I have to say, I got a little discouraged and bailed for a bit but I'm back!!  I truly enjoy the writing process so much and I REALLY love connecting with people.  Even though the learning curve here on the blogoshphere feels excruciatingly slow for me...I'm not giving up.  I hope to get more followers to interact with...if you have any tips or advice Please share them with me.  I'm currently looking for a way to add an email subscription link so my friends can see what I write as soon as I post something new.
A LOT has been going on...my youngest started a new school and thankfully, is very happy there.  My eldest is turning 16 this week and we just can't believe she'll be driving soon and off on a whole new chapter of her life!  It's all very exciting and very scary.  I'd love to hear how other mom's waded through these testy waters!  What's the saying? "Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone"  Well, my heart is about to get in a car and drive away, and I'm not too sure I like it.

On a cheerful note it was cool when I woke up this morning!!! Yay!! I'm decorating for Halloween so I'll be sure to add those photos soon!  My little one LOVES this tradition!  She loves to hold up each little seasonal decoration as we pull them from the dusty boxes and oooohhh and aaaahhh over it! "Oh! Remember this one, Mommy??!!!"  It's so much fun for both of us to make our home more festive for the approaching holiday.
Plus, all my seasonal decorations were in a storage facility this time last year, so I missed out on decorating for all the big holidays!  This year I plan to do it up BIG to make up for what I missed last year!  We'll be making our usual Popcorn Balls & Caramel Apples for the neighborhood kids and my "Batini" for the adults!!
My father's been sick a lot this past year but thankfully he's back home and healing from yet another surgery on his new "esophagus."  It's the year anniversary in October of his diagnosis of Esophogeal cancer.  Take care of your esophogus' friends!  If you have reflux or anything of the sort...get to a Dr and get it taken care of! NOW.  Esophageal cancer is awful and I don't wish this on anyone!  Take care of yourselves and the people you love!  I'll be back soon with photos for you!
XOXO

Stairway to Haven

This may not be a big deal to anyone but me, but let me tell you, I was SO excited when the installation of our carpet went onto our back staircase!  I had seen this carpet in a magazine or online years ago and saved it in my "dream house" file.  When I went shopping for carpet for the stairs I decided I had to have it somewhere in my home.  I thought about putting it in our gameroom but ultimately settled on the back stairs. The stairs are at the back door just off our driveway, the one that a lot of the girl's friends will be using to go upstairs.  The antelope print is so fun and it makes the stairs just a bit more, well, special!  It also really ties well with the golden marble in our kitchen.  In case it's on your list for your dream home, Karastan, Stark, and Couristan all make this pattern.  I couldn't be happier with the look!!

Here are a few more photos of how this print could be used in a home.

Enjoy~

                                            

Room by Jan Showers

                                              

photo by Pieter Estersohn

image via Dallas, TX MLS listing

XOXO

Turquoise Tiara ~ A Teenage Haven

Here it is, Sally!  This is the turquoise room in all it's unfinished splendor.  I am currently waiting for another side table to arrive and looking for art work for the walls above the mirrored furniture. I also plan on purchasing the IKEA white slip covered sofa for the kids to hang out on while they splash their fruit punches all over it. LOL Luckily, and smartly if I do say so myself, I found this white Shabby Chic bedding at Target, as my daughter has already gotten red marker stains on it...how adorable is that??  I'm a huge believer that custom or expensive bedding is ridiculous for kids and teens.

 

I found this super fun fabric for the drapes at High Fashion. It makes the room fun for a teen.  It looks like some sort of animal print. Elissa wanted funky yet elegant~~

kind of a tricky combo but I think I've pulled it off! 

    

The paint was a HUGE decision as turquoise can go really bright, too blue, or too green.  Erin at Turquoise House had some great suggestions.  A few of her favorite colors were Robin's Egg Blue, Sky Blue, Seafoam Green, and Ocean Blue.  They're all really gorgeous colors! I ultimately found and fell in love with BM Blue Diamond.  I think I did it 75% to make it just a little softer. It's not hard on the eyes and goes really well with the mirrored & iron elements  in the room.

