Truelock Equals Truelove

Jewelry Display

2011-12-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

After a few years of a disorganized jewelry layout, I decided it was about time to get a hand on the mess. Therefore, I walked around my house and found items I could use to finally organize my jewelry.

The sconce to the left (which I pained with Heirloom White spray paint) was discovered at a thrift store. The other hooks were extras I had laying around, perfect for additional necklace display.

I brought in an extra washcloth rack to hang some of my bracelets; a three-tiered plate display from the kitchen to give additional space for storage; and extra bowls and plates for display.

Here are some other jewelry displays I found online...

1970's Dining Table Takes on a New Look

2011-12-31T11:49:00.000-08:00

If you recall, we purchased this table several months ago - and wrapped up the project the night before our Thanksgiving feast! We love the way it turned out!

We sprayed the chairs and table with Heirloom White spray paint. Then, we sanded the edges for a vintage look. We then covered the cushions with a simple muslin fabric from Hobby Lobby. The table was purchased via Woodlands Online for $200 and we spent around $80 on spray paint and sealer and $15 on the fabric. Not too shabby for a nice, large dining table.

I Plan to Make a Return!

2011-12-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Fellow Followers,

It has been over two months since my last post - yikes! I have been a little wrapped up in work and other things - like dealing with morning sickness. Yes, my husband and I are expecting our first baby, a baby girl actually, early June 2012. And we are thrilled! Expect several upcoming posts on nursery plans!

Currently, I am uploading some photos of recent projects and will post some before and afters very soon! In the meantime, enjoy the days few hours of 2011 and you will see a lot more of me in 2012. :)

Happy New Years!

(Designed by Boyett Designs)

Truelove

Let the chaos begin!

Iron in the Home

2011-10-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Today we will embark on a journey down the road to decide which iron pieces we will purchase for our home. Five minutes from our house is a western home store I never thought I would enter. But, one afternoon off early from work, I ventured inside and was pleasantly surprised to find some pieces I actually love. Since my husband is still snoring and I am up and ready to conquer the world, I decided to create a post a blog on iron and the different ways you can make it work in your home.

New Projects

2011-09-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

Painting is underway on our vintage dining set.

We purchased several bottles of Heirloom White spray paint from Home Depot. Darren built a little painting booth in the garage so I could spray away. Each chair needed about 2 bottles of spray paint.

Two chairs down, six more to go - oh, and a table...

Next up, sanding - time to rough these chairs up!

We moved two of the chairs inside to see how they will look in the dining room. Like!

Fabric for the cushions will be the next step. We would love to find gray and white Ikat print so now we are on the lookout. Jo-Ann's has some options (and right now they are 50% off) but we are still looking...

As soon as we complete more of the set, I will post additional pictures. :)

While the Heirloom White was out, I decided to spray a cool sconce I found at a Goodwill.

Before...

After...

Next project - found three large frames from Home Goods for $5 each. I really like the color so decided not to change with paint.

Next, bought three mats from Hobby Lobby and made 8x10 enlargements from Walgreens.

The two outside photos are in black and white. The middle photo is in color.

Now, we just need to find the perfect spot in our home for these frames.

Love this vintage frame I found at Elite Antiques in Tomball. The frame is huge with cool cravings in the wood. And it came with glass - all for $7. Such a steal! Next up, bad white paint job.

Up last are a couple of wood frames I found at Target on sale for $2 each. I spray painted each white, then sanded down. We plan to blow up some photos from our travels and place inside.

Refurbishing

2011-09-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

Ok - what I am about to show you will look a little overwhelming to the human eye. But, take a moment to methodically consider what could actually become of this 1974 dining set from South Carolina.

That's right, look beyond the obvious and consider the unknown.

This is the dining room set we just purchased online - and for a complete steal I might add! We did just as I advised above, we looked beyond the obvious and considered the unknown. We thought about the purchase for a few days, contemplating how can we were going transform this set to

replicate our dining room design vision.

Once we decided on what we would do, we pulled the trigger and brought this vintage set home.

While we're still sorting through some last minute ideas, here are some visions of what we hope to re-create with our find.

So this is the before and after of our dining room - now just waiting to be filled with furniture!

Before:

After:

We plan to work on a few chairs this weekend so keep on the lookout for a before and after post! :)

Fun Ways to Hang Art and Pictures

2011-08-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of my mom, sister and I at Flora and Muse in Houston. My cousins at Imago Dei painted this mural - and from there the restaurant split the amazing mural among different frames.

There are so many different ways to display art and pictures - so have some fun with your hanging!

My mama placed adorable illustrations from childhood books in frames for my neice's nursery.

Mastering the Master

2011-07-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

A bedroom should make you happy. It should be an escape from the hustle and bustle of work and stress, a retreat where you can go and find tranquility and peace.

This was our master bedroom before we moved in...

And this was our master right after we moved in - sleeping on a mattress and living out of a suitcase.

Needless to say, something needed to happen! First, Darren ripped up the carpet.

Time to paint! We went with Behr's Elephant Skin on the walls and Ivory Mist on the the trim - and we

love it.

Next, wood floors...

TADA!!

New furniture...

In love with the mirror we found...

We changed up the bedding just a bit...

We purchased a bench to go in front of our bed - it really brought everything together. We thought we were going to recover the bench but we now think the print brings an excellent contrast to our room.

So, back-to-back...

Before:

After:

Even Bronco is happy with our new room. :)

We are not finished with what we want to accomplish in our room and we plan to continue looking for inspiration.

Mama's House

2011-07-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

How cute is my mama's house? Her house totally reminds me of a quaint bed and breakfast.

