Bamboo Friday - Beach Edition

I went to the beach last week. 

It was fabulous. 

I had a folding canvas beach chair I bought at Goodwill.

No complaints. 

But, then I saw this .

I now have #beachgoals.

I saw this on IG @elizagranstudio

Originally from@condenasttraveller

Bamboo Is Best.

Bamboo Is Best is the title of one of my most popular Pinterest boards 

and my design mantra as well. 

I think Dorothy Draper said every room needed a touch of black.

 I agree, but I think every room needs a touch of bamboo.

 Or in my case - more than a touch.
 I like my bamboo in big doses.

And it turns out I'm not wrong about this.


Vintage bamboo, reproduction bamboo, faux bamboo and new styles of bamboo furniture are everywhere these days.

It's really timeless.

Our first flatware many, many years ago was bamboo. 

And here we are still using bamboo flatware.

via

Bamboo is so versatile.
 You can use a room full of bamboo furniture or mix in a touch of bamboo into traditional, contemporary and rooms of every style. 
Inside and outside.

More formal

via

or relaxed and casual.

via

Bamboo works in every room and with every style.
It's the "neutral" of furniture.

So, here's a little bamboo eye candy as we breeze in to the first weekend of August.
 It's still Summer in my book 
(I do not care what the Metro Atlanta School Calendar says)
and there's plenty of time to enjoy some tropical bamboo accents.
For this "Bamboo Friday" I'm focusing on natural bamboo pieces:

This bed from Anthropologie is perfection.
I wouldn't be mad if this showed up at my house.


Or this entire bedroom set up from One Kings Lane:




If not a whole bamboo bed then a vintage rattan and bamboo bedside table
 adds warmth and another texture to this pretty bedroom:

via
(And I'd like to point out that her toddler created the b/w modern artwork!)

Bar carts are another place I like natural bamboo tones:
This one is styled up in Amanda Louise perfection:



I have a couple of bamboo bar carts and I use them for anything and everything!


More styled to perfection bamboo bar carts here.

(Stuart Membery)

This gorgeous dresser came to live in my family room at the beginning of the year. 
It was too gorgeous to paint.

(I'm not a fan of big, black TVs from a design standpoint 
but they are a reality and the bamboo dresser takes it up a notch in my opinion.)

Bamboo dressers are being used in every room of the house these days.
Gorgeous, repurposed storage.





Everything about this powder room with it's bamboo dresser turned vanity is fabulous!

 via Chinoiserie Chic

We think vintage bamboo is so fabulous that we started a business finding and selling what we can bear to part with :)
See what that's about here and here!

I love bamboo so much that maybe "Bamboo Fridays" should be a thing!

On Garden Pond...

Remember when I was pondering a few months ago?

These are the ugly 'befores."

We had to move a pond due to another project 

and I was definitely  not  "all in" on the work involved.

My husband reallllly wanted a pond at this end of the porch still 

(there's another little one at the other end of the screened porch)

where he could hear the trickling water sound from "his" chair on our beloved porch.

So I grumpily began moving the liner and pump from the previous location.

I was determined to use what we had laying around.

After a few changes in layout plans I hit my stride and it went together very quickly. I had to build a small 'retaining wall" from some pavers we had hauled home years ago when a house nearby was having a concrete driveway poured to replace the creamy gold pavers that had been there for over 40 years. 

They gave them to us and we have used them for so many projects.

Then I filled the area with dirt left from the Boules Court project (here)

and here (the lights make it!)

I used the pavers from the previous pond and a firepit project. They are not exactly the same color. As soon as it cools off a bit I will paint them with a buttermilk concoction

 and try to grow some moss on them. 

I love moss in the landscape and I think it unifies different finishes and things that look too new.

I had the two large pots and the one in front hanging out in my potting area. I divided some hostas and a few other plants and started planting.

I also bought a few plants from the  clearance area in the Lowe's garden Center. (No sponsorship here. Just a tip that they mark plants down to a dollar or two and all they need is some water and maybe a little fertilizer)

I bought the butterfly bush from in front of my Kroger for $4.99 and put it in the largest pot. It has doubled in size. 

I couldn't plant until I got back from my mission trips and things have filled in quickly.

#gooddirt

So this pond barely cost a thing to install.

Bargain plants filled in with some TLC.

And the trickling sound is relaxing when we sit on the porch.

So if you are pondering installing a small pond, I say go for it!

National Thrift Shop Day!

I saw on Instagram earlier that it is #nationalthriftshop day.

That's a holiday I can get behind!

So in honor of the day I decided to post about one of my "newest" vintage finds.

