An update and other business....

Happy Friday!  Hope your week has been great.  Let me give you a quick update on the status of the bathroom first.  The plumbers have finished the rough in work and we have the green light for tile.  The Sheetrock is still being worked on and should be completed by Tuesday at the latest (fingers crossed for no delays).  I'm still deciding on paint colors but I'm really leaning to the light/white shades for this room to make it as bright as possible without feeling sterile.  Oh, and Eleanor got a little "work" done and looks fabulous. Besides that, I've been thinking of how I want to decorate the bathroom and I've been looking for a few special pieces.  I have an idea of what I want to do but I'll share that later when it becomes more solid. 

In other news, I've been shopping for a client that I am working with through e-design and I've picked up some neat things along the way that I thought I would share.  I bought some great books from a dealer who knows I love old books. Every once in a while, I sit down and read through some of the books I have and realize that reading was the only form of entertainment for many people back when these were published. Although that is not the case today, these books hold a value of unique craftsmanship and literary history. I hope to one day, read every book I own. But for now, I will admire the artistry in the covers and appreciate the journeys they have been on so far.

 

 

 

That's all for now.  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!



Snaps of the week....

Hope everyone is having a great week.  Here are a few random snaps that I took this week of some of the things I've gotten recently. I picked up these paper butterflies at a local consignment shop last week. I love the colors and shapes of these. They brighten up this wall and compliment the vintage paintings next to them.
 

These vintage textiles are so colorful and pretty. The pictures are hand stitched on flour sacks. I am framing all of these in floating frames like the one in the last picture. I love framing textiles especially ones that are this colorful in floating frames.

 

 

I'll give you an update on Operation Master Bathroom tomorrow and show you "the plan".  Until then, have a great day!

Happy 4th of July!!

Wishing all of you a very Happy 4th of July.   I have some random red white and blue inspired photos that are perfect for sharing on the 4th. May your celebrations be festive, your food be tasty and your friends a plenty. Speaking of food, this trifle recipe is easy, no bake and beautiful to boot! I'm in.  Enjoy!

photo and recipe:  Martha Stewart

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Cheers! 



Merry Christmas!

I realize it's April but I just got my Christmas present from last year in the mail this week and I want to share it with you.  Back in November of 2011, I came across this etsy store called Nomadic Bags and instantly fell in love with her bags!  These bags are crafted from old rugs and vintage textiles and wonderfully embellished with one of a kind items.  I found one that I liked (it was already sold) and contacted Krisha to inquire if she would make one for me too.  She was gracious and said she would love to but her schedule was severely backlogged until Spring of 2012.  Although disappointed, I knew it would be worth the wait so I waited patiently until it was my turn.  A few weeks ago, Krisha contacted me and said I was next on the list and asked if  I was still interested?  Ahh, Duh....  Yes, I'm still interested. So the process began. At the beginning, I wanted a bag made from the same rug that she used on the original bag that I loved.  After reviewing what she had in stock, I couldn't find a rug that had the color combinations as the original bag and started to get a little nervous.  After exchanging several emails, Krisha sent me some pictures of some kilim rugs that she had.  That changed everything.  I chose one that had very muted earthy colors and together we came up with some fabric choices for the pockets, lining etc.  I only chose a few because I wanted her to make the bag based on her artistic gift, not what I pick.  To me, if you're collaborating with an artist of any kind, it's important to give them the freedom to do what they do.  After all, that's what attracted me to her work in  the first place.  I had all the confidence that my bag would be just what it should be and waited for the completed pictures to show up in my inbox.  All I can say is wow.  Krisha is not only a very talented artisan but a very warm and kind soul as well.  My bag is even better that I thought it would be and soooo worth the wait.  If you are considering purchasing a bag from her etsy store, you will not be disappointed.  Here's my bag.  She's called it Terra and you can read what she wrote about this bag here.

Krisha will also be coming out with a new line called Kita shortly so if you like her work, keep an eye out for that. 

On another note, we are installing the bathroom sinks and faucets upstairs today.  This bathroom is starting to make me jealous.....  It will be ready to reveal soon!  Have a great day.

Nostalgic Advertising

Whenever I come across old advertisements or sheet music, I usually buy it.  I love the fonts and frames that were used and I also find the verbiage amusing.  Recently I bought a reprinted version of a 1908 Sears Catalog. This catalog had everything you could possibly imagine except for groceries.  Sears was really confident about the quality of their merchandise and wasn't afraid to say it.  I wonder why we don't hear manufacturers being this bold about the quality of their products today?  Could it be because we hardly manufacture anything here anymore?  I dare say so....Anyway, I thought I would share a few pages with you to not only get a good laugh at the pricing but also to appreciate some good ole fashioned advertising and the pride that comes with making things in America....  or making things in your own country for your own people for that matter.  Just saying.....

