NO, decorating your home is not brain surgery.

It does not save lives.

But when you are in the midst of a HOME renovation or even a simple makeover or project…It CAN FEEL LIFE OR DEATH.

I Know.

Sometimes you just have to ride it out. Sometimes you just have to tell yourself, when you settle yourself into your sofa which has been your bed for the third month in a row because your real bed in covered with plastic…

…you just have to tell yourself…

“IT WILL BE BEAUTIFUL”!

When I shower now in my big beautiful new shower…I cannot believe that a few short weeks ago it was this:

Dealing with Contractors is an Art form in itself…

COMMUNICATION IS KEY….AND often I have felt like, based on THEIR actions, WHOLE conversations never happened. In all fairness… is not their home, and it is not unusual to feel like they just do not care…and in truth…they actually probably don’t! But that does not mean that you cannot still communicate with them how you are feeling.

Because it IS YOUR home

 I have come up with some  RULES to deal with the powers that be..whoever the THEY  may be…contractors, electricians, plumbers…and the other people working in your home.

1. BE NICE- I once asked a pre school teacher, who was always as calm as a cucumber…

“Were you this calm with your own kids?” …her response was both comforting and vaidating…she said “I always told my 3 boys, ‘I will ask NICE TWICE…after that, you get what you get’!” This gave her boys the option of having some control over how they were spoken to. If they listened the first or even second time…all would stay calm on the homefront…after that…well, we all know how THAT goes. So I always ask nice…at least twice…

2. GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING –  Even as I write this we are in the midst of negotiating some charges which we feel are unjust. Hours and work we were charged for that I KNOW are over-charges…it infuriates me…their word against mine…Had we had the quotes for the work in writing NONE of this would have happened.

The Kids Bathroom wallpaper

3. ANY TIME FRAME THEY GIVE YOU – DOUBLE IT - I fought this one HARD. I did the math..”okay”..I calculated..” TILE…3 days, painting…2 days…framing…3 days  etc etc”  and I thought “IF I DID THIS IT WOULD TAKE BLAH BLAH…this much time.”…Thing is , I was NOT doing the work. And I did not have 3 other HOME jobs I was juggling, or blizzards in March and I did not take lunch breaks and smoke breaks and just don’t feel like showing up…breaks. Look, if the job comes in early..you will be so very happily surprised…but save yourself the frustration and disappointment …

DOUBLE IT!

5. INSIST THINGS ARE KEPT CLEAN but you CAN HELP – I was grateful to have workers that took pride in their workspace…STILL…this is not their home and at the end of the day…It was still too dusty for me and too messy for me. I covered the entire upstairs hall with recycled cardboard because I was realistic…there was NO way that they would be able to keep that floor free from damage over two months time. And honestly by 4 o’clock in the afternoon I just wanted my house back…and was happy to sweep up in my house alone and not to have them cleaning and taking smoke breaks while my kids did their homework.

and that brings me to…

6. CLEAN UP YOUR BUTTS!!! – MY DRIVEWAY looks like the back alley of a bar… and I wish I had the sense to leave a tin can out there for them. I really don’t care what they do, if they smoke that is their business, but clean up your butts for Pete’s sake!!!….

which brings me to….

7. BE A TATTLE TALE WHEN YOU HAVE TO…BUT SAVE IT FOR THE IMPORTANT THINGS.. - The last thing I wanted to be known as was the “BITCH who complains about everything” so I let some things slide…when one guy dropped unsmoked cigarettes all over my hallway…I just tossed them, when they would get there a half hour late, I took advantage on 30 minutes in my house alone…but when they crushed the corner of my rangehood JAMMING it in, or gouged the kids vanity installing it…I needed to speak to the BOSS MAN.

