I Changed My Mind

Hello, lovelies.
Thank you so much for the feedback and alliances and love thrown my way as I sloshed through March in a haze of grief.

I feel lighter this week, and I believe I'm coming out the other side of what could easily have been a month of depression and grief.

I can tell I am on the up and up, because daily tasks aren't weighing so heavily on me.
The simple tasks of getting up without hitting snooze seven times, or dressing myself, or drying my hair in the mornings aren't met with annoyance and struggle.

So, I wrapped up the bathroom facelift in the first couple months of 2018.
And last year at this time, I gave our bedroom a little facelift as well.

...and I sort of hate it now.

Which is completely normal. Sometimes I hate the way things end up in our home, but I have the capabilities of changing things up as the mood strikes.

Speaking of moods...I have been loving the idea of moodier walls in our bedroom.
Like this:

The gray ombre look is soft, yet dramatic at the same time.

It would be a chance to flex my painting skills again and create an overall lighter landscape in our bedroom, in lieu of the hard stops between light and dark that are currently between walls.

Plus, Mark keeps smashing his face into the wall sconce at night, and as amusing as that is, I actually think these lights would be better suited over the piano in our lobby.

So, nothing is set to go yet...I actually promised myself I wouldn't start anymore interior renovation projects this year, but with the cat's cast coming off in less than a week, I am dying to deep clean the upstairs and get everything freshened up, and what better time to do a little painting than when all the furniture is already out of the space?

And, since spring is clearly nowhere in sight, I anticipate another month of indoor activities before we are officially cleaning up and landscaping the outside of our home.

PS - I finally got my act together and permanently switched over my domain name so you can type in Forever Orchard in any manner and it doesn't land to the old "shehasgoodgenes" website any longer.
Hooray for figuring our this junk on my own!!

So tell me, do you have an spring cleaning or decorating projects on the horizon?
XO

Our Bathroom Facelift: The Reveal

Yay guys! It's reveal day!!
The bathroom facelift is ready for viewing! It's been a labor of love and I'm so happy with the result I was able to create working with the existing foot-print.

The entire upgrade was completed for $450 in 12 twelve days (spread out over a couple months).
I took on this project solo (as I do with most home renovations).
It's my combat and therapy for the winter blues.

If you want a quick walk down memory lane, you can catch up on prior bathroom blog posts starting with THE INITIAL PLANS, WEEK 1 PROGRESS, and the last WEEK OF RENOVATIONS.

And then I sort of left you high and dry while the rest of my life unfolded.
I have been finished with the renovation portion of the bathroom for over a month.

But, I have a small confession.

I struggle with the details.

You see...I HATE tchotchkes (pronounce choch-kees...you know...all the knick-knacky crap that people vomit all over their homes?)

Any accessories that go on the vertical and horizontal surfaces in my home typically need to have a purpose or some sort of sentimental value to them, or Hell...are just THAT pretty....otherwise I just can't.

I volleyed with exactly WHAT to put WHERE in this little bathroom for literally an entire month. We got back from vacation, and I knew I wanted some of my photos printed and manipulated for the space, and after 5+ trips to Walgreens, Hobby Lobby, and everywhere in between.....I'm finally thrilled with the space.

Burn could care less

Without further ado...Here are some comparison photos!

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

...and some detail photos

So whatta ya think?

I love how light and airy it feels in here, even though I didn't modify anything besides surfaces and accessories.

Let's do a quick run-down of items and their costs (all available sources linked)

WALLS

Wall Paint - $0. I re-used existing paint from the rest of the first floor. The color is called Tahitian Vanilla by Valspar.

Tile Paint - $52. I used this tile paint and needed two boxes to complete four coats for all the tile on the walls.

FLOORS

Grout  - I used this grout dye ($14) and this grout brush ($4)

Sealant - $0. I re-used existing gloss sealer from Home Depot from a previous project.

VANITY

Medicine Cabinet - Renaissance Chalk Paint tinted to match walls. Final coat is same Tahitian Vanilla wall paint

Vanity - Wood Primer then finished with two coats of Benjamin Moore's Desert Twilight

ACCESSORIES

Shower Curtain ($29, on sale now for $20)

Shower Rod ($12, on sale for $9)

Shower Liner ($3, on sale now for $2)

Bamboo Waste Basket ($20, on sale now for $14)

Rug ($30)

Hand Towels ($14 for 2)

All other accessories were purchased at either Homegoods (duh), Hobby Lobby, or Tuesday Morning.

