Have a Seat, Won't You?

Greetings!  What in the world is that I smell ... and feel?  Dare I say that it's SPRING?!  We are being teased with beautiful temps this weekend!  My husband is outside painting our pergola as we speak, and I'm catching up on a few projects I missed doing while down with the *icks*!

So, you may remember me recently sharing the new furniture in our great room not to long ago.  We bought a sofa and love seat set; however, I had already moved the love seat out of the great room (surprise, surprise).  I thought it'd be fun to see what it would look like in our sitting room, which, ever since we moved here, has only had two chairs in it.  I was okay with that, as the room is only 10x13; however, it was lacking a bit of a *cozy* feel:

NOW, with the love seat!  I'm really enjoying how the space is coming together!  It seems a bit more of a comfy spot to curl up with a good read!  Even though, I've never been a fan of putting a large piece of furniture in front of a window, I think this might actually work here:

I moved one of my patterned rugs back in here, along with a wing chair, and brought in colorful pillows from World Market.  The narrow accent table against the wall (from Kirkland's) holds a pair of lamps and a cream pedastal bowl, all from Home Goods:

I filled the bowl with orbs, sea shells, a bound stack of pages from an old book and a cute nest filled with robin's eggs (from Pottery Barn):

I added one of my faux fur rugs (from Tuesday Morning) to the top of the ottoman for some fun texture, along with a tray filled with books and a gold ring box (also from Tuesday Morning):

As for the bookcase, I decided to lighten up it up a bit, too, by adding cream fabric to the back. I'd love to find wallpaper or contact paper instead that is a bit heavier, but this will do for now (please excuse the wrinkles, which I need to steam out):





Of course, I had to play around with the accessories, too.  Love bringing out my shells:

And, while a soup tureen is an unexpected piece for my sitting room bookcase, I love bringing in lighter pieces:

Love the wrapped glass vase:

This wall arrangement remains the same ... for now:

I've ordered a few new things for this room (that were on SALE!), and, if they turn out like I'm hoping they will, I'll be so excited!

I hope you like what I've done.  I *think* Eden approves of the changes.  It's either time for a nap or she's extremely bored watching me move things around.  ((*BIG yawn*)) ... LOL.

I can't wait to see what Spring projects you all have!

I'm going to pop on over to some of my favorite blogs to join their fun parties.  Come on over:

Under the Table and Dreaming/Sunday Showcase Party

BNOTP/Metamorphosis Monday

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday

Coastal Charm/Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

A Stroll Thru Life/Table Top Tuesday

Thanks for stopping by! 

Becca

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Design Dilemma FUN!

Happy day! I hope everyone is enjoying a tease of Spring right now ... I know *we* are!  After having been down with the *cruds* for the last 9 days, I'm more than ready for warm weather, sun and health!

Something else (besides this gorgeous weather) that is bringing a smile to my face is courtesy of the super sweet and talented Carrie at Dittle Dattle.  Recently, she was approached by one of her readers seeking help with a decorating dilemma.  Carrie thought it might be fun to enlist the help of three other decorating divas in order to give Jessica options for her problem area.  Imagine my surprise when Carrie asked me to be part of the first ever "Dittle Design Dilemma" team!  I'm truly flattered to be in such great company with her, along with two other super talented ladies ... Liz from Savvy Seasons and Kara from Elements Interiors! 

Carrie hopes to make this a regular feature ... so, be sure to check out the fun next week at Dittle Dattle.

I'm off to catch up on some projects that I missed out on while I was sick. 

Have a great weekend!

Becca

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I'm loving it.........

After exhausting few months I'm back in action. Past few months have been roller coaster ride for me. As my husband and I bought a brand new apartment I was busy doing all official formalities n lots of R&D. Still lot of things to do ......start from packing to moving n then house warming ceremony of new abode............n after that....yupp good guess....I'll be having lot of scope to show my creativity, designing & styling.
Till then m busy shopping things for my new place. All excited n happy to move in to my lovely lovely home sooooon!!!

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Chai Studio, Honolulu

Today I take you to the gorgeous Hawaiian Island of Honolulu to Chai Studio.

Amerjit Ghag, the lovely lady behind Chai Studio, Honolulu describes it as a lifestyle expression - casual, colourful and comfortable.

