HLL Interiors

2025 Recap

2026-01-07T16:22:00.000-06:00

What a year it was! We saw unprecedented growth, took on new challenges, and had fun along the way! Here are a few spaces worth sharing.

Mood boards

Renderings - Designs completed or in process

Before and After

Castle Hills Whole house remodel

Prestonwood Remodel

More designs that are in process…it was the year of green and blue!

I am looking forward to a great 2026. I’ll try and keep things better updated this year!

Remote control curtain hack

2021-08-25T07:43:00.002-05:00

A wall of windows sounds perfect, right? Well it almost is. That many windows brings an extra set of problems with light and privacy control. Operating anything (blinds, roller shades, or curtains) times 6 is a labor of love when you are just ready to climb into your jammies!
To solve this problem at the lake house, we decided a curtain track was the best solution. The Ikea VIDGA system is such an easy and affordable way to mount floor to ceiling curtains. The track installs on the ceiling. We also did the curved attachment piece so that we could have one continuous track. You can see all of the details on the saved story in IG

The HILJA curtains were perfect for this project. They are light filtering and the perfect cream linen shade. At only $13 per pair, the price was perfect too. I used 3 pairs to cover all 6 windows. The curtains mount to the track with clips. IKEA curtains have the special tape on the back to attach the clips to. I clipped the panels together as a temporary solution. It works great, but I have plans to sew them all for a more permanent solution.

The real star of the show is the Switch Bot curtains robots. They mount inside the first curtain clip and walk the curtains across the room with a push of a button or with an app. You can program them where to start and stop, so that the two sides come together and open perfectly. Such cool tech, I feel so spoiled! You can see them in action in my saved highlight on IG.

Guest Room with two Queen Beds

2021-08-20T09:06:00.005-05:00

The guest room at the lake house is large enough for two queen beds. Two beds is not always a practical solution, but in a home intended for lots of guests, it is ideal!
Let’s talk about this project and all of it’s details. Here is where we started. Yucky carpet and mustard walls.

First step was removing all of the old carpet and replacing it with LVP flooring. We went with LL floors Loire Valley Oak through out the whole house.

Next step was to update the windows. I used my tried and true technique of black spray paint and electrical tape to give them a totally fresh look. Side note on this…I don’t believe painted windows to be a long term solution. We are planning to do an addition on this lake house in a few years. When that happens, all of the windows will get replaced so they are the same throughout. I love the tape and paint as a short term solution though. It really adds a lot of character!

Now onto the walls. The top 1/3 got painted in SW Alabaster White. On the bottom 2/3’s, we did a board and batten treatment. We used particle board and 1x3 pine pre-primed boards. You don’t have to use the particle board, but your walls should be very flat with minimal to no texture before you add the battens. We chose to only place a batten on each particle board seam, so a 40” spacing. The wide distance helps the room not feel too cluttered. The board and batten is painted in BM Revere Pewter, 50% darker. It is such a lovely warm mushroom color. I used Ace Hardware enamel paint and Floetrol to create a perfectly smooth finish.

Last item on the construction phase was installing an antique door. We found 4 of these at the lake house and have used them as barn doors on the bunk room, on our primary bedroom, and the final one goes on the guest room. I love them so much! I painted the door and all of the trim in Revere Pewter as well and love the tone on tone effect.

Now let’s talk furniture in the space. The two storage pieces are vintage finds, so I can’t link those. The beds, bedding, and basically everything else can be found in some version on Amazon. See the Amazon shop link . The amazon shop shows most of the actual items used except for the fawn pillows which were from an Etsy shop and the wooden benches from Hobby Lobby.
The rug was a Lowe’s find. I highly recommend the real version just because it is SO soft.Guest Room Rug

I would love to hear what you think of the space and answer any questions you may have! Thanks for being here.

How to style a Turkish Mini Rug

2021-03-02T09:25:00.004-06:00

Turkish mini rugs are all the rage lately! So are you wondering how you could incorporate one into your home? Let's look at some options!
There are so many great ways to do it. You can put them in a bathroom they are the perfect size for a small 30 inch vanity.

Here is how I styled one in my half bathroom.

@redfernhome

You can frame them and hang them on the wall too. I framed a pair in my bedroom and I love them! You can also just hang them on the wall using like a picture hanger.

