Saturday Style Spotlight. Choosing a style.

There are several different options when it comes to decorating your home. Hundreds of different styles and thousands of ways to make the style unique.

I can imagine myself with a country home in a small town, a chicken coop out back, a giant garden, several acres, an old white barn with chipped paint, three gorgeous horses, vaulted ceilings, thick wood plank floors, antlers on the wall, blush pink, grey, white and natural hues, and a wrap around deck lined with upholstered swings and sturdy chairs.

I can imagine myself with a penthouse downtown in a big city, three levels, large windows with a grand view of the city's skyline, several balconies adorned with the few plants that the small space will allow, large furnishings, open floor plan, oversized bedrooms, clean lines and metallic accents.

I can imagine myself in a shingled cottage near the shore, a small grass lawn in the front, an outdoor shower for rinsing after a swim in the Pacific, coral, white and turquoise, large rustic beams, shells, grass rugs, bamboo, a patio table, fire pit and outdoor bar.

It is difficult to pick a style and stick with it, especially if your attention span is as short as mine. I could constantly be redecorating. In my opinion the style has to be fitting to where you are located. The house decor should enhance the natural beauty of it's surroundings. When choosing a style for your home decor you should take several things into consideration, here are a few.

1. Location, location, location. The location of your home needs to be considered. Your home decor should reflect your location. i.e. coastal decor when you live by the beach. 

2. The structure. Whether you live in a condo building, stucco home or stained redwood house, your decor needs to harmonize well with the architecture of the building. Nobody wants a modern design with rustic interior.

3.Your lifestyle. It is important for the homes furnishings to be practical and fitting to your lifestyle. A home should bring you peace and be fit to your personality. Decorate with items that you like, things that make you happy and furniture that you are comfortable in. 

4. Stick to a color palette. You should choose a color palette and stick with it. Homes look better when there is a common theme. When you choose a palette of a few colors that compliment each other the house will have a great flow and navigating through your home will be easy on the eyes. 

5. Budget. You don't want to have caviar taste on a tuna fish budget. Your home will never be completed if you can't afford any of the items that you like. Set a realistic budget and seek out stores that are fitting for you. The internet makes it so easy, you can find everything you need online on any budget. 

6. Theme. Finally you need to pick a common theme for the house. Country, Bohemian, Shabby Chic, Rustic, Modern, Coastal, Eclectic, etc. The home will come together completely if you stick to a common theme throughout. Study the theme you chose, get inspired and start shopping. 

Flea Market Friday. Thrift store success.

Nothing beats strolling the 101, sipping a great cup of coffee and shopping the boutiques, consignment stores and thrift shops. I have never had trouble shopping. I have yet to walk into a store that doesn't have a single item that I'd like to see in my home. 

I find thrift stores to be especially fun. Everybody loves a good treasure hunt. You never know what you're going to leave with. Once you find a piece that you can't live without, it is so much fun to imagine the story behind it. The prices are impossible to beat. Where can you find a lovely $3.00 tea cup and saucer set or a beautiful matted and framed picture of the ocean for the bargain price of 6.00? 

Just two of the treasures that I came home with today. Here are a couple more...

I love the colors on these matching canvases. They are perfect for our beach pad. I am not sure where I will find a home for them but I know I can free up some wall space to showcase these little stunners. $4.00 for both. 

I have been looking for decorating, design and home organizing books everywhere. I came across three at a thrift store today and couldn't pass up the deal. For $10 I went home with 3 books, what a steal. Now I must read them. 

The best Flea Markets in San Diego run Saturday- Sunday. I will be attending this weekend and documenting my experience. I am looking forward to the adventure, it has been too long since I last shopped the market. 

NEW Weekly Blogging Themes

It's time to get excited… I will be disclosing OCD Lady's weekly blogging themes right NOW. I'm sure the anticipation has been killing you. What more could a person want, really?!

I'd like to keep this blog semi structured but still allow myself the freedom to stray. After all, I am overflowing with important information in regards to decorating and organization, and I know that you're eager to receive it.

This is a glimpse of what our weeks will look like together. Of course, nothing is set in stone and if I feel the need to change it up a bit, I will do as I please. If you'd like to suggest a theme or topic, please feel free to do so.

Modify Monday

Top Ten Tuesday

Trendy Wednesday

Thursday Organizer 

Freebie Friday 

Saturday Style Spotlight

Sunday Celebration

My blog for each day will relate directly to that day's theme.  OK? Let's get this party started. Back to blogging… 

Tranquil Tuesday. Peace in the bedroom.

