It all started when I decided I did not like the flow of this bedroom at our river house.  Even though I had drawn the furniture and lighting plan  on paper during construction,  once I got everything in the room it just felt off.  So I physically moved things around until it felt right.  Which totally screwed up my well thought out electrical plan, but at least the room felt more balanced now.

But that meant that I now had this big blank wall with these random octagon things that I had put above the tv cabinet before I moved the furniture around.  {yeah, that is what I am going to call them, octagon things since I can’t remember where I got them, but I do remember they were not cheap!}

No biggie right?  Just take them down and put something else up there.  Uh, not so easy, so I found out.  What the heck was this company thinking when they came up with their “cool” idea of this wall art.  Hello! Double sided tape is permanent on drywall, did anyone think of that? It is  PERMANENT!  {course I am the idiot who put it up on the wall without thinking it may not ever come off so I don’t have room to talk}

Once I realized they were probably going to pull the paint and most likely the drywall off, which would mean patching and painting, I just left them.   Every time I walked into this room I was embarrassed.  They looked so odd clustered in one spot on the wall above nothing. Especially when the other side of the room is so much more put together with the groupings of the star burst mirrors

A couple of weekends ago, I told myself THIS was the weekend to finally get it down.  I made it my mission to take them down.  But I had a plan.

I wanted to bring out this piece of art work that I got years ago.   I thought I was going to use in my house but I could never find the perfect place for it.

It is by Aaron Foster.

He used to have a show on HGTV called Freestyle back in 2006.  It was back then when I was at the Las Vegas Design Center and he was showing his art work.  I didn’t know at the time that he had a show,  I just fell in love with his work and especially the Hollywood sign.  I thought the whole concept of using licenses plates as art was genius and I had to have one. So I bought the original Hollywood sign.

Since I didn’t end up using it  in our house, it sat in storage for years.  Then it dawned on me, this sign is pretty big, about 60″ by 36″,  I thought it just might work in the river house bedroom.  So that was my plan, to take the octagon things off the wall, and cover up the mess it might leave with the Hollywood sign.  This piece of art work is not light by any means.  70 pounds maybe?  So once I lugged it up the stairs at the river house {with the help of my sister}, I made the decision it wasn’t coming back home with me.

It fit perfectly over the sleeper loveseat in the bedroom {thank goodness}  I made sure I anchored it to the studs on the wall due to it’s weight

It really is the statement piece that I needed for that wall

But there is a couple of problems.  Those octagon things did take off the paint when I so painstakingly pulled them off, as you can see in this picture

Which wasn’t so bad, until I couldn’t get the last one off.  I had to pry and pull so hard, off came the drywall with it!  The last one!   Just my luck. I forgot to take a picture before I put the sign up, but you can kind of see the missing chunk behind the picture.  Luckily the sign is hiding it for now. {well, when you are standing in front of it that is}

I wish that the drywall and paint issue was the only problem I had once I got those octagon things off….

Because once I got the sign hung on the wall I noticed this

The sign is warped.  Why I don’t know.  I have had this sign since probably 2006,  and I never really inspected the art too close, so it might of been like this since I got it.  Or it might of just gotten this way from being in storage.  Either way, I need to figure out how to make it straight.  I am thinking I might try to email Aaron on his site and see what he thinks I should do.  The license plates are nailed onto boards, and I was thinking that if I got the back of boards a little wet, and then put heavy bricks or something on top of it, it might straighten itself out.  But I don’t want to ruin it, so there it sits until I can find out the best way to straighten it.  I love it in it’s new spot, especially since that random octagon design is now gone.

A Hollywood sign finds a home is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

I have had a lot of nervous energy this week, and needed to find an outlet to calm my nerves.  And that is when I realized that it was my home that I found the most solace, to calm my nerves.

Most people who know me, know I am all about details in design work, almost to a fault.  A room to me isn’t complete unless it has depth.  Layers of fabrics and textures, furnishings with unique finishes, and unique wall treatments .  I mix the old with the new, the custom with the everyday.

But sometimes I get too busy with life and forget to admire all the hard work and details I have poured into our home.

