Guest Post by Eva Stephen: Home Makeover Inspired by Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Robyn ~ Everyday a la Mode) — Sun, 19 May 2013 05:43:00 +0000

Please welcome Eva Stephen, a special guest poster writing today on Home Makeover ideas inspired by Summer.

Summer seems to be arriving at long last and hopefully you have had time in between the intermittent hail and snow showers to get your spring-cleaned done and dusted. If your furnishings are starting to look a little dull and drab, take advantage of the changing season to renew the look of the rooms that are used the most.

Get your kitchen ready for summer fun, barbecues and lots of salads

In winter we love rich warming stews and soups, but the dried herbs, seasonings and bags of onions can be packed away, along with the slow cooker and the soup pot! Break out the colourful glass jug with matching tumblers, change the curtains for light and frothy concoctions that will flutter attractively in every hint of a breeze and fling wide the window so that they do! Make sure that you have plenty of ice for those long cooling drinks. I’ve found some very colorful and refreshing summer drinks at Southern Living. You must give any of them a try.

Photo: JustHomeMade

Sort through cupboards and bring all things summery to the front for easy access: from the salad bowl and tongs to the ice-lolly makers, even bright and cheerful place mats too. Displaying and using these colourful tools and utensils can make your kitchen feel cheerful, bright and summery. The cooking utensils range at Sur La Table will make you to cook something very special for the family dinner.

Photo: GreenTeaDesign

Bedrooms can benefit from a cool makeover too

Sort through your wardrobes and chests-of-drawers and pack away winter clothing, leaving space for bright and light summery clothes. Now is the perfect time to replace any furniture items that are in poor condition, or even getting a bit too old. Shop 4 furniture has an excellent selection of furniture, not only for bedrooms, for the entire house! Bedspreads and pillow cases can be changed from warm flannelette to cool crisp cotton or satin and the duvet itself can be switched out for a lightweight one.

Photo: CensationalGirl

Change the curtains, if you have spares, going from thick thermal curtains to lovely light ones that allow the sunshine to pour through the window.

Liven up the living room, ahead of summer fun

Brighten up the living room instantly by flinging the curtains wide, and using tie backs to let the maximum amount of natural light flood into the room. Add splashes of colour by displaying brightly painted pots and vases. Fill them with fresh flowers too, to add the authentic smell of summer to the room.

Photo: Yahoo

Change cushion covers for bright and vibrant floral ones and pack away the snuggly throws.

Photo: JaneFoster

Simple changes do not have to cost the earth, but can make a great difference in making your home look fresh, new and one hundred percent summer-ready! Make sure you do not over crowd rooms by including absolutely everything that you love; rather choose a few items that you really like. This shows your true preferences, avoids the room becoming cluttered and chaotic and means that you will really enjoy spending time in the room, be it your kitchen, your living room or your bedroom.

One thing that summer does do is highlight any missed cobwebs, dusty patches or streaks on the windows! Make sure that your spring clean was thorough, by walking through the house with a duster in hand and a critical eye, before making the cosmetic changes!

Remember, through all of these changes, that your house is made for living in! It is impossible to have a magazine perfect home all of the time, so do not expect that you can, especially if you have a family! Organise the items you need in a room, make space in which you can all stretch out and be comfortable, and then having made those allowances first, add as much sizzling summer style as you can!

Great ideas for summer and how to love our spaces more! Thank you, Eva Stephen for guest posting on Everyday a la Mode!

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I wanted to freshen the site up a bit with some of my fav projects and photography. The background on the title section is also from one of my abstract photography pieces.

It's a challenge to pick only a couple pics so the banner isn't too busy looking. I'm thinking it may be a bit on the dark side, but I do like it more than the old banner. What do you think?

Next on the list is to design my new business cards! I'm attending the Haven conference for the second time later this year. I used most of my cards at the last conference.

If you're swinging by from the Haven page, Welcome!

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noreply@blogger.com (Robyn ~ Everyday a la Mode) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 02:15:00 +0000

A project that has been LONG on my to-do list has been our "Mudroom" makeover. Since I also love Batten and Board wall treatments, I thought it was the perfect place to make big change! I decided to install a faux batten and board wall treatment. Here's the reveal!

Our house doesn't have a real "mudroom". In the southern US, mudrooms are not as common as in the north. Being a born-and-bred Yankee, I have long missed having one. Our garage is directly off our main hall, so it's not a real mudroom. I wanted the space to feel bigger and be more useable.

I started with 1x6s for verticals and 1x3s for the hortizontals. The top level is also a 1x3.

I have wanted a more defined "mudroom" area since I moved into the house. I have considered batten-and-board projects eye candy for, well....forever! Unknown to the Mr, my dream-like vision (ah!) was I like I was waiting for the one day when he would say he thought the hall would look better with some hooks. My vision came true and that was all I needed! Hooks he wanted! Hooks he got! So, he was planning his next business trip and I was measuring! .... Ironic isn't it how that seems to happen. :)

I think it's a BIG difference between the before and after.

Read on for the project bits and details (and befores, durings, and more afters)!

<<< Click here to Read More! >>>

Thanks for reading! Enjoy More! Everyday a la Mode very soon!

In the meantime, here are some of my favorite Sun and spring-related photos! Say warm!

Tulip fields outside of Keukenhof Gardens, Netherlands

Key West, 2012

Jost Van Dyke, BVIs 2005

Key West, 2012

Fort Jefferson (south of Key West), 2012

BVIs 2005

Everyday a la Mode 2011

Fort Jefferson (south of Key West), 2012

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Happy New Years!

I hope your holiday season was wonderful!

To kick off 2013, I would like the share some of my favorite posts from Everyday a la Mode with you! Here they are in no special order! Enjoy the recap!

Fav Post # 1: How to do a self-portrait Boudoir photography shoot

A Bourdoir shoot can be very liberating! It is a great way to let your confidence and sexy show, especially if you don't believe you have either! Even if you don't think you are photogenic, it can turn out great and beautiful! A great photographer can bring that out in you!

My shoot was a bit more challenging than the usual shoot though. I wanted my husband's gift to be ..... well, me.....but also my photography skills. ....So, I did my own shoot!