 My husband actually found this wicker couch. 

In perfect condition.

 For $45.00

He sent me a picture and I loved it and then I said don't get it.

 I really didn't have a spot for it. It's big and solid and heavy.

 The cushions needed to be recovered. 

You can't keep buying fabulous vintage wicker if you don't have a place for it - said no one ever. 

But I did. And then I was sorry all night!! I won't do it again. 

#pinkypromise

I told him I made a mistake but it wasn't meant to be because I'm sure its gone. 

Trying to be philosophical and self - soothe. 

(Didn't really help but I was trying to be an adult about it.)

But he went back the next morning, it was there and he got an over 50 discount so- tada!! 

It was mine for under $40.00!!!!!!

Then last week before we had a large group over I decide to stay up half the night 

and make some slipcovers for the cushions 

which were in good shape foam-wise but the fabric covers were not good at all.

Here's a pic taken at 11 p.m. as I was getting started. 

Porch light is all the light to be had for the photo op!

So it was late, last minute and, oh yeah, I don't sew.

I'm a sewing faker. 

#truestory

#confession

However, we have the internet and I found this amazing tutorial and I followed it.

I used a drop cloth from Sherwin Williams that I had on hand - cause, you know, midnight.

I couldn't believe how amazing the tutorial was.

 It was quick

 ( I still have to go back and finish the handstitching on the back. A few still have "temporary" safety pins. It was midnight on Thursday before we had forty people for dinner on Saturday, so... pins) and I think they look amazing.

And worked a lot better for me than the $45.00 plus fabric quote I got per cushion when I started pricing "real slipcovers!" 

And then since I was in a major time crunch I decided to pull down my "stash" and make envelope covers for some IKEA pillow forms I had on hand!

#thisishowiroll

This vintage beauty is big - stretch out and nap big. 

Don't worry- I sprayed the cushions with wrinkle relaxer before everyone came over. :)

#thisishowiroll

Thank you Thrift Shops for existing!!

I'm glad you got your day!!

PS. Can you spy Biscuit in a couple of pics??

He is our porch dog. He loves it out there!!

Hola! I've Been In Honduras!

If you follow me on Instagram

then you know I have been on my yearly trip to a remote village in Honduras.

This was our 3rd year in a row to go to the same area.

It is one of my favorite weeks of the year.

Mollie and I go together.

Our team does VBS and work projects that are designed to improve the living conditions and overall health of the children who reside in the remote villages.

Mollie and I oversee "Biblia" - Bible School.

Kimberly was a fave!!

Yes, we checked Mollie's bags for small children before we left the country!!

Her bags did not conceal small children (luckily)

 but we did by some wares from the local basket makers.

They are works of art.

They charge so little for something that takes such time and is perfectly crafted.

We can't bring ourselves to bargain.

I'll be showing you some more pictures from our trip and you may notice the casts

 so this is my disclaimer:

These two came pre-injured. This did not happen in Honduras!

ORC Spring 2016! Post 2.0

So what is ACTUALLY going on in the "challenge room"?????

( I hope you have checked out Week 1 and Week 1.5 post.

 No, not tying to be an overachiever with 2 posts in Week 1

 but seriously trying to get it together already!!)

Not as much happening  as should be, but hey, that seems to be my "ORC M.O."

(I was out of town for week one so that's scary!
And I did nothing in advance to prep for this. Nada.)

This is my third ORC.
Maybe the third time is the charm :)

I did put together an inspiration board  based on two things:
my inspiration rooms from my ORC Blog Post 1.5
and what I have on hand and want to keep and use in the Library.

The walls are black  and staying black.
I have black bookshelves on one  wall. Must paint the other two that are  currently dingy white.

I found 2 wicker, super comfy chairs while thrifting the other day. 
Mine are dark brown ,not gray like the inspiration board. 
And the cushions are definitely not white. I wish. 
The 80's called and wants the floral cushions back.
And Goodwill accidentally resold the matching ottomans I had already paid for.
 Long story. :( 
A little touch up and some fabric on those cushions and I think they will be fabulous.

I have a large bamboo china cabinet between the black shelves. Definitely staying.
Keeping a family heirloom desk but I want to add a bamboo chair at the desk.
I have a pineapple lamp I may move to the desk and a brass pineapple floor lamp we found thrifting in Charleston at Thanksgiving. Needs a shade.

Blue and white. Check.

An ottoman, stool or garden stool is needed. 
A garden stool is the dream but may be a long shot.

