relax, it's going to be okay

finally things are coming together, at least for the guest room! i have been creating a very relaxing, calm like feel and today one of the finishing touches has just been added. i have been searching for the above lamp every where, i wasn't yet desperate to pay pottery barn $130 per lamp and thank the Lord i didn't, because i found the perfect fit at Marshall's for only $70 each. Marshall's never seem to let me down... Although they do keeping me waiting but it's always worth the wait!

out at the barn

as you guys know from earlier post i have a bit of an obsession with pottery barn. i just love the inviting and comfortable looks they create. yesterday i attended a decorating class at Pottery Barn. It was very informative but nothing the average woman doesn't know. the topics include, thread count {Egyptian cotton is the best}, furniture arrangement, lighting, mixing textures {my all time favorite way of decorating}, dressing your dresser, fabric no no's {don't hang a silk curtain with casual cotton bedding}, and so on.... one thing that i did learn is, pottery barn will give you a private consultation either before they open or after they close. If you have questions about arranging your furniture or setting the right mood throughout your home with lighting, the barn is there for you...

it's a domino effect!

what is the world coming to? first house and garden, then blue print, now domino? this is crazy folks! what are we to do, really? i suppose now we will have to eat dinner at the dinning table and talk to each other! it's a sad day, month, year! i certainly hope president obama can get us out of this funk, so regular folks can get back to consuming stuff we don't need!

weekend warriors

well it's been a while but finally the banquette is stained. and yes my designer in training husband was right there to guide me step by step of how to accomplish the above look. i am very pleased with the way this turned out. it's the first project that i actually did by myself (kudos to me!). I am also happy because my designer in training husband surprised me with a flat screen TV for the kitchen, so that I can enjoy cooking that much more (yeay me!). well, gotta run and start cooking :)

until next time....
Cheerio!

table pour deux

while i try to move on from my mourning of not being chosen has Michelle's decorator, i forgot to inform you of my other let down and mission. a couple of months ago i was reading the Nest magazine and I came across the image above. notice my stolen table by the banquette {this was the best picture i could find of the table}! i have been wanting the exact table for our kitchen. would you believe they will not give it back and the furniture store {room and board} is out of stock. so now i am stuck in a rock and a no table for my kitchen type of place... i know it's hard to see the entire table, but if you come across something similar, you just let me know... i will keep you up dated on the developments....

it's good to be Mr. Smith right now

the Obama's have chosen their decorator, no, it's not me, unfortunately, but they have chosen the next to best! Michael S. Smith. i see why the Obama's chose him, he's an excellent designer with a style and passion for beauty. his decorating style is a collaboration of all era's. an eclectic style! i wonder what he has in store for the White House? with Michelle's style and Michael's talent, i am sure it will be fabulous! click here to get a taste of the style and beauty that is to come to 1600 pennsylvania avenue.....

project ungava

i interrupt my special posting of "trends for 09" for a special broad cast.... step one and two of my banquette has been accomplished. step one, find paint and antique agent. step two, test out paint and antique agent... the above picture is the finished product of step two. i must say, i am good... i absolutely love the way it turned out... but if you asked my husband {designer in training}, he will inform you, the paint needs a bit more beige... as if! i had to politely remind my husband who was the designer and whose bright idea it was in the first place to antique the banquette. I also had to remind him he didn't even know what antique was until he married his beautiful wife... and so tonight i will be working hard at antiquing our banquette...and since we will be having house guest in a couple of weeks and the stain takes forever to dry, i better get started...

those of you who would like to try this method on you own, see reciepe below;

1 quart of creamy white paint, by glidden {you can use a darker color, perhaps something with a little more beige}
1 can of stain {I used Minwax stain in satin antique walnut}, you can use a darker or lighter shade if you would like
1 paint brush
1 lint free rag
1 sand paper
1 glass of your favorite beverage :)

first clean the surface you are painting. If the item needs to be primed first, prime it and wait until the primer dries. Paint the surface {i only use one coat of paint} and let it dry fully, about 4 to 8 hours. once the item dries, lightly sand the surface. you can sand it a lot or very light, depending of the looking you are going for. using a paint brush, wipe away the dust or you can vacuum it or use a wet rag {but make sure the surface is dry before continuing to the next step}. dip a clean paint brush into the stain {making sure you do not put too much stain on the paint brush}, gently brush your painted surface with the stained paint brush. using your lint free rag to gently wipe away the stain. depending on the look you want you can wipe most of the stain off to give a faint antique look or a more heavier antique look.

* the stain takes quite some time to dry, possibly 8 hours to overnight
**also i would test the technique out on scrape wood before actually using it all over the item you want to use it on

enjoy and i hope you like it as much as i do!