The mercury glass finials were found at Loew's, of all places! My drapery seamstress told me that they had finials and I was in a huge time crunch so I ran over there and was surprised to find these really perfect finials to go with the mirrored furniture!  Who knew?

The bed was custom made at Eloise Abbott at the Decorative Center, but there's one almost identical to it at Anthropologie that a friend bought for her daughter, so I know that one must be quality as well.  We plan to hang white gauzy fabric from the poles to make it very ethereal & dreamy.  It's on my list of To-Do's for this room. 

                                      

For the mirrored desk I plan to get a clear acrylic chair. I don't want to take away from the mirrored furniture by adding anything clunky! (I still need to hang her bulletin board :)

And how perfect is this trash canister?!  I love it!

So there you have it so far! I'll update it as it starts to take more shape but I'm really pleased with how it looks so far and, most importantly, my daughter LOVES it!  Let me know what you think! You can leave comments below~~

XOXO

For Breakfast~What 's Better Than Yummy French Toast?? NOTHIN'!!

I love watching Bethenny Frankel's new show on Bravo. 

 I find her to be hilarious & heartbreaking at the same time.

She's smart, brutally honest and a breath of fresh air.

I root for her to keep this happiness & success she has finally found.

Why?

Why not!

She's so entertaining & she's a gal I think we'd all love to get to know.

Here's her recipe for Whole Grain French Toast!

I found the recipe on her website at:

http://www.bethenny.com/2010/07/07/whole-grain-french-toast/

Whole-Grain French Toast

A healthier version of the breakfast fave.

4 egg whites

1 tsp. real vanilla extract

1 tsp. maple syrup

4 slices whole grain bread (preferably stale)

Topping: real maple syrup and fresh fruit

In a shallow pan, combine egg whites, vanilla extract and syrup. Beat lightly with a wire whisk.

Put the slices of bread into the pan, flip over to coat both sides.

Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the slices on preheated skillet for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Serve immediately. Drizzle with maple syrup and top with fruit.

Enjoy your Sunday morning!

Thanks For Lending A Helping Hand

I wanted to give a shout out to the blogs that were such a huge help to me while I was renovating.  I can't tell you how many hours I poured over decorating blogs at 2am,  reading posts on everything from paint colors, fabrics, upholstered headboards, custom iron bed frames, cabinet hardware, & on & on & on...
I'm not a decorator but knew that if I didn't have a firm hold on exactly what I wanted & could make up my mind on what to do for each & every detail along the way, then someone else would make it up for me and well, that's just NOT how I roll~~
So here are just a few of my favorite decor blogs from whom I've learned so much!

Joni @ http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/  What can I say other than Joni is amazing!  We actually figured out that we've met quite a few years back! Joni's blog is fabulous in that she leaves no stone unturned.  She gives out all kinds of valuable resources and I love her for that!!  Thank you, Joni!  You're a gem!

http://paloma81.blogspot.com/  This blog, La Dolce Vita, is so yummy on so many levels!  It's so varied and fun that I look forward to each post!  I especially love her guests blogs on 10 Things I Can’t Live Without!
Check out her recent post on Houston Decorator, Sally Wheat!  Sally has been featured all over the blogosphere & can be seen on Cote De Texas often.  A friend introduced us & we got together and I now consider her a friend!  Which leads me to my next shout out to:


The fabulous Sally Wheat!  Now sadly, Sally doesn't have a blog, but all you need to do to enjoy  her work is google her name and numerous blogs with links to her photos will pop up!  Sally came over one day during my painting panic and helped calm me down so I could choose colors.  She's a big fan of the lovely Linen Weave and rightly so!  Sally is amazing!


http://decordeprovence.blogspot.com/  Desiree Ashworth was a big inspiration for the style of decor I decided on for my new home.  I had always loved French Country but now I'm turning more towards a Swedish decor thanks to Desiree's absolutely stunning photos of her home!  The green hues throughout her home are so soothing and soft yet thoroughly up to date.  I love her blog!


http://hookedonhouses.net/  Julia is a Twitter friend with a blog that has wonderful links and information about all the set designs for our favorite movie homes!  Remember the great house in "Something's Gotta Give" with Diane Keaton? I LOVE that house! I used Julia's blog to look up details in homes like this and printed out photos to show my builder. From "SGG" I used the idea to make the wood brackets under our bar areas and cabinets.

