Reader Request: Rita's Dining Room {part 3}

This past Saturday, Jamie and I spent a few hours doing a few of our favorite things: talking, drinking coffee and painting.  Painting is seriously one of my favorite DIY projects because it is instant gratification (white to blue in just an hour!) and, at least for me, extremely therapeutic.  

We are making amazing progress on our mother-in-law Rita's dining room (we blogged about part 1 of the process here and part 2 of the process here).  Recall that she asked us to help her update her space without breaking the bank: this challenge is right up our alley.  So, thus far, we have removed the wallpaper and border, removed the old valence over the window, and painted the trim a crisp creamy white.  Saturday was all about the walls and what a transformation! Here is the newly painted space:

Rita saw this color in a Better Homes & Garden magazine. It is Sherwin Williams "Misty" and is a bluish gray (though it's funny: in some lights it is more grayish blue).  I decided to try Lowe's Valspar paints for this project: you all know that I am usually very brand-loyal to my local Sherwin Williams store.  But I have been Valspar-curious and the price made it even more compelling.  Plus, Rita lives close to Lowe's, so if we needed more paint mid-way through the project (which we did) it would be more convenient.  I pretty much adore Valspar after this experience ... well, as much one can "adore" paint anyway.  It is really great stuff: covers beautifully, low odor, super good stuff.  I'm not sure that I am ready to abandon my beloved Sherwin Williams for good just yet, but I will definitely use Valspar again.

Anyway, back to the dining room! It took about three hours and a gallon and a half of the Valspar paint matched to Sherwin Williams "Misty" to transform the dining room.  We put white switchplate covers on and put the chandelier shades on the chandelier, too.  It's looking good!

So what's next?  Just decorating!  I painted the mirror from Home Goods this past weekend too: it's now a lovely glossy Dover White to match the trim and ready to be hung on the wall.  I have to spray paint two gorgeous lamps for the buffet that I scored for a song on Craigslist and cover over the shades with fabric or maybe add some ribbon trim.  We have to make window treatments, which we will do with white linen (and I promise to post a tutorial).  And of course hang things on the wall, accessorize and snap the lovely after pictures!  Stay tuned!  

See you swoon,

Reader Request: Rita's Dining Room {part 2}

Happy Friday!  It's especially happy for me because tomorrow is the day that I paint my mother-in-law Rita's dining room, and Jamie is going to do it too.  Painting is fun; painting with Jamie is super fun.  On Wednesday I posted about our plans for the space.  And as of today, we are half way there: all that is left is painting and accessorizing.  Yay! 

We got a lot done in two days!  It took Rita and I about 2 hours to steam off all the wallpaper and border.  It was so super simple, if pretty messy.  As soon as the wallpaper came down, I was itching to paint, so I tackled the trim.  Rita's trim was a light taupey gray, and we decided to paint over it with my favorite creamy white: Dover White by Sherwin Williams.  I assumed two coats would do it: wrong!  It took three coats of paint to cover that taupe.  The end result was worth it for sure.  

Here's the before and current shots of the dining room.  You can see we removed the valence, all the paper and painted the trim.

before

current: no valence!
sorry for the dark shot

before

current
note the test squares on the wall!

before

current

Looking good, isn't it?  I'll also share the mirror I found at Home Goods that cost just $25.  I wanted to add a beautiful chunky mirror to the space, and this one seemed just perfect.  I loved that the frame is wood because it will be so easy to paint over.  I'm pretty sure I'll do the same Dover White on the frame as on the trim.  Here it is now:

Stay tuned for more details on how this room is coming along!  I'll be sure to post a picture of the room painted and then eventually when we decorate.  Until then, happy weekend!  Do you have any weekend projects on the agenda? Please share!

See you swoon,

Reader Request: Rita's Dining Room {part 1}

Happy March!  Have I mentioned how excited for Spring I am?  I think I have maybe once or twice or one million times.  I'm so happy that at last we are in the month that Spring finally arrives.  Until the weather really thaws, I'm going to focus on helping my in-laws redo their dining room. Talk about a cure for the Winter blues!

My in-laws live in a beautiful, gracious home about five minutes from where we live.  It is colonial style and perfectly suited for entertaining, especially the large dining room.  Rita (my mother-in-law) asked if Jamie and I could help her update the space a little, since it remains pretty much as it did when they bought the house years and years ago.  It took me about one nano-second to jump at the chance!

Here are the pictures of the space "before":

As you can see, the room is very traditional, and because the rest of the house is traditional in decor and design, it should stay that way.  The furniture will remain as is: it's a lovely dark wood.  However, we have some major plans for this space, and I'm planning to make the total come in around $100 (not including the cost of paint).

Here's what is on tap for the space:

• take down all wallpaper (including the border) with a wallpaper steamer borrowed from my parents;
• paint all the trim my favorite Dover White from Sherwin Williams. Right now, the trim is a grayish taupe color;
• repaint the room Misty by Sherwin Williams, which is a lovely soft gray (I may try Lowe's Valspar and have it matched to Misty, though the jury is still out on that one);
• add a little glamour to the chandelier by adding white chandelier shades;
• remove the valence above the bay window to let in more light and clean up the lines of that area a bit and create a custom window treatment (likely DIY drape shades using fabric of our choice, my favorite no sew seam tape, grosgrain ribbon and some tension rods);
• change up the artwork and bring in a large mirror for one wall, and hang a bunch of Rita's collectible, heirloom blue and white plates on the wall;
• add lots of blue and white to the room in accessories; and
• bring in two buffet lamps on one of the buffets.

