Amanda Carol at Home

Rugs USA Review

2012-01-27T04:00:00.001-06:00

I was recently given the opportunity to try out a rug from Rugs USA. I had several to choose from and finally decided upon the Radiante Hearts rug

When it arrived it was even better than I expected. Its always hard to order something on-line not knowing what your going to get, but this rug far exceeded my expectations. I have since recommended Rugs USA to my e-clients.

I decided to put it in my entry, but I love it so much Im thinking of moving it into my master bedroom.

Close-up of the rug. The colors are cream, aqua blue and gold.

Here are some other amazing rugs from Rugs USA and many of them are on sale!

Modern Trellis

Trans Ocean Chains

Safavieh Dhurri

Surya Jill Rosenwald

So be sure to check out Rugs USA next time your in the market for a rug. They not only carry rugs but great mirrors and lamps as well.

Emily A .Clark

2012-01-26T07:40:00.001-06:00

Today I am over at Emily A. Clark participating in her new series "Send me a picture"- come visit me HERE.

And I can't wait to show you what West Elm (well the UPS man) delivered yesterday- I did a little tweaking to it and put it up in my office- and I LUV it!

Designer Challenge

2012-01-25T08:21:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends!! Today I am over at Satori Design for living participating in her Designers Challenge. I was given the choice of these three rugs:

Come see what I chose and the room I built around it.

E-Client Boy & Girl Room

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-06:00

I recently was contacted by the sweetest gal. Her and her husband have adopted two precious girls from China, have a sweet little boy of their own and are now expecting a new baby! WOW!
She was wanting to put the two 3yr olds together in a room-a girl and a boy-so she asked me to help design a gender neutral room with a little punch of color.

Here is the room (this was a photo taken from the previous owners of the home):

She had already purchased these beautiful beds from Restoration Hardware and just needed help pulling the room together with color and fabric.

And here's what I came up with: I decided to add a little pop of coral to her daughters side and the spring green to her sons side- both of these colors work well with the navy.

I received an email from her recently and she loved it so much she had already purchased all the items on the board! Its emails like that which make this job so much fun!!!

p.s.-out of respect of my paying clients I will not share sources.Thank you for your understanding.

Dallas Market

2012-01-24T04:00:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was a whirlwind of crazy. I took a little road trip up to Dallas for the Dallas Market Home & Gift Show. Oh boy did I see some fun stuff. Unfortunately all I had was my phone for photos- so you will have to excuse the quality of these pictures.

Lots of fun new lighting from this showroom:

Love this gold & linen drum shade chandelier.

Lots of weathered wood lamps:

A perfect mix- weathered wood & gold!!

You can't tell from this photo- but this lamp was huge and had an amazing chocolate silk shade.

A little chandy for a bathroom or nursery.

This next showroom had the most amazing bed linens from Lili Alessandra. I actually got to meet the founder of this company back in the Fall- she has impeccable taste and her silks and linens are all washable! The applique of her linens are all hand-applied! And her newest line includes some fun new colors- like charcoal, navy and coral. Email me if you are interested in any of her items-they are not cheap but boy they are totally worth the splurge!

This photo looks pink- but its actually a very beautiful coral.

The navy was so classy.

The Global Views showroom was one of my faves!

One day I will own this orange rug!! I have no clue where I will put it!

This gold console table was amazing!

Their upholstered pieces are in this butter soft leather-that seems to feel very kid friendly. Who says you have to sacrifice chic-ness when you have kiddos with cheeto-crusted hands.

That same rug- but in gray (and yes I want this one too!!)

Leather dining chair with nail head trim:

Loving this peacock rug!

Beautiful wall sconces

You can't tell from this photo but this chandelier was massive!!

Hope you enjoyed a little tour of Dallas Market. I also took TONS of photos of all the Christmas Shops! You can't start dreaming too early!

Dining Room for Spring

2012-01-20T04:00:00.003-06:00

My dining room table has been naked for weeks now since I took down all the Christmas decor. I was ready for something fresh and clean. I have several blue and white vases that I have collected over the years and decided to pull them out. I kept the pallet simple- all white fresh flowers.

The dishes were our first set of china when we got married.

The linen napkins are from William Sonoma Home.

I dressed up the buffet with some fresh lemons.

Have a wonderful weekend!! Im headed to Dallas for Total Home & Gift Show at the Dallas Market. I'll try and take some pics.

Linking to:

Gray & Green

2012-01-18T11:51:00.000-06:00

Hello friends! Im buried this week in quarterly taxes and e-designs and hope to come up for air later this week. I have 2 big room re-do's I want to tackle in my own home but can't seem to find the energy or time to get it done.

Lately I have had gray & green on the brain. I am loving this color combo and just got my Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis sample in today. It is the most perfect color of green! Not sure where Im going to use it yet-so stay tuned.

Here's my gray & green room design:

Have a great week!! and I hope to have some new goodies to show you soon (if I can ever get the energy to get started!)

Easy Ikea Desk

2012-01-16T04:00:00.000-06:00

I have been meaning for months to show you how I created my glass desk for my office. Its not that exciting of a DIY- just a little tweaking with a can of spray paint.