Check out the original post and details in this link... How to do a self-portrait Boudoir photography shoot .

Fav Post # 2: Small Sized Laundry Make-Over

Making over our laundry room tripled the space in the room. I love how fresh it turned out!

Check out the original post and details in this original post here.

Fav Post # 3: Master Closet Reveal

Check out the original post and details in this original post and all of the detaiils here

Fav Post # 4: Wedding Photography

This was my first serious jump into Wedding Photography. It was a great time.

Check out the original post and details in this original post and more photos here.

Fav Post # 5: Travel & Photography Series ~ Key West, FL

Check out the original post for more photos from Key West and trip details here.

In 2013, you can expect to see on Everyday a la Mode.....more photography covering a variety of themes and more projects involving power tools ...Wo-Ho!

Have a great New Year!

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noreply@blogger.com (Robyn ~ Everyday a la Mode) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 03:48:00 +0000

This week , we are celebrating this season of Thanksgiving!

A couple of times a year, we try to have a small family outing. This fall, we tried to go camping. But since the end of soccer season and marching band season finished in November and the hurricane brought cold winds and rain to the east coast a couple of weeks ago, we (or just me....) were concerned about whiny, cold kids (and husbands). So we rescheduled to rent a cabin in the North Georgia mountains for a couple of days.


The view from the front porch of our rented cabin

The irony was that the weather was AMAZING! We probably could have gone camping.
Anyway, we had a great weekend making family memories. The cabin was VERY remote and we were WAY off the grid. (It took us several tries to get up the road to the cabin because the road is so rugged!) We made to the cabin though....after I remembered the VSA button on our Honda minivan that allows the tires to work sort of like a 4x4). The kids said they were more scared than when we went jeep off-roading in Sedona, AZ this past summer! Ahhh!

The weekend was full of "Norman Rockwell" moments like games that the family played together, hanging in the hot tub, hiking, and roasting marshmallows and making smores by the fire. I call them "Norman Rockwell" moments because of the iconic, "perfect moment" pictures that Norman Rockwell created. I TOTALLY LOVE those rare "Norman Rockwell" moments where we are able to create memories.

My son, channeling his Zen-Fire-Master skills to "challenge" the fire to back to life.

Thank you God for those moments!

Here's to the season of making memories that count! I am SO blessed to have special times with my family like this weekend! We love that we are creating lifetime memories for our kids. I thank God for those opportunities!

God bless you and your family! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I would love if you could share any of your "Norman Rockwell" moments that you've enjoyed with your family, please share them in the comment section!

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Thanks for reading! Enjoy More! First thing is first...Thank you!
Everyday a la Mode celebrates its first anniversary in a couple of days! Thank you for your interest and comments! I love seeing the countries of my guests on the Live Traffic Feed. It's amazing to share common interests and connect with people around the world! It really is a very small world!

It's been a fun year and Everyday a la Mode has evolved so much! I have posted a bit about everything. Topics started a bit all over the place, but I have noticed that I have focused on two of my biggest passions over the past twelve months.

Various styles of photography have been covered in Everyday a la Mode over the past year, ranging from landscape to travel, abstracts to portrait, boudoir to wedding, silly to inspirational (I hope)! I love the capturing and creating beauty through photography!   My other passion is organization! I never really thought about it at the time, but as a child, I loved to re-organize my closet and shelves. It was just very normal to me. I would move furniture around looking for balance in rooms. I wish that I had realized there are careers in the field of organization! It would be so awesome if my next chapter could be the fields of organization and photography! How sweet that would be!

My goal for Everyday a la Mode in the next twelve months is to continue to post about enjoying life more (please read my About Me, if you haven't had the chance yet). I love writing and sharing photos about what inspires me, so expect to see more photography, in various styles and techniques, and organizational topics.

Cheers to 2013 and more inspirations!

While we are on the topic of organization, on to today's post!

Finally! I have been wanting to update our pantry FOREVER!   I have a serious case of pantry-envy-itis. Surfing around on the web, there are amazing pantries! I wanted one too!   And, I needed another excuse to use power tools! :)     I finally took the plunge!

Here is the reveal if you like to read the end of the book before the engaging plot!....

Pantry ~ Before Makeover

Before Makeover

There is the old pantry that I started with.

The pantry is about 73 inches x 47 inches with one window and a swing-in door.

It had the old builder wire shelving. The shelves were starting to sag under the weight of the cans.

And, there just wasn't enough room! I needed to add on parts....like the hanging basket to hold small packets and hanging shelves at the bottom to hold lunch boxes. Bottles continued to fall over because of the wire.

Before Makeover

Before Makeover ~ The support bar for this shelf stopped the door from fully being opened.

During Makeover

I selected cabinet grade plywood for this project. It was very smooth and didn't require initial sanding and had very very few voids (I know noticed one total).

I had the pieces cut close to size at at the building supply store, so they would fit better into my car.

At home, I cut them to the exact sizes I needed and painted them Behr White with primer in semi-gloss.

Working outside was a challenge. We had AMAZING weather during the prior two weeks, but during this week of this project, we had heavy winds and cold weather. I kept plugging though on the project. I have been told more than once that I'm stubborn. I've decided that being stubborn must be one of the gifts that God gave me otherwise I wouldn't be so good at it. :)

To fit in the side shelf, I used a power baseboard cutter. The baseboard was a bit stubborn too, but the tool is very cool and the cut was very clean!

The top shelves are 16x47. The lower cabinet is 24x47.

The deeper lower cabinet allowed me to install Ikea's Komplement drawers. The Komplement drawers are designed to go with Ikea's cabinets that have pre-drilled holes. Since my cabinet didn't have pre-drilled holes, I needed to make measure and drill the holes to hold the slides.

The drawers were easy to install though. I just measured from the front (about 2.5 centimeters) and from the floor (about 3 inches). Pre-drill holes using the holes in the drawer slides as a guide. Then you can use the screws that come with the cabinet. For the top drawer, I measured the same distance (about 2.5 centimeters) from the front. Measure down from the top enough room to store what you want to store in the drawer. Pre-drill holes using the holes in the drawer slides as a guide. Again, use the screws that come with the cabinet.