The rest of the renovation items including things like paint brushes, plastic, rollers, trays, painter's tape, Comet, and caulk all came from Home Depot.

So that's a wrap! If you haven't subscribed to my YouTube Channel, you can do so HERE.

I will be posting a video walk-through of the space on soon! You won't want to miss it!

Please let me know your thoughts and if you have completed similar renovations or facelifts! 

I love connecting with fellow DIYers!! 

Thank you for reading and continuing to support the blog! XO

Punched in the Mouth and Other Happenings

Hi guys. Happy Friday!!

How was everyone's week?
I had a non-stop five day headache that I tried to suffer through as much as I could without needing to pop Tylenol constantly, but medication won out most of the time. I'm hoping it's weather-related and not some weird stress I'm holding onto. I don't believe I have had too much to worry about this week, besides adjusting to Daylight Savings...anyone else?

Here's what happened this week.

My beloved friend Courtney is taking her blog to the next level. I'm excited to see what is in store for her! She, after all, is the one who got me into the whole blogging world many, many years ago.

Another good blogger friend, Biz, shared a drool-worthy pie photo this week that she made a while back, that brought many sentiments of her late-husband. Not only does she need to post the peach pie recipe, but I think we should all gather in her corner and send her to Italy! Read up on her post for exactly what I'm talking about.

Erin, from Our Journey to Three, has been on QUITE the extensive road to parenthood. After many, many failed transfers, they elected surrogacy as their final answer and have been blessed this year with a pregnancy. They just revealed the gender last night if you want to revel in this amazing event and cheer them on like I did!!

On the home-front:
The final shipment of goodies arrived this week for our bathroom and I. AM. IN. LOVE.

images via CB2

And you know what that means?! It's REVEAL TIME!!

If you haven't already CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL so you can partake in the video portion of the bathroom facelift next week!

Speaking of YouTube, Episode 8 went live this week.
Mike Tyson's quote is what inspired this video, and I can assure you, getting punched in the mouth is the EXACT metaphor for what life throws at you sometimes, don't you think?

Sharing is caring, folks! If you love it, tell your friends?

I had been seeing so many fans of The Best Laundry Detergent Ever, and I always hesitated for two reasons. 

1. It's pricey, and 

2. I have a sensitive nose, and if I hated the scent, then I was out a bunch of money for nothing.

So I finally settled on these cute little dryer sachets.

My verdict?

I like the smell, but am not in love. Luckily, the dryer sheets don't really infuse my bedding with an overwhelming scent of it, so I think it'll work for now.

I'm cool with going through what I bought, but tend to get pulled in a more "clean aroma" direction when it comes to house fragrances.

The next thing I am planning to try are these cute dryer balls and some fragrance oils. I'm still deciding between this set or this set. So many fun choices!!

I'll report back with my findings soon!!

Finally, I have taken two initiatives this week.

The first, as you saw earlier, is Appreciate Affirmation Monday.

Whether you follow me here or Instagram (or both!) you will have a couple options to partake in the fun. 

The goal is to AFFIRM something about ourselves that not only lifts our spirits, but sets a positive, encouraging tone for the week based on something we APPRECIATE about ourselves.

Because, dudes....Monday's are hard enough, right?

The second...and this is solely for Instagram...is getting to know all of you lovelies followers by the use of Template Tuesdays. Each Tuesday, you will get a bunch of fun insta-story templates to fill our for the week and share with your friends. It helps everyone get to know everyone else a bit more and create a deeper connection in the community. Be sure to follow along!

And with that, I'm out! Hope you have a brilliant weekend and drink a lot of green beer!! XO

Bathroom Upgrade: Rounding the Last Corner

OK folks!
I rounded the final corner.
I see the end to this little upgrade of our bathroom and it's glorious!

Those that missed the first update, you can head back HERE.

So, I had to change my mindset after the first weekend.

Side note: Changing my mindset is sort of a running theme with this current season of my life. I'll dive more into that in my next post.

