the quick fix

Happy Sunny Thursday to y'all! Today I'm over at my online and real life friend Heather's blog, Decor Fix sharing my favorite quick fix for a room. I'm also doing a lightening round Q&A so be sure to check it out here! (a small hint of what my fix might be with this picture of the girls' room)

And let me know, do YOU have a quick fix in your bag of tricks?

what's on your...bathroom vanity

Hey everybody! I'm a little late to the game today - my computer had a tantrum and then I had a photo shoot. The dog ate my homework and there was traffic. Any other excuses I can think of? :)

At any rate, I'm here and happy to have a sun filled day in these parts. I'm still recovering from Nashville and I promise to give you the play by play on that amazing trip soon, but for today I'm joining my friend Sarah at 702 Park Project for her new series, 'What's on your...'. So if you are from one of the other wonderful blogs participating, welcome!

As some of you might know my bathroom is...compact. (how's that for diplomatic) So aside from some hand soap for the girls, I'm not really in possession of any bathroom real estate for my goodies, so instead I use my bedside table. #smallhouseproblems

Many of you have seen this table a time or two before, and admittedly it is always changing but there are a few staples that never leave.
- Flowers - OK, the flowers do change because eww, dead flowers by your bed wouldn't lead to sweet dreams. I go as fragrant as possible in this spot, hyacinth, peonies etc. to ensure a flowery deep breath to start my day.
- Candle from K Hall Designs - They have the best scents, their candles last forever and when you are done you have a beautiful hobnail container for, wait for it, your flowers! It all comes back to flowers people.
- And speaking of people, I keep pictures of my people close by as well as whatever stack of books I'm skimming reading at the time.

On top of my books is my tray that keeps all of my 'if I had a big vanity' things.

1. Eos lip balm. Holy softness! I'm highly addicted to this stuff. If you don't have it yet, you should. I put it on every night before bed, and about 100 times thru out the day. That and a bit of mascara is most often my 'beauty regime'. I also have their lotion. Aces.

2. Rubber bands. Necessary for long hair, taking it off after washing my face is the last thing I do before rolling over to go to sleep each night.

3. Essie No Chips Ahead. I put this on every two or three nights to keep my manicures in tact as long as possible. This stuff works like a charm.

4. Whatever jewelry I had on that day.

5. Flowers. I can't say it enough (apparently). Flowers everywhere.

So that's my pseudo vanity. Be sure to check out all of these other lovely ladies for a peak into their vanities.

Brittany French Blog

Design Chic

Domestic Charm

Eat. Sleep. Decorate.

Southland Avenue

The Grit & Polish

702 Park Project

What do you keep on your vanity? Do you have as many vanity items by your bed as you do in your bathroom? Did you play a drinking game with the word 'flowers' while reading this post? If not, I think you should start over again and play.

1 room, 10 minds - guest post

Happy faux Monday - I hope those in the US had a great three day weekend. I look at any day that I don't have to pack a lunch as a vacation, so it was aces around here.

Today I'm visiting my dear friend Beth over at designPOST interiors where I'm sharing my plan for her upcoming living room redesign. Little changes here and there can make a big difference. Check it out here and see why I made the changes that I did.

Do you have room in your house that has to serve multiple functions? Ever wanted to make a few changes without redoing everything? Share!

guest post - krystine edwards

Hey y'all. I'm out the door but wanted to say Hi and tell you to visit me over at Krystine Edwards today where I'm talking about design and a bit about myself. Check it out here!

And make sure to come back tomorrow for my little show and tell!

talking tables with Tiffany Leigh

It's a triple T kind of day. Today I'm lucky enough to be over at Tiffany's place talking about my quirky little coffee table for her fun series, Coffee Table Tuesdays. Tiffany is apart of my morning reading regiment because she always manages to achieve a look that is both glam AND accessible. That is no small task people.

Tiffany also has an amazing talent for interior sketches. My plan is to one day have a whole wall of her creations.

I'm thrilled she asked me over for some coffee (table) talk. Be sure to check it out!

memory lane and the perfect sunday

Good morning all! I'm hitting the ground running this week by sprinkling myself all over the place today. How's that for a Monday morning visual?

I'm over at my friend Jennifer's sharing my five favorite blog posts. I decided it would be a fun time to pull some older posts out of moth balls so it will be kind of like looking thru an old yearbook.

Click on over and check it out here!

And then be sure to stop by Short and Sweet where I'm talking about my perfect Sunday here. Love that series!

Check back in later this morning as well for a before and after! Like I said, hitting the ground running people.

small home, big style

What day is this? What's my name again?

My apologies for the radio web silence my friends, I hate to be off schedule. Last week I had more One Room Challenge drama, a husband who ripped his cornea (eww - but funny story) and a mom who went into the hospital unexpectedly and has had two surgeries since. Calgon, take me away!

The good news is that the hubs is completely mended, my mom will hopefully be released later this week and the hubs and I were able to get out of town for the weekend (sans kids) for a lovely trip with old friends. (Thank god for trips planned months in advance).

