Need a new pair of tennis shoes

As much as I love to design and decorate one of the many things I do not enjoy is shopping for tennis shoes. I am not one of the girls that like to cover my cute painted toes. I would rather spend money on another pair of sandals. However just the other day I realized as it was pouring outside that I had a hole in my New Balances. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise as I have had them for years. Tennis shoes make my feet look fat, cover my painted toes, and make me feel guilty I am not really exercising in them. However, my pace of speed has been on overdrive lately and it is exciting! Closing on our first place in May, starting Nest Staging & Designs (more on this next week), first family vacation to Disney, cooking meals for families, counseling, helping Kevin with the ministry, odd projects for the church, and those are just a few. So the running shoes are getting replaced so I can keep running. It is so exciting to see God work! So I better get my "armor" tennis shoes ready!

New Home

Home sweet home! (finally) So after months of house hunting, offers, disappointments; God gave us the perfect home. Cape cod style homes are my favorite. I love the little character it has and the many hidden storage through out the house. Closing date May 20th! Keep an eye out for some before and after photos as we put our own touches to our first place. (*hint no more sage green on the house)

Make Walls Talk

I am learning more on design I am realizing things that people can hate in a home have been recreated to the new style of today.

As we are looking for our first home, I walk into the doors I see floral wallpaper-ugh! It is even worse when you see different floral in each room. My first thought is "how can I remove this and how much is it going to cost me?" One of the many things part of my staging business I will face is those out dated walls screaming "I need a makeover!"

Just today we looked at a charming cape cod home with angled walls. My mind races with ideas in each home and I normally fall in love within 5 minutes as I decorate in my head. Kevin, not so much. He looks at every boring detail like foundation, cracks, ex. It is a good thing too, just not as fun or interesting to me. Yes there was wall paper boarder in one room and lots of bold paint. That doesn't scare me-bring it on! I came home thinking about the living room and the angled wall. What would I do? Shelves and wallpaper! Yes wallpaper. There are so many new kinds of contemporary wallpaper. So I searched to show you what I was thinking. Check this link out.

http://www.hgtv.ca/puredesign/theshow.aspx?season=2&sectionid=378&categoryid=5892666534844356552&postid=90735

examples of built-ins

Built in adiction

I am addicted to things off of the floor! Every house we look at to buy my first thought is how can I make built- ins. To make a space feel bigger it is better to get things off the floor and utilize wall space. The worse thing you can do is line each wall in a room with furniture and things. Let the floors free to show off! So as you are Spring cleaning think about what clutter you can take out and how can you get your items on the walls. It can also be a cheap way to decorate as you use everyday items and display.
Few tips for bookcases, built-ins, or shelves: 1) group items in color. Take all your books and separate by color. It makes it look like art. I go into Kevin's office often and do this. 2) Buy items in one color (white is classic) then group them in 3 or 4. 3) Don't fill up every shelf. Simplify!

Happy decorating for Spring!

Spring is almost here!

Who has started there Spring cleaning? I have! I get really excited when I start hearing birds chirp out my window, it is warm enough to open my sun roof even if it is for a second, and colorful things appear on the store shelves.
If you stopped by my house right now you would wonder where the color is in the place. I have stripped it all down to the cream, black, and tan. I am so in the mood for a change in this rental. Still not allowed to paint the walls=boring but I am determined to make it look airy and Spring like. This is the first time I am having a decorating block. Kevin said I could spend money on some new things but I want to be wise with the money and get the best bang for my buck. Any of you like this...you go to the store knowing what you want but see the sticker and change your mind? I don't know how many times I have left a store and wished later I had bought something I saw. So as I am writing this I am sitting on a tan couch with cream pillows all screaming at me to add a punch of color!
I saw this photo and loved the look. Not sure it is what I am going to do but a great start.

Lots of big projects

Not only am I business planning but working on parties, buying a house that needs remodeled, and still working on decorating projects. Here is my latest. Our church needed a face lift on the kids area, so bye with the tan walls and bring on color. We are designing a town theme. Lots of fun colors and incorporating some train items from the theme before. It is going to look awesome when it is finished! Full with a park, town shopping center, and train station. Pray for this remodel. For volunteers, funds, and for those designing that the ideas come all together. Will post after photos this Spring.