Put the drawers into the slides as indicated in the directions that came with the drawers.


Details

This above pic shows extra details such as the baseboard around the center brace.

It also shows the trim I used on the end of the plywood. It is Screen molding. It worked perfectly! I used Liquid Nails to attach it with an occasional trim nail to hold it in place when it would slide.

Next, since the lower cabinet is 24 inches deep, I wanted to be able to use it as an extra serving space and wanted to be able to plug in things as needed. In fact, I'm now thinking this area may be a great coffee station!

So, using a hole cutter bit, I drilled a hole. Well, .....I tried to drill a hole. I have never used this type of hole cutter, so I just attached it to my drill. I tried to drill, but the bit kept sliding. No matter how hard I pushed down, it slid and ate up the top surface. ARG!

What did you say? You asked if I read the directions?.....Well, ...not at first.

I found out it needs a pilot bit. So, I drilled a hole using a 1/4 inch bit into the center of the circle. Then, I inserted the 1/4 inch bit in the center hole of the hole cutter (not shown). WOW! That was much easier! Hole was successful! I just needed to repair the damage from the slide.

Another thing I added under the hole area is a multi-plug. I had the wall outlet installed a couple of years ago when we hired an electrician for a separate project. I put the multi-plug in a wire basket that I had around the house and hung it from two cup hooks. The additional outlets are in easy reach from the hole (shown in the upper right). A wine refrigerator will be in this cubby, so no one will over see the basket. Ha!

Allow access to plug hole by hanging a multi-plug in a wire basket, hung it from two cup hooks.

Final Reveal and Details!
Before....

Before Makeover - Yuck!

And After....What a difference!

I labeled the baskets using chalkboard labels. They are attached to the baskets with brass fasteners (from the office supply section).

Trimmed in something called Stop. (I don't know what it is, but it finished off the edges nicely.)

The coffee station. There is a plug hole under the lazy susan. The lazy susan allows easy access to coffee supplies in the small corner.

This angle shows the corner shelves on the left. It also shows the baking pan and tray shelf at the top.


Shelves mounted in the corner utilize "dead" space over the trash can area. The bottom shelf has a 45 degree angle to avoid bumped heads while accessing the trash and recycling cans under the shelves.

"Dead" space behind the door is used for mops and shopping bag storage.

This view shows the drawers in more detail. I added a brace to stabilize the middle brace. A wine cooler is under located under the coffee station. I also store a folding footstool on top of the cooler. It was removed for the pic since it was not photogenic. :)

Summary
This project took about 2 1/2 days, including drying time for the paint and cost about $300 total, including the drawers, a couple of new baskets, and a couple of food storage containers. I used several organizers and baskets and the shelf brackets that I already had.

A much better price than if I had hired the project out! I also have the satisfaction of knowing I did it myself! And, well, it also fixed my craving for power tools for a little while! :)

List of Sources
Cabinet paint ~ Behr White with primer in semi-gloss (Home Depot)
Wall paint ~ Behr Pale Bamboo in satin (Home Depot)
Drawers - Ikea Komplement
Cabinet wood ~ Cabinet-grade plywood (Home Depot)
Trim on the cut side of the plywood ~ Screen molding (Home Depot)
Trim on top of lower cabinet and under shelves ~ Stop molding (Home Depot)
Chalkboard Labels ~ Martha Stewart collection (Staples)
Shelf brackets ~ They are about 7 years old, salvaged from old shelves I had before this house. I think they were from Lowes.

****Now for the blah-blah-blah..... I did not receive compensation in any way for this blog. I encourage you to read my full disclosure statement if you want the bits and details.

Do you have pantry-envy-itis like I do? What is your favorite organization tip for your pantry?

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Here is the final result!

Hall bathroom reveal

Part 1: Paint

The bad blogger in me didn't get a before picture. You aren't missing much though. The original bath was a blah builder paint. Then, about 6 months ago, I painted the walls.

The walls are rag rolled with three colors. Since there is no window in the room, I wanted to add a WOW of color and chose yellow and golds. It was a bit of challenge to get up to the 9 foot ceiling in such a small working space, but I think the result was worth it.

Before framed mirror. From the the bathtub angle.

Before framed mirror. While standing at the door.

Part 2: Framed Mirror

I completed part 2 over the past weekend. I have been a huge fan of framed mirrors for...well, forever! I have found it rather intimidating though, but I finally took the plunge.

I chose a chunky 4" window trim, measured (a few times), and mitered the corners. (I have a thing goin' on with my miter saw!)

Here is a side profile shot. I found it at Home Depot. I love the detail!

I taped the cut pieces to the mirror to check the fit. It looked great!

I followed up with a base coat of Behr Off White, then I used Liquid Nails to attach the pieces to the wall. There was no turning back at that point! ...At least not without a lot of work.

I taped the frame to the wall to hold it up while the Liquid Nails dried, but I found that the Liquid Nails dried quickly.

I was planning to wrap the frame in quarter round, but after looking at the initial frame, I didn't think it needed it. From the side view of the mirror (not photographed), you can not see the actual mirror. It looks like a normal gap behind a hanging mirror. I think the quarter round on a mirror this size would have been too chunky and the molding already had awesome detail. So, the quarter round will wait for a future project. :)

I used putty to fill in the gaps. I like the pink putty, so you can see when it dries.

It looked great, but.... I felt it was still missing something.

I was Googling and found The House of Smiths framed mirror post. She used Distress Ink to add a flare. Interesting! I had to try it.

I choose Distress Ink in Vintage Photo color.

I found it in the scrapbooking section of my local craft store.

I initially used the Distress Ink directly on the paint. I found a couple of problems with that. One was that it didn't look really vintage to me. It looked, well...fake. And second, it wouldn't dry. So, I smudged it with my finger.

Later that day, I emailed The House of Smiths. I thought I might have done something incorrectly, but she said she ended up doing the same thing. That made me feel like I didn't cheat. :)

After smugging Distress Ink

It looked much better after smudging, but I felt the color was still off. It was too flat. I wanted more variety, more age. So, I whipped out the acrylics. Using dark brown and reds, I was able to add a more realistic tone to the mirror.

