tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81284380343866849182024-03-21T15:57:30.702-07:00cham+thombridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-31251935610753267252013-07-26T08:49:00.000-07:002013-07-27T07:05:25.496-07:00A Bright & Cheerful Guestroom MakeoverGood God. The impending arrival of Baby Cham+Thom has my head spinning and has thrust me into personal home project overload. They call it "nesting," and yes; evidently it happens to people even when they aren't actually prego. :) <br />
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I just got back from finishing up Lizzie's guest room makeover in Ohio. And wow. What a transformation!<br />
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As a reminder... Liz wanted a space that was bright and cheerful, with some beachy elements thrown in too. Keep in mind though, that she lives in the country and nothing else in her house screams "beach" in any way, shape or form. <i>Good thing I like a challenge. </i>:)<i> </i> She mentioned that she wanted her own private oasis, a place where she can run off to when she needs to escape the craziness of her work day(s). This room will function as just that; her "happy" place, as well as her personal office space and a retreat for overnight guests.<br />
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In case you've forgotten, this is what the room looked like before:<br />
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And here's the after!</div>
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Shim Shazam! Is it beautiful or what?!?! I am SO super proud of this room. Maybe it's because I poured so much love into it because it was for my bestie or maybe it's because of all that we accomplished on such a limited budget.<br />
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Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a huge fan of vintage furniture. And as such I would've loved to scour the back alleys of Ohio looking for the perfect vintage nightstands, lighting and other knick-nacks. But...not knowing the area and being in town for such a limited time, I just couldn't risk it. So, although it's not ideal, it was a necessity in this case. Big box stores to the rescue!<br />
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Even so, I think this room totally looks high-end and collected, don't you? And yet nearly every single thing in here is from <a href="http://www.target.com/">Target</a>, <a href="http://www.homegoods.com/">HomeGoods</a>, <a href="http://www.overstock.com/">Overstock</a>, <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/living_room/?cid=us%7Cps%7Cbranded%7CPST_BR_Living_Room_Core%7Cgo%7CIKEA_living_room">Ikea</a> or <a href="http://www.westelm.com/">WestElm</a>! I needed to be able to return anything that didn't work and all of these stores are great that way. Plus, Overstock has free shipping on <u>everything</u>! (Or maybe it's almost free?) And bonus! Target shipped a lot of what I ordered for free as well. Yay me!<br />
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Most of the <a href="http://chamthom.blogspot.com/2013/05/client-report-ohio-guest-room.html">initial design plan</a> changed, but that's bound to happen, right? Here's how it all went down...<br />
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We used their existing bed and dresser and pulled the 2 occasional chairs from the living room; everything else is brand spanking NEW!<br />
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I arrived on Wednesday to a primed room and a mountain of boxes. I went with my first instinct and spent my first full day painting 2 coats of <a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/welcome-to-benjamin-moore;jsessionid=kT9hRycGvsGjgn5mQWQmZ2HnGjZ1fjdMlSZbpnLs0BTFTc6h3Dmc!2062257120!NONE">Benjamin Moore's</a> Ocean Spray. Holy aqua! That color is perfection. Immediately, the space felt more alive and definitely, happy! The color varies in some of my photos but I did the best I could to present the "truest" version here; it really is lovely in person. <br />
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Okay, I admit it. I was a little worried at first. But sometimes you just have to go with your gut and in this case, I'm so glad that I did.<br />
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I had ordered tons of stuff in the weeks before and opening all those boxes felt like Christmas morning. So fun! Here's a shot I posted on Instagram:<br />
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When it comes to working with long distance clients I like to over-order initially; a girl's gotta have options, people. For instance, I ordered this fantastic <a href="http://www.target.com/p/nate-berkus-parker-comforter-set/-/A-14387224?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=%7C14348985&CPNG=Bedding&kpid=14348985&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=14348985&gclid=CJ3Byem7zbgCFYl_QgodzW8ACw">Nate Berkus bedding</a> in ginger, but also in navy. When it came down to it, the navy didn't pop against the aqua as much as the ginger/orange did...but I really do like the navy too. And here you can see lamp bases that we didn't end up using either. Ultimately they were too small but I love their honeycomb shape and hey guess what?! I think they're on clearance at Target right this very second. Go get 'em!<br />
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Hello, gorgeous.<br />
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I'm a little bit in love with these lamp shades. The texture is great and the gold thread works nicely with the vintage yellow/gold dresser.<br />
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Like I mentioned before, I would've loved to find some great vintage nightstands for this room. BUT... These nightstands are real wood and super sturdy; and at less than $120 per pop they fit the bill perfectly! I'm still dying over that price. Ridiculous. But again, Yay me!</div>
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Here's a closer look at that comfy bed. And oh my. I'm absolutely in LOVE with this artwork by <a href="http://www.samanthafrench.com/">Samantha French</a>. The vibrant colors? The girl in the water? It makes me SO darn happy I can barely stand it! </div>
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Liz has had this dresser for years; she got it when she was living in LA. It's all beat up but, in my opinion, still fabulous and works perfectly in the room. And lest we forget the gorgeous "Laura" print by <a href="http://www.michellearmas.bigcartel.com/">Michelle Armas</a> that was our initial jumping off point for the entire room? Me thinks not. I just love the way Michelle puts colors together. One. Talented. Lady.</div>
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Did someone say "beachy"? Oh hello, pretty sea shells. I didn't want to go overboard (pun intended) with anchors, ceramic fish and signs that said "this way to the beach". It's just not practical nor does it go with the rest of the feel of their home. Instead, a sampling of shells and some beyond gorgeous photos by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/MyanSoffia">Myan Soffia</a> do the job of bringing a little bit of the ocean to Waynesville, OH.</div>
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As we follow the room around, there's a nice size window on the side wall. I took the photo below one evening when I was messing around with furniture placement. Originally, I had thought to put these 2 chairs in the far corner, but they really seemed to fit the space below the window perfectly.</div>
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Here's how that seating area looked once I added curtains and a few decorative elements:</div>
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Opposite the bed is a small work space. Here you can see those gorgeous <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/MyanSoffia">Myan Soffia photos</a> I was talking about. These images are of Los Angeles, Hermosa Beach and Santa Monica Pier...all special memories for this family.</div>
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The parsons desk was a steal from Overstock and I am totally coveting that <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/industrial-task-table-lamp-w559/?pkey=ctable-lamps&cm_src=table-lamps||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-">task lamp</a> from West Elm. And how about those black frames? They hold the 12"x12" photos perfectly; thanks, Ikea. Oh and here's the thing. A lot of Ikea's frames come with cream colored mattes. If you need white instead, just flip the cream side over and voila!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI8fgP_NJHeMHiotelWZYmxcn5WPtdIhJ71JTtkMJ3liso0k6FlCnIMYNjRNFG6be0qIg58DwBJk0ey43d34ykCg3mZ9l-n902iU7NlggtVI-iALMtFnsNnewSrNI039u61z_GZtBXMEs/s1600/Desk+Accessories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI8fgP_NJHeMHiotelWZYmxcn5WPtdIhJ71JTtkMJ3liso0k6FlCnIMYNjRNFG6be0qIg58DwBJk0ey43d34ykCg3mZ9l-n902iU7NlggtVI-iALMtFnsNnewSrNI039u61z_GZtBXMEs/s800/Desk+Accessories.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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I picked up all sorts of fun color coordinated desk accessories at Target. The navy blue crab is definitely a favorite!<br />
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And speaking of navy blue...<br />
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When it came to buying a desk chair I barely had any money left in the budget. Soooo, thinking this one looked simple, not too bulky and would match the color of the nightstands, I ordered it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrNsBB1HtPTfyVPtioVQLAB1ojOTvQbIUzze2k9JLlHHCotAsmF6EFlF9EElbQjNA_nKztz7qCgdNv0rbNWK24qlyEYdcA3O-YVjE4KHEfA6VesA2ipKwEvALYXqDXtQhvpuacV5XPGuJ/s1600/Overstock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrNsBB1HtPTfyVPtioVQLAB1ojOTvQbIUzze2k9JLlHHCotAsmF6EFlF9EElbQjNA_nKztz7qCgdNv0rbNWK24qlyEYdcA3O-YVjE4KHEfA6VesA2ipKwEvALYXqDXtQhvpuacV5XPGuJ/s1600/Overstock.jpg" /></a></div>
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When I opened the box, I wasn't quite feeling it though; it had more of a reddish hue and didn't quite go. I looked around town a bit and at first, thought I'd just find a replacement and then return the <a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Savannah-Hardwood-Chair/2481103/product.html?refccid=GZLFR5TQKWKJFOCFHWG6JQ4DEQ&searchidx=25">Overstock chair</a>. I just couldn't find anything that I liked though soooo...paint to the rescue!<br />
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That's when this happened:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IDBKNYITXDmrTRs6GWeypEqalopf8E2QndpGg4D-NhgQQP-mLr14E7nRbzl6ydhv9kS5Dv8Gpj49URfUzq0FMKy2jKoTTw37oIDnHobn13Fj2o4IPGjJkru3aiqQFus1OfdI5Y8JzWzL/s1600/Blue+Chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IDBKNYITXDmrTRs6GWeypEqalopf8E2QndpGg4D-NhgQQP-mLr14E7nRbzl6ydhv9kS5Dv8Gpj49URfUzq0FMKy2jKoTTw37oIDnHobn13Fj2o4IPGjJkru3aiqQFus1OfdI5Y8JzWzL/s800/Blue+Chair.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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Perfectly blue and super cute! I stumbled on those file storage boxes at Target too. I couldn't get over all of the great accessories they had in stock.<br />
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This project was a ton of hard work but so so rewarding. I had a blast working with such a good friend and really tried so very hard to get it "just right" for her. I'm pleased to report that she was super happy and yes; I did capture the moment of the big reveal, but on video vs. pictures. Now I just need to learn how to upload a video to my blog though... Aargh. Yet another learning curve. <br />
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Soooo someday you'll see Liz's reaction to her new room. I just love it though. I hope you do too!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRnKXKRJKCsxJ3r86PyhMfC-vgiJnOipFvTHSG7dR2p-DsNuf3GUaRJwy1S5AW-BfGR56DpYf8X1pYbV-8XYVIjIOowsjJMCCpzFvDxIFdkMscEfncyc6FDA_v0ONwLVG4met6F69osWE/s1600/Aqua+Walls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRnKXKRJKCsxJ3r86PyhMfC-vgiJnOipFvTHSG7dR2p-DsNuf3GUaRJwy1S5AW-BfGR56DpYf8X1pYbV-8XYVIjIOowsjJMCCpzFvDxIFdkMscEfncyc6FDA_v0ONwLVG4met6F69osWE/s800/Aqua+Walls.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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I'm starting to put together plans for their great room and basement too, so stay tuned; Ohio, I'll be seeing you again soon. :) And in the meantime, I am in crazy project mode over here at Camp Cham+Thom. Am re-doing the kid's rooms and making space for the new arrival. More on that to come!</div>
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Here are a few other sources:<br />
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-lamp-stack-resin-white-small/-/A-13688421#prodSlot=medium_1_60&term=white+lamp">Bedside lamps: Target</a><br />
<a href="http://www.homegoods.com/">Bed throw pillows: HomeGoods</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/bedroom/10681/">White sheets: Ikea</a><br />
<a href="http://www.homegoods.com/">Smaller picture frames: HomeGoods</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/16456/">Artwork Ribba black frames</a>: Ikea<br />
<a href="http://www.homegoods.com/">Wooden bowl for shells: HomeGoods</a><br />
Shells: <a href="http://www.homegoods.com/">HomeGoods</a> & <a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/assorted-beach-shell-vase-filler/">Pottery Barn</a><br />
Vases: <a href="http://www.target.com/p/threshold-triangular-vase-coral/-/A-14497234#prodSlot=large_3_25">Target</a> & <a href="http://www.michaels.com/">Michaels</a><br />
Chair Pillows: ZigZag from Pottery Barn (sorry; I think it's sold out), <a href="http://www.homegoods.com/">Blue from HomeGoods</a><br />
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Now have a great day, darlings, and happy shopping. And if you need some help with decorating a room at your house, please don't hesitate to contact me; I would love to work with you! Reach me at chambliss.bridgette@gmail.com.bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-52969508424452753692013-07-18T22:55:00.001-07:002013-07-27T08:15:10.094-07:00Getting personal<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
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Let's get personal, cyber friends. Sorry in advance; this post is wordy and without photos. I think I just need to purge a little...</div>
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Biff has 2 children from a previous marriage (Emily, 14 & Joe, 12). They live with their mom in Washington and are the sole reason we moved to Seattle just over 2 years ago to try and make a life there. They're great. I mean, for the most part, they are reeeeeally good kids. And I do enjoy having them in my life. Actually, I wish they were MORE a part of our lives. But sadly (sad to be away from the kids; happy for every other reason), we are back in LA and our visits with them are far too infrequent.</div>
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The distance makes forging any type of <i>real</i> relationship with the kids a bit more challenging. And then of course, there's the fact that they're in their pre-teen/teen years and have no interest in talking on the phone with us whatsoever. I bring to the table my own full set of baggage/experience, having grown up with step parents myself; I'm constantly putting myself in their shoes, assuming I know how they're feeling. I have to remember that their situation isn't mine. I know I have an opportunity to do things differently this time and am very aware of the role I wish to play in their lives. I'm hopeful that, in time, they'll realize that I'm not only on their team but am also head cheerleader. They are special people and little slices of their father; and I love when I catch glimpses of him in them.</div>
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Let's face it though. Being a stepmom is quite different than being a mother. Of course, it's wonderful when the stepmom in the scenario is thought of as a second mom, a "bonus mom" if you will (I love that term btw), to her husband's children. But, it's still not quite the same, now is it? And being a mother is something I've longed for for as long as I can remember.</div>
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We decided we wanted to add to our family and right away, even when we were engaged, started trying to have a baby. Sadly, after months of trying, tests confirmed our fears. We were told that the likelihood of us conceiving naturally was slim to none. It's hard to put into words how devastating that news was. At the time, it was like someone hit me in the chest. Biff was out of town working when the doctor called with my results. I remember it clear as day. I was standing in the kitchen when I picked up the phone. I heard the news and I fell backward into a chair. It was like the wind was knocked out of me.</div>
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In a two minute conversation my whole world was turned upside down, stomped on, crushed. I couldn't breath. I began asking questions. Ridiculous questions. But I was in problem solving mode... <i>Are you sure? I don't understand. My grandmother had my uncle when she was 42? Okay, so what's next? Is there medication? Should we go straight to IUI then? </i>No, the doctor said. That won't work for you. And then she said words that have really stuck with me. "I'm not saying that you can't get pregnant, Bridgette. I'm saying that you most likely won't get pregnant with your own eggs."</div>
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I started to cry. </div>
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The rest of the quick conversation is a bit of a blur. I remember her saying that she was sorry she didn't have better news but that if we wanted the possibility of having biological children that we would have to act fast. That we should contact a reproductive endocrinologist immediately.</div>
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Devastation.</div>
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I always thought I'd be a mother. I do remember going through a phase though, in my late 30's before I met my husband, where I really tried coming to terms with the possibility that maybe I wouldn't meet "my guy" and that I might not have kids. Back then, I claimed to be okay with the idea, that I'd travel a bunch, that I'd focus on my career and make a lot of money and then spend it on whatever I wanted...that I'd be care free.</div>
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Yeah right. If I'm going to be truthful with myself and with you though, I was totally faking it back then. I just didn't realize how very much I wanted to be a mother until I fell in love with my husband. The thought of having a little piece of him and a little piece of me? I wanted it so badly. </div>
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Around this time, things got pretty dark for me. We had made a hasty decision to move to Seattle and after 6 months of struggling to find work and start a life there, we decided to move back to LA. We got back here the last week of December in 2011.</div>
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That January, we scrambled to put together every last penny we had and met with a specialist. We started our first cycle of IVF later that month and amazingly, we got pregnant! With IVF you're monitored much more than you are in a traditional pregnancy so I was seeing the specialist 2-3 times per week. The pregnancy numbers were a little low but growing and we were full of hope. Sadly though, the day we went in to hear the heartbeat, we were told that the embryo had stopped growing. They couldn't explain it but we were told we were going to miscarry. <i>What??? Why? I'm not bleeding. No cramping. No signs that anything is wrong. Are you sure???? </i>Yes; we're sure.</div>
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But then I didn't miscarry. Another week went by. No bleeding. No cramping. I went back to the doctor. <i>Are you positive??? </i>Yes; we're positive.</div>
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Another week passed and still nothing though. The doctor had to help the miscarriage along the following week. I'll spare you the details but it was an incredibly painful and all-around horrible experience. </div>