It was 2 1/2 years of long, hard days and a boat load of design work when we re-built our home after it burned down in 2003.   All I could remember thinking during that transition time was that I just wanted to go home.  It just seemed we couldn’t get the house re-built fast enough to get home.   So in my nervous fits last week I found myself randomly staring.  Staring at the details of what I love about my home.  It brought a smile and calm when I saw things like this

The reflection of an old candelabra sitting on my piano

The hand applied crackle finish and gold leaf on this vanity front

My first ever DIY gold leaf mirror that lays against upholstered walls

The acanthus leaf moulding that wraps around the ceilings

The depth of the hand applied silver leaf finish on the stairs

The finish and the detail of the stair shoe molding

Little vignettes of things I have collected

Stepping into this shower and looking up

And remembering how I asked the most talented artist to hand paint the white ceiling for me to match the wallpaper.  These are the things that calm my nerves.  Being home.

Photo’s taken by True Photography for Crea8tive Design Inc.

Linking to these wonderful parties

Solace in my home is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Last week I used it in my sister’s bathroom re-design here

I made good use of the extra I had left over from her bathroom and used it at my house for one of the guest house bathrooms.

And since there was even more leftover, I used it on the wall where the little dining area is (still no chandelier yet)

But since I was on a roll (pun intended) I decided to do accent walls in the bedrooms with another grass-cloth wallpaper I had ordered from Designyourwall.com

The bedroom with the famous Miss Mustard Seed Music Sheet Dresser.

I felt that the main wall above the beds had enough going on with art work and a mirror.   No need for wallpaper there.  But the window wall needed something.  I didn’t want more art work or decorative accessories, I could see that start to get too cluttered looking. I didn’t want to take away from the rest of the room (aka The Music Sheet Dresser)  But that window wall looked barren when you walked into the room because is the first thing you see.  So I decided a textured wallpaper would do the trick rather than painting it an accent color.

Then…since I had some of this wallpaper left over as well,  (I always err on the heavy side when ordering wallpaper, can you tell?)

I added it as an accent wall behind the bed in the other bedroom.

{Still need to have my husband put those wall lights back up next to the bed}.  I like how the lighter green wallpaper compliments the upholstered headboard and tapestry.  The red side tables keep the flow of the two bedrooms consistent.

I am now all out of grass-cloth wallpaper, but I think I had just enough to add a little pizazz to my ongoing guest house re-design.

Linking up to these wonderful parties

Me and my grasscloth is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

So since today is Valentine’s day, and everything is about pink and red, I thought I would do a “valentine” type color post.  {plus I was so bummed to see that missed linking up to the CSI Project Honeysuckle link party, dang!}

As I was reading my Google reader yesterday, this picture caught my eye.

It was a picture from Sherri’s blog Insideoutdesgin She used this picture of Miley Cyrus’s dressing room in her post.  But what caught my eye was not just the beautiful dressing room, but the picture reflected in the big beautiful mirror…”hey I have that picture” I thought to myself.   So I Googled Miley Cyrus’s dressing room images to take a closer look, and guess what  I found?  A web site dedicated to dressing like Miley…are you kidding me?    Sheesh!  Anyway, there was a more detailed picture on the site showing a better view of “my” picture in her dressing room

Yep, that is it!  And here is a picture of mine in my dressing room bathroom

I did this bathroom in hot pink, orange and glossy white.  {that flokati rug on the floor is  orange, but looks kinda pink in this picture}  I just love the energy when you walk into this bathroom.  It is specifically for girls only, can you tell? And I might add that I was totally ahead of the Pantone crowd 3 years ago when I choose this color, which happens to be this year’s Pantone color, Honeysuckle.

Now that I know we own the same art work, maybe I should invite Miley and her cute dad over, cause who knows what else we have might have in common!

{I got my picture at Z-gallerie a couple of years ago, they don’t carry it any more, but you can get it here.}

And just to add to the pink theme here, I thought I should show you the rest of the “fabulous” bathroom.

Hope you are having a FABULOUS day!

Fabulous is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

She did an awesome job!  Plus I introduced her to the ruffler attachment and she wants to ruffle everything now!  I can’t wait to get this room finished and check it off the list, but it looks like it might be awhile.

One of the other finishing touches I did was in my daughter’s master bedroom. I have been browsing HomeGoods for awhile (daily) looking for a starburst mirror that was about 26″ in diameter.  And the other day I scored one for $24.99.  Woohoo. 

I immediately took it over to my daughter’s house and hung it above their bed.

I can’t believe the price and how perfect it fits above their bed.  I can now check that off my list, but now have to think of another excuse as to why I need to go to HomeGoods daily.

