House of Hydrangeas

Child's Play

2013-04-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

In general, I enjoy a clean and crisp designed space. However, when it comes to children's rooms and playrooms, I think the opposite yields the most magic.

Here's a look at wallpaper done right. A child's room is the perfect place to let your imagination fly! Mustard floors, blue floral print wallpaper and a fuchsia sombrero...why not?!

This playroom/bunk room was designed by Lisa Sherry. I love how deceptively simple it looks. Plus, she knows how to make storage look good!

The textures and greens in this room had me swooning. What little girl wouldn't want to lay her head here?

source unknown

3 Years

2013-04-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

That's how long it's been since Jon and I said "I do." I know everyone always says it, but it really is hard to believe it's been three years. Three years is a long time; yet, it still seems like it was just yesterday that we were standing on those windy shores of Inlet Beach, FL.

I think a lot of the "just yesterday" memories are because I had such a hands-on experience with my wedding day. I can still remember me and my sister putting together my bridesmaids bouquets, my mom and her best friend helping arrange the table centerpieces, my friend Emily making my table visions a reality on the day of the wedding and the list goes on. It was quite a family affair, and I honestly wouldn't have changed it one bit. Our special day was made even more special by the people who had their hands on it, and I will be forever grateful.

I was looking through old albums last night and found some pictures from my sister's camera showing the beginning photos of the wedding week. They make me smile to see where the week started and how beautiful it turned out in the end.

Here are some of the vases and jars collected by family and friends to use on our special day.

Me with the arrival of all of our beautiful flowers.

Me and my sister tying together one of the bridesmaids bouquets.

We'd spend a few hours each morning working on the flowers in the ~~floral shop~~ kitchen before taking a break and enjoying some time at the beach.

The bride in action.

Even Jon lended his hand in deleafing some the stems :)

Trying to get a visual of what my bouquet would look like before I officially tied it up.

My sweet friend Emily being a life-saver and putting together all of the tables on the day of the wedding.

This day was special to Jon and I not only because it was the day we commited our lives to one another but because we got to share it, TRULY share it, will our sweet family and friends who traveled for hours to be a part of it and make it beautiful with their helpful hands, encouraging spirits and sweet smiles. We love you all.

Happy anniversary to you, Honey! I love you bunches and bunches and can't wait for you to return home next week! Our journey has only just begun! :)

If you want to see how the "big day" turned out, here's a video I made of some of the professional wedding photos. The music is the song from our first dance, "This is Us" by Christ August. I hope you find it to be as beautiful as we did!

Before and After-Kitchen Pendants

2013-04-18T10:46:00.000-05:00

When we first moved into our new home, these are the lights that hung over the bar in the kitchen. Not horrid to most, but way too small for me. And they screamed "builder grade."

Here's another shot showing their small size and wrong height.

After some research and oogling, I finally decided on some beautiful Regina Andrew globe pendants. Thankfully, I was able to order them through work so the pricetag wasn't AS haunting. But even still, I'd say the pricetag was well worth the transformation.

via Tracery Interiors

I opted for this darker finish to compliment our existing cabinet hardware.

Here they are in action!

I absolutely love them and couldn't be happier with how they've transformed the space. Now I just need to replace three other lights in the home! Jon will be a master electrician before I'm done :)

Here's one more before and after. What do you think of the change?

Guest Room Before and After-Healing Aloe

2013-04-16T09:57:00.002-05:00

Here is a shot of the room in all of its coral glory. Great for a teenager, not for a soothing guest room.

And here is the Healing Aloe after. Healing Aloe is a color by Benjamin Moore.

It was hard to get a good shot of the true color, but it is more of a seafoam than gray.

Aside from painting the walls and buying a new white quilt for the bed, everything else in the space we already had--most of which are hand-me-downs (bed and dresser) or thrift store finds (lamp and side table). It will all be sufficient for now, and hopefully a space that our guests will love.

I'm very happy with the outcome and the progress of one more room in the house coming closer to completion. One down, three to go (at least in the painting department!)

What's in My Bag-LBD Outfit

2013-04-03T17:23:00.000-05:00

Here's a look at one of my recent purchases from Piperlime. I love this site because of their free shipping and free returns. You can't go wrong with that! Here's what I put in my bag. I didn't buy all of the items as an outfit, but upon arrival, I saw how great of a team they'd make :) And it helps that I saved 20% on all of them with a promo code. I love Piperlime! (And no they didn't give me anything to write this.)