I was in what I call HGTV Mode, where I figured I could just knock out my to-do list in a weekend. In comparison to a serious renovation, this was all just a bunch of paint, right?

But rushing through this project started to deplete all the FUN I get out of it.
And what is the point of rushing through something haphazardly when there isn't any joy in process?
I should just outsource it then, if I really can't stand it. And that is not me at all.

So I did A LOT of work that first weekend.
And most of it involved new techniques with new applications that I have never tried before.
You really can't expect it to be perfect on your first go, and boy...I can assure you, it was not.

Two things stood out immediately:
1. I needed a third coating of epoxy paint on the tile in good, natural lighting, and
2. I really do not like chalk paint

So I bit the bullet, and over the course of the next few weekends, tackled each section of the bathroom, in full, to my liking.

I re-taped the majority of the space that I ripped off with glee the week prior, thinking I was done.
I re-painted each tile and each little grout line.
I patched and repaired some areas that were haphazardly slapped together out of desperation to be finished.
And I listened to a lot of podcasts along the way.
I can honestly say that coming out of the bathroom renovation has completely changed my life outlook. It was the little bit of therapy I needed to start viewing my life differently.

I am left with a few more items to check off.
1. De-haze and clean up the travertine floors, then dye the grout lines back to bright white.
2. Add a line of caulk between the bottom wall tiles and flooring after they are dry.
3. Hang the wall mirror.
4. Accessorize

There were a few moments when I started to get overly zealous and wanted to change up the color of the hardware, pick new bulb covers, and a variety of other small projects that could easily have added another $20-$50 to the budget and another weekend.

But then I gently reminded myself that the current layout of this bathroom isn't how it's always going to be, that what I've done so far is make this room a lighter, brighter space, and vowed to be content with all the work I have put in to get it to that level.

And that is good enough for me. :)

Thanks for following along. XO

This Old House

Houses, houses, houses!!
I am declaring 2018 the year of the home renovation.

Reality has set in like a ton of bricks, I tell ya.
Our rental has been a source of nagging stress for me ever since we moved. The house itself was fine, but in the four years we had our first tenant, it seemed each month the payments came later and the issues kept escalating until we finally agreed it was time for her to move on.

She left our home a complete disaster and if I ever see her again in person, I will likely punch her in the throat.

Kidding....sort of.

So we cleaned up the home and ignored all the glaring issues with the place, assuming everyone else would as well. I was newly, yet briefly pregnant and didn't think twice about the reality of the home, just that we needed to get it cleaned up enough so someone other fool could pay us to live there.

When my pregnancy failed again, I shielded myself from any additional drama in hopes to heal my heart.

It's been a little over three months, and while the photos of the home look fabulous online, and many people walked through those front doors, they quickly found alternative places to live, even if it meant more money. Our feeble attempts to mask the major issues are slowly picking away at the wall I put up to keep my emotions safe from stress.

It's time to tackle them head on.

We took the home off the market and hired a good friend and co-worker of Mark's....we'll call him Shorty (you know...like Joanna's Fixer Upper side kick?) to tackle each floor of the home.  The list of fixes and upgrades is rather long, and includes all new windows, which, gulp...I hope we knock out without a MAJOR dent in our finances.

But if there is one thing I excel at...is finding solutions with budgeting and research.

As I said in my Insta-stories...I am ashamed of that house in it's current state.
I sure as Hell wouldn't want to live there, so why would anyone else?
It's a far cry from the state in which we built our relationship over a decade ago.

Although it won't be featured on HGTV any time soon, I feel confident that the upgrades we have on deck will give this home the fresh start it needs to keep us working towards our end goal.

Of course we could always sell. In some of our lowest points, it's definitely an alternative we have talked about. We could just break even at this point, do no renovations and walk away with zero stress.

But I'm choosing to look at this property as a stroke of luck when we couldn't sell it five years ago.
And now that we have it...there IS a very attainable dream where we pay it off, sell it, then pay off the balance of our current home and be able to live mortgage free for the majority of our years on earth.

Doesn't that sound divine?

Switching gears, I checked in on the bathroom upgrade I'm working on.
As frustrating as it is, I realized the tile paint needs another coat.

This bathroom is like a little jig-saw puzzle. I work on one section and realize another area needs way more attention than I anticipated.

