Bien Living Blog

Painted Ceiling Fan

2013-05-23T16:04:26Z

Ceiling fans get a bad rap in the design world. I've always thought it was a bit overblown, since they are often quite necessary! But if you're stuck with builder basics and don't want to pay $$$ to install new, modern models, here is a great alternative!

I pinned this DIY this morning from Kristen F. Davis Designs (a super talented decorative painter), then thought it would make for a great post - something you may not have thought about before, but could do on your own.

Take apart your fan, spray paint the metal parts (if you want to get rid of brass, or whatever) and paint the blades. Based on comments, it looks like the designer used layers of different colors, but that inexpensive FolkArt craft paint was mentioned in the comments, making this a really affordable project.

Filing this away for our home as well!

I Love this SO MUCH

2013-05-02T15:31:54Z

There are so many photo a day type video/slideshows out there that I have always liked. Pregnancy documention, baby growing, etc. When a friend of mine posted this video on Facebook, I skipped past it (as I do with most linked videos when I'm just quickly checking in) but later scrolled back up to watch it. I am so glad I did!

2012 in 366 Seconds from James Bernal on Vimeo.

I admit that it is sometimes hard for me to remember to take H's weekly picture (we're doing the oft copied Young House Love photo project), and this would be even more challenging, but my hope is that with daily repetition it will become habit within a couple of weeks.

H pulled up to stand for the first time yesterday and I managed to get it on video. Yesterday was also May 1st, a perfect date to start this project, no??

Easter DIY?

2013-04-01T15:23:30Z

Happy Easter! We had a lovely day enjoying brunch with friends and taking advantage of the mild spring day. I've had a few people ask me what H received from the Easter Bunny, and I am embarassed to admit that we didn't do a basket for her first Easter! Oops. I honestly didn't know what to get & didn't want to end up with a bunch of junk, so I skipped it this year. I am sure Michael's/JoAnn's will have great sales today, so once H is up from her nap & fed, we're hitting the clearance aisles for a basket.

I am extremely nostalgic & love my colorful plastic Easter basket from my childhood. If one of those stores happen to have one, I might snap it up. More likely, though, they'll have traditional baskets that I can then decorate (a bit). Here are two easy ideas that I came across this morning - ribbon & tulle!

I love me some tulle, but I also love the more preppy, classic look of the woven ribbon. We'll see what inspiration strikes later today!

SwaddleDesigns Giveaway!

2013-03-29T13:18:03Z

UPDATE: Congratulations to Domestic Diva! You are the proud owner of a zzZipMe Sack!

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I know posting has been...sparse (to put it mildly) since H was born, but you may remember that one of those posts was dedicated to my love of the SwaddleDesigns flannel swaddle blanket. She slept wrapped up in that for 4 months before we started to transition her out of the swaddle (and into her crib, without a pacifier all at the same time - rip the bandaid, eh?). A few days later, I received a nice email from the founder to thank me for writing such a nice post - I think I thanked HER for creating the thing that saved our sanity ;)

They also make super soft zzZipMe Sacks, which have been perfect for transitioning your baby out of the swaddle. There are 2 weights, one for colder months and one for warmer. She is currently napping in the pink one pictured below :)

Due to popular demand, this style & one other are now available in size 12-18 months!

As a thank you, she offered to send me 2 sleep sacks, no strings attached. I then asked if she would like me to hold a giveaway for one & she agreed. AWESOME - luck you, readers! To enter, comment below with your favorite SwaddleDesigns pattern (not as easy as it sounds - so cute!). For additional entries, you can also "like" SwaddleDesigns on Facebook & Twitter. Also, feel free to retweet this for another. Just come back here & let me know you did it.

My personal favorite :)

I've been meaning to write this post for, oh, 3 months or so. Life with an infant is a lot of work! A lot of sweet, fun, amazing and tiring work. H is such a happy girl and we are so blessed to have her in our lives. What a fun little person she is turning out to be!

Okay, go! The giveaway will close on Tuesday at 10 a.m. CST.

5 Ingredient Noodle Meals

2013-02-22T18:00:00Z

I don't remember where I first came across this "5 Ingredients. 5 Minutes. 5 Meals." post (pinterest? Not sure because it isn't on my Eats board, but oh well), but I love it and have to share. They are simple noodle recipes that are easy to throw together any night of the week.

We made hokkien noodles with tofu, honey & soy last night & it was delish.

source

We loaded it up with tofu & zuchinni (for a little green) and chowed down. Towards the middle of my meal, I mixed in a half tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter and YUM. I will likely do that from the beginning next time!

We've also tried the Japanese Noodle Soup with Spinach & it was great as well. As someone who isn't a great cook who is married to someone who is, I like finding easy recipes so that I can give him a break from time to time. These will now be in rotation!

Cityscape Wall Murals

2013-02-21T15:31:28Z

This image posted by the Chicago Architecture Foundation (the ones who do the best architectural boat tour!) popped up on my Facebook wall today.

I love it. They linked to the original article which had other cityscapes and trompe l'oeil murals. Ahh Paris, je t'adore!

