B. B.

v-day....I failed you this year

12:16 PM

From the first year Max was born I took Valentines pictures, I either bought or made coordinating little outfits or shirts. I then made cute cards and sent them out to immediate family on both sides....this year I did not. :(

But truth be told I am not that sad. I made the very conscious decision on Saturday to not worry about it this year and I cannot tell how relieved I felt. I am a firm believer that you should only do that kind of stuff if you want to and it's fun for you and your family. When it begins to feel like a chore or creates more problems I will always bag it for a season. Next year, who knows? I may not be so busy? ;)

Anyway Happy Valentine's Day!!! Below is a list of moms/women who are not so busy, have "help", no sleep or surgically had 3 extra arms sewn to their body....

to see the sources of all these wonderful projects click here on my pinterest link....pinterest, so handy dandy.

D.I.Y.

a large mirror for a large wall....

9:05 AM

A Friend/neighbor of mine has a very large empty wall and vaulted ceilings. She had the idea of placing a large mirror on the wall to break things up and add dimension and interest. I found a variety of examples of large mirrors used for this same reason. And although these might not be her exact style they will hopefully serve for some inspiration.

Below I have listed a number of blogs and websites on tutorials for how to frame out large mirrors. This way you can get the exact look you want, for less!

Framing an old mirror D.I.Y instructions:

sturdy, more time consuming DIY instructions here

simple DIY instructions here

intricate design DIY instructions here

a bathroom mirror DIY, but same concept here

mosaic type frame here

very embellished mirror here

My sis's new place...

3:06 PM

My sis and brother-in-law sold their home and have bought a new one! I am so excited for them and especially for my sister since this is like her first home. The house they lived in previously was bought by my brother-in-law years before he met my sister. And as lovely and comfy as that house was my sister always felt a little like a guest.

Here are some pics she sent of her new home, I'm sure it's a bit obnoxious of me to post them, but I can't help feeling so happy and excited for them! Above is a picture of the house courtesy of my brother in law Thad. Thanks!

above: entry way & living Room

above: living room & family room

above: kitchen & dining room

above: master bedroom

above: quest rooms & bathroom

above: they live in a gated community on a lake with a large pool and pool house, walking trails, tennis and much much more.

So here's to you little sis, enjoy this time and the opportunity you have to add your own personal touch and personality into this home of yours and Thad's. xoxo

fashion

Bubble gum pink and Louis Vuitton

12:13 AM

For those of you who may not know me here is a little history behind my love of fashion and the impeccable and iconic fashion magazines VOGUE and ELLE.

It was tradition in our home that at the beginning of each school year my mom bought us clothes, very practical clothes, jeans, cotton shirts etc. (also, it was California so the seasons didn't change too much). If we wanted anything brand name or fashionable we had to pay for it ourselves. I began babysitting regularly around 12 years old. This babysitting money was often spent on 1 or 2 items at the LIMITED, GAP or Nordstrom's Brass Plum. The rest went to my annual subscriptions to VOGUE and ELLE magazine. (yes, I began subscribing to these magazines when I was 12)

During my Jr. High and HS years I was grounded a lot. I wasn't a bad kid at all. I was stubborn, quick witted and rarely backed down from an argument with my parents. Sometimes my dad would just stare at me and say "you'd make a good lawyer"...that was of course after he grounded me for 3 weeks for "talking back". Needless to say I spent many an afternoon grounded in my bedroom, and while I sat in my room doing anything but homework I would pour over my fashion magazines and daydream of the day I would become a designer, photographer or model (at 5'2" I knew that was just a dream).

When my mom would take us to the library I would often get large books on Fashion Designers like Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace etc.... I even began drawing my designs in a book. I had fabric swabs, and colors and textures all laid out. (What I wouldn't give to still have that book).

So you can imagine my nostalgia and pleasant surprise when I saw my daughter gazing in awe at the newest Louis Vuitton spread in this months VOGUE. You have to admit any little girl would fall in love with these doll like pictures and pastel colors.

(ps I wouldn't mind that yellow and white purse or those awesome shoes)

my 2 cents on curb appeal.....UPDATED!

8:41 AM

This post has been a long time coming. It is an update to my previous post on my sisters home in Alabama that she is selling. I had some ideas to boost the curb appeal of her home. She took my 2 cents and did it! Best of ALL..... ....her house recently SOLD!

Above is a picture of her newly painted door, new planters, flowers and door mat. I think they look very elegant. And I love how the black and white trim with the pale yellow and brick compliment each other.

After seeing my earlier post about improving my sis's curb appeal my sister-in-law Christie asked me to do the same for the front of the house they live in. My brother is currently waiting to go to Medical school so they are renting a home in the SLC area. Their land lord was adamant that they could only paint the trim on their house brown.....brown?

So I drew up a picture (below) of what their house would look like with black shutters and white trim, they showed it to their land lord and it was enough for him to let them add shutters and paint!

I think it looks so much more clean and less from the 70's. I am a firm believer that color palettes and design ideas can get dated. No matter how great it looked 30 years ago, it most likely needs to be tweaked a little today. (I am not referring in any way to uber 'trendy' designs, that are fleeting, just the occasional tweak or change of color).

I have made a goal to always be open to ways of decorating, painting and dressing to stay in the 'now'...in a classic subdued way.

(the picture above was what I designed for the front of the house. In an ideal world I added curbing, flowers, bushes & grasses and contemporary planters. One victory at a time.)

D.I.Y.

my idea go to's....

12:06 PM

As Winter sets in, so do my home projects. Below are links to sites I have recently found with amazing house DIY ideas. This post is going to be just as helpful for me as it is for you, as it will be my quick go-to for project ideas.

And, for those of you interested in these types of 'before & after' and 'DIY' sites just click on the picture or the link below to be taken to a wealth of ideas, inspirations and tutorials. Yipee!

p.s. please let me know if you have found any other blogs or sites that have helpful tutorials or DIY projects for the home.

curb appeal

colorful front doors

11:27 PM

We had a family build a home just about a block away from us a couple of months ago. Their house is grey and white with bright orange/coral colored double front doors. I love it. The inside of their home is just as bright and welcoming.

I love it! I painted my door a subtle green and thought I was being so unique. Ha! So I have found pictures of some door colors that are amazing...and I think this whole bright colored door thing is rubbing off on me. Playing with color is risky, but when done right it is amazing, when done wrong it's tacky. So I will try to mimic my new neighbors and do color the right way...imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

I'm a green person and often find myself gravitating towards greens so it is no surprise I love all the green doors here. One of my faves is the bright lime/almost yellow green door in the second set of pictures below. I also love the deep purple. So regal.