I love the way they turned out. 

http://www.theletteredcottage.net/  The Lettered Cottage has so much useful information and photography about renovating that I'd be crazy to not mention it here.  Take a peek and scroll away...you'll love it!

And last but not least, I want to mention Erin at http://www.houseofturquoise.com/

My eldest daughter wanted a turquoise bedroom, which was quite a challenge.  I took to the Internet to research colors that wouldn't be too bright or too hospital-ly.  I emailed Erin and asked her for her favorite colors and she responded! She was so sweet to email me back! That's exactly what I love about blogging!  Connecting with old friends and making new ones!  :)

Afuera!

As Usher would say....Oh My Gaaa-aawsh~~~

It's HOT here!  I'm so down-on-my-hands-and-knees, full on, thankful for our new yard!! The pool isn't a luxury in Texas...it's a necessity!  We've been in it every day.  The kids and Todd & I have so enjoyed diving in, hanging out, reading, playing with Kyla the super Sheltie, and having friends over to just relax in our pretty back yard. 

I thought I'd share the photos of the backyard renovation with you!

And like all else, it wasn't easy.  Is putting in a pool ever a smooth process?  Just wondering...

Staking out the pool. At this point there was absolutely no

landscaping whatsoever~it was a huge blank canvas!

Watching the hole being dug was surprisingly exciting!

My daughter had fun crawling down in there with her friend.    

 

This is the Pebble Sheen crew~What a production!

Now this was a huge decision for us...whether to go with Pebble Sheen or Plaster.

I had really wanted plaster for it's smooth texture but the longevity of Pebble Sheen won.

We chose the color Prism Blue.  It has little flakes of Mother Of Pearl and sparkles in the water!

It's gorgeous.

http://www.pebbletec.com/product_swatch.aspx?image=/images/prism_blue.jpg

For more info about Pebble Sheen check out their website:

 http://www.pebbletec.com/pebble_sheen_swatch.aspx

So far the surface isn't bothering anyone, except me just a little~

I really prefer super smooth surfaces.

My husband chose the tile.  It was a toss up between a very natural, monochromatic glass tile

or a green/blue glass tile.  I liked the green/blue but was concerned about how it would look next to the

yellow toned travertine.  So we went with the beigey tile and it turned out lovely!

Viola!  So pretty!

This is my morning hang spot~I bring my devotional books & coffee out here,

turn on the overhead fans, read my books, & watch the trees.  The sound of the water fountain in the pool is

super relaxing.  Now I just need a few wind chimes hung in the trees & I'll be all set!

We wanted the entrance to the backyard to be pretty so we planted

hydrangeas and placed travertine pads as a walkway...it's very soothing.

Home Is Where The Heart Is!

Oh my I've been neglecting you! OK So I'm putting up the photos of the house with completions as of today. I still have a bare sitting room at the front of the house and need to rally enough to order drapes but to be honest~I've just plain OD'd on decorating. I need a little break and really don't mind waiting until inspiration strikes me again. I've found that anything that I'm not just thrilled with in the house was a product of rushing and settling because I just wanted "it done already"!

So here are a few photos for those of you who've been emailing me to get some up!

XOXO

This was pretty far down the road of the renovations.  We had

already replaced the old fireplace with a new mantel, ripped out the old bookcases

and built these new ones, placed beams in the ceiling, and painted the room.

It's practically done here.

The paint colors on the bookshelves is Sherwin Williams Nantucket Dune 75%.

It's GORGEOUS.  It has a bit of an iridescence to it.

I wish my photos could do it justice but I'm not a professional

photographer.  Trust me...this color is gorge!!!

Here's the finished product.  The wall color is Martin Senour's Linen Weave. 

The trim is 75% Linen Weave and the ceilling is 50% Linen Weave!!

Can't get enough of that Linen Weave!

