Library Classic With a Twist

When I saw this globe mobile at Z Gallerie last fall, I knew that it would be perfect in our traditional-looking library. I loved the look of the old-world globes on it, and by hanging it from the ceiling, it freed up floor space that a traditional globe would have taken up.

Big Style, Small Space

I saw Benjamin Moore's Peony color in some blog post about color forecasts for this year, and I HAD to use it somewhere. So I decided to decorate my closet. I ordered more efficient shelving from The Container Store and bought a chandelier from Lowe's. I wonder if I'll regret this in five years...

Before, the drab and ineffecient closet



And now. It makes me happy every time I look at it.

My Life Is Now Complete

now that I've had my picture taken with Will Ferrell!

New Craft Table

Somehow I discovered these awesome craft cubes at Target, which were being discontinued. So I went to three different Targets to get enough to make a desk. We ordered this countertop to make a long table. This is going to be a great work space. It's long enough for two people to work here at the same time, and I'll be able to keep scrapbook and card stuff spread out while I use the other table for sewing. And the cubes are great for holding paper and supplies.

The Winners!

Wow, it wasn't as hard deciding as I thought it would be. The one on the left is for the foyer. I love that it's not too bold but yet it has a statement. I love the metallic sheen to it. I'm going to paint the rest of the foyer and hallways the white color of the flower, and paint the half bath the blue color so that it coordinates. I'll probably frame some of the wallpaper for the half bath as an art piece to really tie it all together. The one on the right is for a headboard in our bedroom. I chose this one because I can paint the wall any color I want (probably a light blue or blue/green) without having to match it up to the wallpaper (I liked some of the ones with blue/green flowers but I didn't love the shade of the flowers).

Update: I'm now thinking about how cute the one with the brown background and the birdcage and birds would be...especially when I decorate with a birdcage with little fabric birds in it to match.

How Is a Girl to Decide?!

I'm planning on doing a feature wall in the foyer (this wall, actually), and so I ordered 30 wallpaper samples. I also want to do a headboard feature of wallpaper in the bedroom. There are already a few that I'm going to eliminate.

New Kitchen Color!

I have been really tired of this all-beige kitchen and wanted something a little more exciting. The wall color was really cool-toned and didn't go well with the warm cabinets. I used a kitchen that Candise Olson designed as my inspiration. I'm using the same fabric that she did and I matched up Benjamin Moore's Covington Blue to it. I can't wait to see how it will look with the curtains and some red accessories. Now I just need to figure out how to sew curtains.

Before:



And After:









Here is Candise Olson's kitchen. When I first looked at her sources, I couldn't find the blue color. So I picked one out on my own. Then I looked again a few days ago, and found that I picked the exact same brand and color as she did!



A blog that I like is Eddie Ross. He's a former editor at Martha Stewart Living. He recently purchased a farmhouse and just a couple of days ago posted pictures of his butler's pantry that he painted...in the same exact color! The odds of this really are pretty slim, considering how many paint brands and colors are out there.

Handyman Heinz

We needed more storage in our laundry room, so Heinz set out to build a cabinet instead of paying someone else to. I also didn't want open shelving so that everything could stay as dust-free as possible.

These are the original cabinets in the laundry room. The previous homeowner told me where the cabinet doors came from, so we bought some to match up to these.



The completed cabinet.



The top shelves are short for platters, and then there's a big space underneath for tall kitchen appliances.

Cheap (and Cute!) Magazine Holders

I love magazine holders, and I used to spend a lot of money on them. Because they can be pricey. But last year I found out that Ikea has supercheap magazine holders. They are five for $3! They are plain white cardboard and are sturdy enough. And it's so easy to make them pretty! By using scrapbook paper and mod podge, I turned this



into this for the kitchen, to hold cooking magazines and loose recipes (it's going to match my new color scheme).



For the living room, to hold catalogs and current magazines. I covered the left side of the one on the left since it shows on the shelf.



These are for sheet music. I looked for scrapbook paper with music notes at Michael's and Hobby Lobby but I didn't find any.



For Heinz's office:



And these are for the craft room, of course.

Elfa Shelving

The Living Room Before:



And After:



This month is the Container Store's annual 30% off Elfa shelving sale. I planned out this space a few months ago so we'd be ready to order. We wanted something that would utilize all of the space without being crazy expensive. In the corner we have short shelves for our DVD, stereo, VCR, and DVR. The TV is not going to sit on that shelf permanently; it will eventually go above the fireplace when we get a wireless transmitter. So that shelf will become a desk to keep the laptop (and I'll put a cute fabric-covered bulletin board behind it on the wall. And since this won't always be the focal point, it shouldn't be as noticable when you walk in the room. The shelving on the left is for CDs and DVDs as well as magazines on the lower two shelves. (Stay tuned for an inexpensive magazine storage idea.) I also added a mail-sorting station. Every day we get tons of mail, and instead of having piles of it lay on every surface all over the kitchen and living room, I'm sorting it right away for us to take care of later.

Gift Wrap Station

Something that I had to have in my craft room is a gift wrap station. It is now complete. Sitting on the floor are two gift wrap containers. The one on the left holds Christmas wrap and the one on the right is everything else, like birthday, wedding, baby, and generic. The first shelf holds curling ribbon, tape, and goodie bags. The middle shelf is for boxes. On the top shelf I have a vertical file for mailing envelopes, gift bags, and tissue paper. Sitting to the right of that are gift labels. This doesn't take up a lot of room, so I think that it would be doable in a lot of spaces, like an office or even a closet. The vertical file made the items on the top shelf be well-organized.

Venting

I'm going to vent some here today. First of all, being a homeowner is hard. The dishwasher repair guy was supposed to come put a part in tomorrow. So for the fifth time, I couldn't schedule anything between 8 and 5. Last night Sears called me to ask me if I got the part. I haven't. So Heinz called tonight to have them check on where the part is, and oh yeah...it's on backorder! Thanks for letting us know!!

The Orkin guy came today because of critters in the house. When I called on Saturday, and when I talked to him this morning, I told him what the problem was. So he shows up in his own car, with no ladders. He's as tall as I am so our ladder wasn't tall enough for him to get into the attic. (Heinz was able to.) He's supposed to come back tomorrow but Heinz said he had his chance so I'm cancelling it.

So I was at Publix this afternoon, and I was walking along, minding my own business, and this big guy in his fifties passes me and says, "Hey, bitch." I know that I looked startled and he slightly smiled. (I imagine he was getting some kicks.) I was going to tell the manager, but the manager started talking to this guy! So I told the boy restocking the dairy, who told the manager, who asked me if I "heard right" because this guy is a "real teddy bear." It was all very upsetting. When Heinz got home, he was really mad, so he called the manager. Get this—this guy is the Coke deliver guy! (At the Vestavia Publix, by the way.) And the guy lied to him about what he said to me, of course. So we're calling Coke tomorrow to make a complaint. I know it's my word against his, and even if I'm the first one to make a complaint, perhaps it will help someone else. Because no one should be treated that way.

I think I need a karma necklace. At least Heinz is home safe from his trip this weekend.