@velvetandloomshop

Here is how I styled them in my bedroom. I have pair on either side a bay window. You can often find pairs of them that are very similar. Just search "mini rug pair" on Etsy. Mine are framed in shadow boxes. A regular frame would work. Like the one below.

@velvetandloomshop

You can also just place them on the floor in front of a bed and they add a nice pop of color. Or use them as door mats. These rugs range from 2 x 3 to 3 x 4 size and they come in a variety of colors and patterns. Most are vintage from Turkey. Feels like owning a little piece of history.
Have you decorated with turkish mini rugs? Tell me how you styled yours!

Rustic Modern Kitchen

2021-01-06T09:38:00.002-06:00

The One Room Challenge for Fall 2020 is complete. It is such a fun, crazy, collaborative event put on by Better Homes and Gardens. I decided to participate when we put a contract down on a fixer up lake house in East Texas. What a crazy idea!!!
Our closing was a month delayed, which just left a precious 3 weeks to get the kitchen done. One saving grace is that we almost all of the work ourselves. Waiting for trades can really slow a project down! Let's start with a before picture of this space!
We planned to convert the dining room into the kitchen. This space has great lake views and cool beams that set the design into motion. It has a long way to go to be a kitchen though!

Here is the current kitchen. A cramped little room at the back of the house. It should be serving as mudroom, laundry, pantry, kitchen, and it has zero character. Moving it made such a difference!

Now let's take a look at the design plan. We knew that based on the layout, upper cabinets were out of the question. We decided to incorporate floating shelves to serve as storage and leave the window as open as possible. We also planned on a vintage style fridge to eliminate the need for an upper fridge cabinet that would have run into the beams.

Now let's talk through the materials....

Cabinets:

We used Ikea Cabinets for the boxes and their black/brown door fronts. We even purchased the dishwasher and cover panel from Ikea. The process was so easy and everything arrived so fast. That was such a good surprise!

Hardware:

The cabinet hardware if copper pipes cut down to 7". We placed a copper cap on each one and mounted them to the drawers using bell clamps. They came out to less than $3 per pull and make such a statement!

Counter tops:

We used birch butcher block from Home Depot. For our 9' of cabinetry we used to 5' pieces so that we would have a seam behind the sink. We sealed the counter tops with dark tung oil.

Sink:

We used the Ikea Farm House sink and have been so happy with it. It is perfect for the space, good quality and a great price!

Faucet:

The faucet was an Amazon find and it is also great quality for the price.

Refrigerator:

We purchased this refrigerator from Amazon. It is a smaller fridge, but worked great in this space. I did not want to do a full height refrigerator because it would have felt unfinished without an upper cabinet. Space and beams did not allow for that. I gave it an upgrade by painting the chrome with black chalk paint and finishing with gilding wax.

Floating Shelves:

The shelves were a kit from Amazon. We ordered two sets to space out over the 3 windows. The shelves are 8' select pine boards that were stained in Early American MinWax and given 2 coats of poly.

The runner:

The runner was also an Amazon purchase and I am in love with how it looks in the space. It from the Loloi collaboration with Chris Loves Julia.

Sconces:

Another Amazon find! The pack of 3 was too good a price to pass up. To make it more copper I used the gilding paste again.

Accessorries:

The plates and mugs are from Dollar Tree! Can you believe it! They are my absolute favorites for shelf staging and also hold up really well to everyday use. Most of the other items are thrifted. Copper is having a moment and I was so excited to score some good vintage pieces that we not crazy expensive!

You can find all of the Amazon items in my Amazon Storefront. Did I leave out any details you were curious about?

And if you can't get enough kitchen before and afters...check out this gorgeous one from The Brain and The Brawn. It is so good!

One Room Challenge Week 4

2020-05-28T13:07:00.007-05:00

It is week 4 of the One Room Challenge presented by Better Homes and Gardens. This week is probably going to be my favorite. Today we are talking about the wallpaper. It is colorful, bold, geometric, and the number one item in my bag of tricks to #savethetravertine!

The first step in wallpaper installation is to prep the wall. Wallpaper does not do well or look good on textured walls. Instead of floating the wall with joint compound, I chose to sand down the texture with an orbital sander. This could be a dusty endeavor, but I used our dust collection system and it was a non dusty breeze! Especially when you watch it via timelapse!

