Come On In!! Fall ORC 2017 Entryway

I have chosen to freshen up our foyer - entryway, if you will. 

It's the first room you see in a home.
so in the words of the famous Julie Andrews-
"Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start."
#doremi

There are some things we like and will stay.

There's something I don't like but it has to stay because I don't live alone... so, there's that ;)

And the foyer really needs whatever it is it needs (?) to perk it up,

to take it to the next level and to just pull it together. 

The obligatory "Befores":

When you walk in the front door this is what you see.

Stairs going up to the left.

Doorway to the Family Room to the right.

This entryway has doors on all 4 walls. Yep.

I love the prints.

 They are prints of my beloved Lowcountry by Marty Whaley Adams. 
We bought them years ago. Marty's mother's garden and books are some of my favorites!

The clock is from my husband's family and the dresser is from my family. 

The green chinoiserie lamps are a great find from a thrifting outing during a previous ORC.

They've been rewired and I love them there.
Things staying (I am pretty sure): dresser, elephant on the left, green chinoiserie lamps.
Things that might move: prints, accessories on the dresser.

"The Herd" isn't staying.

The largest one on the far left is mine but the others have gone off to the shop @elizabethandpayne

Next. Standing at the front door looking right.

There are French doors to the right. 

A few years ago I "DIY mirrored" them.

More on that later.

(The chair and the Amazon boxes were just there temporarily.)

And there is the thing I don't like - the hall tree full of hats. 

But my husband wants.it.there. #staying

I have white IKEA curtains across the front door.

They are a game changer. I've had them at least 5 years. 

We can pull them for privacy at night and to block out brutal Summer sunshine that would fade artwork, etc. They are great in the Winter - they actually block some of the cold. 

They have actually changed our heating and cooling bills.

They could use something - trim, painted stripes, a band of colorful fabric on the bottom. And the curtain rod could be improved upon. It's plain Jane from IKEA.

All possibilities but the curtains must stay - they are so functional.

Here they are pulled (not neatly, I might add #keepingitreal) on a sunny afternoon.

They puddle but maybe I should shorten them a tad? 
They just look messy because they get moved so much.

On the same wall is a mirror and some of my Haitian art collection.

The bamboo mirror was a thrifting find and I painted it yellow.

Below the mirror is the "challenge" part 

of this One Room Challenge...

I found this pair of amazing, fabulous, dream come true Brighton Pavilion Style bamboo chairs and table a couple of months ago.

We were leaving on a mission trip the next day so Mollie and I ran to meet the seller and brought them home.

I had intended for the entire set to go on that wall.

But, guess what?

They are bigger than I realized and do not fit.

I don't want to break them up so I am trying to be tricky and try to incorporate one into the Library where the green bamboo chair used to be and use the table and 1 chair in the foyer. 

The set will run along the wall but actually be in two rooms.

 I will need to figure out how to make this work and not look disjointed or just plain terrible.

 I don't know if I can pull it off or not.

It would be easier if the flooring did not change but, of course, it does!

Fabric or pillows may be the solution to creating cohesiveness.

The room is actually very neutral and may benefit from some more layering.

The walls are white and I'm still liking my clean white walls. 

 This room opens onto the only non-white walled room on our first level. 

The Library. (A previous ORC)

The walls are glossy black and there is a lot of color in that room.

Something to take in to consideration.

This is what you see when you walk into the front door and look through the opening on the left side of the foyer at the bottom of the stairs:

(Oh, and the rug has changed since this picture was taken.)

A friend gave me this rug that she did not like and it had barely been walked on. Literally.
(I now think the blue ikat on the bottom of the curtains needs to change but that's for another time!) 

The second Brighton chair will sit where the green bamboo chair is in the picture.

Whew. That's a lot to take in. 

And it's a bit confusing so here is a quick little sketch to help you visualize the whole thing:

In true ORC fashion, 

things are bound to change on the daily so follow along 

on my Instagram account for the latest updates.

And if you want to look back on my previous One Room Challenges - here's a quick recap!

And be sure to see what everyone else is up to by visiting the blogger who started it all - Linda at Calling It Home Blog!

Bamboo Friday #5

#bambooisbest

Bamboo Fridays started because of my popular hashtag 

and Pinterest Boards of the same name.

But bamboo may truly be at its best at The Raffles Hotel in Singapore.

There isn't anything I don't love about the British Colonial decor in this iconic hotel. 

Maybe someday.

Just one night.

And black and white checked floors plus giant potted palms.

Perfection.

Happy Friday - hopefully there's a tropical destination with bamboo chairs in your future!

Everything I Love Plus...

I ran across this picture the other day as I was wrapping up a hot, sweaty mission trip 
and I couldn't take my eyes off of it!!

It's everything I love plus more!!
It just looked refreshing and relaxing to me given the fact that it hit 100 degrees that week.

It's from One Kings Lane.
It is everything!
The article is called "How To Host Cocktails In The Tropics."
I'm in! 

You can shop their site for a lot of gorgeous tropical accent pieces
or if you are like me- you need a high/low version of this fabulousness!

Let's dissect, shall we?

