paris – Casa de Berry

2015, bath, decor, flowers, home, house, ikea, paris, wisconsin

Master Bathroom

September 23, 2015September 21, 2015by casadeberry2 Comments

When I came to Wisconsin to narrow down our choices for homes, there were some outstanding bathrooms in the houses we toured, but undoubtedly, the one that left me speechless was the one we dubbed the Captain America shower.

Either we would go in as ourselves and come out mutated in some way, or I’d end up pressing the wrong button and launch the whole thing into space. The master bathroom in our home, while still gorgeous, is a bit more normal looking. This is what it looked like at first:

It has a double shower, a separate alcove for the toilet, a sweet soaker tub and a lot of storage. A mirror that spanned both sink areas was added before we moved in, as well as light fixtures. We added cellular blinds to allow light in and retain privacy, and a few touches to make it more pleasant to get ready in the morning.

I brought my Georgianna Lane framed photos and Steve was sweet to placed them above the tub for me. The Paris map also made the trek, and lives on my side of the vanity. We purchased the same towels we had in our apartment in Paris last year. Six months later, they’re still like new.

Hope you enjoyed this little tour of our master bathroom, we’re certainly very happy with it!

2015, bedding, bedroom, glam, gold, home, ikea, neutrals, paris, wisconsin

Master bedroom

May 12, 2015May 12, 2015by casadeberryLeave a Comment

A wise friend advised me to focus on the master bedroom, to create a sanctuary there even if the rest of the house was not finished. For the most part we did that, because having a place for the whole family to gather was at the top of our list, so our living room did get top priority. Today I’m sharing our master bedroom as it is now. I still want to have a little sitting area, but for the most part, it is functional, and after a few things we added this past weekend, I think it’s beautiful.

I wanted warm, soothing neutrals, a bit of glam, a bit of Paris (of course), and I definitely wanted to make good use of things we had in our California house.

The main purchase here was the bed. We wanted a king-sized bed (Eastern king, not California king), and Steve wanted a sleigh frame, so we looked and looked, and found the bed at Wayfair.

We had the white duvet cover, got white sheet sets from IKEA and WalMart, and the beaded pillow is from the clearance aisle at Pier 1. Our Stearns and Foster mattress is absolutely heavenly to sleep on, and was purchased from Ashley Furniture in nearby Brookfield.

We bought some prints from street vendors when we were in Paris last November, and I’ve held on to them until I figured out what I wanted to do with them. We considered putting them in the living room, dining room, but in the end I liked the idea of having them in our bedroom.

The frames are from the “value” section at Michaels, and the set of mirrors are from Kohl’s, but I’ve seen similar at Target.

Steve did a great job putting them up and we both love how they look up there.

The neutral frames let the color in the prints pop and this little gallery is a sweet reminder of our trip.

The nightstands are IKEA Expedit pieces we brought from California, and the lamps and shades are from WalMart.

I love these curtains.

They’re from World Market and the moment I saw them I knew that I wanted them. They’re neutral and warm, and I liked that they give us privacy but are not completely blocking the light. Don’t worry, we don’t light those candles when the curtains are closed 😀

The painting to the left was brought from our California bedroom.

We also have our two dressers facing the bed, as well as the trunk that is a family heirloom. We’re really happy how our bedroom is coming along, it is a soothing, comfortable space we both love.

2014, French, paris, travel

Paris Vacation – part 5

January 3, 2015January 2, 2015by casadeberryLeave a Comment

If you have ever watched the BBC show Merlin, then you will be familiar with this place:

The Chateau de Pierrefonds

My husband, Steve, had been here about fifteen years ago, when he was in France for work. The chateau is located north of Paris — we rented a car and made the drive over. The day cleared up as we reached the commune of Pierrefonds and it being a Tuesday, the chateau was nearly empty.

View of the Commune de Pierrefonds from the castle

We explored the chateau at our leisure

Our drive back to Paris took us through some gorgeous, picturesque villages. France is really such a beautiful country and we definitely look forward to taking the boys there someday.

Our next landmark visit was due to a request from our oldest, who wanted us to go to the very top of the Eiffel Tower and take a picture of Paris below.

However, when we finally made it up to the top, after a 45-minute delay when the cars stopped working, it was so foggy that we could not see a thing out of the top floor – oops! So down we went to the second level and snapped pictures for our boy.

We spoke to him later that night (afternoon in the US) and explained what happened. He was a little bummed but he thanked us for trying.

Next post, I will take you twenty years back in time, to my first visit to Paris.