And that'll do it!  It sounds like a lot, but it really isn't.  Rita and I will spend one day tearing down the wallpaper and maybe starting the trim; then we'll take another day for trim; and the following week, I'll come back and handle the wall painting solo.  Stay tuned on Friday for what we've accomplished thus far!

See you swoon,

Reader Request: Lynn's Kitchen Drawers

I am so happy that my good friend Lynn took me up on my offer to help with organizing.  I say it in almost every post and I mean it: I loooove to organize!  Because Lynn lives in South Carolina and I'm here in Pennsylvania, we "organized" via email.  It was fun for me, and hopefully helpful for her!  Here's what went down.

Lynn emailed me pictures of a few drawers in her kitchen.  The big challenge, as is always the big challenge, was finding an organizational system for the drawers that wouldn't break the bank and that fit: both literally in the drawers and the way that they lived.

I created the following style boards for Lynn. Click on them to enlarge them {and lesson learned: I will use an easier to read font next time ... but man, I love that Geo Sans Light}

I had so much fun doing a virtual organization of Lynn's kitchen drawers! The total cost for all of the organizational solutions I suggested is $56.  I have seen similar products for less money at other places, so Lynn's total could be even less.  Let's hope she shares the after pix.  A big thank you to Lynn for letting me help her and for not being afraid to show the Internet her drawers ... er, kitchen drawers, that is.  Need organizational help? Give me a shout!

See you swoon,

Wanna buy something above? Here's where you can find it all {and note we aren't paid by any of these companies below}:

Drawer #1:  * expandable shelf from Stacks & Stacks ($10); * big roll of textured "gripper" contact shelf paper from Target ($4) - I could not find online but I found the price and they definitely have it.

Drawer #2: * expandable wire shelf from Stack & Stacks ($14); * * white utensil holder from Crate & Barrel ($20); * two individual silver mesh utensil organizers from Container Store, size 3x9 ($4 each - $8 total)

Drawer #3: nothing to buy!

What Would Jamie Wear: Cape May Rehearsal Dinner

One of our readers has a Cape May wedding coming up and has asked for some help. This will be a two part post so stay tuned next week to see accessory ideas for the bridal party.

This rehearsal dinner will be more on the casual side with the groom wearing shorts and a button down. The dresses I have found will work for more than just a rehearsal dinner, you could wear them at work (as long as your dress code allows) and you could definitely wear them on the weekends for another party. Remember ladies, price per wear!!



I am in love with this color blue, it is so bright and beautiful.  The ruffle neckline adds just enough flare to make this dress exciting.



This dress is not necessarily something you could wear to work but it is a nice addition to a summer dress wardrobe and would be perfect for a summer rehearsal dinner.

This wrap dress is similiar to the first dress but this is another example of a dress that you could wear to work and could also double as a dress that would work for a rehearsal dinner.  The bold color makes you stand out without being loud or obnoxious and this color can be falttering on many people too!

The print on this dress really pops.   It is always nice to have a few dresses in your arsenal that are not just worn once and never seen again.

What are some of your favorite places to shop?  I love finding new boutiques and trends that I can share with everyone.  As always, happy shopping!

See you swoon,

What Would Jamie Wear: Accessories & Shoes for outdoor summer wedding

I am loving the requests I am getting for advice on what I would wear to certain events, this is so much fun so keep them coming! My most recent shopping quest came from a reader who is attending a wedding but already has most of her outfit completed. She wanted some help with accessory and shoe choices to go along with her outfit that sounds classic and beautiful.

I will describe what she has so far so you can get an idea of what she will be wearing and if you have any ideas to add we would love to hear them. The dress is black with a v-neck wrap top and a fuller skirt, she plans to wear a white cardigan over her dress that has pearl detailing.

Here are my thoughts. I would love to see a pop of color in the shoes and accessories that add a summery feel along with making them stand out against the black and white.

Necklaces:

Bracelets:

Shoes:

I just love how these items can be statement pieces all on their own but you can mix and mach the colors in each shoe, necklace or bracelet, not to mention you can wear these pieces time and time again!  So let me know what you think, and for all of you going to weddings this weekend have fun and happy shopping!

See you swoon,

What Would Jamie Wear: Beach Wedding

Let's face it, dressing for weddings is not always the easiest thing to do. What time of day is the party, is it outside or inside, will it be cold or warm, how dressy should I be? There are so many things to take into consideration. Recently I was asked what my thoughts were on dressing for a beach wedding for a couple that is getting married in Mexico and planning a beach themed reception when they return home. Good question. This can be tough because while it is beach themed it is not actually on the beach so I would not as far as wearing flip flops or items that you associate with a day on the beach soaking up the rays.

I love dresses so I have an arsenal of dresses here that I think would be very nice for a beach themed wedding without making a guest feel too overdressed but still keeping with the feel that the bride and groom are going for.



                          

{Dresses Clockwise: Suzy Chin Maggy Boutique, Banana Republic, ECI, Aqua, Calvin Klein}

Shoes are a weakness of mine and the trends this season show beautiful wedges and sandals with gems, jewels and metallics that can really make your outfit stand out.  Here are a few of my favorites.



{Shoes from left to right: Nine West, DKNYC, Steve Madden}

Have you ever been to a destination wedding or a beach themed wedding reception once the couple got home?  What did you wear and what tips do you have?



See you swoon,