 

 

With trying to remodel 2 bathrooms, the price of this bathroom seems so crazy!   I love how they state this is the medium priced bathroom and that it's not a cheap, shoddy outfit.  Let's hope not for $33.90.  Ha!

 

 

Enough said.....  Have a great day.

Happy Spring (Officially)!

Happy Spring!  I'm really enjoying all of the fresh new green that is appearing quickly before my eyes.  It's so inspirational to see everything take on a fresh new beginning. There is an optimism that comes with Spring and it energizes and motivates me.  What about you? Last week was Spring Break for my girls and a highlight for them was getting their haircut and styled.  Like me, my girls have a lot of thick hair which requires patience and maintenance.  Let me digress and give you a little background.  A few years ago, I took them to a cheap haircutting place where one of my daughters got a horrible haircut.  Mind you, this horrible haircut was done by the same stylist that did my other daughters hair just seconds before hers which turned out fine.  Now, I've been in the beauty industry on and off for many years (factoid: I'm a licensed aesthetician) and when someone is visibly not happy (i.e. crying and saying out loud that you should be fired), as a service provider you should do what you can to make them happy. That is to say, make an attempt.   I don't care if your client is 9 years old or 90 years old.  They are still your client.  Not only was the stylist completely unapologetic but she also proceeded to double charge us because they had thick hair.  Really? Hmmmmmmm...  So, using this as a teaching moment, I explained to my daughters that everyone gets a bad haircut at least once in their life and since there is no way to put the hair back on once it's been cut, you have to shine it on and find a way to move forward until it grows out.  Fast forward 2 years. She agreed to go to a new girl I found only after her sister got her haircut there first.  After seeing her sisters super straight (that's what we're into for the moment) and perfectly styled hair, she was in.  After her first visit, she finally realized how great it feels to get your hair done right and walk out loving it. So much so that it was requested I make the appointment this time early enough in the day so that they have time to "enjoy their hair" before the day is over.   After two hours, both girls emerged with beautiful straight hair and big smiles on their faces.  As pre-teen girls go (or girls of any age for that matter), this type of thing does wonders for the self-esteem and I enjoy seeing them feel good about the way they look.  The rest of the week was just as productive and fun with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and a whole day of cleaning out the attic.  I know it's not sexy, but it feels so good to be organized and to donate the stuff you know you are not going to use. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of stuff in the attic that is not getting used (at least not now and not in this house) but to be able to see it and know where it is when I want it makes all the difference to me.   I also got to tackle another project that I wanted to finish.  Last year, I bought 5 sets of wood exterior shutters off of Craigslist. I actually only need 4 sets for the windows on the back of our house but since 5 came with it, one set is a spare. These needed to be sanded and painted and I wanted to get those done and hung up before the week ended.  Done.  HH sanded them down and I painted them and then he hung them up. Seemed a lot easier than I was anticipating and it looks so much better.   I even had some time to go to a few thrift stores and I found a beautiful sofa.  I'm going to slip cover this and have one long cushion made for the bottom instead of the two that came with it.  I'll let you know how that project comes along.    Hope you had a great week as well.  Here are some pictures from the week starting with the sofa.

This was really dirty and gross and had stains on it so it stayed in the garage.

 

 

Starting to deconstruct this.  I am looking at covering this with muslin first, then having a slip cover made for it.  The structure of this sofa is solid and heavy.  

 

 

Tatiana at the Rodeo.

Gabriella and Jason (HH) enjoying the Rodeo.

 

Here is an OK picture of the shutters.  It's been raining so I haven't been able to do a little touch up paint (from the install) but you get the idea.  They really add architectural detail and balance to this addition.  The color of these shutters is Iron Mountain by Benjamin Moore.   

 

What about you?  Are you working on any projects around your home?  I'd love to hear about them.  Have a great week!  I'll be sharing the next little project with you in a few days.  Until then.....

Spring Break......1951

I bought this wonderful old scrapbook from someones trip back in 1951 and it inspired me to make a collage using pieces from the scrapbook and some other items that are mine.  How much fun these friends must have had traveling to beautiful places and then reliving their trip while making the beautiful scrapbook that I now have.  This soooo makes me want to travel.....Speaking of travel, we are all in the process of getting our passports in order (first passports for my daughters) and from there we will begin planning a family trip somewhere far away.  But for now, I am traveling vicariously through this wonderful scrapbook........

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Spring Break!

Blue Tuesday.....

