Dreaming in Red...

Lately, I've been dreaming of rich, and romantic colors. Mostly, of red, purple, and blue. Not together. But as a base, for certain rooms. We are quite the "Fans of Color," around this home!

My bedroom, in my own home, is a deep purple. It's so incredibly rich. With a "Moroccan theme." And I adore it! Between the accessories, my favorite color, and all the linens...it makes me miss home. Just thinking of my room.

I took to Pinterest. To see what other people were cooking up. And I came across a lot of nice spaces. I just feel like, we need a room in our home, like this. I mean, this guy, has the most amazing "Poker Room." Painted a deep, burnt orange. So why can't I have a "Red Reading Room?"

I'm using this picture as inspiration. I actually ventured out the other day, and found a beautiful desk. Just perfect for this space. With some incredible lanterns, candles, and accessories. They just need to be cleaned up.

As far as a comfy chair, and sofa...we just ordered them. I found a style that I like. But had to have it ordered, in the color, and fabric, that I LOVE!!! Oh, and the same company, is re-upholstering an amazing chair I found. For the desk. :)

I've also set out, to find the perfect rug. And curtains. I guess I could sew the curtains. But I'm honestly, not "feeling it" right now. Never fear. I will be doing a tad bit of sewing. In the form of pillows. And possibly a throw.

Even that was quite a story. I'd been eyeing this fabric. But at $50+ a yard, was not going to buy it. I'd look at it. Think about. Run around, look at pillows. Price everything. Try to figure out, what was the best "Bang for My Buck." Ultimately, this guy had enough of my indecisiveness.

Rather, he knows me. And knows that if he doesn't buy the fabric, I'll continue like this...quite possibly, forever. So he ordered a "boat load" of fabric. I almost died, when I got home one day. And all this lush fabric, was waiting for me.

Speaking of, I might just find someone to make those drapes for me. I'm 100% positive, we have more than enough fabric. I just don't like making window treatments. I don't know why. I just don't like it.

But there you go. My next little project. Like I need one. Right? We already have a library. But there's this perfect little room, that was begging for some love. And I just had to go help her out. Besides, the lighting is perfect! And the views are breathtaking. It's the most perfect place, to read, write, and just "be."

People always ask me, "What do you do without little ones?" This my friends, is what "child-less couples" do. They work on their homes. They redecorate. They become DIY champs! Who knows, one day, we might repaint one of these rooms, to be a nursery. One day. Until then...well, I've got a "Red Baby" to tackle! ♥

Beautiful Inspiration

I've been "On the Fence" about my home. There is a Realtor, that is very interested in my home. So much so, I'd make a good deal of money, with the sale. As in, more than double what paid for it...11 years ago.

But it's my home. Although, I spend little to no time there. It's my "security blanket." And I'm not totally sure about parting ways. Not just yet. Instead, I'm looking at putting a lot of TLC into my home. Since I decided to spend more time in the Southwest this Summer, I've also decided to tackle some "Home Projects."

First up, is some not so fun stuff. Back in May, I worked for 2 weeks. In music stuff. And added to my "nest egg." Because I've known for a while now, that I NEED a new roof. And let me tell you, they are NOT CHEAP!!! A family friend, owns a roofing business in the area. Their estimate, is between $40,000-50,000. Way too high for me! So I'm still on the search. I also have a pretty urgent plumbing issue to fix. Another $500 project. :( Oh, and a new hot water heater...

Those are 3 HUGE projects. Very costly! But there are also many smaller things, that I can tackle. Can I be honest here? I bought paint almost 18 months ago. And that's one project that I'm ready to tackle. Lots of painting! A little sewing. I NEED some curtains. Oh, and a little yard work. :)

But I'm not disappointed. These are things that NEED to get done. But I'm also looking for some inspiration. Not only is this my first home. But it's definitely a "Girl Home." I've got tons of candles, throw pillows, and fun colors.