I bought a pair of these trestle table legs from Ikea

Because the black finish did nothing for my office- I grabbed a can of my favorite gold spray paint from Valspar:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

For the table top I used the glass from this GoodWill coffee table:

I will say its not the sturdiest desk, but it works for now until I can spend a little more money on something more substantial.

And stay tuned- Im not done tweaking this office-I just ordered something from WestElm thats going to make this room even better (I hope).

Inspiration Board & a Feature Friday at Southern Hospitality

2012-01-13T08:33:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday friends!! So excited it is a 4 day weekend for us and boy do we need it- Im nursing a nasty cold and my youngest is recovering from walking pneumonia. He's much better thanks to some anti-biotics.

While searching for rugs for a client- I ran across this gorgeous peacock blue and green geometric rug from Company C.

While this particular rug won't work in her home- I was immediately inspired to create a room around this rug! So I created this global-chic inspiration board pulling the colors from this rug:

Mind you this rug is not cheap- $2,500 for an 8 X 11 but boy does is make a statement and with the velvet tufted sofa- yes, please!! Hey a girl can dream right? or maybe one of you awesome readers want me to create this room for you?? Im game!!

I am also so very honored and excited that Rhoda from Southern Hospitality is featuring my home today on her Feature Friday. Thank you Rhoda!! She is such a gem and someone who I totally look up to in the blogging community! Head HERE to see more.

My daughters room

2012-01-12T09:24:00.000-06:00

Because I can't stay focused on one project at a time- I have moved from working on my boy's room to my daughters room. It all started with this Jill Rosenwald rug from Surya:

Then I ordered this fabric from Caitlin Wilson (which is now out of stock-so glad I ordered when I did!)

And this button-tufted upholstered headboard:

But it will be upholstered in this velvet caribbean blue fabric:

I still have not decided on a paint color- Im going to wait till the fabric & headboard arrive before I make my decision. Now if I can just stay focused on her room to get it finished! But that ding-dang Pinterest gets me all inspired and I move onto something else- like this room:

Via: Pinterest

Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis drapery in green!- yes please! but I would need 24 yards to cover all my living room/dining room windows! *sigh* oh well....

By the way you can follow me on Pinterest and all my A.D.D decorating inspiration HERE.

Oh and a BIG thank you all for the sweet birthday wishes! I had a great day-minus catching a nasty cold, but hubby bought me this book- so I curled up with it and a cup of tea:

Toodles!!

Happy Birthday to me!

2012-01-11T04:00:00.001-06:00

Today is my Birthday!

I plan on drinking lots of this:

Spending some time with these ladies (my beautiful sisters):

Having a yummy date night dinner with my man:

And hoping these three little monkeys give me a day of peace and quiet:

Tangerine Tango

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000-06:00

Im sure you have all heard by now that the 2012 Pantone Color is Tangerine Tango.

I've seen this color in fashion recently and even tired to incorporate it into my wardrobe, but its looks awful on me. My sister has this exact dress from J. Crew and it looks adorable on her- me, not so much!

Source: jcrew.com via Amanda on Pinterest

So I'm wondering how many will infuse this color into their homes? It is a bright and "in your face" kinda color, but I think if its used sparingly it can really make a statement. So I created this inspiration board with some "pops" of Tangerine. I'll admit many of these elements lean more towards the orange-y side-it was hard finding accessories that were the perfect "red-orange". I think pairing it with chocolate brown and warm gold accents make it feel chic and sophisticated.

So how about you? Are you going to do the Tangerine Tango this year? I think the only place I'll be wearing it is in my nail polish.

Houzz

2012-01-09T05:00:00.001-06:00

I am so excited to announce my new gig with Houzz. I will be doing a monthly idea book with my top 20 product picks. Every day I run across tons of great finds from furniture to accessories so now Im compiling them into fun Idea Books where you can read about them on Houzz. My January picks are HERE- Going Gray (in a good way). I hope you'll head over to see some of my favorite gray pieces.

White Rooms

2012-01-05T04:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you-but January is always one of those months I crave all things white, crisp and clean. Its that feeling of a fresh start, a new year, a new you, a new room. Of course, come Summer Im craving some color and excitement.

Here are a few of my favorite white rooms-some with a pinch of color.

Image Via: www.decorpad.com

Image Via: Ethan Allen Furniture

Image Via: Decor Pad

Via: DecorPad

Source: albadorsch.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: housebeautiful.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: elledecor.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: elementsofstyleblog.com via Amanda on Pinterest

E-Clients Bookshelves

2012-01-03T04:00:00.007-06:00

I recently had an e-design where my client was needing some help decorating her wall to wall built in bookshelves. Her biggest dilemma was she did not want to paint the wood-but yet wanted it to feel fresh and updated. She also needed help with accessorizing the shelves. Here is the photo she sent me.

