Happy Thanksgiving!!

In honor of the Normal Rockwell Exhibit currently at the Dayton Art Institute. 

Go Visit!

This Nursery....

.......kinda makes me want to have a kid.

But not really. I just like nurseries for some reason. I need to do a better job of convincing my sister to have a kid so then I can do her nursery and not have to deal with the crying :)

Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas

From rustic to elegant, Thanksgiving table settings can be extremely varied. What theme are you going for this year?

Via Eddie Ross for Lonny

Via Pottery Barn

Via Bobbi Fabian for HGTV

Via Better Homes & Gardens

Via Eddie Ross

Via Williams Sonoma

Via French Garden House

Via New England Fine Living

Via Cheap Decorating Ideas

Via Country Living

Via PerfectlyImperfectBlog.com

Via CheapDecoratingIdeas

Via Country Living

Via Martha Stewart

Brassy Bling

 I'm 100% on board for brass and gold coming back into play. Its so much warmer and richer than silver & stainless. Enjoy!

Almoco Flatware from Design Within Reach

Vintage Lotus Pendants from 1st Dibs

 

Brass Mobile by Kenneth Wingard

Vintage Brass Faceted Mirror by C Jeré Artisan. Circa 1970.

BOSSE Austrian Brass Fox from Design Within Reach

Loving this detailed ceiling!

Secant ribbon-spout faucet in antique brass by Newport Brass

Living Room Reveal

 I guess that's not really fair to call this a "reveal" since my living room still has a long way to go! Since it will probably be awhile before I get to it (I already have too many things going on!!) I'm going ahead and sharing it as is. I will post updates as things change along the way.

The living room already has a lot of character so I don't think I will have to do much to it. One thing I've been contemplating is tiling over the brick fireplace. What do you think? I know, its one of those issues of, do I leave it original for the history of it even though it looks dated? Or do I risk covering it to update it but may possibly regret it later on? hmmmmm. Not ready to make that decision yet. Plus, I like the brick, even though it is a bit dated.

When we first moved in there was a large mirror screwed to the top part of the fireplace. We took that down and then painted the accent color which is a historical Craftsmen color from Sherwin Williams. We also painted the other 3 walls a light neutral color to warm it up a bit. They were plain white before.

I'm all about bargains and I think the next couple of pictures really prove that - the curtains I made from fabric that was clearanced out at $.75 a yard. Can you believe that??!! Its so cuuuute with deer, swans, birds and little trees. I bought the entire bolt.
The little drawer stand I bought for $5 at a garage sale and refinished it myself. The lamp was $10 at a thrift store....just needed a new shade. And the chair was $7 at a thrift store which I also refinished myself (read more on that here)

The brown poofy looking chair isn't permanent - it belongs to my brother and I think he will be reclaiming it soon. Its super comfy though! The picture on the mantel is the original depiction of our home from the Sears catalog. The Elsmore. I had that printed and custom framed the first week I moved in. I think it is the most expensive thing in the room.

The sofa I pretty much got for free - I did a large staging job that required a sofa so I just bought one. It ended up paying for itself. I didn't make any money from the job but I got an awesome sofa out of the deal - it was totally worth it! And who could forget my 90% off coffee table?

This chair is a future project. I dug this out of my parent's barn the last time I was there. It belonged to my great grandmother - Laura Virginia Weimer. Don't know what the heck happened to it since then - I guess that's a bone I'll have to pick with my parents :)

Various Shades of Jade

Green has always been my favorite color and I'm excited that bolder shades of it are now popular. I'm definitely sick of seeing sage green from the Martha Stewart craze of years past, as well as anything hunter green that was so popular in the early 90's. Jade is a rich hue that feels very relaxed but at the same time distinguished. The color comes from the stone "jade" and ranges in color from the well known deep green to lesser known pale greeny-blues. It can make a room feel more elegant and stylish by adding accents or by layering the room in different shades. Or you can just do the room in one entire color. Case in point:

via fineliving.com

I could fall asleep in a heartbeat........

design by Meredith Boswell

These are great examples of the color being layered within the space.

 

 And here are some great examples of jade accents.......... 

 

 

via ElleDecor

 ....And great accent pieces.....

peacock bowl by Jonathon Adler

adorable lamps from esty

via flickr - unfortunately I don't know where to actually buy one of these!

Living Room Makeover Update

Didn't want you to think I've forgotten about this:

It has definitely been more than two weeks for this challenge so I guess I failed miserably in that aspect. I promise, however, I have not forgotten about it. I've just had lots of other things come up with the launch of a new website, my retail space opening up, and some other going-ons that I'm sure you'll hear about soon.

To keep you from hating me too much, I wanted to show you a little sneak peak of the painted walls. They're a little crazy but everything else we're doing to the room will keep them from being over the top.

Here goes!

This space is ALMOST finished (although the photo does NOT reflect that!). Just a few odds and ends to tie up. The end result is going to be fun, funky and definitely retro.