We went round and round with the bookshelves but I'm so pleased

with how they turned out.  I put feet on them and I love the effect.

I added beautiful pewter Bouvet hardware which I'm in love with.

I'd have Bouvet all over my house if I could!

I'll get you a closer photo of the hardware but it really makes an impact in person!

I found this mantle in an old Veranda and fell in love!

And the mirror was from Wisteria.  It's amazing.  We built the mantle and the beams just

so this mirror would fit perfectly from the top of the mantle to the ceiling.

It's a bit more green in color than was described in Wisteria...they called it "Khaki"

It's NOT Khaki...but thankfully it works.

My painter could not get the antiquing on this corner cabinet right.

We repainted it so it is now just a soft French blue/green. 

I plan to add feet and the Bouvet hardware soon.

That's on my list of To-Do's.

Our antique Baker's Rack was seemingly made for this space and

it conveniently covers the air return!! 

There's Bella the cat in the bottom

left corner of the photo!

So there you have it!  That's the Great Room.

I'll add more soon!

Let me know if you have any questions!

XOXO 

Hurricanes and Heath Bars

It's a really rainy day here in Houston and I have to say that I love it.  I just made a wonderful cinnamon crumble cake and sat on our back porch with my little one and a cold glass of milk.  We ate our hot out-of- the-oven cake and listened to the sound of the rain as we watched Chip & Dale (our resident squirrel friends) chase each other through the trees.  It was magical.  It made me nostalgic for my childhood days growing up in Gulfport, Mississippi when my mother would make rain an excuse for grabbing the frozen Heath bars that she stashed in our freezer & would grab me to go sit in the car to listen to the sound of the rain as it hit the top of the car.  Good times.  As an adult I wonder if those Heath bar/car sessions were more an excuse to eat heath bars in the middle of one of her burger patty/cottage cheese diets, than time to listen to the rain, but really, who cares?  I was a kid and I thought it was cool!
Mississippi was a short and sweet time in my childhood.  We only lived there a few years but I have fond memories of those heath bars and hurricanes.  Hurricanes are fun for kids who don't know the real dangers and just think it's fun to have a no school day topped off by Mom and Dad getting out all the flash lights followed by tucking us into the central, long window-less hallway in our home.  The day would include ghost stories, jumping on mattresses that were placed in the hallway for padded protection in the event our roof was blown away, playing dodge the tennis ball in the dark hallway, and lots of junk food!  I mean really...does it get any better than that when you're 7?!
So, I know a lot of folks don't care for rainy days but I use it as an excuse to slow down, reflect on days gone by and connect with my kids by making new memories with them!  I hope someday they'll make a new rainy day tradition with their children and harken back to the days when they'd sit on the back porch of the house with Mom and eat cinnamon crumble cake, drink cold milk, and watch the squirrels dance in the trees through the rain...yes, that would be nice!

Which reminds me of a favorite quote, "Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain!"
I hope you dance!

Growing Pains

Ahh..the last day of school. I remember the good old days when this was a day of excitement and anticipation for the lazy days of summer. But this morning I find myself feeling very melancholy. We've just moved, which means my little one will have to move schools again next year. The 3rd school in 3 years for her. There are times when probably every parent wonders just how much damage they do their children over the course of the 18 or so years we have them at home and today is one of those days. As she walked into her cute little no fuss public school classroom this morning, all her little friends gathered around her with arms stretched open and embraced her with "We're going to miss you, Chloe!" Apparently, word got out that she's not returning. She had wanted to keep it quiet because there's one little special needs child in the class and she was concerned that her leaving would upset him too much. She asked me to keep it on the down low, that way next year Andrew would just think she's in the next classroom. That's my sweet hearted little girl. But today as her friends embraced her, she turned to me with a big smile and looked in my eyes, but all I could think about were her tears in bed lastnight as she thought about leaving all her new friends and starting over again. Oh man, this really sucks. I came straight home and emailed the principle in one last feeble attempt to be allowed to stay even though we've moved a big mile or 2 outside the school zone, and asked her if there are any teaching positions I could fill so she could stay. I'd do anything at this moment to make my little girl happy and keep her life consistent for a bit longer. But I know if my attemps fail, there are some silver linings that I'll grasp for and try to make the transition as upbeat as possible for her. These road bumps sure can feel like mountains at time. But as we all know, this too shall pass. We have them home for such a short time...it flies by. It's my job to take the stingers out of the zingers life tosses our way. So I'm dusting myself off, about to turn of some fun music and juice up my camcorder for the end of year party I'm helping with in an hour in her 4th grade classroom. I know it'll all be fine...I know it.

