Halloween Goodness!!!

I am SO DONE with summer!!! Time to get out the Halloween and Fall decorations and get into the holiday spirit!!! My mom picked up these cute decorations at one of our favorite haunts...$1.00 each!!! Love decorating on a budget!!! 

Working on the mantle first!!! I see a wreath with some crafty orange and black flower and some black spray paint and glittery goodness in my future!!! 

Til' then!

Amanda

A Designer Confession

So I went to Daltile on Thursday with my mom to get some ideas and tiles samples in preparation to redo my kitchen tile and the such after the holidays...and I came to realize...I am a designer that can pick out finishes, furniture and all the fixings for a client, but it is a whole different ball game to make a decision on the design direction I want to go in my OWN KITCHEN!!! I guess it is a good thing that I am giving myself a time frame of a few months to make up my decision...just hope I am happy with it after it is all installed!!! Got on the web this morning and found some more inspiration...I am thinking subway tiles at the back splash with some small accent tile detail and tile on the counter tops, very light and airy as my kitchen is very dark. But I did see some black cabinets while I was searching...oh the decisions!!! Take a peak at some of the pictures I found for inspiration...what do you think???

Loving the light toned counter top with white subway back splash and contrasting grout. Really give it a different look. I also like the bisque toned cabinets...a great contrast to the back splash.

This kitchen has white subway tile backs plash and white cabinets. Like it, but I think I am liking the photo above more...there is more contrast in the finishes above...

And here is a totally different look...but I AM LOVING IT!!! The contrast between the black cabinets and white subway back splash is such a statement and a modern approach to a tradition subway back splash look...I am just not sure my small little kitchen can handle the black cabinets...Loving the wall color too!!!

My husband always said that this was our project house where we could try stuff out...more to come!!! I will share some of the colors and finishes that I pulled from Daltile after I go back and get more SAMPLES!!!

A little Halloween Before and After...

Well it has been a little toasty here in the central valley of California, but I did it, I got out the box of fall decorations. Tomorrow is the first of October and there is only one way to start off the holiday season...with some sweet little pumpkins, a little fall garland and wreath. Take a peak at the mantle before and after...what do you think?


Before...my favorite black mirror, watercolor that my grandmother made in college and a orchid flower arrangement. Also, a great spot for the things around the house you don't want a 2-1/2 year old to touch!

After - a little bit of orange, cream and black to get the family into the fall season. Here's hoping for some fall temperatures!!!

Kitchen Redo?

I am in the middle of contemplating the redo my kitchen...

The cabinets are a dark wood that looked good when we purchased the house, but now look dreary and are in some need of freshening up! The avocado green tile is something we were willing to redo when we purchased the home almost 3 years ago, but with the economy and two new kids to the bunch...needless to say...it is still AVOCADO green.

I have been looking at so many different ideas...granite countertops, wood countertops, tile countertops...subway backsplash...glass tile backsplash...

Here are some of the ideas I have been pulling for ideas lately...

I love the idea of wood countertops...there is something so RICH about them. I think that if I painted the cabinets a creamy white color it would update them and then pop the wood countertops even more. I love the idea of beadboard as the backsplash, although I have see some beautiful tile lately too.

So here are my thoughts on the kitchen for today.I will share more very soon and hopefully make a decision on my design direction so I can start on my budget!!!

Finally....

It feels like forever...but I finally had a chance to get out my sewing machine and sew my pillows for the family room!!! Remember when I posted that I found a beautiful green velvet fabric awhile back? Well that fabric and a great print that I found at Home Fabrics is what I made my new pillows out of. I just love them because they compliment the color of the sofa, which has been a huge challenge in the past, especially when trying to bring in the blues and greens that I love!

More to come soon, hoping to move around some artwork in the house...including the area above the sofa in the family room...stay tuned!