Do You Fear Change?

Seems I've come to a crossroads of sorts.

Not exactly a "life" crossroads, but a design crossroads.

You see, the whole reason for starting this blog was to help me to discern what my style truly is. That was my goal anyway.

Along the way, I have met amazing people, seen some gorgeous homes, and in essence become more confused about what I really "love."

I have definitely learned more about my style, as I shared in this post, but pulling it all together? Well that's where I seem to have hit a brick wall.

Case in point - my living room. I'm almost there. But there's just a few things that are throwing me off and I can't quite figure out what it is.

I was sharing this with Kristen, who sent me a link to Fieldstone Hill's recent series on Overcoming Decorating Paralysis.

It was perfect timing!

So far, I've learned that my biggest obstacle is that I'm afraid to commit; I'm afraid of CHANGE. I also learned that I have the tendency to OVERDOSE on change. Almost seems like one would cancel out the other, right?

I was kind of surprised at the realization that I'm afraid of change, because I love to change things up, only I guess sometimes I do it a little too much. The mantel, the centerpiece, the blog...but the big stuff? Uh-uh. No way.

For example, it took me four years to finally paint my fireplace and my grandmother's hutch. I mean, literally, I have been talking about it for FOUR YEARS. But now, I can't imagine it looking the old way again, and I LOVE IT!!

So, I wait and I wait and I wait to do certain things because I'm afraid I won't like it. I like to change up the little things, but I'm never fully satisfied, hence the OVERDOSING on change.

According to Darlene, one of the first things to do is come up with a list of words that describe what you want your home to be. The key is to not let yourself be pigeon-holed into calling your style "coastal," or "modern," or "cottage." You are looking for adjectives.


Here's my descriptives for my home:

So I see a piece, I think I love it, and I ask myself: Is it...Functional? Comfortable? Personal? If I can answer yes, I move on to the next step.

The "Don't Buy" words. This was a break through for me. My "don't buy" words?

Is it cute? For me, I know now that if I'm looking at something, and I'm screeching thinking in my head, "Oh! That's soooo cute!!!" I need to run. Run away, and don't look back. I see things all the time, and think how "cute" it would look in my house, and I bring it home, and I realize that it might look cute in this photo or that photo, or on the shelf, but in reality, in my home? Nope, not gonna work.

Is it trendy? If it's something I'm currently seeing all over blogland and the latest Pottery Barn catalog, it may be the power of suggestion that's actually leading me to the purchase rather than my "love" of all things chevron.

These are just a few thoughts on this process I've used to discern what I love.There is so much more to the series and I'm anxious to finish it. There's a lot more work to do, and I'll be sharing a little more as I work my way through it. Next up is how I'm going to decorate for this "season" in my life.

I'm anxious to hear your thoughts - how do you know what it is that you truly love? Are you still trying to figure it out? What are some of your WORDS?




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Baked Orange Chicken Recipe

This is another one of those recipes that I came up with on the fly. I remembered seeing a similar recipe somewhere but I couldn't find it so I made it up. That's kinda how we roll around here.

What you need:
Chicken Breasts

Brown Sugar

Orange Juice

Onion Powder

Dry Mustard

Salt & Pepper

(Disclaimer: There are no real measurements as it depends on how many chicken breasts you need.)

(Disclaimer #2: Have you noticed that many of my recipes call  for do it yourself measurements?)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking dish lightly with cooking spray.

Season chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper and place in your baking dish.

Sprinkle tops of chicken breasts with dry mustard and onion powder and sprinkle each piece with a tablespoon of packed brown sugar.

Pour orange juice in the pan just to the tops of the chicken and sprinkle with a couple pinches of brown sugar. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

Pour juice into a glass measuring cup then return chicken to the oven and bake for another five minutes.

To make the sauce, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a saucepan on the stove. Add 1 tablespoon of flour and mix well with a whisk. Pour in about a cup of the reserved juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Simmer for about ten minutes. If sauce is too thin, add a little more flour and whisk until completely dissolved. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve. 

