The Perfect Greige...

Call me boring, but one of my favorite combinations for our home has been gray and beige.  I like the soothing, neutral feel but it also allows for quick and inexpensive updates for my ever changing mind (let’s face it, this happens often).  With a neutral backdrop you can always add color without having to repaint a room or buy new furniture.  We are always working on something new, so I think keeping the painting projects to the minimum will be key for a successful marriage.

Here's some of the colors we currently have in the house.

Ben Moore Rockport Gray / Living, Dining

Ben Moore Lenox Tan / Entry, Kitchen

About a month or so ago, my cousin Lisa sent me a message asking what our paint color is in the living room.  A little over a year ago, we painted our BM Lenox Tan walls in the living/dining room to be BM Rockport Gray.  We kept the Lenox Tan in the kitchen and entry way. The funny part is, even though they are two different colors , they blend so well and almost look like the same one when you look at the different planes of the walls.  

Here are the other contenders that we looked at and loved if you’re looking for a good gray:

Runner up: 

Ben Moore's Revere Pewter

I absolutely love this one, and still want to use it somewhere, but we needed something a little darker for our living room in order to notice a difference! Otherwise it would have looked very similar to Lenox Tan in our lighting (defeating the whole purpose of re-painting!)

Source: The Nest

 More Options:

Ben Moore's Abalone

Source: DecorPad

Well don't these stairs look familiar....ha!

Ben Moore's Edgecomb Gray

Source: DecorPad

Ben Moore's Silver Fox

Source: A Cup of Mai

The last image is a perfect example of how creating a neutral backdrop in your home allows you to change your look quickly and inexpensively!  You can always add a pop of color with a throw pillow, lamp, or accessories instead of feeling limited!

Bar Stools Arrived!

Over the weekend the Target Bar Stools I purchased, for $89.99 a piece, arrived!  We put them together today and I'm really pleased.  I was a little worried that the price was too good to be true but they are just what I was looking for. I have to say that they are also very comparable to the Crate and Barrel ones I was looking at (until I saw the $350.00 a stool price tag)!

Click Here to check out the Burke Bar Stools at Target while they're still on sale!

Interface Flor Catalog

Interface sends us a lot of Flor catalogs but this one really caught my eye.  I love the coral chevron pattern on the cover and wanted to share.  A few people have asked about the whole concept of carpet tiles for their home and I thought there were a few good shots in the catalog that would be worth sharing!

Target Bar Stool Buy

Maybe it's the new year, but lately I've been back on my kick to get the house on track.  With the holidays and such we haven't really had much time to do any big projects this winter.   That or maybe the hubs is still burnt out from siding the house all summer long!  As you can see, I did a little "refreshing"...starting with the blog. What do you think? Of course, this will always be a work in progress but I thought I'd play around and clean it up a bit. 

You may remember that we got our new table and chairs in.  So, of course, my urge to replace the old, run down bar stools only intensified! Here's a (not so great) pic of the new table and chairs.

 

GIVEAWAY ALERT: WIN A FREE VERANO HIGH BIKINI !!

Remember a while back when I posted about Verano High?  Well, here's your chance to WIN A FREE BIKINI (worth $210)!!! Talk about motivation for that New Year's "get bikini ready" Resolution!

Let's face it... most people are on some type of social media outlet multiple times a day.  So why not get something out of your Tweets, Posts, or Pins? You can use one or all social media outlets. The more you tweet, pin, or post, the better your chances to win! All you need to do is read the rules below!  Good Luck!

WWW.VERANOHIGH.COM


Verano High's InStyle Feature!




Click Here to check out Verano High on Extra Tv!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!



Well, I guess I know what one of my New Year's resolutions is going to be... to blog more! Especially because a lot of my post's seem to start with "It's been a while"!

So much has happened in 2012.  It was a year full of love, laughter, loss, and a lot of lessons for me.  I hope 2013 brings all of you many laughs, lots of love and, most importantly, good health!



Click here for this printable!

Before and After: Leanne's Fireplace

About a month or so ago, I was chatting with my sister-in-law on the phone about how she will be hosting Christmas dinner this year.   As we were talking, she mentioned that she wanted to fix up her fireplace before the holidays.  She was definitely tired of her old brass insert and wanted to update it on the cheap...and a success it was!

The first step was getting rid of the 70's style brass insert.  It didn't "pop out" like she had hoped, but my father-in-law and brother-in-law were there to assist with this process.  She then cleaned the inside with Simple Green, filled it with some candles, and bought a screen at Lowes.  Doing that alone made such a big difference!

However, she decided to take it a step further and paint the oak mantle white to really make it pop.  My father-in-law is a painter so, although she was ready to do the job herself, he took it over and did the first coat in about 15 min!  The next day they finished the 2nd coat and it looks amazing.  She used Ben Moore's Antique White with the primer mixed in.  All of this cost no more than $65.00! Talk about a great way to make an update with a small amount of time/money before Santa arrives. Let's hope he doesn't knock over those candles!

Check out the Before and After pics... I can't wait to see it in person. Awesome job!

Livingsocial/RugsUSA deal

It's been a while since I've posted...and a lot has been happening around the house that Ill definitely share soon!

...but for now, check out this Livingsocial deal I saw today!