Bedding... Update

My bedding arrived yesterday!! So tonight, I am going to the laundry-mat to wash everything and will bring it home and put on my bed! I am going to sleep good tonight! approx. 28 days and counting until I get my room back to myself! Love ya Suli, but I need my space!

Bedding

After months and months, I finally gave in and bought some new bedding. It was a hard decision, but when I saw this duvet cover from West Elm, I just had to have it!

This is the Duvet Cover I purchased!

And these are the sham pillow cases I purchased.


I didn't want to have matching pillow cases to my duvet. To 'spice' things up a bit!

I also purchased grey sheets and standard pillow cases from Ikea the other day when I was shopping with my friend for her apartment.
I can't wait for my box from West Elm to arrive so I can run it all thru the laundry and put on my bed! yay!

DIY - Dresser

Remember the awesome find I found on the side of the road??

While it was being stored in the courtyard at my work, (1) of the handles got broken off! Sad!! So that started the search of finding new hardware. After finding that unless I wanted to spend almost $100 to replace all (6) handles, I decided to just replace the top (2). I found these great knobs from Cost Plus World Market, (4) for under $14.00 including tax and shipping!

Now I just need to get the paint - I've decided to to an off-white/ creamy color, the feet and old hardware a nice brassy color to match the new knobs!

Also, all the prep work in stripping the stain off and sanding it really smooth! Wish me luck!

Living Room - Curtain Panels

Now, I'm all about DIY on all projects - but the key is finding a great sale on fabric to sew my own. With that being said, I was online browsing and just found a great sale on curtain panels from Urban Outfitters!! Check them out! They are going to look SO good with my new sofa and lounge chair I just got! $11.99 a panel!

BEAUTIFUL!!!

I'm going to line them with blackout lining so it will help with the heat/ cold off the windows!

DIY Projects

I'm obsessed with DIY projects these days, I can't help but look at something ugly, and want to make it pretty.

When I saw this DIY project - I about died!! I think I have to buy that dresser just to do it!

http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2009/12/hack-of-all-hacks.html

Also, this side table is so cute, I'm actually going to use it in my house, and probably most of my friends' houses!!

http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2010/11/lack-hack.html

Speaking of DIY projects this weekend I have ALOT on my plate. Not only am I (hopefully someone will help) going to paint the living room, dining room, kitchen and hallway, I would also like to paint my new dresser I found on the street. I think I'm over scheduling a little bit! :) Progress picture will be posted this weekend!

Sweepstakes

Whenever I have a few free minutes I like to try and win cool stuff online. My favorite place to go is ElleDecor.com

http://www.elledecor.com/home-sweepstakes

They always have some great items for the home. Past favorites for me have been linens, dish sets, chairs, gift cards, and vacuums!! (I'm such a dork!)

Currently they have a great chair from Jayson Home... I would love to win this!!

A tempur-cloud mattress from Tempur-Pedic, I dream of a mattress like this!

So far, over the last 7 months, entry after entry, I haven't won anything yet. But hopefully one day, I will, and it will be something AMAZING!

Living, Dining, Kitchen and Hallway

My house is not decorated age appropiate for the ladies that live here (20-25) sorry Sharon, you aren't the best oops paint selector!!

I've been putting alot of thought in the color selection for the main areas of the house. Also, considering what goes with what we currently have and what would look nice with new furniture.

KITCHEN:

Kitchen will be the biggest project. Painting the walls and ceiling (flat ceiling in the kitchen, not the popcorned ceiling in the dining area) painting the cabinets and resealing (painting) the countertops (Home Depot has this special paint/ sealer for laminate plastic countertops that is tintable.

Wall/Ceiling Color= Granny Smith Apple Green

Cabinets= High Gloss White

Countertops= Earth (brown)

Accessories= Black, Red, Green, & White

Check out the mirror I got on sale at Ikea ($15.99) - I'll put it above the stove to make the kitchen appear to be bigger!!