In some places, I sanded down the paint. The sanding allowed the acrylics to be absorbed differently.

The result was a more "aged" wood!

More details from the bathroom reveal

Sticker hook used to hang rack in shower

We used to have a rack hanging from the shower head. It looked and felt cluttered. So, I hung a "sticker" hanger from the opposite side of the bathtub. Hanging the rack from the opposite side really opens the tub area for the bather.

I prefer the metal hangers. I have found that they are more difficult to find, but they feel better and are stronger than the plastic type.

New shower curtain and towels

With the light on

And...with the light off

Oops...I should have "staged" the trash can out of the last picture!

Sources

Shower curtain and matching towels ~ Target

Tissue box cover ~ Target

Mirror paint base coat ~ Behr Off White

Photos ~ My own :)

Wall paint .....I'm traveling as I write this, so I need to look this up when I'm home. Let me know if you are interested and I will update this post with those details.

I may add crown molding to the ceiling in the future, but other than that, I think I'm finally done!

It is a huge transformation and has that WOW that I was looking for!

Let me know what you think!

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Linking up here....

Mod Vintage Life

From My Front Porch to Yours
Miss Mustard Seed
Be Different Act Normal
Funky Junk Interiors

Thanks for reading! Enjoy More! Before repainting I was cleaning out our storage room last night and found old paint. I was putting kitty litter in the old cans and found one of the cans still looked in good shape. So, that must mean that a spontaneous project was destined to be!

Our old foyer was okay. It definitely wasn't bad, but I alway felt like something just wasn't done. It felt blah to me.

After repainting the door

So, when I found the paint that was used to repaint the outside of the house last year, it hit me that this was what I needed!

After repainting the door

I think the room looks more tied together now!.

I love that a quick fix of paint can solve lots of problems!

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I love how this one captures the movement, but my sister's son is so in the moment!

Needed some mommy time! It was a big day!

The happy couple running to their car after the reception.

...And now walking to their car after the reception.

Thank you to my sister and her husband for being cool with me posting these pics!
It was an awesome wedding! My favorite (second only to my own). ;)

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I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer! Mine has been crazy busy! ...Which is why I'm guilty of being bad at posting lately! (Sorry!) I have so much to catch up on....our vacation to northern Arizona (in the Sedona area), my sister's wedding, our deck project, kids at summer camps, work travel, attending the Haven conference (which I posted about here). Wow! I'm just now catching my breath!
But today, I'll start my catch-up with the reveal of my laundry room makeover!

Before Makeover

I love reading about awesome laundry room makeovers! I love the photos with the glitz and glam that some laundry rooms have with their beautiful windows and top of the line washer and dryer and cabinets. However, our laundry room is small and my budget was even smaller. My goal was to max out the space and add some style!

One thing that I love about our laundry room is that it is on the second floor with most of the bedrooms. The downside is that it is an internal room sans windows.

Before makeover

Here is a picture of the before. I do not have pictures of the original layout of the room that the builder set up (since I never imaged that I would have a blog six years ago).

The builder had one shelf above the washer and dryer and 3 short shelves right in front of the dryer (on the wall behind where I'm standing to take the photo, so you can't see that wall). I added the 3 long shelves that you see on the right after I moved in.

Adding the 3 long shelves on the right side added a lot more space than the original layout. This was a fast solution back then, but the space over the washer and dryer was still wasted and the hanging space (on the lower right side) was small and the clothes hung into the dirty clothes basket.

And, well, it was still a dark and dreary room. It needed help!

Dryer vent goo....before makeover (of course!)

To make matters worse, the dryer vent worked it's way out of the wall, so it was a very hot and dusty room.

I'm embarrassed to show this picture, but it is what it is. I vow to readers to not filter the Yuck and Fails when they occur. You can see the dryer lint clinging to the wall here. That goo was all over the wall around the dryer too!

So, I removed all but one track hanger, gave the room an overdue deep cleaning, patched holes, changed out the blah builder light, and gave the room a well deserved fresh coat of paint.

I didn't want to move the washer and dryer into the hall since I was worried it would tear up the hall carpet. So, I worked around the units. Sliding them towards the door, I was able to crawl to the back of the dryer and repair the broken vent.

To repair the vent, I used metal ductwork tape. It's able to withstand the heat in the vent (according to my local home improvement store go-to guy).

After Makeover

Here is the final reveal! It's a difficult room to photograph since it is so small.

I stayed with wire shelving for a few reasons. I felt it gave me the flexibility to change the room as needed (I do things like that sometimes). It keeps the room light. And, well, it worked well with the budget. Since I already had the 3 shelves on the right side and those brackets, I only needed to add the remaining shelves and hanging rods.

I also kept the original vinyl flooring. Since I couldn't move the washer and dryer out of the room, the floor update will need to wait until the washer and dryer can be replaced. Hopefully, that will not need to happen for a long time!

This design raised the height of the hanging space. Now, the clothes no longer hang into the dirty clothes basket.
Each of the kids has their own basket. Our basket is large since it also holds the fresh towels for the master bath.
I added additional hanging space to hold unused hangers (on the left side). It allows the long hanging space on the right side to hold more clothes.

List of sources

Paint in Closet ~ Behr Beachwalk (Left over from my Master Closet Redo that was posted here.
Vintage-style light with an Edison bulb ~ Lowes (Same as I used in my Master Closet)
Black and tan rug ~ Target
Baskets ~ Sources unknown. They were left over from the prior design.
Rabbit and plants~ Source unknown. They are old and were in my storage, so I moved them into the room to add freshness.
Red framed art ~ I made this. I just printed a definition (of "laundry" in this case) and framed it an old frame that I already had.
Black and tan tray over the washer ~ Homegoods

Left on the to-do list for the room
I still need to replace the placemat on the dryer. The color is totally wrong. I'm still on the lookout for a replacement in the black/tan tones to coordinate with the rug and the tray.

I also want to reprint the framed art or replace it, since red accents are not the focus of the room anymore.

It is a small room, but I think I squeezed every bit of size it had to offer! The room looks and feels larger!