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  I was busy going in all different directions but actually felt like I had a productive weekend.  First of all, my Guest House Interiors Logo is finished and my website is revamped as well. You can take a look at it here.  I'm really excited about it and think it turned out great.   I have finished one of the doors for my office but have run into a little snag with the other one which will require wood putty and a little more love.  I was hoping to get these finished over the weekend but such as life.  It will be done this week.  Meanwhile, I'm moving things around and  noticed that I have gravitated a lot to this gorgeous color blue lately and have purchased several things in this shade.  This color goes with almost anything and currently I have some touches of this in my office and bedroom.  This is a velvety shade of blue that is calming and regal.  A tufted velvet sofa in this shade would be divine. I don't have the sofa but I do have a few things that share this shade of blue and they include:

 

These fluffy cat tails

 

This vintage Lithograph from Paris.  

 

Blue candle from Marshall's. 

 

Vintage Rosenthal jar. 

 

Such a pretty color.  What color are you inspired by right now? 

New Year's Decorating Resolutions......

Another year has come to a close and with it, several projects have been completed and new ones laid out.  I don't make New Year's resolutions in general because I feel like anytime is a good time to make positive changes in your life so there's no need to wait.  This year however, I'm going to make some New Year's Decorating Resolutions.  Sounds silly right?  Well, if you're remodeling or decorating your home you know that ideas come and go and sometimes you try to talk yourself into a concept or a piece of furniture because of the cost or for the simple fact that your tired of having an empty space.  I don't mind having and empty space but I have been guilty of compromising because something is a great deal and I could make it work.  This year, I'm making some resolutions that will be friendly reminders when I'm out shopping at thrift stores and resale shops.  These are also meant to be anchors when I'm making decisions for new projects.  Here's what's making the list:

1.  Buy what you love.   I've been doing this long enough that my gut tells me when something is good.  I've learned that if I hesitate on something, I should consider passing on it. 

2.  The exception to this would be if I pass on something and I think I should have gotten it  24 hours later.  That's when I usually go back and see if it's still there. If it is, I buy it.  This doesn't happen  often now but it used to when I was first starting out.  The gamble with this would be that the item is no longer there and now you want it. My attitude is if it's meant to be mine, it'll be there.  That always makes me feel better if it's not there when I go back. 

3.  Don't paint anything unless you are 100% sure.  I say this because sometimes you put a piece of vintage furniture in a space and you think that by changing the color, the whole room will magically come together.  This doesn't work unless you are absolutely happy with everything else in the room.  I'm actually going through this right now with the credenza I have in my office.  I think  I want to paint it but the rest of the room is not finished being decorated so it's staying in it's original finish for now.  This makes it easier for me because it's not the focal point in my room.  It's a big accent but not the showstopper.  I will see how it fits when everything else is done. 

4.   Don't proceed with a project unless you are committed to the plan. This sounds easy enough but for me, this means that if you are hesitant at all about the final layout or design, keep working on the plan before proceeding.  I'm thinking of my Master Bathroom for this one.  I'm trying to renovate this space with everything where it is but will have to add plumbing for the pedestal tub.  Question is, does this layout work?  Is there a better way to lay the space out with the addition of the tub?  Do I like the view from the tub? As much as I hate this bathroom, we are still working through the final design and we are committed to paying whatever the additional pricing would be to have the best layout for this bathroom. We may end up leaving things where they are but for now, I'm not 100% so that tells me that I need to give it more thought and look for more inspiration. 

5.  Be patient. I can honestly say that I am thankful that I didn't renovate the whole house at the beginning.  A lot of the renovations we've done were never ideas that we had when we first moved in almost 7 years ago.  The renovations that we've done have created spaces for the way we live while honoring the original layout of the house.  It's by living in your house that you realize what works and doesn't work for you and your family. Finding inspiration and incorporating the vintage with the modern and the recycled is the fun part.  For me, once I determine how I want the room to feel, the plan is made and I start to focus on the details. This could be the exact opposite of how some people design but for me, this is what works.  Being patient has paid off and developed my creativity more than anything else.

6.  Last but most importantly, be thankful for what you already have.  Step back, appreciate and be thankful for all you've been blessed with.  Everybody wants a beautifully decorated home.  Having a loving family to share it with is priceless.

I love designing spaces and creating environments and look forward to several new projects in 2012.  I am also hoping to grow Guest House Interiors by offering some of the vintage items I find for sale.  Perhaps something I find will inspire you to create a room you love.  Whatever your goals are for 2012, I wish you all the luck in reaching them.

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Random

As I'm wrapping up my week getting ready to enjoy a long weekend, I wanted to leave you with some photos that I've saved that really don't have a fitting category other than "Random".  These are images that are moving to me in some way and just all around beautiful. Wishing you all have an opportunity to relax this weekend and spend some time with good people. 

 

 

Photo credits from top:  Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3 and Photo 4