Ikea also has magnet boards that I think would be cute on a wall in the dining area. We can put roommate notes and wedding invites on them. I saw them in a great red color, but on Ikea's website they only show them in black, hopefully they still have the red when I go and buy!

BACK WALL:

Paint Color = Chocolate Brown

Art = Not traditional art (like framed art), but instead stencil art!! I've found a fun stencil pattern and it will be in green, white, silver and gold!! I like that its not a flower, thats just so typically a girl pattern to choose.

Here is the stencil!!

And this is what it looks like applied on the wall.

*please note that the colors shown are not color I've selected.*

LIVING ROOM:

Walls= Neutral Off-White (to balance the other colors - for future furniture matching)

Trim= Marshmellow White (to match the doors and trim through-out the house)

Sound boring?! Well, your wrong. The fun in the living room is in the furniture and lighting. I've been experimenting with some ideas and my painting skills and the outcome is sure to please! Here is a little preview of what I've done/ acquired so far.

The coffee table. Don't have a before picture but this table we've had for quite awhile. It was actually left behind from a previous roommate who didn't take it when she got married and moved out. I hated it so much, until I painted it. This isn't the best photo, it is the one I took while painting it. More to come soon.

Don't you just love the color. It freshens it up and makes it look so contemporary!

Here is my FREE find, pretty much found it on the side of the road. I love it so much I can barely put it into words. It is so perfect for the house, and when I get it home (its currently at work in the courtyard and I'm crossing my fingers that know-one steals it from me or it gets thrown away) and paint it - it will be FABULOUS. My plan is white glossy (as glossy as I can get with spray paint) with gold feet and hardware!

Well thats all I have for now. I'm hoping to finish an old project (or 2) tomorrow for my bedroom, before my room roommate gets mad at me!! :)

What's black, white and orange all over?!?!?

MY BATHROOM!!!

Thats right, here are the photos you've all been waiting for!!

BEFORE!!

AFTER!!!!

Bathroom - Additonal Buys

Its been awhile since I've been on here... since going home at the end of July for 3 weeks, I've gotten out of my routine of life, especially since I've been home, I took some more time off work to hang out with my uncle and cousin at Disneyland and then was sick (and its STILL lingering!!)

But I did spend time (lots of time) exicuting my bathroom. I spent an entire day priming and painting. It felt good getting rid of the peachy color that was in there. I also painted the sink cabinet glossy black. The countertop is white, and so are the tiles in the shower, so it only made since to keep the architectural finishes white/black and put color in the room with the accessories. The room is so fresh and clean

You may remember the post about the scheme for the bathroom that I posted 7/27. Well when I was out shopping I found additional things that I loved for the room, like:

Super fun shelving brackets, only $4.99 for a pair (for 1 shelf) and they have pre-fab shelves at Ikea to buy too, but I forgot to measure before I went, so I skipped out on the shelves from Ikea. But I went to Home Depot and bought 1 cedar fencing board and had them but it into 2 shelfs for less than $5.00!! I bought it home and painted the boards glossy black like the cabinet!!

For 99 cents I couldn't pass up this toilet paper holder!! The best is the black blends into the glossy black cabinet and totally disappears!!

Simple picture frames for some cute-sy art. Again Ikea (I just love the great deals!!) for about $4.99. I got 5 for the bathroom, 3 lined up on 1 wall above the shelf, and 2 stacked next to the mirror. I wish Ikea still had the art cards on their website so I could post that too, but they are a series of african animals (lion, gorilla, elephant, zebra) Works great with the zebra shower curtain!!

Orange Candles!! 3 sizes, $1.99, $2.99 & $3.99 - couldn't pass it up!!

This weekend I will (promise) post photos of the finished bathroom.

Alaska!

I'm leaving on vacation TONIGHT to head to the homestead of Alaska! I'll be gone for almost 3 whole weeks! I haven't been home for that long since Christmas '03! It'll be good to get out of town & I look forward to spending time with my mom, brother & friends. I'll be posting some photos (hopefully) while I'm away!

So farwell for now & see you soon!

~Nicole