1- The little black dress. Business in the front. Party in the back.

2- You had me at fringe...and statement necklace. I'm a sucker for a good statement necklace.

3- The perfect dressy black sandal, complete with a gold zipper in the back.

Let's Paint!

2013-03-20T19:00:00.001-05:00

While I loved a lot about our home before we bought it, there was one thing that I knew I would be changing after moving in--the paint colors! All three guest rooms and our master bathroom will be getting new coats of paint, as well as the open living room that I mentioned yesterday.

The largest guest room belonged to the previous owner's teenage daughter....hence the coral pink walls.

This next room was a former nursery, and since we plan to use it as such one day as well, we're not worried about painting it just yet. We'll wait for a baby to come first :)

The last guest room was a safari room for a little boy, complete with bamboo lined walls. It will be transformed into Jon's man cave.

And last but not least on the "to paint" list is our master bath. It's a little hard to tell in this picture, but the walls are actually faux finished in a sage green over a beige. The faux has to go.

So here's what I'm thinking for the new paint colors...

For the coral room, Benjamin Moore Healing Aloe seems to be the winner. There is only one small window in the room so I wanted to keep the color light and bright.

The safari room will become the man cave with Benjamin Moore's Charcoal Slate up top and white board and batten for the bottom of the walls. I think the color is masculine and will be a great backdrop for Jon's Navy memorabilia. Painting half of the walls will bring the drama without making the space too dark (it will function as a second guest room when visitors are in town).

And in our master bath, I'm going to with Valspar's Moutain Smoke, the same color I used here in my mom's dining room. This room has a lot of light beige tile in it so I wanted to go with a darker tone to add in some contrast for a little dimension.

I'll keep you guys posted on the changes! Wish me luck! I'm to get a lot done before Jon gets back from his deployment. Wouldn't that be such a nice surprise? :)

Our Living Room Mood Board

2013-03-19T15:42:00.000-05:00

Our living room is slowly but surely coming together. The biggest To Do's are ordering a new media console, painting the room (which is unfortunately open to the dining room, kitchen, office and breakfast area which means lots of painting to be done!), order a few lamps and a console for the long wall behind the couch.

I realize I haven't shared any pictures of our "new" house (we moved in at the end of last October) with you guys. So here's a glimpse of the living room before we moved in.

This is what you see when you walk in the front door. The dining room is on the left, the living room is straight ahead and the office on the right.

A closer look at the living room. Florida loves their plant ledges...I do not. You win some. You lose some. I also want to replace the tile around the fireplace.

A view from the back of the living room looking toward the front corner of the house. The room behind the half green wall is the office sans the French door...which I'm happy to say are repainted and now up! More on that later.

Lastly, here's a view from the living room looking over into the dining and kitchen area (breakfast area on the right). See what painting one rooms means painting them all?

So here's the plan... or something similar. Most of the pieces I want in the space, we already- gray slipcovered swivel gliders, neutral couch (although I'd like to put our current chaise one in Jon's soon-to-be "man cave" and get a new one like the one you'll see below), brown tufted cocktail ottoman, accent pillows, peacock mirror, neutral rug, brass candlesticks, milk glass vases and botanicals.

The items still needed are a long console which will go on the long wall separating the kitchen from the living room, new lamps for the console (maybe green for a pop of color?) and a new media console for the TV. Our current media center will also be making its way into the man cave. So did you get all of that? If not, here's a visual...

I really like these Arteriors lamps to bring in some color, but I don't think I can go for their pricetag. The console is actually a serving table sold by Ballard Designs. I've looked high and low for a long console (the wall is 91" long) that is narrow and open on the bottom for stool or basket storage, and this is really the only one I've found that I like. I also would love to have set a set of black and white photos in offset matted frames like shown above--classic with a twist.

I've yet to order my new rug, but I'm pretty sure the winner is the woven jute one. It's a great basic, and I can always layer a more colorful flatweave rug on top later if choose. The walls will be a soft white--my current favorite is China White by Benjamin Moore but that changes every day so we'll see. Since this room is such a large undertaking for painting, I'm going to start with the smaller rooms in the house first. I'll share more on those later this week!