The upside about a longer renovation is that there are plenty of wintery days ahead of us to wrap things up before the weather is too beautiful to be held indoors any longer.

I'll be continuing to check things off my list and report back as I go.

As always, thanks for following along!! XO

Bathroom Upgrade: Weekend 1

22 Hours.
22 hours of cleaning, sanding, prepping, drying, wiping, painting, taping and cursing.

I took on the bathroom upgrade with as much gusto as I could, damn well knowing the prep was going to take the bulk of the work. I have no idea what Mark did this weekend since I lived my life in the bathroom, only taking a few breaks here and there to eat.

So what was accomplished?

- the bathroom was deep cleaned
- all outlet covers, towel bars, wall mirrors, and vents were removed
- the vanity mirror was painted
- the walls were painted
- the wall tile was prepped, sanded and painted

So basically I painted every square inch of the bathroom, minus the floors, with at least two coats of paint.

Although I won't be posting any final reveals for a while...here is a side-by-side sneak peek of the progress:

The wall tile was the big item this weekend.
I hand-sanded every single tile in the bathroom for a solid six hours.
Who needs Orangetheory anyways?!

In case you're wondering how all this happened, here is what I did.
(The full list of equipment items can be found HERE)

Prep and Cleaning:
- I taped off the tub, shower surround and toilet with painter's tape and plastic.
- I mixed a 50/50 ratio of bleach and water to spray the tile that had any mold or mildew.
- Then, using an abrasive pad, scrubbed the tile, rinsed and wiped down.
- Then clean all tile with Comet. I dumped some of the powder in a small bucket and topped off with a little water to turn into paste. Using an abrasive green sponge, I scrubbed every wall tile, let dry, rinsed off with water, then wiped everything down to dry.

Sanding:
- I had no idea how much I was supposed to sand or what the tile was supposed to look like when I was "done" sanding. I learned that the shiny wall tile will stay shiny no matter how much sanding is completed and that is okay. I was extremely hesitant to sand too little, for fear the paint wouldn't stick to the wall. It will. I promise. Just make sure you go over all the little corners of every tile and it'll be fine.
- I started off with the recommended 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper, realized my efforts seemed to be futile, went to Ace and bought 220 grit sand paper and sanded the whole bathroom for five hours.
- Then I went over everything again with the original 400 grit sandpaper for another hour.
- Then I cried because my arms hurt so much, took a bath, and passed out.

Painting:
- I used Rust-oleum Tub and Tile refinishing kit in White. I bought two boxes. Each box was enough for one coat for the entire bathroom. (the bathroom is roughly 10x8 and the tile is 60% of most of the walls)
- I swept and dusted the room again for good measure
- Just before I was ready to paint, I wiped down all the tile with tack cloth to remove any fine debris.
- I had a 4" roller frame and 20 high-density foam rollers, along with a multi-pack of foam brushes.
- Set up your space: Place extra rollers, brushes, paper towels, and a lined garbage can in an easy accessible area. You will be changing out rollers often during the painting process.You will use most of them since the paint will eventually eat away at the foam and you will need to replace it every few feet so the foam pieces don't get stuck in the tile paint.
- Wear plastic gloves so your hands don't end up with epoxy paint all over them.
- Open the windows, turn on any return vents and fans (facing outwards) as possible.
- Put on your respirator before opening the cans of paint.
- The paint comes in two cans. The base (large can) and the activator (small can). I shake up the base contents before slowly opening the lid. Continue to stir for about a minute.
- Shake up the activator can and slowly open the lid. Place the base can IN the paint tray (with liner) you are planning to paint from. Pour the entire contents of the activator can into the base can. (If you pour too slowly it will just run down the can and onto the floor...trust me)
- Don't freak out that it filled up to the top of the base can. Slowly stir all contents in the base can (side-to-side and up-and-down) for roughly two minutes. The result is extremely liquidy contents.
This is good. It becomes tacky rather quickly.
- Pour some in your lined paint tray and lightly put the lid on the can to keep the contents fresh.
- "Cut-in" the paint with the foam brush around the edges of the tile, then smooth over with the roller, just like you would normally paint a wall.
- The paint will run so be sure to keep the painting moving. Keep a decent amount of paint on the brush the entire process or you'll find the foam will disintegrate much faster and end up in your wall paint.
- I pushed the foam brush into the grout as needed to ensure paint coverage everywhere, then went over the tile with the roller. The paint becomes tacky rather quickly so keep moving and fixing your paint constantly.
- Once the can is open and the activator is added to the base, you have six hours to use it.
- Let the first coat sit for 1-2 hours before applying the second coat.
- Use a different tray liner with every coat and a fresh roller and brush.
- Make the second coat a bit thicker than the first and don't roll too hard or you may notice it starts to pull up the first coat. Don't freak out. Just let it dry a bit and come back and add more paint as needed.