I first suggested painting the walls a cool gray and then lining the back of the shelves with grass-cloth wallpaper, a quick way to add some texture and color.
(the wreaths on the doors were just an example of how she could incorporate some holiday decor into the room)

And here is my design board:

Bookshelves can be fun yet tricky to decorate. I suggest first de-cluttering and removing all those little "tchotchkes" that clutter up the space. When decorating your shelves with accessories keep in mind the larger the better- they fill up the space and are also visually more pleasing. You can also organize your books by color or cover them with decorative dust covers.

Source: caitlincreer.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Source: lookbook.elledecor.com via Caitlyn on Pinterest

Source: thepreciouslittlethingsinlife.blogspot.com via Susan on Pinterest

If your in need of e-design service please contact me at: amandaeck@hotmail.com I would love to help you fall in love with your home again.

Clean Slate

2012-01-02T13:52:00.000-06:00

So are you all into cleaning out, de-junking mode? I am! Unfortunately I still have some of my Christmas decor up. My goal this week is to get it all down, organized and packed away. I couldnt stand my coffee table any longer- piled with Christmas decor, gifts and wrapping paper. I cleared it all off, cleaned it with window cleaner and literally stood over it- saying "Breathe, breathe, breathe". Ahhh to let my furniture breathe again. Then I decided I couldn't leave it naked, so I added a gold glass bowl, some hand blown glass balls and a few decorating books. Clean and simple!

Now onto the REST of the surfaces in my house. Anyone else ready to let your furniture to breathe?

Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-31T05:00:00.000-06:00

May your 2012 be blessed!!!!

Source: Uploaded by user via Paloma on Pinterest

3 Quick Room Fixes

2011-12-29T05:00:00.001-06:00

*******THIS IS A REPOST FROM JUNE 2010*******

If you are craving change in your home and have a limited budget- here are 3 quick fixes to get some "instant gratification". And believe me these 3-fixes are "no brainers" and you all already know about them- Im just here to encourage you to "go for it".

#1 PAINT

The cheapest, quickest and most substantial change to any room is with paint. You can take a dark dreary room to light and bright with just a gallon or two of paint. Or do the opposite with your white dreary walls and warm them up with a cozy color. For some expert advise on paint colors- read my "Favorite Paint Color Series" Part 1 and Part 2 And I've said it before and I'll say it again- Its just paint- if you hate it- paint it- or repaint it.

#2 FABRICS- (i.e. Pillows)

It is amazing how much a few throw pillows with a punch of color can change up a room. And the pillows DO NOT have to match the colors in the room. Its totally OK to toss in that vibrant orange pillow, that pop of magenta, or that bold graphic print. Great places to buy inexpensive pillows are HomeGoods, TJMaxx, or Target. Or if you sew make your own. And there are TONS of tutorials out there on how to sew a pillow. Read Janel's easy tutorial from Isabella & Max Rooms HERE. Another quick way to get a pillow- placemats! Target has some great fabric placemats that are double sided. All you need to do is remove some of the stitching on one side-stuff the pillow and hand sew the open seam or even better- hot glue the seam up! I do it all the time! (and burn the heck out of my fingers in the process).

Image: Decorpad

Image: DecorPad

Iamge: HGTV.com

Caitlin Creer Interiors

Emily A. Clark

#3 MOVE THE FURNITURE

When I was little and my family got bored we re-arranged the furniture. Seriously, I can remember switching the couches around and bringing in pieces from other rooms. It always made things feel fresh and new even though it was still our "stuff"- just seeing it in a new light. One of my favorite things to do when Im on "home decor lock-down" is "Shop the House". Bring that mirror from the living rom into the dining room. Move that dresser from the bedroom to the living room. And sing the song from Madagascar "I like to Move it" while you work.

So have fun-get bold and try that new furniture arrangement, paint that bedroom a warm cozy gray, add that hot pink pillow to your sofa. You can do it!!

Top Projects of 2011

2011-12-28T09:45:00.000-06:00

Today Im participating in Rhoda's Top Projects of 2011 over at Southern Hospitality.

My GoodWill dresser make-over had the most views and features out of all my DIY's I've ever done. You can see the full make-over here.

2nd top project of 2011 was my clients home office makeover. Full story here.

Another fun and easy project was my dining room table Restoration Hardware inspired makeover. Read about the complete makeover here.

And my FAVORITE project of the year: My office makeover. HERE

For more fun top project of 2011 head on over to Southern Hospitality.

Impromptu Tea Party

2011-12-28T05:00:00.001-06:00

*******THIS IS A REPOST FROM JUNE 2010******

So the other day I headed to the grocery store for some Orange Juice. I made the mistake of walking through the floral section and stumbled across $5 orchids, and buckets full of fresh flowers for all under $6 a bundle! So needless to say my $3 orange juice purchase ended in over $60 of goods. But I was inspired-and I "had" to run with it (the line I told my hubby).

The pink roses, green bells of Ireland, and snapdragons prompted me to pull out my lovely Lady Carlyle China and set the table for tea.

(WARNING: lots of photos to follow )

These Bells of Ireland are just amazing!

And this is me playing with the settings on my camera-ugh I so need a photography class-hey at least I ventured off of Auto.

And then I got bored and moved everything over to my GoodWill dresser

Ahhh liquid gold in a cup!

Ok so now who wants to come over and share a cup of tea and cookies with me?