So that's the plan! What do you think?

1,000 Followers

2013-03-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

That's right, folks. A few days ago we reached 1,000 followers on Pinterest! If you're missing out, start following here. You'll get to see a lot of goodies, inspirations and dreams like this...

Or, you can follow me anytime by clicking on the Pinterest button in the top corner.

Thanks again! I'm so glad others see beauty and inspiration in the same things I do...

Have a great weekend!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2013-03-14T17:12:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure about you, but I love a nice, warm bowl of soup when the weather is cool. Even though it's March, and I live in Florida, we've had some chilly temps this week (sorry Spring Breakers). So last night I made one of my favorite recipes, Chicken Tortilla Soup. It's tasty, spicy and best of all, so simple to make!

(not pictured, Velveeta cheese and tortilla chips)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

12 oz can white chicken breast

15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed

14 oz can mexican corn (or regular whole corn like shown above) drained

1 can of Rotel-your choice of heat (I prefer the Hot for a nice kick)

1 can chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz Velveeta cheese, diced

Tortilla chips (optional)

Start by adding all of the ingredients (except the diced cheese) into a stockpot, paying careful attention to which cans should be drained. When you get to the black beans, remember to drain AND RINSE before adding them to the pot.

I like to buy the chicken breast chunks so I usually separate the chicken a little before I add it into the rest of the mix. Once you've combined all of the ingredients, stir and let the mixture heat through on medium heat.

When heated through, add in the diced Velveeta cheese and stir until melted.

That's it. You're done! Scoop yourself up a bowl and enjoy by it itself or with tortilla chips.

In other news, our Remington (Remi) turned 4 years old on Sunday! It's only been a little under 3 years since we got him from the shelter, but we love him like he's been ours forever! Here is our sweet guy on his birthday. Isn't he handsome? :)

Dresser Before and After-New Hardware

2013-03-12T21:11:00.000-05:00

I recently updated the dresser hardware on my trusty Ikea dresser I bought nearly nine years ago when I moved to Dallas. The dresser has been good to me, but I thought it was time for an update. And if you ask me, hardware is one of the easiest ways to do just that.

Here's the before:

As you can see, the original knobs weren't bad, but I wanted something with a little more presence. Inspired by an image I found on Pinterest, I ordered these guys.

I was drawn to the clean lines and contrast that would be achieved from the brass finish on the dark dresser. And at less than eight dollars a piece, I was sold!

After a little help from my screw driver, I had this. Quite the update, huh?

Here's another before and after for comparison...

I feel like I got a brand new piece of furniture for less than $80! If you want to update a piece in your home, think about getting new hardware. Remember you aren't restricted to a local hardware store. There are countless options out there!

The damaged mirror you see in the photos was a freebie from work and one of my next projects! Stay tuned!

Rug Dilemma and Black Walls

2013-03-06T15:33:00.000-06:00

Since moving into our new home at the end of last October, I've been trying to figure out what kind of new area rug I want to buy. You see, the rug that was previously in the dining room of our old home was moved outside here at our new home (it was old... and Remi had used it as a chew toy). So our current dining room sits rugless...and it's killing me. After measuring our new dining space, I realized that a 6 x 9 would be the best size for the space...which just so happens to be the size of the rug we have in our living room. Thus came the idea of moving our living room rug (which is technically an indoor/outdoor rug--great for dining rooms and any food mishaps that may arise) into the dining room and purchasing a new rug for the living room. Are you with me?

Operation "Find a New Living Room Rug" has been in progress for quite some time now. I think rugs and sofas are my hardest purchasing decisions. Because of their size and price tags, I know I can't make a flippant decision that I may want to change in a few weeks. So I think and think and think about what would be best. Well, months later, I believe I've narrowed it down to two options--both of which are illustrated in this photo from the home of interior designer Mark D. Sikes, featured in Lonny a few months ago.

The first is a bold stripe option. I love a good stripe, and I think the simple pattern would bring some interest to the space without competing too much with the other patterns in the room. I'm really liking this Dash & Albert option--and it's indoor/outdoor so it will wear and wash well!

