New Logo and Blog Design

Hi Everyone!  

What do you think about my new logo and blog design?  My friend Tara Howe created it for me and I love it!  She is an extremely talented multimedia artist who uses a wide range of media to communicate her art, and this logo only scratches the surface of her gift. To contact her and see more of her work check out her website by clicking HERE.

Well, It's 12:30am and I am calling it quits for the night.  I just might stay up to check out the lunar eclipse seeing as it's just about to start.  Sweet dreams....

Instant Bathroom Update

Writing my last post Astound Bathroom Makeover brought back many memories.  I remembered being amazed at all the decisions that had to be made in order to create the new bathroom of my dreams. It's funny but one of the simplest decisions took the longest. It was choosing a shower curtain.  The shower curtain sets the tone, color palette, and theme of the bathroom and can be used as a quick and easy tool to give any bathroom a face lift. Here are a few favorites I recently stumbled on...



 

CB2's Arbor shower curtain $39.95:
This affordable abstract shower curtain by CB2 has a neutral color scheme which allows you to mix in any accent color you like.



Home Seashells Shower Curtain:
Of course I'm partial to this seashell shower curtain as it's the one I ended up going with in my coastal cottage themed bathroom.  I fell in love with its soft aqua color and large abstract white seashells. It is a contemporary take on standard seashell shower curtain we have all seen in the past.

This shower curtains by Pottry Barn has a great mix of bright and neutral colors.  Just look how it adds so much interest and color to the above plain white bathroom.
The Audrey Shower Curtain by Pottery Barn: $59



Bustled Shower Curtain:
Ruffled and bustled shower curtains are definitely an up and coming trend for bathrooms.  Talk about elegnace... Here's a beautiful one I found by Anthropology that may just make you want to splurge on it's price of $188.

 

Bath Octopus Shower Curtain in Charcoal:
Wow is all I can say about this natural cotton and charcoal print shower curtain. It is quite a statement and conversation piece!  I think it's a fun new take if your looking to have a nautical themed bathroom.

Shop items inspired by this post by clicking on the “SHOP Biz Budget Designs” tab above.

Astounding Bathroom Makeover

This tiny bathroom was added to a summer cottage turned year-round home, in the 1950s-60s. It's small size, odd layout, plastic tiles, old fixtures, and ivy wallpaper was enough to make anyone crazy... But the fact that it was the only bathroom in the house really pushed my husband and I to remodel it soon after we moved in. In addition to moving all the plumbing and the door, we added space to the bathroom by knocking down the wall between the bathroom and the kitchen/dinning room area. This gave us the necessary space we needed to make the bathroom more comfortable and easy to move around in. This major project only took a week to complete thanks to our great contractor, Brian Heneghan, from Heneghan Construction.  Check out the before and after pictures below to see the transformation for yourself, and if you like what you see scroll to the bottom where I tell you how to get the look.

BEFORE

The busy ivy wallpaper and small mirror made the room feel very cramped, and although you can't see it in the picture our old bath tub was directly next to the toilet, leaving us no room to to dry off.



UGH... As you can see the old plastic tiles used to pop off the walls regularly. 



DURING

Here is the bathroom after my husband and I demo'd it.  The larger window was eventually taken out and walled in. This is where we gain the extra space needed to make the bathroom larger, more efficient, and comfortable.



AFTER

The new vanity from Home Depot is three times the size of the old one giving us much needed storage, as well as the large medicine cabinet.

Wha-La!!  Here is our new coastal cottage bathroom!

Here is our new shower and bathtub. I just love the multicolor border tile we selected which is stamped with seashells. Also, having so many colors in the tile gives me the freedom to change the rooms color theme in the future with ease.

Close up of border tile.

To make the room more cohesive and to add a personal touch I had a few of the border tiles added to the floor. 

I found this old oar while kayaking in our lake this summer and felt it filled this little nook perfectly.  The shower curtain is from Target's Home collection, and is a gorgeous sea foam blue color.

This picture as well as the one below shows a few accessories I found and added to the room to give it that coastal cottage feel. 

SIDE BY SIDE

Like what you see?  Here are a few links to help you get this look for your own bathroom:

1. IKEA Ljusnan Baskets

2.  Pottery Barn Oar

3. American Classics Vanity

4. ESTATE Medicine Cabinet

5. Shower Curtain

Shop items inspired by this post by clicking on the “SHOP Biz Budget Designs” tab above.

