Country road take me home.

My Sister lives in a beautiful little country home. The house is situated on several acres atop Palomar Mountain. The decor is warm, charming, country and comfortable. The furniture, walls and floors are all natural wood tones but we have added a variety of colors with pillows, pictures, throws and old treasures.
Recently I had the pleasure of redecorating my Sister's spare bedroom. When she assigned me the task the bedroom was being used as a storage/ office/ guest room. After discussing with her in detail what she uses the bedroom for most often, we decided to make the room a full time office. Not just a traditional office for business use, but a room where her daughters could do their homework, read, be creative and enjoy a cozy space.
The office furniture had already been purchased, so I knew exactly what I was working with. I made a list of the items that I wanted to incorporate.
It was time to get to work!

After gutting the room, including ripping out the carpet, we were left with this...

The floors were replaced and the walls painted. I had quite a few DIY projects to complete before hanging pictures and placing candles.

I made throw pillows and valances out of beautiful curtain panels. I also used curtain panels to close off the closet, instead of buying closet doors.  

After a few trips to Home Goods, Target, Home Depot and a large Amazon order, the room was complete. 

Rustic Chic Baby Shower

Rustic Chic Baby Shower

As I previously posted, I have been working on putting together a baby shower for a dear friend of mine. The baby shower was last week and it went off without a hitch (minus the strong gusts of wind blowing vases over and the light shower of rain). It took me several hours (and gallons of wine) to paint, locate, buy and assemble all of the decorations. On the day of the event I had a small army helping to put everything in it's perfect place. I was extremely pleased with the outcome of the event and more importantly the Mom to be was thrilled as well.

We served lemonade and water. We decided to omit alcohol because the party was from 2-4 pm and it adds an element that isn't always appropriate at a baby shower. I bought several inexpensive chalkboards, painted the borders and wrote on them with a paint pen. I used them to label the items that were available. I bought several dozen mason jars for a previous event and continue to reuse them. I love mason jars because they are inexpensive and they look much nicer than disposable cups.

I made vases with old wine bottles and large mason jars. I wrapped the top of the mason jars in a white lace ribbon and tied a twine bow at the top. The wine bottles I wrapped with twine, a small pink ribbon and glued fabric flowers in the front. The vases were inexpensive (and a great excuse to drink more wine), cute and perfectly country. Each table was decorated with a chocolate brown linen, five vintage doilies and two vases filled with Baby's Breath and Gerber Daisies. 

I made several signs to display around the yard. I bought acrylic paint in the color palette that I had chosen, wood steaks and thin unfinished wood signs. All of the items are sold at Michael's for under $10 a sign. I reused a few signs from a previous event and just repainted them, it worked out well. 

I used hand me down clothing to make an adorable clothes line. The line was made from twine, I bought clothes pins from Michael's and all of the clothing items that I hung were in the chosen color palette. It was a very simple addition to the event's decor. 

It's always nice to have a designated site for the gifts. Gifts are so colorful and beautifully wrapped, they can be a wonderful addition to the overall look of an event. 

Since the event was held from 2-4 pm we had the option of serving food, appetizers or desserts. I decided to do a dessert bar. This is the first dessert bar that I have executed. I learned a few helpful tips that I'll surely apply next time around: 

1. You do NOT need 100 different choices. Simple is best. 

2. Stick with 5 candy choices and 5 baked good choices.

3. No need to have a large amount of each item. Not every guest will indulge in every item. 

4. Choose items that perfectly match your color palette. 

5. Use boxes to prop different items, so that the display has items at different heights. 

6. Use different sized vases, jars, dishes and stands. It makes the table look perfectly displayed. 

7. Test ALL of the items. ; )

There was an insane amount of treats left over from the event. I have definitely learned from my mistakes but I was happy with the way that it turned out, especially with it being the first dessert table I have designed. 

Cheers to a great event. Can't wait until I have another event to plan!! 

Top Ten Tuesday. Budget Decor.

Top Ten Tuesday. Budget Decor.

Decorating on a budget? I have never had the luxury of shopping without having a maximum spending amount in mind. That being said, I haven't always respected budgeting either. When decorating, you must find the stores that best suit your style and price point. After years of decorating and redecorating I now know which stores and websites to go to when I need something new. Still, my favorite way to shop for home decor is in small boutiques in random towns, it's always an adventure… but usually not in the budget. 

