Wednesday, February 29, 2012

extra day = extra post

just wanted to pop in real quick (things are suuuper busy at the office today) and tell you how i'll be celebrating the extra day we get this year! my former roomie Emily and i going to dinner with a friend i met in high school. i met Stephen my freshman year and we became fast friends (even "high school dated"!). Stephen now lives in indy, runs an awesome restaurant, and has a GORGEOUS singing voice. in fact, he is singing at the wedding! so tonight we dine and plan and enjoy each other's company! here's a really old photo of us in high school. i'm sure they will love that i'm posting this ;) this is our show choir days.

[photo via my mama]

paint by pic {vi}

i've always thought that modern houses are perfect for bold art. it creates an amazing focal point in a sea of calm. this dining room houses a graphic, geometric piece that you could replicate at home. i love the colors in this one and i've matched them up to swatches from sherwin williams for you below.


[image]
designer: amy lau

Friday, February 24, 2012

glam

the oscars are on sunday and i'm thinking about hosting a private viewing and making everyone get all dressed up. how would you choose to dress up? trendy formal or vintage glam? i'm a fan of vintage glam. and i'd have to use these pretties to decorate.


[1,2,3,4]

girly goodness


for some reason lately i've been dreaming about spring dresses. you know the ones, they are pastel, cotton, bows or ribbons. the grown up version of the lacy, frilly dress you wore to church on Easter morning. anyways i completely fell head-over-heels for this number by BHLDN and i'd have to wear this darling eyelet bolero on top for church. paired with that cute etsy find and nude heels, i'm all ready for spring.


 

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

b + w

today is one of those "eh" or "blah" days. it's cold + rainy here and my headache is on day three, which makes for a pretty miserable courtney. i thought that this day called for some beautiful b&w photos.



[1,2]

Monday, February 20, 2012

building the beauty

[via]
Before I get into today's post, is this girl not drop-dead-goooorgeous. That's not even a question; it's a statement because I already know what you will say/what you should say. YES. YES, she is!

A few weeks back I posted some inspiration for my wedding makeup in this post here. Well I have meet with the lovely lady (you know, macfaye) who will be pampering me that day and we did a trial on some colors and I have since been testing a few products out. And I pretty much have it down to the exact products I'll be using for the big day (only 85 short days!). Here's the products we will be using to get me fancy!

Friday, February 17, 2012

wood WORK.

Rummaging and antiquing for old furniture is one of my favorite things. And finding a quality piece that just needs some love gets me really excited. I have had a couple of people ask lately how to refinish some amazing wood furniture, so I thought I would share it here on the bloggity.

[via]
First, it’s important to make sure that the time and effort you will be putting into refinishing your piece is really worth it. Is it made with quality material? If so, it should look great refinished to a natural wood finish. If not, you may want to consider painting the furniture or searching for a new piece. It may be that you will not know until you start sanding. That is a risk you will have to take.
For wood that was painted you will want to apply a chemical stripping agent. The product should be water-soluble so that cleanup is easy. Apply the product in small areas at a time and follow directions given on the label. The paint will bubble up and then you can use a plastic putty knife to scrap along the woodgrain. (If your product is “wash-away”, rinse the area down with water.)

Once the paint is lifted, or if the furniture was already a wood finish, it’s time to sand. A fine-grit sandpaper is best so that it doesn’t damage the raw wood. Like you did with scrapping, be sure to sand along the woodgrain. A power sander can be used on flat surfaces but hand sanding the corners and ornate designs is the best. Once you are down to the raw wood, wipe down the entire piece with a cloth.

If you plan to keep the furniture a wood finish, you can start the staining process. All stain products are different so make sure you follow the label. Always apply the stain following the grain and in even strokes. You can build up the color and intensity by applying multiple layers. Let the stain dry; I would give it 24 hours. Lastly, you will apply polyurethane to completely seal the furniture. Again, make sure you follow the directions on the product label. For a super, high-gloss finish apply a few coats.
[via]
If you are painting your piece, apply a primer in a thick coat and sand it with steel wool. Then you are ready to paint! For furniture, I always recommend a semi- or high-gloss finish. This will hold up best on furniture. Apply as many coats as necessary, as some colors will need more than others. Give plenty of drying time between each coat; I would say three to five hours. For a glossy finish, apply a clear polycrylic after your last coat has dried.
[via]

Mini/Quick tips:
-remove all hardware before you start
-if your furniture has deep scratches, fill them in with wood putty and sand it down before starting the stain or paint process
-wear gloves, especially when staining
-be patient! The piece will look great in the end and you can appreciate knowing that it was your hard work that got it there.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

get the look: traditional living room

while browsing one of my favorite sites, i came across this room designed by Annette English and Associates and fell in love. the comfortable decor makes it clear that this family likes to live in their space but the traditional architecture keeps the room looking polished. the furniture below along with your favorite books and collected items will make the room cozy and personal.
[image]
[lamp, pillow 1, pillow 2, ottoman, sofa, coffee table, vase, basket]

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

paint by pic {iv}

these vibrant colors remind me of spring and make me happy. plus the fact that the architecture in this room is stunning make me want to live here.

[image]
designer: mark english architects
photo: claudio santini

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Monday, February 13, 2012

brunch for 2

on this morning before valentines, i'm wishing i could sleep in then have brunch with my hunny. it would look something like this.

