Sweet Chaos

Technical Difficulties

2012-03-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

Guess what happened to me last week?

Mmmm hmmm.... Computer Crash!!!

I have never had this happen before, and it has completely freaked me out. My laptop is in the shop, the hard drive is shot, and I'm praying that they'll be able to recover my files... and more importantly, my pictures!

I'm in the market for a new computer, and I'd love to get your input. I'm considering this...

The 13" Macbook Pro. Anyone have one of these? I'd love to get your feedback. Please let me know what computer you have and what you like/dislike about it. Thanks!!!

Unfortunately, I'll be out of blogging commission until my technical issues are resolved. Hoping to be up and running later this week.

Have a great day :)

Retail Therapy

2012-02-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the House of Mouse! There hasn't been any new evidence of the little critters, so I'm hoping they're shriveled up dead and decomposing as I type this. Sorry for the visual. Hope you weren't eating.

I spent the better part of the weekend tearing down wallpaper. Why does that always sound like fun until I'm so far in that there's no turning back? That darn glue never seems to want to come off! Today I'm going to prime the walls, so hopefully, I'll have some pics for you soon.

Since I'm still suffering from post mouse traumatic stress disorder, I figured a little retail therapy was in order. And, guess what? A few purchases later, I am feeling much better. I'm sure my husband will be thrilled. Wanna see what I got?

First stop: Home Goods.

I found these adorable little pieces to use in my living room cabinets.

I love HG, because you can find so many things for just a few bucks. I could have filled this entire cabinet in one HG trip, but I am exercising restraint :)

Second stop: Anthropologie

Since my mouse friends used my oven mitts as chew toys, I picked up a new pair.

And I couldn't resist this lovely tea towel. (So thankful I had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket!)

They make my ugly oven just a little bit cuter!

I was going to do only white pieces in my living room cabinet, but I brought home one of these plates to try it out.

You probably don't recall, because it's been so long since I've done anything with my living room decor, but the plate picks up a lot of the colors in the fabric I'll be using.

I think I'll live with it for a little while.

I hope you are having a terrific week, and if not... might I suggest a little retail therapy? :)

Uninvited Guests

2012-02-24T11:43:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for all the supportive comments regarding my wing back chair obsession! I'll keep you posted on the hunt.

I must apologize for not responding to every commenter lately. I do try to do that, but life has been a little crazy this week.

Source: lh5.googleusercontent.com via Coleen on Pinterest

My husband was out of town, we're in the throes of potty training, my kids had 100 activities, my ~~babysitters~~ parents were in Hawaii, and I've had uninvited guests staying at my house for days. Maybe they've even been here for weeks. I don't know for sure. They didn't tell me they were coming or even announce that they had arrived. Apparently, they just made themselves at home in my basement. Rude! They used my kitchen island as a lavatory, and ate my oven mitts for a late night snack. Thankfully, I haven't seen them yet, because I'm not sure what I'd do. I'm pretending they look like this...

but, I'm pretty sure they are not that cute. Nor play the banjo.

Luckily, my exterminator came yesterday to help evict them. He's a very friendly guy, but a couple of things about him bother me.

1. He foams at the mouth
2. He tells me things I do NOT want to know. For example, "You better hope they're just the little gray ones. The other ones carry a deadly virus." "You should wear a face mask when you clean up their droppings so you don't inhale the deadly virus." "There were some really large droppings. I think you've got a BIG mouse in here." "I think they're nesting in that dollhouse."

The entire time he was speaking, I was willing him to shut up. Does he not realize that he is paralyzing me with fear? I lie in bed at night imagining some giant rat and all its babies climbing on my face. I will never again set foot in my basement. It is dead to me. So, remember my big plans for the music room down there? Yeah, well. Forget it.

So amid the infestation, fear and chaos of this week, how do I cope? Especially since I've given up yelling at my kids for Lent? Why, find something to destroy, of course.

This wallpaper's been asking for it for 4 years, and yesterday I finally snapped.

No turning back now!

My partners in crime!

So, that's my week in a nutshell! Have a relaxing, rodent-free weekend :)

The Wind Beneath My Wing Back Chair Search

2012-02-22T11:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't shared this publicly until now, but for the past several months I have had a ~~severe~~ mild obsession with finding wing back chairs. Specifically, I would like two wing backs to use as host and hostess chairs in our dining room.

The following images are largely responsible for fueling my obsession.

Source: houseofturquoise.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

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Source: decorativedeluxe.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

The ones I'm envisioning in my space are of the white slipcovered and skirted variety. But, we have 4 boys... and we drink red wine... and we have 4 boys.

When I saw this dining room on Tessa's blog, my heart stopped.

She has my dream chairs! Which, by the way, she found on craigslist. I kind of hate her a little bit. I seriously carry this picture around in my purse just in case I stumble upon some chairs and need to compare.

So, I'm on a mission to find the perfect chairs at the perfect price (dirt cheap) with the perfect fabric (dirt resistant). Stay tuned...

Tell me... what's your latest obsession?

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Gallery Wall Reveal and A Winner

2012-02-16T11:11:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Nicole Flint Collection pillow, chosen by random generator, is ...

Sandy

Sandy, please send me your e-mail address so I can make sure you get that sweet pillow!

You won't believe it, but I actually finished a project in one afternoon. (Thank heavens for naptime!) My stairway gallery wall is done. Well, almost. I need to put photos in some of the new frames. But that's the easy part. The tedious process of hanging the frames is complete, and I am proud to say that there is only one unnecessary nail hole in the wall :)

Here it is...

Hope you don't mind the photo overload. I just needed to show it off to someone. I kept saying to my boys, "Let's all take a moment and admire the new wall." They just were not sharing my enthusiasm about it. Gosh, is it so hard to get an "atta girl?"

Here's a trick for getting a gallery wall done quickly. When you lay the frames on the floor to map out the configuration, be sure to put them in a high traffic area. Then say a hundred times "don't step on the frames!" to every person who walks near them. Trust me. It will motivate you to get the frames on the wall pronto!

Also, I cannot recommend my "template" method highly enough.

While it's a bit of effort to trace and cut the templates, it's so much easier to move the paper around and position the frames where you want them.

Just for fun, let's take a look at the overall before and after of this space...

Hope you like it, and if you do, can I get an "atta girl?" :)

Sharing at DIY By Design's Winter Blues Wednesday

The Color of Love

2012-02-14T03:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Since today is all about red hearts and red roses, I thought I'd share some red eye candy with you. I don't have much red in my home, but the pops of red in these rooms made my heart beat a little faster.

Source: flickr.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

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So, what do you think? Are you feeling the love for the color of love??

Stairway Gallery Wall

2012-02-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! What are you up to today? I'm working on a little project that is threatening to drive me up the wall! Here's a peak...

Mmmm hmmm. I'm finally getting around to redoing the photo gallery in our back staircase. Before the walls were painted I had a very simple photo display going on in this space.

Well, rather than put things right back where they were, I decided to beef up the display. (I also needed to add some pictures of our youngest son who hadn't made the wall yet. He's 3 years old and we've decided to keep him, so it's time for his cute face to grace the walls, too :)

This is my favorite inspiration photo...

I love how the frames start right down near the stairs. I'm going to attempt this. Any guesses on how long it will be before one ends up in pieces on the stairs?

I'm also going to add some white frames into the mix.

I think the black and white frames add a little more interest.

I know a lot of gallery walls consist of all black and white photography. While I do like that look, I am using color photographs. I like to see my boys' blue eyes, rosy cheeks and sun-bleached hair.

I started by spreading all the frames out on the floor and configuring an appealing arrangement.

I know. It doesn't look that appealing yet. I then made templates by tracing the frames onto paper and grocery bags. I taped the templates to the wall.

That's as far as I've gotten. Now I've got to go chauffeur the kids to various activities. Here's hoping the templates remain taped to the wall until I have a chance to hang the actual frames.

Stay tuned... I'm determined that this project will take less than a month to complete :)

If you haven't done so yet, go enter the giveaway. I'll announce the winner on Thursday!

Our Home Tour at Debbiedoo's

2012-02-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to be participating in Debbiedoo's Home Tour series today. If you haven't been to Debbie's blog (is there anyone left who hasn't?), pop on over and visit me there for a tour of our home. Thank you!!

When Debbie asked me to give you a tour of my home, my first thought was, "Wow! That's so nice of Debbie to think of me." My second thought was, "Oh my word, I need to clean this dump up."

So I'd like to thank Debbie for having me over today. Thanks to her my house is clean, and I get to spend some time with the readers of her fabulous blog!

Welcome to Our Home...

I am blessed to be able to say that I live in my dream home. Do you have a house in your town that you ~~stalk~~ drive by and admire? Well, for me this was the house that my car always seemed to drive itself by. I'd arrive early to pick my kids up at preschool, so I could turn into the neighborhood next door and spend a few moments checking out this house. I'm lucky the neighbors didn't call the police! I loved the architecture and the charming elements like the cupola and weathervane. Although the home was built in the late 80s, it has the character of an older home.