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Darkness swept over me. I was having to go to work everyday and put on a happy face but inside, I was dying. I went deep underground to lick my wounds and didn't really surface socially for months. We had kept the IVF news pretty quiet so not many people really knew what was going on until quite a bit of time had passed.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">As with most things, thank goodness, time heals. Biff and I laid low and worked through our sadness together. And then last October we took a belated honeymoon trip to Spain. It was wonderful. I finally felt like myself again. </span><span style="background-color: white;">We had been trapped in our very own private hell but we had made it to the other side. I felt really happy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">That's when I knew...it was time to try again.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">We met with the specialists again in November of last year. In December 2012 we started a new cycle of IVF and on Christmas morning I had egg retrieval surgery. Yep. Christmas day. What better day for a miracle, right!? They did the transplant 3 days later and yes! We were pregnant! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">I felt great. Healthy. Happy. So excited. Our numbers were much stronger this time; the embryo was growing and right on target. It came time to see the heartbeat and there it was!! We even captured it on film. It was amazing. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">The next week, or maybe it was two weeks later, we went back to the doctor for another ultrasound. That was when, again with no explanation, we were told that the heartbeat was gone. They told us that we were going to miscarry.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">All of those same horrible feelings came flooding in. It was all so very devastating the first time. This last time though, it was even harder because we knew that we wouldn't be trying IVF for a third time. It's just not an option financially for us and really, for whatever reason, my body is just not responding well. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">Again, the miscarriage didn't happen right away. Again, it was all so very very horrible.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">I knew that in order to some how some way recover from this devastating blow, I was going to have to find a way to let this dream of mine go. The dream of having a biological child with Biff. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">I'm not going to lie. There have been some mighty dark days. They come and go though.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">I have friends and family with the most beautiful children. And I adore them all and I love being their Auntie. But I'm human and sometimes I just want to cry out to God or to whomever will listen and ask WHY??? WHY NOT ME??? Am I not deserving? Tell me WHY!!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">Aaaaaaah... But I guess we don't always know why life is the way it is. And I've realized that maybe what I thought was meant to be just isn't part of MY journey. Perhaps there is a different plan for me. Doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt or that I never think about it. But I'm living one day at a time and</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;"> have made great strides. I feel peace.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">I love my husband and I love our life together. Our hearts are big though and we have room to share. Which is why I'm super excited to report that we are getting certified to foster and potentially ADOPT a child!! :))</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Remember back in May when Biff and I <a href="http://chamthom.blogspot.com/2013/05/volunteering-feels-good.html">volunteered with Foster Care Counts</a>? My good friend Karen turned us on to that organization and we helped with their Mother's Day event for foster parents. Well, I guess that was us sticking our lil' pinky toe in the water. Around that same time, one of my other good gal pals recommended Nia Vardalos' book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0062231839">Instant Mom</a>. (Thanks, Sally!) I loved that book. It was just what I needed at exactly the right time. Finally. Someone who could relate to how I had been feeling around all these other moms. Someone who had experienced all the crazy-making hormones. <i>Those shots are awful btw. </i> All the bloating?! <i>What a nightmare...</i> The emotional roller coaster? <i>Nothing compares. </i> Nia's story is incredible. She went through so many IVF cycles... Experienced such heartbreak. I really don't know how she survived. But she DID survive and now she has the daughter she was always meant to have!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">It's a story that is so inspiring and gives me lots of hope. And I think it's what ultimately led to me calling a Foster Family Agency and setting up that initial meeting. And now 2 1/2 months later, we've taken the classes and gotten fingerprinted. We've had our health screenings, our cars and home inspected and learned CPR. There are still a few more things to take care of but we are so close now. They tell us that by September, we may very well have a child in our home!!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;">The process is totally scary and I've had about a million freak-outs about the whole thing. There's a lot of red tape, so much </span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">bureaucracy. And it's definitely not for everyone. But it's looking (and feeling!) more and more like it's for us. Yay!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">I'll probably go into more detail regarding the whole process in the coming weeks and of course, as I embark on instant motherhood, I'll be sharing those experiences too. First though, we've got to kick some of these decorating projects into high gear! We have to get the kiddos rooms ready STAT! More on those plans coming soon. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Check back next week for some pretty eye candy from my recently finished Ohio Guestroom Project!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">SO much to do but the future is looking bright! Happy Thursday, friends.</span></span></div>
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bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-9029137374901409652013-06-20T09:11:00.000-07:002013-06-20T09:11:08.820-07:00Black is Beautiful AND we got a new rug!Remember this photo from the treehouse tour of the upstairs? Well, you've already seen the before-and-afters of both the dining room and the living room, so today I thought I'd give you a quick look inside the half bath project.<br />
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The upstairs powder room is located just off the living room, near the front entrance. You can see it in the photo below; the door is open.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiA4cPNVV_XT0KdpeBBj8ViXUOW1C37lIW66I5h0-z2hVGCyj_lswlgPT7PoxagZZbKwEFAcKldeaTL_IC3hnr0JMDeq15dbR78-LYotiJyt37gfI9gO88HK4ymkKzVKcCrMIF-WMlGYvR/s1600/bathroom+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiA4cPNVV_XT0KdpeBBj8ViXUOW1C37lIW66I5h0-z2hVGCyj_lswlgPT7PoxagZZbKwEFAcKldeaTL_IC3hnr0JMDeq15dbR78-LYotiJyt37gfI9gO88HK4ymkKzVKcCrMIF-WMlGYvR/s800/bathroom+door.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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Not much to see here, folks. It's a teeny tiny bathroom that has a sink, a toilet and a linen closet. And yes; I already told you there is grey carpet on the floor in there. And yes; I know that is disgusting. But hey...let's just focus on the positive, k?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgy7Tde_7TrXIpjApIEcaZvSJ0jFnWP94bU_MEMsO-_T5j48r1aELoi9yq1J_zpUdpew8WX5QpwCpFczSxwIvx9j4-g7Kw8Dx3QcMnxnpcEIJMOcvO2UWaEsprJsYVWyIX26HDib1IKc3/s1600/treehouse+half+bath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgy7Tde_7TrXIpjApIEcaZvSJ0jFnWP94bU_MEMsO-_T5j48r1aELoi9yq1J_zpUdpew8WX5QpwCpFczSxwIvx9j4-g7Kw8Dx3QcMnxnpcEIJMOcvO2UWaEsprJsYVWyIX26HDib1IKc3/s800/treehouse+half+bath.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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Talk about a taping nightmare. What you're looking at here, people, is the ceiling.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EXvqLoL3On7mqey-5Y7mp0ZET3-c_PNTNDyGa3csgqD9GTnaFh0PasKH-tsX0iPx7xTWdoaZyJB6i9Mpy20gnDPosZQlULS4apwes1Yob2anl3ilPioZVuMF3KBwAwan38ytNNWO2SwL/s1600/bath_taped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EXvqLoL3On7mqey-5Y7mp0ZET3-c_PNTNDyGa3csgqD9GTnaFh0PasKH-tsX0iPx7xTWdoaZyJB6i9Mpy20gnDPosZQlULS4apwes1Yob2anl3ilPioZVuMF3KBwAwan38ytNNWO2SwL/s800/bath_taped.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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As the paint went up I was terrified. It was a total splotchy mess but it was too late to turn back so forward I marched. No worries though. 4 coats of black paint later, we were all smiles around here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYw7B2godTcbjd13ktFiVtXoFfI2M0RNCOQpL3favM_6dVX0mP60oEpUCFvkyStk9-I4Y2EtkwsBJ_CP2VdpypV4fKW7lEKZrr6zh7zsj8BXv-bgqpVoooysrXZZ5lXd9ey3mU_dELlX5E/s1600/scary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYw7B2godTcbjd13ktFiVtXoFfI2M0RNCOQpL3favM_6dVX0mP60oEpUCFvkyStk9-I4Y2EtkwsBJ_CP2VdpypV4fKW7lEKZrr6zh7zsj8BXv-bgqpVoooysrXZZ5lXd9ey3mU_dELlX5E/s800/scary.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Found this vintage painting for $15 and knew it was going to be a hit against those black walls and the celadon <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/zig-zag-bath-mat-b608/?pkey=cbath-mats&cm_src=bath-mats||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-">zig zag rug</a> from <a href="http://www.westelm.com/">West Elm</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZvJcc_IYTlMv_En6QU34C3ls6FvgcGXm2I1LDUUtgJBAEPDywRL_WPDKuZKxdWI8A-RYOiOa7AtbsAHxbo4cOcggSUaJb8_3WBkDEBLreQ2Wb7ueOi9qbJoRV0_pQXCtAfZKVmXpwhMM/s1600/Vintage+Flower+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZvJcc_IYTlMv_En6QU34C3ls6FvgcGXm2I1LDUUtgJBAEPDywRL_WPDKuZKxdWI8A-RYOiOa7AtbsAHxbo4cOcggSUaJb8_3WBkDEBLreQ2Wb7ueOi9qbJoRV0_pQXCtAfZKVmXpwhMM/s800/Vintage+Flower+art.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Black and beautiful! Here she is, friends, and she looks great!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQRCeHPNnhi_mdWcj63fT0_HVNT7ryAVRhtHPZ4oDzb3yNsEAJqkMndQWpSuP5l9qmBWhsVwwK0OqHDcKUE86xFdFVU2L9gVrIzy6d5JOnKwlmKBErEyYQcVmujDf_L_HNzIuFJ7AG6nQ/s1600/black+bath_accessories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQRCeHPNnhi_mdWcj63fT0_HVNT7ryAVRhtHPZ4oDzb3yNsEAJqkMndQWpSuP5l9qmBWhsVwwK0OqHDcKUE86xFdFVU2L9gVrIzy6d5JOnKwlmKBErEyYQcVmujDf_L_HNzIuFJ7AG6nQ/s800/black+bath_accessories.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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The gold mirrored tray and cute little pill box are vintage and the <a href="http://www.twigandwillow.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=220&c=5">Sydney Hale Co. candle</a> is a little slice of Heaven that I was gifted from <a href="http://www.twigandwillow.com/">Twig & Willow</a>. I highly recommend the cedarwood + vanilla scent; it is absolutely divine. Still working on the accessories for this space.</div>
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I do love the way the West Elm zig zag rug color ties into the vintage floral artwork. AND it hides a lot of that horrible grey carpet. Win! Win!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-Kr_4YgIfP2aaDxtCxWi0FTloPgDFuE0eqcu922lipnVeWxmYpj5hzQMFVSB7fhxibhyxN2bgNE-INdiR5w_6VUlge64OMfw4kyWj5VBteJ-BG12PbHVxocupejqWeQKXddhfqkhr6hQ/s1600/half+bath_after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-Kr_4YgIfP2aaDxtCxWi0FTloPgDFuE0eqcu922lipnVeWxmYpj5hzQMFVSB7fhxibhyxN2bgNE-INdiR5w_6VUlge64OMfw4kyWj5VBteJ-BG12PbHVxocupejqWeQKXddhfqkhr6hQ/s800/half+bath_after.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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Here's the view from the bathroom looking out into the living room. Now of course, it's totally blown out due to all that sunlight bursting through the windows...<i>amateur mistake</i>...but you get the point.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS40E4sMx1KXqQqGilCeKR0QWRo4rpkka8kS328SQ2eMChIDUBvcFZFz7fEN6Sgn7Pry69NYtSWPPAzFlM9_U7yxKw9G2PxJ0spOda9hZa99C6ijNhen2mc9XIJcEzdsX5nQ5i3LTi0nMS/s1600/view+from+bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS40E4sMx1KXqQqGilCeKR0QWRo4rpkka8kS328SQ2eMChIDUBvcFZFz7fEN6Sgn7Pry69NYtSWPPAzFlM9_U7yxKw9G2PxJ0spOda9hZa99C6ijNhen2mc9XIJcEzdsX5nQ5i3LTi0nMS/s800/view+from+bathroom.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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And I know we're talking about the half bath today but how about a little love for our new living room rug too! I recently ordered this <a href="http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/rugs-usa-adileh/natural/200VBVI2A-53076.html">Beaumont Adileh Natural Rug from Rugs USA</a>. It is so SO lovely. Even prettier in person.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BQoyxCR4bxbiWbx0nhCszyJK1qe2xky_mz5jMBsCZKYir78Wc_5DgvtXZGFMhN9WXPH09LqCEnACcFMJMqDdbrgX_6ol-Egk30bG3fA_wFUcJNPMTWtSB4h78XC4VW1lcBp9qBJY4Cj9/s1600/Adileh+Rug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BQoyxCR4bxbiWbx0nhCszyJK1qe2xky_mz5jMBsCZKYir78Wc_5DgvtXZGFMhN9WXPH09LqCEnACcFMJMqDdbrgX_6ol-Egk30bG3fA_wFUcJNPMTWtSB4h78XC4VW1lcBp9qBJY4Cj9/s800/Adileh+Rug.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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I love that it looks like a vintage Persian without the $3500+++ price tag. We went with the 'natural' color but we were super close to going with the 'spruce blue' which looks really pretty too. Because our entire upstairs area is so neutral and white, the living room really could handle a vibrant rug. Instead though, we opted to stay with something neutral because, remember, at some point I plan on replacing these sofas and I didn't want to limit myself due to a crazy vibrant rug color. In this rug, you can see some black & shades of grey, as well as some really faint apricot tones. So far I am loving it but let me live with her for awhile; I'll do a full review in a few months and let you know how this bargain beauty is holding up. </div>
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In other news, this is happening. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEWGgIOaCwuFHcyR8aNeyS-ag_Q6OZBS9wJViSQt6yRZaJObB5y3NR4qJi09Tn_kBbPKfglKLVzw6PwM8Ckvdb3NHiGxD6M48_1_HpU6BBRgql-IqihunCzTLOnqJ9wi6yOwvNtuGWHWx/s1600/drilling+holes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEWGgIOaCwuFHcyR8aNeyS-ag_Q6OZBS9wJViSQt6yRZaJObB5y3NR4qJi09Tn_kBbPKfglKLVzw6PwM8Ckvdb3NHiGxD6M48_1_HpU6BBRgql-IqihunCzTLOnqJ9wi6yOwvNtuGWHWx/s800/drilling+holes.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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New and improved garden wall pics coming soon!</div>
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<br />bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-15917794954741223942013-06-19T10:08:00.001-07:002013-06-19T10:08:11.619-07:00I Spy :: furniture with feetI love me some furniture with animal feet. Seriously. I can't really explain it but it makes me smile. Maybe it's just that it's so totally unexpected.<br />
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Take for instance the bar stools in the kitchen below; if you were visiting with the chef in this {gorgeous} kitchen, it might take you a bit for you even noticed those fab hooves. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHk0ndADWrgGkcAorQneYvsEwZZyHPgTZKCU-ufnRxShFW2dWc3sHUPDGIl56pIyq_2udrJMqn0ZoYIStRsvMV01Qxgh7bls5V4caD2wdQMlbjusGuwJw9iSkcsy0ga_cleGJ5OkagQEo/s1600/hooved+bar+stools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHk0ndADWrgGkcAorQneYvsEwZZyHPgTZKCU-ufnRxShFW2dWc3sHUPDGIl56pIyq_2udrJMqn0ZoYIStRsvMV01Qxgh7bls5V4caD2wdQMlbjusGuwJw9iSkcsy0ga_cleGJ5OkagQEo/s800/hooved+bar+stools.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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And this chair is just too much. Doesn't it look like it wants to walk around the house with you sitting in it? It makes me laugh. Maybe that's it. If you have furniture with animal feet in your home it probably means you have a good sense of humor; I love a bit of comedy in decor, don't you?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUtkTWgJD-MtOFtaFykrKQhBrX3p0IwwESIkmkO4Vt4st5luqZLAeWBipIEL3TI4PTPTCFS4kiZhZW92mdyd-CiPbYbTYs0l_NEab9IpWH3tjll2ufh4M2xG38u3cozsWR5PhfD9RWSxx/s1600/ajax_armchair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUtkTWgJD-MtOFtaFykrKQhBrX3p0IwwESIkmkO4Vt4st5luqZLAeWBipIEL3TI4PTPTCFS4kiZhZW92mdyd-CiPbYbTYs0l_NEab9IpWH3tjll2ufh4M2xG38u3cozsWR5PhfD9RWSxx/s800/ajax_armchair.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When you put your feet up after a long day, you surely won't miss these golden tootsies:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoec4jZuK1snNWYxS7rZHZ2XqU29LccYpBS2kzukLBstBt4vkFyTdSAUh8YPxMQ6pRvTEraqmAR-h6RoDaeUn48jziMJ4rwjPjSeKiqWDmV3FEVKMdftnDGBh5h-F5hdM0Vf8wH1mBtEN/s1600/ottoman+with+feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoec4jZuK1snNWYxS7rZHZ2XqU29LccYpBS2kzukLBstBt4vkFyTdSAUh8YPxMQ6pRvTEraqmAR-h6RoDaeUn48jziMJ4rwjPjSeKiqWDmV3FEVKMdftnDGBh5h-F5hdM0Vf8wH1mBtEN/s800/ottoman+with+feet.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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And how about this bench? It's from a few years ago, designed by <a href="http://www.olystudio.com/">Oly Studio</a>. It's less funny and maybe even kind of scary. But not in a bad way. More like Harry Potter scary. Okay, so that means it's not scary at all; maybe it's just a wee bit creepy is all.<br />
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So if you were paying attention during yesterday's living room progress report here at the treehouse, you may've noticed that we too like a bit of whimsy when it comes to decor. We've actually got some hooves of very our own. <br />
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How great is our coffee table? All those hooves!!! I'm a little bit in love with it even though that glass top is crazy-making. I'm convinced that there is some sort of dust conspiracy happening in this house. It's like all the little pieces of dust communicate with each other and say, <i>let's pile up again and see if we can make Bridgette insane today</i>. Seriously. I am completely obsessed with dusting. Can not help myself. It's all over everything ALL the time.</div>
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But, oooooh, when she's clean, she really is so very pretty.</div>
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I have Mr. Cham+Thom to thank for this little piece of lovely. We were living in Seattle and our vintage chrome and glass oversized coffee table just didn't fit in our tight living room area. That and I was finally embracing my love for all things brass. Sooooo the search began for a new table. I mentioned it to Biff and at first, he was a little turned off by the whole brass thing. It didn't take long for him to hop on board though and once he came around HE started looking at Craigslist everyday, searching for our new table. It happened pretty quickly too. We scored this vintage beauty for just $35! It was definitely a long haul to go pick it up but look at it; it was totally worth the drive.<br />
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So my friends, whether you've got big bucks to spend or are doing the thrifty thing like we are, there are fun footed furniture options out there. One of my clients liked our coffee table so much, that she started scouring Craigslist everyday and found a table for her place that is nearly identical to the one we have! We're still working on a few more projects at her place but I hope to have pics of that fantastic girlie glam pad for you soon.<br />
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In the meantime, whether it's animal feet on your furniture or your very own miniature gnome collection, drop the stuffy attitude and have a sense of humor when it comes to decorating your space. A sliver of comedy is a great conversation starter among guests and in general, adds a welcome bit of happy to your home.<br />
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And who doesn't want a happy home?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>images via <a href="http://www.olystudio.com/">Oly Studio</a> & <a href="http://www.homebunch.com/cool-or-fool-animal-feet-furniture/">here</a></i></span>bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-38926263993464299342013-06-18T18:13:00.002-07:002013-06-18T20:25:24.883-07:00The Treehouse :: A living room progress reportHappy Tuesday, everyone. The time has come for a Camp Cham+Thom living room progress report. I've hesitated to post pictures because I love things to look "just so" but that's not real life, now is it? Our home is a work in progress and will probably continue to be so for quite some time. I'm changing my mind so much these days. It's probably best that I document my thoughts here, if for no other reason, than to have something to refer back to!<br />
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Okay, so as a reminder this is how the living room looked when we rented the space.<br />
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We're so grateful for the gorgeous wood floors, all that natural light and the fantastic wood beamed ceiling. AND we're up in the hills and have an incredible view of the Silverlake Reservoir. <br />
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This picture doesn't do it justice one bit and yet it STILL looks gorgeous. <br />
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That reservoir is actually calling my name this very second. It does that sometimes. <i>Bridgette, get off your bum. Come down here and exercise... </i>Yeah Yeah...I'll see you soon, lil' reservoir; very soon.<br />
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As I mentioned in an earlier post, before we moved in we removed the funky window mouldings, threw a fresh coat of white paint on everything and took down that eyesore of a television that was protruding from the wall.<br />
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This is a photo I took after we moved in our first few boxes.<br />
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I really love our home. You walk through the front door and there's no mistaking it; there's a very Zen feel in here. The location and the view can't be beat either and I've also really loved having a fireplace again. There's just something about sitting by a fire that I adore. It's true. The first day there's even the slightest chill in the air, I want to throw on a log. I'm a gal who loves to be comfy cozy and warm; so for me, having a fireplace is nearly a necessity. From the get go, I knew I wanted stacked wood inside the house and was dreaming about it even when we were back in Seattle. But where oh where to put all that firewood?<br />
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Once we got settled, it seemed to me that the empty space to the right of the fireplace was begging to be utilized. Sadly, <strike>we </strike> I do watch a lot of tv and that seemed like the only spot for it. Now you might be saying, <i>but you just removed a perfectly good tv from that very spot</i>. Well yes, that's somewhat true BUT... We definitely didn't want a super high mounted television (like the one the previous tenant had) nor for it to be attached to a big silver hinge. No one needs to watch tv while sitting at the dining room table, people. Paleeze.<br />
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Instead, I thought it would look better if we created a platform for our television to be at eye-level; and for me, it was important aesthetically, for the tv not to be higher than the fireplace mantel. If it were to go higher, it seemed like it would throw that corner off balance. Also part of the plan? The tv platform would double as a structure that would hold our firewood and keep things tidy.<br />
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Sooooo, this is what we came up with and truly it could not be a more perfect design solution AND it was easy to install.<br />
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The plan was to assemble the structure first and then put it in place and secure it to the wall. BUT... once it was put together we realized that it was a super tight, near impossible, fit. Turns out our beautiful (old) treehouse has walls that are a bit uneven so we just ended up pushing and wedging the platform until it fit. It's so snug that we didn't even need to secure it to the wall. Easiest DIY project ever! <i>Of course, I would always recommend securing anything top heavy like this to a wall if possible, especially if you live in earthquake country like us.</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>I must say, it's super functional and actually looks like a built-in. I'm super happy with it.<br />
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Here are some other shots of the progress we've made in the living room. And I'm still working on my photography skills, folks, so bear with me.<br />
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Hello, light, bright & gorgeous lil' treehouse. <br />
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Nice to see you, pretty plants in the dining room. Sometimes more <b><i>IS</i></b> more, so we've purchased more greenery and some smaller pots and are going to be adding to our garden wall soon!<br />