With a limited decorating budget, due to the important work that needs to be done, I've gone to Pinterest for a little inspiration. Oh, and let me tell you, I'm not disappointed! Just wondering, how much I can get done in 2 months. Just look at this dining room!!!



I'm in LOVE!!! Those flowers, are AMAZING! I'm thinking, they'd be fun in my office. Which is already a fun space. That inspires me every single day. And the crisp white room, WOW! I want a similar looking room. Not for a dining room. Maybe a laundry room. Or guest room.

If you have any ideas, or inspiration, please let me know! Although I'm working on a few different projects, working on my home, is ALWAYS my favorite. Because it's my space. I don't have to think about what someone else likes. Just what I enjoy. Not in a spoiled brat, sort of way. But in the sense, that I won't always have this space. That is just mine. And I want to enjoy it. I want to enjoy my dark purple bedroom, my chandeliers, and all the "girly" touches. ♥

Making Me Dream....

If you've been reading my blog, for any length of time, you'd know that I LOVE to organize things. I literally spend hours and hours, organizing the craziest things around here. Like straight pins, books, and cooking utensils...by color! My label maker, is honestly my best friend. So when I seen a "Gift Wrapping Station" DIY, I was thrilled!

In our home, I'm a little ashamed to admit it, I have an entire room dedicated to gift wrapping. Pathetic I know! But when you have 2 adults, no kids, and all these rooms...well you find ways to fill up rooms. Like gift wrapping, video gaming, and craft rooms. Yup, that's how we roll!!! :)

But in my home, space is sacred. I know, it's ONLY my stuff in my home. And it's a large family home. But it seems like, I NEVER have enough space. EVER! This would be perfect. A few hooks, a couple of pieces of wood, and dowels...make for perfection!



Sarah has her "Gift Wrapping Station" near her door. In her laundry room. Me? I'd put it in my dining room closet. I already store my wrapping paper in there. This would be perfect! Thank you Sarah, for sharing such an AMAZING idea! One that makes me feel less crazy...about my organizing ways. ♥

Fun Idea

I'm sure that by now, you've seen the commercial. The Home Depot commercial. Where they show the "Flower Box." I've been watching it for months! And now, I want one. Actually, since that first day I seen that commercial, I've wanted one. :)

But for me, I'd plant some edibles in it. You know, herbs. And I'd have this guy, hang it near our kitchen. It would be "Summertime Perfection!" What do you think?



I was even thinking, in my front porch, this would be a good idea. To add lots of color. Because my house is white, my outdoor furniture is neutral, and well I need some color in the porch. This also looks like a very easy project. Now if I could just get some time to make it. ♥

Fun Desk Idea

I've really been looking at tons and tons of furniture lately! Part of it is, we have 3 homes, that need to be finished. But I've been looking for some "Budget Friendly" ideas. Heck, this idea, I'd LOVE to add to my own home. :)



An old coffee table, into a new desk. Personally, I'd use some big legs. Something with more weight to them. But I just adore this idea!

I've been finding lots of crazy furniture, on the side of the road. My daily commute, just takes me by some really nice neighborhoods. And people are ALWAYS updating their homes. For sure, I'm going to be hunting down a coffee table. I'd love to make my own desk. And perhaps, paint it a fun and unique color! ♥

Outdoor Inspiration

I ALWAYS travel with this guy. But let me tell you, this week has been so unexpected. Right out of "left field." It's floored me. Last Saturday, I was in my friends' wedding. Sunday, I "officially" became a Godmother, to 3 beautiful little girls. Monday, I lost my sister-in-law...

It's been emotional. Yesterday, were the services. And I still feel numb. Instead of a somber day, I was supposed to be celebrating Sofia. With this guy. Instead, I was in shock. That my young sister-in-law, is no longer with us. Today, I have to pull it together. It's Dawn's Bridal Shower. And I'm trying to stay happy and positive.

To get me in the mood, I've been on Pinterest. Looking for some inspiration. For our yard. We enjoy being outside. And with a new home, we have a new yard. That NEEDS to feel like home. So here we go...



