Have you seen the HGTV Green Home for 2009? I just got through taking the tour, and wanted to share the highlights with you. It’s a pretty fantastic home, and the decor is great. For some reason, I generally find that I prefer the HGTV green homes to the HGTV dream homes, and this one is no exception.

Here’s a look at each room:

Entryway

Lounge

Living Room

Dining Room

Sitting Room

Screened Porch

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom

Laundry Room

Kitchen

Kids’ Bathroom

Half Bath

Guest Bedroom

Child’s Bedroom

If you’d like to see more photos, you can visit the HGTV website. They also have virtual tours of each room.

So what do you think of the HGTV green home? Are there any ideas you’d like to incorporate into your own home?

Happy decorating,

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I got this book right after it came out (November 2008), and I meant to tell you about it then, but somehow I forgot! I hate that I forgot, because quite simply, this is one of the best design books I’ve ever seen.

The rooms featured in the book are gorgeous, but what else would you expect from House Beautiful?

Beautiful rooms are only the beginning. This book is absolutely PACKED full of incredibly helpful information that will guide homeowners through the process of decorating their homes.

Along with the great basic design and decorating info, i.e., understanding your home (the site, the architecture, the layout), and elements of design (ambience, color, lighting, etc.), the book also features “Designer’s Top Ten” lists throughout. Each list is compiled by a nationally-known interior designer, such as Vincent Wolf’s secrets to mixing furnishings and accents, and William Diamond and Anthony Baratta’s suggestions on how to rev up your rooms.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, the book also contains several “primers” covering the basics of such topics as paint finishes, wallpaper, etc.

In a nutshell, this is one of the most beautiful and thorough books on design and decorating I’ve ever seen. It’s a definite must for your design library!

Happy decorating,

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I’ve been working hard on my little condo. I mean, hard.

Last week, I completed the ceiling. We had installed recessed lighting in the family room, dining area, and kitchen, and installed new drywall several months ago (yes…months), but had never finished the taping and mudding. So last week, I finished that up. By the end of the week, I had a smooth ceiling and a condo filled with white powdery dust covering every single surface.

After cleaning up most of the dust, I turned my attention to the wainscoting and built-in cabinets. I got so much done, and was feeling so proud of my progress this weekend. My goal last night was to put up the rest of the backing for the wainscoting before cleaning up and getting my condo in a livable state for the week. Things were moving along just fine…until…

I put a nail right through a copper water pipe.

Water started spraying from the wall, and began to cover my newly-painted floors. I frantically rushed out to the main water meter/cut-off valve to turn off the water, but even with our water turned off, the water still sprayed into the room. I called my parents, and they rushed over to assist. For over an hour while waiting for the plumber to arrive, my mom and I swept water out of the front door as fast as we could, while the water was still pouring into the room from the wall. In fact, there was so much water that it started seeping into our neighbors’ condos. The plumber also had difficulty finding where to turn the water off, so he ended up putting a temporary fix on the pipe just to stop the flow of water.

He came back this morning, turned off our water, as well as all of our neighbors’ water, and fixed the pipe. And now, $222 dollars later, we’re back in business…but left with a complete mess.

I’ve learned three important things through this.

1. When putting nails in the wall, if you feel resistance, don’t assume it’s a stud.
2. I’m so thankful for concrete floors!!! I don’t think other type of flooring would have made it through this ordeal unharmed.
3. I should have been a plumber! $222 for about 2 hours of work? Wow!

What a mess!! At least it’s dry now. I couldn’t believe
how much water was coming out of such a small hole.

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Yesterday I came across the website of Russell & Mackenna, a furniture company specializing in painted wood pieces and upholstered furniture. The main word I’d use to describe the Russell & Mackenna style…FRESH. The colors are mouth-watering, the style is simple, and the details are truly unique. If your home is cottage or beach style, then this is the store for you! For the rest of us with different styles, I’ll warn you…Russell & Mackenna’s furniture just might make you want to completely re-decorate your home to accommodate some of these pieces. Take a look for yourself:

Each piece of wood furniture from Russell & Mackenna is customizable. You can choose from 33 different paint colors, which can be used as the main color and an accent color on most pieces. Also, you can choose from different options such as “frills”, finials, knobs, etc.