Here is the cast of characters. I ordered the wallpaper kit from Amazon it was worked wonderfully. This paper works with rolling glue onto the paper or onto the wall. I chose the wall to minimize damage to the paper.

My process was to paste the wall with the brush, put up the strip of paper, smooth with the blade tool. Really press it into the edges along the ceiling and cabinet. Then I used the razor blade to trim the excess paper off. The blade tool helps here to keep the razor blade straight. Repeat the process making sure the repeat lines up perfectly on each piece. The seam roller will help make sure you get a tight seal between pieces. Trimming around switch plates and lights can be tricky. I handle it by just cutting small pieces away and smoothing until I get a tight cut around the plate. You can always cut more paper, but if you take away too much, you can't fix that.

Here is another satisfying timelapse!

The paper went up without a hitch and adds so much character to the bathroom. It also makes the travertine and glass sinks seem like part of the plan instead of dates elements of an old bathroom.

Raise your hand if you love bold wallpaper as much as do!

One Room Challenge Week 3

2020-05-20T13:25:00.002-05:00

It is week 3 of the ORC! Man time flies when you are having fun! In honor of week 3, I am going to share 3 updates I have made to my master bathroom. They include replacing 2" wooden blinds with window privacy film, painting the walls, and installing the new rattan light fixture.
Let's start with the Before Picture. There were blinds and a dark roman shade on the window. They worked for privacy, but also allowed very little light through. Our view out of this window is unsightly, so the window film seemed like the perfect solution. Maximum light in with maximum privacy!

The new space feels lighter and brighter thanks to the Alabaster White Paint color on the walls. The new rattan pendant ties in the new cabinet color and travertine tile. I am still on a mission to #savethetravertine. Do you think it is working?

You can watch the whole window film process. On my IGTV Channel.

Follow all of the fun on Instagram @hopelonginglife #oneroomchallenge #bhgorc and on the ORC Blog Page

One Room Challenge Week 2

2020-05-13T21:49:00.000-05:00

We are off to the races with the One Room Challenge. It has been so fun to connect with other accounts that are participating as well. I am constantly amazed at the talent and creativity all over this community.

We are continuing to work on our master bathroom makeover and this week, I want to talk about refinishing cabinets. This is by far the biggest job of this whole makeover. The cabinets were stained with a very dark gel stain and I wanted them very close to a natural finish. I will not say this process is easy, but I will say it is totally worth it.

Let's talk about the materials and steps.
For materials (You can access them all here): - orbital sander with 80 and 220 grit sand paper - Krud Kutter - Citri Strip furniture stripper - Scraping tool - Zinser Wood bleach kit - Driftwood stain - Whitewood stain - Polycrylic sealer

*Special note about each of these steps, I did each one twice. I repeated each step before moving to the next one.
Step 1: Clean cabinet surfaces with Krud Kutter. This will help the sander move over the wood better in the next step.
Step 2: Sand with Orbital Sander using 80 grit sandpaper

Step 3 - Time to Strip the wood. I applied Citristrip with a roller brush and then covered it in plastic so the stripper could work into the wood before drying out.

Step 4: After at least 30 minutes, you can scrape off the stripper. Scrape in the direction of the wood grain.

Step 5: Spray Krud Kutter or stripper remover to get all of the excess stripper off the wood before the next step.

Step 6: Bleaching the wood. This is a two step process. Apply A with a sponge, wait 5 minutes, then apply B with a separate sponge. Wait 24 hours and then repeat.

Step 7: Staining. To get the finish I was going for, I did a multi step staining process. First, apply prestain, then driftwood stain, finish with pickled oak/sunbleached layer and then polycrylic to seal them. Apply with a brush or an old t-shirt and wipe away excess.

The final product! It is perfectly aged and reclaimed looking wood now. Like I warned you...it was not an easy process, but the results make it all worth it! These cabinets are awaiting new brass hardware and then we can them new and improved!

One Room Challenge - Week 1 - Master Bathroom

2020-05-07T08:24:00.001-05:00

plan!

