Giveaway weekend!

**This giveaway is now closed.

Helloooo there! I am so pooped tonight -- I spent the whole evening spookifying our mantel. (You know, spookifying is exhausting.) It started out with a few cobwebs and and quickly became a big project, but I LOVE it! Can't wait to show you next week.

This weekend, I have a fantabulous giveaway from Rachel at Joey and Chase Designs! I adore Rachel's jewelry -- she has such a great variety and her selection ranges from stinkin' cute to beautiful and elegant.

Let's start with elegant, shall we? I want this, with my son's name. (No, it wouldn't say "Bub"):

I've had a bracelet pretty much identical to this one bookmarked since my son was born (three years ago). Maybe it's time to finally get one? Maybe?

I LOVE this white bracelet -- how fantastic for winter!:OK, confession. I squealed when I saw this one. Not kidding. I am pretty sure this would not be appropriate for a three-year-old boy, right?:
Because if it were appropriate, he would be all over this one. Mickey is da BOMB around here.

This one is so my style -- elegant but with some bling:

Oh my goodness, you won't believe this...just wait. It's A.DOR.A.BLE:

Heeeee! They are little ghosts!!!! Gah. I can't stand it.

And little snowmen!!:

Seriously, are you cooing like I am?

Rachel has graciously agreed to give a reader one of her beautiful anniversary bracelets, which I plan on purchasing as well, because it's my favorite...
It's just beautiful and simple. Rachel will put whatever date you would like on the bracelet if you win. Or you can get this with initials or a name as well -- whatever works best for you. This is a $55 value!

To be entered to win this beauty, leave a comment here telling me what date you would put on the bracelet (don't have to say the date, but what it stands for). ;)

To get a second entry, go to Rachel's Etsy site here and come back here to leave another comment with your favorite piece of her jewelry.

The giveaway will end Monday at noon (Eastern time). Have fun and have a great weekend!!

Kortnei's kitchen consultation -- before and after!

One of the great joys of this blog has been to help some of you with your homes through my consultations. I am so incredibly tickled and proud when you send me pictures of your progress. You should love your home, and it is my goal to make that happen for each and every one of you with these consults. Well...maybe not ALL. How about a bunch?

Take a look at how simple changes transformed Kortnei's kitchen...

My suggestions included lighter bamboo shades in the windows that she could close for privacy and then do some kind of drapes as well, on either side of the windows, instead of hanging in front.

Before:

I liked the white drapes, but I told Kortnei this is a spot she could really add some color and highlight this cool area of the kitchen. I suggested a panel on either side of the larger window, and then one on the outside of each window.

As usual, I suggested she consider finding a fabric she loved to add to the drapes or make her own. LOOK what she did!:

I. adore. those. drapes. Squeal!

Of course, I have to suggest some kind of woodwork SOMEWHERE. And that somewhere was her island/peninsula. It was such a feature between the family room and kitchen:

Kortnei took my advice on the beadboard and corbels and, well...swoon:

I love it!!!

Speaking of that area, I suggested three new black counter height chairs with backs on them instead of the stools, if her budget allowed. Her stools got lost just a bit and the large island could handle something darker and larger:

Because of her high ceilings, Kortnei was doing what we ALL want to do, which was decorating up. I have done it, I understand it. I don't have a problem with it, not one bit. But when you bring the accessories down, you bring the room down and make it a bit cozier.

Before:

She already had a great start with accessories. I suggested some large items because of the space above the cabinets, in little vignettes in the corners so it didn't feel too cluttered.

After:

I loved her table but the chairs seemed a bit dark, so I suggested recovering her chairs with a new lighter fabric. I suggested a fabric that would work with her new drapes.

Before:

She went the extra mile and purchased new, beautiful white chairs with new cushions in colors that work with the walls and drapes:

Didn't she do awesome? I am in LOVE with those chairs!

Here's the full view of her kitchen before:

And the after:

Gorgeous!! I am so proud of you Kortnei, this is fantastic! There were a few changes Kortnei asked about doing that I didn't think she needed to worry about -- and I'm glad she didn't do them. Her wall color worked perfect, the black cabinets were awesome as is. She had a great start to this room.

It didn't happen overnight and it shouldn't...you should take your time to do it the way you want to, and find things that you love for your space.

So there you have it...an idea of what a consultation involves. All it takes is a little bit of work on your part, some trust in moi, and a week or two for me to get back to you. ;) If you are interested in a consultation, they are $30 per room. All you need to do is use the Paypal button on the left of my site and then e-mail your pictures, thoughts and questions.

I'm so glad you love your kitchen Kortnei! If anyone else that has purchased a consult wants to share their room, please let me know!

