I have a crush on.....

http://cocokelley.blogspot.com/

If you have any interest in design, style, and creating a beautiful world to live in, you MUST MUST MUST check out this fave blog.

Not only does the lovely and talented Cassandra have a serious talent for all things fabulous, but she makes great design and style attainable; I haunt her blog daily and could only hope to be able to one day whip up the kind of inspiration boards and ideas she makes look easy.

But until that happens, I am thrilled to pieces to let you know that she will be helping me transition our home to the next stage!! I'll be keeping the details under wraps for now while we hammer out the last few things, but I WILL tell you that it's sure to be fabulous. And of course there will be pictures! And perhaps some champagne.....

Cheers!
Shanti

Take one LAST look!

Soon our Kirkland Hacienda will be a Cozy Natural Hideaway :)

Guest Bathroom: part 1

I couldn't take it anymore: the dark green shadowy box that is our guest bathroom was SCREAMING for light, fresh color, and a whole new look.

So, I tore out the old baudy light fixture, had ian remove the toilet tank, put a couple fresh coats of trim paint on and got the first layer of primer on the walls!! I feel better already :)

Here are the "Before Pix":

I still have one more layer of primer to go, but in the meantime I've started to think of what I want this bathroom to look like. For now, here's what's inspiring me: (it's kind of an organic, eco-hotel chic. all pix from Pottery Barn)

You like???

It's The Little Things In Life...

Heya housies :)

So, in response to my blog post asking what YOU want to read/see/learn, it sounds like y'all want LOTS of photos and to learn more little tricks regarding homeownership, cohabitating, updating, renovating and styling. NO PROBLEM!!

In fact, I took a few photos last night that I've been wanting to share with you. I'm finding that right now, with so much going on (training for the half marathon, work ramping up for the fall, etc.), the big things feel overwhelming (paint the ENTIRE main floor? put in a French drain? design a yard? yikes!!!) but the little things make me happy and give me a sense of satisfaction even when the house-to-do-list just keeps getting longer and longer....

Here are a few of my favorites:

My closet doors -- freshly painted with new knobs!

The above-mentioned new closet door knobs. How sweet are these? Love the simple nod to travel, another one of my passions.

Typically, I prefer furniture with a history and a good story; this solid-oak piece was a hand-me-down from a good friend of ours that I absolutely love. I first used it as a night stand, but liked it better in the corner as I felt like it helped create a new space. The drawers are filled with little momentos, books, photos, etc.

A single yellow rose snipped from my grandma's garden -- does it get any better than this? :)

Cheers,

Shanti

Bathroom Bliss

You've all heard me complain complain complain about our master bathroom color (yuck) and my desire for a crisp, clean, relaxing space (ahhhh... kind of like spaaaaa). Well, here are the final shots -- I think the change in color alone boosted my morning mood!







































SOOOO much better, yes?

Cheers,
Shanti

borrowed idea!

Hello!

As those of you who've visited our home already know, we chose to forgo the traditional guest room in favor of a gear room. And, oh yes, we have NO regrets. It's a beautiful thing to walk into the room and see our "toys" (skis, snowshoes, camping equip., etc.) all organized and ready to be used. And when you get home from an adventure, it's kind of nice to just dump everything in the room and shut the door for a few hours while you shower or recoup from whatever the trip served up.

So on a recent foray into Port Townsend, I spotted this fun way (see pics below) to organize our gear even more, which, if you know me, thrills me to no end. This project involves gear and organizing? Yes please!

We don't really climb anymore, but I still think this is a DIY cool idea, and you could totally use different materials to make it yours.

Bring on the rope and scissors!

Shanti

I'm baaaaaaaaack!

So, what's the best way to kill a blog? Stop posting.

Yikes!

Sorry guys -- no excuses here, life simply got in the way.

But I'm back, with lots of ideas and fun things to share. Here's a snippet:

1. The master bathroom is DONE! Will post pix soon.
2. The office/travel room is FINALLY all put away and organized. Love that feeling!
2. I've hired a designer. That's right. Details coming soon :)

Off to buy gallons and gallons and gallons of primer............
SB