which brings me to…

8. STAY CALM AND KEEP THE RELATIONSHIP INTACT….I DEALT with most of the day-to-day communication, I was there and could see what was going on. BUT.. if the issue was really BIG…I called in the BIG GUNS…Damon…I let Hubby do the speaking. This is NOT because he is a man and better at this than me, but because when you want to keep a working relationship productive and intact, and I do because after 9 years we finally have a great crew to help up with our old house…EMOTIONS can get in the way. I get too emotional. This house is my BABY…I put my whole heart and soul into the work, and the results, and I am unable to be calm when someone threatens it. My husband has a way of staying calm and still getting his point across. And isn’t that what I want?

which brings me to…

9 and10. THIS warrants TWO spots because it is SO VERY IMPORTANT - 

DO NOT ALLOW THE WORK ON YOUR HOUSE TO HURT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS AT HOME...This is a tough one. Frustrations run high. And the same way that you did not truly KNOW your spouse until you parented together…or suffered a loss together….you do not know your partner until you endure your home being torn apart together. People react differently. Or DON’T react at all! I was calm about some things…and completely a FREAK about others…and my husband and I never seemed to be in the same place at the same time. I would get angry at him when really I was mad at our house being such a HUGE mess. In retrospect is probably a good thing we took turns being calm…because if we both were unravelling…who would raise the kids???….

Run Charlie!

seriously….JUST take a deep breath. GET AWAY WHENEVER YOU CAN. Our Spring Break trip to the beach and my trip to LA…saved me…Gave me perspective. Recharged my battery. and I am happy to say…We made it out alive!!!

Now, lets us see if I can follow my own rules!!!

I cannot imagine building a whole house…that I have heard makes all of this look like child’s play…

thoughts???xoxoxox

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JILL!!!

Last week, I shared my passion for Summer pastimes, especially grilling and introduced you to  Lloyd Flanders - a leader in the field of GORGEOUS Outdoor furniture.

When Lloyd Flanders asked me to be a part of their  Spring Campaign,

entitled “LIFE HAPPENS OUTSIDE”.

….I jumped at the chance..

….because I have a DREAM!!!

I have a Dream of one day have an outdoor area which mirrors the feeling of the inside of my home…naturally colorful, inviting, whimsical and most of all Comfortable!!!

I want to entertain in my beautiful outdoor space…get friends together that I see much too infrequently…catch up on our busy lives…stop and enjoy the view…

…and I want to be the house where all my kids friends want to be…

I dream of dinners under the stars, and looking out over our beautiful mountains…

…and of also spending quiet time there…just a little

“Coffee Tea and Me”

you know …a little ME TIME!!

….sitting in my new wonderful  Lloyd Flanders chair that they so generously gave me…

planning my next project or just taking a little nap!!!

“Coffee, Tea and Me” TIME!!!

Do you have a DREAM SPACE???

A place you think of going to unwind???

p.s. everything in this article is my opinion and I am happy to share it with you!!!

Today my sweet only daughter Phoebe Holiday is 15.

Happy Birthday Phoebe. 

There are no adequate words to describe the depth of my love for this child. She is the kindest most beautiful girl I have ever known and I do not know how I came to be so lucky to have been chosen to be her Mother. She wakes up every day…happy…and brings joy wherever she goes.

 I adore her…she stole my heart the moment she rushed into this world 3 weeks early…and I am eternally grateful and proud to be her Mom.

I love you Phoebe, Happy Birthday.

Master Vanity…

http://www.houseofturquoise.com/2013/04/custom-pet-portait-giveaway.html

The Master Bathroom is alllllmost done…I will do the full reveal once all of the finishing touches are complete…but one thing IS complete… and that is the

MASTER VANITY…

Master Vanity- Bowfront Dresser made into vanity

all ALONG…I had envisioned an old dresser converted to a vanity. That seemed really the only obvious choice given the age of our house and the fact that most off the box store ones did not suit my vision. Lucky for me, I found a dresser at “CIRCA” which had already been converted to a Vanity…(It actually came with a sink and faucet which were not my style but very high-end)

Detail work on Master Dresser painted Benjamin Moore “Pristine”

and  midway through, I decided to paint the accents a BM color called “Pristine.The ahrdware is the original that we polished up…

The sink is a Kohler “Archer” drop in sink and I love how it mirrors the arch of the Vanity Bow front.

