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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Weekend Scenes: A Sputnik Chandelier D.I.Y.

It was the most beautiful weekend. When it is gorgeous outside, most people around these parts think about going on a hike or bike ride or hopping in the ole' kayak. Not me. I think, "what a gorgeous day to spray paint!" So, that's exactly what I did all weekend long.


I gotta give props to the Hubster who was uncharacteristically patient with me while I nervously and cautiously tried to figure out how high I wanted it to hang. 






Isn't it crazy that this used to look like this?

I also have to give props to Jenny for the  inspiration. I did a slight variation of Jenny's project and have tons of those cups left over. Email me if you are interested in them.

Have a great Tuesday!!

xoxo- Tippi 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

A Little Abstract Painting Day

 Ahhhh...



What I'm up to today, y'all! Painting makes me so happy.(So does that sunshine peeking through my window!) What are you doing today? Hopefully, something that makes you happy too.


Wanna know what else makes me happy? My doggie, Birdie. She is just the best. She hangs with me through all of my crazy projects and keeps me company. One day I will devote an entire post to her because she's just awesome and is often times my favorite. Did I just say that? Sorry. I'm in the throws of raising a teenager. I'll be honest. Sometimes I like my Labrador Retriever better. As I'm typing this, my teenager has just walked up to show me that he pierced his ear. I'm going to go hug my dog now.


  Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

E-Design : Modern Office



Are you interested in having me design an inspiration board for you? Please click here for affordable rates.

My Dining Room- The Saga Continues...

Okay, so I've hit a tiny wall (not literally) with my never ending dining room project. As I predicted, the seats of the chairs are bolted in with some very strange hardware that I am probably going to have to take to my upholsterer to remove. I was really holding out hope that this part would be easy. Apparently not.

Here's a lovely birds eye view of the seats. It's so unfortunate that "Baby's First Year" yellow crunchy fabric is not "in" or these would be keepers: 




The great news is that I am almost finished with the china cabinet and I am really happy with the results so far. At least one project is going right! 



I've been wanting to try the project posted here for a while now.  I happened to have this basket that I bought at Target a year or so ago and thought it would be perfect.

  


 Ta Da! I think she is pretty happy now. This project calls for spray paint but I had tons of silver paint left over from my cabinet. Brushing it on seemed just as easy- it maybe took 15 minutes to complete. (And I didn't have to tape off any areas which was a big time saver)

She looks pretty similar to these babies don'y you think?

 via Martha Stewart 


 Lastly, I would like to share this :


I blogged about these last week? I ordered two and love them. They are perfect-o in my living room.

Happy Wednesday!!

 xo, Tippi 

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Etsy Attention Grabbers

Have I mentioned that I love handcrafted items? Well, I do. I used to have my very own handcrafted boutique children's clothing line. I know firsthand the amount of hard work and dedication it takes to put yourself out there while painstakingly filling orders into the wee hours of the night. 

Did I also mention I'm an Etsy-holic? I love skimming through different vendors looking for unique creations in fashion, jewelry and home goods, to name a few.

Here are the Etsy shops I'm featuring today:


Geraldine Adams






I am crazy about these prints by Geraldine Adams based out of San Jose, California. The clean simplicity of the illustrations and the combination of colors caught my eye immediately. I could see a grouping of these displayed on a large statement wall in a kitchen. 
And who doesn't love cheese and macaroons? (not together, of course.) 

 ooh la la!!








Visit Geraldine Adams here.


Next up:

Whitlock & Co



 How many times have you scrolled through a maze of pillows only to get overwhelmed, log off and take a nap?  I just placed an order recently with this fabulous pillow company based out of Chapel Hill (I love to support my fellow North Carolinians !) The collection is carefully curated with current on-trend fabrics that makes the decision process easy- peasy.






Visit Whitlock and Co here.




Pecan Pie Puppies



This Etsy store makes me want to say "OMD" (oh my doggie, of course!) This custom dog collar company is based out of Columbia, South Carolina and sets themselves apart by offering unique and punchy color combinations and adornments from flowers to Ted the Turkey. Be prepared to want to order more than one!  








Be sure to check Pecan Pie Puppies out here.



Thanks for checking in.  Have a wonderful day!!

xoxo- Tippi











Monday, October 29, 2012

Gallery Wall Collections: Our Furry Friends

I don't know about you but I love when my Ballard Designs catalog comes in the mail. Even though my design aesthetic is a little more eclectic than what Ballard typically offers, I still find items I could mix in my slightly more funky style. 

For instance, I came across this little collection of illustrated dog prints:


So cute! I love how they are all in different frames giving the gallery wall  the look as if they had been collected over time.

Of course, the do-it-yourself-er in me is considering drawing  a few of my own. Some these illustrations have lines that would be pretty simple to sketch up.

I was also reminded of this photo of designer Erika Powell of Urban Grace Interiors. I love the gallery wall of dog paint by numbers she slowly collected. Also, That daybed cannot be ignored. I believe she had it made. Gorg!

