Vintage Inspired "Spooky Lab" Halloween Vignette

In the mood for something frightening or terrifying? May I suggest researching medical practices of those used in the past. Migraine sufferer? Here...let the doctor drill a hole into your head. Feeling depressed? An ice picket to the eye should cure that right up. And this my friends, was the inspiration for my Halloween entryway vignette. Well, and the fact that I use to work down the hall from a cadaver lab. Well, and the fact that every year my hubby complains that my Halloween decor is too cutesy. So this is what I deemed my "creepy compromise"; pretty for me and spooky for him.  

 I think this is my favorite holiday display to date! I just may keep it up until next year. 

Would that be strange? I'm not a fan of spending a lot of dough on holiday decorations, unless, of course, it's Christmas. So I did my best to work with what I had. The skull, skeleton hands, and apothecary jars were my only new purchases for this vignette.

The vintage anatomy prints were freebies that I downloaded 

and printed from The Graphic Fairy's website.

The potion labels were also free printables. You can grab yourself a set of your own here.

The spider specimen art was a super simple DIY project I shared a few years ago.

I think it makes a perfect addition to my little spooky lab.

Can you believe I scored this cubbie at Goodwill for just $2.00?

It was originally a really drab brown, so I spray painted it a pretty ivory white.

It came from Home Goods, so I really feel like I scored a great deal on it!

The "Trick or Treat" sign is from Blocks, Paper, and Paint on Etsy.

Darlene sells the cutest personalized blocks and holiday signs, 

and I can't help but to sing her praises!

I added blue tinted mason jars because..... duh. They're blue tinted mason jars!

If I was a mad scientist I would keep all of my potions in these pretty little gems.

Well, thanks for stopping by my lab today. Now if you don't mind, I've got a lobotomy to get to!

Muhahahaha........

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Bar Cart Styling: Mix & Match Design Style Challenge

Quick! How would you describe your decorating style?

Coastal, edgy, rustic?Are you drawing a blank? 

Then perhaps I'm not alone in my inability to articulate my decor persona!

Like seriously, Martha Stewart could be holding me up with a high-power glue gun right about now  (it could happen....)and I STILL wouldn't be able to define my style for her.

The most I can say is that my style has multiple personalities. I blame Pinterest.

That's why I was super intrigued when I was asked to participate in the Mix & Match Style Challenge hosted by Chairish, an online site for design lovers to sell and buy fun vintage goodies, including furniture and decor. The challenge was to simply create a styleboard displaying a room of my choice, with a mix of different styles of Charish curated furniture and accessories to complete the look. A challenge to mix and match? 

My split decor identities couldn't be happier!

So here's what I came up with........

I know this isn't a room per se (should be!), but have I ever mentioned that one of my superpowers is drinking wine? 

Hence, why I decided to share a space with bar cart styling ideas. I imagined this space styled along side one of the blank walls in our kitchen next to our sliding glass doors.

This is a mish mosh of mid-century modern mixed with elements of vintage schoolhouse style.

Sort of like if Mad Men's, Don Draper married "Leave it To Beaver's" schoolteacher.

I fell in love with this mid-century bar cart first because of course, it's got a touch of blue.

I'm also a big fan of the wood finish on it. It's a little bit rustic and considering I'm obsessed with all things "farmhouse" right about now, it suits me.

One of my favorite pieces of design advice is to look for inspiration in unexpected places.

Most people would resort to hanging a vintage map in their office but I like the element of surprise by adding it to a wall in your kitchen. Plus, most pull-down maps are vinyl making them easy to clean when your one year old decides to throw an old-school cafeteria food fight with himself.

Many of us have come to embrace the schoolhouse light trend over the past year or two.

I think they're fun and especially love when people use them over their kitchen islands.

To me, there's nothing that scream "mid-century" more then a good ol' brass, sunburst clock.

I personally need a clock above my bar cart so I don't mistakenly think it's appropriate to start drinking at 7:00 in the morning. Kids can do that to ya!