Kohler Archer sink

The Bridge Faucet is from Vintagetub.com

The Drawers were adapted for the pipes and are perfect for holding extra towels and linens…

I love

That Damon and I each have our “side” can you guess which side is mine???…

Cup and Soap Dish – Anthropologie

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NOW…hop over to House of Turquoise ..

Erin has done a lovely post on my kitchen makeover and is having a Pet Portrait Giveaway of one of my Custom Pet Portraits!!!

Good Luck and Thank you so much for stopping by!!!!

Winding it down.

The workers have gone on to the next job.

The list of finishing touches is getting shorted a shorter…and slowly, bit by bit, I am reclaiming my house.

The work started January 2…and in truth… the “stuff” began to be assembled in December. My house has been upside down. I have lived out of the same laundry basket since March 1. And while there are  many many worse scenarios I could have endured …I am glad to be almost done with this one.

The hardest part for me has been that I work from home. I live among organized chaos and there is always a slow din of noise around, but it is my noise, my own people…it has been challenging for me to work with my front door opening and closing upwards of 50 times a day. Especially when each of those times…Charlie my guardian Angel is following them out….and following them back in.

So here are my 10 RULES for how to SURVIVE

a HOUSE RENOVATION

1. PACK away all unnecessary items, into bins, closets, get them out-of-the-way and get them out from underfoot.

2. Buy a large roll of brown paper or recycle old cardboard to cover your floors.

3. Mark your tools well and then put them in a designated place…and EVERY SINGLE TIME you use them…..put them there… If I had a dollar for every time I had to go find my hammer!

4.Roll up rugs and put them away.

5. Keep a professional relationship with the people in your home. The tendency for me is to be all chatty and friendly, and you SHOULD be nice, but these people are working. And working for you. They have a job to do and you need to let them do it. I was not very good at this rule.

6. Tell yourself over and over as much as you need to that the mess and the disruption is temporary. It can feel overwhelming at times to have your house turned upside down, especially with kids and especially if the work involves the kitchen or the bathrooms which mine did.

7. Make shower schedules when you are down to one shower. 

8. Cut back on the grocery shopping and eat out if need be. Cleaning up after a meal AFTER cleaning the dust off the plates can be an appetite squasher.

9. Any time it is possible, open windows to air out all the fumes from the paint and the plaster and the work.

and the MOST IMPORTANT RULE

10. Be NICE to your family. They are who this is all for!

I love Spring. It is so gorgeous here now. I want to be Outside and I want to
“Fire Up the Grill”!!!

Recently, I was tickled pink when  Lloyd Flanders asked me to be a part of their  Spring Campaign:

      “Life Happens Outside”.

 I could not agree more!

In case you don’t know, Lloyd Flanders is the manufacturer of THE ORIGINAL ALL WEATHER WICKER furniture and some of the most beautiful fine woven outdoor furniture I have ever seen.

I am quite over the moon excited because Lloyd Flanders is sending me a chair…which I  consider to be the beginning of MY Life Outside!

 Most of the inside of my house is getting finished.. and now, I am already plotting MY Outdoor Space!!! Yep, .time to think about the outside…which has always been a bit more overwhelming to me. There is just so darn MUCh of it!

When I feel overwhelmed by my home, either the inside OR the outside part of my home…

I stop and focus on just ONE Part, ONE thing, ONE area…ONE idea. One CHAIR!!!

In this case…I am focusing on one of my favorite outdoor activities…Cookouts!

I LOVE cookouts…I always have! When I think of cooking out, I think of all the delicious smells as and that you can spill on the floor and being with the ones you love…I think of my favorite foods like corn on the cob and burgers and hot dogs, potato salad and deviled eggs…fruit salad and home-made ice cream. I am 100% confident that these foods make me the happiest..Oh, and watermelon!!!