The paint color and details adds the freshness I wanted.

For such a small laundry room, it's now finally living to its potential!

Do you have a small room that you madeover so it could pack-a-punch! Please share your project!

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Funky Junk Interiors Tatertots and Jello

Five days five ways Mod Vintage Life

Miss Mustard Seed Be Different Act Normal
Thrifty Decor Chick

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Today is another segment of what I call "The View from my Window" , where I'll ramble on about something off topic. I'll add cool pictures and will call it a post. Enjoy!...

Today, I'd like to share with you what I guess you can call our Love Story. It comes in two parts....

Part 1: When I Knew my Man was a Keeper
Getting back into the dating world is tough. Anyone who has jumped back into the ring after a long time will agree (or they were just really lucky!)   How I met my husband (well, before he was my husband) was uneventful. We met while I picking up a take-out order at a local restaurant. We small-talked for a bit and things moved on from there.

We had our challenges dating. He had two children at home and a new job. I had 3 young children at home and was traveling heavily. Blended-family relationships are very unique and require lots of patience! We talked on the phone more than we saw each other. Well, after dating a few months, I received an award trip from my company. I had never been to Savannah, so we used the award and took off for a weekend away. It was a big step, our first weekend away together!   We went sightseeing; I worked on my photography; did the normal touristy things and, of course, worked on getting to know each other more.

Savannah, GA 2007

Not to digress, but I need to fill in a bit of my background. I should first explain that I have a bit of a germ-phobia......well, some people may say "a bit" is putting it mildly. No! I do not do a Michael Jackson and wear a mask or bring my own silverware like Jack Nickolson in As Good As Gets! (Awesome movie, by the way!) I just take the necessary steps to not get sick. I used to get sick after every business trip! I felt miserable after every trip for a couple of weeks. So now, when I travel, I wipe hotel rooms down with disinfectant wipes. On planes, I wipe everything down that I'm going to touch. There are always baby wipes in my car. I totally love that some grocery stores now have the disinfectant wipes for the grocery carts! Those carts are just giant petri dishes! I wash my hands ...well, I don't even know how many times in one day. (There's more but I'll spare those details since my clean-freakishness is not what this post is about, but you get the point. ) The main point is my habits work and I rarely get sick, so it is what it is.

The other bit about me is that I'm very animated when I talk. I always say if I sat on my hands, I'd be mute.

Anyways, back to our story in Savannah. Being our first trip away, my man was just finding out how far my clean habit thing went. (He's still figuring it out since there are exceptions to my rules and it varies.) We were on an elevator chatting away. I'm holding my water bottle and my hands are flying because I'm talking ....and I drop my bottle cap. Crap! I'm thinking I can't use that cap now! Well, you know what! Within two seconds time, my man looks at me, looks down at the cap, and picks it up. He takes his cap from his water and trades! I just looked up at him with my big doe eyes and said thank you. But what I was really thinking was that he just may be a Keeper!

Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, GA 2007

Part 2: Why I Love Big Pickles
What is it about big pickles that makes me love them so! I smile every time I see a big jar of pickles in a deli. Maybe it's because I was eating a big pickle when my husband first told me that he loved me!

We had been dating about 6 months. My man and I both needed to be in Europe for business during the same two-week time frame. (Yes, we have been very blessed with our jobs to see amazing places!) We were never in Europe at the same time before. To make it even better, the timing was awesome! He needed to be in Munich for a conference. So, I connected into Munich and we met up during Oktoberfest week! Sweet! It's tough to beat Oktoberfest in Munich!

One night, we were at an hofbräuhaus eating dinner.
"Yes", he said out of nowhere.
"What?", as I took another big bite of my big pickle that was wrapped in a paper towel.
"Yes, I love you." , he finished.
"I love you too!", I said surprised with pickle still in my mouth...... I waited to kiss him until after I swallowed the pickle though. Am I not a catch or what?! ;)

Good timing for Oktoberfest since I don't usually walk around eating big pickles!

That next Christmas, I gave him a Christmas tree ornament of a glass pickle. It now hangs from our tree every year.

Today is our third anniversary! Happy Anniversary, babe!
...And yes, I know I need to find a better title for you than "my man", I'm still brainstorming on that. ;)

....And now, more pretty pictures from that trip in Munich....but read on...


A hofbräuhaus during Oktoberfest, Munich 2007

Neuschwanstein, 2007

After re-reading this post, I probably should have titled this post "Robyn's Enduring Qualities", but I thought that would be too...hum...anyway.... Thank you for walking down memory lane with me! I hope you enjoyed a good laugh!

Do you have a love story you would like to share? Feel free to share it in the comment section or link up to your blog if you have written about it.

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Thanks for reading! Enjoy More! Young House Love. They have great chemistry and were a riot! I love the story about how their business evolved!

Welcome session - Young House Love

After debating with myself on which sessions to attend....and yes, it is sometimes a full out loud debate :)... I finally decided on

I love Big Blogs
Advanced Painting (with Miss Mustard Seed)
Blogging PR
Hobby to Business
I love Thrifting (with Mr Goodwill Hunting from the Nate Berkus Show)
Photography / Photo Styling (with Kevin and Layla from The Lettered Cottage)

Here are photos from some of the sessions......


I Love Thrifting with Mr Goodwill Hunting

Annie Sloan booth

I so need to try Annie Sloan's Chalkpaint! I'm thinking my son's dresser will be my ~~first victim~~ , I mean trash-to-treasure opportunity.

Annie Sloan booth

Photography / Photo Styling with The Lettered Cottage

Rustoleum had a great cocktail party on Thursday night. Great appetizers, beverages, and jazz music!

Jazz music played at the Rustoleum sponsored party

The icing on the cake was that I won the drawing for the grand prize pack from Ryobi! WOW! Gotta have more awesome power tools! They are going to ship them, so they should be here next week!

Yeah! It reminds me of the picture of me wearing my tool belt with my wine when we were giving our Master Closet a new life!

The whole conference was great! From what I could see, it ran smooth and bump-free.
Hopefully, they will plan Haven 2013 for next year!