The day has finally arrived! Today starts the official One Room Challenge. I am so excited to be a guest participant! We are going to be working on our Master Bathroom and I am titling the makeover "SAVE THE TRAVERTINE!"
Here is the back story...We put in this bathroom as part of a large renovation in 2008. At the time, dark wood and travertine were the next big things. To give this bathroom a modern feel, we added glass sinks and glass tile. Let's take a look at the 2008 renovation.

Flash forward 12 years and the bathroom has grown tired. I started getting bids to update the tile and countertops, and it was not going to be as simple as that. It would require a completely new shower, new shower glass, new bathtub, removing the vanities. The volume of work and the price tag were hard to swallow. Twelve years may sound like a long time, but I assure it was a blink!
So then I started thinking...can I make this space feel new and fresh without a complete gut? So challenge accepted and here we go. Operation Save the Travertine is officially underway. Let's take a look at the plan!

The new space will still have the earthy tones, but they will feel more cohesive. The cabinetry will be refinished in two tones. Some are getting sanded down and bleached. Others are getting painted a warm white. The change I am most excited about is the new wallpaper. It brings the whole space together in a new way.
I can't wait to take you along on this new adventure. Do you think I can "save the travertine" and still make the bathroom feel fresh? If you think I am crazy...you can tell. I can take it!
To follow along with all of the amazing makeovers, go to the One Room Challenge Blog Page.

DIY Bathroom Update

2020-03-12T12:37:00.003-05:00

I recently updated our half bath using mainly paint! I painted the faucet, slate tile, walls, vanity...nothing was spared! I am so happy with how it turned out and even more so with how it is holding up.
AFTER

BEFORE

There is also a material list and description on Hometalk.

How to not hate doing laundry

2020-02-19T13:45:00.002-06:00

What is your relationship with laundry? Do you hate it, do you love it, have you made peace with it. I fall into "Made peace with it" camp. I know for myself that if a project starts to feel huge, I tend to avoid it. I am a much better one bite at a time girl. This is how I approach my home projects and what I have found works best for tackling laundry too.

So are you ready to know the secret to taking the hassle out of laundry? It is to presort the loads. I have a 3 bin sorter in my closet. We sort by cold wash, warm wash, and hot wash. I also have a separate basked for delicates. The presort makes it so easy to see which bin is the fullest and knock out that load for the day. It saves using your entire living room to sort the laundry or worse, not sorting. If you wash everything unsorted, then the really dirty stuff doesn't get clean and the nice stuff gets worn out. IMHO.
Here is a round up of great hamper options to get you started!

Now, if you would like more information on how to make laundry work better for you, you have to check out The Brain and the Brawn. You will love her tips and the other organizational items she suggests.

I am back...sort of!

2019-11-05T08:59:00.000-06:00

Home design just has a piece of my heart and I could not stay away. It was great to be home and present with my kids through their early years, but they are older now and mama needed her hobby back. You can follow along on my decor adventures on Instagram @hopelonginglife

Sabbatical

2013-05-31T14:22:00.000-05:00

I am sorry I have been spotty in my blogging. There has been so much going on (which I know is true for everyone). Normally my down time in the crazy times is blogging and design work. It is my creative outlet, social outlet, community, and even sanity. But lately in the down times, I just truly want down time. God is trying to work on me, and I want to be still and quiet so I can hear him.
So I am going on official sabbatical for the month of June. No blogging (writing or reading), no new design work. Just a month of hanging by the pool, loving on my kiddos, and enjoying the great people in my life.
I will tell you all about what I learned when my mind is clear and refreshed!
Happy Summer Everyone!

What do you do when your Kid asks for a themed bedroom!?!

2013-05-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Every parent probably gets asked this question at some point. "Mommy, I want spiderman sheets, Lightning McQueen Bed, Cinderella's castle on my wall..." The list is endless. I really don't have a problem with putting a few themed touches in a child's room. It makes them SO excited. My problem comes in with the attention span. Dora today, Tinkerbelle tomorrow. If your kids are like mine, there "favorite" thing is a moving target.
So, what is the solution? Simple removable touches. Don't buy the themed bed or bedding. Choose something that can grow with the child and be accented with the theme of the week.
My latest E-design tells this story perfectly. Her daughter wanted "Belle, Cinderella, and Rapunzel all in her room." Her mom did not want to have to redecorate everything when the princesses had lost their luster. Here is what we came up with:

The room is regal and feminine. The princesses made their way in on a large scale mural that will take up one entire wall. I suggested painting the whole room light purple before applying the vinyl mural so that the room does not have to be repainted if the mural comes down. There is no mistaking that this room is disney princess, but take away the mural, and you just have a feminine little girls room. I am in love with the modern Rapunzel pillow.
This Mom is crafty, so the room has a few DIY projects. The chandelier and lamp will get painted into a glossy pink and the reading wall will be created with floating bookshelves. I love the taffeta drapes and the elegant touch they add to the room. They needed to look expensive and custom, so that they room did not feel like a "Disney room in a bag." Not that there is anything wrong with that :).
Here is the layout:

So, what do you think? Would you let your child pick the theme for their room? I say go for it, but email me, so we can pull it off with style!

Funny Friday!

2013-05-17T08:59:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile since I have written a funny Friday post, but this week is one for the record books! All it takes is an InstaUpdate to see what I mean!

Lost little man and ballet class....this is where I found him! My sister asked, "What did you do!" I replied, "Took a picture of course!" I was giggling too much to get that mad. Hopefully it was an isolated incident :).

Then my adorable little puppy brought me this! She was shaking it in her head and just came bounding into the house with it. I was not sure what my threshold for yucky was as a Mom...but this was it! So creeped out!

It rained all day on Mia's birthday but she was determined to play with her new trampoline. This was her solution. Sun hat, bathing suit, and rain boots! Silly girl! Her brother eventually joined her and they had so much fun jumping in the rain!

Not pictured, but worth noting. Our silly puppy went sticking her nose where it does not belong (in a fire ant mound) yesterday morning. She was running around going crazy and whining. We we finally got to pick her up, we noticed her face was swelling up SO big! Quick trip to the vet for benadryl and steroids and she is much better now! Seems like we might have another allergy situation on our hands! of course our puppy would have allergies!

Whew! What a week! It was fun, crazy, and had no shortage of laughs!

Here's to a great (and hopefully uneventful) weekend!

Mia is 4!

2013-05-16T14:09:00.001-05:00

My precious baby girl is 4! I have been emotional about this birthday for her not because I am sad to see my baby grow up, but more in awe of the amazing little person she is becoming. 3 had its challenges! More school, less naps, more freedom, less coddling, more responsibility, and less assistance. I am sure that will be a lifetime journey, but the transition from baby into little girl was not easy for either one of us.

She is through that now and grown so much in maturity. She loves her brother and helping me meet his needs and almost always has a willing, helpful heart!

Here are some things about Mia at 4 years old:

- she loves all things fruit and would live on that alone if we would let her

- she never turns down an opportunity to create or craft

- her heart is happiest when around other people (can we say extrovert yet???)

- She is totally into stuffed animals and NOT into baby dolls

- she empties the dishes, puts drinks away, and takes out the recycling for her chores

- she loves ballet class and wants to keep moving forward with dance

- she mainly drinks milk, but never turns down pink lemonade!

- she is much more comfortable in a spinny dress or skirt than pants or shorts

- she thinks strappy sandals are totally playground appropriate

- she says "totally" for emphasis (hmmm...wonder where she got that :) )

- her puppy is her new best friend

- she can memorize a memory verse in no time at all and enjoys it!

- she likes to ride her bike and drive her jeep

- when she gets TV time, she likes to watch Doc McStuffins

- her favorite books are Pinkalicious and Fancy Nancy. She has recently gotten into Gigi too.

- She loves edamame and broccoli, no hot dogs. Go figure!

- she likes her window down when riding in the car and kids praise music turned up!

- she loves make believe and fairytales and is SO disappointed that I married Daddy so she can't!

- She is dramatic! She says phrases like "it is just SO beautiful!" or "I can't believe it!" My personal favorite though is "It's ALL my fault!"

- she naps about every other day and will probably drop them completely this summer :(

- her heart is truly full of joy! She loves to get excited about the little things and I LOVE that about her.

She is not perfect, but she is perfect for me!