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The wall opposite the fireplace is a little challenged. It's just SO huge. Need to add more art. More art everywhere. I know...I know... But in the meantime, let's all smile at the colorful musings of the lovely Louis Cannizzaro. Check him out at <a href="http://www.powderfrench.com/gallery.htm">www.powderfrench.com</a>. He's a sweetheart and if you don't own his artwork, you should. You can thank me later.<br />
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Woah... Wait a second. I forgot to mention that we had a supermodel on set today. Miss Gracie Jane Pickle...who in this photo is unsure that she wants anything to do with this here photo shoot. Little one, why must you glare at me so?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnQyk5JUp3wFDzTD9a4j2n7njQ-qw1oJ2rLNX24IppULco53z_il_5s25mT7ONQx6Wf0ielCX0cE9bdSyJXZG44-Y0MnSHTAmHjps0k2d5OyFunXfb-7vU24Vd2TTvdZm5KWv1LC-yND2/s1600/gracie_fireplace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnQyk5JUp3wFDzTD9a4j2n7njQ-qw1oJ2rLNX24IppULco53z_il_5s25mT7ONQx6Wf0ielCX0cE9bdSyJXZG44-Y0MnSHTAmHjps0k2d5OyFunXfb-7vU24Vd2TTvdZm5KWv1LC-yND2/s800/gracie_fireplace.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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I wish I could take the credit for this gorgeous fireplace screen. Carol (our landlord) picked it up at the Rosebowl. Look closely and you can almost see an Otomi pattern. I LOVE it so much.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgU-pZ53FzIeHbSxOYNa-w4PMqqRPd5bYgNnktNaAezZtEiZcwBYOg151WCFm-uAqbLgPGy4OCKtl9xXI1Tj8lYsuwW15RPPY1VNZeij2D2uwUVO9ytW_GaK5qxvsYfOBQpzh8dOmCUMbJ/s1600/fireplace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgU-pZ53FzIeHbSxOYNa-w4PMqqRPd5bYgNnktNaAezZtEiZcwBYOg151WCFm-uAqbLgPGy4OCKtl9xXI1Tj8lYsuwW15RPPY1VNZeij2D2uwUVO9ytW_GaK5qxvsYfOBQpzh8dOmCUMbJ/s800/fireplace.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EagwoYJ2gehvNL74d6HGWFqPW7H6InITjAqnbTdmWxIaBGVCRnKsqNad9tws3a35gJXo8rBxuigstM9L6cer0fATuY0XV3XOSB9orDCaxQDFcfAQLeou8VjgslLZK6SsE4DwTjoJhRMP/s1600/lou+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EagwoYJ2gehvNL74d6HGWFqPW7H6InITjAqnbTdmWxIaBGVCRnKsqNad9tws3a35gJXo8rBxuigstM9L6cer0fATuY0XV3XOSB9orDCaxQDFcfAQLeou8VjgslLZK6SsE4DwTjoJhRMP/s800/lou+art.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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Like I said before, this side of the room is a wee bit "challenged." Although I've loved my Vanessa de Vargas inspired green campaign dresser (LGN wrote about it <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2009/12/campaign-furniture.html">here</a>), it may be time to bid it adieu. OR maybe we can move her downstairs or give her a fresh coat of paint or something. I dunno. For a second we toyed with the idea of putting a bar in that little nook but now we've got small kiddos on the brain so that is looking less and less likely. We're still a little undecided, but we've also talked about getting some type of vintage shelving for over there. A nice vertical piece with some height to it maybe. Not sure though. AND yes...yes... I know we need more art. </div>
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Oy. And much better dresser styling. Keeping it real, people; just keeping it real...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8Qj8adB5bUh_9iPum6mQfAKjX6w1ihSeO13ShkrkuDUpoyhAQMAegTmEP_7_afEpqsSIQO2xznOtsEccr4II7lLcQlq2scNTlGsFY7oWIwtluReizBT-0lJ_0CDqrSbomXwHVMQUNadU/s1600/campaign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8Qj8adB5bUh_9iPum6mQfAKjX6w1ihSeO13ShkrkuDUpoyhAQMAegTmEP_7_afEpqsSIQO2xznOtsEccr4II7lLcQlq2scNTlGsFY7oWIwtluReizBT-0lJ_0CDqrSbomXwHVMQUNadU/s800/campaign.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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So there you have it, my dears. The longest picture-packed-post ever. Our upstairs living space is <u>almost</u> done. Well, as done as it's going to get for a bit. </div>
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Here's why we're just at "almost":</div>
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1. We'd love to replace our sofas as they are actually super uncomfortable. Biff and I have discussed it and we are quite certain that we've been cursed with bad sofa karma...although we're not sure why. Also, sadly, Gracie Jane Pickle thinks they are her extra large scratching posts... and as much as I've thought about breaking her legs and tearing out her nails <i>(I know. I'm a horrible person.) </i>when I wake up to the noise of her scratching in the middle of the night, I just love her too damn much to do so. Soooo we've resigned to ugly cat scratched corners on these uncomfortable sofas. I think because of the light color of the sofas though, it's not that super noticeable. Or maybe I'm just dreaming. Who knows. </div>
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2. Like I mentioned earlier, we want to change out the green campaign dresser. We'll see when or if that ever happens. </div>
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3. I am in the process of buying and creating more art for the entire house. More on that soon.</div>
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4. And undoubtedly, a few more pillows, a throw or two and something with a little more height to go on the mantel wouldn't hurt either. </div>
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So you see, we are allllllmost there. One of these days I'm going to have this place properly photographed by someone who knows what they're doing. I bet it will make a world of difference. Can't wait! Must. Finish. Projects!!</div>
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First though, I better get down to that reservoir and burn some calories.</div>
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Have a great night, lovelies.</div>
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<i><br /></i>bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-63797668427920128522013-06-13T14:28:00.000-07:002013-06-13T14:34:02.101-07:00DIY:: A birdcage planterHello, World. Happy Thursday.<br />
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Boy oh boy. Life has surely been turned upside down lately. I'm finding my way through it all but wow, has it been challenging. <br />
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Thankfully, house projects can be a wonderful distraction and I've been working on quite a few of them. <br />
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So, who here likes the use of birdcages in decor? I've got to be honest. I'm not a big fan. Or shall I say, I <i>wasn't </i>a big fan. Until, that is, I saw <i>this</i>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcCXdkHKn_aOCbiwzXCO_D98E0DIWN9r4Htc93E-5pBOvgylWOTG8qguYIrxCPhesTWyQWPv8bShDYFEb-4kFZmLU83iT8xbhOiL8ZuNIaDBIp0kmFHS58PaQ0CNGuY07qLERhIFRNzQk/s1600/bri's+dining+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcCXdkHKn_aOCbiwzXCO_D98E0DIWN9r4Htc93E-5pBOvgylWOTG8qguYIrxCPhesTWyQWPv8bShDYFEb-4kFZmLU83iT8xbhOiL8ZuNIaDBIp0kmFHS58PaQ0CNGuY07qLERhIFRNzQk/s800/bri's+dining+room.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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Hello, <a href="http://www.designlovefest.com/">Bri Emery's</a> gorgeous <a href="http://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/bris-house-makeover/">dining room</a> designed by the ever-so-talented <a href="http://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/">Emily Henderson</a>. And <i>hey hey hey</i>, you sweet little bird cage/planter thingy.<br />
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Okay, so let's just forget about the adorable birdcage for a second. Regarding Bri's dining room, I think we can all safely agree on the following: <i>a.) That <a href="http://www.brendanravenhill.com/cord-chandelier-long/?pid=213">lighting fixture</a> is ah-mazing, b.) I need that over-sized photo by <a href="http://www.maxwangerprintshop.com/">Max Wanger</a> right NOW, and c.) Her table and chairs are perfection.</i><br />
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All in agreement, say "Aye". <br />
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Alright, now back to business. So for me, almost always I'm going to say no to a birdcage in the house. A gold birdcage doubling as a planter though? Well now you have my attention. Emily used this lil' lovely from <a href="http://www.aplusrstore.com/product.php?id=1113&cid=122">A+R</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6I7wZw6CVEj726BAvtxeqNfM5G152OZ-G6Dp5gGmmFDOMC0GQd8yukvtS853KVEAu_Lxno2EV32GimpnZKyeOD2_-yRQFLaMW5DF-FFr0Gc4Y2l4H4-apUgsm1TKny3jTGdWE8SVINCXO/s1600/A+R+birdcage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6I7wZw6CVEj726BAvtxeqNfM5G152OZ-G6Dp5gGmmFDOMC0GQd8yukvtS853KVEAu_Lxno2EV32GimpnZKyeOD2_-yRQFLaMW5DF-FFr0Gc4Y2l4H4-apUgsm1TKny3jTGdWE8SVINCXO/s800/A+R+birdcage.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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It's great, right? But kind of spendy at $150+. Now, of course, you get what you pay for and the one from A+R is super fancy and beautiful, with a porcelain base to boot. And the description on their website? "A twee incarnation of a bell jar." <i> It's like they know me & are marketing straight to my heart!</i><br />
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Sadly, no matter how lovely it is, I just cannot swing $160 for a decorative gold birdcage at this juncture. What I can do though, is make one!<br />
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Spotted: Birdcages at Michael's on sale for 50% off!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjJdBlOMVuNOeTlbl61xpTcIqdD-FJqtX0AOvByTU81OBguI-eb4X7gmQ3MVMIB7eEX65s6sX3nS4AjUn-qxtKtKng2zmTemAC0r2s4h1Eo6oSir_eXmicoscb7LJ_4MOJpzCAy5ZhHwA/s1600/birdcages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjJdBlOMVuNOeTlbl61xpTcIqdD-FJqtX0AOvByTU81OBguI-eb4X7gmQ3MVMIB7eEX65s6sX3nS4AjUn-qxtKtKng2zmTemAC0r2s4h1Eo6oSir_eXmicoscb7LJ_4MOJpzCAy5ZhHwA/s800/birdcages.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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For this project, I decided to get as close as possible to the A+R birdcage, so I opted for the most plain of the bunch. I left with this birdcage & wooden base, both pieces for less than $22.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicib55PONqoyiIZlJ69sN_5TXT9CkxdAiJXYSMIRzjxvnDIoDIBu3a9cs-jFm9H7V24npyeR6NPqrF_XYlbZvGrxKGPI1v8oVOiuk2QJd4n69sBqAECyQ0PBjjlqf8l6xxhRwJdm5BPOBa/s1600/Birdcage+DIY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicib55PONqoyiIZlJ69sN_5TXT9CkxdAiJXYSMIRzjxvnDIoDIBu3a9cs-jFm9H7V24npyeR6NPqrF_XYlbZvGrxKGPI1v8oVOiuk2QJd4n69sBqAECyQ0PBjjlqf8l6xxhRwJdm5BPOBa/s800/Birdcage+DIY.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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I had this can of spray paint in the garage, left over from a different DIY project and I really like this shade of metallic gold. You should try it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZPwo-NMAmG5p5uwdmJ4atYKUnuuhWy16MuMGjRcGWk072k46HxLXGu26Gbs8mS3s22ZSJOAQSkjFcm9_L7DysRqpTIkakkoKqG6LZIFEUWhGBIWq6Q1LhdvUPWGVMwGAiNrhVUQ4kQds/s1600/Gold+Spraypaint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZPwo-NMAmG5p5uwdmJ4atYKUnuuhWy16MuMGjRcGWk072k46HxLXGu26Gbs8mS3s22ZSJOAQSkjFcm9_L7DysRqpTIkakkoKqG6LZIFEUWhGBIWq6Q1LhdvUPWGVMwGAiNrhVUQ4kQds/s800/Gold+Spraypaint.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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The actual spraying took about three minutes. Seriously.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislmO1E1YLcFvpygm3dzcL3VKp5CAM2UIVysEpxbAkEPv8UhRB8EWdLH08bpv1XX2lnN3caHi-mi_TRvbh2HAgh4LTkN1AubhsdNMY7XWjP_n8BLPhmyfiGe13CNoIGWeQ757ecGBrDXkS/s1600/Birdcage_paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislmO1E1YLcFvpygm3dzcL3VKp5CAM2UIVysEpxbAkEPv8UhRB8EWdLH08bpv1XX2lnN3caHi-mi_TRvbh2HAgh4LTkN1AubhsdNMY7XWjP_n8BLPhmyfiGe13CNoIGWeQ757ecGBrDXkS/s800/Birdcage_paint.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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And after a few brush strokes of on-hand glossy white paint for the base, I found myself here:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMblp6ctxIKXXwtx5iAIvrQFNdEKEEqlRatXqMo2jw9ZNXARJFiKd_JERGFOVO2s4Q3tmW3Q_N4S6uhLFIADb7IbGyZtxi2rwl-WGuGO6kD2pdm816yGLs7xkQVA6C9ELK3Ffuw2yJ-Hzy/s1600/birdcage+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMblp6ctxIKXXwtx5iAIvrQFNdEKEEqlRatXqMo2jw9ZNXARJFiKd_JERGFOVO2s4Q3tmW3Q_N4S6uhLFIADb7IbGyZtxi2rwl-WGuGO6kD2pdm816yGLs7xkQVA6C9ELK3Ffuw2yJ-Hzy/s800/birdcage+progress.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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I like the design/texture of the bottom of the cage, don't you? And although it was looking super cute at that point, I totally forgot about the screw pointing out from the very top. I needed a finial, but again, keeping the A+R design in mind, I wanted to keep things simple. So back to Michael's I went... And that's where I found the perfect solution for less than $5.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSbwivVhxMar1GjH5kF_HAofGvKGD1AvWggqeU88nu3uGhagiWmNDuMza2UZ3tUsEtQRWuGSUYspb_6lzlyZoZi4w6jU185eieVYo2N81CLrx_4hIK-XBWgxaRYF_KcZZlegLwMmfjpAV/s1600/dowels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSbwivVhxMar1GjH5kF_HAofGvKGD1AvWggqeU88nu3uGhagiWmNDuMza2UZ3tUsEtQRWuGSUYspb_6lzlyZoZi4w6jU185eieVYo2N81CLrx_4hIK-XBWgxaRYF_KcZZlegLwMmfjpAV/s800/dowels.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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Finial dowel caps. Who woulda thunk it? I simply spray painted one of these lil guys (which took all of 2 seconds) and popped it on top. And then, <i>voila!</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUt-lWnNOHm5CziaaEBpz5vL411iPx9EYQVBJvurg3MVh4aist9qhsZqx8AS9R216qOUKbBpFDDGDF4m2shxl-achBTv-OOiFkdYc_phpfZgcGHFhefrwj3bh2oKX0_bLb5gSyFvttz1W/s1600/birdcage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUt-lWnNOHm5CziaaEBpz5vL411iPx9EYQVBJvurg3MVh4aist9qhsZqx8AS9R216qOUKbBpFDDGDF4m2shxl-achBTv-OOiFkdYc_phpfZgcGHFhefrwj3bh2oKX0_bLb5gSyFvttz1W/s800/birdcage.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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Pretty, right?! Now, keeping it real, I should let you know that I haven't actually glued the whole thing together yet. Soooo, if I open the top, the dowel cap falls off and when I move it, I have to be really careful because the base isn't attached either. I know...I know... Gluing or even using teensy nails to secure the base would take all of 5 seconds to do. <i>It's on my list, people.</i><br />
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In the mean time, she's the perfect home for one of my little green friends. And I think she's super pretty whether she's officially "finished" or not.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqEWdE2EGRSg3iO1Rf8J5zBl5mBs4kZJsyIXJPijFb2nJxkcdL5PEXv_zS5o-4k_KAfkrCFf5JaGbmpIo6MnALlas009YL9hD_Us5TlqENdjL2GQIt13cLrxmFOy5Omr1BNcX7iznb-87/s1600/birdcage+planter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqEWdE2EGRSg3iO1Rf8J5zBl5mBs4kZJsyIXJPijFb2nJxkcdL5PEXv_zS5o-4k_KAfkrCFf5JaGbmpIo6MnALlas009YL9hD_Us5TlqENdjL2GQIt13cLrxmFOy5Omr1BNcX7iznb-87/s800/birdcage+planter.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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This lil' gilded cage and company has moved around the house quite a bit but most often she's on the coffee table in the living room or perched on the table in the newly greened up dining room. A gold birdcage/planter is a fun pick-me-up for any room and can be yours for less than $30. Do it!<br />
<br />bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-91204125773865787252013-06-06T09:01:00.002-07:002013-06-13T14:30:30.647-07:00Affordable Art <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Are you an art lover like me? </span></div>
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Let me clarify. It's not that I really "know" anything about art. I can't tell you who painted most masterpieces or necessarily go in to detail regarding the medium they used or their process. Thankfully I don't have to be "educated" about art to love it though. I just know what I like when I see it and I totally enjoy scouring the web, flea markets and local stores for affordable pieces.<br />
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These days if you love art but have a limited budget, you still have some great options available to you. Lest we forget how many creative geniuses can be found on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a>? You'll have to do some sorting, yes; but keep digging and you'll find them there. And lucky for us, there are some amazing bloggers out there who've already done a lot of the dirty work for us. I'm sure you've all heard of <a href="http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/">The Jealous Curator</a> ; love her. And if you haven't read her blog before, I suggest blocking off several hours over several days to search through her archives. The goodness is just too much to handle in one sitting!!! And let's not forget sites like <a href="http://www.art.com/">www.art.com</a> and <a href="http://www.20x200.com/">www.20x200.com</a>; they both have great selections too. <br />
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Of course, I personally love the hunt for just the right piece. And even if my client (or myself for that matter) can't afford a $10,000 original oil painting at this point, there is still great art out there that won't break the bank.<br />
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Case in point: Remember when I mentioned that I was decorating a <a href="http://chamthom.blogspot.com/2013/05/client-report-ohio-guest-room.html">guest room</a> for my friend Liz in Ohio? Well, the project is in full swing and I am headed back there in early July to do the installation. Can't wait! Oh, and you know that initial design plan I shared with you awhile back? Just forget it because, as to be expected, everything has changed at least 20 times since then. I guess that's why they call it a "process", right?</div>
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This last week I took care of several big purchases and finally got around to selecting the art too. Isn't it true that the art and accessories in a space are really what bring it all together? Well, this space is no different. Our revised color palette is mostly aqua, navy and orange, with pops of bright white and hints of yellow. <br />
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If you'll recall, I told you that my friend Liz used to live in Los Angeles and is always jonesing for the beach. I couldn't go too far towards a <strike>cheesy</strike> traditional "beach house" feel though, because it would be SO opposite the rest of their home. So I guess we're going for our own unique "version" of beachy; she specifically wanted the space to feel "happy".<br />
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As the pieces I've selected start rolling in, I'm getting more and more excited and a teensy bit jealous. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/MyanSoffia">Myan Soffia</a> photographs, <a href="http://www.michellearmas.bigcartel.com/">Michelle Armas</a> AND <a href="http://www.samanthafrench.com/">Samantha French</a> artwork ALL in the same room? I die.<br />
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Just the other day, I received the <a href="http://www.michellearmas.bigcartel.com/">Michelle Armas</a> print titled, "Laura". Wow. The colors are spot on perfection and oh so pretty; it's going to look super gorgeous against <a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/welcome-to-benjamin-moore;jsessionid=ZLRyRwGc5HcQ6HJv00KTWbZZzxVXP5JR1PYKhbwzXcB7nCGGXSHz!-914771526!NONE">Benjamin Moore's</a> "Oceanspray", which is the light aqua color that will be on the walls. This print was our initial jumping off point for the entire room; I knew I wanted it for the space before I even knew what we were doing in there. Seriously.<br />
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And then there's the beautiful moody photography of the super sweet <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/MyanSoffia">Myan Soffia</a>. Liz flipped for these photos so we are going to have this grouping of four (in 20"x20" frames) above the desk area. I really think seeing them on a regular basis is going to make her super happy.<br />
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And my oh my. I cannot fully express the love I have for this <a href="http://www.samanthafrench.com/">Samantha French</a> print. I can't wait for it to arrive! I want. I want. I want. At $195 for the 16x20 print, this baby isn't cheap but it also doesn't quite break the bank and you know it's going to totally be worth it. So come on. Now if someone would just spot me $7,000 that'd be swell. Because I so NEED this original Samantha French oil, titled "Breakthrough", above my fireplace. Yesssssss!<br />
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So there you have it, folks. Affordable art for the Ohio Project. I'm green with envy but totally happy with the selections. These, along with smaller, more personal, framed photos and decorative objects we've collected, are going to completely bring that room to life.<br />
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Oh how I love an art project. String art, painting on canvas, taking photos, working with vintage arrows...it's all art to me and I have lots more to share on the subject. Stay tuned...<br />
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And in the mean time, who are some of <i>your</i> favorite artists?</div>
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bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-71252048133807544662013-06-05T15:35:00.000-07:002013-06-05T16:44:22.766-07:00Our Interior Garden Wall!I guess I sort of dropped off the planet last week. Sorry. I've been dealing with some personal issues that have taken a lot out of me. I'm like a little bear; sometimes I just feel the need to scurry into my humble, <i>but well-decorated-of-course</i>, cave and hibernate.<br />
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Honestly, I'm still not feeling that great and today has been especially challenging but I am determined to snap out of it! So here I am. Hello, strangers.<br />
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Let's talk about that gash durn GARDEN WALL!!! Finally. Well, maybe I shouldn't say "finally" as in finito, put a fork in 'er, she's done. Because... Well, she's not. She's not done, that is. Or is she? Help me decide.<br />
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As you know from reading <a href="http://chamthom.blogspot.com/2013/05/gardening-on-brain-today.html">this</a> post, my garden wall obsession started with our honeymoon trip to Spain last year. Maybe someday I'll document that vacation here but for now, what I can tell you, is that Spain is AMAZING!! I fell in love with so many different aspects of that country, but it was the city of Cordoba that served as inspiration for this latest DIY project.<br />
