Austin Modern Home Tour, Part 1

Hello, friends! I had so much fun this weekend. My girlfriend and I went on the Modern Home Tour Austin and it was amazing. You know those houses you drive by and just wish you could see the inside? Well, these are those houses and I got to snoop around!!

Want to snoop with me?

Ahhh, minimalism...isn't it refreshing? This teen's room had no clutter! It was fabulous, just like that great chandelier.

Love the hanging mirror. Lots of variations of white tile seen in every house. 

 Eco-friendly and green were key words seen/used throughout all the homes on tour. Check out these stools. Funky, fun design and made of...

Cardboard! So cool.

Beautiful floors were not lacking. And, this wall 'o bookshelves did not disappoint either.

Windows, windows, windows. The angle of this one had me at hello! I'd be so happy living in the trees.

Did my brain go straight to a DIY project when I spied this awesomeness? Of course!

Once again, beautiful floors. I tell my clients all the time...no more square tiles, it's all about the rectangle now. 

Freestanding tubs were all the rage, as well as, frameless surrounds.

 BIG impact with walls of tile. Isn't it clever how they brought the outside in and used small mirrors to accommodate?

This tile had a fun iridescent quality.

One more tub. Notice the lack of art/accessories. Modernism is all about letting the hard finishes speak for themselves and be the star. Are you a fan or do you need the fluff?

Stay tuned for Part 2. I took way too many pictures to fit into one post!

Split Heart Art...For Sale!

As promised on Wednesday, I broke out the paints and created my own split art. I love how therapeutic painting can be. It's so fun watching something come to life on canvas. It's also fun painting abstracts because you can't mess them up!

With Valentine's day quickly approaching, I thought it'd be fun to use a heart as my object to "split." I didn't realize initially that it could easily be translated as a broken heart. ha! Oh well, it's too "cutesy" to give that impression, right?

I don't have a step by step tutorial for ya, because once the creative juices start flowing the last thing I want to do is stop and take a picture. That being said, I did manage to take a few shots of the beginning process.

I used 2 separate sheets of canvas. Then, I cut out a big 'o heart out of brown paper (because that's what was near by, no other reason).

I used painter's tape to place the heart in the center of the two canvases, then started painting away. Once I was happy with the outside portion of the painting, I simply removed the paper heart.

Did you notice my unique framing? It's the result of a little creative problem-solving. I really didn't want to buy a frame, make that 2 frames, so I stumbled upon these PolyGlass pages and thought I'd give them a try. Essentially, they're fancy page protectors meant to be used in a binder. Well, look at that would ya...they work great as frames, too!

Want to buy it?...

Since there's not a spot for this lovely piece in my own home, I'm offering it up for sale.

The fine print: Painted with acrylic paints on canvas sheets. Each side measures 12 in. x16in. Intended to be framed individually. Framing to be determined by buyer.
One of a kind art priced at $50.

If interested, please email me, dfrieling1@gmail.com and you'll receive an invoice via PayPal.

Random Act of Kindness #64

Oh my word! Oh my word! Oh my word!...Are these not the most adorable things ever?! Guess what their mission in life is? To be a service dog. Isn't that the best? They're not only adorable but one day, when they grow up they're going to work hard and help children with disabilities.

 

4 Paws for Ability

Service dogs are trained to help numerous different disabilities. Did you know they can even aid people with autism, seizures and diabetes?

Patriot Paws Service Dogs

Dogs trained with Patriot Paws are partnered with disabled veterans. They help do more than you realize. Just look at what they're capable of:

• Get help in emergencies
• Recognize and avert PTSD episodes
• Pick up and retrieve items
• Open and close doors
• Pull wheelchairs
• Provide bracing to stand, walk, and sit down
• Help with chores, such as laundry
• Take off shoes and socks

These incredible facts lead me to today's RAK challenge...

 

I hope you'll take the time to click on the links and read about these amazing programs. Both 4 Paws for Ability and Patriot Paws could use your help. 

I have a friend whose nephew is autistic and will be getting his service dog soon. I was astounded when I learned of the cost involved in training these heros. Do you know how much it costs to train a dog and its owner? Anywhere from $10,000 to $17,000. Holy smokes!