2014, nails, november, paris

Paris Vacation – random #2

December 8, 2014by casadeberryLeave a Comment

Our Parisian friend, F, had been posting pictures on my Facebook page for a while, pictures of vending machines. But these were no regular vending machines.

Oh no.

These machines were full of NAIL POLISH.

Yeah.

Like I needed another reason to love Paris.

Of course, we went to find one early on in our vacation.

I have been wearing the green color, Yumi, for about a week now. There is a bit of wear at the tips of the nails, of course, but it is barely noticeable. The formula is opaque in two coats and the brush is a dream. Suffice it to say that if I had to tell myself to just get three and walk away because I could have bought every color on the machine.

We’ve had a rough week with the boys having the puking plague and my husband being, uh, elsewhere (I will tell you about that in a few weeks), so when I get a bit of time later I think a change of polish color is in order. What do you think, red or blue?

2014, bags, paris, travel

Paris Vacation, part 1

November 25, 2014November 23, 2014by casadeberry4 Comments

Yes, I know, it’s been a long time and I’m starting to blog again right after we get home from Paris. Boo hiss.

This was a long-awaited trip for us, we’d both been to Paris before, but never together, so we’d been looking forward to this BIG TIME. We spent eleven glorious days on vacation, two of them travel days, and nine days left to explore this gorgeous city. We took our time, slept in when we wanted, and had a wonderful trip.

First things first, though – I’m sharing with you what I wore on the plane:

I layered a tank top under a light sweater and also had my coat with me on the plane, plus a super soft scarf. I wore comfortable slim jeans and riding boots, adding my “personal item” (crossbody bag) and “carry on” (an expandable bag from Stella & Dot) that held a ton of things and was still within the limits set by airlines. In my carry on, I had a change of clothes, leggings and a long sleeve top, underwear, bra, and socks, and basic, travel-sized toiletries. I’ve experienced lost luggage and canceled flights before and tried my best to plan for the worst. Thankfully, all our flights were on time and nothing was lost.

I will add this amazing trip we had to my list of things to be thankful for, I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving if you celebrate it, and a wonderful week in any case 😀

2012, French, paris

Paris, of course!

June 8, 2012June 10, 2012by casadeberry32 Comments

Whenever someone asks what my favorite city in the world is, my answer is always, Paris. Of course, I love the city I live in because it’s where my family is, and I love the city where I was born and miss it a lot, but I must admit to a decades-long attachment to Paris.

My first Parisian experience was in the Marais district, fresh out of university, I decided to park my bags at a youth hostel on a sweet little cobblestone street.

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I loved this quiet little street, the gorgeous church, and the doggie that hung out at the restaurant on the corner.

I soon discovered that Paris was everything I had expected, and more.

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My closest Metro stop was Pont Marie, the name of which became part of my first ever email address.

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I loved how the simplest buildings could be so gorgeous, the beautiful architectural details not reserved for museums or city halls, but instead part and parcel of the style of the city.

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In Paris, you can start your day – every day! – with a pastry, you know why? Because then you walk everywhere for the rest of the day!

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And how adorable are those window boxes above?

You can indulge your addiction to freshly baked bread, too!

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And enjoy a bit of wine with dinner every evening:

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A Highlander: The Series fan, I ran to the spot where Duncan’s barge was usually parked,

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only to discover that they were filming in Canada at the time. After I returned to the States, they moved back to film in Paris again – MERDE!!!

I walked down the famous Champs Elysees

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there were posters for Four Weddings and a Funeral, or rather, Quatre mariages et un enterrement, which was the hit movie of that year.
The Eiffel Tower also beckoned

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but I have to say that it was not the tourist sites that made me love this city.
It wasn’t the expensive boutiques or the fancy couture I saw.
It was the history, written on every street, every window and door that have witnessed so much

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It was the food, made to be truly enjoyed and not agonized over

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It was the women, ever so chic and confident, buying clothes that will last instead of clothes to fit this season’s trends

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It was the beauty, everywhere, to be enjoyed even during lunch hour

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because seriously, if you could go to a place like that to eat your PB&J, wouldn’t you?

And that is why I love Paris. Because of what it is, and because of what it is not. But you know, I decided a few years ago to bring that feeling to my home. I try to cook as much as I can so that I know I am giving my family healthy, nourishing food they can enjoy. I grow my own veggies so that we can eat corn that spent the morning still attached to its stalk. I try to buy things that will last – obviously that doesn’t work for my boys, because they outgrow everything within 3 months – but it means enjoying what we have, instead of always looking around to see what else we can get. It means enjoying life.

