What a deal!

I love it when a good deal comes my way. When my clients first began their search for barstools I sent them a picture of the Hinks stool as inspiration.

While this stool is amazing, it also comes with an amazing price tag. To the tune of $577. Wowza! That's just for one! I don't know about you, but that's not the type of money anyone I know has lying around.

We entertained several different (more affordable) options but nothing seemed to live up to these. Don't you hate it when that happens...you get something stuck in your mind and everything else seems to fall short.

Well, our patience and indecisiveness paid off because look what I ordered for them yesterday...

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Smart and Sleek Stool from Wisteria. Obviously, he's not exactly the same but the general idea is dead on. I think we can overlook his slight differences when we take into account his pretty little price tag...$169. ( or $149 for counter height)

But wait, it gets better! Look what was hanging out on Wisteria's homepage... a promo code!

This nice little code coupled with my trade discount landed my clients 4 stools for LESS than the price of 1 Hinks stool! Yes, you read that right. Hip hip hooray for big savings and really cool bar stools.

Hope this weekend lands you some major savings, friends. We're due for rain. My favorite!

Random Act of Kindness #51

Make sure you pack a few extra quarters before you walk out the door today because you're gonna need 'em! 

Ready for your RAK challenge? Here ya go...next time you pass a coin operated ride, slip a few quarters in the slot and casually walk away.

Now, find yourself a nice little hiding spot and relish in your kindness as you watch the expression on the child's face who realizes the ride is rarin' to go!

If you're lucky, you'll catch a glimpse a little something like this...

{barsandbooths.com}

Isn't that the cutest?!

It's that easy. For less than $1,  you'll put a smile on someone's face today. 

So, friends, you know what to do...go out and be kind!

Using White in Fall Decor

Something you may have noticed about me is that I like to break the norm when it comes to decorating. This holds true when it comes to decorating for the holidays too. I like to think of it like tradition with a twist!

Let me show you exactly what I mean...

{Click on this pinterest board for image sources}

Why use boring 'ol orange pumpkins when you could make things much more interesting with white! It still says fall, it's still gorgeous, but best of all...it's unique. 

So, next time you're at the store, pick up a handful of white pumpkins. Come home and plop them in a bowl then pat yourself on the back for trying something different.

Think you can bring yourself to resist the norm?

Transparent Tuesday

I strongly believe that there are many, many lessons to be learned from little ones. We are extremely naive if we go through life thinking we know it all and cannot learn from those younger than us.

Today's Transparent Topic: Dealing with Failure

This time last year, Bryn went out for Student Council. Three kids ran for 2 spots. Their classmates voted and this is how the class representatives were chosen. Bryn did not make it. There were lots of tears and feelings of rejection. It was brutal. My heart hurt so bad for her.

Fast forward to this year, yesterday, in fact. Bryn bravely got up in front of her class and once again, pleaded her case as to why she should be a class representative.

{image from Andrew Murphy via Pinterest}

She got knocked down hard last year but that only made her fight harder this year. You know what else? She took it a lot more serious this year. She put more time into writing her speech. She made a cute t-shirt to help solicit votes. She didn't assume she was a shoe-in. She realized that if you want something bad enough, you have to put some hard work into your efforts.

{pinterest}

She doesn't find out until Friday if she made it or not, but I'm so proud of her for not letting failure stop her. Oh yeah, and if she makes class representative, then she plans on running for President next!  Shoot for the stars, babydoll!

If you're struggling with past failures getting in your way or keeping you from moving forward, I'd love to pray for you. God can help you remove any barriers! Leave a comment or send me an email: dfrieling1@gmail.com.

Accessory shopping

Wow, I think I blinked and the weekend was over. We managed to fit in a few meals with grandparents, a flag football game and progress on our guest bedroom. Oh, did you forget that was even a work in progress? It's been a while, I know. We kind of lost steam. That happens sometimes, right?

We were movin' and groovin' with our glossy black paneled ceiling, then John put up the framework of the shelving system and then...well, that's where we hit the wall. Our weekends have been full and handyman projects just haven't been a priority. Like I said, life happens!

Since John's building these crazy cool shelves, there must be crazy cool accessories to dress them, right? I've been picking up random things here and there so I can achieve a very collected look. Not really, it's just cheaper that way, but it sure sounds good to chase that collected look theory. ha!