This large industrial "refreshment" sign is perfect for this space!

What's a bar with out liquor? 

These vintage liquor bottles are a nice, stylish way to store your spirits.

I liked how their dark lettering complimented the "Refreshments" sign and the solid, dark brass on the pendant lights. It helps tie it all together!

And of course, your drinks can't just serve themselves and that is where this 1950's cocktail set comes into the picture. If you're going to have a bar cart then why not incorporate vintage barware? 

I had a lot of fun curating this mood board and I suggest if you've never heard of Chairish before that you go check it out! I love sifting through vintage goodies and could easily get lost on this site for hours. 

Now if you don't mind, I've got a cocktail to go pour.

Cheers!

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Bring Vegas Home Challenge

It's Vegas baby! Vegas.com recently invited me to be a part of the "Bring Vegas Home" challenge. My task was to put together a room using The Cosmopolitan Hotel as inspiration. I admit the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas is not usually the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to decorating my home. Running circuses is about the only thing that town and my house have in common, however, after taking one look at their lovely hotel suites I was in, hook, line, and sinker!

Does it come as a shock that the navy blue used through out the hotel suites was the first thing that caught my eye? I've been toying with the idea of using the color in our master at the new house. Isn't this velvet tufted chair so handsome?

Greek key patterned blankets is another design feature seen through out the suites. I've been gravitating towards this pattern lately, although I prefer it in subtle doses.  I think this throw pillow definitely meets the bill. I love how its rich navy hue pops against the white bedding.

Speaking of the bed, in my wildest fantasies (I bet you're wondering where this is going?)

I am the proud owner of a white upholstered bed frame like this one. It's so pristine and chic! In real life that thing would be smothered in dog hair and spaghetti sauce stained hand prints from a certain little toddler.

Solid colored drapes is a great way to add a clean, fresh look to any room. I like how the curtains in The Cosmopolitan didn't try to compete with the rest of the room's elements. Target always has a great selection of curtains. These basketweave panels are inexpensive and also light blocking; perfect for those of us who prefer the vampire lifestyle.

Chrome lamps, a popular choice among most hotels,can come across as rather sterile and masculine to me. Am I the only crazy one who sees genders in my inanimate objects?  I picked this lamp for my room because it had the chrome-like metal appearance but it's shape is warm and graceful , in other words, it doesn't scream "surgery room".

The black and white art work in the hotel suites is a conversation piece and I loved it's contrast against the white and navy blue colors through out the room.  I'm a HUGE fan of word art and adored this "Lucky Charm" print from Fybur. Plus, what is Vegas with out a little luck, right? This botanical wall art isn't a true black and white piece but it would give a nice contemporary touch to any room.

Last but not least, I love adding natural elements to every room but call the FBI because I am a serial plant killer! This artificial grass planter would be guaranteed a long life with me. Plus, it's wooden box adds a lovely balance to the contemporary pieces in my room.

So there you have it, proof that bringing Vegas hotel style into your home doesn't have to be all crystal chandeliers and cheesy slot machines, nor does it need to be expensive! This challenge has made me super excited about getting started on our room.
Aren't the rooms at the Cosmopolitan lovely?
Mama wouldn't mind locking herself away ALONE for a week (or two) in one of their suites!

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The Tale of a Living Room Makeover That Will Just Never End

Remember that time before I knew I was baking a human we were working on a living room makeover--or the great room as my fancy pants husband calls it?

Well, let me tell you since the arrival of Baby B I have been busy finishing it.....

IN MY MIND OF COURSE. 

Truthfully, the room has been at a standstill but I am proud to say I have been making some progress. 

Baby steps, it's all about the baby steps.

Let's first take a look back at how far we have come with this room, shall we?

Just looking at the fireplace gives me nightmares.

This was the view from the other side of the room and also the lay out of furniture that we used majority of the time (the BEFORE pics were taken at two different times,hence why the couch moved from the first pic to the second--you really aren't going crazy).

As you can tell by the color of my decor I truly was held hostage by that horrendous green booger fire place.

Let me also add that this is what the room looked like pretty much after we moved in and basically 4 years later. Like I said FIREPLACE HOSTAGE. I had no clue how to decorate  a room around it, so I ignored it.

 Some of you may recall when I shared how our handy man/buddy/neighbor, Greg, finished building our new custom mantle mere seconds before our holiday guest arrived. It truly was a Christmas miracle.

Here's a sort of side-by-side shot of the Before and After. 

It makes me weep like a proud mama.

We also decided that while we were tearing up the fireplace we may as well replace the old carpets.

With two little rascal doxies running around all the time 

we decided wood floors would work best for our family.

Over the course of the past year I have been s-l-o-w-l-y switching out the green and rose pink decor for a grey and mustard yellow color combo. Remember the inspiration board I shared eons ago?

Yeah me neither, so here it is again.

I settled on a round mirror from Home Goods for above the fire place. 

It reminds me of an old ship wheel and weighs about five elephants. 

Every night I say a prayer for world peace and for this mirror not to come tumbling down.

I have to admit I LOVE , LOVE, LOVE this mirror but it has also been a thorn in my side.

I 'm having a really difficult time figuring out how to decorate the mantle 

around it (specifically directly under it), hence, why there is a small random owl and hurricane vases sitting there. Also, due to the vaulted ceilings and humungo mirror as you can see the mantle items need to be large in scale in order to not look awkward.

I've also been busy picking up new throw pillows, bowls, vases, plants, etc.

But my most recent purchase that I most excited about is our new coffee table. 

Well, new as in a few months ago new.

Meet Cameron. He was a great deal found at World Market.

So there you have it! The tale of a living room makeover that will just never end.

I'm afraid to say there's still too much left on my to-do list!

*Put in a window seat cushion, so I can play out my Blossom-read-diary -in-window fantasy

*Add more throw pillows so I can annoy the heck out of my husband

*Decorate the dang mantle some time before B's high school graduation party

*Switch out the oddly mis-matched green lamp on end table that I strategically cut out of these pictures.

*Fill in the blank wall around stair case

*Decorate the entry way...oh lord, that constitutes for like a whole other room make over!

And on and on and on........

So are you working on any remodels or room make overs in your house? 

Do you have any suggestions on what I should put on my mantle? I may pay in chocolates!

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Project Nursery:Quick & Easy Aqua End Table Makeover

The power of spray paint never ceases to amaze me. Case in point; this quick little vintage second-hand table makeover we recently completed for Baby B's nursery.

 

 

A few months ago I shared this $30 Craig's List find on my social media sites & asked if I should keep it white or go bold by painting it either orange or aqua?

 

 

And aqua it was!

 

 

To be honest the votes were all over the place & for quite some time I had settled on leaving it white as some had suggested. Yawn.

Then after we added our made-over dresser/changing table I started to feel like between that, the crib, and the end table the room was looking too white. B-O-R-I-N-G.

We really needed a POP of color and that my friends is how we ended up with an aqua side table.......

 

 

 

The color is Aqua by Rust-oleum.

 

 

I really love the fun & whimsical touch it adds to the room!

 

Hard to believe but we are about 97% done with this room.

Can't wait to share the reveal in the near future!

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Living Room Makeover: Give Me a "P" for Progress!

Ready to exercise your cerebal cortex? Remember wayyyy back in spring I mentioned a little living room makeover we were working on {not to be confused with the Great Room makeover}?  Well, it's not quite done yet BUT then again when is a room in a home ever complete, am I right ladies? Aren't we always tweaking and rearranging something in our la casas? The good news is I would say I'm about 90% done with this room but more on that later.
In the mean time, let's focus on the changes we have made so far.

First, let's take a look at this room's humble beginnings {excuse me while I try not to vomit}.
As I mentioned in the past, I lost alot of my "before" pics to a computer virus a while back so my proof on how this room existed at one time is very limited, which may not be a bad thing .
This one was taken right before we started the makeover, shortly after we bought a new rug.
Our living room is connected to our kitchen {which is to the right of the couch}
 so it's one nice big open space.

The previous owners had the whole house painted a few months before we moved in which was great because at the time {five years ago} the colors they went with were right up my alley.
But as you can see the room was blah and drab and after a few years we were in need of some change{this picture actually makes the room look ten times worse then it did in real life or maybe I'm just trying to convince myself of that!}

Here we are preparing to bring life back into this room..........

And here we are after all of the painting and decorating has been completed {well, semi-completed}.

No more dirty diaper colored walls!

For the walls, we went with a warm neutral which REALLY helped brighten things up in this room.
The paint color is Rice Grain from Sherwin-Williams.
Probably the first time I was satisfied with a color from the get-go.
My new rule of thumb is never to use a paint color unless I can see it in all it's glory on someone else's blog or on Pinterest. I am horrible at picking out paint swatches on a whim, our once McDonald's yellow colored basement bathroom was proof of that.

I guess I forgot to mention these pictures were taken back in the fall hence the pumpkins.
Notice some of the decor & trinkets are different in each picture?
Congrats, your showing the first signs of senile dementia.
Just kidding, these batch of pictures were taken on two
different occassions so you aren't really going crazy yet.

Now for the other side of the room. Sorry, I have no before pics but just imagine a crummy small black tv stand falling apart with two black leaning shelves along side of it.

Whew, you still with me?
And for those of you whose fingers are too exhausted to scroll
back up here's a "before" and "after" side-by-side view.

I think our living room has come a long way and I can actually look at it now with out dry heaving, which is always a good thing. I always love for our home to include old, new, & DIY handmade touches and I think I managed to add a little of all three elements in the room {see resource list below.} But as I mentioned I still have some tweak-age and additions I would like to bring to the room. So here are my dreams and aspirations for this baby:

*Switch out the rug. Yeah, I know we just bought it but now that the other half of our house has wood floors {woot-woot!}we are in need of a rug in our master bedroom and this one would look much better there than here.

*I'm tinkering with the idea of changing out the curtains too.
Perhaps, something lighter?

*Buy or have the hubby build a long console table to sit behind the couch similiar to the one John & Sherry made on Young House Love. Then we'd relocate the end table else where and flip the couch to fit like a perfect "L" in the corner of the room.

And just when you thought I was done let's move onto the other side of the room shall we?

* Add more wall art & decor around the tv.
Is it just me or is it extremally hard to decorate around the boob tube?

*Finish the gallery wall.

*Find a way to hide those dang cords under the dresser. Of course you know, my hubby a man  hooked everything up behind the tv and managed to not be bothered one bit by the heaping mess of cords!
So there you have it, the evolution of our living room.
Anyone else do any room makeovers lately? Have a room in the house you'd love to burn down?
How about some home goals for the year? Got any?

Where We Got It:
Area Rug-Home Depot
Curtains & Couch-JcPenney Home Store {purchased five years ago, no longer available}
Blue Button Pillows,Botanical Print Pillows, & Side End Table-World Market
White/Blue Flower Pillow & Large Basket-Home Goods
Brown Tuxedo Pillow {on blue chair}- Garden Ridge
Distressed Blue Picture Frames-T.J. Maxx
Large Contemporary Wall Art & Butterfly Art-Kirkland Homes
Burlap Lamp Shade & White Antler Candle Holder-Target
Wicker Glass Lamp-T.J. Maxx

Thrifty & DIY Items:
Coffee Table-Craig's List {see makeover project here}
TV Dresser-Craig's List
Blue Chair-Goodwill {see makeover here}
Blue Colored Flower Vase-Found in my closet {see tutorial on how to color glass here}
Small Mercury Glass Plant Holder- Dollar Store {see how to make your own mercury glass here}
  

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