2012, craft, decor, friends, glam, paint, paris, red

Sassy Red Bookcase Makeover

May 18, 2012May 18, 2012by casadeberryLeave a Comment

As much as I am in love with my shades of turquoise and chartreuse, my love for burgundy will never fade. Although it does when I try to put it on my hair.

Recently I re-organized the entryway and ended up with a plain little bookcase with nowhere to go, so I decided to glam ‘er up and give her a place to live next to my desk.

First I gave it a coat of primer, then two coats of Krylon’s Burgundy – geek moment: I was so giddy when I realized I used up the last of both that can of primer and the burgundy shade – am I the only one who loves finishing up cans of spray paint, because it means I can get more? – and finally, a coat of Rustoleum lacquer.

After waiting impatiently for it to fully dry, I started filling it up with items that I wanted near me, that had no place on my desk, and that made me happy.

Et voila!

I am super happy with the result, it adds a lovely pop of color against the white walls of the office, and it has many items that make me smile.

I just received this beautiful mug for mother’s day, from my dear friend D, and believe me, it’s already getting some use. Seeing it there when I first go to my desk reminds me to just take a moment for myself before the craziness of the day begins. The green oval box hides some Splenda packets, and the Paris-papered oatmeal canister holds whatever current magazines I have.

The adorable mini chest of drawers was a gift from my dear friend A long, long ago, and the picture frames were gifts from my mom. The photo on the left is of us holding our month-old oldest, and the one on the right is our youngest’s hospital picture. I don’t think it looks anything like him but yes, I know it’s him because they took the pics in my hospital room ;D

The bottom shelf has a tray I decoupaged with more Paris-themed paper, one of my favorite votive holders (from the dollar bins at Michaels!), a little tray I made inspired by an item at Paper Source, my current inspiration books, and the most sought-after treasure in our household: PENS!!! I swear, I can’t keep them on my desk anymore because they get taken at an alarming rate 😀 so now they are sort of, maybe, semi-hidden. Who am I kidding, by the time this post is published there won’t be any pens left!

So that’s it, my latest re-vamp – I took this bookcase from drab to fab and didn’t spend a cent. But now, I must spend a penny, if you know what that means.

Have a wonderful weekend!

2011, blue, candle, decor, glam, green, holiday, husband, ikea, love, office, paris, turquoise

My glam office shelf

December 2, 2011December 2, 2011by casadeberry5 Comments

I was at Michaels the other day and saw a few ornaments I had to have, in my favorite colors of 2011 – turquoise and olive green. I added some items I had at home to complete the look.

From left to right: IKEA vase with Christmas greenery from Michaels clearance last year, Noel ornament and scroll ornament from current Michaels selection. I don’t remember where I got the snowman!!!
Target frame from 2009. Eiffel tower ornament from Pier One.
Cupcake pedestal, gift from my dear friend K, with garland we’ve had for years and glittery white candle. Little Christmas tree my husband put on my desk, it changes colors ;D Green lantern from IKEA.
Candlestick from Goodwill, spray-painted ORB with plan taper and the most fabulous peacock ornament, again, from Michaels. Their ornaments are 50% off so each of the three ornaments I got were $2.50 – $3.00 – score! LOVE print from Made by Girl.

So there you have my sparkly glam shelf – full of items that mean a lot to me (mini tree from my hubby, pic of my boys, gift from a dear friend) and items that make me smile, with the most beautiful sentiment of all, LOVE, as the background. Hope you enjoyed the peek into a corner of my world. Have a great weekend!

art, paris, photography

2012 Calendar by Georgianna Lane

September 14, 2011November 15, 2011by casadeberryLeave a Comment

I recently ordered a calendar from an etsy shop, I was very taken with her photographs of Paris and the price was an absolute steal. Usually each 5×5 print sells for $12 and here was a calendar = 12 prints for $20 with free shipping. How could I resist?

First, I received a very nice (personal, not form) email shortly after paying, and a few days later I got this in the mail:

There was a very nice card inside . . .

. . . with a gorgeous bonus print:

And the piece de resistance, the 5×7 prints that make up the calendar:

The prints have the calendar bit on the bottom 2 inches so when you’re done, you can cut that off and you have the original 5×5 print ready to mat and hang up.

The 2012 calendar is currently 20% off and shipping is free, so I highly recommend you get one now, the images are beautiful and you have art to treasure forever!

French, paris

Happy Bastille Day!

July 14, 2011by casadeberry2 Comments

As a devoted Francophile I am celebrating Bastille day today, remembering the wonderful times I have had in my favorite city in the world, Paris! Here are some pics I found on Pinterest that remind me of the loveliness of the city of lights: