Business Plans

You know how somedays you're just left a little uninspired? With such a plethora of pretty rooms and information out there on all the other blogs, I sometimes feel like I'm just repeating the same things - which is boring!

So, I thought I'd share with you something I've been working on. I've been working on starting up a small home business making dog beds and dog collar covers (because, you know, I have a little knowledge about dogs). I'm nearly ready to get it up and running, so I've been thinking of packaging - tags, bags, labels and cards.



I am kind of liking kraft paper. Cardstock for notes, boxes for the collar covers...

Tags - round or square? Maybe both??

I'm still considering iron-on labels for the beds. Yes? No?? Too cheesy?



I'll share more about the beds a little later, once I have some more to photograph. But here's a preview:

Another thing I've been up to?? Setting up an awesome GIVEAWAY!

Be sure to check back Friday for all the details.

My Case for a Second Home

Sometimes, I really think I need two homes...

In the spring and summer, I love bright, light and airy:

But with the cooler months of autumn and winter coming, I lean a little more dark and introspective:

Cool, neutral and serene:

Warm and interesting:

Outdoor entertaining:

Welcome indoors:

All white:

Dark:

Unfortunately, you can't get all this depth and texture by just using a winter throw on your sofa. Psychologically speaking, it may be that because I live in such a warm (hot) weather climate, Texas, with it's long sunny summers, that I want for cool and simple interiors when it's warm outside. Hmmm...

Well, at any rate, I guess this is one more reason to lean towards a dark green, or some other dark color, for our office. Dark and moody... a great place to curl up and read. Or to surf through blogs. With a hot cup of tea, of course!


Tonight, I'm so excited to be going to the TCU/SMU game! TCU is going to steamroll over the Mustangs, and I can't wait.

Hope you have a great weekend! Any fun planned?

Again With the Bookcases...

The bookcases above caught my eye in one of Grange's new ads. What I am loving about them, and what made me stop and take note for our office re-do, was that they are finished black on the outside, and the interior is left with the natural wood or wood stain.

Our Craigslist shelves are black, but not "real" wood with a grain that we could sand down. I've been thinking that we would paint them, but this picture offers up a kind of cool idea.

Enter this:

Woodgrain contact paper.

Not the same as real wood, I know, but for smaller shelves filled with books in a small home office done a super tight budget... I think it could be worth a try.

I'll be filing this away for later... once the crap is fully cleaned out. (Yes, we've hit a few stalls and bumps in the road...)

I really like this room

It's warm gray walls, those dark linen chairs, that dresser, the unusual wooden table.... It's beautiful and masculine without being *grunt* MASCULINE.

I wonder if I could convince Chris that he really likes this look? ;-)

Have a great weekend!

*photo from Reclaimed Studios (it's her living room!)

Meet Maverick

She's cheap, cute, and sexy without being too slutty... and she's my Halloween costume this year.

We met online, and I mail-ordered her this weekend, so she should be arriving Thursday. She's also bringing to the party a black pettitcoat ('cuz my legs don't look quite that good) and a black hair feather-thingamadoodle.

I hope to end up looking like a high-class saloon girl from the Old West, so that I can accompany my rootin-tootin' gunslinger cowboy husband on Halloween in New Orleans.

(Can I just mention how excited I am to be going to New Orleans for Halloween weekend??)

Watched Nate yesterday, and it was kind of "eh".

I'm hoping that he gets more into the process of his design - why he chooses something over something else, etc.

I didn't dislike the show, just thought it seemed to be geared towards somebody who's never picked up a design magazine or watched a design show ever in their life. He says that his show will get into giving people "the tools they need" to design at home, so I'm still watching to see what tools he bestows.

It's just that I wasn't that impressed by his trash "transformation" of spray-painting 3 panel floor screen to use as a headboard (duh). And I wanted to see more about the design process of the kitchen he redid for the single mother.

I did, however, like how he helped a couple to come up with a paint/color scheme for their bedroom -that was actually pretty cool.

My grade right now: C+

How's your Tuesday so far?

Will You Watch?

Nate Berkus' new show premieres today - are you planning on watching it?

I'm not really sure what to expect.... Lots of design? Lots of talk? Pictures? Demos? Martha??

I'm recording it on my DVR to watch tonight, so I guess I'll see.

Anyone excited about this show??

It's amazing...

No, this isn't our finished office...
Actually, it isn't finished yet (it's getting better, though).
But! I think we have found a color! "Calke Green" from Farrow and Ball. Well, more accurately, a colormatch of "Calke Green" from another paint manufacturer because, you know, I just can't justify spending that much on paint right now.

Really, I just wanted to touch base here.

It's amazing how quickly two short weeks and a long holiday weekend have gone and how busy I've been.

It's amazing how many empty boxes and old junk paper we've cleared out of the office.

It's amazing how much we still have left to go in there.

It's amazing how soft THIS is! It makes the best dog beds (more on this to come). Soft and cushy like down, but more supportive. And it feels soft and silky-smooth like buttah, baby.

It's amazing that it's finally football season again! Yay!!

It's amazing how how irritated I get whenever I hear more about this story. Just move it.

It's amazing that we're going to New Orleans for Halloween. Sooo excited!

It's amazing how good my pillow shams for our bedroom turned out (pictures coming soon)! They make me a little proud and happy whenever I make our bed in the mornings.

It's amazing how many magazines I have. I'm slowly working through them, but of course, the Dominos and the Cottage Livings are all "keeps".

It's amazing how looking at paint for one room of your house makes you want to repaint other rooms. Right now I'm thinking a Churlish Green wasabi-like color for our guest bath...

It's amazing that it's the weekend (almost) again! Hope you have a good one!!