I'm Obsessed! (Help needed)

I have been on the search for the perfect Fiddle Leaf Fig tree for months upon end now. It's kind of become an obsession. My kids groan every time I pull into a Home Depot, because they know exactly why we're there.

It all started when I saw this pretty indoor tree in images like these:

Stephen Knollenberg

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I am completely aware that there are millions of other blog posts out there pleading for the exact same thing...someone to share a source! I feel like I've looked at them all and still don't have my answer. In addition to searching blogland, here are the other things I've done in an effort to bring one of these beauties into my home. I've hit almost every Home Depot from Dallas, to Austin, to San Antonio!  I kid you not, when we travel I get excited when I see a Home Depot because I'm just sure this will be my lucky stop! 

I've even had an associate at one of the local stores call me when a shipment came in. You see, they often carry these trees but they're not treated well, and by the time I stumble upon them they look sad. I refuse to pay $60 to $80 for something that doesn't look good from the get go. So my Home Depot friend called me and said, "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that we got a shipment in and one of the trees is a gorgeous shape. The bad news is, an employee thought they were outdoor trees and left it outside so the leaves got burned." AAGGHH! So close! I went to look at it, but once again it was too damaged to buy. Sad day in the Frieling household.

I've searched on-line and still can't find one. Any help out there? I'd love you forever if you could lead me to this tree that needs to live in my house! 


Have a happy weekend, friends. I'm off to help my friend create beautiful flowers for a wedding. Pretty pictures to come on Monday!

Random Act of Kindness #7

Hello, friends! Are you excited to learn what today's RAK is? It doesn't involve a secret mission like last week, but nonetheless, it's just as important!

This week I'd like you to think of a neighbor who puts a lot of effort into keeping their house and lawn looking nice. If you've noticed someone doing a little updating, planting new flowers or decorating for the holidays, they are the perfect recipient of today's RAK.

Take a minute to write this person a thank you note and share your appreciation of their willingness to keep your neighborhood looking nice. Tell them you enjoy going on walks and seeing their pretty flowers or fun decorations. Also, let them know you appreciate their contribution to helping maintain the property value of your neighborhood.

If you're looking for some great Thank You cards, check out the ones I found on Etsy...

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Go ahead and splurge on the notecards! If you're following along with my RAK challenges, I guarantee they won't go to waste! I'm sure they'll even be put to good use in the near future.

So there ya have it...pick a neighbor, write a note and drop it off. Easy as can be and you'll make someone's day a little brighter. Who doesn't love knowing their hard work is appreciated?

Don't forget to tell me if you accepted today's challenge. I love hearing from you.

I'm a Design Dork!

So you know you're a Design Dork when you sit around and draw pictures of your house for fun. We have a TV niche that has been driving me crazy since we moved in. My husband and his uncle promised to build a "really cool piece" to go into the niche when we moved in, but as you can see from the picture below that hasn't happened yet. Did I mention it's been 3 years since we moved in?

Isn't this just the prettiest space ever? Don't you just love the blank space begging for something to be hung? The hope chest that totally doesn't match or even blend with anything else in the room? Or best of all, the pillow strategically placed to cover up the millions of cords hiding back there? Love it!

So those of you who think my house is perfect, you're wrong, my friends. This space is in the center of our house. Yikes!

I've struggled with how to fill the space but finally, I've created a solution! Honestly, I can't believe it's taken me this long to figure it out. Sometimes when something is staring you in the face all the time, it can be quite hard to see it in a creative light.

Ready for my dorkiness?...

Here's my beautiful drawing of what the space will look like someday soon (hopefully)! And, yes, I did spend the time drawing all the knick knacks that would look fabulous filling the built-in bookcase. That's really the part that wins me the dork title! The plan is for the shelves to be open with the back wall painted a deep teal of some sort. Maybe, Martha Stewart's Plumage!

Let's look at my design one more time. What do you think about the TV appearing to hang in the middle of the bookcase? 

I figure if the good people at Elle Decor can do it with art, why not interpret it my own way and do it with my TV! Thanks for the inspiration, Elle Decor.

Elle Decor 

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that I'll have some pictures to share with you soon of the TV niche progress.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to share them. No wood has actually been purchased for this project yet!

Inspiration Pieces

When I'm helping a client, one of the first things I like to find out is what inspires them. I encourage them to pull pictures that "speak" to them. You know, something that just makes your heart smile. It doesn't have to be a picture of a room, it can be anything! "Like what?" you ask. Well, artwork or your favorite outfit, maybe a plant or even a pillow. What about a grove of trees or a setting sun? Anything, I tell ya!

I ran across this cool piece of art and thought it would be perfect to show you exactly what I mean.

etsy

This talented artist took tree stumps, sliced thin pieces and painted awesome accents on them to enhance the natural rings. 

How do you design an entire room around this? 