Now, I'm going through business cards of the people I met and checking out their blogs and their social media. I'm half way through the stack....

If you were at Haven and are swinging by, THANK YOU! What was your favorite part of the conference? Please answer in the comment section.

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Thanks for reading! Enjoy More! Hanging' at the Haven conference this week! Haven is a DIYer's / Blogger's dream! It's about connecting and sharing with others in the web community.

I found out about the Haven conference almost 6 months ago, when Everyday a la Mode was only a wee 3 months old. What caught my eye was sessions with titles like ...
..."Hobby to Business"
..."I Like Big Blogs: Tips on Growing your Blog"
..."Blogging PR"

Even though Everyday a la Mode was so young, I decided that registering for this conference was a goal to strive for to see if this is an interest that would stick. These sessions matched the goal in mind of turning my hobby into my next chapter (for more on why I started this blog, look here.)

Of course, what sealed the deal was sessions covering....
...Photography / Photo Styling
...Carpentry
...Advanced painting
...Power tools

GASP! Remember the photo with me wearing my tool belt with my wine! I couldn't pass this conference up!

So, here I am, on check-in night! I have met so many great people with similar interests and the passion to be creative and be inspired!

And, I'm so glad I had my business cards ready to go. They have been a good representation of my work!

Haven covers two days and has more sessions than there is time to take. So, I have my session list prioritized and I'm ready to go! Hopefully, I'll grab a seat in my first choices before the sessions fill up!

Cheers to a fun week full of great networking, being inspired, and new friends!

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Thanks for reading! Enjoy More! My Business Cards are Here!

My business cards came in the mail yesterday and they are awesome!

I'm attending the Haven conference in Atlanta at the end of June and business cards are a definite for networking.

These business cards are from Moo. I love that they offer the option to put different photos on the back of cards, which is perfect since these are for photography. I picked a variety of my fav photos that I felt gave a good representation of my work. The card stock is thick too and feels great!

****Now for the blah-blah-blah..... I did not receive compensation in any way for this blog.
I encourage you to read my full disclosure statement if you want the bits and details.

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Like the idea? I would be honored for you to link back to this post! I did a boudoir shoot for my husband's birthday! For those of you who have done a shoot like this, I think you'll agree that it is very liberating! It is a great way to let your confidence and sexy show, especially if you don't believe you have either! Even if you don't think you are photogenic, it can turn out great and beautiful! A great photographer can bring that out in you!

My shoot was a bit more challenging than the usual shoot though. I wanted my husband's gift to be ..... well, me.....but also my photography skills. ....So, I did my own shoot!

For obvious reasons, I limited the photos that I put in this post. I had trouble deciding which photos to include. I decided to error on the conservative side and keep my panties and other bits off the internet. So, there is one photo. I think these give a good representation of how PG shots can be fun and sexy (The rest of the photos are reserved for the hubby! ;)

Logistics

The overall project took place over 5 months in about 6 separate shoots! Each shoot included multiple clothing and set changes. I used a tripod and remote for each shoot, using my ol' Nikon D40 with an external shoe-mount flash. I also used additional lighting (like turning on every light in the room since I do not have real lighting). It helped though to do each shoot during the day to maximize the natural light.

The biggest challenge was of course controlling the focus....how to focus on someone who isn't in position yet! One way I did this was to focus on an object like detailed pillow if I was going to be sitting or on a broom pole that I leaned against the wall when I was going to stand. I set the lens on manual focus and focused on the object. Then, I would move the object and get into position. It also helped to position a tall leaning mirror behind the tripod so I could adjust my pose as needed.

What a fly on the wall would have seen...

During those shoots, the fly on the wall would see me changing poses several times, several different expressions, different angles, and several clicks. Then, me crawling back the camera to check if the focus was still good, if I was lined up with background well, if my feet or head or hands were in frame correctly, etc. I would make adjustments to the camera or adjust the lighting, then I would crawl back to do it again. And repeat A LOT of times! It's a long process!

After each shoot, I would review the photos, deleting the "yuck" (and there were many!) and ranking the remaining. The group I found to be the best were processed in Photoshop to correct exposure settings, sharpen, and to make color tone adjustments such as black and white or to enhance colors.

Patience is a virtue!

As you may be learning about me, I tend to be a perfectionist. The overall project took place over 5 months in about 6 separate shoots. Over 2000 photos were taken, only 19 made it to the final group. There were multiple clothing changes and set changes.

This project took so long for a few reasons. At first, I was not fully comfortable with the idea of the shoot. I was thinking what if someone found these photos and what if they looked unprofessional and what if my husband thinks.....etc, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah, excuses, excuses, excuses...

Photos from the first two shoots never made it to the final set, but those shoots were definitely not a waste! They were great for my learning curve with the focus and lighting challenges and helped me to relax and have fun! When a woman gets a boudoir shoot done by a hired photographer, a good photographer will be encouraging and give good energy and direction. While doing your own shoot gives you the control and privacy you may want, you need bring the positive energy, creativity, and direction yourself or it won't be there and that gap will show in the project!

Another reason the project took so long was life gets in the way. I scheduled the shoots when the family would be gone. At one point, I thought I was done with the album, but my husband's birthday was not for another month. I was excited to give him his gift and see his reaction, so asked him if we could celebrate his birthday early. Seriously! He said no, his birthday is May. So, May it is! The voice talking in my head was thinking, "Seriously?! ....Oh, wait, ....it is HIS birthday.....hum...". So I was patient and waited. The extra time gave me more time to over-analyze the work. I found myself saying "This could be better....this should be from a different angle.... Oh! What about this composition instead?!". While I was overcritical, having the delay was actually a good thing! Some of my favorite photos ended up being from that last shoot! I love how playful it came out!

The Gift - Mission Success!

We had to go out of town unexpectedly over my husband's birthday weekend. The situation was not what I had planned, so I had to improvise to make it the best. Weirdly enough, I gave him his gift at a bar since it was the first time that day we were alone. I tried to get a seat at the end of the bar, but the seats were taken. So, while we were seated in the middle of the bar, he opened the present. He had a big smile and was very surprised! I had to remind him to keep the album low so we didn't show the whole bar! :) He loved it! He even said he wanted to show some close friends of ours! That is the most awesome compliment he could give me, as a photographer and as a woman!