Design Inspiration in Fashion

2011-12-26T05:00:00.001-06:00

************REPOST FROM JUNE 2010***********

I was window shopping the other day and came across this little boutique with this adorable little orange, white & black outfit with gold jewelry accents. And I turned to my husband and said: "this would make an awesome room!". When I got home I ran to my computer to try and recreate the outfit, then took that and designed this little SoHo living room.

Heres the outfit:

And the room:

Its just goes to show you how much fashion and interior design go hand in hand. I always tell my clients- go look in your closet and there is usually a color palette that you gravitate to. It could be lots of bold graphic prints, subtle neutrals, bright & cheerful florals, or warm & ruddy colors-your clothing choices can really help you when it comes to decorating your home. So if your stuck on trying to decide what would look good in your home-head to your closet for some clues. Because if you like "wearing" it, your probably going to like "living" in it.

Decorating with trays

2011-12-26T05:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday being with family and friends. Speaking of which- I am taking this week off. I need a little blogging break and want to spend some time hanging out with family and focusing on the New Year. I will be posting some oldies but goodies this week from my archives. Be back after the New Year!!

*********REPOST FROM MARCH 2010***********

Want to know a little design secret?...........everything looks better on a tray. I dont know what it is-but take a collection of pretties and put them on a tray and voila! everything looks better. As I survey my house I realized that I have at least one tray in every room. I am tray-crazy! painted, mirrored, lacquered, textured-I've got em all!

Here are some other fun pictures with trays:

Image: Olivia Palermos NY Apartment

Source: Here

Image: Lonny Mag

Image: Here

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T02:00:00.001-06:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas. Have you seen this amazing all boys choir Libera sing the Carol of the Bells. It will give you chills!!!! Enjoy!!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T09:54:00.000-06:00

Hope you and your family have a blessed holiday and New Year! Thank you all so much for your comments and love over the past year. I have "met" so many new and beautiful people though this blog- it is such a gift! Thank you!!

My Sisters House

2011-12-22T03:00:00.001-06:00

Today I wanted to share with you my sisters house all decked out for Christmas. This year she is hosting Christmas Eve in her home so her motto this year was "go big- or go home!".

Front Door:

Even the garden lion got all dressed up for the holidays:

The dining room:

She tied dollar store wreaths onto the backs of the chairs:

Love her glitter deer she got from Michaels.

She wanted garland & ribbon draped around her chandelier- and guess who teetered on top of the table to get that done? moi' cuz I love her!

Her kitchen is all decked out in Red & Green

The Starbucks tree!

Love her bakers rack all filled with goodies!

Huge glitter snowball ornament sits inside a festive red bowl:

The tree:

Yorkie Ornament:

Real Yorkie! This is Taxi- a rescue dog my sister and her hubby adopted last year. She rules the roost!

The Fireplace:

Also wanted to show you her bedroom wall we painted in stripes earlier this year. We are still working on her room and I hope to have some After photos soon!

Hope you enjoyed the tour! And are enjoying the last few days of hustle & bustle before Christmas!

Guest Post at Honey We're Home

2011-12-21T11:09:00.000-06:00

Hello friends! Are you finished with all your shopping? are you in the throws of gift wrapping? Covered in flour from all your cookie baking? or are you like me- not finished shopping, haven't wrapped a thing, and cookies? what cookies?

Today I am over at Honey We're Home sharing a few of my inspiration boards. I met Megan earlier this year at a blogger met-up and let me tell you-she is such a dear! I have enjoyed chatting with her and we even met up recently for a little HomeGoods shopping! My kinda gal!! So head on over to Megan's to visit me.

Also don't forget -if your still looking for a last minute gift- I have Gift Certificates for e-design. Details HERE.

Gift Certificates

2011-12-20T17:20:00.001-06:00

Looking for a last minute gift? Want to add something to your list? How about an e-design gift certificate?
******************************************************************

For those of you who would like design services or know of someone who would like an e-consult- I have gift certificates available! So send your hubby, boyfriend, mother, sister or friend over here and tell them you want a "room makeover" for Christmas! They can be as simple as a paint consult or a complete room redesign. Email me at: amandaeck@hotmail.com for pricing.

Simplistic Christmas

2011-12-20T04:00:00.000-06:00

While browsing through Pinterest the other day- I came across some beautiful photos that were featured in the December issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle magazine. I love the simplistic- yet glamourous look of this holiday decor. A look that is very easy to achieve with a little fresh greenery and natural elements.

THIS will be my front door next year (anyone else already planning NEXT years holiday decor? or am I the only weirdo?)

Simple garden urns filled with live cypress trees:

An elegant centerpiece- limelight hydrangeas and manzanita branches. They used rocks at the bottom to anchor the flowers.

Love the idea of placing a Christmas tree outside and fill it will lights.

Ballard Designs’ creative director Jill Sharp Brinson decorated her home with Suzanne Kasler’s latest holiday collection. Again simple greenery and small trees with lights.

And here is her kitchen dressed up with garland swags and Ballard sunburst mirrors!

Small pinecones and ornaments hung from ribbons on a branch.