Let's start with the wall paper.
Cool, gorgeous green palm background. 
If that one doesn't do it for you I happen to like this one a lot, too.



It's on sale for $69.99 a roll vs the over $100.00 for the one in the pic. 
A little high/low wallpaper action.
 And to be even more economical you could frame a 24 x 36 remnant and hang behind the bar cart if wallpapering the whole wall isn't an option. Or you are a renter.

Fabulous 
white bar cart is the major player.
Bar cart options are everywhere and I've talked bout my love for bar carts here and here.
They are everywhere - new, reproduction and vintage for great prices. 
It's all preference and what you have space for. 
My preference would be to hunt for a vintage piece to use.
 I saw a white wicker desk last week in a Goodwill for $10.00. Perfect condition.
 It would have made a perfect bar and brass castors could have been added if rolling around was desired.
Get creative. Look around.
But if setting up a bar cart situation to mimic this one needs to happen now
 here is an economical option:



This white wicker bar cart is on sale for $83.99 with free shipping. Or if white is not a must-have this one is $100.00 from World Market:



And if money is no object then check out what Serena and Lilly or the vintage sites like Chairish have to offer.

Next up in this high/low quest to recreate my dream relaxation spot:
The wicker elephant with a plant.
He has nothing to do with actually getting a refreshing drink from the bar cart
 but he's too fabulous to leave out!! 
We love elephants at our house. Proof here and here!

Again, you can search around and find these guys at tag sales, vintage shops and more. 
But if you are going to recreate this right now, here are some high/low sources:

This guy is $205.00 right now making him more than the bar cart 
but pretty fabulous none the less.
But I like this option, too...
If you wanted a little trash receptacle near the bar you could purchase this guy for $55.20, put a plastic trash bag inside and put him next to the bar. 



The soft green lamp with the black and white striped shade is too fabulous not to copy. 
I'm sure that you can find a lamp that color from a million sources online but you could also easily find a high/low option at thrift stores 
and big box stores like Home Depot and Wal Mart.
What about this lamp with a great b/w striped shade?

Now for the shade:
 I googled and found a lot of options for $65.00 and up. 
That's more than I would want to spend for lamp and all.
So the high/low option for me would be to copy this idea:



How easy is that!! 
Just buy a few yards of black grosgrain ribbon (Wal Mart, Hobby Lobby, etc)
 and glue it on a white drum shade! 
You could paint the stripes as well if you wished
 but ribbon is super easy and makes for perfect stripes.

I covered this lampshade with fabric for my "Black is Back" Library One Room Challenge.

You could easily use black and white striped fabric to cover 

a straight up-and-down drum shade.

Next up, the parrots.
because what are the tropics without colorful birds.



This print is $99.99 framed from Allposters.com
Not bad for a framed picture ready to go, but...
you can visit The Audubon Society website and print any of the Audubon birds for free!! 
Yep, free. 
Or if you want something a bit bigger, send it to your favorite photo printing company online and you are set. 
Find a fabulous bamboo frame at a thrift shop and you have tropical bird art.

All the frames below (from my last ORC) are thrifted and then painted with my favorite gold spray paint.



And if parrots/macaws etc. aren't your thing there are a ton of shore birds to choose from. 
I love all the pink Audubon birds as I've mentioned before.

Here are a couple of tropical birds that could be added to the bar cart set up. 

The bronze parrot was a thrifting find last week and the green parrot pitcher was purchased a few years ago at a discount import store. 
Keep your eyes open - I see tropical accent pieces like this all the time!

Small, but still something I love, is the turtle shell.
There was a Nate Berkus one at Target a few years ago that I did not buy and while I try not to have regrets - I really wish I had just spent the money and gotten one. #rats
They are around on eBay for $50.00 and up.



This is the least expensive resin turtle shell I could find for my high/low quest. 
It is $36.00 and could be removed from the stand to hang on the wall 
and even dry brushed with white to mimic the one in the picture. 
There are some gorgeous high end options available from Grandinroad and Houzz. 
I did see one in a consignment shop a few months ago for a good price so keep your eyes open. And if Nate does another big, fabulous turtle shell I'm buying it on day one!

There are bamboo trays and shells and such mixed in with the bottles and vintage glasses. 
All of these are easy to find in thrift stores, vintage vendor booths, in etsy shops online and the IG accounts that feature vintage items.
Just start looking...

(some of the vintage trays and accessories at elizabethandpayne at Westside Market Atlanta)

That bamboo picnic organizer would be fabulous on a bar cart filled with swizzle sticks and statement napkins. Or bottles of mixers and such.

The bamboo wine rack could sit beside a bar cart or on the bottom shelf
 if there was enough height.
And you can never go wrong mixing in some blue and white. 
Use the bowls to hold limes and lemons, munchies like nuts and cheese straws or pour salt in a small saucer to use to salt glass rims.

The inspiration pic is just a starting point. 
Get creative and style up a bar cart to help you feel like you are on a tropical get away.
There's plenty of Summer left!

I'm off to search for some great tropical drink recipes...
#staytuned

One Room Challenge. One More Time. Half Time.