Pointers for Do-It-Yourselfers

If you plan to do a DIY boudoir shoot...

Research professional boudoir photography websites. There are some awesome ones out there! You can get great ideas on posing and lighting and composition. Let these ideas trigger some of your own ideas to make it more personal.
Talk with supportive friends. They may have great inspirations to share and may be able to give you encouragement. Awesome energy helps this project to be successful!
Use a tripod and remote! This will greatly simplify the shoot.
Attention to the camera focus can not be stressed enough. Place an object were you are going to be and use manual focus. Then, get into position as close as possible to that were that object was.
Use as much natural light as possible. It will help you to keep the colors true.
Use props and/or costumes and different locations! Have fun with the shoot! One of my shoots consisted of a sexy shoes, thigh high stockings, a Fedora, and a man's suit jacket and a tie. It was a fun, playful shoot and was my favorite! As for different locations, I shot all over my house. I also picked up a roll of paper from a local craft store and used it to create a backdrop. When I was in editing, I used the Photoshop patch tool to remove the seams in the paper. After editing, it looks like a solid backdrop!
Shots do not need to be rated R. PG or PG13 shots can be sexy and fun and classy! I think my results came out upscale, sexy, classy, artistic, yet still fun.
Pay attention to the details. Notice how your hands are placed. Do you have a better side of your face or body? Use it to your advantage and position the shoot to focus on that angle.
Reduce attention to what you prefer to hide. If you have things you prefer to hide (and what women doesn't after having kids!), pose to hide those things. For example, creative placement of a man's jacket or a shawl or a towel can be a great accent in the photo, but can hide a lot!
Smile, don't smile. Smile sometimes, then for other shots, do a sultry look (practice in a mirror). Sometimes, look to the side or look up and smile. Vary your expression.
Do several shots in sequence, then check those shots in the camera. Are you framed in the shot as you planned? Or is only half of your head in the shot? Is your hand cut out of the shot? Notice what adjustments are needed so you can fix them when you get back in position.
Shoot in raw, if your camera can. It will give you more flexibility in editing.
Edit to enhance the photo. It may be sharpen or soften or converting to black and white or enhancing colors. You are the artist, so bring out the best of the photo! If you use PhotoShop, there are websites that have free actions to process edits. They are awesome! Check them out!
Print on a high quality printer using high quality paper. I have one so I didn't need to worry about privacy issues.
Put your photos in an nice album. I found a good one at a scrapbooking store. I preferred white pages since they do not distract from the photos. I tried black pages, but I personally didn't like the tone of the black when the photo was placed on it. To me, it reduced the quality of the photo. In my opinion, the white page keeps the quality of the print high.
Be Confident! Confidence makes a much better photo!
Most importantly, relax and have fun! When you relax, you'll find the results are better! Enjoy the fun of the shoot! Enjoy and celebrate your sensuality and being a woman! Women are beautiful and powerful! Celebrate it!

One of my reasons for starting this blog was for me to experiment and grow. This project was definitely part of this process!

Have you had a boudoir shoot done either a DIY or professionally? I would like to hear more about your experience! Please share your thoughts in the comments section!

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Thanks for reading! Enjoy More! Today is another segment of what I call "The View from my Window" , where I'll ramble on about something off topic. I'll add cool pictures and will call it a post. Enjoy!...

I have not been very motivated to write lately. But, the budding leaves and blossoms and freshness in the air this time of year makes me think about things that I love and that inspire me.
Here are some of my favs......

1) Photography (duh!)
I love trying to tell a story with a photo and it feels awesome when I succeed! I also love to find "art" in normal things.

2) Hot conversations
Be it about politics, current events, or relationships, a good debate is fun....of course, when each person agrees to walk away unscathed.

3) Confidence with one's sensuality
Enjoy it while you've got it! And, while on the topic, lingerie and high heels! Too wonderful for only special occasions!

4) Confidence in a Man
is so sexy!

5) Organization!
The Container Store is one of my favorite places. I'm an organizational freak! My lists have lists. I'm obsessed with magazine perfect closets, pantrys, and laundry rooms!

We finished our master close re-do this winter. (The post is here, if you missed it.)

Overhauling the pantry is next on the list! It's still in the design phase, but I am so looking forward to it!

6) Vacations

Traveling to awesome places with my husband!

I love the amazing feeling of sand between my toes, warm and comforting!

Drinks by the sea shore, waves rolling in the night.... Ahhh...

Camping in the mountains, getting everything back to the basics. No phones, tvs, nothing.

....Life is good.

7) Food!
I am a self-proclaimed Foodie!

Spicy hot food! The spicier the better! (Supremely Spicy Hummus is awesome!)
Sushi (only the cooked kind)
The perfectly cooked steak, medium-rare
The perfect margarita made with Patrón! O-o-o! Enough said!

8) Music
I can't live without music! Classic rock, blue, country, or jazz music. My workout playlist has Beastie Boys, Pink, Heart, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, and Jason Aldean, (and the theme to Rocky...but maybe I should have kept that to myself).....a bit of everything. Songs that inspire and energize me!

O-o-o! And I love Nina Simone! She's on my winddown playlist. I love listening to her when I travel and when I need to relax. Here are a couple of classics from Nina Simone. These are two of my favs from her work. If not you are familiar with her work, I hope you will check it out. More of her work can be found on YouTube. She has a great passion and deep soul in her singing. She's amazing!

Updated July 25, 2012......There are links available on YouTube to the full versions of these songs. I removed those links from this post since I wasn't sure if I was in violation of the copyrights. Playing it safe, here are short previews of these amazing songs that are available for purchase on iTunes. (That's where I bought mine from, but they may be available from other sources.) These previews are a good representation of her gifted voice.

Here's a preview of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good"

Here's a preview of Nina Simone's "I Want Some Sugar in my Bowl"

These are just a few of my favorite things. It's a fun list to make and is always a good mood-picker-up-er!
What are some of your favs that inspire you?

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I am happy to announce we have our first Guest Post here at Everyday a la Mode today!