Notes:
This paint is super toxic smelling. Do not use anything less than this respirator. It was a god-sent and kept me from passing out. I couldn't smell anything while wearing it. Get your kids and pets as far away from the room as possible for the first 8 hours. Shut the door to the room, open the windows, and put a towel at the base of the door to keep the fumes at bay. Yes, it's that bad.

As far as the vanity goes, I used this chalked paint company and had them tint it to match the walls.
They sell all their standard colors on Amazon, though.
It took two brushed coats and one rolled coat to look even.
This painting process took four hours.

The walls were painted Tahitian Vanilla (by Valspar) to match the rest of the house.
This painting process took about an hour.

The tile paint has to cure for about a week before you use water in the area, so just let it be.

Thanks for following along!! XO

Ramblings

Burn and I have similar morning routines during the week.

We both have a hard time functioning Monday mornings, and tend to feel overly tired.

Lucky for him, he gets to plop back down into his bed as I walk out the front door.

Side story: Monday's are tough for me and make me want to make rash decisions like quitting my job and running away (which, I do believe is par for the course with most working folks) so I have been implementing No Major Decisions Monday into my regime. Although I'm not one to wish time away, Monday's are by far the hardest to get through, especially in the dead of winter, so I try to make it easier by thinking less. No plans, no deep conversations, no appointments, not major-anything's.

Just get through it as painlessly as possible. Tomorrow is a new day.

By the time Wednesday rolls around Burn is literally under toe while I'm drying my hair, hoping I grow a third arm to provides constant pets.

I deeply desire to bring him to work with me. Or be able to be around him way more than I do. He brings me so much joy and unconditional love that I could just burst into a million pieces when I think about him. I would just LOVE to have him in my office on the daily, so I could turn around at any point and see him sleeping peacefully in the corner. He really lives up his bulldog-mannerisms these days.

If you tend to watch my insta-stories, I briefly shared that I found a new deodorant that does not leave any white marks on black clothing, nor does it make white clothes have yellow pit-stains. 

I am a rather sweaty person and it becomes VERY obvious when I'm working out or under pressure. Like, I even sweat on my forearms and shins. 

That's sort of insane, right?

Anyways, so I have been using this Degree deodorant for a while, but to be honest, I cannot stand the spray option. I feel like I'm choking on a cloud of chemicals and it makes me sad. They do have a solid option which would help, because it really does live up to it's promise of no white marks. 

So for that I'm thankful. Those white marks are such a pain to get out of clothes!

But, I really shouldn't be using any sort of standard antiperspirants.

Deodorant is the last piece of the puzzle in terms of eliminating nasty cancer-inducing chemicals that I apply to myself daily. I have been doing my research on activated charcoal and think I may have found a suitable alternative that both combats sweat AND doesn't include disgusting additives. 

I'll report back if it actually worked for my, ahem, issues. 

I am also finding so much joy in being able to move forward with projects and plans, even if they may be small. A bathroom upgrade and a vacation are two items I couldn't even dream about when we were in the droves of IVF because I simply didn't have any more energy (or money) to pursue them. But here we are; with new things and experiences to look forward to. 

In between, I am continuing to boldly pray that God grants me my desire to become a mom.

That was placed in my heart for a reason and I cannot deny it just because we closed the door with science. There has to be a different route, a different alternative, that will work with our lives. 

I'll be reporting back next week with bathroom reno updates! You can follow along on my Instagram as I'll try to post some live stories. The goal this weekend is to move all the items out of the bathroom, clean and sand the wall tiles, paint the wall tiles, and if I'm feeling extra ambitious, paint the walls, and maaayyyybeee the grout or vanity mirror?  We shall see!

