Diamond wall meets Design Star

Well, well, well...did anyone catch Tuesday's episode of HGTV's Design Star. Bryn and I were snuggled in for our weekly TV date and suddenly she said..."Momma, she's going to make your wall!" She was quick to take note of the sketches Britany had drawn. Next thing you know the carpenter is fast at work building diamonds!

I thought, 'surely it's not going to be the same', but I'll let you be the judge of that...

Britany's diamond wall:

{photo via Britany's blog}

 My diamond wall:

I would love to know where she got her inspiration?! Could it be?...

Holy smokes! Look what I found on Britany's Pinterest page. Guess I just answered my own question!

I've said it before...imitation is the highest form of flattery! It would've been nice to have received a few HGTV shout outs for the idea, right?!

I've got another big project in the works but my handy husband has asked for the weekend off. Guess I'm just going to have to be patient. I hope you all have a restful and peaceful weekend, friends.

Random Act of Kindness #41

Happy Thursday, friends. I hope you're all in the mood to spread a little kindness today.

If you've ever spent any time serving in a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter, you know firsthand what a touching experience this can be. I have a soft spot in my heart for the homeless. I've performed this random act of kindness several times and every single time I'm positive I walk away from the experience more blessed than the people we're feeding.

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rak challenge #41: volunteer at a soup kitchen

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I know this makes some people very uncomfortable, but you know what? These people are just like you and me. Many of them have been handed very difficult circumstances and life has hit them hard. And, sure, there are the ones who have made bad choices and are now reaping what they sow, but even they don't deserve our judgement...they need to be treated kind too.

Are you up for the challenge?...then you know what to do, go out and be kind, friends!

Lovin' these drawer pulls

Looking for something new and unique for your next furniture makeover? I have the perfect solution...leather drawer pulls! Take a peek at these beauties in action...

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They come in tons of different colors and I'm totally crushing on how unique they are. I ran across them while looking for cabinet jewelry for my client's kitchen remodel. I threw the idea their way but their enthusiasm didn't quite match mine. 

I ordered a few samples from the manufacturer, Spinneybeck, and I'm hoping my clients haven't completely closed the door on this option!

Like I said earlier, these pulls would dress up any furniture makeover. Cassie, the master of all furniture makeovers, invited me over to her blog today to share Bryn's Woodland Room.

Hop on over  and check it out, friends!

Transparent Tuesday

I'm short on words today, friends. It's been a rough week since my dad's surgery to remove a cancerous tumor last Tuesday. We're extremely grateful and blessed that the cancer was contained and 100% removed, but he's had major complications throughout his recovery.

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He was moved to ICU last night for difficulties with his heart. Here's an amazing testament to the man my father is...After the chaos that ensued finding the heart problem and rushing him to ICU, I asked him, "Where you scared, dad?" He answered, "Not really, I just prayed the entire time." May we all learn from him that fear gets us nowhere and prayer finds us peace. 

Kitchen Progress

Ahhh, such great progress to share with you today, friends! My client's dated wallpaper has been stripped and the walls have been painted a beautiful shade of Herbal Escape by Benjamin Moore. If you missed the first shots of this Kitchen remodel, click here to see where we started.

Also take note of those fabulous shaker style drawers that have recently been installed. Originally, this entire area consisted of all lower cabinets. We felt replacing the cabinets with drawers would be improve the functionality in a major way. 

A fun little feature we added was soft closing drawer slides and cabinet hinges. No slamming doors in this kitchen!

 Aaaannnd, we have uppers! Check out the finished bar area. By adding paneling under the bar that mimics the style of cabinets, it creates a cohesive look as your eye flows right into the kitchen.

How about these shots for true progress pictures? Here we have our granite friend taking measurements and the cabinet maker, Fabio (yes, that's really his name!), installing the cabinets.

Now, I know these aren't the "prettiest" of pictures but let's be real. If you thinking about doing any remodeling, this is the reality of what you'll be living in for months. I have to give huge props to my clients because they've been living without a functioning kitchen for quite some time now and their attitudes have been stellar! It's all about keeping your eye on the prize.

I'm excited for you guys to see the next phase. This is when the pictures will look less like a war zone and a lot more like a kitchen...painted cabinets, wonderful countertops and dark and lovely floors!

Thunderbird Lodge Tour

Last week's vacay in Lake Tahoe led us to an amazing tour or the late George Whittell's estate, Thunderbird Lodge. To be honest, I wasn't overly excited to go on this tour but much to my surprise it ended up being one of my favorite things we did all week.

Thunderbird Lodge is known as "Lake Tahoe's Historic Castle in the Sky," and can I just tell you that it's a designer's dream. The attention to design and architectural details are stunning.

The lodge was originally built in the 30's and the craftsmen brought in to work on the project came from all over the world. This makes for a very interesting blend of influences. Is anyone else smitten with the green screen hanging out next to that amazing iron door?!

I would be very happy to transfer this entire room right into my guest room. 

To say George Whittell was an extravagant man would be an understatement. In addition to the main lodge, his property includes a Card House, a Caretaker's Cottage, the Cook/Butler's house, an elephant barn,  the Admiral's house, the Boathouse with adjoining 600' tunnel and Gatehouse. Oh yeah, and he had a pet lion!

Beautiful views await at every turn and window. 

A peek into the Cook's quarters. I think appliances should return to this look, white with black trim. It's gotta be better than our stainless trend that shows millions of fingerprints, right?! Check out the top of the island...marble, of course. Seen any of that in current design? ha!

I don't think there was a single door in the entire place that I didn't stop to appreciate. 

My little hunter couldn't resist snapping a picture of the exotic pets hanging out around the place. Various cats (of the large kind), zebras, and did I mention he had a pet lion?! Crazy!

A bit of Scandinavian influence through the woodwork. This was the card house that not only had a fireplace at each end, but also had a secret door in the shower that led to this spiral staircase.

Rumor has it that George would escape through his secret tunnel when the game wasn't quite going his way. Along the path of the tunnel were an opium room and a dungeon. Wild!

Told you I stopped to appreciate every single door!

And last, but not least, another shot of the beautiful scenery that houses this incredible castle. It's no wonder this lodge is currently a popular venue for weddings.

If you're fortunate enough to visit Tahoe, I'd say a stop by Thunderbird Lodge is definitely worth the trip!

We're going to do some major celebrating this weekend, friends. My dad's test results came back clear...NO cancer in his lymph nodes. We've been praising God and I'm so very thankful for my mom and her diligence in getting him to his routine checkups. The tumor had already made it through the entire lining of his colon so it was only a matter of time before it spread. But since they're so on top of yearly physicals, the cancer was caught and now my dad's been spared of continued treatment. So thankful for your thoughts and prayers, friends!

Random Act of Kindness # 40

Today's RAK is definitely not an original idea but that doesn't mean the recipient won't appreciate it! 

Since we've spent a little extra time in the hospital this week, we turned our attention to our surroundings and decided to take operation RAK (yes, that pun was fully intended) inside.

Random Act of Kindness Challenge #40: Leave  money on a vending machine for an unsuspecting stranger.

Here's how we left it...

And this is what we found after visiting my dad then swinging back by the vending machine on our way out...

Are you observant enough to see what happened? Our recipient went ahead and paid it forward immediately! They only took one of the two dollars then moved the remaining dollar to another machine for someone else to find.

Don't forget to take a RAK card with you. You can print these if you're in need. I love keeping a handful in my car so I'm always prepared!

Okay friends, it's your turn...go out and be kind!