I like to serve this with rice and spoon sauce over it too. Delicious!

Have you made any of my recipes? I'd love to know what you've tried (and if it worked out for you!) Please leave them in the comments below!


Linking up:
At the Picket Fence




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Defining Beautiful

Today's not the day to stop by for a great home decor post. No ladies, today we're talking about body image.

The post I did on the Dove body wash the other day, really got me thinking about body image and self esteem. I stated that one of the reasons I like to use Dove products, is their social mission and commitment to building positive self esteem in all women and young girls.

Then I read Katie's post, a rebuttle to a recent controversy involving Kate Upton, who was being publicly bashed for being "too fat." I'm sorry, but when did this define "fat?"

It was appalling what hundreds of women were saying about her body. To be publicly ridiculed, called horrible names and be completely degraded like that was just mean. Why the judgement? Why is beauty restricted to being a size 0?

You know, everywhere in society, no matter if it's fashion, decor, etc. there is this desire to put down in order to lift yourself up. I found that article (cuz I'm crazy like that!) and it was truly ugly. The only point I took from it was something that I've done myself, and that is to think/say something negative about a really skinny person, and I've probably even jokingly said things like "go eat a burger" or something similar. I never saw that as anything but playful, but I can see how it could be just as hurtful as the high school ridicule I suffered. Do I think it's on the same plane? No. But hurt is hurt.

That being said, this was the ONLY positive thing I took from that article. Everything else that was said was ugly and just plain mean. The article has since received a lot of internet media attention, and in the articles comments, the author and subsequently the readers were upset at how they were incorrectly portrayed and judged. Um, hello?? Pot, meet kettle. You're both black.

I have a friend who has daughter, a young girl about 14 years old, whose favorite outfit is a super tight black mini-skirt that hugs her bum and extends just a couple of inches past it, topping the outfit off with four or five inch heels. I may sound like a complete prude, but I was shocked that a young girl would feel the need to show off her body like that. Somehow these young people have learned that this is what beauty is. Some say it's freedom of expression. But is it?

1 Peter 3:3-4

People tell me every day how beautiful my children are. It's true, they're adorable! But they are so much more than that. They are witty, sassy, sweet, thoughtful, compassionate, intelligent and so many more things, and I tell them that every day. They need to that they are loved and adored for who they are inside, as much as they need to be complimented on their big brown eyes and gorgeous curly hair. 

I think as a society in general we need to stop striving to look more beautiful and start believing we are already beautiful. Start aspiring to love ourselves in the now, exactly as we are. That's not to say that we shouldn't strive to be healthier. But really, in order to be healthier on the outside, you need to feel good about yourself on the inside.

A final thought - I was trying to choose an outfit for a date a while back and was trying on some dresses with a friend to get her opinion. One of them was quite short, and had apparently shrunk in length. I nevertheless put it on.

Now, this is a friend who I envy. For her beauty, her body, her style...the list goes on. I looked at myself in that dress and thought I saw the fat girl in a really short dress. She commented to me that at least my legs had muscle tone, whereas hers had none. This woman who I envied for her body, had body issues too. Just kind of put things into perspective for me.

We all have our battles, whether it be self esteem, body image, addiction or any other in a myriad of life trials. But the key is to remember that as much as you are struggling with something, so is that person next to you. Let's start building each other up instead of tearing each other down.

Stepping down from my soapbox now...

What's your definition of beautiful?


Sharing at:
Inspiration Friday
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Dove's Social Mission, a Product Review & $500 Sweepstakes

I have the worst dry skin, and it's only gotten worse as I've gotten older. Lotions often help but I'm always in such a hurry in the morning that I often forget to put it on. 

I've tried several different expensive body washes that have helped, but I recently began using Dove® VisibleCare™ Renewing Crème Body Wash and have noticed a subtle difference in my skin. At under $7, it's definitely more affordable than other washes I've tried. My skin is smoother, and isn't as dry and itchy. 

