Weighing in on current trends

I'm just going to jump right in and go over the most popular trends that I see everywhere lately and tell you what I like/dislike about them and how to do them the right way! 

DISCLAIMER: If you have any of this in your home, GREAT! This is just MY opinion.

Arrows:  I have seen so many people using arrows in their home, be it on a gallery wall or in a nursery, as a place filler above the TV or bed... its EVERYWHERE. I don't hate this one per se I just think its overused.

Gallery walls: I have a gallery wall in my home. Honestly, I don't know a single person who doesn't. My issue with this one is when people use so many different things [especially like five different quotes that in no way go together] and just throw it on a wall and call it a day, then they cant figure out "what its missing." I also cannot STAND when the items are placed far apart or have no sense of flow or shape. The number one question I hear when someone does a gallery wall is, "Does this look too cluttered?" YES! Yes, it does! 

TIP#1: Space the items closer together and use items that flow together. If you want to use a bunch of different colors try using the same color frames, this creates a uniform look so that it doesn't appear too cluttered. If you want to use different frames try using only black and white pictures, or only color pictures instead of a mixture between the two, this will also make it look more uniform. If you want to use multiple quotes try to find ones that go together, like different bible verses or different parts of the same quote or song framed separately.

TIP#2:Create a shape for the gallery. If its going on a staircase wall make the arrangement parallel to the railing. If its going on a square wall, make the arrangement square or rectangle or heart shaped. Don't just throw a bunch of frames and random stuff on the wall and call it good! 

Ampersands: I don't get this one, AT ALL. An ampersand [the "and" symbol (&)] literally means AND. Nothing more. I have heard the weirdest "meanings" for the use of these from "life goes on," to "there's always more to do, see, be".... etc etc etc. NO! It means AND, plain and simple. 

TIP#1: only use these when it makes sense. For example, I used to have mine and Zack's initials [JZ] on our bedroom wall and used a large ampersand in the center because LITERALLY, I wanted it to say J AND Z. I honestly see no other use for it.

our apartment 3 years ago... my style has evolved 

Chalk painted furniture: I don't necessarily have an issue with this one as I have chalk painted many items in my home, however, my issue stems from those people that say it requires no prep-work and the finish is just oh so perfect and never wears. My butt! First off, it requires MINIMAL prep not NO prep. You MUST at least clean the piece well before painting. As for the finish I like it but it definitely isn't a smooth, perfect finish like everyone likes to pretend it is. The worst part however is the durability. Chalk paint does not last! I painted my desk [four coats!] and I put a cup down on it 3 days after painting and sealing it with wax and it pealed right up! I know a lot of people swear by the wax but I call bull on that. I waxed my pieces super well and it had no effect. I ended up touching up paint on the desk and sealed it with polycrylic and its holding up well now but no paint finish should just scratch right off by setting a cup on it. Also, chalk paint is no faster than painting with regular latex paint or spray paint. Actually I think spray paint leaves a smoother, more even finish in a much faster time frame for much less money. Think about it: you have to clean the piece, paint 3-4 coats, sand the brush marks off, wax it and then re wax every so often. Latex and spray paint you rough it up [you do not need to sand it down completely!], spray it with paint [or do a couple coats of latex], spray [or paint] polycrylic over it and boom, done for life. I have done so many pieces like this that they have still held up years later! 

Coffee bars: My problem with this trend is that people are creating spaces in their home that they probably wont use. I have a small section of my counter where I keep my Keurig and yes, I dressed it up a bit but I dont see the purpose of purchasing a buffet or dresser just to set your coffee maker and a bunch of random stuff on it.It seems like a waste to me. Why not just put it in the kitchen?

you can see my little coffee area here....

I have an obsession with black and white coffee cups so I display them on a cute stand

my K-cups are in a metal drawer that I set the Keurig on

and I have a little bowl holding my sugar packets that sits on it too. 

Plank walls: Not gonna lie, I love this one and plan to use it in my own home, but I think those people using actually pallets for this are just insane. no amount of cleaning is going to give me peace of mind about nailing chemically treated wood onto my wall, that's a whole lot of NOPE.

TIP#1: Use plywood! Seriously, its so easy to use, you can rip it down to your specific needs and stain/paint it any color you want and the best part is, its not going to make you sick. Win win.

this one by Jenna Sue designs can be altered to be a painted wall or you could stain it for a rustic look.
Want it to look MORE rustic? Try staggering the plank seams and cut them different widths and stain/paint different colors!

So these are the main trends I see lately. Do you have any that you cant stand or think is overused? leave it in the comments! 

xoxo,

Jackie 

vision come to life

I am a very visual person. I want to know exactly how a space is going to look before I ever decide to buy anything, so i create these, what I call, mock ups. I have no clue how to use Photoshop so I just use Paint on my computer which is why they look so janky, but it helps me to see the space for exactly as I imagine it. I told you all that I was really obsessed with grey cabinets lately so I decided to mock up a bathroom [with double and single sink options], a kitchen, my office and laundry room. This is what I came up with!

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xoxo,

Jackie

No more espresso

I finally got around to painting the rest of the dark wood furniture in my bedroom! I have been wanting to make some changes in here for a long time and I'm finally getting around to it. I used the leftover DIY chalk paint that I used in this post, did three coats each and called her done. I need to seal them but thats a project for another day.

