Target find

I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. John and I scored backstage passes to The Winter Jam Tour and had a blast. Honestly, we didn't even know who was playing on the tour prior to showing up.  John's brother called and asked us to go and we thought, "What the heck! It sounds like fun." We were pleasantly surprised to see some really big names on the ticket when we arrived. I'm not a huge music person but once you see the artist in person and hear the meanings behind their songs, it takes on a whole new life in my world. I think it's awesome watching someone display the talent God blessed them with!

No good segway into today's post so I'll just jump right in. Have you walked the aisles of Target recently? This mirror has caught my eye on more than one occasion. I've seen it used in decor for many years and it's great that Target is offering it for a mere $29.99. Such a fun alternative to the traditional rectangular mirror.

{Target}

Let's take a peek at ways you can incorporate this super find into your own decor...

{Winston's Roost}

Groupings are always a winner in my book.

{Design Sponge}

Layered with greenery in front. Love this look! Don't be afraid to place something smack in front of your mirror or art. 

{via}

See?...it's done here too. Plop that lamp right in front. It'll look even better when the light is on and reflecting in it.

{via}

Round mirrors add an unexpected element and are often used break up hard lines.

{via}

Simple and pretty.

Are any of you enjoying Target's Captain's Mirror in your own home?

The Dogwood

Happy Easter weekend, friends! As I was searching for something both visually and spiritually beautiful to share, I ran across the post below on Visual Forces. It's perfect. Following is a repost by Shane Eubank from 6 years ago. A great message stands the test of time.

“For the message of the cross…is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18

“The dogwood was the tree chosen to construct the Cross that would be used to take the body of Jesus. Even though His body may have been taken from this earth, His spirit remains and every spring we are blessed with a reminder of the events that unfolded on that fateful weekend. The blooms often appear in the shape of a Cross with holes in the tips of the pedals signifying the nails that were driven into the Cross. If you look closely at these holes you can notice a faint red stain representing the Blood. In the center you will find a green bloom symbolizing the crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus. After the Crucifixion, God proclaimed that dogwood trees would never grow large ever again. This is the reason the trunks of dogwoods are skinny and often branch off low on the trunk. The dogwood is more than a tree…it is a representation of life. With every spring we are reminded of what God did for us and given the chance to be reborn and start a new life as “children of God.” (John 3:1)

My grandparents had a dogwood tree on the side of their house when I was growing up. I remember several Easters when my grandfather asked us to take pictures by it. Seeing this post pulled those memories out of the vaults and warmed my heart today. I hope you were touched as well. Happy Easter!

Barrel ceilings

Have you ever stopped to wonder what makes a house interesting? Hands down, the answer is architectural detail. One piece of architectural detail I find especially fascinating is a barrel ceiling.

{Cultivate}
One word...Wow!

{Skona hem via decor happy}

You may need to slow down while scrolling through these beautiful images to wipe the drool off your chin. ;)

{via}

Dramatic, right?

{Amber Interior Design}

It's even dramatic in all white.

{Avante Interiors via Houzz}

But, mix the two looks of contrasting brown and white and ding, ding, ding, we have a winner...beautiful!

{Herlong Architects via Design Chic}

Wonder why I've been thinking about barrel ceilings? I have a friend/client who's asked me to help her create something fun in her bar area which just happens to have a barrel ceiling. See the portion or the ceiling image above with the pendant? That's exactly what we discussed with the carpenter on Monday. Crossing my fingers that the quote is good and we'll see this vision come to life!

How a Consultation Works

You've had glimpses of this room previously, but today I thought we'd put a different spin on things and discuss the consultation process as I show you the rest of this precious room.

Not everyone has the budget to hire a designer to pull together a room 100%. Let's be honest, most of us don't. That's why hiring a designer for a consultation is a great alternative. 

Consultations give me the opportunity to come in and give you a brain dump of ideas, then you decide what you're willing to tackle and how you want to interpret the ideas.

My sweet client came to me wanting to redo her kiddos' bedrooms. She needed guidance but was willing to do all the legwork. She simply wanted me to spend some time with her brainstorming and providing guidance for the overall look.

She shared info with me like a Pottery Barn inspiration photo her daughter fell in love with. She also identified pieces of furniture that could go and ones that needed to stay. We discussed the function of the room and the fact that this room needed to carry her daughter through many years to come.

We discussed the DIY projects she was willing to tackle, like repainting the dresser. She showed me bedding and accessories she currently owned, like these cute zebra sheets and the pink pom poms.

I gave her a verbal plan and she ran with it. Along the way, I sent a few links her way for additional bedding and paint colors. Armed with our ideas, she set off shopping and pulled the room together on her own. Then, she invited me back over to do a little tweaking. (Just fyi, tweaking happens at an hourly rate in addition to the consultation fee.)

She found this cute wooden letter but felt it was blah.  We decided to wrap it in lights for a little pizzaz.

One more project in the works...adding a sliding door to the fun little nook. We tossed around the idea of covering one side of the door in chalkboard paint and the other in cork. Can't wait to see how it turns out!

She told me this piece isn't her favorite but her daughter "loved" it. And, guess what?...it's her daughter's room so that's what matters!

