Color Chic

A Tiny House...

Actually it's a "Tiny Apartment"! But before I get into that I thought I might explain why I have been absent from this site and basically it's quite simple: I was exhausted! Renovating a house can take a lot out of a person, and not having it completely perfect was a challenge, especially when I want perfection and perfection takes time! I tend to be critical of the work I do, always striving for perfection and not wanting to share something less. It's something I have had to get over! I'm actually quite happy with the work we have done, taking a tired old house and bringing fresh, new life to it!

Rebecca at Simply Made requested to use a photo from the craft room showing the Sherwin Williams Color: Veiled Violet (you'll find it at the bottom of this post). This was the nudge I needed to get back into blogging about all the wonderful color around me! I couldn't have people coming from her site seeing my tired old blog! 

So, come on up this brightly painted staircase:

You'll find the Sherwin William colors I used in this previous post!

Come on in! It's pretty compact, but well laid out!

 The Bedroom.

The Kitchen.

 

The Living Room. Perfect chairs from Fred Meyer!

The Bath & Shower. Cute shower curtain from Target!

This is a little walk-in closet, that's big enough for a dresser!

This space may not be very big, but everyone that comes up here loves it! To quote my neighbor "Oh man if I had a space like this when I was young and single...!"

Organizing...

Moving into a wonderful old home, has it's challenges; one being storage. We are using this old icebox for food storage and while it looks organized, the cabinet is deep and things get lost in the back!

After takinga advantage of the big sale going on at the Container Store, it's easier to keep things organized after we installed the Elfa Mesh Easy Gliders!

We also used the Elfa Mesh Drawers for our recycle...

This fit perfectly into this funny little cabinet at the base of the stairs. Glass on top, Paper in the middle and plasitic on the bottom!

Being a foodie, I love to cook! and enjoy all the small appliances that go with it. So to accomodate these toys, we used the InterMetro shelving unit.

The space is 25" wide and the 24"system was easily put together inside the closet! I selected wire, solid, drawer shelving, and hooks to create the perfect unit for this small space!

Now I just need to get started on the basement : )!

 

 

The Airstream...

If you follow this blog at all you know that we recently made a trip to Yosemite.  Our accomodations were amazing and we've taken it out two other times since that trip mid-September and are planning to get away this weekend. Rain or Shine!  Our accomodations... Bambi!

I was reminded a couple of days ago that I still have not done a post on our "vacation home on wheels". So here it is... It's just 19' in length, perfect size with all the amenities of home.

Let me begin by saying we have the same "no shoes in the house" policy we have at home...

After all it's a tiny little space and I have the most awesome mustard colored rug from Crate and Barrel in the middle of our home. You can see it here in front of the dining area. We took the big cushions out from behind the seats creating more of a lounge area.

That brightly colored blanket you see in the foreground is the Circle Dance quilt I made with Amber a couple of years ago. It never really had a good home, but now it has a great one!

Yes, that's our Master Bedroom Suite! Right next to the bathroom...

The shower is actually ample size and we even found a clothes drying rack that fit inside.

Our closet, between the sink and stove has enough space for a shoe rack and even more for hanging coats.

The little basket on top holds hat, gloves and misc...

The kitchen is a dream! We have all the necessities including a pizza stone in the oven! Bill added extra counter space next to the sink; it still needs to be laminated, but the extra 8" is going to come in handy. We've created some amazing meals in this little space.

The drawers below the range are well organized...

As are the shelves above!

The refridgerator at the end of the bed has a very spacious pantry!

 Our home is very compact, but like I said it has all the necessities of home. And when it's raining outside we stay very dry!

While I'm eager to get away again this weekend and explore, the challenge I have is I'm a bit type-A and feel like I always need to be doing something.  I'm not one to sit and read for hours on end, and I can only knit for so long. I mostly feel the need to be creative and I can do that with our meals but I'm really looking for an awesome craft I can work on during our down time.