I was beyond excited when it went on the market and had an open house. Literally, the second I walked in the front door, I whispered to my mother, "I love this house!"

We left the open house, and my husband and I immediately began planning how we could get our house ready to sell and buy this house. As fate would have it, two days later I went to my first summer tennis team practice and who was on my team? The owner of my dream house! I found out she had 3 sons just like me (we would later add a 4th son to the mix) and she loved the house as much as I did and was sad to be leaving it. We both believed it was meant to be that our family would be the next owners of the house.

A few months later, our family was able to call my dream house "home."

The house has undergone some changes over the past 4 years. In the foyer, we put in new hardwood floors, removed the carpet from the stairs, refinished the stairs and painted the walls.

The living and dining rooms are a work in progress. We removed the carpeting and installed hardwood floors. In the dining room, we removed toile wallpaper and curtains and put up grasscloth wallpaper.

In the living room, we painted the previously red walls white and put in plantation shutters. I am currently working on decorating these rooms. I'm playing with furniture arrangement (as you can see by the pads under the piano legs!), and I've got lots of accessorizing left to do.

The "hub" of the home is our kitchen and family room.

One of my favorite spots is our sunroom.

In the master bedroom I tried to create a tranquil retreat to escape the craziness of a house full of boys!

I hope I afforded the same luxury for our guests.

The design of this room was born of the French Provincial furniture I inherited from my grandmother. Perhaps it's a bit frou frou, but I never got to decorate a little girl's room!

There's no shortage of "boy spaces" around here.

The room that received the biggest makeover was the master bathroom. Early last year we embarked on our first major renovation, which involved completely gutting the bathroom.

My blog began as a way to document the remodel of our master bathroom.

It is my favorite room in the house!

My kids' favorite hangout is in the basement.

Lots of pop-a-shot and ping pong tournaments take place down here.

But, in the summer there's only one place you'll find all of us...

Oh... this makes me want winter to end soon!

Debbie, thank you so much for featuring our house. You have been so supportive of my blog from the beginning, and I truly can't thank you enough!

Meet Nicole Flint & A Giveaway

2012-02-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

Have you met Nicole Flint?

If not, allow me to introduce you. Nicole is the adorable girl in the above photo, and the chairs are her creations! Let's take a closer look at her work.

How fun and unique is this?

Love the touch of turquoise!

Who wouldn't be happy sitting in this chair?

Love the dainty, feminine look of this one!

Nicole also creates gorgeous pillows and sofas. You can see more of Nicole's collection HERE.

Now for the giveaway! Nicole is going to give this pillow...

to one lucky Sweet Chaos reader.

TO ENTER:

1. Be a follower of Sweet Chaos.

2. Click HERE and "Like" Nicole Flint Collection on Facebook and leave me a comment here letting me know you did.

That's it! Easy peasy!! Enter by Wednesday, February 15th at Midnight EST. I'll announce the winner next Thursday.

Good luck :)

Our Home: Master Bedroom

2012-02-06T17:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! I hope you had a fabulous weekend. We had a great time with family and friends in town for the Super Bowl. Sorry to my New England friends, but I was happy that the Giants pulled out the win. After all, I am originally a Jersey girl :)

Since I cleaned my house for our guests, I figured it would be a good time to give you a room tour.

This is what the master bedroom looked like when we bought our home 4 years ago.

And here is the room today.

The changes were pretty simple. I painted the walls SW "Rainwashed."

I replaced the original window treatments with bamboo shades and smocked curtain panels.

They make me feel like I'm in a tropical location.

Please excuse the monstrosity of a TV. That would be my husband's contribution to the room. This is the wall across from the bed.

The vases were given to me by my grandmother. They belonged to her grandmother.

I don't know anything about them. If any of you antiques experts have any idea, I'd love to know. This is the mark on the bottom.

Our room opens onto the sunroom.

In the other direction is the master bathroom.

I really like my bedroom to be comfortable and restful. Ultimately, I'd love to add an upholstered bench, some art and maybe a rug, but I want to be careful to keep it uncluttered and peaceful.

Wishing you a good night's sleep :)

Sharing at Tuesday's Treasures

Super Bowl

2012-02-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

It's a super week here in Indy! Our family spent last Saturday at the NFL Experience and Super Bowl Village. Just thought I'd share some photos of our fair city, as we gear up for Sunday's big game.

Look up! See those people on top of that scaffolding? ...

Now do you see them?...

They're getting ready to do this...

Zip lining in the middle of the city. How fun! We headed inside here, the NFL Experience...

The whole family had fun punting, passing, kicking, catching and running the football. Not to brag or anything, but I made a field goal. Okay, it was only a 10 yarder, but still. The Ravens might need me :)

The Vince Lombardi trophy was in da house...

Need a cold one? That's what's in this block of ice...

And, of course, it wouldn't be Indy without race cars...

The cars decorated for each NFL team...

The whole city is excited to be hosting this great event. We even made sure there was sunshine and temps nearing 60 yesterday and today... pretty unheard of in January!

So, tell me. Are you going to watch the Super Bowl? Leave me a comment and tell me who you're cheering for!

Friendly Places: Home Tour #5

2012-01-30T02:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it's time for our first home tour of 2012! This beautiful home, located on the north shore of Massachusetts, belongs to my BFF and sister Debbie.

You wouldn't know it by these pictures, but Debbie hates decorating! I don't know how we are sisters. She hates shopping and decorating. And antiquing? Why would anyone want someone else's old junk? It kills me, I tell you. Especially since she is surrounded by some of the best antique places in the country.

Despite her disinterest in decorating, Debbie has managed to create a lovely home for her family of 4. It's a kid-friendly, dog-friendly, warm, welcoming and comfortable house. Perhaps I shouldn't use the word "warm." They seem to never have the heat on, and I need to wear 10 layers of clothing when I visit. Brrrr... Those New Englanders are a hearty bunch!

Come on in to the living room...

The french doors lead into the family room...

Told you it was dog-friendly. Do you spot Roxie and Clyde?

The most impressive room in the house is the kitchen. It was completely remodeled 6 years ago, and involved a 900 square foot addition. This photo, taken early in the construction process, shows you the old kitchen space...

And here is the kitchen now...

The original kitchen ended where the half-wall is located.

I love the view from the kitchen table.

Off the kitchen is the mudroom...

Debbie has a beautiful master bathroom that was remodeled a couple of years ago, and a cool firepit and patio that has been added since these pictures were taken. I'll have to share those with you another time, as she hasn't sent me updated pictures. Did I mention she doesn't quite get the whole blogging thing either? :)

Hope you enjoyed my sister's house!

Sea Salt

2012-01-25T11:29:00.000-08:00

Gosh... my blog titles are real creative lately, aren't they? I've got to go wake up a napper, pick up my kids from school and head to the orthodontist. However, I thought you might want to see how the new Sea Salt walls turned out.

It was difficult to get real good shots because the sun isn't shining.... just as it hasn't been shining for, I don't know, about 30 days!

This is the back staircase. Sea Salt is only one shade down on the color chart from the kitchen walls, which are Comfort Gray. I need to redo the gallery wall I had going on here. Maybe my soon-to-be 3 year old will actually get his photo on the wall now. But, don't hold me to that. I know... bad mom!

Yes... parents, grandparents and great, great, great grandparents are on the wall. Don't worry, honey. Mommy will get you on the wall before you turn 100!

Now, please throw out a little prayer that one of my children will not require orthodontic work. I've got one in braces, and a thumb-sucker who will definitely be following suit. One out of 4 isn't too much to ask, is it??

Have a great afternoon :)

Sharing at

Transformation Thursdays
Show and Tell Friday
Find Your Craft Friday

Thrifty Decor Chick's Before & After Party

Crazy Cute Thursdays

Our Basement

2012-01-23T18:29:00.000-08:00

Wow! You all sure know how to make a girl feel good! I was blown away by all the nice comments you left about my sons' bedroom. You're really helping me keep the motivation to get organized and stay that way!

Today I'm going to show you another former disaster area.... our basement. This space has been "kids central" for the past 4 years, and it literally looked as if a toy store had exploded down there. Every so often I would organize the toys, only to have it revert to disaster status in a matter of days. To keep my sanity, I'd close the door and pretend that part of the house didn't even exist.

Well, after several days of sorting, purging and organizing, and a few trips to Goodwill, the basement is actually presentable...

The main room of the basement is divided by a large brick fireplace.

One side is used for TV viewing and Wii playing...

The other side is where the real fun is...

I'm not talking about the bar (or am I?). This is where we have the pool/ping pong table and pop-a-shot.

Not to brag or anything, but I remain the undefeated queen of pop-a-shot.