Peace in the Bedroom

After a long day there is nothing that I love more than coming home. My home is my sanctuary. It is small but thoughtfully laid out, surrounded by chaos but very peaceful. When I am home I am  surrounded by my belongings, pictures, scents, memories and comfort.  

I recently redecorated our Master bedroom to make a more peaceful and calm setting. When I am in my bedroom I want to relax, most of the time anyway. I chose a beautiful color palette of soft blues, teal, chocolate brown and cream. I tied in the beach theme that I had chosen for the rest of our home. It didn't cost much to redecorate the bedroom because I already had most of the items necessary. One trip to Home Goods and our bedroom was complete. I am thrilled with the way it turned out, in fact, I am ready to head in there right now! 

Modify Monday. Trash into Treasure.

My Sister has been cleaning house for several months, redecorating rooms, organizing closets and donating several items. Lucky for me, I have scored some great pieces.
Today it was time to put some of my sanding and painting skills to work, to see what I could make of a little old brown table that my Sister had given me. I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. 

Of course with a 4 month old, my schedule is based on my Baby's needs and desires, so when starting a project I always wonder just how long it is going to take to complete. Lucky for me, today Parker was as happy as a clam and turned out to be the perfect company while I redecorated this little table. 

By the time I remembered to take a before picture I had already gotten the hardware off and begun sanding… whoops. 

I invested in a sander a couple of years ago when I was tackling my first refurbish. This specific piece of furniture was so ready for a new life, the paint and stain was peeling off very easily. All it took was a light sanding over the entire table and inside the shelves. 

When the details are too small to be worked over with the sander I rub a piece of sand paper over it by hand or use a primer before painting. This table did not need the primer because it was responding so well to the light sanding. 

It is important to brush all of the loose saw dust, stain and dirt off of the table before painting. I sweep a broom over it lightly and wipe the wood down with a damp cloth. Once the sanding is complete it is time to start painting. I always keep a can of white paint. Since I live on the coast white is almost always perfect for the 'beachy' look that I am going for. Of course with white you have to do several coats, three on this specific table. Always let it dry completely before painting your second and third coats.

The drawer handle was very outdated and needed to be replaced. While the paint dried, my son and I went for a little shop at the Home Depot to buy the drawer some new hardware. Decisions, decisions…

There are SO many options and each option will give the piece of furniture a very different look. Currently I am liking the glass pulls, so that's what I went with. They are very inexpensive at $4.oo each.

Once the paint is dry and the table is put back together, it's time to find the piece of furniture a new home. 

I haven't found the table a permanent home quite yet. I thought that I wanted it below this picture, but it is too small for that space. I will update when I find the perfect spot for it. 

OCD Lady...

Hi. I'd like to take a minute to introduce myself and let you know the motivation behind this blog I'm starting… OCD Lady.  My name is Lindsay Shannon Holcroft. I am a 28 year old woman who resides in beautiful, sunny southern California: Oceanside to be precise. I am married to my best friend and the man of my dreams and together we have a 4 month old baby. I am a creative person. I am a dreamer.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to organize, create and decorate. When I was a child and shared a bedroom with my younger sister, it would drive me absolutely mad that she could not keep everything in it's place. I wanted our room to look perfect all of the time. When I became old enough to stay home alone, my parents would return to a redecorated house. I would rearrange the furniture, reorder the pictures and reorganize the cupboards. I can remember my Mother asking me at a very young age where the toaster had gone. I let her know that it was in the cupboard where it should be kept because it didn't look good out on the counter… duh! Maybe that's why when I told my parents that I was going to start a decorating business and blog, it came as no surprise to them.

I did not always know that I wanted to be a decorator. I first studied fashion at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Consequently, this is not my first rodeo or blog. As a fashion major, I created and authored a blog dedicated to fashion shoots that I had styled. I am thankful that I have it to look back on and smile and laugh at. www.flirtyfearlessfashion.blogspot.com

When I realized I wanted to invest in a career in decorating and organizing, I wondered why I hadn't gone in that direction in the first place. As children, you are always told to pick a career that you are passionate about, something that comes naturally to you and that is enjoyable for you: for me, this is it. I've created this blog to keep a library of all of the projects that I am constantly working on. As a stay at home Mom, I need something to keep my creative brain running properly and as a budding business owner I need a creative way to display my experience. My posts will consist of organizing, creating and decorating… I'm the O.C.D. Lady.

So, here goes nothing or everything?!