Bringing spring color inside

Posted on April 8, 2013 by casadeberry

A few months ago I made some embellished kitchen towels using Sharpies, in a craft inspired by Heather from Setting for Four. This time I decided to use a bunch of different colors for a very colorful accent to our dining room table.

I had lots of fabric left over from some old curtains and I decided to make some colorful flowers using Sharpies:

Then I cut out the shapes I wanted – even though my “G” ended up looking like a “6″, grr – and appliqued them onto a length of the same fabric. I chose a contrasting color for the stitching so the letters would stand out:

I might also hang it above one of our hutches as a banner when we have friends over. I love that it was such a simple craft and is bringing so much color into our neutral dining room.

We had a few adventures during the boys’ week off, I will share some this week and some Top Secret goings on will have to wait to be revealed next week ;D I will tell you that I just finished a wonderful debut novel by a local author and I can’t wait to tell you all about that, too!

Five Shades of Teal

Posted on July 27, 2012 by casadeberry

I am in such a turquoise and teal kick, I swear, every other color in my polish stash is being completely ignored. Last week I went to a local nail supply store with my college friend Carina, and I got a few pretties in summery teals and turquoises.

From left to right:
SpaRitual’s Off the Grid, this one I already had, purchased at Sephora to match my Shellac manicure.
Color Club’s Gossip Column, a very saturated creme formula.
China Glaze’s Deviantly Darling, one of their luster chrome shades that changes color as you move your hands around.
Essie’s Dive Bar, darker on the nail than in the bottle.
Jessica’s Fishnets and Fringe, the darkest of all five.

I am so in love with these shades – today I am wearing Fishnets and Fringe and at first look it looks black, only once you stop and look can you detect the dark teal tones.

Now I am off to bake some cakes and watch the Olympics opening ceremonies – I love the Olympics, will you be watching?

Tangerine Tango @ Sephora

Posted on April 23, 2012 by casadeberry

I saw this collection a couple of days ago and decided that I would stop by Sephora soon and see the colors up close, but so far, I like what I am seeing. Pantone’s Color of the Year, Tangerine Tango, has been interpreted as a make-up collection at Sephora.

Now, I am not one for orange eye shadow or liner, but . . . nail polishes and nail glosses?

Oh, I’m there, sweetie. Back in a few to show ya what I got ;D

Choosing paint colors

Posted on January 11, 2012 by casadeberry

We’re re-painting our house this year – entryway, living room, hallway, dining room, kitchen, playroom/office. It’s been 8 1/2 years since we originally painted and it is time for a change.

This time we’re going with lighter walls – our current entryway, living room, and hallway color is a buttery yellow that is just a little too, well, yellow:

The playroom/office color is the original white, and the dining room/kitchen are a warm brick red:

I thought that making all the living areas the same color would unify everything and make it flow better. Or something. My husband has agreed, and the goal color now is cream. Which, as you know, can mean just about anything. These are some of the shades I like:

but who am I kidding here, I won’t know which one is The One until I slap some on the walls and see how I like it with the cabinets and furniture. Right now my favorite is Creamy White by Behr, so I’ll start with a sample of that and see where that gets us. I thought I loved Swiss Coffee and now I think it’s too greenish. Go figure.

I’ll post updates as to our color choice — I can’t wait to get started!!

Fashion Friday: Get ready to Tango in Tangerine in 2012

Posted on December 9, 2011 by casadeberry

Pantone has announced THE color for 2012 – Tangerine Tango — I have to say, I am happy this is a color that me and my Latina complexion can embrace ;D

It’s a warm red, much like many lipsticks I found during my quest for the perfect bold red lipstick. This shade of red can be worn now, for the holidays, to add a pop of color in winter, in a bright spring outfit, through summer, and combined with more earthy hues for fall. I came up with a few ideas:

Will you tango in Tangerine next year? I’m off to find some nail polish ;D

Christmas inside and out

Posted on December 1, 2011 by casadeberry

My two oldest men took on the task of putting up Christmas lights a couple of nights ago. My youngest decided it was too cold and went back inside with his mama.

Our house is all prettied up now – good job, boys!

We set up the tree a few nights ago, with my oldest son being the main decorator. I should have gotten some video. “I can’t find the perfect place for this one, mama. It just doesn’t make sense here.” Mm-hmm. I helpfully said, “just put it down and leave it for later.” He glared at me.

I think he did a wonderful job:

The little village underneath has been collected over the years and adds a sweet touch. My boy took these pics:

We like to turn the tree on and enjoy the sparklies. I light my candles and sip a bit of cocoa — my boys do not like hot chocolate for now — and we snuggle in the cold California evenings. Laugh if you will, but it is 45 degrees out there as I am typing and we do not turn the heater on in the evenings.