Yes. Those are lego men dangling above the bar. Before the big clean-up, the bar was home to Hogwarts. The school was moved to another room, but apparently a few Quiddich players were left behind :)

The closet under the stairs became the perfect little house/grocery store for my younger sons. My 2 year old loves being in this little nook.

I didn't even try to stage this photo to make it look like I actually use the treadmill.

Here's a little glimpse at the "music room."

Now, this next room is not going to interest you or excite you in the least. I'm posting it for purely selfish reasons. I just want to document how clean and organized the work room is.

This room was the dumping ground for anything we didn't have a place for. Now I actually have room to work on projects in here.

Having the basement cleaned and organized has helped me regain my sanity. And, the best part is that we can actually use the area for entertaining.

I'd bet most of our friends didn't even know the basement existed :)

Sharing at Wow Us Wednesdays
Open House Party

Boys Bedroom

2012-01-21T17:57:00.000-08:00

Remember my 2012 resolution to "control the chaos?" Well, I've been in major organizing mode, and the first place I started was in this room.

This bedroom is shared by my 11 and 9 year old sons, and let's just say I never thought this room would be suitable for blog viewing. However, after spending many hours rescuing my kids from a future appearance on "Hoarders," I figured it was safe to let you in.

I painted and distressed this red dresser about 10 years ago, and I still love it.

Every drawer, shelf, nook and cranny of this room was cleaned and organized. Believe it or not, it's been 3 weeks and the room has stayed that way. It's a new world record!

On to the next room....

Sharing at Wow Us Wednesdays
Open House Party
Transformation Thursdays

How To Choose A Paint Color

2012-01-18T11:33:00.000-08:00

Ever since I painted my kitchen Sherwin Williams' Comfort Gray, I've been contemplating changing the color of our back staircase. The staircase leads into the kitchen, and its yellow walls don't look so great against the blue gray kitchen walls.

Painting the stairway would be no problem, except for the fact that it connects to the upstairs hall, down the front staircase and into the foyer. That snowball just keeps on rolling!

So, the yellow walls' days are numbered. But, now comes the big question: What new color should I choose?

Today I'll share my process for finding the perfect paint color.

1. Research. Look through magazines, design blogs, Pinterest photos, Google images and your neighbors' houses to get an idea of the colors you like. You never know where you might find inspiration. I tried the blue from the Dunphy's house on "Modern Family." (It's BM Labrador Blue, in case you're interested.)

2. Pick up a few (or twenty) paint samples and put them on your wall. If you are doing a large space, put the samples in a couple different locations. The paint looked very different in the light of my back hall than it did in the sunny foyer. Make sure to paint a couple of coats to ensure that the original wall color isn't seeping through.

3. Live with the paint samples for a few days to see how you like them in different light. I thought for sure I would go with a gray or beige, but after trying 4 or 5 different shades, it wasn't working for me. Beige was boring, and the gray was too depressing, especially on days when the sun wasn't shining. I needed color.

4. Try different shades and intensities of colors. I like blue/green, and as you can see I tried lots of them.

5. Eliminate the colors you don't like, and paint larger sections of wall with the paint you do like. I originally thought I'd go with the darker Van Courtland Blue or Oyster Bay, and so I painted larger areas with those colors. However, after a couple of days, I realized they looked gloomy in my space. I needed a lighter color.

6. Make a decision. After living with the paint samples for a few days (or weeks), you'll have one that speaks to you. Even if you keep trying to ignore it, because it's the same color you painted your master bathroom and you realize you could have skipped steps 1 - 5. But, where's the fun in that?

The painters are here, applying Sea Salt as I type. Gee... I hope I like it!

Am I the only one with 20 sample-size paint cans? How do you choose the perfect paint color?

Chicken Velvet Soup... Yum!

2012-01-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like good soup on a cold winter's day. While we watched the Packers/Giants game last night, I whipped up this really easy and delicious chicken velvet soup.

This soup was a very popular item on the menu of the historic L.S. Ayres Tearoom in Indianapolis.

The tearoom, which operated from 1905 to 1990, was a meeting place for downtown businessmen, ladies who "lunched" and children learning manners. Fashion models would walk table to table, donning the latest fashions.

But, rest assured, the soup tastes just as good in blue jeans in front of the football game.

Chicken Velvet Soup

3/8 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

1 cup warm milk

1 pint hot chicken stock

1 cup warm cream

1 quart chicken stock

1 1/2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1/4 tablespoon salt

Dash of pepper

Combine butter and flour, blending well. Add warm milk, pint of hot chicken stock and warm cream. After cooking well, add remaining ingredients. Makes two quarts.

Enjoy!

Home Organization with Wendi from Classic Chic Home

2012-01-13T04:26:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to have my first guest blogger today! I don't know what took me so long, but I'm thrilled that Wendi from the fabulous blog, Classic Chic Home is here today.

Wendi's blog is filled with wonderful design inspiration and gorgeous images. But, what I didn't realize until recently is that Wendi is seriously organized! My goal for 2012 is to conquer the clutter in my house. So when Wendi mentioned that her house runs like a well-oiled machine, I knew I had to get her over here to tell us how she does it. I mean, just check out the woman's junk drawer...

Wendi is going to shed some light on dealing with my greatest nemesis.... paper! Take it away, Wendi...

(via T-Maree Clothing)

Home Organization Ideas: A Place for Paper

Thank you, Carolyn, for inviting me to write a guest post on "Organizing Ideas for the Home". It's a pleasure to be featured here today on your lovely blog!

Small boxes and magazine holders are ideal for hiding away paperwork that needs to be accessed on a regular basis. Placing labels on the front of each container allows you to find things quickly and stay organized.

(via Modern Office Ideas)

(via Decor Pad)

A wall dedicated to household planning allows the entire family to stay updated and on schedule. Allocate space for calendars, messages, personal file pouches and stationery supplies.

(via Ava Living)

(via Pottery Barn)

Create a station for incoming mail. Sort items into categories such as "Priority", "To Pay" and "To File", by labelling clever DIY cubbies or stacking paper trays. Completing these tasks on a weekly basis will help reduce paper clutter.

(via Martha Stewart.com)

(via Office Depot)

Place pretty baskets for magazines and newspapers in locations where they're easy to access. Recycle papers weekly, and keep only as many magazine issues as your container can neatly store.

(Seluma Magazine Basket)

(via Pottery Barn)

Here are a few more pretty and practical ideas for putting household paper in its place...

(via Bright-Bold-Beautiful)

(via Media Library)

(via West Elm)

I hope this post has provided you with some creative ideas for organizing and storing the piles of paper in your home!

I'm so thankful to Wendi for the great inspiration! If you haven't visited Classic Chic Home yet, head on over there. You won't be disappointed!!

Sweet Spaces: Sullivan Conard Architects

2012-01-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

I was looking at inspiration pictures to help me choose a paint color for my foyer and hallways, and I came across this...

via Houzz.com

I loved this space, so naturally I needed to find more pictures of the house to which it belonged. (This would be why I can't find a paint color. I'm too easily distracted :))

I wasn't disappointed! Look how pretty! The home was originally built in 1902 in the Denny Blaine neighborhood of Seattle. It was beautifully renovated by Sullivan Conard Architects.

I'd be content to live in the garage!

Check out Sullivan Conard Architects for more pretty homes like this gem...

Images 1,3,4 via Houzz.com

All other images via sullivanconard.com

Now... I'd better go pick a paint color. Have a great day!

My New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Care to guess what my first New Year's Resolution is? I'll give you a hint...

1. GET ORGANIZED

Mama needs to get the chaos under control. That means I am getting serious about purging, uncluttering, organizing, cleaning and running my house more efficiently. Be prepared to see some posts with organizational tips and pics of my progress. If you're getting organized this year, I hope you'll join me on the journey. We can inspire each other! If your house is already in tip-top shape, feel free to leave encouraging comments :)

Source: ruralsocialite.blogspot.com via Regina on Pinterest

2. BECOME A BETTER PHOTOGRAPHER

I have a very nice camera, but you'd never know it by my blog photos! I think that's because I've been afraid of the owner's manual. It uses all sorts of intimidating terms like aperture, and there seems to be mathematics involved. Technical stuff makes my eyes glaze over and my brain shut down. But, no more!! I am on a mission to de-code the mystery of the camera, and I'll fill you in on any juicy tidbits I discover.

Source: topit.me via Softness on Pinterest

3. PAINT

I have a dream of turning our carriage house into a little shop to sell painted furniture. But, the only way I can make that a reality is to start painting! Hoping this year I will make the time to work on this hobby.

via Real Simple

Of course, I'm also resolved to complete some decorating projects, have more patience with my children, be a better wife, improve my tennis game, learn to sew, eat healthier and get in supermodel shape for my 20 year college reunion. But, listing all those things would really overwhelm me.

I better run. I've got a junk drawer to organize! I'd love to hear what your resolutions are for 2012.