I love sewing but really don't have the space. Any ideas?  It probably should involve Ribbon so I can share with all of you the wonderful crafts I'm creating in "Bambi"!

So if you have any great projects I could work on in this little space, please share! I'd love some ideas!

Just in case you were wondering, we've got the backing in thing down to a science! We're able to put it in the tightest of spaces... We don't even put on a show ; )!

An Eclectic Style...

Typically I do posts on Arlene's home around the holidays because she goes all out in decorating every corner of every room.  Check it out HERE! But that's not the only time her home looks amazing because her home is her passion. She's constantly moving furniture, painting a room (I think her place is actually smaller due to the amount of paint on the walls) or just moving around accessories until they are perfect. Her style: Eclectic! And every corner of every space is perfect!

Here's a glimpse to how it looks this week: Peaking into the Living room from the Dining area...

Notice the Sunroom beyond the sliding glass door...

It's made cozy for the cold winter month's...

And that room beyond the french doors is her den...

Her comfortable bedroom...

The Kitchen & Bathroom... Well just take my word they're just as fabulous!

 

Getting Ready for a Christmas Party...

When it comes to getting ready for a Christmas Party we all go about it just a bit differently.  I give it a lot of thought and run around like a mad woman trying to get it all done in a couple of days... Arlene on the other hand starts in November; just as soon as the Halloween decorations come down! This is probably a good thing  because she decorates every corner of her home and every year it's different!

As you enter the home she wishes you a Merry Christmas with her siblings; that's her on the left...

As you enter the place comes alive with light!

Nothing goes without a bit of sparkle during the Holidays:

One of my favorite Christmas decorations is this wonderful picture given to her from her twin:

Don't think she's left the bathroom out because even that has a bit of decor, everywhere you look there's Christmas!

She has all her recipes chosen, dishes set out and shopping done... she'll start cooking tomorrow... while her home has been decorated for over a month the meal will be fresh and delicious!

We'll be sure to bring the camera to catch the fun when the party begins!

How do you decorate for the Holidays?

Come on in for a visit!

Arlene's front porch is always inviting. If she's changed what's out here you can definitely bet she's done something inside.

 

Who can forget her little sunporch with the christmas bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Well she's added an old organ. She says she had help moving it in but the woman is a powerhouse and I wouldn't be surprised if she moved it herself.

 

She does a great job mixing the vintage with modern:

 

And knows when to keep things simple:

 

Her bedroom is always a relaxing retreat:

 

My only surprise with the visit.... She hasn't painted anything since November and her bedroom is still orange.

I'll definitely have to do an outdoor photo shoot next time I visit, as there are signs of spring everywhere, and she loves working outside as much as inside.

And thanks to Suzanne of Coloradolady blog for hosting Vintage Thingy Thursday!

Stimulated to Workout!

Come on in and workout... The door can be left open with the Workout Room Redo! This fabulous color is warm and inviting. 
The Sherwin Williams Color "Exclusive Plum" SW 6263 is a perfect complement to the wall outside the room.  

 We plan to add a couple of mirrors and a Ballet Bar.  With slanted ceiling the room is really very small but functions well to get the job done! This is going to be a great year to work with weights!

Another successful Christmas Party!

Back in November I shared my Mom, Arlene's Christmas Decor. To say her annual Christmas Party last Saturday was a huge success is an understatement! Just coming to her front porch I knew we'd be in for more surprises! 

Every inch of her home was festive! She hung Christmas ornaments from the ceiling in her sun room.

She set up a table in the bedroom for extra seating.

 Even the bathroom felt like Christmas!

 Details.... Details.... 

There were delicious appetizers and a gracious hostess!

 

A Wonderful dinner menu with plenty of desserts including Key Lime Pie... Yummy! 

Friends & Family filled every corner of her home!

  For those who say their home isn't big enough to entertain a large group, Arlene's home is about 1000 square feet and she fed and entertained about 40 friends and family!  Merry Christmas.... Enjoy the Season!