A few finishing touches is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

This is my lazy sign.  I used a  store bought {Homegoods} vinyl lettering.  Shame on me when I have an expression machine that I could of used!  But I convinced my self at the store that it would take me a super long time to get the lettering right,  I didn’t even know if I had that style of lettering, so the laziness won in the end.  I already had the piece of wood, I just painted it and distressed it.  Pretty darn easy.  Didn’t know if I was hot on it at first, but it has grown on me.  I put it in my daughter’s kitchen, and they love it, so that is all that matters.

I purchased this french enamel sign at a local vintage store.  Don’t know what it says though, do you?

I finally bought one of those really cool chippy windows you see everywhere in blog land.  Probably paid too much for it, $20,  at the Long Beach Flea Market.   We don’t have a lot of vintage stuff here in California like they do on the east coast.  So I think we get ripped off because we have to import the junk in.  So I married the two pieces together and hung it in a guest bathroom.  I kind of wanted to junk it up a bit like Donna does at FunkyJunkInteriors, but I have to go find another place to buy overpriced junk first.  Darn Donna, she has it made where she lives.  I totally mean this with utter envy.  Here in California I find there isn’t a lot of old inexpensive character pieces to choose from. I envy how Donna has the resources at her finger tips and creates such amazing one of a kind pieces.  If you have never seen her stuff, go check it out, it is truly a talent I would love to have.

Bathrooms are so darn hard to photograph with no natural light.  Getting a straight-on-shot was impossible because of the glare coming off the sign

Well I am off to get some more Ibuprofen’s…it eases the pain.  Have a great day!

Signs of Pain and Signs On The Wall is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

My most recent purchase was this  beautiful pediment from the Long Beach Flea Market on Sunday.  It was pricey though.

I was having  a hard time justifying the purchase.  Then I remembered I had my winnings from the penny slot machines to splurge on, sold!  {Last Friday I went with my sister for our annual birthday trip to the local Indian Casino.  We do this for her birthday, and she looks forward to it every year.  We really have a good time. This time I came home with the money I went with and some winnings, which usually isn’t the case!}  I had no idea where I was going to put it when I bought it, but I knew I could find a place. It is painted a beautiful grey/blue color and lightly distressed.

Isn’t she just lovely in her new spot?  This little area is in a guest bedroom in our home.

Here is a close up of the finish of the cabinet below it, my poor picture taking makes it look blotchy, but it isn’t.  It is hand painted with a distressed crackle glaze finish.

I got these decorative books a while ago at Urban Barn locally. Love them!

I had the itch to re-do our guest house for awhile now.  {not to be confused with the guest room inside of our house I just showed you, the guest house is separate from our house} Knowing my plan,  I have been picking up odds and ends to replace the accessories I no longer love in there.  I have always wanted to the guest house like a cottage, all vintage with a lot of whites, and chippy paint finishes.  Just like what you see on DreamyWhites blog.  But even though I love, love that look, I just can’t seem to get away from adding a splash of color, so we will see how this all turns out.

I thought  my antique purses would be a good vintage start in one of the bedrooms of the guest house.  I bought these purses a couple of years ago and didn’t like how I had them displayed.  Just sitting high on a shelf in my master bedroom. I wasn’t getting the full potential out of their beautifulness {guess that isn’t a word, but I am using it}.  I have been purchasing different size frames for the last couple of months to try out an idea I had for the purses.

Kind of an eclectic look don’t you think?  I am loving it. I like this display much better than what I had before.  I think this is what I am talking about when I say I can’t get away from adding color.  I love how these frames are just as I bought them.  I can’t bring myself to paint them white.  But at least the wall color is muted, so that is how I am justifying my almost vintage white look. Oh and they are chippy, that counts too.

When I found that bottom picture at an antique mall in Ocean Beach I knew it would be the perfect addition for my collage.  I can just see one of the  purses on the ladies shoulders.

I still want to tweek them a bit.  I would like to find some really cool small vintage hooks to hang the purses from inside the frames.  But for now this is how they will stay.

