CB2 Grand Opening Preview Party

Was excited to receive an invite to the CB2 preview party. 

Has crate and barrel influence w/helvetica signs, bright colors 

& built-in paper wrapping station in the countertop.

This clock is really BIG @ 39". Could look great over the fireplace.

 This slanted desk was made of a chalkboard.

Flor tile station. I love this idea of them but have never understood why they are $15 a pop.

Liked the hard-wired light fixtures.

This tree was really neat. The bug ornaments were made of tin cans.

I kept hearing glass breaking throughout the evening.

 CB2 green is called chartreuse & camo green on their website.

How about some useless hairball coffeetable do dads?

Pretty sure my dogs would eat this log rug for a snack.

 What do you think this is?

 Vases.

Fun color everywhere and many interesting metal shelves throughout the store:

 Not so hot on the rice crispie bar covered shrimp:

 Or the mutton.

The Skirted Roundtable

One of my favorite design blogs is The Skirted Roundtable. I love listening to these professional interior designers chat. You hear the story (and real cost) behind the photos you see in design magazines. Their recent post features James Swan who has just written this book, 101 Things I Hate About Your House. Here's how you can find it on Amazon. After reading the preview there, I can't wait to get this book. It starts with the entryway and he works his way through the house. This is what my version of the book would start with: "Welcome, do you have to use the bathroom? Cuz it's right here-right by the front door."

Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of nice things about my house. Like the kitchen.

and the recently finished playroom:

Right now I've been working on the bedroom and BOY DO I HATE THIS WALL:

The space behind the ironing board is a nightmare. Here's what I've got to deal with there:

2 light switches 

(notice one is poorly placed because of vent that runs through wall)

large (dusty) vent

temperature sensor

alarm

vacuum

outlet with co2 detector

Other challenges include: 

3 UGLY oak doors

bad paint color

TV 

DVD and Tivo

old carpet

This is my latest solution for the wall. These photos where drawn by my mom in college. They used to be in a neat row above the hedboard. I put them up last week to see how this solution would work. And see the paint swatch by the door? That's another story. 

Collect-tag.

In April of 2008, I found this photo on the internet. Inspired, I started my own collection. So here we are, three and a half years later with the result of my effort.

I now have about two and a half inches of tags. Based on my calculation, there are about 12 years worth of tags in the top photo.

Envis Envy

My go-to gift of the holiday season is TA DAAH:

ENVIS spatulas (click here for info). 

Maybe the IKEA designers were inspired by this fabric

(Asagohan by Hokkoh):

 Great for breaking up burger.

The wide bottom is great. It's silicone, so it won't melt.

And at $4.99 it won't break the bank.

Elvis has left the bathroom!

In an effort to FINISH WHAT I STARTed in the playroom, I decided to move the ELVIS tee's in there. That left a huge void in the bathroom. Way back when I painted the bathroom I noticed that these duck pictures looked great with the paint color, but the Elvis theme won out.

In the 90s I started to collect interesting-ly shaped antique shelves. My collection stopped at two:

Notice the candle scent is called "Antique Wood". 

My neighbor had given me this cool box of junk to make a mosiac. I never did.

Love it when you can incorporate stuff you made in shop class into daily life. And it's useful!

But what to do with the deer heads?

And Tom's bulleted practice target?

Now boys, do not aim for the target!

(paper deer has since been replaced with an ugly blue Costco Kleenex box)

I do admit, I miss the bright colors from before. I'm not really a neutral, antique-y person but it works. When you embrace the 80s builder parade home style (ie: fruitwood oak finish EVERYWHERE!), instead of fighting it, things can look good.

Click here and scroll down to see the previous bathroom saga.

And the holiday theme is....

IKEA holiday theming has intrigued me the last few years.

Two years ago, a Valentine's Xmas:

Last year it was a Halloween Xmas:

Maybe they got the memo from Anthropologie:

And this year?

Of course, a Fourth of July Xmas. 

Still awaiting the St. Patty's Day Xmas...