And that’s only the half of it. Did I mention they also have incredible upholstered furniture?

The upholstered furniture is available in 53 different fabrics, and you can customize such items as contrast welt, leg finish, and down comfort package.

And one more thing…if you’re a small business owner, and you’re needing a bit of encouragement, I would encourage you to head on over and read all about this company’s background. This company, like so many successful American businesses, was started in a garage, with only a few tools, and lots of hard work and determination. Now, the company ships from a 6000-square-foot production facility in Jessup, Maryland, and their furniture is shipped all over the country. Such an inspiration for all of us!!

Happy decorating,

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Well, my husband thinks I’ve completely lost my mind…

Yesterday, I decided to take a break from the construction-type projects (cabinet installation, wainscotting installation, etc.), and do something a little more relaxing and crafty. So I turned my attention to my dining table.

I had purchased a table base for $15 at my favorite local thrift store (which is going out of business…booooo!) It was old, but I loved the shape, and a few coats of crisp white paint brought it back to life. I then added a table top made from two layers of 3/4″ MDF, and then I did something a bit crazy. You see, lately I’m a bit obsessed with color. Bright, cheerful color. So I decoupaged some brightly colored papers onto the top of the table. Here’s the result:

I absolutely love the way it turned out. My husband, on the other hand, was a bit…shocked.

When he walked into the room, I said, “Well, what do you think? It’s fun, right? Maybe a bit funky?”

His reply was, “No…you know what it is? It’s pretty!”

Now before you say “Aww, how sweet”…let me just stop you. I don’t really think he meant that as a compliment. You see, when we got married six years ago, my taste in decor was very…well…masculine. I liked dark colors, dark woods, clean lines, contemporary style, and no clutter. Definitely nothing frilly, lacy, ornate…and definitely no PINK.

Now I’ve done a complete 180 degree turn. My taste is more vintage-inspired, with more frills, more sparkle…and with lots of pink!!

I’m sure he’s regretting giving me complete control over the decor of our home.

Well, that’s all of the time I can spare on the crafty stuff for now. Today, it’s back to the heavy lifting and the construction-type projects. I’ll be so glad when it’s finished!!!

Happy decorating,

Tags: Aa, Blog, Blogger, Blogs, Blogspot, Bord, Border, Bp, Br, Break, Bro, Bs, Clutter, Coats, Colors, Cor, Decorating, Dining Table, Div, Ears, Ec, Eco, Ell, Ew, Feedburner, Ff, Fri, Fun, Hock, Hot, Img, Img Src, Ins, Jpg, Kristi, Lost, Lot, Love, Mdf, Met, Nature, Paint, Pg, Photo, Pi, Pink, Png, Pot, Rv, S400, Shape, Shock, Signature, Six Years, Spa, Sparkle, Stuf, Stuff, Sw, Uto, Wainscotting, Wit

I’ve never been a fan of plain roller blinds–they just seem a bit utilitarian to me. But I love to see unique variations of the simple design of a roller blind, and these photo blinds from Print 2 Group definitely fit the bill.

You can select from one of their photos, or you can even send in one of your own to have printed on the blinds. What a fantastic way to personalize a space! Of course, you don’t necessarily have to send in a photo…you could also opt to send in any type of graphic of your choice.

Print 2 Group also specializes in printed canvases, photo wallpaper, photo floors (wow!), and garden panels. Click here to see all of their products.