How lovely are these monogram wreaths that spell out JOY.

Hope you are all having a wonderful week - Im sure everyone is busy wrapping gifts and getting ready for the weekend. Im in full house cleaning mode and have not even wrapped one gift yet!

Client Project

2011-12-19T03:00:00.000-06:00

I went to see the progress on my clients home this past week. Things are really starting to come together beautifully! The lighting went in this past week as well as the flooring.

Kitchen:

My clients have impeccable taste and chose this beautiful Arabesque tile from Walker Zanger with slate gray grout.

A pair of Currey & Company Grayson Lanterns hang above the island.

My favorite chandelier is the one in the master bedroom! Currey & Company Waterloo. And look at that gorgeous lime-washed wood ceiling!

We used these quatrefoil shaped flush mounts from Visual Comfort for the back entry and hallway.

This little guy- is from Overstock.com and according to my client was a pain the booty to put together!! Its very similar to this Pottery Barn version- but for a fraction of the price. But buyer beware- you will have to put every teeny tiny little crystal on this chandelier- my clients husband said it would have been worth it to buy it already assembled from Pottery Barn. So I guess it comes down to time or money,right?

Another Visual Comfort flush mount.

The floors pre-stain. My client shopped herself for these amazing floors- they are reclaimed wood that is flown in from France! gorge! can't wait to see them with the darker stain!

Now we get to move onto the fun stuff- furnishings & accessories!! My client already has some beautiful pieces that just need a little DIY-painting and updating. I'll post the progress of those as we move forward.

Simple Party Favors/Hostess Gifts

2011-12-14T04:00:00.004-06:00

Every year I host a Christmas Tea in my home for a few of my dearest girlfriends. I always like to send them home with a little gift- usually its a small ornament for their tree. This year I wanted to do something a little different-so when I saw these little potted annuals with soft silver leaves, I knew thats what I wanted to give.

I had some burlap ribbon left over from a Fall project that I cut to fit around each little pot.

I then tied a ribbon around each pot and tucked in a glitter-gold-leaf ornament.

I set them out on a silver tray-ready to be given to my guest. These would also make great teacher gifts or for those "pop-in" visitors.

Christmas Home Tour 2011

2011-12-12T19:56:00.007-06:00

Welcome friends! Here is a little tour of our home for the holidays. This year I went with a simplistic-chic look. Lots of silver, gold and touches of blue.

Entry table

Stairs

Dining Room

Fireplace

Front Porch

Linking to:

The Inspired Room- Christmas Home Tour

Nesting Place- Tour of Homes

Cottage & Vine

Michaela Noelle Designs- Holiday Decor Link Up!

Front Porch Decor

2011-12-12T05:00:00.002-06:00

This year I was inspired by this photo on Pinterest for my front door. And can I just say Pinterest has changed my life? The daily dose of inspiration has fueled so many creative ideas I can barely stand it!

Inspiration photo:

Source: marthastewart.com via Amanda on Pinterest

I purchased 3 live wreaths from Lowes and some velvet ribbon from Michaels. Every year I try a different color scheme for my outside decor. But I have finally come to the conclusion that red suits my house best.

I put my lanterns on top of my urns and filled them with white lights.

I filled an old wire basket with fresh poinsettias and ivy. I didnt even plant them- I just placed them in their pots inside the basket- then after Christmas I can remove them and add something else.

The Christmas Tree

2011-12-08T05:00:00.003-06:00

Oh the Christmas tree- the most dreaded piece of holiday decor in my home! Well its kinda a love/hate relationship. I HATE putting it up but once it up I love it. See our tree is fake, faux, un-natural, whatever you want to call it-but theres more--- its 12 feet tall! yes 12 -oh my gosh why do we do this -12 feet tall. It takes 3 hours to set up, 5-6 hours to fluff each branch, and another 6-8 hours to decorate. *sigh* every year I tell myself- "thats it!- we're getting a charlie brown tree!" and every year once the last ornament is placed and the lights turned down low- we plug it in and I smile.

Each branch is full of memories of ornaments collected over the years. My collection of hand blown glass ornaments has grown to the point where I dont think I *will* be able to go down to a smaller tree. I may have to shrink down to *several* smaller trees. But for now this honking (thats a Texas word ya'll) big tree is here to stay.

The gold ribbon that is woven through the branches is from Sams Club after Christmas sale- I got several bolts for $5.00 each!

Anyone else dread putting up their tree? and does anyone else have a booger of a time trying to get a decent photo of their tree? Sheesh! I took like 20 million photos!

Linking to:

Megan-Honey We're Home- Christmas Trees

Sarah- Thrifty Decor Chic-Christmas Trees

Holiday Vignette

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000-06:00

Because of the size of our tree (12 foot) I have to make some furniture adjustments when the tree goes up. My dresser/buffet that usually sits between two leather club chairs gets moved to the wall under my Paris Map. I spent the last week trying to decorate it and kept coming up short.

Although I LOVE the glittery garland and the gold trees-it just felt like it was missing something.