My goal is to be very frugal and minimal. The shelves really are somewhat of an art piece themselves so I don't want to distract from that. So, I've shopped Goodwill, clearance sections and my father-in-law's garage. I felt like I was on American Pickers yesterday as I was rummaging through old boxes and pulling out treasures.

Here are a handful of my finds...

  

And, just to prove there was actual work completed, here's a garage shot...

"What the heck?" you ask. It'll all make sense one day, I promise.

Wallpaper Part 2

On Monday, I showed you the crazy cool wallpaper that will be adorning the walls of my clients' bedroom and today, the fun continues.

Here's a little peek into what's to come...

Burberry plaid?! Oh, yes!

Their office was one big brown box when they moved in. The panels were painted to match the wood and the ceiling, oh we shouldn't go there! Just think of something one might find in a baby's diaper. 

The panels were heavily textured. This picture shows progress towards removing the texture. Boy, that's one big dusty mess. Kuddos to my client for forever cleaning dusty footprints off her wood floor in the rest of her house.

Are you as excited as I am? Can you see it? It's going to be so amazing! And when it's done and their desk gets to come live in its new space, we're thinking of throwing one of these on the ground beneath it...

So much happening, friends. Can't wait to show you the end result!

Enjoy your weekend!

Random Act of Kindness #50

 

This was the scene at our dinner table last night. Are we abnormal because we like to sit around with paper taped to our foreheads and make funny faces? Don't answer that!

No, seriously. I decided it was high time to sprinkle a little kindness into their lives last night by making them play a game. The kids were super excited and little did they know, this game was designed to speak to their hearts and boost their self-esteem at the same time.

Want to know how to play? Okay! Read on...

1) Write the name of each player onto separate pieces of paper. Place them in a bowl. Now, everyone draws a name. Make sure you don't get your own name!
2) Pass out 5 small pieces of paper to each player.
3) For the name you drew, think of 5 positive character traits.
4) Write one character trait on each of the 5 pieces of paper.
5) Pick someone to be "it" and tape the first piece of paper to their forehead without them seeing what is written.
6) The remaining players silently read what is written and begin telling stories that provide examples of how this person is ...(whatever trait you're describing). Be careful not to say the actual word!
7) The person who is "it" listens to the clues then guesses what trait is on their paper by saying, "I am (insert guess)."
8) Let the person guess until they get it right!
9) Now it's someone else's turn. Go around the table until all 5 traits are guessed by each player.

I made this game up on the fly. There are actually no "real" rules. I encourage you to adapt this game and make it work for your family or friends. We had fun telling stories and bragging on the nice things we like about each other. Sadly, we don't share these kind words as much as we should!

Okay, you're it...go out and be kind, friends!

Fake vs. Real

Let's address the age old question...fake vs. real. I'm talking about cowhides. You weren't thinking I meant something else where you? ;)

I made a big mistake. Less than 2 years ago I purchased a fake cowhide for our living room. I had good reasoning...my daughter was freaking out that I was even considering a real one and I was a tad worried about how my dogs would react to it. You know, the whole animal scent issue. Last thing I wanted was for them to decide they needed to mark their territory. I could just see them thinking, "Move over moo moo. This is MY house!"

Well, because I decided to go the cheap route, while pleasing my daughter and dogs, it ended up costing me more in the end since I had to replace it less than 2 years later.

                                                                Fake        vs.         Real

My fake hide just wasn't hacking it. It started coming apart in the high traffic areas and it collected my dog's fur like nobody's business. Even after I vacuumed it, the dogs' fur was still visible. Such a pain!

My real hide came with a very unexpected bonus... 

The dog fur slips right off. It doesn't even have a chance to stick. Yippee! Less vacuuming is always a good thing in my book.

So, friends, learn from my mistake. If you're on the fence and wondering if this is an area worth saving a few bucks, the answer is a big, fat no! It's money well spent to go real in this situation. Think about your area and if it's a space that gets lots of foot love, then quality is definitely the way to go.

Transparent Tuesday

Would you pray for a stranger? Today I'm going to ask you to do just that.

Today's transparent topic: Gideon

Several weeks ago, I stumbled upon a new to me blog, kb spaces. This sweet little guy grabbed my attention...