Feeling Lucky

2012-01-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!! We are having an unseasonably warm day in the chilly Midwest, and it feels great to open the windows and let in the fresh air. The sunshine and cool breeze make me so happy!

Another thing that makes me happy is this adorable Union Jack pillow that I won thanks to Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia..

The pillow is courtesy of Robyn Story Designs, and it has found a home in the bedroom shared by my two oldest sons.

Robyn Story Designs is an Annie Sloan chalk paint stockist, so I suppose it's appropriate that the pillow resides on the bench I painted with ASCP "graphite." I also won a great ASCP apron that I can wear when I tackle my next painting project!

There are so many great giveaways out in blogland. I don't usually win things and most times I don't even enter to win things. But, I'm thinking the odds are pretty good. So, what are you waiting for? Go enter a giveaway. Today may be your lucky day!

Have a terrific weekend :)

Living Room Update and a Bargain

2012-01-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

Hey there! Just wanted to share a couple of additions to our living room...

My chair returned from the upholsterer just days before Christmas. I love how fresh and clean it is now!

As if that wasn't enough excitement, I scored a DEAL at Target!! Notice the pair of ottomans under the desk?

Well, I have been searching high and low for a pair of these babies for months! I had included similar ones in the design board I created in November.

I had all but given up on getting any because everything I found was ridiculously expensive. The ones pictured above are from Ballard Designs, and they were going to run around $600 for the pair. And, those were less than most I'd found. I mean, at the end of the day they're just small wooden boxes with fabric and nailheads. Right? I contemplated making some myself, but then I came to my senses. Plus, nobody gave me a table saw for Christmas. "You'll cut your finger off," they said.

Imagine my surprise and utter glee when I was strolling the aisles at Target looking for shelves, and spotted these lovely storage ottomans for ..... wait for it...... $59.99 each. Run. Don't walk to the nearest Target. They are not available online.

The fabric color wasn't my first choice and the nailhead trim isn't perfection. However, they go well with the colors I'm going to do in the room, and I actually think they look pretty darn good. And, for that price, they're perfect for me! I also figured they'd be easy to recover down the road. Easier than building them from scratch, that is. Oh, and did I mention the top comes off for storage?

Things are moving along, albeit at a snail's pace. I painted the back of the cabinets and I've got the fabric for the new pillows. Now I just need to find someone to actually make the pillows.

I'm under budget on the chair and the ottomans. Hoping this lucky streak continues!

Scored any deals lately? I love to hear about a good bargain!

Sharing at No Minimalist Here's Open House Party

HAPPY NEW YEAR & 2011 RECAP

2012-01-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! I cannot believe it's 2012 already. Wasn't it just yesterday that everyone was freaking out about Y2K??

One of my resolutions this year is to get my blog posts out in a timely manner. So I thought I would start with a recap of 2011. What? All the other bloggers did that last week? Well, cross that resolution off my list. I'll try again next year :)

Source: google.com via Kyle on Pinterest

2011 marked the birth of this little ole blog of mine. To be honest with you, I was completely clueless about blogging when I jumped into this venture (and I'm still pretty clueless). I enjoy writing and thought a blog would be a nice way to document the remodel of our master bathroom. I really didn't give much thought to what I'd blog about after the bathroom was complete.

Luckily, I've had enough hot air to keep going. It hasn't been easy. Being a considerate blogger is very time consuming, and I've tried to keep up with posts and projects and comments and e-mails as much as I can. But, I still have 4 little people who need my attention. There are times when I'm being a "good" blogger and feel that I've failed my family. There are times when I've been a good mom, and feel that I'm failing at my blog.
I can't count the number of times I've tried to write this post over the past few days!

Thankfully, I've got all of you who have welcomed me into the blogging community and provided advice and encouragement along the way. Thank you so much for visiting and supporting me, and leaving comments and e-mails that uplift me. You rock!!

Okay... before I run out of time to finish this post... Here are the Top 5 most-viewed posts of 2011 :

1. The Master Bathroom Reveal

2. My Chance Encounter with Thrifty Decor Chick

I have to tell you a quick story about this one. I had been blogging for a month and getting a couple of hits a week from my loyal followers, which consisted of my mom, my sister and a few ~~people I paid~~ friends. One night, seemingly out of the blue, I started getting tons of traffic on my blog. And, my followers increased from 10 to 75 in a matter of hours.

I went to my Stats page and noticed they were coming from Thrifty Decor Chick's blog. She had mentioned my post on her blog and her followers were coming by in droves. It was unreal! I realized at that moment that people ... real people, who didn't know me might actually start reading my blog. It was exciting and scary! Thank you, Sarah :)

3. Friendly Places: Fourth Edition

I guess y'all love a good home tour as much as I do! I'll be continuing my Friendly Places home tour series this year, and I've got some phenomenal homes to show you.

4. Table Makeover

I love painting furniture (when I can find the time)! Hoping to do more of this in 2012.

5. The Reveal of the Stairs

So, there you have it. The "2011 Sweet Chaos Readers' Choice" posts! I must tell you that the 6th most-viewed post cracks me up. It was one of my first posts and I never linked it up to any blog parties, so I'm shocked it made it to the Number 6 slot.

The post is titled, The Naked Truth (with pictures). Do you think people are googling something else, and just happen to land on that page? (Mental note: Use provocative titles for future posts.)

Thanks again for joining me in 2011! It truly has been sweet chaos, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'll be back soon to share my New Years resolutions with you. Or maybe I won't be back too soon. After all, I am no longer resolved to post in a timely manner :)

HAPPY 2012!! Hope all your wishes come true this year!

Christmas at the House of Chaos

2011-12-30T19:11:00.000-08:00

Hello! I hope you are all enjoying a restful week, and gearing up to ring in the new year!

We had a wonderful Christmas with our family. We attended Christmas Eve Mass, and set a new record arriving 2 hours before Mass started to ensure that we'd have seats. If you're Catholic, you know what I mean. Lots of Chreasters were in attendance, and rather than being annoyed at not having seats, we try to be grateful that they are there to celebrate with us :)

It was such a special service, and I was filled with the joy, hope and spirit of Christ. At least until I made into the parking lot and was nearly mowed over. I'm not judging, but if you're there every week, you know there is a traffic flow system in place that ensures everyone filters out in a friendly and orderly fashion. Okay. I'm totally judging. See why I have to go to Mass every Sunday?? Forgive me.

After Christmas Eve Mass, I hosted a casual dinner. Here's a shot of the table.

Call the blog police. I used paper napkins. Oh the horror!!

Here's the "kids' table." Although, only one kid sat there. The rest of them hijacked the adult table, so my father, husband and I rounded out the foursome.

I served Barefoot Contessa's Lasagna. I LOVE this recipe! It's delicious, and I could make it ahead of time. I popped it in the oven before we left for church, and it was good to go when we got home.

My kids narrowly escaped the "naughty" list, and were excited to see that Santa had indeed come and delivered presents for Christmas morning. He also left a nutcracker for each of them.

My mother hosted Christmas dinner with a much more elaborate menu, a prettier tablescape and cloth napkins. I forgot to take pictures until dinner and several glasses of wine had been consumed. Don't worry... I won't make you look at blurry photos of dirty plates.

Now don't hate me for this bit of advice. However, if you choose to write an annual Christmas letter and send it to a family of sarcastic smart a**es, be forewarned that your letter may be read aloud (in an unintended manner) as after-dinner entertainment. (I'm checking the Confession times as I type this.)

I showed you most of my Christmas decor here, here, and here. You're probably so over Christmas decorations, but I'm going to show you a couple anyway, because I'm ~~annoying~~ thoughtful like that. There were a couple of areas that needed a little Christmas right that very minute. And, these literally took a minute to throw together.

Apothecary jar, Epsom salt, greenery, ornaments, ribbon. Done.

Bowl, ornaments, greenery. Could it be any simpler? I think not.

And that, my friends, concludes Christmas 2011 at the House of Chaos. I'll be back soon to recap my first year of blogging and let you in on my New Year's resolutions.

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T17:00:00.000-08:00

The Lord Is Come

Have a very Merry Christmas!!

(Images via Pinterest)

Our Christmas Tree

2011-12-20T14:09:00.000-08:00

It isn't easy to blog with the kids home. In fact, I am simultaneously writing this post and spinning the wheel in a very exciting game of Twister. It's hard to (Right Foot Green) put a sentence together (Left Hand Yellow) while calling out instructions (Right Hand Blue), so please bear with me.

We have been busy little bees around here. We had 4 holiday performances, 2 which involved my two-year-old sucking his thumb, yawning and staring into space. That would be perfectly fine, except that he was in the show. I'm not sure he realized that. I don't think he's destined for Broadway, but he sure gave us a lot to laugh about.

We went to see Santa at the mall today. I believe this is the first picture that we have with him where there isn't one child screaming in terror. Although I'm relieved that no one was terrorized and everyone was smiling, there's a part of me that's a little sad. They're growing up.