So off to HomeGoods I went- and what to my wondering eyes should appear-this beautiful bronze-like deer! He literally jumped into my cart begging to come home with me.

Here he is styled with gold & silver ornaments in clear glass jars.

And here he is with some icy blue ornaments thrown in.

I can't decide which I like best-with or without the blue. Im leaning towards the blue because it ties into the coffee table vignette.

and Im still trying to find a way to incorporate the glittery gold garland- but its too bulky with the deer.
So what are your thoughts. Blue or no blue?

Christmas Mantle

2011-12-06T03:00:00.008-06:00

This year I decided to go with simple greenery and touches of white and silver. I didnt buy anything new for the mantle, I just used items I had collected over the years. Many of them from after Christmas sales.

The potted amaryllis were purchased 4 years ago at the Target after Christmas sale- I love how real they look.

A little hidden picture fun for you: Can you find the package of toilet paper I had just brought in from the store? (hint: its a reflection of it). I need to work on my photo editing skills! *sigh*

Linking to:

Ten June mantle party

Southern Hospitality- Merry Mantles

Stories from A to Z- Mantle Party

Rustic-Chic Dining Room

2011-12-05T04:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Monday! Today Im sharing a design board for a dining room- it was all inspired by these wingback chairs from Horchow.

Pheasant Host Chair

I paired them with this rustic dining table and created this glamorous rustic dining room.

Im finally finished with all my Christmas decorating and will be posting more photos this week.

If you needing design services, please email me at amandaeck@hotmail.com

Christmas Vignettes

2011-12-01T07:36:00.002-06:00

Today Courtney over at A Thoughtful Place is having a Holiday Vignette Party. So here are a few of my favorite little spots in my home. Enjoy!

Fireplace Mantle

Dining Room Buffet- If you'd like to see more of my dining room you can go HERE

Coffee Table:

Entry Table:

Hope you enjoyed my little glimpse of Christmas! Thanks for stopping by.

LINKING TO:

Christmas Tablescape

2011-11-30T04:00:00.064-06:00

Today Im participating in Centsational Girls HomeGoods Holiday tablescape contest.

It all started with these little glitter bird candles I scored at HomeGoods a few weeks ago. I decided to place them in little nest sprayed with glitter and set inside my $1 birdcages I bought last year. These made the perfect centerpieces for my china.

I used my gold trimmed wedding china, set on gold chargers and wrapped each plate with champagne colored ribbon.

For the table centerpiece I gathered several candlesticks purchased over the years (all from HomeGoods- of course) and set them amongst the greenery.

I love this photo where you can see my tree in the distance.

A two-tiered tray holds silver and gold ornaments.

My buffet is dressed with greenery and a white paper mache' deer.

Hope you enjoyed my little Christmas in the dining room. Cheers!

Also linking to:

E-Client Master Bedroom

2011-11-29T04:00:00.006-06:00

I wanted to share one of my recent e-designs for a client who needed help with her master bedroom. She had purchased several great items for the room, but just needed a little help putting it all together. The placement of the bed was a bit awkward due to the windows. I have run into this issue before- where the only available wall for the bed is under a set of windows.

My advise to this dilemma--embrace it! Soften the lines of the windows with drapery, and if needed- take the drapery all the way to end of the wall for a dramatic effect.

Here are a couple examples I came across where the windows were embraced and really made a beautiful focal point for the room.

And here is my Design board I prepared for her:

I love the neutral with the pop of glam and you just cant go wrong with a zebra rug!

If you would like help with a room in your home- you can email me at amandaeck@hotmail.com. I'd love to work with you! I have a few spots open for the month of December.

Kirklands winner!! & My New Chandelier

2011-11-28T04:00:00.002-06:00

I can't believe I forgot to announce the winner of the Kirklands giveaway last week!! Congrats to Jeanine from LaureElle

Last week I finally got to get rid of the ugly ceiling fan in our living room. The room is very open with a 19 foot ceiling- so I needed something large to fill the space.

BEFORE: (this is the only photo I could find with the ceiling fan in it)
Pretty right? brass, white and ugly all over.

AFTER: (its was so difficult to get a good photo-so these are the best of the bunch). Its a rustic 9 light iron and wood from Cyan Design. (you can order through me if your interested)

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My sister and I did a little after Thanksgiving shopping Friday and learned something new this year- NEVER go BACK to the Mall after 9am. We were high on caffeine and thought we could go back for a second round - BIG mistake. But all in all we had a blast and found some good deals. How about you? Did you dare to venture out?

Thanksgiving Table

2011-11-23T14:56:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! Wishing you and your family a wonderful day.

I finally got around to getting my table set- I went to the grocery store and fell in love with this assortment of burgundy flowers.

I paired it with my chocolate brown table cloth, cream napkins, and brown toile china.

Now to get my "pie" on and start baking! Cheers!

A little Christmas Decor

2011-11-23T04:00:00.001-06:00

Im sure most of you are spending this week getting ready for Thanksgiving- which Im *suppose* to be doing as well. I have to admit I've been caught getting the house Christmas-ready instead. I am hosting Thanksgiving at my house this year- so I am going to have to un-decorate my dining room table from Christmas-mode over to Thanksgiving mode.

