Nook and Crannies

New Year, New Blog

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:56:45 -0500

The new year is such a great time to think about things in a new and different way. So get ready because this blog is about to do just that.

The Nook and Crannies blog will refreshed in mid January. And by “refreshed” I mean new name, new team, new topics, and new look and feel.

I am so excited to announce my new collaboration with Kelly Henderson of B.R. Louise. She is crazy talented and creative which is why she is a make-up artist and hairstylist to many of country music’s A-list. Oh and she just wrapped a photo shoot with Glamour Magazine….no big deal.

It doesn’t hurt that her own personal style is so unique and adorable. So without further doting here she is…..

The new blog name will be Velvet’s Edge. And the content will be centered around all things that inspire us and our individual take on life, interiors, makeup, hairstyles, and fashion.

You can expect four series with blog post galore in between.

Here are the series:

1. The Catalog Adventures - This will focus on our crazy obsession with magazines, catalogs, and pretty much anything that comes in paper form.

2. Crush Worthy is a series devoted to things we are crushing on. Currently I am crushing on the color emerald green. Ever since I bought this lamp for my office I have been trying to figure out what else I can paint, cover, or remake with this color.

Expect to see a post about this color.:)

3. Girl Power - This name is still be decided but for now it is very self explanatory. This series will serve as a sharing from us to you on on how we are motivating ourselves to be those types of woman that dream and then go for it.

4. How2 - This series will consist of tutorials on hair, make-up, DIY for the home ect.

More updates to follow.

Make it a Happy New Year!

In the wake of the tragedy that happened last week I am not going to write an extensive post about...

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:40:04 -0500

In the wake of the tragedy that happened last week I am not going to write an extensive post about my thoughts or my life but instead I am going to encourage the people who read this blog to pray or take a moment of silence for the lives lost in the horrible Connecticut Elementary school shooting.

God we ask for peace that passes all understanding.

It is hard to post about what has been going on with me after such a shocking loss. So I am just going to do the minimal words - picture version.

A little before and after room action. (This was a room that needed minor tweaks not an entire overhaul.)

Christmas dinner date with a guy who feeds me well.

This was Ryan’s creative wrapping job for my Christmas present. Amazing.

Christmas Party with my best friend.

Sunday gift wrapping night.

And a little Christmas decorating for a client.

With love,

Art Paint

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:55:38 -0500

It is no secret that I am obsessed with the latest and greatest in fashion and interior. Because I have one or two traditional bones in my body I don’t put all of the trends into practice. However, I still want to know they exist. I am a “need to know I could if I wanted to” type of person. My friends constantly send me fashion articles, recipes, and above all new ideas and pictures that are interior related. I literally soak this kind of thing up. As a matter of fact I got this text from a friend two days ago, “Do you have a subscription to House Beautiful magazine? If not send me your address bc I have a free gift subscription.” I guess it pays off to make your interest public. :)

All of this to say, I get to see a lot more of the topics I am interested in through sharing than I could ever do on my own. Some of the time I OOH and AHHH over something sent to me and then forget about it, and other times I am so stoked I immediately try it. This is one of the “try it now” ideas that was recently sent my way.

I am not promising this will work because it is about 20 line items down on my list of things to experiment with. But I couldn’t pass up sharing it.

Go here if you are looking for a unique way to paint a wall, pillow, piece of furniture.

Enjoy!

"Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new..."

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:33:25 -0500

“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

- Walt Disney (via beandesouza)

Break and Thank Part V

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:30:32 -0500

The week is upon us. Time to enjoy our family and friends and give ourselves permission to eat as much pumpkin pie as possible. I started last night…..ooops.

Here are a few last minute details that you could quickly incorporate into your home for the holidays.

For other Thanksgiving decorative ideas check out parts I-IV of the “break and thank” series on my blog.

House numbers on a pumpkin.

-via Lowe’s creative ideas

Fun fall paper crafts

-via aplaceforus blog

Pumpkin and moss in any sort of standing vase, bowl or urn.

-via thegrowersdaughter blog

Thankful tree with descriptive DIY on the blog listed below.

-via jonesdesigncompany

Glitter pumpkins

-via pinterest

Free Thanksgiving printables

-via myblessedlifeblog

Paint dipped pine cones

-via factorydirectcraft

This is a free printable “thankful banner.” Click the Shanty Chic link below.

-via shanty chic

Enjoy!

Break and Thank Part IV

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 11:10:02 -0500

OOOOOOH! It’s getting closer.

In part I-III we set the foundation for thanksgiving entertaining. We started with front door welcoming ideas that are sure to WOW right from the start, to centerpieces for your larger table areas, and personalized table settings for the entertaining over-achievers. Even executing one idea from each of the series is such an accomplishment.