Last year...

This year...

I shared my Colonial-style Christmas tree with you a few weeks ago, but the tree that I really consider our Christmas tree is this one.

Yes, the star is crooked and most of the ornaments are dangling precariously on the bottom branches. It's not a tree that will be featured on other blogs or saved in anyone's design inspiration files. But, to me it is more beautiful than any tree I've seen in the glossy pages of a magazine.

Every year we strap a Frazier fir to the roof of the minivan to bring home and create our family Christmas tree. Nothing beats the smell of a live tree. Although we barely have enough ornaments to fill half the tree, we always choose a large one. I could run to the store and buy ornaments to fill the empty spots, but that will never happen. This is a tree that will grow over time. It is filled with our family memories. It cannot be rushed or styled.

Each ornament means something to us. It started with a marriage

and a Hawaiian honeymoon

It grew with the birth of 4 children.

Those children blessed us with the greatest gifts in life.

Their precious hands made ornaments more special than anything sold in a store.

The tree serves as a place to store memories. We always bring home an ornament from our travels. They remind us of summer vacations to Hilton Head.

Traveling around Europe before kids. (This is a lace ornament from Bruges, Belgium.)

Having fun with Mickey and friends in Orlando.

The few months we spent on Bainbridge Island, WA, taking the ferry back and forth to Seattle.

A Canadian adventure.

A trip to beautiful Santa Fe, right before my husband and I became outnumbered with the birth of child #3.

It's fun to unwrap the ornaments every year and reminisce about places we've visited and things we experienced. Even the not-so-memorable trips provide a source of laughter. We bought an ornament several years ago on a vacation to San Diego. Luckily, we got it on the very first day we were there. By the second day, smoke and ash from wildfires covered the entire city when the Santa Ana winds shifted direction. We escaped on the first flight we could get. Ahhhh... memories!

I hope this Christmas is filled with wonderful memories for all of you :) Thanks for stopping by!

Linking to...

Tuesday's Treasures

Christmas Home Tour

2011-12-14T06:05:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, my kids get out of school for Christmas break tomorrow. Yes. I'm serious. I'm not sure who the genius was that made up the calendar. Obviously, it was someone without children. Ten days before Christmas?? Do they not understand that parents need that time to get everything ready for Santa? Sheesh!

I'd better take you on a little tour of our home in its Christmas finery before the kids are home and the place becomes a total mess. I've already shown you the foyer, but here are some other scenes from around our home...

Come on inside...

Hope you enjoyed the tour. I'm still not completely done with the decorating. You may have noticed a certain tree still lacking ornaments. I figure the kids and I will have 10 days to get that done :)

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!

Linking up to ...

Jennifer Rizzo's Holiday Housewalk Party
Shabby Creek Cottage's Transformation Thursday
No Minimalist Here's Open House Party
The Inspired Room 2011 Christmas Home Tours
The Nester's 2011 Christmas Tour of Homes
2805's Potpourri Friday
a' la mode's Holiday Home Tour

The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful

2011-12-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

Hey there! How are things in your neck of the woods? (hello, Al Roker) Things here are rolling along as usual... some good, some bad.

Let's start with the bad. I had to go into Hollister this week. I know. Pretty awful, huh? But, I love my niece and her Christmas present was inside that place. So, I braved the toxic fumes that hit you before you even open the door. You know when you walk past a woman who is wearing too much perfume, and you nearly lose your breath? Multiply that by a thousand. As if that weren't bad enough, annoying music is blaring throughout the joint. (Maybe I'm getting old).

The sales girl literally had to scream to me, "Can I help you with anything?" I wanted to say, "Yes. I'll take earplugs, a face mask and two extra strength Tylenol." But, I'm not that old, so I told her the name of the item I was looking for. Her response, "I have no idea what any of the names of the clothes are. Try looking around." So, not only is the atmosphere stellar, the customer service is, too.

I looked around for all of about 5 minutes before I couldn't take it any longer and decided that shopping online and spending $50 in shipping would be worth every extra penny.

Now, here's the really bad part. I dropped my iPhone in the parking lot and shattered the glass. Bah humbug!

Fast forward two days later, and I am shopping with my two year old at Tuesday Morning. I reach into my pocket for something and feel a sharp pain under the nail of my middle finger. I pull it out and blood is gushing everywhere. The pain and the bleeding won't stop, and I realize there is a shard of glass sticking out of my finger. Guess it must have loosened from my phone and fallen into my pocket. Luckily, I am able to stop shaking enough to pluck it out, but not before causing a minor scene in the checkout line. Yep. Definitely gonna shop online from now on.

Now for the GOOD...

Are you still with me?

Today on my morning ride to preschool, Adele and Moves Like Jagger came on. So, it made for a great car singing/dancing start to the day. Love that! But, even better news is that my grasscloth wallpaper that started out looking like this...

and this...

and led to this...

finally, looks like this...

No more distracting dark stripes. That's a beautiful thing!

I hope the good is far-outweighing the bad for you this week :)

Welcoming Christmas

2011-12-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

The weather outside is frightful! It's been cold, rainy and gray for the past two days, and apparently the sun will not be making an appearance any time soon. So, come on inside...

Hopefully, the small touches of Christmas in our foyer will make you feel warm and welcome.

As you can see, I keep things pretty simple. Some small touches of greenery...

Some real, some not so much...

A little sparkle...

Festive and easy, so we can spend our time ~~fighting the mall crowds,~~ buying and wrapping gifts, attending holiday parties, chaperoning school parties, watching choir performances and preschool shows, baking Christmas cookies, taking 20,000 photos to get just one decent one for Christmas cards, stuffing, sealing and licking stamps for said cards, blogging about Christmas decorations focusing on the true reason for the season!

Hope you're keeping warm today :)

Linking to...

No Minimalist Here's Open House Party

My Colonial Christmas Tree

2011-12-01T06:49:00.000-08:00

Colonial Williamsburg really knows how to decorate for Christmas. I love their use of simple, natural objects, particularly fruit and evergreens, to dress their homes for the holidays.

via

Pineapple, a Colonial American symbol of hospitality, paired with apples create a signature swag.

via

This is the wreath outside the Williamsburg millinery. Notice the fruit and vegetables cleverly wrapped in different fabrics. I need to copy this some day!

via

Our home is a Colonial Williamsburg style house, and I wanted to incorporate Christmas decor that would nod to early American tradition. One way I did this was to create a "fruit tree" in my dining room. I just finished decorating the tree for this Christmas, and I thought I'd share it with you. I started with a simple, pre-lit tree.

My least favorite part of an artificial tree is separating and fluffing the branches! I have some beautiful ribbon that I use for this tree. Unfortunately, my swagging ability is seriously lacking. I actually watched a youtube video today to try and improve my technique. I used the poof and gather method.

Maybe I need a little more practice. Oh well. On to the fun part... loading on the fruit.

I use all kinds of faux fruit.... apples, pears, oranges, pomegranates, berries, and grapes. Citrus fruit was a holiday delicacy for Colonial Americans.

Although I refer to it as a fruit tree, I don't discriminate against veggies. There are some artichokes hidden in there, too :)

I was 8 months pregnant the year I started the fruit tree, and my nesting instinct was in overdrive. I think I cleaned out every store fruit bin within a 50 mile radius. Perhaps you read about the great faux fruit shortage of 2008?

Hope you like it! Are you decorating with fruit this Christmas? Or just eating it?

Linking to...

Feathered Nest Friday

Meet Me Monday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

2805's Blogger Block Christmas Tree Party

Holiday Home Link Party at Thrifty Decor Chick

Very Pinteresting: Dutch Doors (And a winner!)

2011-11-28T08:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I want to thank everyone who entered my Shabby Apple giveaway last week. The winner, chosen by random.org, is ...

curliecue

Congrats, curliecue! I'll e-mail you with details soon. Can't wait to hear if you choose the dress or the skirt :)

We were out of town visiting family for the Thanksgiving holiday, so now I'm busy unpacking, doing laundry and getting ready to deck the halls! So, today I thought I'd share some pictures I recently "pinned."

What is it about dutch doors that makes them so darn charming? I love the character they exude.

Source: houzz.com via Cheri on Pinterest

Dutch, red and arched... what an entrance!

Source: coastalliving.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Source: google.com via June on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Marlenda on Pinterest

Source: google.com.br via Alice on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source: reasonstobreathe.tumblr.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Source: beautifulinspirationdesigns.blogspot.com via Sumner on Pinterest

Source: thehouseofbambooandavos.blogspot.com via fresh eggs and laundry on Pinterest

Love the transom above this one.

Source: coastalliving.com via Morgan on Pinterest

My dog would definitely be perched in the same spot.

Source: bhg.com via Amber on Pinterest

Very elegant!