I am waiting for a couple of things before I show you the mantel – but for now I hope you enjoyed seeing our outside lights and our tree. It’s fake, because the cats can’t help themselves.

Swedish baby shower

Posted on November 28, 2011 by casadeberry

Over the weekend, I had the honor of hosting a baby shower for my sister-in-law, K. Her husband is from Sweden, where they live, and she’s visiting for a couple of weeks, so it was out only chance to get together and celebrate. I keep referring to her baby as baby Thor or baby Freya, but no, those are NOT the names they’re considering In fact, some of the names K likes for a girl (they don’t know the gender yet) are the ones I would have given to my child if I’d had a girl. I would LOVE it, if K’s baby is a girl, for my new niece to have those names I love, so yes, I am a little biased in what I hope she has.

Since we don’t know the baby’s gender yet, I decided to do the shower in the colors of the Swedish flag – blue and yellow:

I even learned to make pompoms!

Some of the wine was renamed with the names of Swedish places and the mommy- and daddy-to-be’s last name.

My husband did an amazing job decorating the house for Christmas, it looked beautiful!

I came up with a few games, including a crossword puzzle:

I had a blast planning and hosting the shower and even got gifts from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law for hosting! My husband was a fabulous assistant, he took many photos, helped set up, kept people fed and with drinks, he made my job so easy. K said she had a good time and was very thankful, which means the world to me. I am so excited for baby Thor or baby Freya to arrive next spring!!!

The Bathroom Saga – Sink and Faucet

Posted on November 21, 2011 by casadeberry

The last time y’all got a look at my bathroom was when my husband re-tiled the floor.

We had previously painted the walls, changing them from white to Ralph Lauren’s Chamois.

The next part of the ongoing transformation was to replace the sink and faucet.

When we moved in, the sink was already in poor condition. It was still working fine but it was rusted and stained. Over the years, it kept rusting to the point that there was a hole in the sink, so water could fall through into the cabinet. This is how it looked when removed:

Ew, right?

I wasn’t a fan of the banjo-shaped counter or the marble itself. It is apparently really pricey and top of the line, but as I’ve said at the beginning of the year, I am a complete peasant and I like what I like, regardless of price or trendiness.

I wanted a plain, white sink, so we went with this oval one from Lowe’s. For the faucet, I went with the Caldwell by Moen. They look so good together.

Uncle D was there to help my husband, Steve, and answer any questions – the amount of knowledge Steve has gained from Uncle D is truly invaluable. Here he is in action:

The coolest part, though, was when Steve couldn’t find his level and Uncle D downloaded an app on his phone and had a level ready to use in 19 seconds. No, we don’t have iPhones. Yet.

Here is the new sink in place

Isn’t it lovely, all that clean, sparkling white?

The faucet is gorgeous, too

I’m off to get more of the Chamois paint to touch up the areas that got messed up during the removal of the old sink. I am so happy with the way this bathroom is (almost) looking. My hubby went above and beyond and repainted the door back to its original white loveliness, too. Once the paint is touched up this bathroom will be ready for the next few gatherings we’re hosting. I’ll tell you more about that in my next post. Happy Monday!

Fashion Friday: Favorite Outfit

Posted on October 14, 2011 by casadeberry

I’m not a big fan of sweaters — cardigans are one thing but closed sweaters make me claustrophobic. This one, though, is so comfy and the neckline is not so tight so there’s no problem.

I love the richness of winter colors, browns and bronzes, olive greens and ambers, and my favorite of all colors, burgundy. Not in this outfit, but then it would be my lipstick ;D

Have a wonderful weekend!

Fashion Friday: Missoni for Target

Posted on September 16, 2011 by casadeberry

So the much-awaited line of Missoni for Target finally arrived in stores an d online, crashing the website and causing much chaos for those of us who usually shop at Tarjay, Missoni or no Missoni.

I admit I was awaiting this line as well, but as with most designer lines that are self-knocked off for budget stores, most of it failed to wow me.

Part of it is that so much of the line is swimwear. Granted, someone who knows her Missoni might be shopping for spending cold winter days in Barbados or cruises, but even so the horizontal stripes are kind of weird. A few other items were vests or blouses that weren’t really flattering, the vomitorium of colors and patterns too loud for me.

Where this line fared better was in accessories and home goods items: Shoes, scarves, decorative items, etc. are bright pops of color in doses that are totally doable.

Of course, these are the items are that mostly sold out, so I may not be the only one who thinks the bigger pieces would have been more successful in a more muter palette.

Of the items I liked I may get the beanie and/or the scarf, but I’ll have to see them in the store before I make my decision.