pinchy pinch

Whether it be a little or alot of green go grab some to avoid the pinchy pinch.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

If we by chance can't find our green then Momma will pull out last years lucky leprechaun hats made from recycled yogurt containers...or better yet if anybody else has the need for a leprechaun hat then come on over and grab one...something about trying to get rid of stuff.

P.S. - I am so glad to see that some of our Irish roots came through with one red headed child.

{images via This is Glamorous,Country Living, Steven Gambrel, My Vintage Vogue, Roger Davies photography , designsponge, Mary McDonald, nuevo estilo, Martha Stewart, skona hem, flikr, scout design, Atlanta Homes, Elle Decor, Tom Sheerer, Lonny mag via Everything LEB, CC Interiors}

{princess and the green frog} Happy Birthday!!

It was just yesterday that I tried to wrapped these two so ever tightly in their blankets so that they would have a great feeling of security. What a very exciting day when these two were born. Time doesn't stand still no matter how hard I try. When I asked the girls what they wanted to do for their birthday they responded by saying. "We want to have a princess party". We made crowns & went to see Princess & The Frog. My birthday wish to these two is that they will continue to feel that same feeling of security as they are molded and shaped to become bigger princesses. I want them to know of their self-worth while retaining that inner light and love for all those around them.

Now as I have anticipated this week my little brain has somehow connected their birthday to all things green. The frog made me do it and it all started with this cake:

{via Sarah Magid}

Then in honor of those two sweet peas, why not continue the trail of green thoughts because that is how I do it...

{via Regan & Smith on 1st Dibs}

{via Martha Stewart}

{Amy Atlas via Green Wedding Shoes}

{via Simon Upton}

{via Home & Gardens}

Happy Birthday my little princesses!

I like that they wanted to wear last years birthday hats to the movies.  Also it was fun to have the little frog on top of the mailbox and have the girls come running in yelling, "Mom, there is a frog out here, come and look".  They were so excited especially knowing they were going to see the movie later that evening.  I love kids!

Still thinking about green & projects

Still speaking of green...did you catch Paula's tutorial over on Two Ellie for bringing in some beautiful green color? If you didn't well what are you waiting for?  Go here to hop on over & to be delighted by some great posts.  I can't wait to to give this project a try.

{photo via Two Ellie}

Speaking of more projects, I really enjoyed reading through House Beautiful's 101 Ideas for updating your home with the changing seasons. Below are a list of a few that I may just want to try around my home.

"Buy ceiling drapery track and the least expensive linen you can find and drape all the walls. White linen in a bedroom, a darker color in a dining room. It smooths everything out and feels moody and interesting. You can even hang art from chains on top of it." -Betsy Brown

"Paint all the terra-cotta pots on your balcony or terrace with a polyurethane stain in high-gloss black or brown. They'll look like Chinese porcelain by the time you're finished." -Randall Beale
Pictured, Martha Stewart Colors French Bulldog Black MS025

"Add a glass top to a table for a more sophisticated look. You can put fabric or wallpaper underneath, or even paint the underside of the glass to give it a little more jazz." -Kendall Wilkinson
Pictured, Tsang, to the trade. Allan Knight: 214-741-2227; allanknightasso.com

"I have replaced all my old cleaning products with Method's aromatic, environmentally friendly line. My favorite tub and tile spray comes in an ergonomically correct pale blue bottle and smells delightful. In fact, all of the bottles are attractive and look great on a pantry shelf." -Milly De Cabrol

"Make tableskirts for your end tables in some offbeat color, with a contrasting flange at the bottom. If your tables are round, put a square piece of plywood on top before you start. Square just feels more contemporary." -Marcy Masterson
Pictured, fabrics by Peter Dunham:peterdunham.com

"Line the backs of your shelves with raffia.Phillipjeffries.com has all sorts of colors and weaves. I've used it in kitchens and bathrooms. It gives a little depth and texture, and anything you put in front of it looks great." -Meg Braff

"Go to Home Depot, buy a length of crown molding at least two inches deep, and nail it to the wall to create a picture ledge. I'd do it in a family space, like a kitchen or a hallway. Buy standard frames and pop in your children's art or family photos and change it around every few weeks." -Suzanne Lovell

"Experiment with different lightbulbs in your sconces and chandeliers. Instead of the traditional flame tip, try using clear Edison bulbs. Ditch the shades for a more modern look." -Philip Gorrivan