Southern Living

Are you interested in starting your own collection? Just hop on to your virtual surfboard and hit eBay. They have lots to choose from and the best part is they are  affordable. Yes, an afforable art collection. That could be an oxymoron!






We are having a windy day here in the mountains. A little scary!  Hope everyone hangs in there and has a happy Monday!! 

Friday, October 26, 2012

Current Project

Here's a sneak peek of my current project:


One more layer of white paint on the interior and shelves and I'm done with this soon-to-be-fabulous china cabinet.

 Deadline: Today!!




 This is where the fun begins. Okay, not really. I have to spray paint 6 of those chairs and THEN recover them in that fabulous lavender ikat fabric. I  have yet to inspect  underneath to see how difficult the seats will be to remove. I'm hoping for the easy button. Prayers, my people. Prayers.

The fun will begin when I am able to stand back and admire my completed dining room from afar.

 Deadline: next week???

 Hopefully! I have to get the hubster to hang and assemble a few things. That can be a challenge because he works alot and when he's not working he's golf's alot. Did I happen to mention I'm quickly diving into this project because I'm hosting our family Thanksgiving this year? I think that might be a sign of the Apocalypse. 

In a nutshell- I am slightly stressing to meet some deadlines. I will have a more detailed post to follow next week on the design plan and details.  

Happy Friday!



Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Chic Loft Apartment





I seem to be getting lots of "pins" on Pinterest from this board I put together a while back and neglected to post on my blog.

 Happy Tuesday!!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Gettin All Cozy Up In He-ya

Brrrrr. A little chilly here in the mountains. I guess this means I can happily wear this uber cute sweater today:


True sweater love from the Gap minus the Jed Clampett head accessory.



I will be adding a little bit of this to my morning cup o' joe:


SO incredibly yummy for the tummy on these chilly Autumn mornings.



I will be listening and loving this latest song I bought on iTunes :


I never tire of this song. I think this officially makes me a Chakaholic. Oh Chaka, how I feel for you.



Last but not least, here's a little motivation for today:

 via

True that. 



Happy Monday!! 

Friday, September 7, 2012

My Foyer

Have I mentioned how much I love having a foyer? Maybe not. Well, I really do. Our old house did not have one. Anyone that stopped by had the pleasure of walking smack dab into the living room or as I like to call it- " the eye of the storm." With a foyer, you can give your visitors a peaceful entrance into you home : A room that no one is in for very long. A room  that doesn't house a bed, tv or underwear. It's almost like a "pretend" room. Like "Come on into my foyer- I'm pretending the rest of my house you can't see right now looks just as clean and well kept as this!"


This is a shot of the foyer before we moved in.



I neglected to take a full picture of the "after" foyer. I guess because I change all the time there's not true "after". I find it really difficult to figure out when to take pictures because I feel like nothing is ever finished. I'm okay with that.

I love this little alcove seating area that I created. That bench has been in our family forever- this is the second cover I've had made for it. I have some leftover fabric and plan to have a bolster pillow made.



I felt like it needed some funky art- so I painted up these  little watercolors, painted the mats and put in some Ikea frames that I had. I keep thinking I may do a gallery wall of pictures here at some point.



This piece was my Grandmother's - I have had it since we got married and hesitated painting it until recently.



This piece is placed on the right wall looking towards the front door.
I'm glad I decided to paint it. It still needs a coat or two of varnish. I would also like to put round pulls  on it eventually to give it more of a Regency look. What do you think about my foo dogs? They were 7.99 a piece, although my friend Claire says I paid 7.99 too much. I'll be wrapping these up for her at Christmas.  

Happy Friday!! 

xoxo-
Tippi

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

I Brake For Books About Yard Sales

I'll be the first to admit I'm to lazy to "yard sale". Getting up early on a Saturday to go digging through someone's junk in their yard just doesn't sound appealing. The usual Saturday scenario  for me is to sip my coffee while watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians on the DVR. However, after coming across this delicious little book by Lara Spencer- I may have changed my tune.





  You probably know Lara from GMA. I bet you didn't know that she is full of decorating fabulousness and wrote a book about it. I can't even tell you how much I love this book. She moonlights as an antiques dealer and interior designer. She gives  you tons of ideas of what to look for and how to change it, if needed. 

And, have you seen her house? TDF! Lots of pictures of her fabulous casa in this book. I love every stinking inch of this house.  I did a little research online and found  few different  pictures that give a better full room view. ( Now I sound like a stalker.)




 OOOh- I so love that sofa and those gigantic lamps!!




I love the mix of Regency with Mid- Century funk with some whimsy




I really love her Master Suite. This is slightly different from the book. It looks like she changed out the lamps and added some art above them. A typical designer changing things out.




 This is her daughter Kate's bedroom. I love the accent wall wallpaper. Adorable.





This is her son Duff's bedroom. I never would have thought to put a ghost chair in a boy's room but it works well here.