The store came into being in 2010, inspired by Amerjit's love for the handicrafts, the culture, the colour and the people of India. She believes that hand- picked products are a natural fit for the type of casual lifestyle they have on the Hawaiian Islands.

Love the warm pink...

The furniture pieces that she selects are mostly rustic and oftentimes repurposed - a chukki becomes a stool, a damchiya becomes a coffee table.

The textiles are rich with stories of traditional use, she has turned them into throw pillows and she includes hang tags explaining the past lives of kantha, phukhari etc.

Whether it is home furnishings , a piece of jewelry or a contemporary tunic, you'll find it all here, lovingly picked up by Amerjit during her many travels to India.

Lovely Rajasthani earrings...

Exotic fragrances... I spot my favourite 'Frangipani':-)

Colourful Indian Kitschy bags...

As far as the name of the store is concerned Amerjit Ghag, a chai-lover ( give me a hi- five;-) loves the fact that everyone has a different, special recipe for chai and Chai Studio, Honolulu is her recipe for a place that offers ideas for an inspired lifestyle...

I wish her all the very best for her venture.

Do visit Chai Studio , Honolulu on Facebook

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Let there be Light!

Happy Tuesday!  May I just say that we had temps in the low 60's and sunSHINE this weekend!  Yay!  Spring just might be right around the corner!

I've been playing around in the dining room ... recently added two lamps (that used to be in the great room) to my *new* buffet to give the room a bit more ambience.  I wanted something tall to balance out with the ginormous mirror and shelves (feel free to click on pics to enlarge): 

I like how the crisp white shades tie in with the shelves, as well.  What do you think?

Love the glass bases which offers a bit of an antique flair:

I cleaned up the once tarnished tea service (that I bought from a local antique store last Fall) with good ol' *stinky* Tarn-X!  My gosh, WHAT a ha-uge difference!

Back over to the table, I kept the burlap runner on there and added two silver candleholders that I also poured Tarn-X over.  Look how they shine, next to the pretty fleur-de-lis vase from Willow House (filled with simple greenery and white long-stemmed Spring flowers):

While I envision a gorgeous chandie, dripping with sparkling crystals that would  blind you, it will have to wait!  Soooo, in the meantime, to give the chandie a *vintage-y* feel, I kept the clear beaded garland and dripping Christmas ornaments on there.  (A simple, inexpensive and fun way to dress up your chandie without breaking the bank):

Over on one of the shelves, I placed a few simple pears on a stand I found at Home Goods.  It's always fun to add a pop of color against a light colored background:



And, to the chairs flanking the sideboard, I added new cream fabric to the cushions (which used to be sage green) and also added zebra pillows for a bit of whimsy.  I found them at good ol' Wally-World.  Adding animal print ANYthing is such a great way to add the unexpected to any decor style! 

Speaking of pillows, I added two cream, satin ones as a backdrop for my grain sack pillow that I placed on the bench by the window.  And, while I LOVE my grain sack pillow, does anyone else find that they have somewhat of an *odd* smell to them?  lol.

And, to *think* that this room once used to look like this:

Quite a change to this, isn't it?

Before I go, I have to give a loving shout out to my super talented and beautiful sister, Liz, who created my new blog header.  She's an amazing freelance graphic designer who's got serious *skeelz*!  Thanks, LizzieBoo!

And, thanks to you, friends, for stopping by. 

I'm off to blog hop at the linky parties going on at these wonderful blogs ... come on over and play:

Southern Savvy Style/B2B

Thrifty Decor Chick/Before and After Party

Dittle Dattle/Amaze Me Monday

Becca

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This Little Gem Can Be Yours ...

As I'm sitting here, with the dismal views of rain, I find myself looking at pics of my parent's second home here in North Myrtle Beach.  It "takes me to a better place" as it reminds me of warmer temps and sunny days.  Seeing as most of you guys are dealing with the same kind of icky weather, I thought I'd share their humble abode with you, too!  The even better news is that this home is FOR SALE!  That's right folks ... if you, or anyone you know, has an extra $1,290,000 lying around, and would love a home at the beach, please let me know!