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The older part of Cordoba is filled with narrow, winding streets and most of the homes have lovely courtyards filled with vertical gardens showcasing impressive collections of potted plants and pretty flowers. I tell you, I haven't been able to get those beautiful gardens off my mind for months now, so when it came time to spice things up in the dining room...I knew just what I wanted to do!<br />
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First though, I mapped out my "idea" and sat with it for a good week. Yes. Little pieces of green tape spotted the dining room wall for at least a week. <i> Maybe even two. </i>I change my mind so frequently with decor (I call it Design ADD) that I've found this works for me. I just sit with my ideas for a second. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8820120030/" title="Mapping by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Mapping" height="633" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3701/8820120030_ce6c704247_z.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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Which is what I did here and after an acceptable period of waiting...<i>determined only by God knows what.</i>..I decided to go for it! Well, I should say "we" actually, because Biff was a huge help with this one. Gotta give credit where credit is due.<br />
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Okay, so after the mapping, came the shopping, painting, drilling and planting.<br />
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We decided to go with 4" pots and I painted them black. I used Rustoleum Ultra Cover Premium Latex Paint in Flat Black. And honestly, I just kind of slapped it on there haphazardly. As you can see from this bottom left photo, I cheated a little and didn't even go all the way to the bottom in the inside of the pots. <i>Yes. I'm a slacker like that. </i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8962045827/" title="Painting by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Painting" height="374" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3720/8962045827_ba30b7afca.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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Once the paint was dry, Biff drilled a small hole into each of the pots. Easy peasy. Done in 5 minutes. <br />
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Next up, came the planting. Now, here at Camp Cham+Thom we've been known to kill a plant or two,<i> or ten (truthfully)</i>. Sooo, we're really just winging it here. I'm going to try my best not to over-water or under-water and just pray these suckers live. And well, if they don't, it's about $4 per plant to replace them. Not that I want to do that or anything, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it.<br />
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So we bought lava rocks to help with drainage (btw this huge bag was a WAY better deal than some of the smaller bags). Don't go for the teensy weensy pretty rocks that cost a ridiculous amount of money; no one is going to see them.<br />
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After a small scoop of the rocks, we loosened up each plant's roots and replanted them, adding the proper soil (depending on whether it was a fern variety or succulent). That's another thing. How did we choose the plants for the wall? Again, we're just kind of winging it. The dining room does get bright sun but not for very long each day; mostly the light is filtered. Fingers and toes are crossed that our green babies survive!<br />
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Once all the plants were potted it was time to start hanging them.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8820111168/" title="plants_2 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="plants_2" height="800" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7394/8820111168_4a3fd386be_b.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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Can we just talk for a second about these "Quick Hangers" we picked up from Orchard Supply Hardware? We had no idea if they'd work; the angle was perfect but we were afraid the "stem" wouldn't be long enough. But Bam! They work perfectly! Well, so far. <br />
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I do have to take them down to water them but that isn't too much of a hassle. They go on and off their little "perch" quite easily. I water them in the kitchen, give them some time to drain and then just put them right back up.<br />
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<i>Hello, pretty gold and white striped sconce with your new gorgeous green friends!</i><br />
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Just a reminder. This is how the dining room looked before.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8778248600/" title="treehouse dining room_table by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="treehouse dining room_table" height="733" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7325/8778248600_e695c9bea1_b.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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And here she is now.<br />
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Pretty, right??? We think so. Our dining room is totally open onto our main living area and I love glancing over and seeing the greenery on the wall. The only issues are... a.) I'm not loving the "heart" shape that's happening. And b.) Now, I WANT MORE PLANTS!! And with a little help from Photoshop, I'm exploring my options...mapping it out, if you will.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8963916172/" title="extra plants by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="extra plants" height="450" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3797/8963916172_8072366fb5_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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Wait. Is that too many? Now that looks a bit cluttered, right? Or does it? See. Design ADD. It's a killer.<br />
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<le sigh><br />
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Alas, perhaps I just need to sit on it for a few days. Because that's what I do.<br />
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Well, that's it for me today, party people. Maybe you'll be inspired to get off your bum and make your own garden wall. If you do, I'd love to see!<br />
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<br />bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-45954482434063282002013-05-25T10:20:00.000-07:002013-05-25T10:20:07.855-07:00Garden wall teaser...So, I guess I'm finally ready to post some pics of the interior garden wall. <i>I did promise after all. </i> This weekend I'm going to write one of my massive posts about the diy process. In the meantime though, here's a lil' teaser.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8827753426/" title="Plant detail by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Plant detail" height="452" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/8827753426_f962465091_o.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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Pretty, right??? I love the way the black pots and all that greenery pop against our white walls. Every time I look over there it makes me happy. </center>
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Of course, it's still a work in progress. More plants to come? <i>Maaaybe... </i> Can we keep these plants alive? <i>Doubtful. (Hmmm...that means we're going to be buying a lot of replacement plants...) </i>Should we buy stock in a plant nursery? <i>Probably.</i></center>
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Stay tuned!<br />
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<br />bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-77098591141531236082013-05-24T11:13:00.000-07:002013-05-24T11:13:13.668-07:00DIY :: String Art in the Dining RoomToday's DIY project started with my dear friends, Chase & Aaron. <i> Aren't they a cute couple? </i>(Biff would kill for their VW Bus.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8796294185/" title="chase & aaron by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="chase & aaron" height="395" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3720/8796294185_f471ce5ea4_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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Of course, as usual, I've never met these people.<i> </i> But still. I came across <a href="http://greenweddingshoes.com/crafty-reclaimed-wood-wedding-chase-aaron/">their insanely gorgeous wedding </a>on Green Wedding Shoes last year and fell head over heels for them and their crafty skills. Remember, I too, got a little crafty at <i><a href="http://chamthom.blogspot.com/2013/03/our-wedding-part-one.html">our wedding</a></i> so maybe I think of Chase & Aaron as kindred spirits or something.<br />
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You see, when I saw their DIY fence & backdrop signage, my head just about exploded because I loved this idea so much.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8796292539/" title="chase & aaron's wedding by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="chase & aaron's wedding" height="398" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7283/8796292539_76cd4b7cc0_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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SO great, right???<br />
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Well, of course that lead to hours spent on google & pinterest searching and finding tons of other inspiration images. And, once again, I was reminded how many incredibly creative and talented people there are in the World.<br />
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Case in point:<br />
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These ballerinas have totally twirled their way into my heart.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8806875600/" title="string art ballerinas by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="string art ballerinas" height="1220" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/8806875600_a84ae1cbd9_o.jpg" width="450" /></a></center>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/61783826108610814/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">via</span></a></div>
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This installation is super lovely too. <a href="http://megangeckler.com/artwork.htm">Megan Geckler</a>, you are brilliant!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8806873016/" title="string art installation by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="string art installation" height="700" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7282/8806873016_bd30c0f505_o.jpg" width="447" /></a></center>
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Hi there, pretty little tree.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8796295147/" title="string art tree by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="string art tree" height="362" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8129/8796295147_67c0a60474_o.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/61783826108610899/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">via</span></a></div>
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And these stairs??? Endless amounts of gorgeousness here.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8806874938/" title="string art stairs by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="string art stairs" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7358/8806874938_a5ec848fd9_o.jpg" width="426" /></a></center>
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Oh my. And thanks to the <a href="http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/">Jealous Curator</a> via <a href="http://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/">Emily Henderson</a>, I'm crushing on these "Sewn Houses" (which are totally attainable btw...yay!) by artist, <a href="http://happyredfish.bigcartel.com/product/lonely-house-ledder">Hagar Vardimon-van Heummen</a>. Such a great name, right?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8796348493/" title="Sewn House by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Sewn House" height="672" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3684/8796348493_09d6a98169_o.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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Yes. All of these artists are <i>aaaah-mazing</i>. But let's get back to the (simpler) art of string letter making.<br />
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Now, if only I had thought to look up a tutorial on-line (there are several) <i><u>before</u></i> I decided to start this project. <i>Why oh why must you make things so difficult, Cham+Thom? </i>No tutorials for me. I just knew that I had the space and needed some art. So here's what happened...<br />
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I came up with the idea to do a string art project with the word, "GATHER"; it would hang in the dining room over our table. First I printed up the letters and simply taped them to the wall. Truly, I probably left them up there for a week or so...just to see if this idea of mine would stick.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8788606307/" title="mapping it out by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="mapping it out" height="450" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8396/8788606307_25fb2567f2_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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And it did. So I bought myself a piece of wood, stained it and let it dry. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8788554877/" title="Wood by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Wood" height="633" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5441/8788554877_ecb6b8ed97_z.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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Next I taped my paper letters onto the piece of wood and hammered in the nails, outlining each letter. <i>This is where one of those online tutorials would've come in handy. </i> After the fact, I learned that I should've placed the nails equal distance apart all the way around the letters. <i>Oops.</i> We just randomly nailed in those suckers. And of course, things turned out just fine in the end BUT I can see how having the nails evenly placed would've been super helpful.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8799188738/" title="nails on paper by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="nails on paper" height="337" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7409/8799188738_af10fb5f93_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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I then went about removing the paper. Hmmm... All those teensy weensy white paper dots sticking out where the nails attached to the wood? Well, that was not planned and not good at all. And quite frankly, a <i>major</i> pain in my arse.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8799094576/" title="nails by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="nails" height="800" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2845/8799094576_4450726226_c.jpg" width="449" /></a></center>
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Thank goodness for tweezers. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8788605631/" title="tweezers by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="tweezers" height="337" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7386/8788605631_fed94b8e75_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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Once I had removed as many of the paper specs as possible, I got busy with my string. I simply tied a knot around one of the nails and then randomly wove the string through the nails. Of course, I'm absolutely positive that there must be a "correct" way to do this. <i>Again, a tutorial may've been helpful. </i>For me though, the random pattern worked and I'm happy with it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8799186524/" title="begin string art by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="begin string art" height="337" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2888/8799186524_94a2e6208a_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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With Chase & Aaron's sign in mind, I started off using a thicker yarn. Soon though, I deduced that the letters on their sign must've been way larger than mine. For my project, I thought the yarn looked a little bulky. So back to Michaels I went and I grabbed some Crochet Thread. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8799187090/" title="Crochet Thread by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Crochet Thread" height="281" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3828/8799187090_8ffb67e477.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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I tightly wove the thread in and out of the nails, intermittently pressing the layers of string down towards the wood base so I could gauge the thickness. I also threaded the entire outline of the letter several times to make sure the shape was clearly defined. </center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8799187046/" title="press down string by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="press down string" height="846" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2869/8799187046_f83cea42df_b.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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It took me forever to get to this amount of thickness and for me, it does the trick. I suppose I could always add to it later though...if I ever feel like torturing my poor little fingers again.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8799187746/" title="check thickness by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="check thickness" height="337" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/8799187746_7206ca1598_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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In this photo I'm testing the yarn (on the "G") versus the crochet thread (on the "A"). <i> I didn't want to unravel the "G" until I was totally sure that I wanted to go with the thread. </i>You can also see the difference between a completed letter (the "A") and the beginnings of weaving (on the "T"). As I mentioned earlier, I decided that the thread was the way to go. It only took me<i> </i>FOREVER to re-do that "G".<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8788606165/" title="comparing yarn & thread by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="comparing yarn & thread" height="337" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3676/8788606165_815f57587b_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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What we ended up with was some rather lovely string art, folks. I love that, at first, you don't even realize it's string and nails.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8799188776/" title="dining room artwork by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="dining room artwork" height="450" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5454/8799188776_a55c7c1086_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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A closer look though, and all is revealed. Hello, crooked nails. Why must you torment me so?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8806872180/" title="string art detail by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="string art detail" height="435" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8402/8806872180_059a62889a_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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It's not perfect, of course. But here at Camp Cham+Thom, we love it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8788606443/" title="string art finished by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="string art finished" height="633" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5337/8788606443_bc90ef3f2a_z.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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Slowly but surely the dining room is coming together. Next up, is the garden wall! And perhaps one of these days, the addition of some sort of colorful window treatments? Hmmm... I'll keep you posted.<br />
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<br />bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-39547894334929990942013-05-23T02:25:00.002-07:002013-05-23T02:37:38.865-07:00DIY :: Stripes meet sconces!As we toured the main floor of the treehouse yesterday, I pointed out the bizarre wood moulding that surrounded some of the windows and doors. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8771685921/" title="TreeHouse Living Room_Before1 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="TreeHouse Living Room_Before1" height="360" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/8771685921_c85340c8bb_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8771687115/" title="TreeHouse Dining Room_Before Windows by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="TreeHouse Dining Room_Before Windows" height="338" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8273/8771687115_cd286a8d16_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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I just couldn't wrap my head around why this moulding was necessary. As I mentioned before, I can only imagine that it was there for curtains, but still. Why??? Thankfully, we talked to Carol (our landlord) and she gave us the okay to verrrrrrry carefully remove the protruding pieces of wood. So that's exactly what we did. </center>
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With 2 weeks to go before moving day, we set out to do the following:</center>
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1. Remove moulding around the windows and balcony doors.</center>
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2. Patch & Sand.</center>
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3. Remove tv mounted on the wall.</center>
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4. Patch & Sand.</center>
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5. Paint a fresh coat of white paint on every surface, including fireplace front (cream colored in before pics?) and the sconces in the dining room.</center>