Blog Fog~

I've had a few friends inquire as to my next blog and I have to admit, starting a blog just as I'm about to move into a new home probably wasn't the Best idea I've had lately....Umm...I'M a little busy!!! But I want to exclaim from the roof tops that we are (drum roll please) FINALLY in our house! YAY! AND!...It's fabulous. I'm so happy and truly exhausted at the same time. I honestly feel as if I've just gotten off the Survivor Island. (Only I'm sadly not fabulously survivor tan, nor did I lose all that survivor weight...*heavy sigh*) But let me tell you this, girlfriends...Nothing can make you appreciate a home more than living in a tiny apartment with a crazy woman making massive amounts of noise moving furniture or bowling??~we couldn't figure it out~ at 1, 2, 3, and 4am right over your bedroom EVERYNIGHT! No more cruddy TVMax cable (yes there's a TVMax Cable Co here in Houston....but not for long. They are horrible! Even worse than Comcast! Hard to believe but true!) And as I was trying desperately to make a home away from home for my family with 90% of everything we own in storage, I was deligently trying to cope with my father's battle with cancer. Now if there's something worth sharing it's this...watching people you love go to hell and back will really set you straight on what's important in life. And so I worked to renovate this house into a home that would be a haven for all the people I love. A place to make memories. A resting place with lots of music and laughter and moments to cherish. And so here we are...Home! We now have a lovely home...with a yard for the kids to run in and the dog to chase them in and wine chilling in the fridge for friends to sip on when they drop by (hint, hint!)...oh the joy of joys! So as I unbox my illionth box and ponder how the heck we accumulated SO MUCH STUFF in the past 16 years...I only feel ever so grateful. Thankful for the blessings of my new home...for my children's health and happiness and thankful for a wonderful husband who has worked so hard to get us here. I'm truly blessed~~ XOXO

Smoothie Move~



What a day! The count down is on for the big move to our new home this weekend! And let me tell you...moving is one hum dinger of a time sucker! I'm exhausted from the renovations, just hoping to have enough strength for the crazy week ahead. And to top it off the nocturnal elephant that lives above us has come back in town and seems to be practicing her 3 am bowling lessons...what the heck is that weirdo DOING UP THERE!!? No worries! I was up and at 'em bright and early this morning armed with my AMAZING new VitaMix that my hubby grabbed at Costco last week! Have you seen these things?? They're so phenomenal I think it just may change my life! I can whip up healthy smoothies that rival the younguns at Robeks! So to bone up on all the energy I can muster I made a concoction this morning that consisted of oj, french vanilla yogurt, frozn berries, Emergen-C, and the fabulous All In One vitamin powder. Feeling like SuperMom I crammed my kids in the car with their huge Super Gulp sized smoothies to start the day right! Of course, to make everything very consistent neither one wanted to drink the darn thing and as I was handing it to my precious little one tucked in the backseat, she exclaimed her protest and drew her hand away just as I felt her little fingers around the cup and dropped the WHOLE DARN THING all over the back of my car....we're talking an OCEAN of raspberry seeds, goopy yogurt, etc all down the back of my passenger seat and onto the floor beneath her adorable Converse All-Stars. I looked back in horror and met the gaze of her big brown eyes, as she grasped to one snack size ziplock bag in her hands over the mess, as if she had just narrowly saved the day!! Umm...NOT! I'd like to say I kept my cool and was the model mother but I have to admit that I hit my boiling point and threw quite a little hissy. As if I have time to drive to Bubbles and sit for 7 hours as I wait for a complete detail!! Hilarious...or not. So there you have...not quite the start to tackling this pre-moving day that I expected~but at least we can look back and laugh! Yeah...that's it! :)

Happy Easter!