Source: itsgreattobehome.net via Allison on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Gigi on Pinterest

Source: bfivestudio.com via Millie on Pinterest

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: southernliving.com via Keely on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Melinda on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Andrew on Pinterest

Source: contentinacottage.blogspot.com via Taryn on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Janice on Pinterest

Our climate and insect situation doesn't lend itself favorably to exterior dutch doors, but an interior one is a great idea.

Source: houzz.com via Ashli on Pinterest

Source: paloma81.blogspot.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Source: dragoncottage.co.uk via Karen on Pinterest

Source: housetohome.co.uk via Lindsey on Pinterest

I think these dutch doors make you feel that you're about to enter some place very special. What do you think? Have you or would you "go dutch?"

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T16:10:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Source: marthastewart.com

Living Room Update

2011-11-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

I continue to work on my living room makeover at a snail's pace, but I did make a purchase that I'm so excited to share with you! I recently did a post on the design plan I had for the living room. It looks like this...

See that chair in the lower right hand corner? It's the Josephine chair from Ethan Allen. I popped into EA a couple of weeks ago to price it out. It was on sale. It was going to cost about $850 with the fabric I wanted. Okay... sounds great. I'll be back. Never.

So, I've been scouring craigslist and ebay, local consignment and antique stores for a Louis XVI style chair. Well, last week I hit pay dirt! I discovered a hidden jewel of an antique store in town, and I found this...

Isn't she pretty? I love the detail.

She was a fraction of the cost of Josephine, and re-upholstery is only going to run $50... woo hoo!! I originally thought I'd upholster over the caning, but it's in good condition and I rather like it.

I think this is the new fabric she'll be sporting soon.

I've also started working on my corner china cabinets. I used Sherry's chalk paint recipe to create my own, and started painting the back of the shelves. I've got a long way to go, but I am loving the look so far.

Area rug selection is underway! Thanks to Joni at Cote de Texas, I have decided to do a seagrass rug. If you are considering seagrass, you need to read Joni's post about it. She provides detailed information and great inspiration pictures. I've been reading and re-reading it, and studying the pictures. (Joni, if you've been wondering why a post you wrote over 2 years ago has had 20,000 views in the past week, now you know).

Since there seems to be no local flooring company that carries seagrass, I will most likely have to order one online. I got these samples from theperfectrug.com. Has anyone ordered from them?

I'm leaning towards the one in the upper right corner.

Where there is progress, there are setbacks... or at least around here there are. Remember the grasscloth wallpaper in my dining room?

Here it is now...

Mmmm hmmmm.... there's a story here. It will have to wait til next time though :)

Don't forget to enter my Shabby Apple Giveaway ... just in time for the holidays!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great afternoon!!

Linking up to...

White Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesdays
Fall Into Fall
Inspiration Friday

Shabby Apple Giveaway

2011-11-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving week!! I am so thankful to the folks at Shabby Apple for offering a great giveaway for my readers.

Shabby Apple is an online boutique specializing in amazing vintage-style dresses, little girls dresses and maternity dresses. I am loving these...

Academia

Atlantic Fog

Beverly Hills

Aristocrat

Pretty sweet, aren't they? Here's what Shabby Apple is offering one lucky Sweet Chaos reader. The winner will get to choose ...

The fabulous Francine skirt...

OR the beautiful Boogie Woogie dress...

To be entered to win the Francine skirt OR Boogie Woogie dress in your choice of size:

1. Be a Sweet Chaos follower.

2. "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook, and leave me a comment saying you did so.

The giveaway ends Saturday, November 26 at midnight Eastern time. A winner will be chosen randomly the next day.

The winner must have a US shipping address and there will be no exchanges for the winning dress.

Shabby Apple is also offering a 10% discount to my readers. Just add the coupon code

"SWEETCHAOSHOME10OFF" with your purchase.

Good luck!!

Now Accepting Reservations

2011-11-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

Somewhere between the St. Regis and Motel 6 lies a nice little place to spend the night. It's a cozy spot I affectionately refer to as "our guestroom."

Our guestroom has recently undergone a makeover, turning it from a mishmashed catchall into a proper bedroom fit for guests.

Come on in...

I acquired a beautiful French Provincial armoire and headboard when my Nana downsized to an apartment. Those pieces were the inspiration for the room's new look.

Nana is still using the other headboard, so I only have one. Guests will have to draw straws for the bed on the right :)

I'm still loving the needlepoint pillows that came from a blog reader. The nightstand was a garage sale purchase from years ago. You can read about how I transformed it here. The bedding is from the Simply Shabby Chic line.

The mantel was taken out of our living room which is currently undergoing a makeover of its own. I put two corbels underneath it for visual interest.

On one side of the mantel, I have a framed baby photo of my Dad (isn't he cute?) and two jars filled with lavender.

I have a portrait of my Nana that I found while "shopping" in my parent's attic. The two silver bowls are trophies that my Nana and PopPop won in ballroom dancing competitions. The little basket has no sentimental value :) It's from World Market, and I will fill it with essentials for guests.

From this view you can see a few of the accessories I purchased for the room. The mirror came from an antique store, and the clock is the closest thing to a Mora that I could afford.

The rug came from my parent's attic. (I should shop there more often.) I love the raw silk woven drapery panel. It has great texture, but let's the light shine in. Very important, as this room only has one window!

A tole tray and candlesticks that I was no longer using found a new home on top of the armoire. (Yes, I know I need new candles!)

In the entry alcove, I hung a tole chandelier which I purchased on ebay years ago. I hung a large, heavy mirror that I recently updated with chalk paint. I'll do a post on that soon, so you can see how the mirror started out.

The bench came from Home Goods, and is a great spot for guests to put their luggage.

Isn't this a great chair? I need to find the business card of the guy who refurbished it. I think his name was Marcus. Anyway, he has some incredible pieces that he sells all over the country. I know he has space at the Randolph Street Market in Chicago.

I know every before and after should include a "before." I'm embarrassed to show you this picture, as the room didn't really look this bad before. I had already started pulling it apart at this point. However, it was the only picture I could find. Here it goes...

Quick! Let's look at the "after" again...

So there you have it! Of course, I haven't painted the walls as I had planned to do, and I still need some art over the beds, but the sheets are clean and we're ready for visitors.

Come see us. We'll leave the light on.

Linking up to...

Voila! French Inspiration

Share the Love Wednesdays

Open House Wednesday

Feathered Nest Friday

Show and Tell Friday

Rockin' Rooms

2011-11-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

My third son turned 6 years old yesterday, so my husband and I got him the kind of gift that every responsible, mentally-stable parent gives a young child. I'll give you a hint... it rhymes with dumbsh*t.

Okay, so it doesn't exactly rhyme, but I bet you still guessed it. Apparently we've decided that the sound 4 boys make on a daily basis wasn't bad enough and a drumset was just what we needed to hear ourselves think. But, I can't help it. I want my kids to play instruments and make music... in spite of the imminent assault on my ears. I'd rather listen to music (no matter how bad) than TV or video games. Or maybe it's because secretly I've always wanted to be like the Partridge Family, even if it means I now have to be Shirley :)

Of course, the addition of the drum set led me to mentally make over the basement playroom into a music room. How cool would that be?

Here are some rooms with features that would rock a music room ...

What future female recording artist wouldn't want this room...

Marie Burgos Design

Love the hanging guitars and the flags...

Lazzari USA

Source: google.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

I love this space with the guitars, map and vintage suitcases...

spaces design

Hip, comfy couch... check! And records on the wall...

via Pinterest

More records on the wall. My kids probably don't have a clue what these are. How weird is that?

Source: freshhomeideas.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

You could always paint guitars on the wall. That would save a lot of dough...

Source: californiahomedesign.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

Or, how about album covers. We did something similar in our dorm room back in the day...

Source: gallery.apartmenttherapy.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

A big chalkboard wall would be great for writing chords, lyrics or set lists...

Source: homezinterior.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

While these rooms are all really cool for kids in the basement, how about decorating other rooms in the house using musical instruments? I not only love the sound of music in a home. I love the look of instruments.

For example, check out these lovely pianos. I could have one in every room.

Source: loppisliv.blogspot.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

Source: gallery.apartmenttherapy.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

Source: sunkissedhazel.tumblr.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

Even instrument cases add interest and texture to this space...

Source: ignitelight.tumblr.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

There is something I love about a string instrument hanging on the wall or propped in the corner.

Source: anindiansummer-design.blogspot.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

Source: rustaupp.blogg.se via keiko on Pinterest

Source: designmom.com via Tracy on Pinterest

Source: perfectlyimperfectblog.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

Source: modernhepburn.tumblr.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

And, even a drum set can look "pretty" in the right setting...

Source: pleasesirblog.blogspot.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

If you've spent a lot of money on your kids' drums and music lessons, but he has no interest in becoming the next Ringo Starr, take heart. You can always use the drums for other purposes around your home.