Spring Fever

It is Valentines Day and it is 60 degrees in Pa with snow still on the ground. Today I woke up with Spring fever ready to hit the house and go through everything. My tips to a non cluttered home.

1) Every 3 months reserve one Sat. morning for each family member to go through their things. Set a timer for 30 mins. to make it fun. Donate & Toss boxes. Donate the items that day.

2) Avoid zigzag cleaning. Get a laundry basket go in a circle around each room picking up items that need to be in another room. The basket helps you from going back and forth. Then all you have to do is dust, sweep the room after it has been decluttered.

3) Figure out the clutter problem areas. (table by front door, kitchen counter, chair in bedroom) Find solutions to organize each space. Put large basket by door for shoes/put them away before bed each night. Mail on tables- go through Toss & Keep. Give each person in family bin for mail. Toss at end of week. Toys-put small shelf with buckets labeled (cars, balls, misc,)

4) Create a repair center for toys, clothes, misc. This is great for when you have free time you can sew a button, put new batteries in, ex. *also saves on budget! I tend to spend less on clothes when my pants have been hemmed, buttons fixed, ex.

5) Do CPR on closets. Categorize, Purge, & Rearrange. *this also saves on budget. Make a list of clothing items you need. White dress shirt, wide belt, brown sandals... When you go shopping or out you know what you need to complete your wardrobe and tend not to over spend with a list. Also mix and match outfits in closet to create a new look with what you already have.

6) Seem overwhelmed by junk? Step 6...plan to declutter a room a week. Drawers, shelves, clothes, decorations, ex. This will help you not be overwhelmed each day. I put it on my calendar each week what room to focus on. At night I put a basket at the foot of stairs for us 3 to toss in anything that goes upstairs. This helps me reset the house each night.

Happy cleaning!!!
Here is a new blog that I love. All about organizing!
http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/p/iheart-before-afters.html

Trying out my sewing skills

Why spend a lot of money? Why not make it. So a friend of mine is having a princess party for her little girl and Austin got invited. I decided why not make him a prince costume. As I was sharing my excitement with my friend she shared that her son decided he wanted to be Flynn Rider from the new movie "Tangled" and couldn't find the costume. Great movie by the way. I decided I was going to try to see if I could recreate the vest from a photo on line. Believe me I am not a perfectionist by any means so this was a challenge for me since my sewing skills would be for someone other than my guys. Here is the end product! Just need to add his belt and it is set. I even took my stamping ink and "dirty up" the vest. It was so fun!

Have a contract on our first home! Update-we decided to walk away. God will give us the right home

My decorating projects have slowed down a bit in the rental as I am putting a lot of time into our new place. We should find out in a few weeks if we got the house! All of the flooring needs to be replaced so I am planning it all out. Paint, flooring, kitchen, walls taking down, and exterior. I am so excited to get my hands on it!

Project of the week

I have this itch to sand, paint, and repurpose something this week. So on my list to find is an old head board for Austin's new tractor room. I am thinking bright red! This might change when I see the old frame. Got my drawing board and ready to put together all the pieces of this antique space, all for a 3 year old to love! Wish me luck to find that right piece for his space.

Inspiration Board

We are buying a new place! Hopefully closing on the house mid. April. For the past few weeks I have been picking out wood flooring, carpet, paint, and decorations. I always went with more clean line/modern feel in my home. Probably because it is the cheapest way to decorate.
As I have been researching and designing the home remodel I came across this Pottery Barn photo and feel in love with the space. The modern blk frames paired with antique boxes, I just love! The wall colors will be in my living room and all trim in house off white.
So keep an eye out for my remodel projects this spring!

Rental designs

7 1/2 years Kevin and I have moved to 3 different countries and rented many "different" style homes. It has been interesting to decorate rentals. I have some thoughts on decorating a place that is not your own, to help you feel at home then living in a white box.
Simple things you can do to add detail and personality. Pillows are my weakness! I buy decor pillows any time I see them on sale. It is an easy way to get a new look with a neutral sofa. Another thing is accent pieces. I love to take a bright red vase, red books, and other red things and group them on a shelf. You can make a big impact with pops of color! Thrift shops are the best places to get accent pieces for pennies. So on these snowy days you feel down...go bargain shopping and cheer up that white rental home!