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During that two weeks, this happened.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8771684423/" title="Treehouse window molding_2 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Treehouse window molding_2" height="360" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5324/8771684423_1200ce69d4_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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And then this. SO much better!!!!</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8778249418/" title="TreeHouse Dining Room_After Windows by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="TreeHouse Dining Room_After Windows" height="338" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5324/8778249418_1f982bce03_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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And just one week <i>after</i> we moved in, the dining room looked like this:</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8778248600/" title="treehouse dining room_table by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="treehouse dining room_table" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7325/8778248600_e695c9bea1_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></center>
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Not bad, right? Now due to time limitations <i>(read: me being impatient)</i> we decided to go the big box route for dining room furniture. Not the norm for us, but in this case, it worked. We pulled this look together from <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/product/sourav+dining+collection.do?mobile=true&from=fn">Cost Plus</a>. Instead of going super matchy matchy we purchased the table and its' matching bench, but then opted for <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/product/malia-woven-chair-set-of-2.do?mobile=true&from=fn">wicker chairs</a> for the opposite side of the table. We use the 2 yellow chairs (also from Cost Plus) you see there in the background when we need extra seating at the ends of the table. We've easily got seating for 8 and in a pinch, we've squeezed in 10 people. It's fine for now but truly, I'd like to replace all of that seating. The table is great but I'm not in love with the chairs (any of them) or the bench. Who knew benches were so uncomfortable??? All in due time I suppose...all in due time.</center>
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So that photo was a week in and it's pretty much stayed the same since. Still no color on the walls and not a lot of art. But, we are definitely working on that! I'm hesitant to paint in there. Actually all of the upstairs has these crisp white walls (except for our BLACK powder room to be discussed at a later date). The space is so open and the ceilings are peaked. Color just doesn't feel right in there; in our upstairs living and dining areas our furniture is neutral and the color comes from the greenery outside the windows, some of our painted furniture pieces and artwork. But hold on. I'm getting ahead of myself again.</center>
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Right around the holidays I made the first attempt at spicing things up in the dining room. I thought about replacing the existing sconces but in the end I decided to keep them and have some fun with paint instead. Playing it safe, I knew that if I did anything that looked especially horrible that I could simply paint them back to white again. Now if only I hadn't had the brilliant idea to paint stripes on curved sconces. Oh the headache!!!</center>
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I had no idea what I was doing so I kind of figured it out as I went along. I used small pieces of 1" Frog Tape as a guide.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8799136148/" title="Sconce_taped by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Sconce_taped" height="450" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7293/8799136148_78e1037999_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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And then I tried my best to follow those small pieces around with 1 long piece of the frog tape. But that was WAY more challenging than I was counting on.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8788554061/" title="Taping the sconce by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Taping the sconce" height="450" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/8788554061_0ab8f0179f_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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At times I had to piece together the "sripes" with tape and tried to get the edges pressed down as much as possible to prevent seepage. I just knew it was going to be a total shit show when I removed the tape though, so I did the best I could and planned on doing a ton of touch ups later. I don't think it was the Frog Tape's fault (that product usually works great); I think it was just the nature of the beast really. </center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8788554479/" title="Sconce_before by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Sconce_before" height="450" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3758/8788554479_512404afe0_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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I used Rustoleum's Metallic Gold Paint and I love it, although I wasn't prepared for the watery consistency. Never fear, I just glopped on a million coats and everything turned out dandy.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8788553423/" title="Metallic Gold Paint by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Metallic Gold Paint" height="633" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3693/8788553423_a4189e095c_z.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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At least I think so. Metallic gold stripes, meet my sconces! Here you can see I've been doing some touch ups but it looks like it hasn't fully dried yet.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8788513529/" title="sconce by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="sconce" height="633" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7416/8788513529_c2f1b8c67a_z.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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But lookie here... So pretty! And they were up and ready to go just in time for our holiday party! </center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8788554685/" title="Striped Sconce by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Striped Sconce" height="633" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3670/8788554685_e2aa43d91e_z.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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I may or may not be just a teensy bit in love with them. Who wouldn't like gold striped sconces in the dining room??? Now of course, this is just Phase One of the master plan to "spice up" the dining room. There's plenty more progress to see including a fab DIY string art project. I'll have that for you tomorrow!</center>
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</center>bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-54317836266962099812013-05-21T23:57:00.000-07:002013-05-21T23:57:17.368-07:00The Treehouse :: the upstairsNow that I've shown most of the projects we accomplished at the San Gabriel House, it's time to bring you up-to-date on a few of the more recent goings-on around here.<br />
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Cham+Thom Interiors is officially up and running & I've also been working on a ton of personal projects for the casa lately. Did you see the cute <a href="http://chamthom.blogspot.com/2013/05/current-obsession-spindle-furniture.html">re-do of my flea-market-find</a> last week? Well, if you looked closely at that post you may've gotten a sneak peak of yet another newly finished project happening in the dining room too. More on that soon and yes; I know I'm behind schedule but I promise to post pics of the completed garden wall before this Friday! And if you're following along on <a href="http://instagram.com/chamthom">Instagram</a>, well then you already know the dining room is looking mighty green and mighty fabulous these days.</div>
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So, you've probably heard me refer to our current house as the "treehouse". I also like to call it Camp Cham+Thom.<br />
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It really is lovely. It's in the hills of Silverlake with a beautiful view of the Reservoir and it truly<i> does</i> feel like a tree house! We're perched on a hilltop with our main floor balcony, literally, in the trees. We are one with the birds, the squirrels and lots of other lil' creatures<i> (who I may or may not wish to be friends with)</i>. We all get along for the most part though. We have boundaries. Well, usually.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8779958924/" title="mouse in the house by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="mouse in the house" height="400" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3754/8779958924_824cb5b879_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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Yes, people; that is a baby rat in my house! I had gone out for a glass of wine with a girlfriend that night. Seriously. I was gone maybe 1 1/2 hours. It was a Friday. A hot day. It was still early and light out when I left so I kept the balcony doors open. I wasn't gone two hours and Bam! there's a rat in my house. That's great. Look at Gracie Jane Pickle. She has no idea what to even do with this present that has fallen into her lap. She's an indoor cat. She only sees this stuff out the window or on the Nature Channel. She's totally out of her element here. Instincts? Nope. I don't think she has any. She's like the big guy in The Green Mile. She would never want to kill that poor thing; why would she kill her new friend? <br />
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Sadly, we've encouraged her killer instincts by our uncontrollable giggles and praise, as we watch her swat at her electronic toy mouse (that looks a little <i>too</i> similar to this fella). So now she's swatting at this little beast (I swear he looked bigger in person) and I find myself screaming for her to stop. Oh great. Somehow it becomes my mission to keep the rat alive.<br />
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I called Biff and he laughed at me. I think he expected me to kill it. What? HOW??? There may or may not have been some squealing. <i>By me. </i> And there may or may not have been a moment when I was standing on the sofa. <i>When I was squealing. </i> I texted Biff this picture of me (that's me last year with longer hair) after the fiasco was over and I had successfully SAVED Ratatouille's life. <br />
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Like I said. We are one with nature here at Camp Cham+Thom.</div>
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But...I digress.</div>
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The house would only be more perfect for us if money were no option and we owned it! Then, of course, we might make a few more costly upgrades, but for now, we're all good. We know how fortunate we are. Our good friend is actually the owner and our landlord. Which is how we came to know of this little slice of awesomeness and it's availability so we could pounce on it!</div>
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Here are some of the before photos taken in December 2011. The house is Spanish built in 1928. In this first photo I'm standing near the front door, facing to the left. I turn a little to the right with each of these first few shots so you can get a sense of the whole room. See those trees! Like I said...we live in a treehouse!<br />
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The living room has a wood-burning fireplace. Initial thoughts on the space: LOVE IT but what is up with that weird molding around the doors & windows? Am assuming it was for draperies but why would you have curtains in this room? No one can see in and the view is AMAZING!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8771685921/" title="TreeHouse Living Room_Before1 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="TreeHouse Living Room_Before1" height="360" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/8771685921_c85340c8bb_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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In this photo you can see the dining room over to the right where the saltillo tile flooring begins. The previous tenant left the tv you see here. A tv mounted WAY too high in a space this gorgeous? No thank-you. It had to go.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8778247858/" title="Treehouse Living Room_Before3 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Treehouse Living Room_Before3" height="360" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2829/8778247858_6ab9cd6a7c_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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Here's a closer look at the dining room which steps down into our teensy weensy kitchen. It's a nice size space and has a peaked/slanted ceiling but again, what's with the weird window framing? I'm so curious if it was original to the house. And although I wouldn't have them in the living room, I'm not opposed to window coverings in the dining room; our neighbor has a side door that is close by and there have been more than a few moments of awkward eye contact. </center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8778249128/" title="TreeHouse Dining Room_Before by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="TreeHouse Dining Room_Before" height="640" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3782/8778249128_02781a2b08_z.jpg" width="360" /></a></center>
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And back into the main living room again. Now I'm looking towards a small powder room and the front door. The railing you see there is to a staircase that leads downstairs to the bedrooms and a full bath.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8778247434/" title="Treehouse living room_before4 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Treehouse living room_before4" height="360" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5326/8778247434_4f3899b32d_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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A quick look at the upstairs powder room. Yes; that is carpet on the floor. I know...I know...it's unthinkable, right? Look. I know it's not ideal BUT there's so much other goodness going on here that we've somehow gotten over it.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8771684591/" title="Treehouse upstairs bath_before by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Treehouse upstairs bath_before" height="533" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8262/8771684591_4ee1059a3b_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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Just forget about the carpeted bathroom. Instead look at this beyond gorgeous ceiling of ours. Bathroom Shmathroom. Like I said, we are so soooo fortunate.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8771685391/" title="Treehouse living room_ceiling by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Treehouse living room_ceiling" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7344/8771685391_fc4cb5814f_z.jpg" width="360" /></a></center>
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So, these photos show how the upstairs looked when we moved in. We've been here a year and half now and it feels more and more like home every day. Things are still a work in progress and we are definitely taking our sweet time but I'm excited to show you what we've done so far. Check in tomorrow to see that wonky molding come down and watch as the larger pieces of furniture find their place in the design plan.<br />
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bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-5714883893038108522013-05-14T12:32:00.001-07:002013-05-14T12:42:02.022-07:00Client Report :: Ohio Guest RoomI'm working with a new client who also happens to be one of my besties. My sweet friend Liz. We met when we lived together in college. No literally, we met the day we were moving in to share a bedroom. It was pure madness in the best way. We were roommates on and off for years and actually, she's the reason I moved to LA in the first place. Wow. I forgot about that. <br />
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Aaaanyways... Let me get back on track here.<br />
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After living in LA for many years, Liz (along with her husband and their 2 boys) moved to a small town in Ohio, just outside of Dayton. They had a home built there a few years back; it's a big one and on a bit of land. <br />
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I visited her recently and because I just can't help myself<i> (forgive me...I have a sickness),</i> I talked about my decor ideas for her home. All that talking lead to hours of creative brainstorming and now I'm super excited because she's hired me to design one of their guest rooms. Eventually, when time and budget allow for it, I'm hoping to take on some other spaces in their house too. It really is a beautiful home; it's big though and needs more "stuff" in it. It's weird hearing myself say that because I am not one <i>at all</i> for cluttered spaces. But the house just feels too empty to me; I feel like it needs more layers...more "stuff"!<br />
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You want a house to feel lived in. Like it's been decorated over time with all the nooks and crannies filled with memories. Take a minute to look around your house. If your walls could talk, would there be stories to tell?<br />
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Case in point... Here is the guest room I'm working with. Again, it's really quite spacious. At the moment it just looks a bit empty though. <br />
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Now, if you know Liz, you know that girl loves the beach and the sunshine. So moving from LA to Ohio has been quite an adjustment for her. Every winter I get the call...well, multiple calls actually. :) "I just can't do it anymore... It's so dark... It won't stop raining..." It's like clockwork. And trust me; I totally get it. Those winters are long and everyone has their breaking point. So I really want to keep that in mind when I'm decorating this room for her. Even though it's the guest room, she's calling it "her" room and I intend to make it a light, bright and happy place. Her escape from the gloomy winter days...<br />
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I took these photos while I was visiting a few weeks ago.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8736285118/" title="Guest Room Before_bed by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Guest Room Before_bed" height="450" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/8736285118_f26d9e624f_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8735166625/" title="Guest Room Before_dresser wall by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Guest Room Before_dresser wall" height="450" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7287/8735166625_7fb6090a1e_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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You see. It looks empty, right? And although, they're obviously not afraid of color in their home, the tones in this room are somewhat muted and make the space feel dark.</center>
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Not for long though, darlings. Operation: Let the Sun Shine In is underway! We are going to fill the space with a little more furniture and then layer, layer, layer. And of course, we are going to make it lighter and brighter so that it feels airy, relaxing and cheerful all at the same time! </center>
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Expect it to feel a little something like this <i>(But don't hold me to any specifics, k? This plan is evolving as we speak!)...</i></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8735165011/" title="Guest Room Design Plan_Revised by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Guest Room Design Plan_Revised" height="464" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7305/8735165011_f794324b9d_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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Hello, pretty Michelle Armas print; thank you for being so colorful & fabulous and for being our jumping off point in this design plan. Now as is true for most people decorating their homes out there, we can't just run out and buy all new furniture. To stay on budget, we're going to use some of the existing pieces in the room and we'll be pulling furniture from other parts of the house too.</center>
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We'll keep the bed frame and use the shabby yellow chest of drawers. Those chairs, we're bringing upstairs from the living room, and their burnt orange color is going to pop beautifully against our light and bright aqua walls. The plan is to scour Craigslist for end tables and paint them a fantastic turquoise; we're still looking for lamps too but the black and white looks great with our design, don't you think? The desk is quite similar to West Elm's parson series and I plan to put it on the wall where the yellow dresser is currently (see in the photo above). It'll fill that space nicely and it'll be a great place for visitors to get some work done if necessary.</center>
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Of course we still need a desk chair, more art & accessories but I think we're off to a great start. The LA and Hermosa beach photos are a favorite of Liz and mine; I'll be sure to tell you more about the artist soon. More photos, sources and links as this plan comes together...</center>
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I'm in shopping mode now and in the coming weeks/month I'll be heading back to Ohio for installation. After pics coming then!</center>
bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-74598842378066764902013-05-13T10:29:00.001-07:002013-05-13T10:29:43.953-07:00Volunteering :: It feels good.Hello, Monday and Happy (belated) Mother's Day to all the mommas out there. We had such a great weekend; hope you did too.<br />
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We spent this Mother's Day volunteering with <a href="http://www.fostercarecounts.org/?page_id=35">Foster Care Counts</a>. They organized an event to honor foster mothers and their families. It was amazing! The event was held at this gorgeous property in Topanga Canyon; we arrived there early Sunday morning with countless other volunteers. It was so nice to see families spending their "Mother's Day" volunteering together. Isn't that such a great idea?<br />
