Pics around the house

anyone that knows me, knows that i have a "thing" for nature.  i love it outdoors and i love to bring it into my home.  i think that nature is fabulous.  when you bring it into your home it is instant beauty, it is free and it is a conversation piece.

from living flowers

to dried conks

wasp nest and

birds nest

i collect it all.

i hope that you can be inspired to collect nature and love it in your home as much as i do.

contrast. love it or hate it?

i personally love contrast in a room.  it makes it feel dynamic.  the special pieces stand out.  my house now does not have a lot of contrast, i wish it did.  but i would have to redo every bit of it and that is NOT going to happen.  so i will just lust over these wonderful images instead.

beautiful!

melanie

obsessed

i may be late to the party, but i have discovered my new favorite show.  i love nicole curtis from rehab addict.  i am obsessed with that show and nicole.  this is by far my most coveted dream job.  i love old houses just as much, maybe more, than nicole.  if i could do anything in the world this would be it.

nicole is so talented, smart, and creative, not to mention a power house.  have you seen that girls' arms?  

she is passionate about her job and making communities better.

she can do anything!  if you haven't watched her show you need to.  look at what she has done.

i seriously think we may have been separated at birth.

she loves everything old

she tries to use and recycle everything

she loves animals

she is a very hard worker

she wants to save old houses

she is adorable

we share all of these, well maybe not the adorableness, but the rest yes.

she really is an inspiration.  you need to watch this show.  now!

go!

monday motivational

i know, i know, it is not monday, i missed it.  but as they say, sometimes late but worth the wait.

i have some great motivation for you to complete you projects.  check out these wonderful spaces.

source

this floor is to die for! and don't get me started on the ceiling.

source

love the use of the modern chairs.

this is so charming.

so clever and industrial.

i would love a laundry room this clean and organized!

c-ya next time,

melanie

wonderful friends

i have a beautiful friend that i love like no other.  she is always thinking of me and i her.  we share so many same thoughts, that i tell her we share a brain.  She calls me her podna, from invasion of the body snatchers. we always have great fun together.  we both love antiques and are always on the look out for them.

she found this mirror for me.  i love it to death.  i wanted to sleep with it the night i got it.  yum.

i will get some better pics in the day, but i couldn't wait.

oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh

the amazing miss mustard seed featured my beautiful dinning room cabinet on her blog today.

thank you marian for thinking the cabinet is as wonderful as i do.

trumeau mirror knock off

have you ever wanted something but it was just not in your budget?  i find myself in this situation most of the time.  i think i have champaign taste and a beer budget, or in my case boxed wine budget.

usually when this happens, if i am too impatient to save for it,  i find a way to make an inexpensive version of the original.  sometimes this works out wonderfully and sometimes not.

i have been lusting after a trumeau mirror for some time, but they are always so expensive.  now of course i would love to have an original french one, buuutt that is not going to happen.  so i am going to make my own.

i love these two ornate beauties.

 but i love this plain jane just a much.

while i am deciding which design to go with, i will be gathering the supplies i need.  will you follow along with me on this project?

Motivating

sometimes when i am thinking about starting a project, i need a little motivation.  i will look at inspiration pics and dream about what i want my project to look like.

the bedding on this bed is scrumptious!

i love a fabulous wainscoting.  adding architectural detail like this sets a house apart from cookie cutter designs

chipping doors, mmmm

love the bold wallpaper and that bed, swoon

fluffy white bedding is a must

great use of architectural salvage

wow i am inspired already!!

New Year, New Posts

i can not believe it has been so long since i posted something on my blog.  i am an unbelievable slacker.

this year i have some house goals that i will try to achieve.  we still have to finish our master bath, but besides that i would like to work on minor facelifts to a few other rooms.

i would love to repaint the dinning room and redo the fire place wall.  this is what it looks like now.

i am keeping all of the furniture, i just would like to go a little more neutral,

adding a couple of textures.

burlap will be used for an amazing treatment to the walls

and i would love to clad the fireplace wall in something like this.

i have special plans for these

and of course i will be keeping this beauty!

stay tuned to see what ideas i have for my guest room and daughters room!