We all affectionately call this home "the creek house."  It sits on a deep water canal with spectacular views and some of the most beautiful sunsets you've ever seen!  You can't really see it in this picture, but it has a gorgeous green, tin roof, which helps to put you to sleep on a rainy day when the rains hits the roof (feel free to click on pics to enlarge):

Mom chose to decorate this house in pretty corals, various shades of green and touches of yellows, pinks and whites.  This is the great room on the second floor, which is the main living level of their home.  The most amazing views are right through those sliding glass doors:

One of the master bedrooms is in the background: 

We used to love to enjoy coffee in the morning and cocktails in the afternoon sitting right out here, while enjoying this view.  Close your eyes and listen closely, you can almost hear and feel the breeze blowing through your hair and ripping through the pages of your Star, People or Traditional Home magazine, can't you?  Careful, don't spill your Bahama Mama!

Here is one of two master bedrooms that is on the main level.

The kitchen has beautiful hardwoods and marble countertops.  The cabinets are a beautiful soft, glazed yellow. 

On the third floor is another great room where the kids usually hang out.  There is another balcony through the sliding doors ... I wish I had more pictures of the view to share.  On each side of the great room are bedrooms, each with a private bath.  Also, not pictured, is a large bonus room that could also be used as another bedroom:

One of the 3rd floor bedrooms:

Right down the street is a private wildlife reserve which serves for wonderful evening strolls:

Did I mention that their home is being sold furnished and has an elevator to conveniently bring in all of your flea market, Home Goods and Hobby Lobby purchases?  There is also a floating dock for your convenience AND they are including a boat, too, which currently sits parked in the *ginormous* garage!  All you need to bring is your bathing suit, sunscreen, toothbrush (and checkbook)!

Thanks for letting me share my parents' second home with you today.  As the temps get warmer, I'll take you over to their gorgeous home on the beach where they live full-time. 

For a few moments there, I almost forgot it's cold and raining outside!  Hope you felt a burst of sun and warmer temps, too!

Have a great day,

Becca

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My Happy Place!

Welcome to little man's play room a/k/a my "happy place!"  At any time when Jax isn't at pre-school, you can find him in here creating, playing games, watching Nick, Jr., singing karaoke, jamming on his light up drums, *reading* books and knocking out puzzle after puzzle. 

And, while I LURVE this room ... I want to update it just a bit as my kiddo is turning 5 next month! ((*Heavy sigh*)) It doesn't really have a theme in here ... sports mixed in with beachy scenes ... mixed in with superheroes, etc. SOOO, I'm going to be making a few simple changes in here ... make it a bit more big boy-ish?? But, before I do, I thought I'd show you around a bit (click on pics to enlarge):

Above the sofa is a red bookshelf and honey stained shelf (both from PB Kids) and my most FAVORITE piece of art *ever* is sandwiched in between. I created and ordered Jax's "Warhol-like" print from allpopart.com a few years ago. He was about 1 1/2 when this picture was taken.  I'm going to be very sad when it comes time to *retire* it from this spot ... however, I'll find another place for it.

Like in our great room, I recently added a shag rug in here, too!  It's so soft on little piggies (and, not to mention ... hides all kinds of crumbled up cheez-its, goldfish, play-doh, etc., quite well)!  lol.

His bookcases are from Land of Nod.  They've taken a lot of wear and tear over the past few years, but have held up wonderfully.  I'd really like to wall mount a larger TV in here for him.  We'll see.

Spiderman got his backpack on and is trying to escape, leaving all of the other superheros behind in their designated blue bin:

Behind every sports lamp is the green Hulk, don'tcha know?:

Scribbled on part of the molding around the closet is a chart of Jax's growth ... he sure did "sprout" from October to January, wow!  I'm almost 5'3", and he comes up to my chest already.  Yikes ... he's going to be taller than me before he's 7:

A leggo creation:

Oversized wall pencil from PB Kids: 

And, while the changes I plan on making are quite minimal, there is one thing that not be removed as it will apply to him for years to come.  LOL:

Before you go, it's only fair that I share a funny picture of Jax ... he found the wig from my husband's Halloween costume ("The Situation" from Jersey Shore) and loved dancing around in it!  LOL.  

Thanks for stopping by.  I'm off to mingle.  Come on over to these talented and fabulous blogs!

Elements Interiors/Whassup Wednesday

Southern in my Heart/Inspiration Friday

Becca

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