Definitely buy the book. In the meantime, I'm going to go figure out how I can   become a syndicated morning talk show host so that I too can afford to have my own fabulous home look like this!

For addtional images click here.

(All images: LA Times)  

Friday, August 17, 2012

Getting Stuff Done: A Blog Post I Have Procrastinated About

Hello. My name is Tippi and I am  a procrastinator. I am also a perfectionist. I think the two go hand in hand due to the fact that I like things to be  perfect. So perfect that I can't even conquer something unless I can take the time to make it perfect. If it's not perfect - I ain't gonna do it! There, a project will just be on a list with other projects not getting done due to paralyzing perfectionism. 


I have also found that I am a terrible gift giver. I will try to find just the perfect gift for someone, passing over ones that would be just find in search of that one perfect gift. It becomes such a big task that many times I am giving gifts late or not at all. Terrible, I know. 



So, I thought I would just highlight a few helpful tips that I am going to try. I was on Pinterest recently and found this  great post here about "Getting Sh*t Done".  

1. Create a routine. This is super hard for me. Discipline is not my middle name. I do believe that this is so important and I'm gonna try dang it!

2. Make a daily to-do list. The days that I actually break down and do this- it actually really seems to help me get things done. I have found that It's very rewarding marking things off my list.

3. Don't Multi-task. Say what? I always thought this made one more productive. Not so. I am trying the one-thing-at-a-time mentality. It keeps me focused and less scattered for sure.

4. Silence the phone! Need I say more?

5. Do Those MIT's first. Put those "most important tasks" on your list and mark them must do's.


So, now I can check this blog post off my list! Happy Friday!!

xoxo-
       Tippi

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

A Tisket A Tasket: Tribal Baskets

A Tisket A Tasket: Tribal Baskets





Have you noticed these fabulous baskets showing up on the pages of interior design photos everywhere? Not only are the colors bright and cheery but they are perfect for storing all kinds of clutter.  Do you have a favorite? I do. I'll have a number 5 with a side of number 4. Oh heck. I'll take them all please.

If you want to check out a good selection of these all in one place-West Elm is the place to be. If you are the shy type, they also have a great selection of normal natural variety.

If you are feeling at all  budget-y, you could get out those acrylic paints and paint your desired pattern on a simple basket. You know you can do it. I smell a project in the works!

                                              xoxo-

                                                      Tippi

Monday, August 13, 2012

Quick Change: A Mini Closet Makeover

Happy Monday- yes, Monday can be happy. You can do it!! Today  I am going to leave you with a post about a closet quick change. A mini-boutique, if you will. 


Let's go into my closet, shall we? (you should be very afraid right now.)



As you can see, there's a whole lotta stuff  in that there closet. Maybe we should step back.




Yikes, peoples. Now that's a big 'ole mess. Might I mention that I share this closet with the Mr.? I'd love to blame that mess on the floor on him- but I won't. Because I'm the perfectionist. Well that doesn't make good sense does it? My philosophy is that if I don't make time for it to be just perfect- it is going to be incredibly imperfect until it gets done. Sad. Weird. True. 



Here's the after. I think we can all stop screaming and breathe easier now. I cleaned out the clutter and ta da- I have a lovely place to keep my jewels, handbags, and zapatos. ( Please excuse that girl in the mirror-  she's not her prettiest when she's in the midst of projects!) 


Here's how to create your own mini closet boutique:



1. Start with a cute shelf. I bought this one at a consignment shop. They are really easy to come by. You could also buy something new and similar here. 

2. Line your shelf with some fun patterned contact paper. I found this on the clearance rack at Marshall's. You can find something similar here.

3. Add some fun books to stack giving your shelf some height. I love getting books to decorate with from thrift stores. I also sometimes find really good deals here

4. Use various plates, bowls, and dishes to hold smaller jewelry pieces. A larger bowl I had was perfect for housing some smaller clutches. I also gathered a couple of random dishes to hold some other loose pieces. These can also be found in abundance at thrift stores but i found mine right in my own kitchen.   


5. A jewelry tree is a must have item. I used one here to add some more height. It obviously serves a great  purpose for easy access to  my favorite necklaces. You can buy them for $10-$12.




5. Add some pretty perfume bottles. As you can see- it might be time to replenish some of my favs.    


6. Display your sunglasses on the top shelf. If you are like me, they are often times left in the car to get scratched  up and damaged. At the end of the day they go back right on top of this shelf. Easy peasy.

7. Add a piece of funky abstract art work. I made this one. I recommend you make one too. So easy and el cheapo. Canvas and paint. Done.










 8. Display those handbags! Mine were hanging on the closet door and stuck out  
as you entered the closet. I like them much better on this shelf. Ah, more room!

9. Display a few pairs of your favorite shoes. This really serves no purpose but to give it that fancy boutique feel. It might even give you a little extra room on that shoe shelf to buy more.( just don't tell your husband! )

10. Add a fun rug. You can find your own cute little 2 x 3 flokati here.