Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Home Tour: Office Design

We have been busy decorating (or at least dreaming of decorating) our new home since we moved in last month. Since we have rented for almost two years now, I had forgotten how much I LOVED to decorate!! I have also realized how hard it is to be patient. As much as I love the process of decorating - designing, searching for the perfect pieces, and pulling it all together, I also want the immediate gratification and I want it done NOW! Ha, I guess I will have to utilize the patience I learned over the last two years (when waiting to buy our new home). 

Soooo, one of my first Home Tour posts will be on my office. Since this is the room I spend most of my time in since I work from home, I think its only fair that its one of the first rooms in the house that I complete. Don't you?
My vision for this room includes lots of natural light, pops of color (teal), and a little flare with touches of animal print. I am in LOVE with animal print (as is everyone else these days). I know that it goes in and out of style, but I am taking the leap and sprinkling it here in there in our new home.

Here is a before picture. Its the best that I have, but you get the idea. Certainly a clean slate.  There are french doors and a beautify picture window looking out to the front yard. We live on a corner lot so I get a great view of the "happenings" in our neighborhood during the day. So far, just a lot of construction vehicles. Our home is only one a few completed ones on our street so far.

I was not planning on furnishing my office right away. I had a perfectly usable executive desk that I had purchased on Craig's List a few years ago when I became a full-time work at home employee. However, it certainly had seen its better days and when we put it in our new home, its better days seemed LONG gone.  While perusing furniture stores for those items higher on our priority list (e.g. couch, breakfast table, guest room mattress set, etc) I came across this beauty and COULD NOT PASS IT UP!!! Can you see why?!?!

I don't think these pictures of the Aspenhome Young Classics Executive Desk do it justice. 

 I love, love, love the decorative drawer pulls and the design in the woodwork. I think this adds a touch of femininity to this large executive desk.


I fell in love with a rug a the furniture store I purchased the desk from but I could not justify the $400 price tag. 
So I have been on the hunt for weeks to find something similar. What I found is much better than the rug I fell in love with!!! AND....it was only $100 (tax and shipping included!!)

As mentioned in the online reviews, the coloring was different than the online photo below, but I love what I got!
 What a difference, eh?


I am on a serious teal kick these days. I have never been one to step outside of the neutral zone when it comes to home decorating but I have recently found comfort in teal. Yes, teal!! I found these on a recent trip (which I average about two days a week now <blush>) to HomeGoods. Love, love, love!!!


I hope to find a place for these in my office soon. They are a perfect match to a beauty I recently splurged on for my entry way (for a post to come soon). Yup, you guessed it...its teal.

My inspiration for the layout of the room came from the model of our home.

I hadn't thought of positioning the desk at an angle like this one, but I arranged mine like it and I love it! I also love the build-ins. I am not sure they will fit with the executive desk that I chose, considering its much larger than the one pictured here. I am going to measure it out and see if I can pull it off. If the built-ins are a no go then I will have to figure out what to do with my printer, phone and other office paraphernalia. 

I am currently on the hunt for a chair and small table to go in front of the window. This is where I would like to highlight the teal accents in the room. Will let you know what I find...

Monday, August 29, 2011

Home Tour

I love HGTV.
I love HomeGoods
I love to decorate. 
I love to shop. 
I love to read blogs, especially home decor and DIY blogs.
And I love a bargain!!!!

Sooo...why don't I write about it?!?!  I can't see why not. Can you?? I am gonna give it a try. I can't make any promises about keeping it up (considering I just did a blog post marathon to update my blog from April-August, ha!!). But I sure wanna try! 

My mom can probably check off each of those above as well.  And little cell phone pics just aren't cutting it between Mom & I. So, this will serve at least two purposes: 
(1) To give me an outlet to write about something I love (and hoping the two or three of you that might read it will give me some feedback and let me know when you hear of a good sale!!! 
(2) To show Mom what I have been up to so she doesn't have to resort to little cell phone pics :-) Love ya Mom!

Stay tuned to see what I have been up to what shopping I have done lately :-)

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Is it football season yet?

Go Cowboys!!!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

She's on the move!!!

Yup, Haley Grace is on the move. Watch out world, here she comes!!!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Haley's first trip to the pool



 Believe it or not its August and we are making our 1st trip to the pool this summer!! I know, I can't believe it either!!

Check out this cute bathing suit Aunt Rara got for me!!!
Daddy and Carson
Haley's first dip in the pool. She loves her baths so I just knew she would love the pool.
Big brother and 'lil sister
Daddy and Haley
Look at me standing in the baby pool!!!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

July Rewind

July was a super busy month with the packing, moving, unpacking and settling in to our new home in Katy, TX. Things have gone really smoothly. My parents and my niece, Alex, drove in from Florida to visit and help us settle in. We could not have done it with out them.

Carson found a new friend.

Not cuddly enough for my taste.

Carson's school had a Fourth of July bike parade a his school in Austin before we left. Here is his bike all decorated.

How cute is this?!?! This is Carson napping, all curled up in Mommy's bed.

This is how I found Daddy the other night. Love it!!!


I love it when she sleeps with her little booty in the air.
Haley blowing bubbles.
Carson's home run!

Friday, July 29, 2011

Carson's Growth Chart

Its amazing how quickly children grow!!! We will see if he meets the Dr's 2 year old projection of 6'5"....

 

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Circus

 The weekend we moved to Houston good friends of ours, the Ghutzman's, offered to take Carson to the Circus so we could get unpacked. I thought it was a great idea...ONLY if I could go too!!! I REALLY wanted to experience his first time at the Circus with him. We had a GREAT time!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH Butch, Barbara and Phillip. It was amazing!!!

No Circus outing would be complete without a clown nose!!!
The view from above is the best!

 I am not sure who is having more fun - Carson or Phillip?!?!



Of course Carson loved the ladies :-)

Trying it on for size.


Thank you Ghutzman family!!!

Nope, he's not having much fun at all!!!

Not only did the Ghutzman's spoil Carson with Circus tickets, he got a hat, a spinner toy, cotton candy and much more!!!

Yummy Cotton Candy. Carson's first!

This picture says it all...

Friday, July 15, 2011

Moving Day & Family Visit

July 15, 2011 - Moving Day!

We were super fortunate to have my parents and niece drive in from Florida to help us settle in. They met us in Katy as we drove in.


We enjoyed some fun in the sun as we watched the movers unload the trucks.

We were excited to see the moving trucks as they pulled up. They were only 4.5 hours late getting to our house in Austin that morning. So we spent much of the day hanging out in a house without any furniture :-)


Due to movers late arrival, the kids were up WAY past their bedtime. Haley finally tuckered out on Mama's chest.
Haley and Cousin Alex
Papa has been promising Carson a fishing rod for quite some time. And that is what he got! They went to Bass Pro Shops, bought a rod and real, and headed out for their first ever fishing trip. Here Papa is teaching Carson how to put the bobber on.
Instructions on how to use the fishing reel.
How to cast a rod.
Before the fishing trip, Papa had a casting lesson with Carson in the backyard.


I can remember those lessons with my Dad in our yard many years ago :-)
And off they go!

Papa getting things ready to catch fish!

Have we caught one yet?

Too cute!

All of the lakes in our community are catch and release. We choose the one just a few blocks from our house. Unfortunately, none were biting this time.
Papa's favorite place...

Alex & Carson

Haley, Mama and Alex

Haley and Alex

Papa and Haley