"Buy inexpensive ribbon by the roll and glue-gun it as a border around the room, outlining each wall and running it up and down the corners. Works equally well over paint or fabric or wallpaper." -Robin Bell

"If you have something — a lamp, a table, even a chair — with great shape but not quite enough dash, take it to your framer and have them gild it." -Jeffry Weisman

"Hang art in surprising locations, like over a door or above a tall cabinet or on the pilasters of a bookcase." -Nancy Boszhardt

"Buy a bunch of those battery-operated LED Everywhere lights for only $8.99 each. They're like little hockey pucks, with adhesive on the back. Put them under a console table, on top of a bookcase, or use them to backlight some interesting object on a shelf." -Libby Cameron

For the full list of ideas go to House Beautiful right here.

Any projects out there that you have on your list that I should know about????  Pls feel free to share.

Chic on a shoestring

I came across Caitlin's blog & when I saw one of her decorating projects she accomplished for $250.00 my jaw dropped. I love it when I see the creation of beautiful things that are done on a budget. I really believe it takes much more creativity to do budget decorating which in return creates an immense amount of satisfaction (at least for me). I thought it would be fun to break down the project to see how Caitlin accomplished this work of beauty. (refer below)

I love the below inspiration board that she put together while trying to meet the objective of the project. For more inspiration visit Caitlin's interior design blog here.

{All images via ccinteriors}

Here is what Caitlin so graciously shared about the project:

1. Headboard- DIY. There are great tutorials all over the internet about making headboards and I do it all the time. The wood was purchased at home depot for about $8. They can cut it to size for you and then I used a skill saw to cut the curves. You can do any design to get a custom look and once you have all the supplies the project only takes about 1-2 hours. All other supplies were bought at Joann's fabric. We used Yellow duck cloth for it's durability and added the nailhead to dress it up. The total for the wood, batting, fabric and nailhead was about $40. Once I had all that I just used my nail gun and hammer and voila!

2. Night stands. The old tv tables were already sitting around. At first I was really against using them but then I thought, hey we are on a budget and in my experience nightstands can be one of the hardest garage sale/thrift store finds. When you turn the tray table on their side you get the more architectural feeling with the x so we bought 2 cans of charcoal gray spray paint for $4 and got to work

3. Bedding. We loved the look of classic white hotel bedding but of course we also wanted pope of color. The Duvet was just from the hotel line at Bed Bath and Beyond for $60. The shams were purchased on clearance at T.J. maxx as a duvet set for $19 I used the duvet on a different project. The throw pillow was custom, sewn by me. I bought 2 yards of fabric for $16 at a quilting store and the insert was $5 at a local fabric store. The same fabric was used to reupholster the seat of the chair.

4. Chair-a thrift store find. $8 plus a can of green spray paint at $4. I love the shape of this chair.

5. Accessories-

art-since these were small we used clip art images off the internet. Vintage printables has some great ones. We spent $20 on frames at Michael's. We loved the look of the metal letters at Anthropologie but of course, way out of the budget so be bought a cardboard version at Joann's for $4 and went to work with the left over spray paint from the tray tables.

Lamps-thrift store find. They were ugly brown and brass but had a great shape. They cost $5 each from a local thrift store. After a $4 can of white spray paint and new lamp shades from target for $10 each they were as good as new. Lamps can easily be spray painted if they have a good shape so that is what I usually look for. I have about 8 lamps sitting in my garage. I think I have an addiction.

Suitcases-thrift store find for $7 for the set. The rain boots and cowboy boots were the clients own.

Green vase with daisies-thrift store $1

Green succulent pot- thrift store $1

In terms of budget I splurged on the rest of the accessories. The butterfly trays were from a store called Alice Lane Interiors. The tray cost $7 and there were actually a pair but we didn't photograph the other one.

The metal boxes were $10.95 at Z Gallerie.

The patterned boxes are actually note cards and matches. The notecards are from target for $7.95 and the matches I got on clearance for $1.50 at a gift shop in upstate New York.

We also purchased a small mirror from Home Goods for $20 that wasn't pictured and a few other accessories that brought the total to $250.

All I have to say is WOW...job well done. A big thank you to Caitlin for taking the time to share her project. I hope it will be as inspiring to everybody else as it was to me on creating a chic space on a shoe string budget. Does anybody else want to attempt creating a custom upholstered headboard now? Oh & does anybody else love those fun happy colors?