We are down to the final list of to-do’s.

This “break and thank” post serves the purpose of getting your creative juice’s flowing on unique ways to serve your food choices.

Bonus: There are a few food (mainly dessert) recipes below!

Carved out pumpkin as a serving piece…..genius.

-via Pinterest

-via bhg

Cut the top off a cinderella pumpkin, add a plate to the top and walla.

-via the high heeled hostess blog

-via nancycreative

-via farmgirls dabble blog

Pumpkin pie martini…yum!

-via hostesswiththemostess blog

Candy from waffle cones (cornucopia.) If you have more of a neutral color scheme you could dip the cone in white chocolate and fill it with chocolates.

-via hostesswiththemostess blog

Carmel apple cider

-via tatertots&jello blog

This is an apple buy shaped into an apple. I have no clue how they did this but couldn’t resist posting it. You can click through to the flickr account I found it on below.

-via Laksmi W flickr account

Pumpkin pie with decorative leaf pie crust

-via homesteadsurvival blog

And a gift. The “how to” on this is linked below.

-via cookingclassy

Enjoy!

Break and Thank Part III

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 09:44:00 -0500

A great way to make people feel welcome is to personalize your place settings. This step is for the Thanksgiving over achievers. But if you are a “thank goodness I got at least one pumpkin sitting out” kind of person these pictures will serve the purpose of putting you in the spirit.:)

-via 2BSquared Blog

This Oh My Deer blog listed below shows you the DIY behind this place setting.

-via ohmydeer blog

-via pinterest

-via martha stewart

A thank you card at each setting is the perfect idea.

-via bhg

Enjoy!

Break and Thank Part II

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:35:00 -0500

In part one of this “break and thank” series I showed some simple front door ideas for having an inviting and festive home for Thanksgiving. Check it out here.

Table centerpieces are our focus today. Don’t limit yourself to just the dining room table. You can actually sprinkle these ideas on any table surface. My recommendation is to create a few statement areas and avoid doing little things everywhere.

Use a white cake serving piece and place smaller white painted pumpkins on and around the serving piece. If you want some color and texture you could add some green or brown colored faux moss from Micheal’s.

- via herz and allerliebst flickr

Apothecaries filled with pumpkins

- via Country Living

Pine cone centerpieces are a great idea.This idea can transition into Christmas.

-via shelterness blog

White runner, pumpkins, and candles down a longer table…..love.

-via homestories A to Z

Birdhouse candle holders (Target,) and pine cones are a perfect combo.

-via Pinterest

Love the height on the candles at the end of the table and the color scheme.

-via Pinterest

A lot of white and a pop of bright orange coming from somewhere other than the pumpkins is unexpected.

-via shelterness blog

-via bhg

Enjoy!!

Break and Thank

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:43:00 -0500

It is that time of year that we are all reminded to take a break from the stress of life and focus on the the things that bring you joy and peace.

For me those things are my faith, my mom, my friends, and my ball and chain - Ryan.

This all sounds great but it is not easy. The closer the big day the more difficult it becomes to stay thankful and stress free. Because, let’s be honest, when families come together there is usually a little anxiety involved. So, if you are reaching that overwhelmed point of having to make your house welcoming and festive on the fly you have come to the right place. Let’s start with the front door and go from there.

So slow down, take a deep breath and remember:

- Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

-Take those empty planters and fill them with pumpkins. Buy two or three different sizes and make sure the larger is on the bottom.

-via pinterest

- Go into your garage and see if you have any old LARGE barrels or crates and fill them with painted pumpkins with a stenciled message of your choice. I would personally paint all of the fillers a mixture of taupe, white, and gray.

like this

-via Better Homes and Gardens

- Take that branches from those pretty trees surrounding your home (or your neighbors) and use clear string to tie them to the lights on your front porch.

- via pinterest

- Large planter and mums.

- via the sweet survival

Next steps to follow. :)

I am constantly seeking inspiration for myself and I often find it in the strangest places. I...

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:36:45 -0500

I am constantly seeking inspiration for myself and I often find it in the strangest places.

I like to think of myself as a “deep-friendship” kind of person. What I mean by that is I am fully invested in the lives of those who are closest to me. Although it’s very natural for me to engage in meaningful conversation with family and friends, I’m not so great at conversation with people I do not know.