That Easter Bunny sure made a mess around here last night! HUGE news...did you know that if you toss you Peeps in the microwave for about 15 sec they puff up, get really ooey & gooey, and taste like roasted marshallows! I've never been a fan of Peeps but now I do! Yum! What a fun morning...now we're off to church! Have a wonderful day friends!

~The Powder Bath That Haunts Me~

Up against Silver Sage from Restoration Hardware~not quite right...
The 2 softer blue colors were the suggestions of the guy at Sherwin Williams...um, WRONG!

How can such a tiny little room cause such distress? Wow...this is insane. I purchased this gorgeous antique from Joyce Horn and dropped a sink and fixtures from Hollywood Builders into the black marble top and it looks great. Now figuring out what to do with the walls is an ordeal. It's impossible to match and it's such a small room that I don't want anything too dark. I tried Silver Sage from Restoration Hardware but it was just a tad too green. I'm off to Benjamin Moore to get their suggestions today. I purchased 2 samples that were suggested by Sherwin Williams, but they just weren't right. Hmmmm....wish I had this blog more established so I'd get some ideas from all my fabulous readers!

UPDATE!
Here is the finished bathroom.
I settled on Benjamin Moore 75% Brewster Gray.
It's just dark enough and made the room really elegant.
I hope you like it!

I found the antique cabinet at Joyce Horn in Houston.

We had to shave a little of the marble off the sides of the top

and squeeze it in there but it fit!  The space was a very narrow

weird size for a powder bath so finding something to fit was a challenge!

The mirror was made in Atlanta. It turned out beautifully!

Pedicures, Pastels, and Pilgrimmages

I really usually enjoy this time of year...the week the majority of my friends head North to conquer the great antique hunt in the big city of Roundtop, Texas/Population: 77. It's a time to get out of Houston and weed through piles of junk & jewels to find just the thing you never knew you couldn't live without! To meet up with all the gals you see all the time in Houston, but still want to stop to chat with in the tents of Marburger. And for all of us natural born bargain hunters...well, it's just plain fun! Alas, this year I have other things in the stars for this week and none of them include traipsing through fields looking for diamonds in the ruff. I'm in the midst of wading the perils of interior paint! So while the majority of everyone I know was perusing Ironstone and vintage linens amidst the tents, there I was the other day, standing at Benjamin Moore waiting patiently to get my glaze, when an adorable young preggo walked up beside me with 2 little toddlers in tow. She was dressed in a pastel Lilly Pulitzer-esque shift dress with the fabric stretched waaaay out over her baby bump and looked ever so fresh and adorable...very ready for Spring! As her 2 crayola toting tots sat on the floor coloring away as mom made her order, I made note of the fact that I was still dressed in my NYC head to toe black. Now make no mistake, I make no apologies for my love of black. I'll wear black anywhere, anytime, in any degree of heat. I LOVE it. It's comfortable & I'm a big believer in uniforms. "No brainers" I call them. Good ol stand by's that require little brain power and can be grabbed, thrown on and get you out the door in a flash. Einstein also was a devotee to the uniform. It's even been rumored that Einstein wore the same thing everyday to save precious cerebral energy for more important things. So you see I'm a lot like Einstein! Einstein and East Coasters... and each year there comes a time when I have to weigh comfort against conformity and I think the time is upon us. Usually for me, comfort wins! So as the steady flow of Houstonives cram their SUV's full of newly found treasures from Round Top and dash homeward through the bluebonnets this week, I can't help but take stock that Spring has Sprung...it's time to dehusk my hooves with a serious pedicure, get out my sandals and make plans to put at least some of my black away. It won't be easy though. Maybe there's a 12 step program somewhere? Oh well ~ parting is such sweet sorrow. I'll miss you my dark friend....if only for a few days before I pull you back out!

Looking For Mrs Doubtfire!