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At the event, foster moms could get their hair and make-up done, get eyelash extensions and/or have mani-pedi's. And then, once they were all dolled up, they went over to the photography tent and had family photos taken. Too cute. There was also a "boutique" tent filled with gently worn clothing; families could go "shopping" in there and left with bags of goodies. Of course, there was plenty for the kids to do as well...games, rides, a huge bouncey house and a petting zoo. The kids were so excited; it was really fun to see. And let's not forget the grub. Wolfgang Puck catered and did not disappoint; the food was delicious!<br />
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But let's get back to the petting zoo. That's where Biff and I spent our time yesterday. We helped unload the animals and set up the pen. Then we waited. And then...Bam! Cotton candy covered sticky fingered kiddos everywhere! It was fantastic. And HOT. And exhausting. But so so fun!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8734984965/" title="Petting Zoo_kids by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Petting Zoo_kids" height="450" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/8734984965_00cb0be1b7_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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My favorite questions of the day:<br />
<i>Lady, what is that? </i> That's a piggy. <i>Why is it dirty? </i> Well, because it's a piggy.<br />
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<i>Hey lady, can I ride it? </i> What? No. <i>Why?</i> Because it's not a pony, silly. It's a goat.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8734985199/" title="Peting Zoo_goats by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Peting Zoo_goats" height="600" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7314/8734985199_408da67fcf_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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It was fantastic. And aside from a couple of sour apples, the kids were all so very sweet. It was fun to see them loving on these little animals. Being so gentle. Wanting to take them home with them. <br />
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They were thinking of these animals the way I was thinking about <i>them</i>. I wanted to take those kids home with me that night and give them tons of snuggles too.<br />
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The more research I do, the more interested I am in foster care and adoption. At this point Biff and I are just gathering information but I've got to tell you... If and when it's right for your family, it seems like such a gift. A gift you give to the child and a gift those children give you. <br />
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Sooooo if a foster mom or dad ever comes across this little blog of mine and lands on this here post, I just wanted to say... I salute you. Thanks for all that you do. And to all the moms who have no legal rights and aren't always called "mom"... Happy Mother's Day. <br />
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I'm not yet sure what the future holds for us expanding our family, but if we do go down the road to foster/adoption, I plan to document it here. We shall see. Either way, volunteering yesterday was a great experience and we will likely be back next year. Check out the <a href="http://www.fostercarecounts.org/">Foster Care Counts website</a> to find other ways that you can help.<br />
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Tomorrow, I'll be back to share a new project I'm working on and hopefully, later this week, I'll have made some sneak-peek worthy progress on the dining room garden wall!bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-17701638769460348062013-05-10T12:30:00.001-07:002013-05-10T12:30:14.933-07:00Current Obsession :: spindle furniture<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Are you guys familiar with spindle furniture? I'm a huge fan. Always have been. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><i>Hello, spindley chair. You're looking mighty pretty in that traditional living room.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">It's been popular since the 17th century. Some people think the style is a little too country or antiquey. Not me though. I just love it. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8726771838/" title="Spindle-Furniture by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Spindle-Furniture" height="386" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7427/8726771838_4a57e4ff18_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Carved spindles put a traditional twist (literally) on everything from side tables to candlesticks. But nowadays, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">you can certainly find a more modern spin on this classic furniture style.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8725674077/" title="Spindle-furniture-2 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Spindle-furniture-2" height="438" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7293/8725674077_2cc047155b_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">You can imagine how excited I was when I came across this sweet little table at the PCC Flea Market recently. AND I scored it for just $25!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8725729365/" title="spindle-flea market find by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="spindle-flea market find" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7380/8725729365_df9412355c_z.jpg" width="471" /></a></center>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Look at those pretty spindles! Now of course, she could've gone home with any number of suitors at the flea market that day. B</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">ut, she ended up with me, people, and as such...even though I love her au naturel look, she was destined for color!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">For those who don't like painted furniture, look away, my friends; look away... I'm seriously into shades of blue these days and my first thought was to go with a bright turquoise. That didn't happen though. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">(I know...I know...these are greaaaaat photos. Please just stop judging. I promise I'll get better. Someday.)</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Safety Red meet Ms. Spindle. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8726848952/" title="spindle-fix by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="spindle-fix" height="732" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7378/8726848952_9526cf4fe4_b.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Again, here she is when we first brought her home.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8725753229/" title="spindle-before by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="spindle-before" height="633" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7389/8725753229_407d641fc1_z.jpg" width="475" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">And here she is all dolled up in Safety Red. <i>(I spy another diy project in the dining room... Now what to do with those windows???)</i></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8726873016/" title="spindle-after by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="spindle-after" height="633" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7351/8726873016_561935acdc_z.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Pretty, don't you think? I still need to try some other styling options and that may or may not be her permanent spot in the treehouse. I like the way she turned out though; the red is bright and cheerful and makes me happy. And I do like the blue & white pottery with it. Take a closer look...</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8725753567/" title="spindle-after-detail by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="spindle-after-detail" height="594" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/8725753567_1594d6fbe5_z.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><i>Hello little hedgehog (too-cute-to-be) <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/search/search.jsp?searchPhrase=hedgehog">measuring cups from Anthropologie</a>. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">What? Am I the only one who talks to her furniture and home decor accessories? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">So there you have it. A quick diy project on a fab flea market find. Many more of those to share with you soon.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Have a great weekend!</span></span></div>
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bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-1531135595144322842013-05-09T20:22:00.001-07:002013-05-09T20:22:22.806-07:00The San Gabriel House :: the exterior<center style="text-align: left;">
I have just about gone cukoo crazy with all these before and afters this week. But I'm not done yet. Here's another one for you. </center>
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You see, while we were busy renovating the interior and backyard at the San Gabriel house, <i>this </i>happened. And sadly, <i>yes</i>, those <b>are</b> our overgrown bushes and <i>yes</i>, that <b>is</b> a piece of plywood we were using as a garage door.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715790576/" title="SG Exterior Bushes by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="SG Exterior Bushes" height="310" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7283/8715790576_3fe33034a5_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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Remember I mentioned that we finally hired some help to do the weeding in the backyard? Well, when they were done back there, they got busy on our pint-sized front yard. Here's the house in its' still ghetto fabulous state, but it looks way better without all those weeds.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715789560/" title="SG Exterior weeded by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="SG Exterior weeded" height="411" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7284/8715789560_ffb52c93fb_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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I can't even imagine what our neighbors thought was going on over at our place. Here we are trying out some paint colors. And <i>yes</i>; we painted the <u>entire</u> exterior. BY OURSELVES.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715789890/" title="SG Exterior Paint Choices by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="SG Exterior Paint Choices" height="636" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7286/8715789890_e5b1f90f35_z.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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You're probably not going to believe this, but we never did replace that plywood with a proper garage door. Instead, we decided to let the new homeowners deal with that expense and in the meantime, we got a little crafty. My creative, superstar husband (who was still my boyfriend back then) had the brilliant idea that we should add some decorative molding to the plywood. Again, our friend Google helped us out. Do a search for "mid-century garages" and you'll find a ton of cool images. This one stuck out to us and served as our inspiration.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715791058/" title="SG Exterior Garage Inspiration by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="SG Exterior Garage Inspiration" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7284/8715791058_3493076356.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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So one afternoon, Biff did THIS<i>. Bam!</i> In my book, that man is seriously brilliant.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715790246/" title="SG Exterior Garage Redo_2 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="SG Exterior Garage Redo_2" height="282" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7284/8715790246_1128530972.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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We painted the exterior of the house and as I mentioned in an earlier post, we also painted the aluminum window casings. Scroll up and look at the before photo. The black on the windows makes a huge difference. Even though it was an enormous pain in the ass, it was cost effective and looked great. </center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8714669773/" title="SG Exterior landscaping by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="SG Exterior landscaping" height="282" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7286/8714669773_71bcd8d85c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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The San Gabriel reno taught me so much about myself. I'm physically stronger than I ever believed and can handle more stress that I thought was humanly possible. <i>AND</i> I love gardening! Who knew? </center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715248857/" title="SG exterior gardening by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="SG exterior gardening" height="436" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7284/8715248857_cb713c597f.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<span style="text-align: left;">May I have a drum roll please? Ta daaaaah!! Here she is all cleaned up pretty. I love the way the black mulch tied in with the window casings, house trim and garage molding.</span></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715790774/" title="SG Exterior After by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="SG Exterior After" height="282" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7284/8715790774_23df09bc8c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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I remember the day I took this photo. The sun was just starting to go down and Biff and I had been working on the house all day. We were so exhausted yet so excited. Within a month, we had placed the house on the market. It sold 6 days later.</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715791036/" title="SG Exterior After Wide Shot by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="SG Exterior After Wide Shot" height="282" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7287/8715791036_854b81777c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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A sweet family moved in...a husband and wife with two children and one on the way. We've only driven by once since we moved. We were over on that side of town and just couldn't help ourselves. It was nice to see that they've been taking care of our little front yard. And of course, they replaced that plywood garage door. I imagine they've made some other upgrades inside the house too; hopefully they put in a sprinkler system in the backyard. Watering back there was a total nightmare. </center>
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Selling the San Gabriel house was a necessity and in a time when people were sitting on real estate for months, we know how fortunate we were to have made such a quick sale. Moving from there broke my heart though. Biff and I fell in love while fixing up that lil' disaster of a home; we created something amazing there and I like to say it's all that spackle and paint that is going to hold us together forever. </center>
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<i>Are you in love with where you live? And if so, what is it about your home that you love so much? </i></center>
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bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-12914684594084764022013-05-07T08:33:00.000-07:002013-05-07T08:45:28.767-07:00The San Gabriel House :: the backyardGardening is still on the brain today but instead of focusing on my new garden wall project like I should be, I'm wandering down memory lane again; this time, I'm obsessing over the dramatic before and afters of the San Gabriel house backyard. See for yourself. Oh...and try not to judge.<br />
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When I met Biff, the backyard looked like this.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715210972/" title="San Gabriel backyard_before by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="San Gabriel backyard_before" height="630" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7348/8715210972_d532f67340_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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Good Lord... Thank God we met and were friends first, because in a dating scenario, I'm not sure this type of yard is something I could've gotten past. It's just sooooo bad, right?</div>
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Biff was digging up the back yard all by HIMSELF like a crazy person. You can see in the second photo above, that he was making a raised 'bed'. When he wasn't working, he was digging. Pure madness. I finally convinced him that he needed some help and we hired a couple of young guys to weed the back yard and help with the planter. So it went from what you see up top there...</div>
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To this.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8714117857/" title="San Gabriel_after weeds 2 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="San Gabriel_after weeds 2" height="310" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7283/8714117857_ccf1211106_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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Still awful, but much better.</div>
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All that digging worked; we had a huge planter bed that was sectioned off using railroad ties. The idea was to have colorful greenery and plants in most of the raised bed with a small section saved for a garden. We wanted sod for the grassy area, a clean and BLUE pool and knew that eventually we needed some sort of cover for the pool's pump and other components too.<br />
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In this photo we've just begun planting. And you can see here that we've also painted a mossy green color on the cinder blocks surrounding the house. We couldn't afford to replace the wall itself so this was the next best thing. We couldn't believe how much of a difference it ultimately made.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8714139735/" title="San Gabriel_begin planting by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="San Gabriel_begin planting" height="310" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7402/8714139735_2d428cdc47_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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The pool went from this scary monstrosity...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715285338/" title="Pool before by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Pool before" height="310" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7421/8715285338_d32ed08597_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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To this creepy crawly slime bucket.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715285358/" title="Pool_drained by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Pool_drained" height="310" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7411/8715285358_e654f75a2a_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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Here I began to have hope though...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8714163657/" title="Pool_during by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Pool_during" height="310" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7387/8714163657_ee843654ba_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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And when this happened, well, I almost died from happiness. That pool was blue for miles and my heart was so full of joy I'm surprised it didn't explode right then and there.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715285494/" title="Pool after by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Pool after" height="310" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7355/8715285494_a5dc44e5fb_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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The day the sod arrived was a good day too.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715332734/" title="sod by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="sod" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7304/8715332734_d8728f071c_z.jpg" width="472" /></a></center>
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I've never been happier to wake up at 5am and work my butt off.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715331180/" title="laying sod by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="laying sod" height="800" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7445/8715331180_8dc0ae44da_c.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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We worked SO hard... And it looked SO great. We were quite proud of ourselves.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715381116/" title="SG backyard_after 1 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="SG backyard_after 1" height="411" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/8715381116_c1c1fc6076_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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The kids were happy about it too. Here we are jumping for joy! :)</center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8716524976/" title="Jumping by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Jumping" height="282" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7455/8716524976_57b3803500.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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And here's how the backyard looked when we sold the house. Success!</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715380772/" title="SG backyard_after 2 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="SG backyard_after 2" height="310" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7368/8715380772_8486728fda_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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Holy ground cover over-growth! It looks like a certain <i>"someone"</i> was a little impatient and wanted instant gratification so that certain someone <i>"may"</i> have planted the ground cover a wee too close together. <i>Oopsy.</i><br />
