HGTV's Make Space + My Feature for Launch!

Over the years (since 2007), I've been contributing images of my projects, holiday decor, tablescapes, and seasonal makeovers I've done to our home over at HGTV.com. I've also shared a few client makeovers as well. Although most have been through their Rate My Space channel online, several of my projects have been featured as online special topics  for HGTV fans to read & enjoy. A few weeks back, I was contacted by Kayla Kitts, a contributing editor at HGTV.com for permission to use another one of my projects I shared - but here on the blog NOT posted to RMS - last year: A client bedroom renovation. The project was included in a feature for the launch of new segment of the HGTV.com experience called MAKE SPACE. The segment includes clever cluster busters to stylish storage solutions for people to use in their home or office. The launch I was included in is called 25 New Ways To Use Old Stuff...

 TEACUPS (& SOUP BOWLS) JEWELRY ORGANIZER

 "We can never have too many ideas when it comes to organizing and displaying jewelry. If you're not short on storage space, reserve a vanity or dresser drawer just for holding bracelets, necklaces and rings. Designer Lynda Quintero-Davids wanted to add as much style and function to her client's dressing table, so she incorporated antique china teacups and soup bowls into one of the lined drawers. Each dish serves as a perfect way to separate small pieces like rings, earrings and brooches. Photo courtesy of Lynda Quintero-Davids"

A bit more about the table: The dressing table they referred to was actually a console table I thrifted at Faith Farm Thrift (Ft. Lauderdale) and refinished in two-toned distressed white & chocolate back in Florida - along with a few other pieces from the makeover. Here's a link back to White Furniture Finishes & Inspirations. The liners were scented and I found in HomeGoods, along with the crystal knob drawer pull.

 Click my Media tab above to see more of my HGTV features!

Many thanks to you, Kayla, & HGTV.com!

 Thanks also for stopping by!

FRIDAY FIND: THE X FACTOR @GOODWILLAZ

Surprise surprise!! That's what I spotted on my last visit to a nearby Goodwill here in AZ! I've started visiting them regularly on Tuesday's and Friday's, and this past Tuesday I spotted these little gems: A set of four X back & bentwood cafe style chairs for only $9.99. The lines caught my eyes from a distance, (the X back and Thonet-like bentwood) but upon closer inspection, I became smitten with what appeared to be distressing from the HOT Arizona desert sun. I didn't want to be too impulsive, so I walked away from them and walked around the store a bit. But I couldn't stop thinking about what a great add this would be to our curated thrift home collection. I don't have any pieces with the weathered finish - And these are so clean lined, but still textured (from the cane seat) and organic (from the distressed bentwood) I couldn't pass them up. I thought go for just two, but then thought go for the four, and maybe sell two later on.

When we moved, readers had asked if I would be changing our home for the seasons.... At first, I didn't think so (well, not as much or as drastic) but these are saying hello summer! Jeff brought home a cow-skull with horns the other day - Something I had on my wish list when we were moving out here and these chairs work well with it. To me, I see AZ, but I also see a hint of a weathered mix to help make a simple shift into summer :)

Two actually are working well in the bedroom with the little tribe-vibe happening, and the other two are in the living room. I am thinking two of them would also work as an option on the stoop for summer, if I wanted to bring in the urns from either side of the front door. The heat is too much for the flowering blooms I planted for Spring. Maybe planting some grasses + paint the pots white + add a little rope detail, paired with the weathered chairs would get our curb appeal through the hot summers here in AZ.

I looked up the style of the chairs online, and found them selling over at Restoration Hardware - in weathered oak - for $99 each or a set of 4 for $370. So mine at $9.99 each - PLUS - I had my Goodwill April coupon for 20% off (on my phone) which brought the four chairs to only $32!

RESTORATION HARDWARE

Madeline Side Chair

Modeled after the most popular café chair in Europe, our versatile X-back dining chair pays homage to the bentwood tradition popularized by Thonet in 19th-century Austria. Handsomely distressed with a weathered finish.

Just goes to show, if you're not shopping thrift, you're missing out on some the dynamic deals to be had! Plus - the person who donated their tired treasures saved them from going into a landfill.

What have you thrifted lately?

May 5th is the next 50% off Goodwill happening here in AZ, I'll probably be teaming up with The Goodwill Gal - Another thrift blogger located here in AZ too!

Have a great weekend - Hit the thrift shops!
Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You Emily A. Clark!