No, I don't mean I'm looking for a man in drag to look after my kids~just a wonderful cleaner/ organizer to help me keep my life and home in proper order. Why is it that housekeepers always seem to flake out right when you need them most? I'm moving in a few weeks and have no help...and no, I'm not a capable grown up that can handle this on my own. I admit it...My name is Stephanie and I NEED help!! I tried out a new gal last week and on her first day nearly drove off the road when she called me and asked me to stop and get her a burger on my way home! Um...WHAT!? I politely told her to make herself a PBJ (Although wondering why she didn't eat lunch before her 12:30 arrival time) and made mental plans on how to give her the boot. To top it off, upon returning home after a LOOOONG day, found 4 loads of WET laundry waiting for me to dry and fold atop my dryer. So there I was folding clothes at 10pm. She was here for 5 HOURS, people! What did she do?? So I'm entering the looking phase again...looking for Mrs. Doubtfire. Someone to swoop in and give a helping hand here. Someone NORMAL...not too much to ask, right?

Waiting For Hardwoods To Dry ~ Oh My~~

Well, I've been longing for the day when I have a break from my crazy schedule of running around looking, and deciding, and researching, and purchasing, and returning, etcetera, etcetera...and now the day is here. At long last we have a few days whereas we are forbidden to enter our new home while our hardwoods dry. AND it's killing me. It's like an overdue first baby that just~won't~come...hey, I need this to be over! I need to see that the paint colors I ached over were all the right choice. That the carpets go well with the paint colors I ached over. To enjoy the fruits of my labor. To drink a BIG margarita in my new yard by our new pool! So while I'm waiting I'm looking into the latest house drama...the "no the chandelier's won't be here in time for the scheduled electrician to hook them up because they're back ordered" drama. Do I cancel the current chandeliers and go with something that will arrive in a more timely manner or cap those hot wires and wait...more. Hmmmm....these are the dilemnas (Is that how you spell "Dilemna"? Doesn't look right...oh well) of a new renovator. By the way...do you know how hard it is to get anything done, let alone write a blog with a 10 year old chanting, "Watch this, Mommy!" every 10 second as she showcases her newly learned flip flops? It's really tricky people! So I sit patiently and watch my little tasmanian devil do her thing and try to live in the moment. Enjoy the peace of not having to race to the house for a few days and hope that the golden caramel shade I chose for the new hardwoods will be dark enough...we'll see!

On The Home Stretch!

This past week I picked out carpet. Hallelujah that's over! I decided on all wool carpet to try to be as earth friendly, non-toxic as possible. I just couldn't give into laying wall to wall seagrass in my master...so sorry all you seagrass devotees! These toes have to hit something soft in the morning...I'm a very tactile person and as much as I love the look of seagrass, my comfort comes first! I did, however, choose a very soft, tight woven seagrass look alike carpet for the master. It's lovely and will give the effect of seagrass with a much more toe friendly feel. The only carpet that I didn't go 100% wool on was for our back stairs...but this carpet is what I'm MOST excited about. It's a faux antelope skin that will be placed wall to wall up our backstairs right when you walk in the back door. FUN! It's going to look so cool and have so much more personality than anything else I found. It was more expensive, but I think in small areas it's good to splurge if it's going to have a big impact! I'm also adding a wall of chalkboard paint on the inside wall of my walk in pantry. I thought it would be so fun to be able to write little notes to each other when we're standing in there perusing our food stock. I can add a daily scripture and little love notes to my girls...it will be fun! Now I'm onto finding a suitable counter top material for our game room "buffet." Someone suggested black marble but at $1,000 for a tiny slab of material I'm thinking I could find something a bit more cost efficient that looks just as good...I'll let you know. XOXO

Paint is NOT for the Faint of Heart...

