Monday, November 28, 2011

Very Pinteresting: Dutch Doors (And a winner!)

Happy Monday! Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving!  I want to thank everyone who entered my Shabby Apple giveaway last week. The winner, chosen by random.org, is ...

curliecue

Congrats, curliecue!  I'll e-mail you with details soon. Can't wait to hear if you choose the dress or the skirt :)

We were out of town visiting family for the Thanksgiving holiday, so now I'm busy unpacking, doing laundry and getting ready to deck the halls! So, today I thought I'd share some pictures I recently "pinned."


What is it about dutch doors that makes them so darn charming? I love the character they exude.


Source: houzz.com via Cheri on Pinterest


Dutch, red and arched... what an entrance!





Source: google.com via June on Pinterest












Source: google.com.br via Alice on Pinterest













Source: bhg.com via Erin on Pinterest













Love the transom above this one.




My dog would definitely be perched in the same spot.

Source: bhg.com via Amber on Pinterest


Very elegant!




Source: google.com via Gigi on Pinterest













Source: google.com via Melinda on Pinterest












Source: houzz.com via Janice on Pinterest


Our climate and insect situation doesn't lend itself favorably to exterior dutch doors, but an interior one is a great idea.


Source: houzz.com via Ashli on Pinterest










I think these dutch doors make you feel that you're about to enter some place very special. What do you think? Have you or would you "go dutch?"

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!


































Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Living Room Update

I continue to work on my living room makeover at a snail's pace, but I did make a purchase that I'm so excited to share with you!  I recently did a post on the design plan I had for the living room. It looks like this...


See that chair in the lower right hand corner? It's the Josephine chair from Ethan Allen. I popped into EA a couple of weeks ago to price it out. It was on sale. It was going to cost about $850 with the fabric I wanted. Okay... sounds great. I'll be back. Never.

So, I've been scouring craigslist and ebay, local consignment and antique stores for a Louis XVI style chair. Well, last week I hit pay dirt! I discovered a hidden jewel of an antique store in town, and I found this...


Isn't she pretty? I love the detail.

She was a fraction of the cost of Josephine, and re-upholstery is only going to run $50... woo hoo!! I originally thought I'd upholster over the caning, but it's in good condition and I rather like it.



I think this is the new fabric she'll be sporting soon.


I've also started working on my corner china cabinets. I used Sherry's chalk paint recipe to create my own, and started painting the back of the shelves. I've got a long way to go, but I am loving the look so far.



Area rug selection is underway!  Thanks to Joni at Cote de Texas, I have decided to do a seagrass rug. If you are considering seagrass, you need to read Joni's post about it. She provides detailed information and great inspiration pictures. I've been reading and re-reading it, and studying the pictures. (Joni, if you've been wondering why a post you wrote over 2 years ago has had 20,000 views in the past week, now you know).

Since there seems to be no local flooring company that carries seagrass, I will most likely have to order one online. I got these samples from theperfectrug.com. Has anyone ordered from them?


I'm leaning towards the one in the upper right corner.

Where there is progress, there are setbacks... or at least around here there are. Remember the grasscloth wallpaper in my dining room?


Here it is now...



Mmmm hmmmm.... there's a story here. It will have to wait til next time though :)

Don't forget to enter my Shabby Apple Giveaway ... just in time for the holidays!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great afternoon!!


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Monday, November 21, 2011

Shabby Apple Giveaway

Happy Thanksgiving week!! I am so thankful to the folks at Shabby Apple for offering a great giveaway for my readers.


Dresses from Shabby Apple

Shabby Apple is an online boutique specializing in amazing vintage-style dresses, little girls dresses and maternity dresses. I am loving these...

Academia
Atlantic Fog

Beverly Hills


Aristocrat


Pretty sweet, aren't they? Here's what Shabby Apple is offering one lucky Sweet Chaos reader.  The winner will get to choose  ...

The fabulous Francine skirt...




OR the beautiful Boogie Woogie dress...



To be entered to win the Francine skirt OR Boogie Woogie dress in your choice of size:

1. Be a Sweet Chaos follower.
  2. "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook, and leave me a comment saying you did so.


The giveaway ends Saturday, November 26 at midnight Eastern time. A winner will be chosen randomly the next day.
The winner must have a US shipping address and there will be no exchanges for the winning dress.  

Shabby Apple is also offering a 10% discount to my readers.  Just add the coupon code
"SWEETCHAOSHOME10OFF" with your purchase.

Good luck!!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Now Accepting Reservations


Somewhere between the St. Regis and Motel 6 lies a nice little place to spend the night. It's a cozy spot I affectionately refer to as "our guestroom."

Our guestroom has recently undergone a makeover, turning it from a mishmashed catchall into a proper bedroom fit for guests.

Come on in...



I acquired a beautiful French Provincial armoire and headboard when my Nana downsized to an apartment. Those pieces were the inspiration for the room's new look.



Nana is still using the other headboard, so I only have one. Guests will have to draw straws for the bed on the right :)



I'm still loving the needlepoint pillows that came from a blog reader. The nightstand was a garage sale purchase from years ago. You can read about how I transformed it here. The bedding is from the Simply Shabby Chic line.



The mantel was taken out of our living room which is currently undergoing a makeover of its own. I put two corbels underneath it for visual interest.




On one side of the mantel, I have a framed baby photo of my Dad (isn't he cute?) and two jars filled with lavender.


I have a portrait of my Nana that I found while "shopping" in my parent's attic. The two silver bowls are trophies that my Nana and PopPop won in ballroom dancing competitions. The little basket has no sentimental value :) It's from World Market, and I will fill it with essentials for guests.




From this view you can see a few of the accessories I purchased for the room. The mirror came from an antique store, and the clock is the closest thing to a Mora that I could afford.




The rug came from my parent's attic. (I should shop there more often.) I love the raw silk woven drapery panel. It has great texture, but let's the light shine in. Very important, as this room only has one window!


A tole tray and candlesticks that I was no longer using found a new home on top of the armoire. (Yes, I know I need new candles!)


In the entry alcove, I hung a tole chandelier which I purchased on ebay years ago. I hung a large, heavy mirror that I recently updated with chalk paint. I'll do a post on that soon, so you can see how the mirror started out.  




The bench came from Home Goods, and is a great spot for guests to put their luggage.


Isn't this a great chair? I need to find the business card of the guy who refurbished it. I think his name was Marcus. Anyway, he has some incredible pieces that he sells all over the country. I know he has space at the Randolph Street Market in Chicago.


I know every before and after should include a "before." I'm embarrassed to show you this picture, as the room didn't really look this bad before. I had already started pulling it apart at this point. However, it was the only picture I could find. Here it goes...


Quick! Let's look at the "after" again...



So there you have it! Of course, I haven't painted the walls as I had planned to do, and I still need some art over the beds, but the sheets are clean and we're ready for visitors.




Come see us. We'll leave the light on.



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