Thanks for reading! XO

Plans for the Bathroom Facelift

It's time. The weather is planning to be un-seasonally warm this weekend, which is exactly what I need to kick off this project.

Side Story: Once we finally get our credit card paid off, and a new tenant in our rental, the bulk of our extra money will be saved up for the big one.....our main floor kitchen renovation.
I anticipate that project starting in roughly two springs from now, God-willing.
But in the meantime, I'm hoping to flex my design and DIY muscle just a tad.

Our downstairs bathroom, the one we use 99% of the time and basically the only one anyone ever really sees....is in dire need for a bit of a face-lift.

It is in impeccable shape given that whoever installed everything likely did so more than a couple dozen years ago. But the colors....ooooh the colors. There are so many. TOO MANY for my taste.

Since the ultimate goal is to do a gut-reno at a much later point in time, I will be working with the current layout and footprint.

This project wasn't even on my radar a month ago. But I tend to make rash decisions a lot sometimes and literally decided last week that I needed to get on it. January's make me itchy to start some sort of home project, and this year is no different.

I was hoping to knock out the update for minimal money, which means I'm doing all the work.
I believe the material cost to complete this upgrade hovers around ~$200. (I'll detail the final costs later)

Then I did my research. I started watching Youtube videos, read the reviews for a bunch of different products, and finally settled on the bulk of the plans.

Here is the game plan:

FLOORS: I'll keep the existing travertine tiles, but clean-up and dye the grout back to bright white.

BATHTUB AND SURROUND: Not touching it. We had the bathtub refinished last year and although the plastic surround is off-white (vs. bright white like I would prefer) I will keep it for now until we can replace it with tile.

BLUE WALL TILE: This is the big hitter for this room and requires the most prep. I'm talking A LOT of cleaning and A LOT of sanding. The painting requires adequate ventilation and a quick, steady hand, but I have confidence the results will be well worth the time. Goodbye blue and HELLO bright white!

PAINTED WALLS: They are currently an off-white beigey color, but I plan to paint them the same Valspar Tahitian Vanilla white that I painted the rest of the first floor.

VANITY MIRROR: I found a chalked paint company called Renaissance that will custom-tint their paint to match anything you want! I plan to pain the vanity mirror to match the painted walls, so it sort of, fades into the background.

VANITY: Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about the colorful pink/gray granite top for the time being. I won't spend a penny to replace it until we buy a completely new vanity, so the wood base will be painted as well. Right now it's a toss-up between the same white as the mirror, or go dark gray. My samples should be arriving soon enough to make a decision.

Simple and clean is the name of the game. I pulled inspiration from bathroom photos like these:

Besides the tile paint and respirator mask that I purchased on Amazon, the rest of the smaller items were bought from Home Depot. However, I included a full Amazon shopping list with relatively similar pricing, should you be tackling a project now or in the future.

You can find it all HERE.

Progress photos and details to come! Wish me luck!
Thank you for reading! XO

All Things Pineapple

Fertility Warriors - you damn well know that the pineapple is our beacon of hope.

Pineapples are a symbol of fertility and hospitality.

Our hope and our strength. For joy and fun and laughter and family.

So sprinkle that shit all over your life! Look at all these goodies I found!

Necklace // Cover-Up // Ice-Cube Tray // Sunglasses // iPhone Case // Candle
Face Cleanser // Pool Float // Swaddle Set // Swim Trunks // Tote Bag // Wine Glasses // Hat

This pineapple pool float is being delivered to my house as we speak. I try to add a different float every summer. I can't think of anything more relaxing than floating around on a summer day in these cute pineapple sunnies.

I like to keep a candle burning in the bathroom when we have company over...something citrus and fruity always fits the bill in the summertime. This candle is perfect.

When we're out boating, a cover-up is key to easily transition from the water to outdoor dining. Pair it with this delicate necklace and some flip-flops and you're good to go.

Get your family in on the pineapple action as well with these adorable swim trunks for men and this pineapple swaddle set!

My wavy hair can be a tad unruly in the summertime, but this super cute trucker hat would cure that problem!