Just made a $500 mistake in my bedroom. Chose 957 Papaya by Benjamin Moore and it came out really golden on the trim...TOO golden. Looked too dark for me so I'm switching to Linen Weave on the walls and 50% Linen Weave on the trim. Can't go wrong there. I've got Linen Weave up in my gameroom and LOOOVE it. It's so soft and subtle. I'm going to love it in the master. The White Dogwood came out ADORABLE in my little girls room...who knew pink could be SO difficult to get right. Not too dark, not too light...Juuuust right! We did Extra White on the ceiling to open the room up a bit and it's just going to be THE coolest once I get in her hot pink velvet w/ green trim Jonathan Adler-esque headboard!! My Restoration Hardware Silver Sage in the guest/"Craft" room is perfect. It's not sage at all...it's more of a grey. Actually I've heard it mentioned that it's the exact same color as Benjamin Moore's Grey Wisp~-color #CC1570. Learning that RH's color palette is made by BM makes this seem likely. So there you go... Now on to my pesky teenager...she wants TURQUOISE...oh my. Do you know how HARD it is to get turquoise right? I've gone through more pint size tester cans than I can count...the list includes BM Antiguan Sky, Birds Egg, Waterfall, SW Tantalizing Teal, Benjamin Moore's "Woodlawn Blue" HC-147 & "Palladian Blue", Tropicana Cabanana Benjamin Moore, and Barely Teal to name a few. I even emailed the author of the fabulous House of Turquoise blog, Erin, and she sweetly emailed me back her favorites! (BM Antiguan Sky and Birds Egg were among her suggestions.) But at long last I've settled on BM Blue Diamond! It's GOR-geous...we'll have to wait and see it on all 4 walls, but I'm really hoping it won't be too bright. Coupled with soft white bedding and a iron canopy bed, I think the room has potential to be a stunner! We're ordering some mirrored furniture including a side table and a vanity, which I'm really excited about. I think the turquoise and the mirrors will look really cool together. So now I'm off to get milk for my kids...gotta remember to feed the kids during this whole renovation process. Be back soon! XOXO

Renovating Is For The Birds

Joyce Horn antique french blue chest being placed in our powder bath

awaiting the marble top with dropped sink and hardware~

just barely squeaked this one in!

The big hole in our backyard which will soon be a

pool enjoyed by all! So exciting!

OK so this photo should have gone before the last one but I'm still learning how to add photos to my newbie blog! Pool being staked out! We replaced the Austin stone mantel with a bigger fireplace box and stone mantel. This part of the renovation was major...the design, the stone, the size, redoing a fireplace is heavy duty stuff, friends. The mantel is in and now the bookshelves and cabinets are getting a facelift as well~ hopefully mine will be next! :) We purchased a new home!!! We looked high and low and finally found just what we've wanted. We knew it was "the" house when my sweetest little one looked up at me with her big brown eyes and said, "Mommy, buy it! This one feels like home!" OK, kiddo. Done! It's a really sweet 6 year old Texas Hill Country home with a BIG porch in the front (and back) and TONS of room to be the perfect "hang house" we've been searching for, for our kids teenage years! Yay!!! Right? Right! Until we decided to update it, just a little bit! We hired a fabulous builder, and decided on the first round of "must do's" to make the home more "our vision." We decided to add a new stone mantel with a huge new fireplace box, took out some crown molding & chair railing, rounded some entry ways, landscaped, decided to put in a new pool, painted the entire interior, redesigned the great room bookshelves, added Gothic glass front cabinet doors in the kitchen, added new custom mirrors in bathrooms, ripped out the built-ins in the powder bath and replaced it with a gorgeous antique chest that we'll drop a sink into, pulled up all the old counter tops and floors in all the upstairs bathrooms and replaced them with Cream of Marfel marble, changed out all the old sconces and chandeliers...just to get us started! And, the list kept GROWING! So much fun, (really) and very exciting, yet a bit daunting in the scale of the things. Then, much to our chagrin, the electrician hit a pipe in our attic and flooded the front of the house with water from the indoor sprinkler system. Greeeeattt! Now it's an even bigger renovation. Hey, at least it happened at the beginning of the job and not the end..let's look at the bright side, shall we? I've made a lot of decisions and am now about to choose carpet...They're painting today so I'll head over to check that out and make sure I like the colors I've chosen! The pool permit has been approved so soon there should be a massive hole in my new backyard! I'll keep you updated on my progress!

We'll see where this leads! Onward and upward~ XOXO