I am always looking for new ways to decorate my coffee table and this year I decided on something simple yet glamorous. I took a silver tray, added my collection of mercury glass pieces, then filled it with silver, gold, and blue ornaments.

I love how all the silver and mercury glass reflects off the mirrored top table.

Well Im off to start scouring the house for my Thanksgiving table decor- I usually don't wait till this late in the game to decorate it!

I hope that you all have a wonderful, memorable Thanksgiving with your loved ones! Anyone else getting geared up for the After Thanksgiving shopping? I have to admit Im not too impressed with the sales this year-but that won't stop my sister and I from getting up at stupid-o-clock in the morning to hit the stores! Its tradition, ya know.

The Container Store

2011-11-18T04:00:00.001-06:00

I was so excited to be invited to a special pre-opening preview of our new Container Store thats opening up this weekend. We were served a delicious lunch from our local Hubbell & Hudson Bistro and given the best goodie bag ev-ah!

The Container Store has always been my "go-to" store when I need to get inspired to "get organized". There is literally a box, bin or bottle for everything!

There is an entire wall of hooks and hangers!

Love all their office storage. You could totally do a little "Cloffice" space in a spare unused closet.

These cool decorative panels come in a 4-pack and make great wall fillers.

When my garage grows up it wants to look like this.

Then there's the wrapping paper isle- be still my heart......

How about you- do you get all giddy when you see all this organizing stuff? Im off to go clean out a closet or two....

Kirkland's Giveaway

2011-11-16T08:52:00.000-06:00

I was recently contacted by Kirkland's and asked to review one of their lamps from their new lamp line. I chose the Carolina Table Lamp.

My lamp arrived last week- and let me tell you-I loved it so much I purchased a second one so I could have a pair of these in my dining room. And the best part about it- it's only $49.99! Such a great price for a nice substantial lamp. (and yes I've already starting pulling out my Christmas decor).

And for you my dear readers, Kirlands is giving away a $50 gift certificate to one of you! So you could grab yourself one of these lamps or even this chic sunburst mirror.

And to get you into the Holiday shopping spirit, I decided to create a little Christmas inspired inspiration board using items from Kirkland's.

Mirror, Nail head trim chairs, Coffee table,rug, metallic berry wreaths, Feather trees, sequin stockings, pillows, pedestal urn on coffee table

To Enter:
Visit Kirkland's and come back and tell me how you would spend your $50.
(All entries MUST have an email address so I cant contact you if you win)

For extra entries- Subscribe to any of the following below:

Follow By Email

Good luck! Winner will be announced next Wednesday Nov. 23rd!

Guest Post

2011-11-16T07:32:00.000-06:00

Good morning friends!! Today I am over at one of my favorite blogs Hyphen Interiors showing a little Now & Then photos. Come visit me here.

And come back later today because Im having another fun giveaway for you!

Pink & Yellow Birthday Party

2011-11-14T04:00:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we celebrated my daughter's 9th birthday. She invited a few of her friends from school and we ate cupcakes, painted our nails, glossed our lips and giggled all afternoon.

I tried to use items I had around the house to decorate the table. I have to be honest I DO NOT like decorating for Birthday parties. I can decorate for Fall, Christmas and even Easter, but birthdays- not my speciality. But lately I have seen some of the most beautiful birthday parties out there in blog-land. One of my favorite go-to sites for ideas is Hostess with the Mostess. This site is brimming with ideas from Birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers, to going away parties.

So here is my feeble attempt at a swanky birthday fit for a 9 year old.

I found these pink glass jars at the Dollar Store and filled them with fresh yellow daisy's

The candy bar was a hit.

She had a blast- but next year can we have it at McDonalds?

Traditional Home for the Holidays

2011-11-11T08:28:00.000-06:00

I recently received my holiday issue of Traditional Home and let me tell you-it does not disappoint! I highly recommend getting your copy-its a keeper! I always pull out my past Traditional Home holiday issues this time of year- my oldest issue is from Dec. 2000.

So go grab yourself a cup of hot cocoa, get your Pinterest fingers ready, because the rest of this post is pure eye candy!

All Images via: Traditional Home

So.... did you enjoy?? What was your favorite room? Don't you just love all the warm neutral colors with the pops of greenery and metallics? And the TV in the island!! Pure genius!!

DIY Sunburst Mirror

2011-11-10T04:00:00.000-06:00

Well I decided to jump on the Sunburst mirror making bandwagon. My two favorites were Kate's from Centsational Girl and Kristi's from Addicted 2 Decorating.

Kate's Mirror

Kristi's Mirror

Here is my version:

Here's my supplies. A round table topper (you know those 3-legged tables you can get a Walmart and cover them with a fabric topper).

A mirrored charger I bought from Michael's last year on sale, 6 packs of wood shims, and a glue gun.

I first centered the mirror on the topper and taped it to the board- I wanted to be able to remove it later so I could spray paint it. I then arranged the shims around the mirror and hot glued them in place.

Once it was complete I removed the mirror and spray painted it with Valpaspar's Metallic Gold.