How about some pretty flowers? In a cute little wooden barrel. I actually have 3 of these. And I sorta hate them. Because flowers are never tall enough, to be seen. But with these modifications, this could work. And it doesn't look too hard!



Or just some beautiful flowers. You see, I have 2 HUGE trees, in front of my home. My front yard NEVER gets any sun. This would be a nice change. A HUGE path of beautiful blooms. :)



How about a little shade. I have a HUGE backyard. With no shade! A nice little porch. But no place to entertain. I'm sorta in love with this entire arrangement. And the fact that it still feels fresh and airy!



At our new home, we have a big 'ol deck. We did buy some great outdoor furniture. But how cool, would these bench seats be? And they are so simple to make! This might just be, our next project. :)



And a beautiful dining area. I just LOVE to eat outside, during these warm months. Who wouldn't want to share a meal, in a beautiful area like this?

Now that I read through this post, I realize that the top 3 ideas, are for my home. The bottom 2, our for our new home. Can you tell that I'm going in a million directions? Oh well. I NEED lots of ideas right now. And Pinterest just happens to be the place, we're I'm drawing some inspiration. Now, we just need to tackle a few of these projects. While the weather is still warm. ♥

Personal Touches...

Do you remember me telling you about my decorating dilemma? Well, I'm still there. I haven't been shopping in forever! If you want to count me, running into Target and Home Depot, for some last minute Mother's Day presents. And that quick trip to Wal-Mart, for this guy's deodorant and shampoo, I haven't been shopping in almost 2 months. Yes, this man is begging me to go grocery shopping. It's at the top of my list for today. :)

Back to my decorating. We call home, the "South." One, because that's where this guy's business is based out of. Two, I currently work, at a local Children's Hospital. Three, we enjoy it. But I'm from the Southwest. My entire family lives there! And a few times a year, we still travel out west. For this guy's work. I also have a home. I purchased on my own, when I was 18. It's where I went to college. 3 hours from my family. Which I still have. Sometimes, we run out there, to "get away."

I also work near there. Part time. But my home, isn't in the best of shape. Personally, I'm just trying to pay for Medical School. I don't want anyone else to pay for it. So it can be tough. My home, has suffered because of this. Partly because, my home was built in the 1940s. It needs a lot of TLC. Say a working heater, water heater, and AC. Perhaps, I could finally fix that pesky little leak. And the plumbing, needs to be completely redone.

Because of my health, I can't really stay there either. That's why My Guy, decided to invest in some property there. It's a lot. A lot on our plate. But after dating for 4 years, we know that our future holds lots of traveling for us. Because of this guy's job. The reality is, if and when we decide to marry, I won't work. We'll continue to travel for his job. And we'll try to equally share our time, between my family and his. Never mind the 2000+ miles.

Each home is very different. But needs personal touches. Needs to feel like home. A place that one day, we can raise a family in. A place to have friends over. A home to enjoy. I've been sorta picky about things. Because I don't want to spend too much money. And I need to remember, we don't have much down time.

But I keep finding these great ideas! And things that I love. Things that I want to fill our homes with. That won't break the bank. I want to do that much, for the man I love. I don't want him to be investing tons of money into these homes. If I can, I want to save us some money.



This project, is something I'm dying to make!!! I cook a lot. And I want to add something, to our kitchen, that makes it a little fun. This could be it. Between, Classy Clutter is a new favorite of mine!

In fact, I've already purchased the materials for this project. I've measured out spaces. And we're well on our way. Project #2. Because Project #1, got started the night before last. In the middle of the night. After our good friend rescued, and delivered a bed to us. :) Thanks again Buddy! ♥

If Only...