The other option is a tried and true natural woven rug like this. The one that I recently got rid of was a woven jute rug, and I used it for nearly 10 years in over 5 different spaces with no issues. I think the simple style would be good for transitioning the look of the space should I change my mind down the road. It would also work well with the nearby existing rugs (we have a somewhat open floor plan), but I can't decide if I want to stick with what I've always used or switch things up. My goal is to decide by the end of the week. Perhaps by giving myself a deadline, I'll finally pick one out!

In other decision making news for the house, we're in the midst of picking out new paint colors for several of the rooms, one of which being Jon's "man cave." I asked Jon what color he'd like to paint the space, and he enthusiastically replied "black!". This should have come as no surprise seeing as it is his favorite color...he has tons of black shirts, a black car, black phone case...you get the drift. However, this time I think he was trying to get a reaction out of me.

"Yeah, maybe" I replied with my wheels now turning. He was a bit surprised by my response. Little did he know that I have been swooning over black rooms for awhile now, specifically this bathroom, also by Mark D. Sikes. If we had more light in our big guest bathroom, I would paint it black in a heartbeat. In fact, we already have the beadboard in there, but I know our current tile and poor lighting would make it look like a dungeon instead of a delight like Mark's. Oh well. A girl can dream.

Who knows, maybe Jon will get his wish after all... I'm itching to bring black into my house somewhere!...more on my ideas for that later :)

Giraffe 1st Birthday

2013-03-01T16:39:00.001-06:00

Over two months later, I'm finally getting around to posting on my nephew Cohen's first birthday! Because he was born just six days before Christmas, it was important to my sister, Meredith, to have a party to make him feel special, separate of the normal seasonal celebrations. And I'm always up for a planning a good party!

Since Cohen was little baby, he has loved giraffes. First introduced with the paper mache bust hanging over the changing pad in his nursery(here), my sister says he's been a fan ever since. Using that as the inspiration, the party planning began. Meredith found an invitation she liked at Tiny Prints and thus the color palette of green, yellow and brown was established.

Cohen wore a monogrammed yellow chevron coverall on the big day, and the cheerful pattern was also used throughout the party. To create a prominent backdrop on the fireplace mantel, we covered a remant piece of beadboard with chevron fabric. It made a big statement with little cost and effort. Also on the fireplace was a grouping of Cohen's pictures, paper fan wheels and an MDF letter C we covered in brown polka dot scrapbook paper. The fan wheels were also made by us using scrapbook paper and a little tape. There's nothing like a little craft time with sisters :) The stitched "Happy Birthday" banner was an Etsy purchase that Meredith plans to use for years to come.

{And for a closer look...the suitcase picture of him is my all-time favorite.}

Here's the man of the hour in his adorable outfit and a shot of the giraffe painted number 1 hung at the door to greet guests. Like the letter C above, Meredith found the MDF 1 and quickly informed me that I would be painting it to look like the giraffe on his invitation. Anything for my nephew :) The hair on the giraffe was created by folding pieces of yarn into a group of hill shapes and taping them to the back of the board. Another easy project!

In the beverage department, mason jars were used for glasses, accompanied by green polka dot paper straws. I created the lemonade label to match the food labels (coming up below) and attached it to the drink dispenser with a strip of twine. Meredith's order of custom water bottle labels from Etsy tied in the chevron pattern again.

We kept the menu simple with chicken nuggets, pigs in a blanket, spinach dip, ham and cheese sliders, fruit skewers, sugar cookies, animal cracker and confetti dip, chocolate truffles and of course, cake! I designed the food labels, and Meredith got them printed at a local office supply store (Tip: they higher quality printers, and you don't have to waste your own ink!).

Cohen's daddy and big brother lended a hand by making the number 1 cookies. Personal touches are what it's all about!

Stacked wooden boxes (also used here and here) made great stages for candy-filled apothecaries boasting the personalized tags I created with C's and 1's. The green ribbon was left over from my own wedding projects :) The main backdrop was an empty frame strung with jute twine and tiny wooden clothespins holding up monthly snapshots from Cohen's first year.

The cake table was the home for the sweets, featuring the party favors (green apple lollipops) and chocolate truffle sticks. The birthday hat was a product of mine and Meredith's craft time as well. We recovered a cheap, store bought hat with green polka dot scrapbook paper, glued a strip of yellow ric rac around the bottom and added a homemade yarn pom pom to the top. Meredith knew that Cohen hated hats so she didn't want to spend extra money on a personalized one only have to him pull it off in seconds. And she was right...it was on his head for two seconds tops.