This will be my 5th ORC.

One Library. One guest bedroom.  Mollie's bathroom and Master bathroom.

Four rooms greatly improved by this awesome event.

I have plenty of rooms that need ORC caliber attention.

But life is a tad nutty right now
and I'm going to be out of town 3 or so of the 6 weeks of this ORC
 so I'm going to go back and give my first ORC the finishing touches it truly needs.
Is she crazy?? Half the time??
Or maybe you are thinking  I'm lame
 to go back and tweak a room that has all the hard stuff already done.
But I just love the challenge of the ORC and don't want to miss out!


During my first ORC I underestimated my 5 week time frame,
spent too long mucking the junk out and painting the walls white



to really give it the final zhush it needs.
I talked about being an 85%-er when it comes to the final, final details
 and that was so true with this room.
So this is the 'before.'
We are starting where the I left off.



I still love my previous inspiration rooms but I also have a few new images that I'm inspired by.

Maybe I can tweak a few things in my "half the time ORC."

I love this pic from IG which is of the Caspari shop in Charlottesvillle, VA.



So maybe more pillow variety. Looser arrangement?
I love the orange chinoiserie on the bed. 
I love white bedding that I chose previously but this is fun!




And art.
I painted a large blue and white vase with coral in it the night before the reveal



(that's how things go sometimes) and it's the only art in there.
That's bananas!!

I feel like a big fabulous gallery wall around this armoire might be just the thing!
Lots of vintage and thrifted bamboo frames would make my day!



Remember this gallery wall?

I have this fabulous thrifted chair...



I block printed some fabric that became curtains in a #secretproject (still to be revealed)
so I might want to print some to use in this room
 (I must remember I only have 3 weeks to pull this off!)
And as always the game plan is more creativity than cash!



So follow along here and on my Instagram and see what I can pull off in my "half the time ORC!"


Thank you Linda for this event and all the inspiration and motivation it creates.

Ladies Who Brunch

We had a party!
Mollie and I decided to host a Christmas Brunch for a few favorite ladies.

We wanted to let them know how special we think they are.

We made our list and sent out invitations the middle of November.

The holidays are busy and we wanted to get our date on their calendars.

We chose the first Saturday morning in December.

We hoped people would have fewer conflicts that early.

It motivated us to get started with our Christmas decorating!

A bit tricky since we were at the beach for Thanksgiving 
and we don't decorate before Thanksgiving.
We had 6 days to pull it off!

Come in!!
(and Go Braves!)

 Wal Mart had $4.00  Fraser Fir wreaths.
 I added the bow and some additional greenery 
including the obligatory Southern Christmas greenery - Magnolia.
 If you live in the South and don't have a Magnolia in your yard 
and your friends won't share their Magnolia with you then you need new friends.;)

Our Entry Way.

In August, my mom surprised me with two, yes two, amazing bamboo bar carts. 
They are in perfect condition. They belonged to a dear friend of hers who is clearing some things out. Her friends' mother bought them many years ago in the Philippines when they lived there. They are truly antiques and I feel so fortunate to have both of them. Mollie and I decided to decorate the carts, stock them with goodies and sprinkle them around the downstairs to help with the  flow.

This bar cart was to the right in front of our DIY mirrored French Doors

 

 Next to the front door, we placed the other bar cart. 
This beauty has a brass tray for the top!

(I still have more polishing to do but it already has a great, warm gleam!)

The bamboo basket holds a little "surcie"
  (Definition (n): word used in the South to mean a small, thoughtful gift, unexpected gift, just because.)

We made an ornament for each guest.
And gave it to them as they got ready to leave.

To the left is our Library from our Spring One Room Challenge
 all decked out for the holidays with plenty of seating for Ladies Who Brunch.

I've already talked about this little tree and it's DIY Chinoiserie ornaments.

To the right of the entry way is our Family Room.
Clean and without two big dog beds in the middle of it :)
Can we take a moment?
#raredoghairfreepicture

No ornaments on the big tree yet. We only had 6 days, remember??

And in the corner of the Family Room we placed a bar cart that we already owned. 
It's thrifted, but not as old or distinguished a the other two!

This cart was for those who weren't having Mimosas.
(We also set up a coffee and hot chocolate bar in the kitchen using Mollie's Keurig.)

And then in to the kitchen...
and this is where I fell down on my job as photographer!
We got to talking and I forgot to take many more pictures!!! Happens at every party!
But here are a few shots of the food and fun...

Chicken Salad in little jars with leaf lettuce.

I'm not sure Valerie was ready to have her picture taken!

We used the large blue and white flower pot to hold our champagne on ice. 

Worked perfectly!

I always use gift wrap as my table runners.
 I bought this bright green and white at Hobby Lobby back in October. 

The table at the other end of the kitchen matched the island set up!

But I didn't take any more pictures of all the goodies or cute touches!!

#bloggerfail

Mollie and her Sorority sisters at the brunch.

(They did not talk beforehand to coordinate their outfits for this photo op!!)

We had so much fun, everyone was so glad our get together was brunch

 and early in the month.

Mollie and I think this may the beginning of a tradition!