Mia Claire, We love you SO much! You are a gift to us in so many ways. I hope someday I am able to explain to you all of ways God has healed me and brought joy back to my life through you! Your sweet spirit is endearing and contagious. It shows in your friendships! I know God will do amazing things through you if you continue to allow him to shape that heart. You are His princess and He chose you out of all the people of the earth as his personal treasure (Deut 14:2). We can't wait to see what you do with that high calling!
Happy 4th birthday. May each year just get sweeter than the next!
Love, Mom and Dad

Southern Style Bathroom Design Plan

2013-05-14T09:18:00.003-05:00

I recently completed a bathroom design plan for an e-client. It was a new challenge for sure, but I think it will work out nicely! I found the tile at stores we both have access too so I could ensure a good match and wrote up detailed instructions for the tile installer.
Their bathroom is already nice and has a great layout! It just needed a little jazzing up! Here is the design plan...

The standard built in bathtub will be replaced by a lovely pedestal tub. Arched mirrors with sconces will also give a more custom feel. I used a lovely marble mosaic as an accent throughout the room, but also included subway tile to give interest and save the budget!

The tile layout is not color correct, but it gives you an idea of the pattern. There will be a tall wainscoting around the room with the above pattern. The herringbone pattern will be on the top half of the shower. Soothing gray/green walls will give that natural spa feel. We selected ceramic tile for the floor that looks like wood. It will be so warm running under that stunning bathtub!
Here is a look at the bathroom now. We are leaving the cabinets and countertops, but updating the rest.

Can't wait to see it come together!

The Princess Tea Party!

2013-05-13T13:32:00.001-05:00

The tea party was a success! We had so much fun celebrating princess Mia and all of her dear friends! Here is party recap!

The outside:

Princess archway rented from Simply Pretend and princess castle tent.

"4" wreath made from foam we cut out and tissue paper squares hot glued on.

The Tea Party Room!

Chair covers purchased the Christmas Tree Shops. Table and chairs rented from Simply Pretend

Tea cups! Everyone got to take their's home.

Princess coffee mugs made for the perfect centerpiece vase.

Tea Station. We had Hot English Tea and punch from the Perfect Punch Company. Delish!

Food Table!

The cake! Vanilla bean with buttercream icing. Ordered from Lisa, a lady I use for all parties. Let me know if you want her number. The cupcake crowns in the back are made from gum!

Chocolate whoopie pies!

We also had tea sandwiches, fruit salad

The dress up Room!

The entrance was framed by pom-pom garland and pink curtains.

The ceiling was decorated with paper lanterns.

Hair and makeup station. The girls got to use blush and tinted chapstick. The pearls and hair bands were from simply pretend.

The dresses! All so lovely! Some were from Mia's collection, but most were from simply pretend.

Castle Decal!

The party!

Me and my princess!

Shopping for just the right dress

Accessorizing!

The lovely Chloe!

Mia and Ellie

Mia and Baby Ava!

Twirling during the fashion show!

ZaZa's dress! Thanks Aunt Heather!

Princess Piper!

We read Gigi's Princess Tea Party. I cried like a baby at the end. These lovely girls are all God's princesses and it is such a blessing to me to watch them grow into that big title!

The knight going after the princess! Of course Tripp had sword!

Happy Birthday time!

Silly Princesses!

Piper and Mia

Thank you to everyone who came to make Mia's party so special! She loves all of her friends so much. She does keep telling me that her next party all of the "babies" and boys will be welcome. Such an inclusive hostess!
Love you Mia girl...excited to celebrate you all week long!

Are Princesses Bad?

2013-05-07T08:02:00.000-05:00

I feel like this discussion has come up around us several times over the last few months. Are princesses bad? Is it wrong to expose your daughter to "happily ever after" or "fairy tales."

Here is where we stand on this issue for OUR daughter ( keep in mind that every child will be different). Mia is all GIRL! She loves anything pink, rainbows, butterflies, and yes....Princess! We didn't teach her these things, they are innate with in her. But we have also not overly protected her exposure.

The loves to put on a ball gown and dance around the room, prince or no prince. She loves things that sparkle and twirl. She learned that on her own too.

So the question is...should we limit or remove the exposure? Should princesses be banned to protect her?

We really don't think so! What we have chosen to do is channel the love that she has for princesses in a positive way. We talk about princesses in the bible and that Jesus is our perfect prince. Happily Ever After is true with Jesus...not by the world's definition!