The cakes were made by Delicious Bakery in Alabaster, AL. And while Cohen loved to look at them, I can't say that he was a fan of eating them...he's obviously nothing like his mother in that department.

Please notice his big grin in the bottom right photo.

Oh well. Even if he didn't "smash" the cake quite like we were expecting, he still looked cute doing it thanks to his matching diaper cover Mer ordered on Etsy. Adorable!

I think we pulled it off!

We had a great time celebrating you, Cohen and look forward to many more birthdays!

Five Things Friday

2013-02-22T15:11:00.001-06:00

{This simple and beautiful menu.}

{This table of contents for a baby book.}

{This nailhead trim bulletin board.}

{This stunning hammered sink.}

{This ingenius wedding favor-- a midnight snack!}

Happy Friday, everyone!

Good People

2012-12-28T14:48:00.001-06:00

My morning started out a little rough. It was barely 9am, and I thought my day was destined to be a bad one.

Luckily, it quickly became better --starting with getting my hair done, a task that has been neglected since I started working nearly three months ago. After my hair appointment, I ran over the mall to make a few exchanges for my mom. While I was there, I decided to pick up some lunch. After ordering my food, I began to search for a table in the craziness that is the mall after Christmas.

I was beginning to think my search would end in no avail when an older man sitting at a table near me asked "Ma'am are you looking for a table?"

"Yes, I am but I think I see one that's about to be available over there," I said pointing. I didn't want to make this gentleman get up from his seat. Even if he wasn't eating, he was older and I thought his age warranted his sitting in that chair all day long if so chose.

But before I could walk away, he said "No ma'am. I'm going to give you THIS table."

"Are you sure?!" I asked.

"Yes," he said with a grin on his face as he gently rose from his seat. "I'm just passing the time anyway."

I thanked him thoroughly and felt a smile permeating my face as I sat down with my food thinking "Chivalry is not dead."

I finished up my last errands and had just arrived home when I received a text message from a friend telling me she'd emailed me some correspondence she'd had with my husband who is away overseas. In short, the conversation involved my husband thanking her and her family for the care packages they'd sent to him for Christmas and her response saying she was more than glad to help and how much she admired about me and my strength.

The conversation had me laughing at the beginning (at my husband's jokes and extreme admiration for chocolate) and in tears at the end reading the kind words from both him and her. I don't think I'll ever be able to adequately express what her words meant to me, nor will I ever forget them. Judging from all of the sweet things she wrote about me, I have a lot to live up to :)

So I guess the moral of this story is that there are still kind people in the world. And even on your bad days, if you look hard enough, you'll find some good.

Thank you Lord for my blessings.

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-25T11:09:00.001-06:00

Chalkboard Christmas

2012-12-11T08:02:00.000-06:00

It seems you can't read a blog without seeing a chalkboard sign somewhere in a post these days. While these don't fit the style of every home, for many, it is a great way to add a piece of living art to their homes. This rings true especially around the holidays. If I ever get around to remembering to buy chalk at the store, I may have one to show you of my own one day! But for now, here are a few that have inspired me.

In the Navy

2012-12-03T20:39:00.000-06:00

Navy blue dining rooms have really been catching my attention lately. The richness of color alone is enough to make a huge statement, but that, coupled with the instant intimacy the color evokes, makes for a perfect dining space color.

via Rue Mag

If our dining room walls weren't openly connected to the rest of my living space, I would paint them navy in a heartbeat. What you do you think about navy? Too dark or just right?

Thankful

2012-11-25T20:24:00.000-06:00

I enjoyed a great mini vacay home for Thanksgiving. It was filled with lots of love, celebrations (my grandparent's 70th wedding anniversary being the biggest) and laughter....and for that, I'm thankful.

We reminisced about old times... (I'm on the right :))

Gathered at the table to enjoy some delicious food...

Did a little crafting for Cohen's upcoming 1st birthday party...

Can you tell the theme centers around a giraffe?

Cheered the Tide on to victory...

And enjoyed lots of time with this little guy who was more than amused with my iphone camera... :)

I hope your Thanksgiving holiday was just as beautiful and refreshing as my own.

Paperwink and a New Home

2012-11-18T16:15:00.003-06:00

There has been something I've been wanting to do ever since the day Jon and I got married. I'm sure it's a silly thing to most, but for me, it meant home.