Before doing any research, I thought they were hand painted murals. More clicking around led me to the company's website (Pixers) & I was surprised to learn that they are stickers...and how easy and affordable they are!

They are custom sized, even better! All you have to do is enter the height and width you want, then position the window over the part of the mural you'd like to have printed. Easy!

An 8' x 9' mural costs under $300, which really surprised me. I expected it to be far more expensive!

They have a lot of other designs and images - I highly recommend checking them out :)

10 Decorating Trends You Wish Would Go Away

2013-01-16T22:38:07Z

I came across this list from, randomly, my daily BabyCenter digest. It led to a House Beautiful slideshow that shows 10 trends that people think will fade away in 2013. There are some I agree with & some I don't, but overall I found it to be an interesting list.

1) Taxidermy - YES

I have never understood or liked the taxidermy and faux animal head trend that went wild last year. It is now so overdone that I think this is one trend that will fade away.

Ceramic Animals

I do think these Jonathan Adler ceramics are adorable, though. So cute!

Doxie Bookends

2) Open Layouts - NO

I think I'll always love open layouts. Especially kitchens that open up into dining areas &/or family rooms. At every party, it seems we all end up congregating in the kitchen. The kitchen gets small...so it then spills over into the adjacent dining area, then living room. I like that everyone feels like they're all together, even if technically in different rooms.

3) Cliched Design - ??

I guess so? This vague title goes on further to explain that an Eiffel Tower statue and french style rug does not a french interior make. As a francophile, I have a few Eiffel Tower figurines sprinkled around the house, but I by no means think that defines our decor!

4) Cookie Cutter Kitchens - YES & NO

I love alternatives to granite, but am a stainless steel appliance fan through & through. I love modern white kitchens with stainless appliances and can't picture this trend fading away any time soon.

5) Obvious Signage - NO

I love typography & am a fan of this trend, when done well.

source

6) Chalkboard Overload - YES

Overload is the key word here. Am I the only one who finds chalkboards - chalk specifically - to be a dusty mess? I sometimes really like the way they work, mainly in the kitchen or a playroom, but people are chalkboard painting everything these days and I am over it.

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7) Food as Decor - NO

I love a bowl of green apples as decoration in the kitchen. Sometimes I eat them, sometimes I don't :)

8) Neon - YES

Let's leave neon in the 80's where it belongs, mmkay?

9) Intentionally Distressed Furniture - YES

With a caveat - I think this is a personal choice, not necessarily a trend! If I had a farmhouse in the south, then I'd probably have a piece of distressed furniture or two. It's just not my favorite look overall.

10) TVs on the Mantle - YES & NO

One of the first things that I put on this blog was that "TVs don't have to hang above the mantle". Sometimes it's the best option though, so I'll hold off on judgement for this one :)

Are there any trends that you wish would just go away?

p.s. It's nice to talk to you all again! I owe an update post, I know. Just know that I am back to work, accepting new clients & that life is good. So, so good.

Swaddle Designs Blanket

2012-11-06T19:20:08Z

I think I'm the only person in the history of blogs who doesn't care for Aden + Anais swaddle blankets! I should clarify - they are very cute & super soft. I like that I can fold it up really small and put it in the diaper bag. But for swaddling use? Not so much. They never worked for use like this blanket did (& still does!):

At just over 9 weeks, we still swaddle H in this blanket. Swaddle Designs blankets are flannel & SUPER CUTE! Yes, even cuter than A+A. I received it as a gift at my shower and immediately wanted to buy more after H was born. They are a bit pricey at $25/blanket, but we use it every single night so it is more than worth it. Plus, I like that they are all sewn & made in the USA (Seattle!).

They also have cute tags with instructions on how to swaddle.

I wanted to write a quick post in case there are other parents out there who aren't having luck with the Aden + Anais blankets that everyone else seems to love!

Welcome, Baby!

2012-10-01T19:04:02Z

4 weeks ago, our lives changed for the better. Baby girl was born at 11:06 a.m.

She weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz. & was 21" long.

The whole birth experience was far better than I could have ever imagined! I had myself so worked up & it ended up being quite great. Quite exhausting, but really great.

We had a great view! It was Labor Day (ha!), so boaters were out in full force. What a gorgeous day it was!

Getting ready to leave the hospital!

My mom made it into town 1 hour before she was born. I was so happy to have her there with us!

Our family - I love this picture! Derby has been such a good girl & we can already tell how much she loves her little sister.

H, we love you SO much.

More posts later about adjusting to life with a newborn. What a wild ride it has been so far!

Decor from an Unexpected Source, Part 2

2012-08-31T17:56:42Z

Awhile ago I posted about great decor finds from an unlikely store - Pottery Barn Kids. I thought I'd revisit this post idea after coming across a fun lamp at Land of Nod. I checked out other items & found a lot of things that would work for spaces beyond kids rooms.

Here are my favorites:

This lamp also comes in blue & pink!

All items found at LandofNod.com

Have you come across any unexpected sources for home decor?