The 2011 Color of the Year!!!



Pantone's Honeysuckle
18-2120 TCX



It's official everyone! Pantone, Inc has released the 2011 Color of the Year....Drum roll please.......Honeysuckle!  They chose the color for its ability to instill “the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.” Here are a few rooms and images I found online to show you how you can add this trendy color to your home.

Designer Judith Balis used honeysuckle in this living room. Just look at how it pops against the aqua walls and black-and-white pillows. 



Here is another take by designer Shelly Riehl David.  You can see in this living room that she mixed honeysuckle with a bright apple green color.

    

I found this piece of artwork online by accident and added it to this post to help inspire you on ways you can use honeysuckle in your home.



Here you'll see honeysuckle has been mixed with dark chocolate brown and white.



I personally love the honeysuckle color mixed with bold black and white prints or fabrics as shown in the above and below images.  Just look at how the colors pops next to eachother....It's oh so trendy, and oh so nice.



 

I just love these wedding invitations and had to add to this post.  Just look at how great the honeysuckle color looks next to the black and white scroll! LOVE THEM!  To buy them Click Here.



Got the blank wall blues? Cheap and easy artwork ideas.

 Cheap and easy ideas to add some personality to your walls.

If you knew me growing up, then you'll remember that I never had an inch of empty space on my bedroom walls.  From Poison posters to hand drawn artwork I surrounded myself with images and people I loved. Now lets flash forward 15 years, and although I have outgrown the Poison poster (but of course not the music) I do still enjoy hanging artwork around my home to give it personality and interest.  Fine art can cost you a pretty penny, so here are a few ideas that will help you spruce up your space without breaking the bank.

Scrapbook Paper

As most of you may already know scrap booking paper comes in an array of trendy colors and patterns.  Simply choose papers that suit your room's color scheme and frame them.

Fabric Wall Art

Wrap your favorite fabric over artist's canvas and secure it using a staple gun. Make sure to cut your fabric approximately 1 1/2" larger than your canvas on all sides and to miter the corners to get a smooth finished look.

Another idea for using fabric on your walls is to frame it.  I recommend looking at fabric designers Amy Butler and Heather Bailey (showcased below) to give you some ideas and inspiration.

Postcard Art

Museum shops and specialty stores have a wide variety of postcards, note cards, and art prints at reasonable prices. Purchasing a few of these and framing them is an inexpensive way for you to get a picture you love by your favorite artist without breaking the bank.
 

Another take on postcard art is to hang old used postcards, like I did in my entryway. The lake I currently live on was a popular summer vacation destination in the early 1900's for people living in Boston. I managed to find a few used postcards from 1910 on eBay and hung them in glass frames so that I could flip them over to read the personal messages on the back. Doing this is a great way to showcase the history of your town or neighborhood, as well as a great conversation piece!

***Dedicated to Bonnie Ma***

:)

The Wonderful Grundtal....

Have you seen the Grundtal Kitchen Series from IKEA, yet? I just adore this wall shelving system!  The main reason for my obsession is the fact that it has so many different pieces and accessories, which allows you to mix and match everything to create a one of a kind design in your home.  I also love the fact that it works with almost any design style from contemporary to country and everything in between. Although it is usually used in the kitchen, the Grundtal can truly go anywhere in your home. All you need is a little imagination.  Below is how I used it in my home, along with more images to help inspire you.

 

Here is how I chose to use Gruntal shelves in my home.



I love coffee. That's why I created my own coffee station where everything I need is right there for a quick cup when I need it.

 Here are some more pictures to inspire you!

Here you can see how some of the shelves and accessories can be used in a country style kitchen.

It looks right at home in this sleek and modern kitchen, too.

This homeowner was able to add a pop of color to their wall by using the shelf as a towel rack.

Check out how the Grundtal even compliments this vintage style kitchen. 

This homeowner thought outside the box and hung the shelf vertically under a cabinet.  Very cool.

The Gruntal wall shelving system can be used in other rooms in your home besides the kitchen.  The pictures above and below show how it can be utilized in a craft room.



Here the shelving system is being used in the bathroom. 

Look!  The Grundtal can even be used in your garage!



For more information or to purchase check out my Amazon blog store.