I don't know about you gals, but I am constantly on the search for skin care products that are free from nasty chemicals. I have used Alba products for a while and love them. This pineapple enzyme face wash smells awesome and is fertility-friendly as well!

I don't think it's possible to have too many tote bags. So many possibilities and cute designs! I am in LOVE with these gold sequin pineapples. Canvas is quick-drying as well, which is perfect for a beach day! Cover your iPhone in this cute case and you're the perfect kind of matchy-matchy.
I love a good stripe.

My favorite thing to do after work on a hot day, is grab an ice-cold glass of chard and sit by the pool. These pineapple wine glasses are perfect for me because they are stemless (I'm a bit of a klutz). 
And yes, I have been known to plop a few ice cubes in my wine, call it white trash if you will, but ice cubes are even cuter when they are pineapple shaped.
Or maybe you can use these for jello shots?
The possibilities are endless!! :)

That's a wrap! Hope you have a wonderful weekend! XO

Home Design : Our Bathroom Renovation

Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

Waaayyy back in the fall of 2014, about a year after we moved into our forever home, we decided to gut and renovate our upstairs bathroom.

Confession: I may have cried in that very bathroom, during the initial walk-through of the home when we were deciding to purchase because it was just. so. ugly.

We wanted it to look more chic, more Miami, after our favorite vacation spot.
So this is what I came up with:

Chandelier // Wall Tile // Sconce // Towel Rod // Toilet Paper Holder // Faucet // Mirror
Glass Shelf // Cabinet // Floor Slate // Pedestal Sink // Towel Bar

We decided to handle the demo and prep ourselves over one weekend to save some money.
I know, it's so weird to want to get rid of this wallpaper. :)

It started out on a high note, with Mark getting overly frustrated with our old toilet and karate kicking it to pieces.

After that, it was my turn to take out some aggression on full walls of wood glue. The sanding alone took an entire day.

Then we brought in the professionals to add new sheet rock and lay tile.

Finally, it was on us to install the fun stuff. Mark was always so thrilled.

But the end result was so beautiful. Here is our first reveal, all festive for Christmas!

And this is it's current state (I need to work on my photography skills, ahem)

You all know I have an obsession with Amazon, and this renovation fully embraced that love. After measuring, debating, re-considering, and re-measuring, I pulled the trigger with all the pretty items on the list.

The flush-mount ceiling light is absolutely beautiful. Yes, you have to string up all the crystals by hand, but it was a labor of love and I was so thrilled with the results.

The two wall sconces that flank the mirror mimic the crystals in the ceiling light and provide a nice feminine quality against the dark slate tile.

I knew I wanted a pedestal sink to save space, and the addition of the towel bar and angular faucet added some chrome elements to tie into the glass shelving nearby.

I bought the white storage cabinet from Homegoods, but turns out, it's for sale online for the exact same price! Who knew?

We let the professionals lay the tile. I needed those grout lines to be perfect otherwise my OCD brain will stare at them for eternity. After the dust settled, I spent an afternoon sealing the slate with a wet look sealer. I used a large foam sponge and washed it on thinly, working my way out of the room. Once dried, I did another coat, and that was that!
The results have kept up since 2014 without re-applying!

Thank you for reading, and I hope you find a little inspiration from my home for your next project! XO

Home Inspiration: A Coastal Chic Space

Happy Friday! Let's lighten up the blog a bit, shall we?
I have been dreaming about warm days on the water for months, so decided to put that inspiration behind this space design.

It's like a little stay-cation for your eyes. Enjoy!

Side Board // Table Lamp // Decanter // Palm Pillowcase // Triangle Pillowcase //
Plant Basket // Coffee Table Splurge or Save // Gold Book // Faux Banana Plant // Gold Bowl //
Armchair Splurge or Save // Fringe Pillow // Side Table // Rug

Whenever I put together these mood boards, sometimes I get a little anxiety because all the stuff seems too close to each other and everything is piled on everything else.

The goal of a mood board is to showcase the overall FEEL of the space....not, necessarily, that you would expect every piece to be placed so close together in real life.

I imagined a spacious room, with large windows and french doors along one wall bringing in an abundance of natural light, with slightly off-white walls and light colored hardwood floors.