Ryan, someone who is very close to me, has a knack for striking up conversation with random strangers. I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve rolled my eyes when he’s found out someone’s life story at a restaurant, bar, hotel lobby, gas station, etc. Two weeks ago Ryan went to Publix to pick up a few groceries. When he put the pecan pie on the register, Terry – the man bagging the groceries, piped up and said, “I know what you’re going to do! You’re going to heat up the pecan pie and put ice cream on it.” It’s important to know that Terry is a middle-aged man with down syndrome. As always, a one-minute conversation with a stranger and Ryan has made a new friend. Ryan came back to the house and told me about his new friend, but if I’m being honest, I only paid half attention…. Shame on me.

So to get on with the story, last weekend I was at the wedding reception of my best friends. I was having a great time until I slipped on a step, fell and sprained my ankle. No big deal. Happens to everyone at a wedding reception, right? A couple of days after the sprain Ryan and I needed to get dinner and decided to pick up something from Publix. For the sake of speed I had to use the motorized cart which was embarrassing in every way. On the way to check out Ryan spots Terry bagging groceries. Of course he makes a b-line to introduce me to “his guy”, as he says it. We exchanged the usual “nice to meet you’s” and that’s as far as I thought the moment would go. Terry insisted on taking our groceries to the car. Terry helps me into the car since it was still difficult to put any weight on my ankle and I was beyond humbled in this moment. Then, Terry asked me if it would be okay to pray with him. He took my hand with his left hand and Ryan’s hand with his right hand. In the middle of the Publix parking lot Terry prayed, “Dear Lord, please give this young lady strength so she can heal quickly. Thank you for your grace and for this day you have given us. Amen.” Needless to say I was brought to full blown tears. Here is a man who will forever have a more difficult life than I can ever imagine having and his biggest concern was to help me and pray for a healthy recovery. The moment was so simple but had such a profound impact on me.

If you’ve read my blog before you probably know my mantra. “Go hard after your dreams. Be open-minded. Love people.” After the moment I experienced with Terry I am inspired to really hone in on the “love people” part. Because the grace, care, and thoughtfulness that Terry showed me is something I want to share with those who cross my path.

Here is my week at a glance:

Beautiful wedding

Great friend in town from L.A.

Ryan presented at the ASCAP awards. Proud GF.

Bears vs Titans game in Nashville

Tile selection done for one of my homes….check.

Find: Master Bedroom lighting option that I am almost certain will be the final option in one of my homes but if not I might buy it for myself.:)

RH Canoe: Can’t wait to get this mounted this week in one of my bachelor’s homes. Pics to come.

Placed an order for 48”x60” Justin Gaffrey painting for a client on Friday and I can not wait to show you guys the finished product in a couple of weeks.

Have a great week!

My Little Place Recently, there have been a few people ask me why I never post pictures of my place....

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 09:48:00 -0400

My Little Place

Recently, there have been a few people ask me why I never post pictures of my place. Weellllllll, there are a few reasons for this:

1. I feel an extreme pressure to have a space designed to the level of my clients. But let’s face it, it is always easier to use your talents for other people and have mental blocks when it comes to using it for yourself.

2. I live in approximately 700 square feet. I am not complaining I am very blessed in my life.

3. I have a significant other who prefers to NOT see me spend money on my own decor every time I am out shopping for a client.:) It’s the “its a temporary place so why spend money when you will change it all again” speech. All of us who are into design have probably heard this lecture a time or two. :)

So, this is my encouragement to you guys with small spaces who are stuck. You can have a clean, organized, moderately designed space without investing in major pieces-just yet- or spending a ton of time.

It all comes down to a few small rules/tricks.

Go for a white wall vs. a tan. This works well to open up the space and let you go all neutral or have bursts of color without being over/under whelmed. However, I have my very small kitchen and bathroom painted Urban Bronze (basically black) for contrast and drama.

I used my dresser as a living room piece for my TV. It allows more bedroom space and gives me a significant sized piece for my living area. For a small space furniture should be to scale but I would recommend fewer substantial pieces vs many smaller pieces.

Get rid of or store (somewhere other than your place) everything that is not absolutely necessary.

Use the bar area where bar stools would typically go as a desk area. Well, I work more than I cook so this may only apply to a select and ridiculous few. ;)

Use a see-through basket for your books. And if you have a neutral color scheme you can cover your books with craft paper from Hobby Lobby. I prefer to cover some and leave a few uncovered.

Live simply. Use pinterest to remember things you want in your future home. Because chances are if you live in 700 sq ft or less it is not a permanent place.

Confession: I am not completely done. I am waiting on a white cowhide with gold stripes to layer over the living room rug as well as wall lamps that will hang beside the antique doors for either side of my couch. Shhhhh, I also have my eye on a new sofa but I am going to be responsible and buy it after I have saved for it.

Warning: these photos were taken from my ipad:

It would be hard explaining where everything came from but if you have any questions feel free to contact me.