Happy decorating,

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Fox 56 Morning Edition Derby Fashions - hautemommastuff.com

04/23/2009

Millionaire’s Row at Derby 2009! Amazing fashions - see more pictures here … of her chandelier earrings from Sorrelli, they finish off this fantastic Derby look from Bella Rose … for the Derby. The faux wood circle earrings are a perfect complement to the dress.  Dress

Hillsdale Furniture Cierra Black 26? Swivel Counter Stool - pooltablesinforus.info

04/23/2009

The Cierra Swivel Counter Stool is both contemporary and classic, and available in pewter metal with black faux suede seats … and grace to your home! Features: -Seat height: 26? -Pewter metal finish -Black faux suede seat … and hold dust particles. Do not use wax or abrasive cleaners as they may damage the finish Tags

Recent gaming ‘o mine. - jansza.wordpress.com

04/23/2009

Haven’t discussed my gaming for a time now, about time I did that. I’m going to share my thoughts on FEAR 2, Fallout 3, Burnout Paradise, Lord of the Rings: Conquest and Unreal Tournament 3 Black v2.0. I’m going to include spoilers, so read on at Your own risk. First of all consume some madness:POONK! POONK! POONK! POONK!F.E.A.R

THE OTHER SHOE DROPS: Updates To Previous Posts - thestilettoblog.com

04/23/2009

† You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover : The Christian Science Monitor ponders a blog post by Robert Canfield, a professor of anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, who calls Susan Boyle’s talent show performance “great cultural moment” and likens its effect on our collective psyche to Elian Gonzales,

The Boat That Crocked - theboomtownrap.perthpunk.com

04/23/2009

April 23, 200910:10 amRolan SteinMovies, MusicI usually take some care over my movie reviews, … I was engaged in other projects and too despondent to make time to finish it. Oh well, maybe I’ll save

The sexing-up and sexing-down of Hannah Storm - mvn.com

04/22/2009

Hannah Storm used to work as a sportscaster on NBC.  She was sort of attractive in an odd kind of way and apparently at some point during her time … .  Just that faux name alone is able to raise the hope of those lonely hockey fans biding their time until

I’m still here! - whilemyboyfriendwassleeping.blogspot.com

04/22/2009

T his is my 100th post. It’s a post I started at midnight about two weeks ago but fell asleep in the middle of writing. When I woke up the next morning, I was 27 years old, had a 9 a.m. phone interview with a mathematician from Maine, a cover story due about a ballet dancer from Houston and plans to go to the beach (see left)

Earth Day Equals Eco Friendly Shoes - divashoefetish.com

04/22/2009

Well here we are celebrating another Earth Day. I remember when I was in school the teachers would have all these little activities planned for us so … finish. Sound like a good pair of Eco friendly sanda

We’re Going to Pump…You Up! - pong.tamu.edu

04/22/2009

Tyler Durden writes of a pump and dump scheme that has become business as usual. … As readers can recall, Zero Hedge had some heartfelt words for Merrill analyst Schmidt, who the day of the ML/BofA offering, decided to upgrade Kimco stock from a Sell to a Buy

Bedroom Contemporary - for-style.com

04/22/2009

The splendid ‘New Haven’ Bedroom Collection from Liberty Furniture brings the supurb looking finish combined with beautiful curveture of its … feature faux antique drawer pulls, entablature molding on the tops and bracket feet. The Dresser

Every Day Is Beach Day: Miss Trish of Capri For Target - dogmomsdish.com

04/22/2009

These Palm Beach and Hamptons staples are the only sandals you’ll need for summer! Best of all, their budget friendly prices ($29.99 - $34.99) … crystals that sparkle while you walk. Lime green faux patent and a leather sole finish them off. I also … the strap, so no worries about it falling off.) The faux leather is convincing and the soles are

The Fruits Of Our Labor - barefootinthebackyard.blogspot.com

04/21/2009

Everything isn’t unpacked, furniture isn’t all put up and it it’s spot, windows need pretty dressing (gasp! Naked windows!) … knitting projects After I finish the practice piece I’m working on, I found a relatively easy … ideas to faux this room using the rag technique. We’re thinking a muted gold color to lighten

From Soup Kitchen to Super Kitchen Part 2 - elizabethhousestlouis.blogspot.com

04/21/2009

Hello Everyone! First, let me say, I am POOPED! I am back from the Miss Frenchie’s show in KS City, and I don’t have my photos down loaded yet from that event. But in the mean time, the June issue of Romantic Homes is now out on the stands which is featuring my kitchen cosmetic make-over

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