For more Outdoor inspiration…

You can check out the Lloyd Flanders “Life Happens Outside” IdeaBook on Houzz HERE

Happy Grilling and Happy Spring!!!

 and visit the Lloyd Flanders HOUZZ page and the Lloyd Flanders Website to see more  fun and beautiful images that will make YOU want to

“Fire up The Grill!”

all of the opinions expressed here are mine all mine!

I am back home from a whirlwind weekend. and for the first time in months, I returned to an ALMOST fully functioning home. The bathrooms are all up and running…the kitchen is done except for the floor and the hallway and my bedroom have beautiful new ceilings. I am going to hold off doing the full reveals until I get the furniture back in place (my dresser is still in my closet) and today…I am going to paint the bathroom…but right now I want to talk a bit more about what I spoke about yesterday…slowing down.

I think NOW more than ever…plans need to me made…to have NO plans. It is too easy to have our /my time booked to the minute. I am making a concerted effort to PLAN downtime…especially downtime OUTSIDE. I live in a place that many folks call “Heaven on Earth”. Just driving the kids to school everyday I see this…

and this…and running errands…this….and right now…the Spring GREEN is bursting in an almost fluorescent hue…so this week, I plan to dedicate some blog time to the outside…yep…

….time to spend some time OUTSIDE…

tomorrow…Fire Up the Grill!!!

There are 5 minutes left in today so I want to touch base…real fast.

everything is real fast.

I just returned from Tampa. I went there to surprise my brother who has a big birthday this week, with an extreme makeover of his apartment. MORE..MUCH more on that to come.

My return flights were all changed due to the Air Traffic controller deal. I was coming through Charlotte and despite my flight change, I realized, that if I ran, in my blister making sandals…that I might actually make my earlier flight….instead of the later flight they had rebooked me on.

so I ran and ran and ran and was almost at the gate and…then I  stopped.

“Why are you running?” I asked my crazy self? ” What is the rush?”

Yes I wanted to get home, but I had also just finished completely transforming an apartment over the last 3 days…I was pooped.

so I stopped. and I went and got some frozen yogurt covered in blue berries.and I rocked in the rocking chairs that some genius thought of putting in an airport.

and then….I got a Pedicure! At the Airport!!!

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I will be back tomorrow, with loads to show and tell.

We get addicted to rush rush rush. or at least I do.

It felt so good to slow down…for a minute.

xo

I have been so moved by your stories! I never cease to be amazed at how intense the love is between US and our pets. I have a theory that the crazier our lives get and the CRAZIER the world gets…the more we crave the sweet honest simple love and affection of a pet. Their LOVE is unconditional…. in fact I swear I think ALL my Dog Charlie wants if for me to let him LOVE and Protect me……..

So to announce the winner….drumroll please!!!!!………………………………

See..you moved me so much I am going to have TWO winners..and I am going to increase the discount to 20% off to anyone who left a comment that would like to order a pet portrait from NOW until APRIL 30. I have never offered a discount like this but you really made me feel so good…with your stories.

Congratulations to

C DARLENE JONES and her dog “Lily”

AND

HOLLY PHILLIPS – who will have to choose between  ”Waffles”, “Junior”, “Turbo” OR “Henrietta”!!!

Thank you so much for your kind words and your sweet inspirational stories! and if you did not win don’t forget….you can still get 20% off any  pet portrait ordered before April 30 (my daughter’s birthday!)

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WALLPAPER

 A few weeks ago I told you about a great website I  FOUND  called Hygge and West…… (pronounced “Hoo-Gay and West) and means Cozy. I like Hygge and West because they have a nice collection of patterns and prints….not too many ….but something for everyone.

I found this pattern, called appropriately “SEAHORSE” on sale and got 1 roll to do a little wall in the kids bathroom.

Seahorse wallpaper from Hygge and West

Designed by Terrence Payne in Minneapolis

I am in love with this wallpaper. I made a few little mistakes, but it does look amazing in there! The coral is a perfect match to the mirrors!!! Perfect!

Congrats to and . Please email me via this blog and we can get started. The rest of you, thanks agin for sharing and I hope to hear from you too!!!

TGIF!!!