It's Pretty Much Black & White

muted inspiration this holiday season

The traditional 'red and green' colors of Christmas were all I knew as a child. Bright colored lights and bold decor was the holiday standard in not only my home, but mostly every home I visited. As I grew older I was drawn to the simplicity of the season. Wreaths on a front door, twigs in a basket, galvanized pots with small frasier fir trees and nothing else. In a season of hustle and bustle, the black and white palette of Christmas is not only beautiful, it's comforting. 

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Holiday Home Tour ~ 2017

` Tidings of Comfort and Joy `

Well friends, I guess I can officially wish all of you a very 'Happy Holiday' season! It's always crazy to me how quickly it sneaks up and yet - here it is. Ready or not, it's that time of year again. A time that quite frankly can be overly stressful, commercial, materialistic and rushed. As I grow older I truly try and focus on spending time with family and finding the spirit and magic that the season brings. The past few days have been spent decorating, making hot cocoa, blasting Pandora Classical Christmas, and not combing my hair or putting on makeup. Yup - truths!

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My Favorite Stencil Projects

high impact design ideas for your home

Hello friends and happy weekend! Today I'm sharing some of my favorite interior design looks created with stencils. We are talking high impact, low cost ideas for totally reinventing your space and making it look incredible! I'll also share with you a great place to shop when looking for stencils and some of my top picks from them. Every image is linked for you so you can read more about the talented people that created these looks!

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First Floor Facelift

using paint to reinvent your space

It's been four years since we built and moved into our home. Our floor plan is open concept and all the first floor rooms bleed together. So when we make a decision on wall paint color, we better be ready to live with it. This can make painting expensive if planning to hire a painter. I estimated that my first floor (based on what I paid several years ago) would have been somewhere around $2,000+. Not wanting to spend the money, I committed to doing it myself and setting aside a few hours each night for about a week or so to get the job done. NOTE: The hubs does not paint - so I was flying solo on this project :)

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$100 DIY Faux Brick Backsplash

adding charm on the cheap

Picking out a tile for backsplash was pretty painful. I love so many different looks and styles and colors. From traditional subway to high glossed clay and everything in between, this was one of the more difficult design decisions I've made for my home.

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Family Room Makeover

Fresh Paint & DIY Wainscoting

Hey friends! I am super excited about all the little projects going on this fall in our home and I can't wait to share them with you. The best part is that I made so many impactful changes and only spent about $300. Woo hoo! 

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Bedding and RV'ing

 A perfect fit for your RV (every time)

Camping and RV'ing with my family is one of my absolute favorite things to do. It is a true adventure and blessing. There is not one regret that comes to mind when I think about making the leap into becoming an RV owner. The memories, the kiddos, the feeling of having my 'home on wheels' --- I love it all! 

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Country Living in an RV

Fields of Dreams in Cooperstown, NY

Memorial Day Weekend 2017

Our first RV trip of the year is in the books! It was a little bit of a wet one with cooler temps than the kiddos would've liked, but either way, it was a vacation! Our destination to kick off this camping season was Cooperstown, NY. Only about 90 minutes from my hometown of Cohoes it was a close getaway, perfect for a couple nights in our RV.

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Target 'Dollar Bin' Herb Garden

a cute & easy garden project

The concept of 'time' seems to be luxury idea for me these days. I don't recall another point in my life where I've been busier but I don't want to give up on the simple pleasures of life. For me, a full-blown garden this summer seems like it may be out of the question (stay tuned) but a simple little herb garden seemed feasible thanks to the help of Target's dollar-bin.

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Our Stamped Concrete Patio Makeover

making room for stylish outdoor living 

When we built our home in 2013 we had our contractor lay a pad of crusher run so we could take the dogs out on what was mainly a mud pit at the time. The pad was temporary (so we thought). But four years later we found that this was a project we never took on and was long overdue. Our goal was to create a large patio space with room for a fire pit area, eating area and seating/hot tub area. 

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Cream & Black Tablescape

Neutral table setting for a spring~country look

Spring is in the air friends! My hens are laying and spending their days in the sunshine (see all those gorgeous eggs on the table). The grass is greening and the trees are budding. It's a magical time of year where everything comes back to life, and one of my personal favorites!

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Fixer Upper Inspiration

Industrial/Country Dining Room Design

Two days of being snowed-in with a record breaking nor'easter in Upstate New York during mid-March does things to you. Expensive things. Like - making me design and purchase an entirely new dining table, chairs, lighting and decor. 

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:: A Dream Kitchen ::

Classic country meets modern minimalist  

I love my readers so much and enjoy sharing designs that I've created with them. Hence, I'm sharing a new and more importantly FREE vision-board (with full sources) for you! xo  *more information on my vision boards and eDesigns available here: http://bit.ly/2lHv0Hi

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The transitional tablescape

Late Winter / early spring inspired dining decor
{whites, pewter & peat moss}

The transition from the holiday season to the Spring is one I look forward to every year. For me, it is a time of tranquility and reflection. A time to put away all of the "clutter" (mentally and physically) that can accompany the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and focus on the peace and clarity that comes with those late winter months.   

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Interior 'Board & Batten' Design

This design element is not just for barns and stables

Texture is often the forgotten element of design. Most homes (including mine) consist of painted sheetrock walls and white ceilings. We can thank modern-day designers and builders (like Chip & Joanna Gaines) for bringing back shiplap walls and other textures that you would've found standard in old, historic homes. The craze for custom interior looks has further been fueled by the DIY community on websites such as Pinterest, Houzz, Hometalk, etc. - sharing their tips on simple 'do-it-yourself' projects that have great impact! This is so true of board & batten --- an easy and impactful way to customize any room in your room.

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