Now, I need to take a trip to ikea to really finish things off.... should be by the end of the month, Stay tuned! 

xoxo, 

Jackie

Grey everything

I have always loved white kitchens. The clean, crisp, all white kitchen. Now, I'm not so sure. I'm really not sure when I changed my mind but somewhere along the way I think I realized I wanted something different. Call me a follower, I don't care, I want a GREY kitchen! I know its all the rage right now and maybe that's why I like it, because I'm seeing it everywhere, but how can you not fall in love with a kitchen like this...

I am more into the darker, grey-blue cabinets with the oil rubbed bronze knobs, pulls and fixtures and Id pair it with lighter walnut floors, white/grey granite and white subway tile back splash. I of course would add other wood elements like rustic open shelving or faux beams like the picture, but I'm definitely digging this look for sure. Here's my mood board..... [you didn't honestly think I wouldn't have one right?]

I know that it seems like I constantly change my mind, and I do, but what is personal style without a few changes? okay, a lot of changes but still. Your home will never be uniquely you if you dont create exactly what YOU want and love. Plus, I still have plenty of time to figure it all out since we dont even have a house to put all of this in.... yet. Someday though, Im gonna have me a grey kitchen.

xoxo,

Jackie

Texas inspired me.

I joined a new group on Facebook called At Home, if you havent heard of it go join it, NOW! Its seriously addicting. Most of the people on it are from Texas and from what I've seen the turquoise theme is heavy there. After scrolling through several posts with these amazing turquoise accents I got inspired to create a small house mood board. I cant help it. Since I cant change my house "theme" everyday I create these mood boards to sort of virtually change my own home. This is how I would use turquoise.... hope you like it!

Dining and Kitchen

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Bedroom

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Living room 

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Nursery

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xoxo,
Jackie

Ikea Hemnes dresser makeover

I purchased this dresser from Ikea about two years ago and I absolutely love it. Ive seen a bunch of Ikea hacks on Pinterest lately and decided it might be time for me to finally change this one. Orgionally when we went to our Ikea [over and hour away] I went with the idea Id be leaving with the white one they sell but when we got there all they had left were the dark brown ones. I was a little bummed but I figured that later on down the road I could paint it, but I never got around to it. Lately, I dont know why, but I have been really itching to do projects and after I finished with the mini bathroom makeover this week I thought maybe it was time to tackle the dresser. At first I thought I'd do it all white, then stripped and stained, which would be a ton of work and be a ton of wood so I decided why not do white with a wood top? I knew that the stripping would be a pain but I also knew it would be worth it so I went to Lowes and gathered up my supplies ...

Sherwin Williams white paint sample
plaster of paris [to make my own chalk paint using this recipe]
Minwx finishing wax
Minwax english chestnut
Valspar white sample can [for white washing the wood]
50 grit sandpaper [for stripping]
120 grit sandpaper
Black and Decker mouse sander
paint brush
wash cloths

First thing I did was give the entire dresser a quick wipe down with a soapy wash cloth to get off any dust or dirt and removed the hardware.

Next I slapped a piece of 50 grit on the mouse and went to town. This part took FOREVER but you have to get the clear finish off before the dark stain will start coming off. I started on the sides then did the top in sections. [It took a total of six 50-grit pages to finish the entire top. ] I vacuumed the dust and wiped it down again then moved on to the 120-grit and did a quick once over to smooth things out.

After that I took a damp cloth and wiped it all down again and started staining. I wiped on the stain and immediately wiped off the excess.

 When the entire piece was stained I grabbed clean, damp wash cloth and dipped it [lightly] into the Valspar sample and wiped it onto the stain, immediately wiping the excess. This is how I white wash all the wood in my house and i love the hazy effect it gives. When the entire piece is covered in the white wash I usually go over it with a 120 grit sanding block in a few spots to make the white wash look more imperfect, and then the top was done! Now onto the painting!

According to the chalk paint recipe I linked above I mixed 5 tbsp of Plaster of Paris into 2 tbsp water then poured that directly into my sample pot and stirred well. After that I just applied a thin layer all over. As you can see I didn't remove the drawers, instead I painted around them and then went back and removed them all and did one coat on the inside so you wouldn't see the dark brown poking through. It honestly would have been a lot easier to remove the drawers first but apparently I like to do things the hard way. Anyway, I did thin coats all over the dresser and then immediately started a second coat, then a third. I left no drying time other than the time it took to paint the other parts of the dresser, if that makes any sense. 

After 3 coats of paint I applied the wax. Just dipped a dry cloth into the wax and rubbed it all over. After letting the piece set for about 15 minutes I went back with a clean cloth and buffed it, put the handles back on and voila! 

I really like the way it turned out in general except the color of the stain. I really wanted a lighter finish. I talked to Zack about it and told him I really, REALLY don't want to have to strip it again and he suggested that we remove the top all together and replace it with planks of more rustic wood. We will see if I ever get around to doing that but if I do I'm sure I'll love it even more.

xoxo,

Jackie 

Paint makes all the difference

This post is all about the power of paint. Seriously, paint makes all the difference. In our master bathroom we have a tiny room where the toilet is. Its an awkward space since its so small but also because the wall isn't a perfect square. The wall to the right has a slant so the toilet isn't completely centered. It drives me crazy but I thought maybe I could hate it a little less if I made a couple changes. This is what I started with....

I have a ton of leftover paint from the living room and I'm truly in love with the color down there so I figured why not......

And this is what it looks like right now.....

Kinda fancy huh? It feels so much more elegant, as elegant as a bathroom really can be that is, but I love it. I added the black and white picture, a basket on top of the toilet that holds our poo pourri [if you don't have any get it!] and a hand towel, and a wicker trash can I got at Walmart forever ago, easy peasy. 

xoxo,

Jackie