This is Gideon. He's 6 months old and has a twin brother. Baby brother, Jude, is healthy and thriving while, baby Gideon is "fighting for his life" almost every day. He's never even made it out of the hospital.

Their momma, Keri, shared this...
"I am so in awe of this little man. I am humbled by his willingness to fight every day for survival. His strength gives me strength. I don’t know if Gideon is going to live 5 days, 5 years, or 50 years. But his mama is going to be there with him every step of the way."

I encourage you to head over and read Gideon's story through Keri's words. She has an amazing outlook on life and her strength and courage are phenomenal.

I've never met Keri, nor have I even had an email exchange with her, but that doesn't mean I can't pray for her. She blesses my life with reality and perspective, so the least I can do is bless her life with prayer. 

Take a second, right now, and please pray that Gideon will have a miraculous day today.

Thank you, friends.

Bold and Beautiful Wallpaper

Hey there, friends! Did you enjoy your weekend? It was cool and rainy here and I loved every single minute of it. So refreshing.

I snuck out to do a little accessory shopping with a friend who was wanting to update her entry and kitchen. It was so much fun...I shopped all day, returned with tons of packages and my bank account stayed the same. Love that! By the way, World Market has some great knick knacks right now. That's where we picked up most of our finds.

So, let's move on to wallpaper. Are you noticing it popping up everywhere? This stuff isn't your grandmother's wallpaper. It's bold. It's graphic. And, it is beautiful!

My client and I have been flipping through lots of books recently. We're anxiously awaiting a few selections to show up in the mail this week. Stay tuned for great pictures in the near future!

Since I've  had wallpaper on the brain, I thought I'd pass along some of our pretty inspiration pictures...

{pinterest via houzz}

{pinterest via houzz}

{pinterest via houzz}

{pinterest via houzz}

{pinterest via houzz}

{pinterest via houzz}

 Hold onto your hats, because guess what this is....

{pinterest via jossandmain.com}

The one we ordered!!!

Mirror Wall Reveal

Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Show us the prettiest dining room of all!

I'm extremely excited to share my clients amazing dining room reveal with you today. It's been a long time coming, but it was totally worth the wait.

Check out this huge transformation...

          AFTER...

We brought this room into this century by removing the faux-finish paint job and heavy texture then replaced it with gorgeous wainscoting and a mirror or two. Oh, yeah, more like 20!!

Here's a closer look at the trim work and details. The contractor, Chris, did a fantastic job and paid very close attention to every single detail. Just one reason this project turned out so killer!

Hats off to my clients who actually did all the math and mapped out the entire wall themselves. Here's a  look back at the very beginning...

I tipped them off to my favorite trick when creating wall designs...painter's tape. It's the miracle that makes things happen.

The view isn't limited to the dining room, it's also easy on the eyes from upstairs too.

Final touches still need to happen, like finding the table's leaf in storage so it'll fill the space better. 

Then, I've got my eye on these beauties...

 Vintage French Square from Restoration Hardware

So, just a little more work before this room is 100% complete, but I just couldn't wait to share the pretties!

Little side note: If you live in the Austin area and would like to buy the chandelier in the before picture, contact me and I'll send you the details.

Happy weekend, friends!

Random Act of Kindness #49

Yum! Yum! Hold onto your tummies because today's RAK challenge has the potential to be delicious. 

"Dessert first?" you ask. Why, yes, that's exactly what I said! Round up a few deserving friends, invite them to dinner, then surprise them by serving dessert first. I'd be willing to bet it'll be a dinner they'll never forget.

It's fun. It's quirky. And best of all, it's random!

Now, go out and bake up a little kindness, friends.

Ikea curtains turned custom

This past July I began helping my father-in-law design a suite in his office building. In case you missed it, click here to see the fun paint design we added. Last week, he called me and said he was ready to add some drapes. The budget is small for this project so it was time to get creative...enter IKEA.

This is what we dreamed up...

Ignore the horrible mini-blinds. They have to stay. And the ceiling panels, they stay too.  Remember, it's an office building.

A little crafty sewing gave us a custom look by using these...

{$49.99}

and these...

{$34.99}

This leftover portion of the curtain panel gives a better representation of Kajsa's true color, cream and navy. (They're NOT white, like they appear on the website.)

These panels are super cute all by themselves but the cream color was lost in the office paint color so that's why they work perfect as only the accent in our design. Cream and navy together are umm, umm good!