New Blog Header!

Updated my blog header, courtesy of The Background Fairy,  where you can get free images, backgrounds, buttons etc for your blog! Nice change from the simple text I had before... can't wait to learn more about blogging and give my blog a makeover!

My Christmas Tree...

We spent some time today and decorated our Christmas tree. We still need a few more "pretty" ornaments (and some lime green ones!), and it will be complete! What do you think?

Fabric hunting no more!

Well, instead of spending a small fortune on fabric and time, we purchased this couch from the Showhome furniture sale of the company I work for. We scored this beautiful vanilla linen couch for a mere $150! In need a steam clean, but a small price to pay considering how much fabric could've cost us to recover the old couch (just need some new cushions!) Now the majority of the furniture in our living rooms come from old showhomes. A great perk of working for a homebuilder!

Your weekend...

I'll be spending time this weekend putting up our Christmas tree and decorating it with my new ornmanents in these colors...and, as my husband says I seem to quote in nearly every post, won't they be AMAZING??? How will you be spending your weekend?

De-clutter...and me?

Since I will be off Christmas shopping tomorrow, I decided to post twice today (I'm hoping I can post everyday, minus the weekends or holidays...). 

Does anyone else have a problem with clutter taking over their kitchen? OMG...we do!!  And it's our kitchen because that's the main pit-stop in our house...first place we go when we walk in)  Now, I like to think that I'm not the problem, but, lets face it, my husband can't be responsible for ALL the clutter!!  One of my pet peeves is clutter. I hate it. I try to stay on top of it and not keep junk sitting around, but I know I leave my share behind as well.  My husband comes home and (if he's checked the mail), comes in, and places all the mail and flyers right smack on the kitchen counter as soon as he enters.  Then, he proceeds to do other things while leaving the pile of unsorted junk on the counter. I am typically the one to toss the flyers immediately in the recycle bin (where it can be grabbed if you want to look at later), and sort the mail (recycle, junk, and bills). The bills go in my purse to pay the next day (if I see it sticking out, I know I have to pay it soon), and the rest get tossed or recycled.  But there's always other junk that piles up on the counters. You know what I'm talking about; receipts, coupons, gift cards, keys, sunglasses, etc etc.  Well...I just came across the blog, A Thoughtful Place, where she describes her solution to "the pile" here. Now I think I NEED to find a little holder like she has on her counter (and once we get a new knife set and get rid of our "The Ex" knife-man block --which I do love, it just takes up too much space -- we will have the room for it!) Isn't this a great idea?

 She ensures to wake up every morning with a clutter-free kitchen

 The holder....

 Throughout the day, things slowly accumulate....

But at the end of the day, she ensures to sort and file all the clutter so she can start off on a clean note the next day!!

{images via A Thoughtful Place}



Now...she does have a few kids, so there are a lot more things piled up at the end of the day than ours would...but at least it's a start for where my hubby could always put things. (although, I have to admit, I still think the flyers should immediately be recycled...they just take up way too much space, don't you agree?)

What do you think?

Monochromatic....White-on-White

Does anyone else love the new WHITE trend, where everything is white-on-white-on-white, etc?  I absolutely LOVE it!! I just don't know if I could go through with it in my own house...with my little black puppy that sheds and a husband who loves color.  Not to mention, I've only ever seen the white-on-white in magazines, online, or in photos....never in person.  So I would be SCARED to try it for real!!  Some people may think the white-on-white look is cold and unwelcoming...but not me! I think it looks crisp and clean, warm and inviting...like fluffy white clouds that say "join me!"  Won't you join me in this new love?


{image via Style at Home}




{image via Style at Home}




{image via zainteriora}




{Made By Girl's home office - image via Style at Home}




{image via Sarah Richardson Design}




{image via Style at Home}





I'm contemplating making my own DIY foyer light like Jen at Made by Girl did (see here), except smaller for our place...wouldn't it be gorgeous and unique??
{image via Made By Girl}



Damask...and me!

Does anyone else love damask as much as me? I hope so! It's gorgeous!! I especially love black and white damask patterns, but I will not rule out color as well.  Lets see...in my house, I have damask dinnerware, a giant damask serving bowl, a damask throw, damask throw pillows, damask-ish china (in white-on-white), a damask area rug, and a painting from my sister-in-law, Crystal Driedger Illustrations of "Damask Lady" (that she painted specially for us as a wedding gift)...just to name a few...oh!! And I just picked up a new damask lamp for $10!! (also black....)

This canvas painting hangs in my home office -- purple is also one of my favorite colors, so she incorporated that as well (isn't she amazing??)

{image via Crystal Driedger Illustrations}

My favorite throw from Homesense (I also saw this recently in a pale aqua-green and white combination....it was so hard for me NOT to pick it up!!)

I've wanted a damask wallpaper feature wall in my master bedroom for some time now, but I was always too afraid that the pattern would be too overpowering. After coming across P and T Interiors from Mady By Girl's blog, I may think differently now... I mean, check out the wallpaper, curtains, stools...they're GORGEOUS! Is there anywhere I CAN'T put damask??? I don't think so!!

{images via P&T Interiors}