The wood shims soak up the paint a lot- so if I were to do this again I would prime them first, then apply my gold.

Not too shabby- huh? Easy-Peasy:

Giveaway winner & guest post

2011-11-09T07:00:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Stephanie from Bake with Ginger!!!! You've won the pair of mirrors!!

I've emailed you- so go check your inbox!!

Also today I have the pleasure of guest posting over at Living Savvy for her Spray Painters Anonymous series. Come see what I did with gold spray paint!

The Boys Room

2011-11-08T04:00:00.000-06:00

My 5 yr old has been asking me to "makeover" his room since his big sister is getting her room done. So the other night I sat down and created an inspiration board for him. He was so cute, when I showed it to him he said, "Mom its beautiful- you're a really good room maker". *smile* he's a keeper.

I was inspired by this dresser I saw out there in blogland. Have you seen it? She gives a great step-by-step tutorial on how to create your own- HERE. And I already have the perfect dresser for it.

Here it is in the boys room:

My thoughts are to have it done before Christmas (yeah I know, who am I kidding).

Also there's still time to enter the CASA COLE giveaway for a pair of mirrors! Winner will be announced Wednesday.

A little Christmas

2011-11-04T04:30:00.001-05:00

There is this great little garden center in my town that is always a treat during the holidays. I only wish I had my good camera with me- so these camera phone photos will have to suffice.

They had this great candy land themed section- goodies at every turn.

Loved these candy-land nutcrackers.

All of their chandeliers were decked out.

These red and green ornaments were HUGE!

These gold ornaments were the size of my 3 yr old.

I completely fell in love with this ribbon- bad news was the shop owner told me someone had already bought every bolt they had!

Love how they took several different ribbons and draped them through the tree.

Lovely mercury glass

This deer wanted to come home with me.

Again weaving several types of ribbon through the tree.

This was my favorite tree- golds, coppers, browns and pale green with a punch of leopard.

Great little owl tucked under a glass cloche.

Love these lanterns tucked into the tree.

Instead of a tree topper- why not tuck in a bunch of branches and greenery.

Love the red and gold tree with all the ribbons (see the beautiful music note ribbon?)

And speaking of ribbon- they had TONS to choose from.

An entire wall of garlands

Loved how realistic this swag was.

The front windows had these great ornament garlands hanging in them. hmmm I see a fun DIY.

The outdoor nursery is just as beautiful!

Well hope you were inspired by my little shop tour. So fess up are you itching to pull out the Christmas decor as much as I am?

P.S. Dont forget to enter the Mirror giveaway from Casa Cole HERE.

Casa Cole Giveaway

2011-11-02T04:20:00.004-05:00

Today I am excited to introduce to you a great on-line store -Casa Cole. It was Developed personally by an interior designer, Casa Cole has a passion for sharing high-end designer level products with every day consumers. They also have custom made drapery with fabrics from Kravet.
Here's what they have to say about their drapery:

Extensive experience with custom drapery panels makes us unique, with the advantage of providing customers a level of custom detailing options they cannot find elsewhere, including panels up to 20 feet high. Casa Cole has designer fabric options available to create turn-key drapes at an excellent value.

They carry a great selection of mirrors, lamps, and rugs from designers like
Arteriors, Aiden Gray, and Surya.

Casa Cole is offering a beautiful pair of distressed wood mirrors to one of you
lucky readers!

I decided to do a little "shopping" at Casa Cole and came up with this fun inspiration board so you could see the mirrors in a space. And since I've been on an office kick lately- I created a little home office for you. All of the items below can be purchased directly from them.

1: Arteriors Desk 2: Linen Chair 3: Washed wood quatrefoil mirror 4: Arteriors Shell chandelier 5: Rug 6: Aiden Gray lamp 7: Linen drapery panels Accent Fabrics can be found at Fabric.com

To Enter:
Visit Casa Cole and come back here and tell me what your favorite piece is.

For an extra entry:
Like Casa Cole on Facebook (leave me a comment telling me so)

Winner will be announced next Wednesday Nov. 9th
Good Luck!!!

Office Featured at a' la mode

2011-11-01T15:24:00.000-05:00

I am so excited that Shelli from A' La Mode is featuring my office makeover today.
Head on over HERE to see it.

P.S. Stay tuned tomorrow for a fun giveaway!!!

Kitchen Envy-Life In Grace

2011-10-31T09:52:00.000-05:00

Have you seen Edie's kitchen?? Wow- just WOW! And what a beautiful story as well. Their home was completely destroyed by fire in December of last year. The rebuilding of their home has been a labor of love.

You can see the rest of the home HERE in her 31 Days Series. It is truly a beauty from ashes testimony.

Bored? Spray paint something

2011-10-27T04:00:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I was sitting here thinking about what to blog about- feeling uninspired and just downright bored. So I started shopping the house to see what I could get my hands on. I found this cream urn on my back porch.

Grabbed a can of this out of the garage:

And turned it into this:

And spent the rest of the afternoon taking ten million photos of it- cuz Im weird that way.

And Im proud of myself because I pulled out the tri-pod too!
Have a great day friends!!