On one interior wall would sit a beautiful wood sideboard styled with a sea glass table lamp and space for some bar ware, like a natural wood-topped decanter.

Not all art needs to be hung, so I thought some layered prints would anchor the space, and the abstract waves and geode artwork provide enough interest without too much competition.

In the center of the room would be four gray armchairs surrounding a large natural wood coffee table. A light, geometric rug would ground this furniture, providing a designated space for conversation and wine, obviously.

I also found equally appealing, more affordable alternatives to the armchair and coffee table options.

My go-to coffee table accessories are always a good coffee table book, a (faux) plant that never wilts, and a simple gold bowl to hold whatever you need.

Style the side table with some fresh peonies and be sure to hide the unsightly planter your majesty palm came in with this beautiful grass basket.

Finally, I LOVE a good throw pillow, but WHY are they so pricey!?
While Target never fails with options like this black and white fringe, I found that you can buy beautiful pillowcases on Amazon like the palm and triangle prints, add a pillow insert, and it's literally half the the price (or more!) than what you would find in stores.

This is such a great alternative for me because throw pillows are guaranteed to get ruined in my house with the pets, so an affordable option that can be changed out with the seasons is key!

And with that, I'm off to enjoy the weekend.
Hope you find some inspiration for your home with these designs! XO

Home Design: Our Bedroom Reno

Happy Friday! I can't believe we have already flown through the first half of April!
Summer is so close!!

I recently completed our bedroom renovation.
This labor of love took a blank slate with one random lamp, a few mis-matched pillows, and no focal point....

...and gave it a clean, mid-century modern vibe.

This has been a work in progress for many years. I started collecting pieces as I found them, with the final pieces of the puzzle being lighting and paint, and we are thrilled with the results!

As with every room in our home, I wanted the bedroom to have a gender neutral color scheme, with a contrast between light and airy, and dark and moody. My go-to color scheme is typically a mix of gray, cream, white, natural wood, solid textiles and pops of metal.
In this case, I went with gold and brass.

I originally painted our entryway using the same dark gray paint called Urbane Bronze from Sherwin Williams. I loved it so much it was a no-brainer to use again in our bedroom.

Our sleeping situation is different, so buying a standard headboard was out.
Instead, I came up with an idea to stencil a whimsical crane motif as a feature wall.

I did this by purchasing a large flock of cranes stencil (yes, there is shipping, there is no way around it. Trust me, I checked!) and this gold Modern Master's paint.
Don't forget a level and a set of small paint brushes!

I didn't follow the stencil exactly, to avoid an obvious repeat. Instead, I mixed and matched sections until I was satisfied with the end result. The gold paint dried quickly so I didn't have to worry about smearing anything as I overlapped sections.

I love the way the dark accent walls accentuate the hand-plastered curve of our ceiling.
They don't make homes like this anymore!

Our ceiling used to be home to a very ugly fan, so I chose a gold-leaf statement piece in its place. This light DOES need to be hard-wired so please hire an electrician, or find the patience to listen to your husband swear while you're standing inches away from his face, holding the (somewhat heavy) light above your head. as he screws everything into place.

But, I can assure you she is absolutely worth the effort!

We love a dark room to sleep in, so have always purchased insulated, black-out drapery. These neutral taupe colored curtains are 95" in length and perfectly frame the original balcony french doors.

Tip: If your ceilings are low, always bring the curtains all the way up to the ceiling, above the door frame, if possible. It gives the illusion of a taller space!

The natural wood cabinet was purchased at Homegoods a few years ago, but I am loving the look of this wood cabinet as an alternative. You sure can't beat the price!

It matches the wooden twist side tables perfectly!

The accessories in this room include a geometric frame, some faux succulents, and a couple wicker storage baskets to round out the look!

Shop the look!

Ceiling Light // Picture Frame // Drapery // Wall Sconces: Hardwire or Plug-In // Paint // Side Table //

Succulents // Drapery Holdbacks // Drapery Rod

I hope you take a bit of inspiration from my work and make it your own.

Oh, also! I have a Target promo that can help with your home design

Target is having a sale in their Home Section. Most home decor items are 25% off, and Furniture is 20% off but I can get you an additional 10% with online code SPRING.

Thanks for reading and supporting my design efforts!! XO