My top 10 Stores and Sites

10. wayfair.com- a site dedicated to home decor with price points for all budgets.

9. Cost Plus World Market- affordable goods from around the World. Rugs to wine, I can never get out of the store empty handed.

8. Pier 1- Lovely pillows and textiles, my go to store for pops of color and accents. 

7. Craigslist.com- I always say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. I have gotten countless items from Craigslist. I feel as though it is a giant online thrift shop. Great deals at every price point and bargaining is an option.

6. Hobby Lobby- I am pretty crafty so I can make decor for the home. I love something that is homemade, it's usually one of a kind too. Hobby Lobby has many great decor items and every craft you can think of, all under one roof!

5. Target- Target has great deals and great pieces. For the classic pieces that don't need to be unique, Target is a great place to shop. 

4. Home Depot- plants, furniture, lumber. When your Husband is as handy as mine, he can make what you have envisioned. We have spent several dates cruising up and down the aisles of Home Depot. 

3. Bed, Bath and Beyond- Great for household items. Some of the price points do not fit the products but you can find some great deals as well. The framed pictures and artwork are very affordable. 

2. HomeGoods- I love love love Home Goods. I could spend days in Home Goods admiring all of their inventory. Home Goods is great for all styles and budgets. Who doesn't like a great deal?

1. amazon.com- You can find anything and everything on Amazon. I always check Amazon first. Often times they have the best deals and a great variety too. I order at least two items a month from Amazon. Amazon Prime is a must for loyal customers like myself! 

Saturday Style Spotlight. Rustic Chic.

I'd like to tie the theme of the Baby Shower that I am currently working on into today's style spotlight, country chic. Rustic style is currently trending and has been for years. It is classic and when done properly it is timeless. Rustic style can be comforting, masculine, feminine, natural, sustainable, country, inviting and lovely.

When decorating an event or interior with a country chic theme, you have the option of incorporating several different elements and objects. Beyond the mason jars, burlap and wood rounds, there are hundreds of ways to create an atmosphere that embodies a rustic chic vibe. Let's begin with eight. 

8 ideas on how to achieve a rustic chic theme when decorating…

1. Tribal Prints. In every color you can imagine, tribal prints are beautiful and very accessible. On a pillow or covering a wall, the addition of tribal prints is an easy way to incorporate a rustic theme. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   2. Barn wood. Any wood that is weathered and worn. Barn wood has a lovely distressed look that can turn any item rustic chic. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   3. Tin. On the roof, wall paneling, buckets or light fixtures, tin always has a rustic look.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   4. Copper. A little copper goes a long way. Nothing makes a more beautiful rustic kitchen than an oversized copper sink. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   5. Muted neutral tones. Natural shades of brown, grey, ivory and black. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   6. Repurposed Items. Upcycle. One Man's trash is another Man's treasure, such a true statement. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   7. Wrought Iron. The combination of barn wood and wrought iron is fabulous. The old wrought iron bed frames are perfect for a rustic chic room. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   8. Exposed beams. No need to hide those beautiful rustic beams.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   The options are endless. What are your favorite rustic chic decorating ideas? I may go this direction when we have a house in the country.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Homemade Cupcake Toppers

::DIY Cupcake Toppers::

I am on a budget for the Baby Shower that I am helping to throw. I wish that I had endless amounts of money to spend on the event but the truth is that I don't. I am trying to spend wisely and get the most from the money that I am spending. Of course I want the event to be perfect, so I am getting really crafty.

Making decorations is the perfect way to save money on an event. I always have my eyes peeled for inexpensive decorations or items that can be made into decorations. While at Target last week I found a couple of paper notepads that were filled with card stock that happened to be in my color palette. I bought two of them without knowing what I would use them for.

After searching Pinterest for different decorating ideas, I decided to make cupcake toppers out of the card stock. It was so easy and I am very pleased with the way they turned out. 

How to:: make cupcake toppers

1. Find beautiful card stock that you want to use.

2. Pick a shape that you would like to top your cupcake with. 1-2" 

3. Trace the shape onto card stock. 

4. Cut out all of the shapes. 

5. Use hot glue to adhere the card stock shape onto the front of a wood pick. 

6. Glue another card stock shape onto the other side of the pick so that the shapes line up perfectly.

7. Tie a bow at the top of the wood pick right below the bottom of the shape. (optional)