Perhaps you need a unique coffee table...

Source: houzz.com via Laura on Pinterest

Or some bedside tables...

Source: thenester.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

Source: klily.tumblr.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

Or a new lamp...

Source: etsy.com via Aphtaen on Pinterest

So, what do you think? Am I crazy? Do you play an instrument or decorate your home with them? Perhaps you have a music room? I'm not sure what will become of the basement band room, but I can assure you it will look nothing like this...

Graceland

Source: graceland.elvis.com.au via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

As I contemplate the music room, the closest location for purchasing earplugs (and my sanity), I leave you with these words of wisdom...

Source: etsy.com via Sweet Chaos on Pinterest

Hope your weekend rocks!!

Linking to...
2805's Potpourri Friday

Living Room Design Plan

2011-11-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a design plan for my living room, and here's what I've decided....

My living room would be freaking awesome if money were no object. Ha!

Oh, but where's the fun in that? It's all about the hunt for less expensive items, the thrill of finding a bargain, and the creativity in piecing together a fabulous room for less. Right?

Well, while I try to convince myself of this, I thought I'd show you how I'm hoping to pull the room together.

Here's a look at what I have to work with...

If you can see beyond the dimly lit, grainy photos, you'll see I have a pretty neutral canvas...

I love the new dark floors and white walls. Now, I just need to spice things up a bit.

Here's the design board I created to get me started...

Here's a shot of some fabrics I'm considering.

I really love the floral Magnolia fabric on the right. I'd like to recover the top of the ottoman in it and make a pillow out of it. I also like the geometric fabric next to it as a pillow.

I think the room is lacking in upholstered pieces. Our last living room was smaller, and our furniture looks a little lost in this room. Therefore, I'd like to replace the small coffee table with an upholstered ottoman like this one from Ballard Designs...

I'd like to get two ottoman cubes for under the desk. Thought they would soften all the hard surfaces and provide additional seating. Of course, who really wants to sit on a cube? Maybe my 2 year old.

Speaking of seating, I want to add another chair (or two) to the room. I am in love with this Louis chair below. Does anyone know the source?? I found the photo on Pinterest, but couldn't find any additional information.

I like the other chair in this room, too. In fact, if whoever owns this room would just give me the two chairs and the ottoman, I'd be good to go!

I've got two of these cabinets that I got years ago at an architectural salvage place.

I'm planning to paint the shelves a robin's egg blue and add some new hardware.

Of course, my dream room would include one of Steve Giannetti's "Watercolors" paintings...

and some sort of cool lantern, like this Wisteria one...

But, for now, I really need to just pick out some fabric and get rolling on the pillows.

I would love to hear what you think. Don't hold back. If you have any suggestions on fabric or upholstered pieces or what to make for dinner, I'm all ears!!

Thanks, friends!! Have a great day :)

Sharing at...

Tuesday's Treasures

The Stairs Revealed... Finally!

2011-11-03T04:48:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Hope you had a happy Halloween!! I was hanging out with Darth Vader, a golfer...

(Not sure what was up with the binoculars!)

a football player...

and ...

an X-Box... get it? This was the only costume I made. Pretty impressive, huh? Oh well... it was a hit with the 5th grade crowd.

I've pretty much been in a chocolate-induced coma since Monday. However, I did manage to take some pictures of our recently completed stairs. It is a real "treat" to have them done. I love being able to walk up and down them without fear of puncturing my foot on a stray staple or jagged piece of plywood.

I was unprepared for what a major hassle this project would be. Many times throughout the process, I regretted that we started it. But now that it's done, I am so happy with it! I guess that's how it is with stair projects. There are ups and downs. Ba dum bum! I'll be here all week.

Here is the "before" of the front staircase with white carpeting and honey-stained oak handrails...

And, here is the "after" with dark-stained treads and painted black handrails...

A couple more views...

Here is the "before" of the back staircase...

And, the "after"...

View from the top (excuse the poor lighting)...

So there's the stairs! Hope you like the way they turned out :) Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

Sharing at

Feathered Nest Fridays
Potpourri Friday
Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Party

Mudroom Makeover: What Stage Is This? Oh Yeah. Five

2011-10-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I was making over my mudroom. Then my decorating ADD kicked in, and I moved on to other projects in different rooms. A recent purchase has jump-started the mudroom makeover, and I thought I'd share it with you today.

If you want to see what changes have already taken place, you can read all about it here. This is how things are looking today.

Pretty much the way I left it back in July. I did hang the basket I bought from Donna at Horton's Flea Market. I thought it would serve as a good spot for single socks to reunite with a partner.

I also added a little alabaster lamp. I bought it on my Springfield Antiques road trip in June for ten bucks. It came with a hideous shade (circa 1984) that I purposefully left behind. Finding a new shade to fit was a much more difficult task than I expected. I was relieved to finally find a shade that fits and looks pretty cute, too.

While the sock depot and cute lamp are nice, what I really needed was a fabric skirt to go around the counter and hide the giant bin o' dog food underneath it.

Well, I finally made up my mind the other day and purchased some fabric. I went with Waverly's Ballad Bouquet in robin's egg.

I was tempted by a more trendy, geometric fabric, but in the end, decided that the shabby chic, vintage look complements the room better. I think it fits in nicely with the basket and the lamp...

and the chippy chalkboard on the opposite wall...

Now I just need to find someone to sew the skirt for me. Be on the lookout for the big reveal in, oh, I don't know.... about 6 months?

So, what's your decorating motto? Hurry up and get 'er done OR Slow and steady someday it will be ready?

Partying at...

Wow Us Wednesdays
Open House Thursdays
2805: Potpourri Party
Show and Tell Friday

My Fall Mantel, Our Haunted House and A Winner

2011-10-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

I am really not one for changing my fireplace mantel with the change of seasons. I usually only deck it out at Christmas. However, my son put his pumpkin up there, and it looked rather lonely and pathetic. So, I painted a few faux pumpkins and added some other natural elements to keep the lone pumpkin company.

It took no time at all, and now my mantel is ready for Fall...

Here is one side with two of the faux pumpkins. I painted one with sage craft paint and one with old white chalk paint. I cut a branch from a tree in our yard and put it in the urn.

Here's the other side with the real deal pumpkin and another faux white one. I put a branch and some ornamental grass in this urn.

There it is all together. Nothing fancy, but it works for me!

Warning: If you scare easily, you may want to turn back now, because our house is officially haunted....

BOO!

I'm not sure which is scarier... this trio of ghosts or the dead yew in the background.

This is really freaky, because we don't even have a cat!

Perhaps he showed up to catch the spider!

This isn't scary. I just wanted to show you my baby cabbage. (I also wanted you to see that the boxwoods I planted in the spring are still going strong! Yay!)

Glad we got our spook on before Halloween arrived. Just need to make 4 jack-o-lanterns and we'll be ready to trick or treat.

Have I mentioned that my neighbor's house is already decorated for Christmas? Every year as I struggle to stake the ghosts into the ground, a team of decorators is decking the halls across the street. It's quite the production! We tried to outdo them by leaving lights in our trees since last Christmas. Yeah. We're those people.

The winner of the $30 gift card to whimsy studios is Tidden Tales!! Congratulations! Hope you enjoy your fresh picked whimsy!!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week :)

Linking up to:

Tuesday's Treasures
Open House Thursdays
Wow Us Wednesdays
2805: Potpourri Party
Common Ground's Fabulous Fall Fun

The Versatile Blogger

2011-10-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

Kelly at the wonderful blog, The Essence of Home, recently honored me with an award.

Thank you, Kelly, for bestowing upon me such a prestigious and coveted award :)

The rules for accepting this award are as follows:

* Thank the person who gave you the award.

* Include a link to their blog.

* Select and link to 15 blogs that you've recently discovered or follow regularly for the award to go to next.

* Share 7 things about yourself.

So, here are 7 things you probably never wanted to know about me:

1. I have a serious addiction to Twizzlers. In fact, I am eating them as I type this.

2. I play tennis a few times a week. (So I can eat Twizzlers.)

3. I love to sing. If I were younger and didn't have 4 kids I'd audition for American Idol. Hopefully, I wouldn't end up in the early audition TV footage of the crazy people who think they can sing but are really horrendous.

4. In my life before children, I worked in PR and event planning. I had my own event marketing business until my second son was born.

5. Someday I will write a book about disastrous family vacations and a screenplay about my high school in the 80s.

6. I have one sister and one brother. They are two of the funniest people on the planet, and two of my favorite people. (Thirty years ago, I never would have thought I'd be saying that.)

7. I recently saw my prom date's mug shot on the national news.

I'd like to nominate the following blogs for this award.

(I realize some of you may be award-free, but I'm nominating you anyway. I'm kind of a rebel)

The Vintage Farmhouse

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! It ends at midnight tonight!!