I have mainly found that it is men that are the most uncomfortable with letting their daughters identify themselves as a princess. Maybe it is the perception of beauty at all cost or lack of humility that comes with the title? I struggle to see any difference in letting little boys watch sports and idolize an athlete. Those men are not perfect, yet sons are not often limited in exposure to athletes because of their worldly imperfections.

I recommend two resources that have helped us channel Mia's love of princess in a positive way. The first is Lady in Waiting for Little Girls (given to me by a sweet friend and amazing mother) and the other is God's Little Princess Devotional.

These books have amazing lessons that really grab Mia's attention and give us talking points throughout the day. We have discussed "princess lips" and what comes out of them. Why God chose Mary. And most importantly...that her king and heavenly father is Christ Jesus!

Our sweet girl is the Daughter of King! That makes her a princess by any definition. It is not title just be worn proudly though. It has responsibility and a high expectation to show the world her loving King!

So that is where we stand on the princess issue. She knows and loves all of Disney princesses, and we are okay with that. I am more concerned with her heart for her King! I think those two worlds can exist together.
Where do you stand on this?

Camping!

2013-05-06T08:50:00.001-05:00

We had an awesome weekend camping with a great group of families! I was saved from sleeping in a tent thanks to our unseasonable cold front. YAY! We put 5 families in a three bedroom cabin instead. That is roughing it enough for me!
The kids had an absolute blast with some of their best friends and we got to have great conversation over coffee and wine. There was great family time too! Altogether a really special weekend!

Loaded up and headed out! They were so excited! The caption on Instagram: "Here's to poor sleep and great memories!" So true!

The hammock! It provided hours of entertainment!

Playing around the campfire

Roasting Marshmallows. The weather was really cool so we lived around this warm fire.

Amanda going for it! We had jumbo marshmallows...why not???

The white streak in Mia's hair would be marshmallow. She thought it was totally worth it.

Mia and her girls! These three got along so well! They are precious little girls with amazing hearts!

Jeepin'! We took the jeep up there and found some trails to test out. Richard was pretty excited!

This is 5 minutes after pulling out to head home. I think she had a good time, don't you?

Little man was spent too!

All the kids did so good considering the sleeping conditions. I loved that they were able to enjoy the weekend even though they were tired. One benefit of being past the baby stage!
Thanks to all of the amazing families we traveled with. I loved doing life together and sharing some sweet moments! When are we going again!?!?

Hair! I can't ever make up my mind!

2013-05-02T09:11:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I decided to make a drastic change to my hair. It was back to blonde and bob and goodbye long and light brown. It was whimsical and un-calculated, but all of my hair decisions kind of work that way.
Here is a look at just last year...

One year ago...trying out being a brunette. I really liked it, but it would not stay in my hair at all.

Here is the medium length and medium color. It was healthiest this way for sure.

Here it is yesterday before the cut and color. Long. layered and subtle highlights. I was just pulling it up everyday which is a sign to me that is was time to cut it!

And here is the new blonde! The cut is short bob that should be super easy this summer!

I like it...this week!

It is a woman's right to change her mind right? I am the only one that does this???

Rug Switcheroo!

2013-04-30T20:28:00.000-05:00

After completing the entryway project, I was bothered by the way the dining room and entryway looked together. My main problem was that the rugs were competing with each other. Doesn't it always work that way??? One thing leads to another.

So...I did what every any ~~patient, content~~ woman would do and bought another rug on impulse. It was perfect, great deal, and brought in the dark blue that is on the dining room walls. I HAD to buy it!

Well my husband reacted just like I thought he would. He said where is that going? What are doing with the old one, and how much did that cost? Sound like anyone else's husband. God gave him to me to keep me in line!

Well I had no thought through all of his questions...but I came up with a quick solution! I listed the old rug on Craigslist and 12 hours later I had cash in hand for it! AND I almost broke even between the two rugs! How is that for a plan?!?!?

Here is how the dining room looked with the old rug.

Here is the full view of the old rug. Lovely, but just not going with my black and white entry way.

Here is the new rug! A natural fiber Jute rug with a subtle color weaved in it too. I love how it makes the dining room feel more casual and comfortable and no longer competes with the entryway. Yay! If only all of my crazy plans came together this way!

I will have to take full pictures of the dining room fully assembled later, it is under going a transformation for the Princess Tea Party. Here is a peak...