I'm happy to announce that I finally ordered a custom address stamp for our new home! Yes, I said it. We bought our first home a few weeks ago, and for the first time in over 2.5 years, we won't be moving any time soon!

Our new home is right around the corner (literally less than half a mile) from the house we were renting. We knew we loved the neighborhood, but weren't planning on buying anything until next year. However, when I saw this one on the Trulia listings that I so often stalk, I couldn't resist checking it out. Jon ended up being just as smitten, so we threw ~~caution~~ our plans to the wind and decided to make it ours. We were blessed to have a fairly smooth closing process and made it into the new house just days before Jon was set to leave again. Talk about perfect timing.

I'll be doing many posts in the future on our new baby and all of the changes I'd like to do to her to make her our own, but for now, let's talk address stamps. Yes, address stamps. I've dreamed of our very own address stamp for our very own house for some time now--this is our fourth house to live in since we've been married and the first to actually belong to us. So as you might expect, one of the first things I purchased after we moved in was a custom return address stamp. :)

I looked at a lot of different options (including the plethera of them on Etsy), but one site in particular sold me--Paperwink. Have you heard of them? They don't just do address stamps. They have invitations, stationery, calling cards...really everything you can think of in relation to the stationery world. They have lots of great products, but I was on a mission for a stamp.

The design I chose is called the Jubilee, and it is just what I was hoping to find--a classic design with a twist.

I love it! I've already put it to work on our Christmas cards and get a little smile on my face every time I stamp a new envelope. It's the little things.

Anyway, I wanted to share my new find with you guys in case Paperwink was new to you as well. As you can see, they have a lot of great stamp designs and range anywhere from $18-$30. Not too shabby for a custom treat. Wouldn't they make a great housewarming present or stocking stuffer? I do believe so!

Office Spaces

2012-10-18T22:30:00.001-05:00

Well hello, friends! Sorry it's been so long. Between my new job and getting ready for my trip to New York City, I've had little time to sit down and write. But on the upside, my new job has given me some major inspiration...and inspiration=blog posts!

I've been overwhelmed by the amount of beautiful things at my fingertips lately--from product samples to furniture catalogs to stacks and stacks of fabrics. The options are endless. And with abundance should come organization. Organization is key to creating an efficient and creative work environment as well as a pleasing "show" room for clients. Success is achieved where style and function meet. Here are a few successes in my book.

Ahh catalog organization with style. The pops of accessories bring life to the rows and rows of books. For artwork, frame a client thank you note or a preliminary room sketch. Make it personal, not just a library.

Why yes, I'd love to pin beautiful things on this amazing pinboard.

This one is more on the traditional side but the large light, wall art gallery and bookshelves for project baskets had me at "hello".

Who wouldn't want to meet in here?

This office has place for everything--resource books and a comfortable and clever client presentation area. Look at that huge mood board!

This office space is obviously more fit for a home, but I still love the built-in storage and mix of old and new pieces. Oh so inspiring.

Time to pack for New York! I have a feeling there will be a lot inspiration there too :)

New Job

2012-10-05T16:55:00.001-05:00

I'm excited to announce that I have a new job! I've been given the wonderful opportunity to work with an amazing design firm here on the Emerald Coast called In Detail Interiors. Their award-winning designs have been featured in over 50 publications and are a stark contrast to the cookie-cutter designs of today. I'm still in awe of the fact that I get to call them my new employer! I start work on Monday and can't wait to work with Cheryl and the team!

Follow on Facebook to stay on top of the new design projects as well as the beautiful pieces available for purchase in the showroom.

Addressing the Ceiling

2012-10-02T17:00:00.001-05:00

"Traditional and contemporary need each other."

-Genevieve Gorder

That quote perfectly describes my design style, and Genevieve seems to be a pro at it. She did a great job connecting the old and new in this recent nursery design (brought to you by the oh so classy paused screen of my TV--this is what you'll get until HGTV updates their designer galleries). But I digress. There are plenty of traditional pieces of furniture and accessories in this space, but they're perfectly offset by contemporary aspects, keeping the room from looking too stodgy.