Bomobob art giveaway!

Giveaway is now closed!

Well hello there! I'm so happy you love my tile project as much as I do! I'm thrilled that I inspire you -- I've never done any tiling in my life, and I did it in a weekend on a wing and a prayer. I couldn't believe how well it turned out. YOU can do it too! For reals!

To continue the month o' giveaways, my friend and advertiser Bob from Photos by Bomobob has offered one of you another one of his beautiful prints!
Just in case you don't remember, take a look at some of his gorgeous work:
How fun for a playroom? Kid's room? Office? The colors are just beautiful:

Sigh. I love this:

His photography showcases how the simplest subjects are the most beautiful:

Seriously. Amazing.

I love the whimsy of this carousel:

Oh, how fantastic would this look in a cottagey kitchen or bedroom?

Bob is offering one print, (size 8x8 or 8x10, depending on the original dimensions) or one of his 4x6 print sets of your choice! To win one of these beautiful prints, leave a comment here, then go to Bomobob's Etsy site here and pick out the print you want to win. Come back here and let me know which one you would love to have.

That's it! Thanks Bob for this great giveaway! This one ends at 8 a.m. this Monday (the 31st).

A few announcements -- I'm hosting a Before and After bloggy party on Monday, September 7th! It can be anything -- a painted room, a craft project, an organized space, changing out accessories, whatever! All you MUST have is a before picture! :) I hope you can join me!

I did a guest post for Kennesha over at Me and My House this week! Go check out my Goodwill Survival Guide post when you get a chance.

Finally, don't forget to head over to houzz.com to comment on my feature there and get in on a chance to win the large Ballard Designs pear! The entries end at 5 p.m. EST time on Sunday the 30th. (I just saw that even my Stepmom and Dad commented on there! Sniff!)

Oh yeah, and have a GREAT weekend!! :)

Sheet Boutique Giveaway!

(This contest is now closed.)

This is the Month-O-Giveaways here at TDC!! And this one is a great one -- it's all about sleep, which next to decorating, is my my all time favorite thing to do. And eat. Decorate, sleep, eat -- in that order.

Cara at The Sheet Boutique is another one of my advertisers and has graciously agreed to a great giveaway for this weekend!

In my opinion, a down comforter (alternative or real down) is the first step to a great sleep:

We have an alternative down comforter inside our duvet cover and I love it because it's easy to wash at home. I also love it cause it's like being wrapped in a big, fluffy hug every night. This is important. Remember, I know sleep peeps.

Cara's prices rival the cheapest I've seen in the stores -- a down alternative king comforter is only $69.99!

The next step to a good night's sleep -- good sheets. I've been stingy where these are concerned -- but no more!! As my friend Valarie says -- "Life is too short for low-count sheets!" (She put that on Crackbook, so it must be true.)

The Sheet Boutique has a great selection of sheets, including these bamboo sheets!:

Incredibly comfy and eco-friendly to boot.

I have yet to splurge on high count sheets, but they are one of our next big buys. At Cara's prices they are so reasonable!

These EzzzySleep Fleece sheets had me at Hello though:

We looooove us some flannel sheets, and these sound divine. My husband would seriously sleep on flannel in the middle of July -- but when your bedroom is eight degrees hotter than the rest of the house, this doesn't make for a comfortable evening. So come September/October, he's practically begging to put them on the bed. I already ordered these EzzzySleep sheets -- he will love me foreva.

Of course there are beautiful comforter sets, like this one:

This set is $99.99 for any size and you won't believe what is included!! Seriously, that's awesome. I lurve the chocolate color!

These hotel-inspired duvet cover sets are right up my alley:

I love how crisp, clean and classic this set is!

Now -- for YOU Squeezies...The Sheet Boutique is giving away the Dream Mate pillow:

This (standard size) pillow has a value of $46!! The pillow helps to regulate your temp, has a lining that keeps moisture away and is antimicrobial, hypo-allergenic and dust mite resistant. Um, that last part is important. Have you seen what we sleep with? Heebies!!

To win this awesome pillow, you know the drill! Leave a comment here, then go over to The Sheet Boutique, check out the items, and come back and leave another comment with the item you'd love to sleep with. (Uhhh...you know what I mean.) And for a third entry, go to Cara's blog here and become a follower (and let her know by commenting).

We spend so much of our lives in bed -- it should be a comfy sanctuary! Do something for yourself and get a good night sleep -- that's where I'm heading about 2.5 seconds after I hit "publish." My body has had enough due to a couple hours of paint stripping today! ;)

Nighty night. Smooches.

Because you RAWK, a giveaway!