Highlights of the consultation: (Since you're wondering...$150 for 1.5 to 2 hours)

• Brainstorming
• Verbal plan
• Suggestions of stores to shop for specific accessories
• Paint color suggestions

Client's responsibilities:

• Shopping
• Following general guidelines
• Implementing the plan
• DIY projects

Together we created a great room with designer touches that her daughter loves. The best part? Momma gets to feel the satisfaction of knowing she used her God-given talents to give her daughter a space she's proud of.

Ready for your own consultation? Do you have a space that you look at daily and wonder what you should do? Sometimes a fresh set of eyes and a few ideas is all you need to get your own creative juices flowing. Contact me if you'd like to work together: dfrieling1@gmail.com.

Snip, snip...instant decor!

I was stuck at home yesterday while a window was being replaced. We had an unfortunate incident that involved the edger, a rock and our bathroom window. Ouch! It's fun to replace $500 windows right before you move out. Definitely how I like to spend my money. Yes, please read that with heavy sarcasm attached.

Like I said, I was stuck at home so I took advantage of the down time to celebrate the beautiful signs of spring that are popping up.  I've always, always loved my jewel magnolia tree and can't believe that I've never taken advantage of snipping a few branches to bring inside. It's something so simple, completely free and adds a pretty touch to any room.

Okay, confession time, I bought this pitcher for decorative purposes only and when I realized I needed to fill it with water to keep the branches alive, I actually caught myself wondering if it was safe to put water in it. Can you believe that? Uh, duh...it's a pitcher! It was made to hold liquids. Complete lack of brain cells going on over here sometimes.

My magnolia tree isn't blooming yet, but another snip, snip on the rose bush quickly added the floral touch needed on my mantle. I don't typically change my mantle decor but I'm kinda feelin' the nature vibe going on in this little scene.

Hope this has inspired you to walk outside and find a few of nature's treasures to use in your decor!

Bird Bath Design Board

An eclectic mix for the birds...
Bird bath...
Oh, there were so many "punny" possibilities for this post. Puns, alliteration...See, Mrs. Koch, I did learn something in your English class!

Okay, if you aren't rolling your eyes by now and you're still interested in the actual design happening in this post, then let's jump right in. Here's one of my recent design boards using Jonathan Adler's stunning wallpaper.

Wallpaper: Jonathan Adler

Art: All Modern Tea Towel (Framed as art)

Mirror: CB2

Wall Sconces: Lumens

Hand Towels: West Elm

Double Vanity: Home Decorators

Canisters: Urban Outfitters

Let's dissect this board a little. Simplicity is key with your accessories in this space since the wallpaper is so 'in your face'. We'll let the wallpaper be the star and not compete with anything else in the room. Then, let's offset those hard angles from the diamonds in the paper with the soft curvature of the round mirror. Next, let's juxtapose our contemporary elements with a bit of something rustic, i.e. the vanity. And, don't forget the art. The muted tones in this pigeon tea towel will look great matted and framed. Oh, those cobalt blue wall scones, they make quite the statement, don't they?! Gotta throw in a third color just to spice things up a bit. Remember, matchy matchy is boring. We'll tie that blue right into this design with a simple hand towel accented in the same color.

So, there ya have it, a glimpse into the thought process behind the design and a case presented to make you understand why it all 'works.'

Our House hunt continues...

We survived our first house hunting trip to Dallas with the kids. I was a little anxious about how this would play out since neither Frieling friend is looking forward to the big move. I asked our realtor/friend to keep the day light so the kids could get a taste of what's to come without having to endure a full day of hunting. Well, our realtor LOVES his job and doesn't know the meaning of a light day. We were at it for a full 6 hours!

Much to my surprise there wasn't even one single complaint muttered the entire day. Your prayers worked, friends! I ended up learning so much from our kids during this process. It was incredible.

The market in Dallas is hot right now and finding a house is going to be a challenge. Three of the seven houses in the last post were under contract before we even made it to town. We're really at a disadvantage trying to do this long-distance.

I had to kiss these doors good-bye before I even managed to step foot through them.

Some of the homes we walked through were doozies. I'm talking avocado green stairs paired with orange patterned carpet. Oh, and did I mention the mold growing on the wall? Yikes! Not to be outdone by the house with fire engine red sinks and a fully mirrored bathroom. Floor to ceiling, friends, and all 4 walls. Wowza! I really should have snapped pictures so you could fully appreciate the beauty but we were feeling the heebee jeebees and couldn't get out of these places fast enough. Pass the hand sanitizer please.

These doors gave me a little hope though...

Then, after we returned, this house popped up on the market...

Remember my love for trees?! We've never had a tree this large in our yard.

And here's what's just beyond the fence...

Our realtor promised to swing by and preview this house to see if it's worth another trip up. I have a sneaky feeling we're going to need a new car when all is said and done. Lots of miles between Austin and Dallas and our car has 180,000 miles on it already. Hold on, Betsy!

So, staying true to John and Reed's hunting adventures, not every hunt ends with a prize. This just helps build the anticipation in hopes that the next hunt will yield the trophy.