One of the ways she achieved this was by painting the ceiling with woodland creatures. Adding playful elements to a surface that is often forgotten makes a great impact on the room's overall feel. The idea of addressing the ceiling isn't just restricted to nurseries though. Adding detail to the most overlooked part of a room can make a huge statement in any area of your home. Let's look at a few ideas.

Board planks-Painted or not, a boarded ceiling will give your space a more custom look.

Coffered-If you want to take your ceiling an architectural step further, opt for a coffered ceiling. It is timeless.

Moldings and medallions-Another way to add some architectural elements is through ceiling moldings and medallions. Coupled with a contrasting paint color (as shown below), these elements can become even bigger showstoppers.

Paint-This is the easiest and most inexpensive way to update your ceiling. While patterns are great, a solid color can do the trick as well. As long as you keep the design simple (please don't go all Van Gogh on me), you'll be doing good, not harm.

With all of these, please remember that less is more. Every ceiling in your house doesn't need to be bedazzled. It's nice to have a surprise around the corner.

What I'm Wearing

2012-09-28T12:36:00.001-05:00

I'm getting in the football spirit with my outfit today. Jon and I will be heading up to Tuscaloosa for the Bama game this weekend, so I decided to start channeling my team spirit on my errand run this morning. Plus, I wanted to try out my new comfy flats I got for my New York trip! Sorry for the poor picture quality, but I had difficulty getting the whole outfit with my SLR.

Top-Urban Outfitters (one of my favotie go-to tops)/ Jeans-Target/ Shoes-Anne Klein iflex via TJ Maxx/ Purse-TJ Maxx/ Necklace-Danielle Stevens/ Ring-David Yurman/ Watch-Michael Kors

Here are the items (or a close match) on a board so you can get a better look. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Four Years

2012-09-27T13:23:00.000-05:00

Four years ago on this day, I met my husband for the very first time. And as the old adage goes, "the rest was history." Jon and I married a year and a half later and have been on a fun, crazy ride ever since. So in honor of the day we said "I do" and the recent Emmy's, let's do a little dress comparison, shall we?

When I first saw Julie Bowen's dress, and her whole look really, I was wowed. The styling, color and design were right up my alley. So much so, that her dress reminded me of my own wedding dress (the design, not the color).

Here is Julie looking stunning on the red carpet at the Emmy's. (Side note: If you don't watch Modern Family, you're really missing out.)

And here are a few side-by-side comparisons of my Watters wedding gown and her Monique Lhuillier gown. I know the price tag doesn't even begin to compare, but the silhouette definitely reminded me of my own. Obviously, I have more junk in the trunk than Julie, but you catch my drift.

And here's a frontal view comparison. Please excuse my overly-cheesy grin on the right. What can I say? I was a happy girl on my wedding day :)

So happy 4th to my husband, and great taste, Julie!

Au Lait

2012-09-26T15:21:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I went into TJMaxx looking for a new bed pillow. But let's not kid ourselves; I knew that I would probably walk out with more than just a pillow. Who can go into TJMaxx and only come out with one thing? If that's you, I applaud you, but this girl has never accomplished such a feat.

So true to form, I did leave with a more few things, some of which I will be sharing with you today.
Feast your eyes upon these beauts.

Now before you start thinking "Really, Mallory? Soap?!" let me explain.

Listen, I love the yummy smelling scents from Bath & Body Works as much as the next girl. When they have a sale, who can really resist picking up some Warm Vanilla Sugar or Sweet Pea? BUT as good as their soaps may smell and as long as they may last (longer than the cheaper Dial version I may add), their looks just don't cut it for me.

I hate to walk into a beautifully done bathroom only to see some cheap plastic bottle with bright colored stickers totally ruining the bathroom mojo. So herein lies my reason for the excitement behind my new soap. I mean, honestly, the packaging is beautiful--simple and classic...even with a cow on the front. And it smells heavenly. Naturally, I had to pick up a bottle of the body milk (lotion) as well. I can't resist a good glass bottle.

And you know what else is great about these two? Their price! I always love to know how good of a deal I score, so, in the words of my husband, I "took it to the Googledome." I found both on Amazon, albeit for a much larger price tag.

Amazon: $28.87 (excluding shipping). My price: $5.99. Savings: 79%

Amazon: $27.50 (excluding shipping). My price: $4.99. Savings: 82%

Thank you, TJ! My love for you grows deeper and deeper every time we meet :)