And a touch of animal print is absolutely happenin'. In this room it's going to be zebra.
Change the window treatment situation. I have several jumbled thoughts on that.
Not sure yet....

I have a bamboo mirror that's going to be painted gold.


and I have been looking  for (and found!!) a fabulous textile or two for pillows
 and maybe to cover the ottoman.

You may have seen the above image on IG. 

I have been admiring them as I drive around town!!

#obsessed but white background fabrics are not our friend.

#2bigdogs

Blurry iphone photo but this was love at first sight when I saw the "Coming Soon" swatch hanging on the wall at Fabric and Fringe Warehouse in Marietta. If you are local and have not visited, hurry in. It makes my Textile Design background heart go crazy!!
It's definitely happening.
And then lots of books and such will be on the shelves to add layers, color and texture.

 So right now I'm making my list  and getting started.
 Up first? 
Yep, paint. 
One  gallon of Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black needs to get on my walls and white shelves.

And totally unrelated...

Mollie and I did the Mimosa 5K at the Atlanta Dogwood Festival last Saturday morning
(it was freezing!!!) thereby showing the world the lengths  we will go to  for a "free" mimosa!!


Follow along on Instagram for the latest.
 

Be sure to visit Calling It Home Blog to see what everyone else is up to as well!!!



BIG Fun!

Those are verrrry big dice.

I was walking by a store called Five Below a couple of weeks ago 

and they had a bin of these out front.

I immediately thought "Giant Yahtzee!!"

Have you ever played Classic Yahtzee?

My family played it when I was growing up. 

We bought one years ago to play with Mollie to help her with multiplication and math skills.

 A fun way to work on Math when you are struggling. 
She didn't even realize we were doing Math!!

During the Summer we ran across it in a cabinet and Mollie and I played one night.
It's fun!!
It can be BIG fun!

I bought 5 of the giant dice. Die? Dice? You can look it up. I did. 

I also bought a square laundry basket at Five Below ( It's like a dollar store on steroids.)

I enlarged the score sheet from our box game 
because giant Yahtzee needs giant score sheets!!

Just shake the dice up in the basket, roll them out on the grass or on your family room floor - anywhere- they are foam. And let the games begin.

So far I have used it at a party on our porch and with the youth group at church and it's a BIG hit!!

Business in the front...

... party in the back!!!

That's the story around here. 

We had a Low Country Boil a couple of weeks ago when College Girl graduated.
It was all about the school colors - red and blue! Go West!!

 

( Excuse me while I post one more Proud Parent photo!!)

If you follow along on Instagram - my fave!, 

then you know we have been in Bridal Shower prep mode since then.

The Bride-to-be's colors are coral-y blush and pinks, gold and white. 

That's all I needed to know. 

I went to town spray painting frames, papier mache letters and signs in those colors!

That's a serious spread right there!!

Someone said they felt like they were in a Southern Living photo shoot - so cute!

(On a side note the sign above is not quite finished... I still have to paint flowers in those fab pinks and corals at the top before the wedding!! But we used it at the shower anyway!)

There is a blush and gold polka dot runner down the middle of the table under all that yummy food.
It's hidden but I did my old gift wrap runner trick!
And I made the tassels from plastic tablecloths late one night using directions from a Youtube video. It's addicting. I couldn't stop making them!

I had a lot of help with the food. 
The MOB made these adorable little carnation looking, bite-sized cupcakes for dessert. 
They're small so having 6 is like 1 serving of a regular sized cupcake, right? Right?

The bride loved the idea of a Mimosa Bar and who wouldn't??

A family friend offered to take care of that!! 

But who has 35 champagne flutes...

The Mother-of-the-Bride cleverly started picking them up at Goodwill and thrift stores
and they were lovely - some were quite nice and old.
 We each took a couple afterwards to use and remember the special day when we sip champagne!

( I used a gold Sharpie to create all of the signs!! That's right - Sharpie!!)

 All the little gold frames sprinkled around have Bridal Etiquette Tips 
from Emily Post's 1922 articles.
The times they are a changin'!!

The Bride-To-Be is a cutie!!

We filled the swinging bed with gifts.

And then we oohed and aahed and laughed while the BTB opened and opened her gifts.

( And there is a reason we have a huge pink crustacean hanging on the wall of our porch behind everyone - don't you? #itsagoodstory)

And by the time we ate all the delicious brunch treats, sipped mimosas, and admired all the gifts we were tuckered out...

It's not a party until someone falls asleep :)


And then we cleaned up all of our Bridal Brunch paraphernalia 
and set up for a party at 7 p.m. ... 
Another day, Another post - 2 big parties in one day!!