Dove® VisibleCare™ Renewing Crème Body Wash is part of a revolutionary line of premium body wash from Dove. Boasting the highest concentration of NutriumMoisture technology available in Dove products, this formula promises visibly more beautiful skin in just one week. Did it deliver on that promise? I think so!


It's creamy and has a super rich lather, which means a little goes a long way.  The scent is pleasant - not too strong, which is a must for me - A nice fresh, clean smell.

But even more than their products, I love the Dove company for their social mission. Dove is committed to building positive self-esteem and inspiring all women and girls to reach their full potential. They are committed to celebrating real beauty in all women and to inspiring women and girls and building self esteem. As the mother of a little girl, I know how crucially important that is.

With each Dove purchase, you help provide inspiring self-esteem programming for girls.

So, did I love the body wash? Absolutely! Would I use it again? You bet! Will I continue to support the Dove company's committment to nurturing the self esteem of women and girls everywhere? Without a doubt.

For more information on Dove's amazing line of products, and their social mission, visit their website.


Want to try the new line of Dove body wash for yourself? Visit Dove^® VisibleCare^® to get a coupon for $1 off!


But wait! There's MORE!!

Enter to win one of two $500 Spafinder gift certificates!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

 You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt.

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Be sure to visit the Dove^® VisibleCare™ Crème Body Wash brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

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Another Summer Mantel and a Little Less Paint

So do you remember I hinted here that I was going to paint my whole living room last weekend? Well I ended up NOT painting the whole living room, but at 11:00 Sunday night, I decided to scrape the paint off of the fireplace cover to take it back to it's humble black beginnings.

Yes, I truly am a glutton for punishment.

Thankfully, I didn't originally paint it the "right way" and had just slapped it on without prepping at all, so with a little scraping, it came right off and left only a few scratches.

That's what Sharpies are for folks.

So after scraping paint for half an hour, I decided I wanted to change up the mantel just a bit since I wasn't completely happy with it. I had a beautiful new piece of coral to add, and I removed the star basket.

I added the black frame and included a sheet of vintage German dictionary paper. I have a whole stack of it that was a special gift from Kristen of Ella Claire. (and yes, she is every bit as awesome as her name!).

Perfection!

Well, for now anyway.

Did you notice anything else different? How about you take another look?

Yes, my friends, I finally painted over my little "what were you thinking wanting to paint this entire room" samples. Now the whole room is the same color once again. It's about darn time.

So I guess I actually did paint last weekend, only it was using a sample size instead of a couple of gallons.

I can't believe that is what was bugging me this whole time.

There's just a few things left to finish before I can fully reveal the space, but it's more about finding the time than anything. (Any of you have that problem???).

So what do you think? Do you like the before or the after? Do you think I still need to paint the room a lighter color?

Linking to:
Savvy Southern Style
At the Picket Fence

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I really, really hate long drawn out projects

My living room "makeover" is kicking my butt. I am so over it at this point I don't even know if I want to continue. I just feel like it's not "working" and I'm not sure what it is about it that's not working.

I think I may need to paint.

I really don't want to paint. Like really, REALLY don't want to paint.

But I'm beginning to feel like that's the "thing" that's not working for me.


So I guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend.

Here's hoping I pick the right color! What do you think of that green? 

Kidding.

What about you? Have you ever reached that point in a project where something's just not working and you can't quite put your finger on what? Tell me I'm not alone!!

It's getting late and I gotta run, the police are paying another visit to our house tonight. (The police officer's uncle is a friend of mine, and they stop by to pay my "I wanna be a Police when I grow up" son a surprise visit every once in a while).

I need to pick up my laundry that happens to be all over my sofa and coffee table. I'm thinking they don't need/want to see my bras and underwear!

Have a great weekend everyone!




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Princess Dressing Area (Little Girl's Room Details)

Thank you so much for all of the sweet love on my daughter's princess room! She {big puffy heart} loves her updated room!!

A lot of you have asked, so I wanted to share with you some of the details in the room. This is the first of two details posts.