Monetary donations are not the only way you can help! Puppies can be donated to the programs. You can foster a dog in training. You can donate supplies. You can become a sponsor. You can encourage your company to become a corporate sponsor. So many ways, friends!

You know the drill...go out and be kind!

Split art

I have the art itch. You know, the throw back to your kindergarten days of "I need to play with paint and brushes," feeling? This is what's on my mind...split art.

{One Kings Lane}

{Pinterest}

{Pinterest}

{Lonny}

In my mind's eye this piece of art has a little something to do with the upcoming lovely holiday, a bit of abstractness and a tad of white space. Can you see it? I'm off to paint...let's hope it's worthy to share in a future post. Finger's crossed!

Secret weapon to curbing sweets

Raise your hand if you've ever felt like my friend, Mr. Pug...

Okay, if your hand is not high up in the air then I'm calling your bluff. We've all felt this way, and each time I let myself indulge to this point, I find myself wondering, "Why, oh why?!"

Sweets are totally my downfall. Recently, I've found myself "needing" something sweet after every meal and it's really starting to bug me.

So, I've decided to finally do something about this "need" and show this "need" who's boss. Want to know my secret? It's amazing and it's free...water. Yep, you read that right, h2o.

While perusing the pages of pinterest I read a tip that recommended drinking a full glass of water before every meal. I thought, "Well, that doesn't seem too hard!" And,  honestly, I needed to increase my water intake anyway, so I decided to give it a try. 

I'm happy to report it's been over a week and I've successfully visited the bathroom every 10 minutes followed my water rule. It does the trick! I immediately feel more full before sitting down to eat, therefore, don't "need" something extra after the meal.

It's win/win. I've increased something my body needed and decreased something my body didn't need.

Want to know my other secret?  The Tervis Tumbler.

{Penticular Wrap}

I have a few of the 24 oz. cups and use these wide straws. 

{straws}

Monster straws help you suck down your water faster so you can get on to the good stuff...food!

Any of you tried the water trick?

Carts and Trays under $100

Hello, friends. I hope your weekend was wonderful and you're settling in quickly to the start of this week. Did you find time to shop? This must be the week to launch spring lines in stores because last week the shelves were bare! But...that means good sales, right?

Let's look at a few little steals and deals I stumbled upon...

1. West elm, $79.99

2. Ikea, $49.99

3. World Market, $103.99 (ok, it's a tad over $100)

4. World Market, $99.99

5. Etsy, $79.00

Trays and carts are the perfect little accessory to use to add interest to your space. 

{source}

Sometimes trays seem small standing alone, but you can solve this problem by simply placing it in front of a mirror.

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Don't get stuck thinking a bar cart can only be used in your dining room. This is a great solution for bathrooms with pedestal sinks.

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Bar cart turned nightstand. Love it!

{source}

We all have a corner in our house that seems like it needs something but you're just not sure what. Well, try a tray. It might just be what that space has been waiting for!

Don't forget to shop Goodwill and garage sales for this little treasures. They're a dime a dozen and worth every penny.

Paint Selection made easy...My new best friend!

Ahh man, I missed the weekly Random Act of Kindness post! I hope that didn't give you an excuse to not spread a little kindness yesterday. I'm sure it didn't...you guys don't need me to hold your hand, you're totally kind even without my ideas!

Yesterday I was busy working on a kitchen design from a recent consultation and ran across the most amazing tool. It's so good that I absolutely have to share.

I spent lots of time flipping through paint colors, creating the perfect palette, then stumbled upon the Cambria site. Did you know they have a Paint Match Tool? This thing is my new best friend, I tell ya!

Here's how it works...
Rummage through the beautiful quartz selections and click on the box of the one you like. As soon as you click it, suddenly 4 paint colors appear that coordinate perfectly. Could it get any easier? Are they trying to put me out of a job? Maybe, but it also cuts down on my legwork so I'll forgive them this time.  ;)

Here's a visual...

Even if you're not using quartz, I'm sure you could find a similar sample that imitates your granite and still come away with a few suggestions. I love it because it pulled up several Benjamin Moore colors that are new to me. I was excited to file them away in my "pretty colors" idea box for a future date.

So, go play with Cambria's Paint Match Tool and see how much time you can waste, how you'll get sucked right in, I mean, what a great resource it is!

Be happy this weekend, friends.

(This totally sounds like a sponsored post, but it's not!)