I have the BEST readers, hands down. I mean, if there was reality show for blog readers, I'd give you all a rose. I definitely wouldn't extinguish your torch. And I totally would knock you down and pull your hair in a reality-star girl fight. You are that special to me.

When I asked what I should do with my chalk storage for my DIY chalkboard, a few of you mentioned I should do an itty bitty cutie patootie window box like I did here.

So I did. And it's caaaute:

Seriously, I never would have thought of that, and I LOVE it!

So to thank you all for being so freakin' awesome, we're doing another giveaway by one of my advertisers this weekend!

Emily at E.A.D. Designs is one of my latest advertisers and she has graciously decided to share one of her fabulous vinyl items with one of you! Her selection of vinyl lettering and wall art is crazy good.

Check out the eye candy with me -- I love this chandy!


How sweet for a pre-teen or teen girl room. Or even an adult girl (ahem, mine) room -- a dressing room, an office, whatever! And it starts at only EIGHT bucks! See, crazy good!

I love these baroque-inspired frames:

You get all four when you order the set and they would be a bold but simple statement in any room.

For my son, this one would be the bee's knees:

He'd love me forever if I found a spot for these. I have to get them. Even though he'll love me forever anyway. :)

If I was a little girl again, I would SO want these in my room:

I know, they don't look like much now. But they are flower stems -- order them in green, buy some silk gerbera daisies (one of my faves!):
Pop the heads off and stick them on the wall on the vinyl stems for a 3-D look. Custom, cheap, fun. LOVE that! Heck, I'm not little any more and I want those in my room.

Speaking of flowers, I think the dandelion seeds are just simple and pretty:

Um, I guess those are weeds, not flowers, right? Oh well, they are pretty. Just don't tell hubby I think dandelions are pretty. He is not a fan.

And of course, the obligatory beautiful wall words:

I just love how these instantly warm up any home.

So for you lovely squeezies, Emily has agreed to giveaway one of my favorites, the vine wall panels:

I love how these can be used individually throughout a room (they measure 10 by 12 inches) or hung together for a large piece of art. For you rental dwellers out there, these are a great option! A few mdf boards cut at the home improvement store and you are set! Paint them first, let it cure and then stick the vinyl on.

Emily has 34 beautiful colors to pick from -- including some metallics, which I lurrrve for front (and garage!) doors. (Why does my spell check not recognize "lurrrve?")

You have two chances to win -- to be entered, leave me a comment here. Then, go to the E.A.D. Designs site to browse through her items and come back here to leave another comment with your fave.

The giveaway will go until Sunday evening at 8 p.m. Eastern time. A winner will be randomly picked that night.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!!

Table runner pillows.

Well, no one won the dollar. (And don't doubt for a minute I wouldn't have sent it to ya.) Good guesses on what I made my new pillows out of, but no cigar folks. This time they were made of yet another table linen -- a runner!!

Woweeee people, this one is almost as easy at the placemat pillows. It requires a teeny bit more sewing though. Hemming tape if you choose. Or glue. Maybe safety pins. Scotch tape? Whatever floats your boat. I found this runner for $13 at HomeGoods a couple weeks ago:

I knew I wanted to use it but held off on making the pillows until I found solid pillows to work with. Can I tell you how perfecty these go with the placemat pillows? Ugh, I'm dying:

All you have to do is cut the runner at the size you want. Sew up one side and then the other, leaving a little opening to stuff.

Stuff it like a Thanksgiving turkey, sew 'er up and yer dun!! (Ummm...where is the hick-talk coming from Sarah?)

Or if you a total cheater like me, you can have the sweet man who makes your stuff for clients sew up the two sides in about 15 seconds for you when you drop off your client's fabric. Whatev. I cheat. So what? Use what ya got ladies. (I sewed up the holes, OK?)

Here's a GORG night photo:

Oh goodness sakes I love them so. much. Next step -- scotch guard the living daylights out of all of them.

Speaking of table linen pillows, my friend Amy at The Red Chair Blog posted the same project on the same day:

Freaky deaky. Hers is an outdoor pillow and I lurve it! Check it out here.

I am freaking out excited people -- I was recognized by a reader for the first time today!!!! We were out to dinner at a local (YUM-O!) pizza place and she stopped me. I was so giddy!! You must check out Kara's site -- she does amazing work refinishing furniture. Just gorgeous. She mostly sells to Indiana dwellers, but it sounds like she'll try to work it out if you really love something. And you will. Go check her out at Lila's Pockets. Hi Kara!!!!! (Waving wildly.)

Have a great weekend! I could just die I'm so happy with how our deck is turning out. I can't wait to show you next week.