I would like to welcome Melanie, a contributor on the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog! Her post encompasses the idea and importance of inspiration and self-motivation, as well as how goals and positivity go hand in hand on an individual’s path to healing and quality of life!

Take it away Melanie!....

Journaling to Improve Quality of Life

Embracing life's challenges enables us to enjoy, appreciate, learn from and conquer the experiences that shape us as meaningful persons. Taking the time to process life through journaling or blogging enriches our lives, making us deeper, more thoughtful people.

Words Help to Heal Through Journaling

People of all life stages and with any prognosis including mesothelioma, autoimmune disorders, emotional disabilities and physical disabilities such as fibromyalgia benefit from the time and efforts of putting thoughts, feelings and emotions down on paper. Seeing one’s own words in writing has a deep, inner healing affect. The ability to characterize one’s experience in the form of words transforms that experience into a meaningful source of encouragement for self, family and friends.

Journaling daily or weekly provides focus to our experience unlike any other exercise. When we journal we uncover our ambitions, sense our desires and create a context within which to examine life goals. Journaling motivates us to discover the realities around us.

Blogging Creates a Healing and Motivating Community

Sharing words over the Internet in the form of blogging has a similar affect and a potentially more powerful impact on both the individual and society as a whole. A sense of community often times develops with other bloggers in a similar life situation.

Blogging brings people together to share their experiences with each other. The author or blogger creates a post that others read and share, leaving comments that help to shape the original post for the benefit of others. Blog posts can vary in length from a few paragraphs to a few pages. The flexibility of blogging allows the writer to easily share his or her experiences with others who understand.

Writing Activates Ambition

Writing through journaling and blogging activates our life’s ambitions by allowing us to explore the deep recesses of our hearts and minds as individuals and within a community. This proactive form of processing and communication gives meaning and purpose to life.

Imagine creating a bucket list of things to do in the coming weeks, months and years. Writing through blogging and journaling, sharing your thoughts and reading the thoughts of others on similar blogs generates ideas, hopes and aspirations to be accomplished in the future.

Resources for Journaling

A number of resources for journaling exist on the Internet including:

JournalingTools.com
Journaling Arts

Resources for Blogging

Blogspot www.blogger.com
Tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/
Wordpress

The more we journal and blog the more reminders we have of past experiences and future aspirations that promote emotional and physical health. What is the best thing about journals and blogs? Everyone can do it.

Thanks again to Melanie for joining Everyday a la Mode today! Awesome the post! I have been journaling for years on paper. However, I love the journaling aspect of my blog as it connects with people with around the world who have common interests! For more information and for more articles from Melanie, please check out Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog.

Thanks for reading! Enjoy More! 2008 Bordeaux, France

2008 Saint Emillion, France

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This post is linked here!.....

Weekly Top Shot in "The View From Right There"

Thanks for reading! Enjoy More! Today, I'm guest blogging for Laura over at JourneyChic! Laura has a wonderful blog that is filled with great ideas on decor, design, fashion, and more! Ideas that fit real lives and real budgets.

I'll be sharing ideas that I hope will inspire others on how to turn your own photography into art in your home. Please swing by JourneyChic for these ideas and to check out other great inspirations!

[Click Here to Read More!...]

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Thanks for reading! Enjoy More! linked here). )

The ice crystals formed unique groupings with curls and waves. I sat in my cold car and took pictures, not wanting to turn the car on. I didn't want the heater to melt the ice too quickly.

I love being amazed by simple everyday things and by awesome works of nature!

This photo shows the beautiful curls and branches in the crystals.

The next shots is me having fun with Photoshop using the same photo.

The first one looks part of a medical documentary, but it is so cool looking!

This is post processing allows the spaces to be appreciated in more detail.

I'll quote a website (Live in Pictures) that I found today....
"Don't you just love all those little daily messages in the everyday things?"

True for her and me as well!
I seek daily surprises out there!

And I feel like a little kid at Christmas every time when I find them!

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Thanks for reading! Enjoy More!
My next challenge is to figure out how to take this passion for photography to the next level! A scary thought! It's also a very daunting thought since I still need to keep the day job in balance.

Have you made a transition that seemed impossible to you? I would love to know your thought on it!

Here is one of my latest portraits from a recent shoot. I think it came out very dream-like and peaceful. As the viewer, what questions come to you as you see the photo? Do you see a storyline?

By just rotating the photo, your prospective changes. Now, it looks to me as if she's falling, drowning, sinking. As if she's peacefully given up.....

Yeah, that is a bit of a downer view of the photo. I just think it's interesting how a small change can change the story you are telling.

What story do you see?

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This post is linked here.....

Weekly Top Shot in "The View From Right There"
Costin Comba Photography - Life in Pictures 33

MCP Actions Project 12

.....In the MCP March Challenges:
Challenge #1: Take a picture from a high vantage point, from above your subject
Challenge #3: Express the following word in a photo: Transition
A Rural Journal - Your Sunday Best #7
Life with My 3 BoyBarians - Project 52 Phot Challenge - Week 10 - Theme "Be Still"

Read on! Click below for the details on customize your bookends or magazine holders!....

<<< Click here to Read More! >>>

Hey! Our Master Closet is featured over at Remodelaholic! They have republished the content from my original post. Check it out their site for the post and more great ideas!

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Day 8
I was in Florida this weekend when the arctic cold front came through. While it was not the weather I was hoping for, we were surprised to wake to awesome lighting and icicles! Here are some of the photos from the weekend....

It turned out to be a fun day. My daughter took some shots with me. My two boys waited patiently in the cold by the curb and rolled their eyes at me while I climbed over the bushes and under the fountain for these shots.

I love finding the unexpected!

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This post is linked here!....

The View From Right Here!

Everyday a la Mode {DIY, photography, organizing, and more}

Guest Post by Eva Stephen: Home Makeover Inspired by Summer

Part 1: Paint

Part 2: Framed Mirror

More details from the bathroom reveal

Sources

Logistics

What a fly on the wall would have seen...

Patience is a virtue!

The Gift - Mission Success!

Pointers for Do-It-Yourselfers