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And before I forget, you've got to see the patio that leads out to this backyard space. I wish I had a photo of how it looked in its' original state of disgust. The photo below though, is how it looked shortly after I met Biff and I am telling you, a TON of progress had already been made (you can see another angle of all the yard overgrowth here too). When he bought the house this was an enclosed patio. Yep. <u>An enclosed patio with a fire pit.</u> <i>Say whaaaaat???</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715210326/" title="San Gabriel_fp patio before by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="San Gabriel_fp patio before" height="310" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7349/8715210326_eb4334ed74_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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This is another great before and after. In addition to removing the roof and walls, we painted the beams black and the brick walls white. We also continued the moss green color we used in the back yard on the cinder block walls. A pressure cleaner helped too, as did a lot of scrubbing on our hands and knees. This porch was just off of the kitchen and den areas of the house and quickly became one of our favorite spots; we roasted s'mores with the kids and had countless dinners under the stars with friends. And here's how the patio looked when we moved.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8714089541/" title="San Gabriel_fp patio after by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="San Gabriel_fp patio after" height="413" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7335/8714089541_40182fdf5f_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Divine!! This backyard and patio makeover goes to show that absolutely anything is possible. Wait till you see what we did to the front of the house... :)</span></center>
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bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-90288361038971697872013-05-06T10:35:00.000-07:002013-05-06T18:02:39.274-07:00Gardening on the brain today...Happy Monday, darlings. How was your weekend? Ours was great. On a whim, Biff & I drove down to Santa Barbara on Saturday...for LUNCH! I love a quick (spur of the moment) field-trip, don't you? And who doesn't love Santa Barbara? Could it be any more gorgeous? I think not.<br />
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If you follow me on <a href="http://instagram.com/chamthom">Instagram</a>, you know we also made a trip to Osh. That's right; we bought lots of little plants, terracotta pots, & a couple of drill bits. Hmmm... <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8713848891/" title="Plants and pots by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Plants and pots" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/8713848891_9b615c6b3e.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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This happened too...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8713909429/" title="Garden Wall Mapping by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Garden Wall Mapping" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7285/8713909429_e8323c971c.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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You see, inspiration comes when you least expect it. Last fall we traveled to Spain and I fell in love with the charming city of Cordoba. Of course, all of Spain is amazing, but what really got me about Cordoba, was their patio pride. I snapped this photo while roaming the streets there.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8714945138/" title="Garden Wall_Spain by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Garden Wall_Spain" height="413" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8126/8714945138_86ccbb9c93_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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Plants and flowers everywhere! We noticed these garden walls all over the city and were constantly peeking our heads in to see resident's private patios. They were all so beautiful. Thanks to our friend Google, we learned about the city's annual Patio Festival; these Spaniards are serious about their gardening. Every year in May (so wishing we were there right now), there's actually a competition and the whole city goes bananas with their patio decor. People open their doors to passersby too; talk about garden pride. I just love it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715068086/" title="Coroba Patio_1 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Coroba Patio_1" height="324" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7281/8715068086_a62a96e6f2.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><<a href="http://www.hellomagazine.com/travel/201104215287/andalusia/spain/photo-gallery/">via</a>></i></span></div>
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SO gorgeous!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8715068802/" title="Cordoba patio_2 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Cordoba patio_2" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7281/8715068802_01bceba01e.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><<a href="http://www.bedandbreakfastworld.com/guides/summer-festivals-in-spain/41">via</a>></i></span></center>
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Soooo, you guessed it. We are making our very own teensy weensy indoor wall garden here at Casa de Cham+Thom. We've mapped out the feature wall in the dining room and have a rough idea of where the pots will hang. Maybe we'll get more precise on the day this all comes together but for now, I've just eyeballed it. Initially we were going to go with super small pots or buckets that measured about 2 1/2" across. When we mapped it out though, it looked a little too busy. We've decided to go with 4" pots instead.<br />
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Did I mention that we're going with black pots? It's true. And recently I came across this image in a West Elm catalog that gave me a little more confidence in my decision to paint the pots flat black. Our walls are white and I think the greenery in the black pots is really going to pop. Plus, we have some other black accents in the room too; it's going to look awesome. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8713825903/" title="West Elm Planters by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="West Elm Planters" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/8713825903_05ff822fd9_z.jpg" width="508" /></a></center>
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Right about now you might be saying, "Bridgette, it sure would be easier to just <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/mrk-chalkboard-planters-d436/?pkey=e%7Cchalkboard%2Bpots%7C22%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C11&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-">buy</a> the pots from West Elm, don't you think?" Yeah...Yeah... I know. But what fun would that be?<br />
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Today I'm painting and replanting the plants. Stay tuned... We hope to get our wall garden hung this weekend and I'll be posting photos next week.<br />
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Have a great week!<br />
xoxo<br />
<br />bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-35984063172891716162013-05-04T08:45:00.000-07:002013-05-04T08:45:02.394-07:00The San Gabriel House :: the living roomYes. I'm still obsessing over the past. Today I'm thinking about the day my interest in decorating became my true obsession; I think of that day as the day my passion in life was realized. It was the same day I fell head over heels in love with blogs. <br />
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It all started with a google search: "how to paint a brick fireplace". Up to that day I hadn't really ever paid attention to blogs; I'm not even sure I knew what one was. But on that very day, google led me to this <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/01/how-to-paint-a-brick-fireplace/">post</a> from the blog Young House Love. Here was this fun couple documenting the trials and tribulations of renovation. Sherry & John. We go way back. We're buds. Well, they don't actually know we are, but we are. Mrs. Cham+Thom...aka...blog stalker. I'm pretty sure that I went back to Day 1 of their blog and read every single post. I soaked it all up; it was like I was reading a ridiculous teenage vampire novel...I couldn't stop. I just loved reading about their journey. It was not nearly as ridiculous as the aforementioned teenage vampire novel btw. It was all so relatable. So inspiring. I was hooked.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8706688524/" title="yhl blog by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="yhl blog" height="348" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8140/8706688524_32bd68da8b_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here. A little backstory... Before Biff & I dated, we were friends. He had come by my apartment a couple of times and knew I was into decorating; he said he liked the style of my place and asked if I might give him some decor pointers. We were new friends then and with no romance in sight, my design ego was pumped. I was happy to share my creative pearls of wisdom.<br />
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I remember the day I drove out to (what seemed like) the boonies to see the house he was renovating. He showed me the before pictures, talked about his plans. Yep. The living room before pictures looked just as horrifying as the rest of the place. For your reference, please see Exhibit A.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8705567845/" title="Living Room_before fp by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Living Room_before fp" height="413" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8402/8705567845_f3420888f7_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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And Exhibit B.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8706689558/" title="Living Room_before by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Living Room_before" height="361" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8396/8706689558_63d172f890_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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I think he initially wanted advice on exterior paint colors...but that's a story for another day. :) He had done so much work already on the interior but the finishes (and the furnishings) really just didn't seem like him. He was newly single and blossoming into this new person. My advice? Get rid of everything and start fresh.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8706689368/" title="Living room_reno by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Living room_reno" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8396/8706689368_3926374238_z.jpg" width="474" /></a></center>
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Much to my surprise, he agreed and wanted my help.<br />
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I'm not sure how much time passed before our friendship actually turned into romance. <i>(Of course that's a total lie; in a pinch, I could probably tell you how many days, hours & seconds it was.)</i> When we finally did let our walls down, I knew my single days were long gone. He was definitely the one for me. No doubt about it. <i>Put a fork in her; I was done, people. </i>Who else would let me go hog wild with a paint brush? I should tell you, he wasn't even home the day I started painting. I texted him a photo and said, "I hope you weren't joking when you said I could paint the fireplace." Seriously.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8705568141/" title="living room fp_during by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="living room fp_during" height="713" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8264/8705568141_8ff8c5bb2d_b.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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When he asked my thoughts about the living room, I mentioned that I thought in its' current state, that it was just too dark. Step 1: remove those dark green velvet curtains. Let the sun shine in!!! The walls...the furniture? None of it seemed right to me. Of course, we had talked about painting the fireplace. Biff was a little on the fence about it though and I was all talk but truly, scared to death. After all, I was only <i>pretending</i> to know what I was doing. That's what led me to that fateful google search and brought me to the YHL blog. I think it was their before & after pics and their tutorial that finally gave me the confidence to go for it. If you ever read this Sherry & John, thank you...thank you...thank you! I'm hoping the work we did would make you proud. :)</center>
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Doesn't everyone begin major painting projects without covering their furniture or moving said furniture out of the room? I've got to tell you, this brick soaked up a ton of primer; and at this point in the process I really had no confidence (at all) that this was going to look good. I was terrified. There was no turning back though, so forward we marched.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8705567995/" title="living room fp_primed by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="living room fp_primed" height="713" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8705567995_57436052eb_b.jpg" width="475" /></a></center>
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A primed fireplace led to primed walls. I knew then that it was going to be gorgeous. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8705567647/" title="Living Room_primed by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Living Room_primed" height="367" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8399/8705567647_893ab41705_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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Once we got the glossy white paint on the fireplace and the swiss coffee on the walls, we were golden. The crown moulding was the icing on the cake though & spray painting the metal casing on the windows (we did this to all the windows in the house...a great trick if you can't afford to buy new windows!) was the cherry on top. Can you believe that is the same Pottery Barn sofa that is in the before pic above? All we did was remove the faded rust colored slip cover and <i>this</i> heavenly moment happened.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8705567919/" title="Living Room_After_1 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Living Room_After_1" height="367" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8128/8705567919_6119af1e5e_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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And here's the room as it looked when we sold the house. A mix of vintage & modern, it was clean, bright & all-together a happy space. The location of the house was fairly private, and this front room was somewhat separate from the rest of the living spaces. I absolutely loved the light in there so we opted to go without window coverings. Maybe we would've gotten some eventually, but I'm not so sure. Don't be alarmed though; the private rooms, the ones we used daily, had window treatments. I promise.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8706690084/" title="living room after_furnished by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="living room after_furnished" height="310" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8260/8706690084_1e157e4faa_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8705568275/" title="living room after_furnished 2 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="living room after_furnished 2" height="310" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8138/8705568275_432de49a0b_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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These photos have me missing our little house in the boonies and now I am kicking myself for selling that metal desk & chair. <i>What was I thinking?</i></center>
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bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-4432507603810119452013-05-03T19:58:00.001-07:002013-05-03T19:58:05.483-07:00The San Gabriel House :: the bathroomHiya, people. I've been in creative overdrive lately and have quite a few projects I'd like to share. Before I can move forward with my newfound gung-ho diy/decor blog enthusiasm, though, I feel like I need to tie up a few things. I know I've been a little all over the place with this here blog. One foot in...one foot out... I've wanted to write but haven't really been sure about what I've wanted to share. <br />
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I'm still not entirely sure but, at the moment, I'm feeling inspired. I was looking through tons of pictures last night and reminiscing about some of our old home projects. Such good memories... We were covered in dust and dirt for months. We had sore muscles and were operating on no sleep but we were happy as clams. I really just don't want to forget any of it. So bear with me as I finish documenting some of the past so I can get to the present. <br />
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I've told you a little about the San Gabriel house already. If you're here for the first time, you can read about our den and the kitchen remodel <a href="http://chamthom.blogspot.com/2011/11/project-reveal-den.html">here</a> and <a href="http://chamthom.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-san-gabriel-house-kitchen.html">here</a>. We didn't stop there though. Take a look at what we did in the main bathroom.<br />
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Now I wish I had been better at documenting things back then (and now). If only I had thought to get better "before" photos.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8705101408/" title="Main Bath before_1 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Main Bath before_1" height="600" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8705101408_e3686b2857_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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I really DO love wallpaper. Even crazy funky fabulous orange flower wallpaper. But this wallpaper was peeling all over the place and had a flocked/velvety texture. Can you imagine all the germ-y grossness that was stuck in there??? I die at the thought of it.<br />
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So one day, this happened...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8703973411/" title="Main bath_demo by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Main bath_demo" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8122/8703973411_8573a15ace_c.jpg" width="364" /></a></center>
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Good times... As usual, we were on a super tight budget for this project. We had plans to tweak and re-use the vanity but I sourced new lighting, tiles, the tub & toilet, sinks and faucets; I found almost everything on Amazon and Overstock.com. The mirrors we ended up going with are ones I found at Home Depot for about $59 a pop. The shower curtain is actually made of curtain panels I purchased from Cost Plus. Truly, we got amazing deals on everything. We did spend a fair amount of money on the floor tile but it was such a small space that it didn't break the bank.<br />
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Here is my original inspiration image for the bathroom vanity.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8703972193/" title="Main bath_inspiration by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Main bath_inspiration" height="413" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8539/8703972193_1fdc848046_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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And here is what I had to work with. Actually this is a "mid" reno photo. At this point we'd taken all the doors off and (believe it or not) cleaned it up a bit. Eventually, we built a towel shelf in that middle section, applied primer, a ton of glossy black paint and new knobs. Oh, and we purchased a piece of granite for the top; I don't think it was more than $200 though and that's on the high end.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8704058129/" title="main bath_vanity by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="main bath_vanity" height="310" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8554/8704058129_9da04905c5_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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Once the vanity was handled, things really started happening...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8705096430/" title="main bath_progress by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="main bath_progress" height="363" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8126/8705096430_c14f4f906f_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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And when it was all said and done, we ended up with this pretty lil' number! So bright. So relaxing. For under $2000 we had ourselves an almost completely brand new bathroom. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8703971203/" title="main bath_reveal 1 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="main bath_reveal 1" height="483" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8137/8703971203_6104fd8d6a_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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Sorry about my photo skills... The wall color and granite were closer to what you see on the left there. And here's a closer look at the vanity. It really did turn out great.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8703970965/" title="main bath_reveal 2 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="main bath_reveal 2" height="310" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8415/8703970965_744bd53f40_z.jpg" width="550" /></a></center>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8703970979/" title="main bath_reveal 3 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="main bath_reveal 3" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8557/8703970979_4234182464_z.jpg" width="478" /></a></center>
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And there you have it, folks. B + B's new & improved <i>old</i> bathroom. There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears in the process but in the end we could take a nice warm bath and it was all worth it. :)<br />