That red rug was never going to work in this pastel party theme either! This rug switch was just meant to be!

A little Bold and A little Funky Living Room Design

2013-04-29T11:31:00.002-05:00

I have been working on a living room design for a fun family. He is a percussionist and she is a photographer, so they have creative flowing through their veins! I recently bought a new home and wanted a living room design that would set the tone for the rest of the house. The home is lovely, but simple and traditional right now. I proposed bringing in some bold elements that would update the feel of their house and better capture their personalities. Here is the design plan:

Bold red and gold elements tie into their existing furniture and artwork. Modern touches bring life to a traditional family room.

Here is the layout for the new space. I had to think through this with built-in and fireplace on the same wall.
This layout will maximize the view to both while encouraging cozy conversation too.

Here is the existing living room. The artwork was the inspiration for the new living room as well as the existing furniture pieces.

Here is the new living room. The bold curtains will frame the view to the patio. The back of the built in will be painted red while the wall are going to change to a warm white. I left plenty of space for her to display her photography in an eclectic collage too.

It seems most a lot of my clients love red. Either that is just a happy coincidence for me, or they find me because I love red too! Either way, I am always happy when I can put red in a design!

Insta Update!

2013-04-26T07:56:00.000-05:00

I think I am WAY over due for an InstaUpdate! There has just been too much fun around here! Here we go!

Richard's Birthday! Candle in a Kolache...I went all out!

Bowling party for Richard. We went to Bowl and Barrel and had a great time!

Art party for some of Mia's sweet friends. She loved it!

Cheesecake factory date with my sweetie. Love this thing and how we both live for the dessert WAY more than the meal. We should just order it first next time!

Ummm....we OWN this! Why you ask? Because we are going camping. Pause for effect! This will be an adventure for sure!

I refreshed our duvet cover. I just like when they are fresh and new!

It is from Ikea. I love the floral, but they also has a stripe on the back. 2 for 1!

Jeep days! Tripp would let Mia drive her around in this thing all day! I love that they stop at "Sonic" everytime they take off!

New hair cut for my little diva. She prefers her hair short and I think she totally rocks it!

Cooking school! We were making pizza twists. Make them work for their lunch!

I helped a client stage her bookcase. She has traveled a lot and spent a lot of time on the beach. We worked it all into one small space. It is visually pleasing, but I really love that it is filled with things that make them happy!

We have the craziest weather this year! We took advantage of an 80+ day to play in the sprinklers!

Whew! After all of that fun, it was time for some Mom time! I squeezed in a much needed pedicure. I am loving my new Lilac toes!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I have party planning to do. Mia's princess tea party is quickly approaching!

Design Boards - A Whole Lot of Them!

2013-04-24T20:34:00.001-05:00

Things have been busy around here! New puppy, birthday party season fun, and lots of designing! I am loving every minute of it! I apologize that my blogging has been more sparse and less creative. Bare with me through this season!

I am behind on sharing design board projects, so I thought I would do it one full update. Here is a run down of my latest projects...

Laundry Room Makeover. This project if for a home that is going on the market, so things are staying light, bright, and neutral. I checked in on progress today, and it is well under way. I will keep you posted as it comes together!

A grown up, but bright living room design. This board was for a girl that is from Europe and has an interesting collection of pieces because of it. We tried to bring in some youthful elements while still keeping in the style of their traditional home.

Master Bedroom Furniture. This project was a fun one! They already had the bedding, lamps, and art, but I got to pick out the furniture! Yummy and relaxing don't you think?

Another Master. This was a quick shopping list for master bedroom accessories. They had the bed, bedding, and nightstands. I finished off the room with paint color and the pretty stuff! The blue went on the ceiling in lieu of the walls and it is lovely!

Guest Bedroom - This one is an update from a previous design. We altered the color scheme some and brought a fun mix of pillows. I can't wait to see the dark navy drapes in the space!

Most of these boards are just shopping lists, not the whole room plan, but I hope you get the idea. My design services are really affordable and flexible, so let me know if you are interested!
Designs start at just $90! I saw a design that looked almost exactly like a little girls room I did a few weeks ago and that designer charged $425 for it! That is just not my style! I want you to love where you live with what you can afford! Save your pennies for the pretty stuff in the room. Let's get started!