Now my stomach feels like I've done a million sit ups (can laughing for three days be considered exercise?) and my lilac bush is in full bloom. Things are looking up dears!

So while I shake the cobwebs, please go visit my dear Shavonda over at A Home Full of Color. She was so sweet to have me over to talk about living in a small home, and you'll be surprised to hear I had a lot to say. Ha!

Thanks for your patience while my posts may be a bit patchy until things get back to normal. But I of course will be back tomorrow with my One Room Challenge update. Here is hoping there is something to update!

Cheers.

technology is laughing at me and a guest post

I need a drink people. A nice stiff G&T for breakfast sounds right. This week I've had to put my trusty laptop to rest. (hand over heart) She was a good little red laptop and I'll miss her. But luckily the smarty pants at the Apple store were able to save most of my data and I now have a new computer. Not really what I wanted to spend $$ on, but damn is she pretty. So while I figure out my new world of computing I'll be taking the day off from Fess Up Friday. And if I owe you an email. its coming, as soon as I figure out where my email is.

But have no fear, I am not leaving you empty handed. Head over to my friend Julia's at Cuckoo 4 Design where I am talking about my very sweet pup Zoey. Enjoy the crazy amount of photos of puppies and babies and I'll be back next week!

Happy Weekend!

mommies behind the blog

It is going to be in the 60's today and you would think I just won the lottery. I am ready to tackle this day and I just might even roll around on the snow-less ground to celebrate. Can I get a whoop whoop?

While I breathe in that warm(ish) air, head over to A Dose of Pretty where I'm talking with Sara about the many hats us moms wear.

stitches and satchels

Sorry for the radio silence everybody. Yesterday, as I tried to make a lovely snow day breakfast, I had a run in with a pesky knife and ended up with stitches in my hand.

The buggers are right where my thumb muscle moves to make my hand...useful. And let me tell you in case you have forgotten this from Jr. High science, our opposable thumbs are one of the greatest gifts evolution gave us. Life without it is slow and frustrating. So typing is not my friend these days. Bare with me and know I'll be back in fighting shape soon.

But I can't drop a lame bomb like that and leave you empty handed (pun intended). So head over to Resembl where I'm sharing my favorite black and white handbags for the new year. Empty handed, hand bags, I just can't help myself.

I really love a good handbag and I've got some great choices to drool over. Check it out here.

Do you have an obsession with bags like I do? Ever had stitches? Ever heard a doctor say "We've got a bleeder!"? Sadly, I have. (Extra points if you can name the movie that line is also from.)

12 days of christmas link party

A huge thanks to the best readers around for your wonderful comments on my house tour. That was the best Christmas present a girl could ask for. And since it is the season for sharing, now is your chance to get in on the fun.

Head over to Evolution of Style and share your holiday home. And if you missed any of the 11 tours, click on the images below for the full monty.

You can never have too many parties at this time of year, so head over to join the fun now.

I'm heading off the grid for the next few days for some quality fun time. So enjoy these next few days, no matter what you celebrate, and know that I will be toasting each and every one of you.

Cheers and Merry Merry to you!

month of thankfulness at meet me in philadelphia

Today I'm over at my friend's 'house', Meet Me in Philadelphia, sharing what I am most thankful for this year. Go over and check it out!

And Ashley, thank you for not only being a great friend, but also for teaching me how to spell Philadelphia. xo

the 12 days of christmas tour of homes

What?!

I go from no posts to two posts in two days? I am just that exciting. True.

It is rather important to me to take the time to enjoy the season/holiday we are in and not jump ahead to the next one. Poor Thanksgiving gets run right over with the excitement for the big daddy of the year - Christmas. So I exercise as much strength as I can to not pull out anything for Christmas, not even a song on the radio, until Thanksgiving is over. The excitement is even bigger then when we finally unwrap all of those great things that stay in a closet 11 months of the year.

But, I am also one for planning ahead and I love to mark things down on my calendar. So with that in mind, I'm excited to let you know that I'll be joining several other fabulous bloggers this year for The 12 Days of Christmas Tour of Homes.

Now not only does this mean you have 11 days of holiday eye candy to look forward to, but best of all, on the 12 day will be a great link up party so that you can share your holiday home as well! I can smell the pine and peppermint already.

So mark you calendars and get ready for some holiday cheer!!

fess up friday - meet me in philadelphia

Can I get a hallelujah for the fact that its Friday? I'm hard at work getting ready for the big One Room Challenge reveal on Wednesday (light a candle that I can make the deadline) but I've got my girl Ashley from Meet me in Philadelphia to fess up today. Ashley not only creates amazing spaces in her own home (I want to copy her den inch by inch) but she also sells some of her killer finds on her Etsy shop. If you follow Ashley, you know why I crush on her so much. If I'm introducing you to her, your welcome. Take it away Ashley...

Happy Fess Up Friday, Little Black Door readers! I want to thank the awesome Elizabeth for inviting me to spill my guts in this series. Only a wonderful, hilarious, talented blog friend like Elizabeth could get me to do this…so here goes, my confession:

I love crafting but I cringe when I say that. If I could (and if my creativity would never run out) it would be crafting all day, every day. Glue guns, glitter, embroidery floss…I love it all. Turning raw materials into something else is the best feeling as far as I'm concerned. So, what’s weird about crafting, you wonder?