Last week, design blogger Emily A. Clark invited me to participate in a new monthly blog series of hers called "Send Me A Picture". It's a somewhat regular blog series  similar to the "Send Us a Picture" feature in House Beautiful, where designers are asked to send in one personal photograph, based on that month's topic. This moths topic for Emily was "Send Me A Picture of What I Love Most About Our Home." I was honored to have been asked to participate, but I have to admit, it was a challenge. I am still going through an adjustment period since our move. Emily too recently moved and is in the process of transforming her house into her home. This post brought to light the more positive side of focusing on what has already been completed, vs. looking at the projects ahead still needing to be done. Here is what I posted, but be sure to head over to Emily's Blog to check out what other talented bloggers submitted...

"What I love most about our home is that even though it's a rental, I've personalized it for us - including our cat Sephora. Being in a new space has allowed new ways to view & group existing pieces together to tell the story of us - from photos of NYC to palm fronds representing Miami. Most recently, hubs brought home a cow skull & horns, which will be an interesting element to add and now represent us living in Arizona."

Lynda Quintero-Davids (aka NYCLQ) Focal Point Styling

Thank you Emily for the invite to participate - such a great post from

a talented group of people.  See the other posts at

Emily A. Clark - Design Simplified

What do you love most about your home?

I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Around Town: Meeting Up With Blogger Coryanne Ettiene & the Summer Set at Pottery Barn

Last week I had the chance to  meet up with the lovely and talented Coryanne Ettiene, the fabulous founder, author and TV personality of Housewife Bliss. We met after her filming of her spot on a local morning show, for coffee, sweets, laughs and to get to know one another IRL (in real life). She's a loving wife, devoted mother, great friend to many,  silly & energetic, home & garden blogger plus - like me, she also had some background in retail including having worked for + met one of my style icon idols: Ralph Lauren! Since she lives further south from me here in Arizona, she had picked a spot in between her shoot, home and me: Chandler Fashion Mall.

Coryanne Ettiene - Housewife Bliss Founder

From Blogfest 2011 - left to right:

Lori Gilder of Diary of a Renovation, Leslie Carothers of The Kaleidoscope Partnership, Coryanne Ettiene of Housewife Bliss and Tamara Matthews Stephenson of Nest by Tamara.

Silly girl - giving a fake name at Starbucks! lol

We met at Pottery Barn, since that was the one store here I was familiar with, and as we walked through the mall she gave me some tips on living in AZ and I shared a few of mine - like thrifting - something she did for the first time yesterday, and scored a new pair of Ferragamo sandals for $20! Way to go Coryanne! Welcome to the fabulous world of thrift! After our meeting, I popped back into Pottery Barn to admire their new Summer store set they had just completed. It was beautiful, and I told them all the palm fronds & beach details were making me miss Miami...

POTTERY BARN

Chandler Fashion Mall

Looking forward to future meet-ups with Coryanne, along with a few other bloggers I plan on meeting up with shortly plus hit a few thrift shops together with as well. Loved also that I was able to catch PB on the day of completing their set (also did for Spring too!) They are such a wonderful inspiration for seasonal home decorating!

And be sure to catch Coryanne plus seven other fab bloggers for a Mother's Day entertaining tweet chat - coming up on May 2.

Thanks for stopping by!

Earth Day at The Phoenix Zoo

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Did you do anything special or in observance of Earth Day yesterday? Someone had told Jeff to plant a tree - but we're in the desert and water is sparce, the air is dry and sun is uber HOT. I've even already lost some of the plants from the Spring stoop beacause of the heat. I tried finding some events - but only saw four listed in azcentral. I was kind of bummed there weren't more events happening here in AZ. Some of the events that were happening, had happened on Friday and Saturday - not Earth Day Sunday. Since we're still relatively new to this area, we thought Earth Day would be a good day to get out and explore the Phoenix Zoo. It was a beautiful clear & sunny day, even though it reached 105 degrees (can you say scorcher?). On the way to the zoo, one of the lovely highway landscape stones popped up and cracked Jeff's windsheild. And because of the intense heat, so many of the animals were actually hiding in the shade (I would too if I were them!). Here is some of what we did see...

Walking up to the entrance, we were in awe of the WATER!

We haven't seen much water here...

and Jeff was thrilled to have seen fish and turtles...

Thank goodness we put on sunblock!

That sun was beastly!

Lately, I've been intrigued with capturing shots of shadows... 

They are building a new tiger exhibit, which will be cool to see when it's complete.

Phoenix Zoo 455 North Galvin Parkway
Phoenix, AZ 85008

Phone: 602.273.1341

              

Hope you had a happy Earth Day...

Thanks for stopping by!