You can see in the mirrored closets the duvet I put on the bed.  {not a well made bed for pictures either} It is a linen color, Shabby Chic from Target.  The fabric headboard has an inset sage green pattern, and the side tables are red.  I am still on the fence as to whether to slip cover the headboard or staple linen on top of the green pattern to cover it up.   Then I would feel like I have to change out the red side tables to continue the look.  Which also means I would have to paint the sage green tv cabinet that you don’t see in the picture.   Oh and the cushion on the chair would need to go.  I love the side tables and the punch of red in the room. I just don’t know if I can commit 100% to the whole white shabby/vintage look.

Another one of the things I pulled out of my stash, is this really cool clog.

And decided it would be a great holder for the remote. {which is sitting on top of the red side table I just told you about}

I did more decorating today, but this post is getting way too long.  I guess I will have to share the rest another day.

Oh and I wanted to thank all of you for the encouraging comments you left for me about my exercise post  “no excuses”  I did work out, and am going to continue to work out.  I really enjoyed myself believe it or not.  It felt good to exercise again. I am sore, really sore, but it is oh so worth it.  I can just feel those love handles melting away…

Design Time For Me is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Much better don’t you think?  I can not tell you how much expired stuff I threw away!  I used a coordinating fabric and chalk vinyl for labeling the pull out shelves. They could be cuter, but this isn’t a magazine spread for Better Home and Garden right? It is just a pantry. I just hope my family will read my labels and put everything where it needs to go, they have promised they will.   I purchased various containers at Wal-Mart, Home Goods and The Container Store to organize the various foods on the shelves.Oh and I couldn’t just put back this useful dog food binSo I gave it a make over too!  I had just enough of the left over fabric to Mod Podge it on to the bin, made a ruffle with the coordinating fabric and sprayed chalk board paint on the lidFlows much better than that gray one don’t you think?Here is a before

And the afterThe feel of it flows so much better with the rest of my house when you leave the pantry.  No more ghetto pantry. Woohoo!Now that I see that I actually have some open wall space, I looking to do some fun projects, like a pantry subway style sign and who knows what else!  Just another fun project to put on my list.   Linking up to these parties!

Pantry Revived is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Got another catalog today from Ballard Designs.  And once again I fell in love with this Document fabric that they keep showing on various items in their catalog.  I couldn’t stand it any longer, it catches my every time, I am so drawn to it.   I caved in… I went on their site and ordered two yards of the fabric.  Big spender huh?  It is 55″ wide, so I should get some good projects out of it.  I am so excited to see if it is as cool in person as it is on their stuff.  I could do a lamp shade, a memory board, a tack board, cushion covers, pillows…who knows!  I just can’t wait for it to arrive.

I am also loving their laundry sign, $129, and those cute safety pins above it, $39 for all three pins, not a bad price I think. 

Think I might try using my new circut expressions machine to make one of these laundry signs for myself in brighter colors.  But of course I have to finish my other sign first…which has become a real challenge to get it right,  but I am up for it.  I hope to have a post on it this week.  Well, now I have to since I have actually put that in writing..oops.  Oh but the good news is that Jen over at Tater Tots and Jello featured my practice sign on her weekend party wrap up post.  Now that was exciting!  I was honored.  Thank you Jen!

Ballard Design Document Fabric is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Looking pretty good right?  I  used re-positonal spray adhesive on the back of the letters and placed them back on my board and rolled on a layer of Arizona White paint.  I am thinking, “wow this is great, this paint really lays down the letters better than the adhesive!”  I must admit at this point, I walked away from my project maybe a little too long.  My daughter came by  to visit and brought some Nordstrom Cafe Chicken Berry salad for dinner {so yummy}, that made me pretty full so I thought I should relax and watch an episode of Bethany Gets Married I had recorded… and eventually when I came back to peel off the letters, this is what happened to my brainy idea.DUH!!!  Once the paint hit the stencils it saturated the paper.  I guess that is why they use a plastic stencil material when you stencil…live and learn.  I eventually got all the paper off the letters by spraying water on them and then used a heavy rough fabric {sand paper was too harsh} to rub off the paper.  It kinda gave the sign a shabby chic look don’t ya think?  Not what I was aiming for, but now I know what NOT to do for the real sign.  {plus I noticed my spacing of “for my” at the bottom is off} I am hoping to do a tutorial on how to make the big sign, but at this rate, I might have to have someone else give me a tutorial on how to do it.  If you have any crafty insight on how to make the stenciling any easier, pleas feel free to let me know!  I am thinking of using vinyl lettering the next go around…stay tuned.

Of course I am linking up with my usual party

You have my heart is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.