[image]

Friday, February 10, 2012

shadows

for anyone that knows me or reads my blog, you know that i have a huge crush on paper products. i'm also a huge fan of silhouette art. today i went searching for paper items that could be used as a first anniversary gift. these are just two of my etsy finds. i love this first one in a shadow box. and the second is totally a DIY, if you're crafty enough.



and of course, a little happy friday note for you lovelies.

[1,2,3]

Thursday, February 9, 2012

modern + color

this eclectic girl loves bright colors, one-of-a-kind accessories, and to have fun. this modern living room combines geometric shapes, unique decor pieces, and fun fabrics. i think she would like it here.
[1, 2]

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Paint by Pic, {iii}

this neutral bedroom is full of calm, soothing colors that wake you up easy in the bedroom.


image: houzz
designer: amy lau designs

Monday, February 6, 2012

weekend recap

happy Monday friendlies! i've had my coffee and am tackling my emails like nobodies business. my weekend was fun-filled so i thought i would do a little recap/iphone camera dump. here we go!

1 the FH was so excited to meet a superbowl winner on friday and the awesome player let him try on his superbowl ring. he was in heaven, needless to say.
2, 3 we had a lovely little brunch on Saturday at a fun place called Zest. fruit, an omelet and a mimosa is a great way to start the day
4 i ran into Shaq at starbucks later in the day. it wasn't until he was walking away that i realized i should take a pic or no one would believe me. hence the crappy photo.
5 checked out Forever 21's accessories shop called For Love and i was in heaven. picked up some fun accessories for summer and the honeymoon.
6 i got to hang out with this adorable guy who now successfully calles me Aunt Kiki which pretty much makes my heart melt.
7 superbowl sunday means lasagna with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. my nannie made this cute centerpiece from a plastic hanger. she's so crafty.
8 first thing sunday morning i was waiting outside my local target with three others and got some great Jason Wu for Target items. they are feminine and springy and perfect for work. and lucky me got the only lace clutch our store got!

we did a bunch of other things too that i didn't get pictures of including being in the center of a human gridlock down at the superbowl village friday night (not fun), walking two miles in the rain (also not fun), made some yummy superbowl food (fun), and watched some decent commercials (not the game so much). hope you weekend was a blast and t

Friday, February 3, 2012

Follow Friday / Link Lovin


Superbowl weekend is here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay now I don't really give a care about this event except for the fact it's another reason to get together, make and eat yummy foods, watch funny commercials and a horrid half time show, and oh yeah, there's a football game too. I'll be cheering on the Giants this year because I heart NY and that's about the only reason I have. Anyways, I felt compelled today to share some links that I loved this week. I don't typically do this but there have been great blog posts this week that have really inspired me.
{ps. the photo above is by lauren mann photography and i'm loving her photos, especially the e-shoots. check her out here.}



[1 point & shoot tips; 2 control the linen closet; 3 leah goren feature; 4 cookin w/ friendlies 5 skinny superbowl snacks 6 etsy site of the week 7 kitchen printable]

Have a great weekend!

pretty stickies

maybe i'm late to jump on the bandwagon (okay, OBVS i'm late to jump on the bandwagon) but i'm sorta addicted to washi tape. it's EVERYWHERE in the blogosphere and although it's taken some time to smack me in the face, i'm adoring everything about it now. i came across some posts where bloggers and crafters are using it creatively and it makes me jealous that i didn't think of it first. [plus there's a link in there for a free photoshop pattern!]






[1 hernewleaf; 2 apartmenttheraphy; 3 puglypixel; 4 insanehousewives; 5 tealandlime]

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Paint by Pic {ii}

the second in the series, i am drawn to this room by the vibrant blue and purple. not to mention the lovely cherry cabinet.

smokey topaz, 6117. formica laminate in select cherry. crimson red, 2906. rookwood sash green, 2810. impulsive purple, 6832.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

top 5 : etsy rugs

browsing etsy this morning i noticed that i came across quite a few handmade bathroom mats. so i did a little etsy search and found some pretty awesome ones. i love a great pop of color in a neutral (i.e. clean looking!) bathroom and a bath mat is a good way to get it. here are my top 5 favorites.

 1 ekra. this rug is a custom listing for $370 but most of the "ready to ship" rugs are around $80. emily's work is gorgeous and i love the use of color here. she does custom orders with monograms, shapes, different sizes - you name it. if you can't tell, i'm kind of loving her work.

2 roslyn o'neil. i love the bold pattern on this rug especially, but for those who aren't ready for a loud print, roslyn has a few toned-down options as well. these are machine washable and have a clever ribbon loop to hang dry. at $22 you could snag a couple of them.

3 jcarlos. a company focused on green living, these woven twine rugs are super textured which makes them extra unique. if you visit his shop to pick this up ($50), make sure you click on the link at the top to see his other etsy page. it's full of really eclectic, collected decor items.

4 Rags2Rugs shop owner, Terry Dewald has a great collection of rag rugs in various colors and sizes, meaning a variety of price ranges. plus the fact that she will not purchase new fabric for any rug is making me really love her shop. feel free to order custom, but keep in mind, she is limited to the rags she has on hand.

5 myshell this little beauty with scalloped edges is perfect for a feminine bathroom. and with a price tag of $15, it can't be passed up. this shop owner does custom orders in about a week and uses acrylic yarn for ease of care. sounds pretty perfect to me.