~The Princess Dress Up Area~

This idea came from my desire to give my daughter a space where she could store all her princess dresses, jewelry, shoes, etc in one place.

Every princess needs a mirror. I was planning on scouring Craigslist and thrift stores for the perfect little ornate mirror, but remembered I had this one and thought that a full length mirror was more appropriate for a dressing area.

This happens to be an old mirror from IKEA, that I purchased about 10 years ago for about $75. It's huge, and made a great full-length mirror for her. And what little princess doesn't LOVE to look at herself in the mirror?

Of course, every princess needs a place to hang her dresses.

This wall hanging serves also as a piece of art for the room.

This was one of those pieces I'd had a lightbulb moment with last year. We all know that I love using family pieces in my home decor, whether for it's intended purpose, or re-purposed. Well, I had found this little table that my uncle made in high school about 50 years ago.

Here is the evolution:

The hooks are just drawer pulls from Home Depot. I added two more at about $3.50 a piece, and repainted the border a pretty pink color. I just bought a sample pot for about $3.

The crown images were printed on plain paper, and were found on The Graphics Fairy. The frames were already in the room.

More details to come in Friday's post. Thanks so much for stopping by today!



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Little Girl's Princess Room Makeover Reveal

Yes, that's right, my daughter now has what she requested: A Princess room!

What? You didn't know I was redoing my daughter's room? Well, neither did I, until last week.

You see, I'm kind of stalled on the living room. It's just not going the direction I wanted it to. Something's not quite right and I'm not sure what that is or how I want to proceed. So when my kids started talking about redecorating their bedrooms, I figured it was time to step back from the ginormous room from hell living room project and work on something else.

Last week my little girl told me she wanted a pink princess room, because she doesn't like blue. When I created Riley's first room design, it was pretty quickly and without any of her input. If you've seen the "before," you can see there wasn't much "to it." I've been wanting to step it up for a while now, so when she asked for a "pink wall" and I had to say "uh, no way," I figured the least I could do was give her a little update.

This was a VERY low budget makeover, costing me about $50. To be fair, I reused or repurposed most of what was already in the room or in other parts of the house, making only a few small purchases at JoAnns, Target and Home Depot.

I'll share all of the juicy details in a later post, but for now, how about some pretty pictures?

I'll give you all of the pretty details in a post later this week, because for now, all you need to know is this little princess loves her new room!

Linking up:
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Inspiration Friday @ At The Picket Fence
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
DIY Project Parade @ DIY Showoff
The Creative Spark @ Clean & Scentsible
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
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A "New" Table and An "Old" Door

Before I dive into this post, I want to say a quick thank you to all my lovely readers. I have been doing my best to respond to each and every one of your comments, but if I haven't responded, please know that I appreciate you!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I can't believe my living room is so much closer to being finished. Just a few final projects before I'll be ready for a full reveal. Curtains and artwork, and maybe a few accessories is pretty much all that's left. And for those curtains, I'm going to be sending my friend Roeshel a plane ticket so she can come out here to Cali and give me a hand (since I will be using her technique and all). What do you say, Roeshel???

I'm so excited to finally be able to show you this little corner vignette I've been putting together. I FINALLY found just the right table for this spot, at where else, Country Roads.

I have been trying to figure out what to do for tables in the living room, since I'm pretty much over the furniture I had. When I spotted this little beauty at CR, it was love at first sight! She's a pretty little vintage metal table, covered in Paris Grey chalk paint.

I topped her off with some PB coffee table books, a vintage lamp and a beautiful piece of coral.

I love how the coral has these gorgeous specks of red.


The old door was also from Country Roads, and was a gift from a friend who wanted to surprise me for my birthday. Did he ever! The patina is just lovely, and you can see shades of chippy whites and green peeking through.

I'm so excited to be so much closer to finished on this huge makeover. Thought I'd give you a sneak peek of the other project I worked on over the weekend...

Can you guess what it was???


This post is linked to:
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Inspiration Friday @ At The Picket Fence
Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors


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