I have always admired her creative touch and these few pictures really capture her keen sense of home design. She is constantly adding new finds to her vignettes - anywhere from Pottery Barn to Home Good to thrift stores.

Choosing an Accent Color

2011-07-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

Our living room has been 'in-progress' ever since we moved in last October. We are anxious to get it wrapped up so we can come home and enjoy this living space comfortably together - finally!

Here is a picture of the living room before we bought the house:

Here are some pictures of the living room after my husband ripped up the carpet and we starting painting the walls - from ugh yellow to classic white.

(art nook in living room)

We wanted the entrance to our bedroom to pop so we painted the walls the same color as our bedroom and replaced the pre-existing wall sconce with this rugged wall sconce from home depot - it was a steal!

The frame on the floor was an open back frame we purchased from Hobby Lobby half-off, then repainted with a bad white paint job. We will find the perfect print to eventually place inside.

My husband finished placing the wood and floors just in time for the arrival of our new couches. our couches that arrived from Ashley Furniture and they are just what we were looking for - affordable, comfortable and classy. Now, it's time to get busy on the living room furniture and decor.

The sofa and loveseat were just what we were looking for - affordable, comfortable and classy.

Now, it's time to get busy on the living room furniture and decor.

At first, we wanted to do all white accents to mellow out the khaki couches. But, after my sister and brother-in-law gave us this fabulous house warming gift, we can't resist using red as our main accent color.

Isn't it gorgeous! They found it at Estancia Home in Lakeway, TX.

The next step on our list for the living room will be the window treatments. We decided to forego plantation-type blinds as we did in our other rooms and go straight for curtains. We would love to find something like the Simone Drape from Pottery Barn...

And finally, here are some living room design ideas I am loving right now...

Sara's New Kitchen

2011-07-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

This one is for you Sara - a blog post designed just for you and your future kitchen!

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Home

Over the last few years, I created numerous blog posts with emphasis on creating specific photo collections with a specific design idea in mind. I heavily perused the web for photos which I could place in that week's design blog entry. Now, I would like to switch gears...

Over the next several blog posts, I hope to incorporate more photos and details of our home remodel/redesign - using inspiration from my past blog entries to help create a first home we will always remember and treasure. While I plan to still include inspirational photo montages, I would love to also fill you in on our home design adventures, and hopefully inspire you at the same time!

Splish Splash I Was Takin' a Bath...

2011-07-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

"...Long about a saturday night, yeah

Rub-a-dub, just relaxin' in the tub

Thinkin' everything was alright
Well, I stepped out the tub, put my feet on the floor,

I wrapped the towel around me

And I opened the door, and then

Splish, Splash! I jumped back in the bath

Well how was I to know there was a party going on

They was a-splishin' and a-splashin',

Reelin' with the feelin', moving and a-groovin,

Rockin' and a-rollin', yeah!..."

Our Master Bath will be going through some necessary changes over the next few months. We have seen the light and now realize it is time to take some action on this somewhat outdated bathroom (house built in 2006 but bathroom looks like it is from the late 90's).

Inspiration time!

White With a Hint of Color

2011-07-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

A Popular Patio

2011-06-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

Isn't it grand how we can extend our love for interior design into the exterior?

Countdown to a New Living Room

2011-06-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

This week, our new couches arrive - we are completely stoked and can not wait to start decorating, finally! My talented husband finished the hard wood floors and now it is on!

As soon as the couches come in and we tackle some decor, I will post before and after photos. In the meantime, here are some photos of living rooms that will give me and hopefully you great inspiration for our great rooms.

Neo Conquistador - a Futuristic Journey

2011-05-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

ASSAD MOUNSER

Amanda Assad Mounser, New York based jewelry designer and amazing sister,

recently debuted her Spring/Summer Line, Neo Conquistador.

Here is the story behind her latest line:

While Assad Mounser's inspiration is predominantly influenced by the gods of the Glam Rock Movement, Spring Summer 2011 focuses on a futuristic journey, one that many a rock star drenched in glitter might sing about. The collection, coined Neo Conquistador, follows a phoenix rising from the ashes of a catastrophic wave of destruction to a path of redemption and rebirth, creating a new world from the rubble. Groups within the collection follow these themes quite literally. Many pieces take on an appearance of an explosion, with shooting rods of metal juxtaposed against cracked rocks and glittering gems, meant to represent glass fragments. Other groups signify religious themes and are ornamented with crucifix pendants and charms. As the story continues, the conquistador searches for relics from the cultures destroyed, finding primitive carved wooden and glass tribal beads, claw drops, and sharp silver cones significant of spearheads. Finally, all the relics are combined into new and modern pieces laced in
vibrant neon colors meant to represent a new day of promise and awakening.

www.assadmounser.com

Assad Mounser Look Book

Photography by Amanda's talented husband Henry Mounser

Styling and jewelry by Amanda Assad Mounser

Hair by Alberto Guzman

Make-up by Janeiro

Model: Flynn Kelly

Stop and Linger

2011-05-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

"A room should never be just a place to pass through. Use accessories to lend character to your space and offer a reason to stop and linger."

~ Pottery Barn

White and Linen

2011-05-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

Just a Little Beach House Flair

2011-05-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Eat the Most Important Meal of the Day in Style

2011-05-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

Pure Beauty

2011-04-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

Cut a Rug

2011-04-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

Wingin' It

2011-04-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

It's no new news. Wing chairs bring a sense of poise and sophistication to a room. Whether positioned as a pair or placed solo as a focal point, wing chairs can bring not only a sense of class to any room, but can add a touch of dazzle to a plain room.

Our new wing chair - can't wait to make something of it!

Looking for a Lovely Canopy Bed to Lay our Heads

2011-03-25T16:25:00.000-07:00