Design ADD

I am suffering from Design ADD...an infliction that came about after Christmas and is in full blown swing...The "calmer" months of January and February were to help me get organized and I did do some of that; however, I have been bouncing from project to project with none of them really finished!  I started this blog to keep track of my PROCESS but I have been so zealous to take on project after project that I have not been doing a very good job of it!

Well, that all stops today!  I will soon be posting entries showing my progress and completion of some of the recent projects...wish me luck and good weather as I head out with spray stain...stay tuned!

Next Project

New year, new project!  Since the loggia is complete (except for the landscaping), it is time to move on to a new project...Lauren's room!  Here are the drapes that were a Christmas gift from her paternal grandparents and the matching bedding a gift from her Pappaw, my dad.  It completely changes the look of the room.  We hung the drapes on bamboo poles that we made into curtain rods.  Many projects planned for her space...stay tuned!

Christmas Decorations

Last January the girls and I picked up tons of giant Florida pinecones which I spray painted gold.  You can see them hanging from the lanterns and on the wreaths.  Goodbye 2010.  Welcome 2011!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ's

Take a look at these new chaise lounges for our loggia!  They are a perfect blend to complement the black wrought iron furniture AND the brown tones in the table and bamboo chairs!  Thank you to my in-laws for these wonderful Christmas presents...perfect for catching a few zzzzzzzzzzz's poolside or reading to the girls...LOVE THEM!  (Oh, and I love the lounges, too!)

The loggia is complete for now...I must wait until spring to redo the planter and DH has to mount the new outside tv...I have done a pretty good job sticking with one room at a time...it is hard but feels good to keep within the budget and have one space all complete!  It is like being on an HGTV show but just a MUCH longer time frame!

A Loggia Update

We have been sticking to our plan to work on one area of the house at a time with the first being the pool loggia.  Here are some pictures of the furniture we purchased before moving to our new home along with the pillows and the granite table I made.  We also purchased a grill- a must for weekends!  Using money from my birthday- thanks Dad and Bubbie- I was able to buy five new bamboo chairs to go with the one we already owned that complement a table left by the previous owners...we are also using their small console table to hold the lamp and mirror I made.  Bradford purchased a TV with money we saved by using our own muscles to move most of our household thus saving on movers...he will be mounting it on the wall above the little console...we have already watched many a Razorback and Jags games out there and it is wonderful....

Still left to finish this area:  two chaise lounges and landscaping the planter box above the pool...fun, fun!

6+1=2

6 weeks later
plus
1 Sunday afternoon
equals
2 cars in the garage...

Love all the organizing it took to accomplish this...2 cars, 4 bikes, lawn equipment, beach supplies, toys etc....flooring the tiny attic space and adding pull down attic stairs to store all of our holiday decorations but WE DID IT!

Lemons into Lemonade...

Remember the Craigslist lamp???  Well it is history...it lasted fewer than 24 hours!  Our youngest threw something over the railing from upstairs and it hit the lamp shattering the base...I was left with a socket and lampshade...so I salvaged what was left and made a GORGEOUS  lamp for the new loggia...All who know me well know that I have a lamp fetish...forget shoes, give me a great lamp or better yet, let me design one!

This is how I did it:  I bought the bottle base at Hobby Lobby on 1/2 price for $35...it is the color of green sea glass and is made to look like old glass...filled the base with $8 worth of sand... added a base to hold the light socket- $1 from Lowe's- something from the electrical section there...an electrician who was doing work on our new home (we are all moved in!) worked the socket into this flat base for me and I attached it with liquid nails to the top of the bottle and now I have a very heavy, beautiful lamp that can withstand both the winds of Florida as well as my youngest daughter...hopefully! 

In the picture below you can see the monkey fist I blogged about a while ago, a sea shell mirror and the lamp...they are all handmade by me...they are sitting on a cabinet left by the sellers of this home...we will be replacing it with a longer console table when the budget permits...I will keep you posted...This little vingette can be seen from our den window and is especially pretty at night...