Key elements: 

*Your color scheme is a no brainer in this instance. Pick several colors to be your dominant colors then use the others as accents. The artist has done the hard work for you already by picking paint colors that compliment each other.

*The fact that these are tree stumps help you bring in a natural element to the room. Repeat this element somewhere else in your room. It doesn't have to be literal, the repetition can be through the use of other natural fibers. 

*It's a rustic piece of art so when decorating your room throw in a little glam to make it a bit off-balanced. You might think this doesn't make sense, but honestly, it'll be the reason people will remember your room. Following this advice will create interest in the space.

So, let's take a look at how the above piece of art can be used as an inspiration piece and thus have an entire room designed around it.

1) paint color  2) fabric for drapery

Now it's time for you to see if I'm practicing what I'm preaching. Check the board to see how I did!

I'd love to help you design a room in your home. Edesign is now available! Please contact me for pricing. I can't wait to see what your inspiration piece will be!

Coming Clean

Hi friends! I hope you all had a productive, yet restful weekend. Is that possible? My weekend was great, but it has led me to a little confession this morning. You see, I claim to be a runner. I would like for you to think I run because it's great for my heart and the health benefits are just too vast to not do it. But, my friends, it's time for me to come clean.

This is the REAL reason I'm a runner...

Chocolate Chip Gooey Butter Cake

And this...

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

And this...

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

 Would you believe that I consumed some of each of these over the weekend?! So you see, it is out of pure guilt that I'm a runner! Now, before you go believing that I'm this amazing cook/baker and that I cook like this every weekend, you must know the truth. I only cook because I have to and I bake because I've got a huge sweet tooth. Also, it was my mom's birthday yesterday so we ate a little better than usual!

If any or all of these delectable delights look yummy to you, make sure you click on the link below each picture to get the recipes!

You can do it!

I have a fun little party in the works with my friend, Jennifer. She's one talented lady! Her speciality is floral design but her mad skills don't stop there. She also has a love for cooking and decorating. Can I just tell you that she sent over some cakeballs the other day that were beyond good?!

We're hosting a Progressive How-To Party. The fun will begin at my house for "Thanksgiving" tips then move up the street to Jennifer's for "Christmas" tips. Guests will actually leave with a holiday decor craft and a floral arrangement that they made themselves during the party.

In light of our recent planning, I thought it'd be nice to pass on a few tips to you, my friends! Let's take the picture below and break it down. You'll quickly see that, "You can do it!"

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I love the simplicity of this vignette. If you have a table begging to be dressed for the holidays, this is an easy look to duplicate. 

Points of interests:

*Notice the groupings are in sets of threes: 3 pumpkins on the bottom shelf, 3 candles in the middle and    3 "sets" on the top self overall. 

* Item placement always looks best when placed in odd numbers.

*The color scheme stays in the same family: orange, white and black. If you throw in too many colors, it   quickly becomes sensory overload.

*Less is more. Once again, the simplicity is what makes this look so appealing.

Pumpkin Tips:

When making the pumpkin centerpiece, all you have to do is cut a small hole in the top of the pumpkin then stick your branches inside. You can easily find branches on one of your neighborhood walks. Be careful not to cut the hole too big or the branches will be too widespread.

Paper Tips:

In this picture they used pretty scrapbook paper to make the hanging bats and to wrap the candles. Easy peasy!

Take this look from Halloween to Thanksgiving: All you need to do is switch out the bats for leaves! It'd be super fun to write things you're thankful for on the leaves.

Have a happy weekend, friends, and do something to make it pretty!

If you're local and want to attend the party, let me know, we'd love to have you.

Random Act of Kindness #6

Oh, today's RAK challenge is so much fun and it takes a little sneakiness. I must still be coming off the high of our "criminal behavior" earlier this week! Ha!

Here's how it all went down:
 I was on the hunt for a stamp dispensing machine. Our local post office has one in the lobby. When you walk in the front door, it's right there. Trying to pull this act off and keep it secret was a little tricky. Before leaving the house, I wrote a small note to attach to some stamps. It read, "If you're here to buy stamps, it's your lucky day! Please accept this book of stamps as a Random Act of Kindness. If you so please, take your money saved and pay it forward with your own RAK! Have a happy day!" So, I purchased one of these:

From one of these:

And taped the note, along with the book of stamps onto the front of the machine. I did manage to sneak a picture without being noticed but when I tried to add it to this post, my computer is telling me it can't read my card. How frustrating!

On a side note, I've realized I must have a weird fascination with the United States Postal System. If you'll think back with me, last week's RAK involved our postman. Look what I found in our mailbox a few days after we left him his "rockstar."

Isn't he the nicest?! I can't believe he left us a hand-written note. Those are few and far between these days, but I love it!

Honestly, I feel a little selfish with these acts sometimes, because I think my life is being blessed more than the recipient's. Funny how that works!

Okay friends, you're up! Go out today and spread a little kindness. I'd love to hear if you used this idea or came up with something original. Drop me a line!