For many, crafting is a four-letter word. Crafting gets a bad rap and here’s the visual proof why:

I was at Joann Fabrics recently and snapped this picture of a huge display of these craptastic fleece no-sew blankets (read: a crapload of craptastic crap). When I took the pic I was kind of embarrassed, wondering if anyone was thinking, “She must be taking a photo because she loves them so much.” God, no.

“Crafts” like these give a bad name to the really brilliant handiwork out there. Let me show you what I mean:

(striped gift tags / painted spring napkins / gold dot glasses/ neon lanyard necklaces)

Good crafts are out there! I don’t want to be embarrassed to use the word craft or to call myself a crafter anymore. So, look out world, I love to craft and I’m not ashamed to admit it!

Thanks, Elizabeth and LBD readers for having me today!

I promise Ashley, I won't think of craft as a four letter word any longer (even though it is five words). What say you? Do you all craft?

fess up friday - designPOST

Friday is here and it is time to celebrate good times. My friend Beth from designPOST has come over today to put her cards on the table and do a little fessin' up. If you haven't visited designPOST yet you need to. Beth know how to tackle a project and show it who's boss and she makes it all look so easy. A modern day Wonder Woman I tell ya. Her daughter's nursery is still one of my favorites- baby glam all the way. Take it away Beth...

Hi LBD'ers, Beth here from designPOST interiors and I am so happy to be guesting here on Elizabeth's blog!  Not only can I unload a dirty little secret, but I also get to virtually hang with one of my favorite bloggers out there!  I am always anxiously awaiting Elizabeth's next project and she never disappoints!

Ok, so confession time.  There are so many weird habits I could confess to but I am going to try to keep it relatively normal.  At least I hope it's kind of normal?  I have major procrastination issues when it comes to my own home decor.  I have tons of end visions and half-started projects but somehow other things always get in the way...client work, kids, The Real Housewives, life.  I recently had a client casually say, "I should just come to your house and get ideas" to which I promptly had a panic attack.  The thought of being judged as a "decorator" based on my own house scares me a majority of the time.

Part two of my fess up is that the only time things do get done around here is when I have some kind of big event coming up.  The last time I tackled all of my half-done projects was right before my daughter was born last November.  And now her first birthday is rolling around and I am suddenly unstoppable.  My husband loves this about me, by the way (sarcasm, sarcasm).  In the last two weeks I have literally finished: painting and recovering 5 chairs- all rescued from the trash or Goodwill and all have been sitting around unfinished for months, hung 2 sets of curtains, hung a gallery wall, painted some frames, and found a lamp shade for a lamp that's been naked since it's purchase.  No lie!

I am exhausted and probably won't have the energy to finish another one of my projects for another 6 months.  And the cycle continues....

Thanks for letting me come to your confessional Elizabeth - I feel 10 pounds lighter!

One of the chairs I finished under the birthday party deadline:

It looks like I'm not the only one who works best under the gun. I love the chair Beth!

So tell me, do you wait until the last minute? Is a ticking clock a good motivator? Does anyone else wish we really could loose 10 pounds by fessing up?

And don't forget to take advantage of the 15% discount Brittany is offering to LBD followers to kick off her Etsy shop. Offer expires October 28th. Happy weekend!

guest post at living savvy

I'm over at Living Savvy today talking about what I love to do each and every fall to put our house in the autumn mood. Check it out here.

blue and white monday at the pink pagoda

Happy Monday y'all! I'm still recovering from an A+ weekend but I've got one more party in me. That's why I'm over at The Pink Pagoda joining in on the Blue and White Monday party.

Come over and join in on the fun.

guest post at the green room interiors

I'm over at The Green Room Interiors  today, pimping Kimberly's dollhouse. Check it out and see my boards for her living and dining rooms. There was no budget and she provided some amazing pieces to start with so basically I went hog wild.

And don't forget to enter the AO at Home giveaway for your chance to win a $200 gift card from Target!

Happy Monday!

friday party

Today is the last installment of the Simply Baby blog party and Elisa of Fancy Me Free is taking us out with a bang! Check it out!

Any big plans for this weekend? Feel free to come over and help me if your bored. Follow along on Instagram and see if I can get it all done. I've got a lot of work to do before this rain hits.

Happy weekend friends!!!

calgon, take me away

Have you ever had one of those weeks? Those weeks where you feel like you are behind on everything and no matter what you try to get done, more things just pile on top? What do they say in Alice in Wonderland?

"The hurrier I go the behinder I get."

Yep, that's me this week sister. No worries though. I'll have met the bulk of my deadlines by the time Monday roles around and then I'll start myself fresh. I've never been so excited for a Monday.

So I'll stop by bellyaching and leave you with this beauty.

A bouquet for you.

Because flowers always make me happy, even the virtual ones!

But on the bright side, make sure to stop by Simply Baby this week, I'm talking nurseries.