Have a great weekend :)

A Pillow Story

2011-10-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

I just had to share a fun little blogging story with you! A couple of weeks ago I did a guest post as part of Classic Casual Home's Pillow Addict Series.

My post included a picture of a needlepoint pillow I had purchased on Ebay for our guest room. I mentioned that I was still on the hunt for another one.

Well, I was contacted by the sweetest lady, Sandy from Connecticut, who happened to read the post and also happened to have two needlepoint pillows for sale. (Very reasonably, I might add!). She sent me some pictures of them, and they were perfect!!

Long story short... Sandy's pillows are now residing comfortably in my house.

Aren't they pretty?

This blogging thing is an interesting beast! You can make new friends all over the world, and you never know who might be reading. So, I'd really like to meet Jason Bateman. Just sayin'. In case any of you happen to be close personal friends with him...

Don't forget to enter my giveaway before Friday!!

Sharing at Open House Thursdays

Giveaway Time!!!

2011-10-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. I thought we'd get this week started off right... with a fun giveaway courtesy of my pal, artist and illustrator Lori McDonough. Up for grabs is a $30 gift certificate to Lori's etsy shop, whimsy studios.

Here is a taste of Lori's unique, whimsical art. I know this one is perfect for the treasure hunters and crafty girls out there...

Legos are a big deal in our house, and my boys would love this one...

What an adorable keepsake for new parents...

For the ocean lover...

She's got some fun holiday decor too...

To enter:

1. Be a follower of Sweet Chaos.

2. Check out whimsy studios, and leave me a comment telling me which art print is your fave!

Facebook, tweet or blog about the giveaway for additional chances to win, and let me know you've done so in separate comments. That's it!! Easy peasy. Enter by midnight EST this Friday, October 21st.

Good luck :) Have a great week!

I've "Fallen" and I Can't Get Up

2011-10-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

Okay... I know that in blogland I'm a day late and a pumpkin short for getting my house decked out for Fall. But, give me a break. It's been 80+ degrees here... not exactly feeling Fall-like! While my front porch is still devoid of Fall fare, I did manage to pluck the half-dead flowers from my side entry planters and add some things more October-appropriate.

Would you like a closer look? Well, you're getting one anyway. I was playing with my camera and new tripod, so please indulge me. (FYI...Miss Mustard Seed said I should get a tripod. Do you think my photos look as good as hers now? Yeah. I didn't think so.)

I filled the window box with cabbage and kale. I used gourds for color. Most people would plant mums for that purpose, but gourds don't need to be watered :)

Oversized kale went in my hayrack planters.

My attempt at being artsy fartsy with my tripod.

Aren't these pretty? I may never go back to orange.

And, last but not least...

... a little door decor!

That's as far as I've gotten with Fall. I'm thinking I should put my 5 year old in charge of the rest of the decorating. He came home from a friend's house with this creation...

Check back soon for the tutorial :)

Before you leave, I wanted to share one of my favorite Halloween decorations with you. My sweet and talented friend, Joy, made this for me.

She made this wicked cool witch with cut paper. I love it!

I'll be featuring more of Joy's art soon. You won't believe what she does with old windows!

Well, that's ~~Fall~~ all, folks!

Linking to...

Feathered Nest Friday

Contemplating Change

2011-10-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Last week I showed you my newly painted kitchen walls...

I'm loving the color (SW Comfort Gray), but I'm thinking I would like it even better against white trim. It looks so crisp next to the white of the stair molding.

I was a little concerned about painting the molding white, because of the dark cabinetry. But, so much wood can make the kitchen feel dark, and I definitely prefer light and bright. I went looking for some inspiration photos to see if my idea would work. Below are some designs that have successfully incorporated contrasting cabinetry and molding.

Heather Garrett Design

Chipper Hatter Architectural Photographer

Designer Claudia E. Kazachinsky

Chicago Kitchen and Bath

Stonewood, LLC

Rebekah Zaveloff

Burlington Kitchen and Bath/ Kenzer Furniture

Steve Bailey - Amish Custom Kitchens

The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn

These photos have convinced me that it's okay to mix wood cabinets with white crown molding and vice versa. What do you think? Have you mixed wood trim with painted cabinets or painted trim with wood cabs? I'd love to know!

Pretty House Photos

2011-10-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I stumbled upon some photographs I took about 5 years ago of a beautiful model home in a local neighborhood. Since the pictures are just sitting in a file on my computer, and I may not uncover them for another 5 years, I thought I'd share them here with you. Of course, blogging wasn't even on my radar at the time, so I didn't take a lot of pictures, and some are a little fuzzy. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy looking at them ...

If memory serves me, someone bought the house, fully furnished, for $1.3 million. Obviously, there was much more to it than what I've shown, but what do you think of it? I remember being blown away by the beautiful trim work in the foyer and the upstairs hallway.

Thanks for visiting! Have a great day :)

Cooking Up Color in the Kitchen

2011-10-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

Last week I told you that a sale at the paint store prompted me to change the color of my kitchen walls. To be honest, I was never really thrilled with the color we had painted it a couple of years ago. The color was Sherwin Williams' Wheat Grass, and we primarily chose it because it blended well with the yellow walls in the hallway and the toile wallpaper in the dining room.

Now that we have kissed the toile goodbye, it seemed a good time to change things up. This is how the kitchen looked when we bought the house 4 years ago...

Unfortunately, in my haste to paint, I didn't get a decent shot of the kitchen painted with the "Wheat Grass." Here are a couple pics that at least give you an idea of the color...

And here it is today, painted in SW Comfort Gray...

Here's a close-up ...

Looking into the family room...

Comfort Gray is an interesting color. Depending on the light, it can look really blue or greenish-gray. It always takes me a while to get used to change, but so far I'm liking it. It looks great with the grasscloth in the dining room and the chocolate brown walls in the side entry. It also picks up some of the blue that I have in the striped chair in the family room.

I'm not loving it with the yellow wall in the stairway.... hmmmm.... dominos....

Oh, and before we leave the kitchen, I just had to show you these little measuring cups...

I got them from Anthro a while back, and I love them! The only thing that gets measured in them is dust, because I leave them out on display :)

Now I better get to cooking something in the form of dinner, before the natives get restless.

Hope you're having a great week! Thanks for stopping by, and as always, I'd love to hear from you! I don't like talking to myself :)

Partying at Share the Love Wednesdays

Wow Us Wednesdays

Fall Into Fall

2011-10-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday!! I am so excited to be doing a guest post today at one of my all-time favorite blogs...

If you haven't been to Mary Ann's blog yet, you're missing out! She's a really cool person, and she has incredible design style. Just check out some of these pics of her house...

Mary Ann is doing a fun series on "Pillow Addicts," and today it is my turn to fess up! I'd love for you to pop on over and visit me at Classic Casual Home.

Thanks so much! Enjoy your weekend!!

Remember the Grasscloth?

2011-09-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

Do you remember my little grasscloth dilemma? Just thought I'd give you an update, as it's probably been weighing on your mind.

Not sure if I mentioned it before, but I got the grasscloth through Sherwin Williams.

Well, I asked them to contact the manufacturer to see if there was anything that could be done about the extreme color variation in the two strips of wallpaper. They called me back and said the manufacturer wanted me to send all the wallpaper back to them and they would refund my money. Huh?? The paper is on the walls. Doesn't that seem a bit odd? I'm supposed to rip down the sticky paper, ball it up and how exactly would I mail a bag of crumbled paper? Were they smoking the grasscloth?

I told them I thought that was a bit extreme, that I really liked the paper, and that it was really just two strips that needed to be replaced. Was it necessary to tear everything down?

So this is where things stand today: I had to mail the manufacturer a sample of the grasscloth color I was trying to match. They are supposed to send a roll or two that matches better, and hopefully, I'll be able to just replace the two strips. If that plan doesn't work, I've decided I like the grasscloth enough to live with its imperfections.

There you have it. Now you can sleep tonight. ;)

One Thing Leads To Another

2011-09-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

You know how it is when you make one change to your house and it starts a domino effect?

That's the case with our staircases. They started out like this...

Foyer Staircase

Kitchen Staircase

The carpet was removed and the treads were stained to match the new dark floors.

Pretty simple, huh? But then there was the issue of this ...

The current red oak nosing was going to be right up against the new dark maple floors. I wasn't crazy about the two tones of wood next to each other. So, we decided the nosing would be painted white. And then it seemed logical to also paint the newel posts white.

And as long as we were changing things up, I thought a sleek black handrail would look great against all that white.

Still a couple coats of paint to go, but this is how it's coming along...

I was loving the transformation of the stairs, but there was something I wasn't loving. The paint color on my kitchen walls.

Thanks to a 40% off sale at Sherwin Williams, I decided to make another change. Guess what I've been doing the past two days?? Uh huh... I've been a painting fool, and I've got pretty new walls and a hand cramp to prove it! Pictures coming soon... of the walls, not my hand.