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<br />bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-20104516310569760922013-05-01T11:36:00.000-07:002013-05-01T11:36:01.900-07:00Going bananas over upholstery piping.Cream paired with black. It's easy. It's classic and it's totally gorgeous. And yes; I'm a big fan of this tuxedo jacket and I'm <i>dying</i> over this artwork (made from flash cards!). <i>Uh-oh... I may or may not have just ordered some vintage flash cards from Etsy. I feel a diy project coming on...</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8561182302/" title="creamwithblack by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="creamwithblack" height="453" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8561182302_2ca80e4ffa_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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So, I came across Roxy Owen's NYC apartment - she's from <a href="http://www.shopsocietysocial.com/" target="_blank">Shop Society Social </a>- in <a href="http://www.hgtv.com/" target="_blank">HGTV Magazine</a>. How cute is her eclectic style? And her sofa! Cream with black piping, of course. So stylish.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8559957257/" title="HGTV MAG by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="HGTV MAG" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8376/8559957257_ab7e235e18_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></center>
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It has me pining for this vintage beauty we had reupholstered for the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8128438034386684918#editor/target=post;postID=7437694963192948426" target="_blank">den</a> in the San Gabriel house. Again with the cream and black piping combo... See. It's kind of a no-brainer.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/6354557723/" title="San Gabriel House Den by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="San Gabriel House Den" height="402" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6110/6354557723_2c55d92612_z.jpg" width="536" /></a></center>
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Isn't piping the best? Search the web and you'll find tons of wonderful inspiration images.<br />
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You've probably already seen Jenny Komeda's <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/01/baker-sofa-upholstery.html" target="_blank">sofa</a> on her blog, <a href="http://www.littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Little Green Notebook</a>. It's super lovely, a pretty teal blue with navy piping. I covet it SO darn much. Do you like how I refer to Jenny like we go way back? *stalker* The internet is so weird...and so lovely. On her blog, my <i>good</i> <i>friend Jenny</i> documents her DIY projects and even gives tutorials on furniture reupholstery. Seriously. This lady really knows how to upholster. She's, unknowingly, my DIY go-to-guru and swears by indoor/outdoor velvet for lots of her upholstery projects. Anyone know where I can find this fabric in a pale pink? Do tell. I'm decorating the sweetest studio space and it's all about girlie glamour; pale pink velvet for my client's sofa is just what the doctor ordered.<br />
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Okay, so I'm a bit off topic. What was I talking about? Oh yeah...<br />
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Woah woah woah... <i>Holy DIY piping masterpiece! </i> Someone deserves a medal here. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8561250328/" title="sofa_before by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="sofa_before" height="302" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8099/8561250328_8fbab2a4fd_z.jpg" width="540" /></a>
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Nicely done, <a href="http://www.diywithadd.com/" target="_blank">diywithadd</a>. You're my hero. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8561250380/" title="sofa_after by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="sofa_after" height="400" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8235/8561250380_30bb5b0e5e_z.jpg" width="540" /></a>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Does anyone else have an upholstery project they'd like to share? Send me a link; I'd love to see it!</span></center>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i>{Top image via <a href="http://www.thecoveteur.com/lauren_conrad" target="_blank">The Coveteur</a>}</i></span></center>
bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-1621893075393294882013-03-13T21:52:00.001-07:002013-06-14T11:22:47.799-07:00{Our Wedding} A few lovely lil' detailsMarch 13th has turned out to be one of my most favorite days. Two years ago on this very day, my life changed forever; I happily said "I Do" and became Mrs. Cham+Thom. I never did get around to submitting our photos to wedding blogs. Kind of ironic, seeing as I do some event planning and, at times, obsess over wedding blogs...but really, when does one have the time??? C'est la vie. So, this is kind of like an unveiling of sorts. <i>Ta-dahhhh!</i><br />
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Please join me as I wander down memory lane and take a quick peek at some of the little details that made our wedding day so special. As far as photos go, this is a favorite...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8556766266/" title="wedding portrait by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="wedding portrait" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8085/8556766266_58a1364c72_c.jpg" width="533" /></a></center>
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The fun started with our whimsical invitations. We really loved two different invitation suites at <a href="http://www.hellolucky.com/" target="_blank">Hello Lucky</a> but due to our limited budget, they just weren't a possibility. With the pricier invitations as inspiration, we reached out to our super talented (artist) friend (Jason). With his help, we came up with a combination of the two and something that was totally us! And then we had them printed & cut at Office Depot on paper we purchased from <a href="http://www.paper-source.com/?cm_mmc=google-_-Site_Brand-_-Brand-_-[papersource]&gclid=CPTBnPzt_7UCFY4WMgodIGAAoA" target="_blank">Paper Source</a>. I lined all of the envelopes and got crafty with die-cut felt <a href="http://www.etsy.com/search?q=die%20cut%20felt%20hearts&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US" target="_blank">hearts</a> and <a href="http://www.etsy.com/search?q=baker%27s%20twine&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US" target="_blank">baker's twine</a> from Etsy. <i>And voila! </i> I'm not going to say it was easy because it was super tedious and time consuming...but, they looked great and it was WAY more affordable than purchasing custom invitations. Aren't they the cutest???<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8556672606/" title="wedding invites by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="wedding invites" height="400" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8556672606_b28335e503_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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Of course, I had a little extra help getting all gussied up that day. Thanks, <a href="http://belleface.com/" target="_blank">Annah</a>, for making me feel so beautiful!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8556681080/" title="wedding make-up by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="wedding make-up" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8556681080_8e53493104_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I wore these sparkly shoes...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8555508841/" title="Wedding Shoes_edited by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Wedding Shoes_edited" height="400" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8555508841_cd0455ce77_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></center>
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And this fancy dress...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8555561841/" title="wedding dress by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="wedding dress" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8519/8555561841_7ff0cea173_z.jpg" width="427" /></a>
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There were bunnies. Lots and lots of bunnies. And flowers. SO many flowers. Looking back on it...we made WAY too many arrangements. Meh! <i>Can you really HAVE too many florals???</i> I know I'm biased but I think it looked totally amazing. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8556673080/" title="Wedding Bunnies by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Wedding Bunnies" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8512/8556673080_66c9dde45e_z.jpg" width="474" /></a>
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It was all definitely home-spun. I made the table runners and photo wall, the escort card display, and hand stamped all of the favor bags for the place settings. Biff and I collected wood boxes and vintage glassware and miscellaneous vessels for months leading up to our Big Day and then two days before the wedding, with the help of my mom and some lovely gal pals, we did all the flowers. It was pure insanity. The house was covered in flowers and smelled SO good. It was tons of work though. And I do mean TONS.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8556756260/" title="WEDDING DETAILS by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="WEDDING DETAILS" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8370/8556756260_c50f0fb1d0_c.jpg" width="492" /></a></center>
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On that beautiful Spring day, surrounded by our closest friends and family, Biff and I exchanged vows. The ceremony and reception were held at <a href="http://www.marvimon.com/" target="_blank">Marvimon</a>, an old car showroom-turned-event-venue in downtown Los Angeles<i> (and then 9 months later I became Venue Director for the property! Life is crazy...).</i><br />
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So there you have it, people. A few details from one of my favorite days.<br />
<i><br /></i>Maybe on our next anniversary I'll take another trip down memory lane. There's plenty more wedding hoopla to discuss and some great pics from the ceremony and reception. Wait till you see our (totally ridiculous) diy photobooth!<br />
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Ghetto-fabulous for sure, but more fabulous than ghetto.<br />
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xo<br />
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<br />bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-76588415325015613882012-10-20T09:24:00.000-07:002013-06-14T11:21:53.251-07:00The San Gabriel House :: the kitchen<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's no secret that I truly do love the little treehouse we currently live in. There are days though, that I find myself pining for our old San Gabriel House. We created such a sweet home there and today I am feeling like a trip down memory lane. Now, you've already seen the <a href="http://chamthom.blogspot.com/2011/11/project-reveal-den.html">den</a>, which was one of my favorite rooms in the house. Let's take a look at another favorite...the kitchen!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And actually, with Halloween right around the corner, this is the perfect room to share with you. Who needs to see monsters when you can see a scary before picture like this. Consider yourselves warned, my lovelies... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feces in the cupboards? You betcha. And yes; that yellow scrap hanging from the ceiling... that is indeed wallpaper. <i>(Now you don't know this about me yet, but you will soon. I actually LOVE me some wallpaper. Just not this ugly yellow wallpaper and not hanging from my kitchen ceiling. Oof!)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Biff took this picture of the kitchen on Day 1. Seriously. Can you imagine?</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8103864890/" title="Before Kitchen by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Before Kitchen" height="450" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8188/8103864890_cf17e3cda0_z.jpg" width="600" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow. It's hard to believe our pretty kitchen once looked like that. When I met Biff the kitchen actually looked like this:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8105524989/" title="Kitchen_Before_1 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Kitchen_Before_1" height="338" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8194/8105524989_05ec4721b2_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He did such a great job, didn't he? I was so proud of him. The decorator in me knew that, with some minor adjustments, we could finish what he had already started. Here was the plan along with some of my ghetto fabulous photoshop skills:
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8103897949/" title="Kitchen_plan by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Kitchen_plan" height="338" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8331/8103897949_3cd3992f4f_z.jpg" width="600" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Take down the country shelves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Change the wall paint color & style those shelves! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Finish the top of this cabinet and add crown molding. In an unforeseen twist, we did something crazy and went for BLACK crown molding in this room. I know it might sound crazy but it was the best decision ever!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Remove artwork. And to balance out this side of the room, add more shelving.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. This table is a family heirloom and we've given it to Biff's sister for safe-keeping. Instead, we brought in my celery-colored barn table. The shape and color worked perfectly in the space.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. And lastly, we needed some rugs to make things feel cozy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aaaaaand drum roll, please....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can you believe this is the same space?! Here is the kitchen with her brand new look!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/8103849285/" title="Kitchen_after by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Kitchen_after" height="402" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8472/8103849285_21a7610ebf_z.jpg" width="536" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I completely forgot how dramatically different the after photos are. When I met Biff, he had already done the major reno to this room; he had redone the floors, ripped out the old kitchen and installed the new cabinets...<i>all by himself</i>. God, I love that man.</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All I had to do was some quick cosmetic tweaking to pull the space together. Didn't it come together nicely? Oh to have that much counter space again... Some day...</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, have you redone any spaces in your home? Send me a link! I'd love to see. </span></center>
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bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-5305576779062107432012-08-31T02:47:00.000-07:002012-09-04T10:21:00.155-07:00Craving the beachLos Angeles, you are killing me with this heat wave. Today's 90+ degrees is making me long for some cooler ocean air and sand in my toes. Me thinks a trip to the beach is just what the doctor ordered and I am adding that to our "must do" list for the long weekend ahead.<br />
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In the meantime, I shall sweat profusely and dream of owning some "beach art" like this piece featured in Elle Decor. I've always loved this shot.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/7898849994/" title="Christian Chaize artwork by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Christian Chaize artwork" height="633" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7898849994_f9d969dc1d_z.jpg" width="523" /></a>
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The photographer of the beach photo is Christian Chaize; he did a whole beach series called Praia Piquinia and shot the same spot on the same tiny stretch of sand in Portugal...over and over again. You can find limited editions of his work for sale on <a href="http://www.20x200.com/browse/#!/term=christian%20chaize" target="_blank">20 x 200</a>. Now if only I had an extra $10,000 lying around... If I did, this <a href="http://www.20x200.com/artworks/3202-christian-chaize-praia-piquinia-280810-12h20-80x60" target="_blank">80" x 60"</a> version would be all mine.</div>
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Another (slightly more affordable) photographer I've fallen for lately is the super talented <a href="http://maisongray.com/" target="_blank">Gray Malin</a>. I am dying for these aerial shots of his taken from a doorless helicopter. Not only are the photos amazing, but I love that he quit his day job to follow his passion and got his start as a vendor at the Melrose Trading Post. If you live here in LA, you know that The Trading Post is a small (hit or miss) flea market held every Sunday at Fairfax Highschool in Hollywood. I've truly had the best luck at that flea; at one point, 75% of my apartment were treasures I had found there. How is it possible that I missed Gray Malin? His work is so colorful and so fun! Is it weird that they make me so happy?</div>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/7898956444/" title="Gray Malin_4 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7898956444_f4fd74331b_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="Gray Malin_4"></a>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/7898873952/" title="Gray Malin_3 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/7898873952_cf7508f2f3_z.jpg" width="425" height="640" alt="Gray Malin_3"></a>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/7898853972/" title="Gray Malin_1 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7898853972_bcfb361768_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="Gray Malin_1"></a>
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These three have been added to the tippy top of my wishlist. Tiny ant people on the beach. Me loves! Any one of these in the 50" x 40" size, please. I have just the spot!</div>
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<br /></div>bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8128438034386684918.post-38571195535150364442012-01-15T09:51:00.000-08:002012-09-10T09:36:17.306-07:00A girl just knows...The Cinderella Forest Cafe - Tokyo, Japan <br />
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Wow. Am loving the chic but natural feel of this beautiful cafe designed by <a href="http://www.jamo.jp/interior/2008/000239.html">Jamo Associates</a>. Love the chandeliers, those mismatched chairs, the tablescape and most of all, all that greenery! I'm dying over here. I'm bookmarking these shots and putting them in my wedding inspiration file. And this cafe's name surely fits, don't you think? I can totally see Cinderella hanging out here with Prince Charming.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/6697183221/" title="DESIGNTIDE200802 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="DESIGNTIDE200802" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6697183221_91e8025147_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/6697180363/" title="DESIGNTIDE200801 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="DESIGNTIDE200801" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6697180363_0597ecd391_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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There's something about these Jamo images that are making me think of another magical venue. This one is way closer to home, and although there aren't any beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling (I suppose it could be done though...), it's super chic and oh so green. Succulent filled walls, fantastic vintage furnishings, a built-in movie screen, mismatched chairs and reclaimed wood tables...and that's BEFORE you start decorating! <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/6702059383/" title="green wedding by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="green wedding" height="464" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6702059383_b1d227eecf_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/6701716883/" title="beautifuldayphotography by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="beautifuldayphotography" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6701716883_5d0a7e751e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/6702055439/" title="ghoastacademy by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="ghoastacademy" height="438" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6702055439_78790b3f4f_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69789550@N07/6701561699/" title="Logan_Mike_Los_Angeles_Shoppe_Wedding_014 by cham+thom, on Flickr"><img alt="Logan_Mike_Los_Angeles_Shoppe_Wedding_014" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6701561699_cd6454af44_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of working as the venue director for <a href="http://smogshoppe.com/">SmogShoppe</a>, a unique event space located in Culver City (as seen in the photos above...to-die-for gorgeousness). What is so incredibly amazing about this space, is that it works for a totally funky aesthetic just as well as it works for something a bit more traditional. It is definitely NOT for the gal who imagines her wedding in a hotel ballroom, but truly it's all in the event styling and finishes; it's a beautiful blank canvas and you can make it what you want. It's also one of the greenest event spaces in LA, which is pretty ironic considering it used to actually be a REAL smog shop that tests car emissions.<br />
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Biff and I got married at <a href="http://www.marvimon.com/">Marvimon</a>, aka Smog's "older sister", and it was amazing. I like to think of Marv as a hidden treasure in downtown Los Angeles. It was an actual car showroom from the 1920's that the owners, Sherry and Miguel, transformed. Initially, the space was their home and you can really sense that when you walk through the front doors. It always felt like home to me too. I came across the venue years ago when I was scouting a location for a wedding I was planning. As soon as I walked in, I knew it would be where I would say "I do." Of course I hadn't even met Biff yet, but it was eminent.<br />
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A girl just knows.<br />
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<i>Wedding details and photos of Marv coming soon!</i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>SS images found <a href="http://greenweddingshoes.com/real-wedding-holly-ryans-whimsical-stylish-wedding-part-1/">here</a>, <a href="http://beautifuldayphotography.com/2011/05/senta-and-robs-wedding-at-the-smog-shoppe/">here</a>, <a href="http://ghostacademy.blogspot.com/2011/10/smog-shoppe-citrus-and-cacti-wedding.html">here</a> & <a href="http://www.vieraphotographics.com/blog/logan-and-mikes-los-angeles-smog-shoppe-wedding.html">here</a>.</i></span>bridgettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17953073260398730816noreply@blogger.com0