Wouldn't it be wonderful to win the lottery? There are so many things, I'd do with that money. First off, I'd donate half of it, to a Children's Hospital. Then I'd finish school. Buy my brother and his wife, a new home. Help my parents with their business. Fix my home. Things like that. Maybe just maybe, I'd also like a new car. :)



I suppose, it doesn't hurt to dream. Someone has to win the jackpot! I've gotten my share of the tickets. And have my fingers crossed. You just never know, what might happen. And well, maybe something good will come out of the money I just spent! ♥

Crepe Myrtle

What can I say about Crepe Myrtle? Either you're a fan, or you're not. It's pretty simple. Well, I'm a fan. Around my hometown, everyone seems to have a small bush, or a large tree. Somewhere in their yard. In other cities, I've noticed, they use it to line streets, or housing developments.



I just like the versatility of this plant. The colors. Oh, the splash of color. From bright red, to white, to lavender. The colors just make me smile! So, 2 years ago, I bought some. And carefully planted them in my yard. Hoping, one day to have a large tree in the front. And some smaller bushes around the yard.

Unfortunately, that insane winter freeze came. And I was saddened. Because I lost so many of my prized plants. The Crepe Myrtle being one of them. I hoped, that they'd come back. But they didn't. This morning, I went out and bought a large plant. When I got home, there were 5 in there! And I got to town planting. I'm crossing my fingers. I hope these beautiful plants take. They'd really add something to my garden. ♥

Flooded...

I guess it could be worse. My house could be floating down the road. But it's not. I could have been home, and gotten sick. Someone could have gotten hurt. Something really bad could have happened. But it didn't.

What am I talking about? Well, for my Facebook and Twitter friends, you saw my post last night. I had a flood...in my house. That I didn't know about. And my friend found it. The carpet has been soaked for a few days. Add in the record breaking heat, and we have trouble!

What makes all of this worse, is that I'm working all week in Dallas. So is My Guy. And at the earliest, we can get to my house on Sunday. Sunday people! So I freaked. About had a heart attack. It didn't help that we were "in-flight" at the moment. From the east coast to Dallas.

Instantly, I went from trying to cheer up My Guy, to him trying to calm me down. So much for his "bad day" at work. I was now in crisis mode. And honestly, there was not much that I could do. But call a few people. Like my cousin and his wife.

This happening to me. The OCD person. With everything in it's place at all times. Insanely clean house. And now, MY BEDROOM is flooded! The carpet is possibly growing mold. Yuck! And who knows what else is going on...

So Amaya found the soaked carpet Sunday evening. She was staying at my house for a few days. Because she was in town working. We do this quite often. And after the soaked carpet in the hallway, she found that my bedroom and bathroom were completely soaked! The water even ran into my den. OMG!

She didn't know what to do. Was a few 100 miles away, from the people she knows. And her home. So she called me. I panicked. Called a few people. Then decided to call Fern. He showed up with a "Shop Vac." And tried to soak up some of the water. But, it had been a few days. :(

So from what I hear, my bedroom closet, linen closet, heater (in a closet thing), hallway, master bathroom, master bedroom, and the den were all soaked. And things are smelling a little "horrible."

Fern was sweet enough to offer Amaya a place to stay. And to open up the windows in my house. He also put all the fans on, brought in a few more (like 8 more), and just got everything drying out.

I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do. But I do know, Sunday, we're heading to my house. Then we will evaluate things. Fern said there is no broken or leaking pipes. We're not entirely sure how the water got in. Other than, through the shower drain. Imagine that. But how? We have no clue!

My Guy called a contractor to go check things out. Fern turned off the water. And well, we wait. At the bare minimum, the carpet will have to be replaced. And probably the tile in the master bathroom. Other than that, we are not entirely sure.

I do know that a few things were damaged. Like a bookshelf. And some speakers. Possibly a sound system. Probably some shoes, and maybe some clothes. I'm not entirely sure what else, I had on the floor or in the closet. I haven't lived there in a few years.

This is definitely not the way, that I saw this week going. I'm majorly stressed out. And I have to work long hours this week. But I'm learning all about faith. And how to just hand over this kind of stuff to God. He will help. At least no one was hurt. And I still have a place to live. The rest, well it can be replaced. ♥