WOW! I'd Love to Win This!!

we love our iPods. LOVE them. sad thing is, ours just broke. So great that I stumbled upon this giveaway!!

iPod Touch Giveaway!!

What an awesome thing it would be to win a replacement!! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I Haven't Forgotten...

Well, I know it has been some time, but things have gotten a little side tracked. and you know why?Twin toddlers and mom with the stomach flu. YUCK. My boys have never experienced throwing up or the other stomach flu symptom, so this was all new. I called the pediatrician; it lasts 3-5 days. Know how long ours lasted ?? SIX days. i have never gone through Pull Ups SO fast!

So where am I in the living room redo?? Exactly where I was the last post. But I have gottn in the supplies I ordered online in order to finish the mantel. I should be done this week, and I'll post the before and after pics together.

Procrastination Does NOT Equal Patience

I tried to do an update last week, but Blogger kept giving me errors. I'm not very far along in my progress because I've changed directions...

My husband sent me an article on International Klein Blue (IKB). Below is the powdered pigment:

He was captivated by the color and method used to create it. It's not a simple mix in a can; it's actually pigment suspended in another medium. The brilliance is quite exquisite. The reason I bring it up is because my husband's typical response to suggestions on the house is "whatever you think." So to get an interest in something like color was great! I decided to run with it.

I am still doing vintage modern. The fireplace is still getting a face lift. It will be more like Botox than re-constructive surgery. On the fireplace wall, I will paint an accent color similar to IKB since purchasing it is near impossible and expensive. Then I am painting birch branches over the top in white. Here is photo to illustrate the idea. It won't be as detailed, and I'm not painting birds on the wall either.

So far, I have spent $10 on the make over. I already had the paint for the fireplace, but I bought some peel'n'stick tile for the landing in front of the fireplace. I KNOW. Peel'n'stick??? I'll update you on that later...

The Makeover: Day 1

And so it begins...

Tonight while my wonderful husband is working with his band mates, I will be working on the transformation of our fireplace! I am covering the aweful faux stone with concrete patch. I am a bit nervous with how it's going to turn out, but it can't be any worse than this:



And if you needed to see a close up of the awesome fleck-stone finish, here it is:




I could do a vlog on my method tonight, but I think this project would be best left as a voila!! kind of moment.

Stay tuned for pictures of my progress...

Inspiration

Everyone needs a little inspiration for designing their home. Whether it's your favorite color, a place that you love or even a favorite scent. My inspiration for the living room came from a placemat I saw at Target. Yep, a simple, vinyl placemat. I saw it and just simply fell in love with the style, the colors, everything. You'd think it would inspire my kitchen, but if I do THAT room over, I would have several people very upset with me!!

So, back to my inspiration. It is a vintage modern syle. The colors are soothing and very compatible. I am going to try to translate the inspiration piece into my decor as well as I can. Interested in what it looks like?



Not much to it, but there is just something about it that I love. And really, when it comes to your home, it should be about what you love.

I'm Taking Back My Living Room

Ok, kids. It's time you gave me back my living room. Train table in front of the fireplace? No more. Jumping on the sofa, I don't think so. I'm tired of this room looking like a Toys'R'Us satellite store. So what am I going to do about it? Well, here's another list, hopefully in the order of accomplishment!

1. Redo the facade of the fireplace
2. Paint the fireplace
3. Paint the walls
4. Paint the ceiling (high ceilings, so we'll see!)
5. Rearrange the living room
6. Replace the loveseat with an adult sized sofa; I even have one already selected!!

My budget is a whopping $100. So now you see why I call this site Dimely Design. The rules are that I don't have to count expenses of items I already have. For example, I bought new curtains at Lowe's a couple of months ago when they were 75% off. I already have them, so it will not count againt my new budget.

Ready to get started?? I certainly am. I already bought the materials for the fireplace. It cost me a total of $8.17. Keep your fingers crossed it turns out!!

Budget $100
Fireplace redo ($8.17)
Total remaining in budget: $91.83

For those of you that like before and after photographs, stay tuned for before pictures. I'll post afters once each project is completed.

Time to Get Real

I have been away, again. I had another baby, again. But that's good news! I am sitting here doing nothing. Well, almost. And the list begins.

I feel lazy.
My house is not how I want it. I don't know how I want it.
I want to paint the living room.
I want to rearrange the living room.
I need to redo the horrid paint job on our fireplace. Can you say fleck stone?
I need to add more cabinets in the kitchen.
I need to finish painting the trim upstairs.
I need to catch the mouse upstairs (EEEEEEEEK!)
I have piles here and there, and it's not laundry.
I need to lose a little more weight.
I need to exercise.
I need to find some energy...

So, this is it, my accountability list. Although I don't have many followers (thank you to those that do follow!), I am asking you to check in with my progress, and encourage me :)

And what do you get/ hopefully some ideas for your home, some answers and some encouragement, too!

I'm a starving artist. Not for money, but for inspiration. My husband is wonderful at encouraging me. So I need to step up, and get going!

Stay tuned. I'll be keeping it real by photographing my home. That way you can see what I'm up against, how I am going to tackle it, and the outcome. We can do this together!!!!!!!!!

Thank you :)