- A little love and inspiration If you had a hidden camera in my place this past weekend you would...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:06:00 -0400

- A little love and inspiration

If you had a hidden camera in my place this past weekend you would seriously ask yourself if these girls were 15 or 30. And not the sliver of a 15 year old’s life that consists of gossiping and temper tantrums. But the part that is carefree and full of slumber parties.

From Friday night to Sunday morning I hosted my friends in town for my best friend’s bachelorette party. And we laughed so hard that most of us were hoarse by the end of the weekend.

The week was topped off by being completely inspired by attending the NSAI awards in Nashville. Where the best (past and present) songwriters in Nashville are awarded for their creativity, process, and extreme talent. I heard speech after speech of songwriters who moved to this town with a dream, a passion, and a nickel who went on to write country songs like “The Dance.” And in case you were wondering Garth Brooks took the stage to sing a few songs and I nearly lost it..

To sprinkle this blog with a little dose of reality (so that you don’t get the impression that my life is all peaches,) I was faced with the drug addiction of a person very close to me. This person is so deep in that I am having to accept the possibility of losing them. My heart literally broke into a thousand pieces after visiting them a few weeks back and hearing from them this past week. Seeing their frail body and hearing the hopelessness in their voice was one of the hardest things I will ever do. FYI - that person does not read this blog and I am one of the few people that know about their drug addiction.

I live by these words and they ring more true this week than ever: Go hard after your dreams. Be open-minded. Love people.

My week at a glance:

Got the new dining room light in for one of my clients:

Bach party

Nashville Songwriter Awards Show (yes that is Garth)

Football suites need love too!

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 12:21:31 -0400

This was such a fun and different experience for me. I have never seen a football suite designed but why not? We are not completely finished as we are waiting on pillows, TV’s and the company logos but I wanted to share a little sneak peak! Go Titans:)

Warning: these photos were taken on my iphone.

Space Reveal

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:33:11 -0400

I am thrilled to share the final photos of one of my latest projects. I absolutely adore this client and their outdoor space.

As promised I am on a mission to capture my latest work so there will be many more spaces to reveal.

Enjoy,

Happy Labor Day everyone! A little labor goes a long way:)

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 10:55:53 -0400

Happy Labor Day everyone!

A little labor goes a long way:)

If you haven’t noticed it’s Tuesday. But since it feels like a Monday to me I am going...

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:02:00 -0400

If you haven’t noticed it’s Tuesday. But since it feels like a Monday to me I am going to pretend (while I write this post) that it is yet another Manic Monday.:)

I am right at the tail end of a completing a few homes and wanted to take a moment to show my appreciation for the people who trusted me into their homes and gave me freedom to be creative and grace for any learning curves I might have went through during their projects. So here is a big thank you to Maureen Shorter, Marci and Mike Munchak, Desiree and Russ Jones, Shannon Terry and Falon Hammer.

I will have photos completed by mid-September:) Oh, and I can’t wait to tell you about some upcoming super-fun projects I am taking on. Hint: You might see a canoe hanging from the ceiling.

So enough chit-chat. Here is my last two weeks at a glance:

Bachelorette party for my best friend

Family visit and camping in Michigan with the love of my life

Designed and completed a colorful outside space. Sorry for the bad iphone photos. Real pics to come:)

New Zilla pillows as the final touches for a living room space that I will complete

this week:)

And I cooked. To most of you this might seem like an everyday thing. For me, it equates to a 7 mile run kind of task.

I found this quinoa fried rice recipe which is super healthy and taste exactly like fried rice. I like anything fried and anything with soy sauce:) Or maybe everything taste good with soy sauce….who knows?

Here is the recipe with my own spin on it…..scary.

This recipe is based on 2 cups of quinoa.

- Rinse 2 cups of quinoa and let dry for about 15 minutes. If you do not know what quinoa is you can google it and pick it up at Wholefoods and the like.

-Toast the quinoa over the stove for about 1 min to extract all of the moisture. When I first saw this step in a recipe I had no clue what it meant but basically you put it in a pot over the stove with no water and stir for approx 1 min.

-Add 1.5 cups of water for every cup of quinoa that you use. So for me it is 3 cups.

-Bring to a boil and let simmer for 12 minutes.

-While you are letting your quinoa simmer you can start prepping your veggies. I chop up and saute (with extra virgin olive oil) around 4 cups of veggies. I personally buy the fresh stir fry mix from Whole Foods which comes with chick peas, red peppers, onions, carrots, broccoli and some white vegetable that I can not name. :)

-After they are tender push them to the side of the pan and scramble 3 large eggs. I use very little yoke.

-When those are finished saute some minced garlic. I literally guessed at how much but it was about a pinch. ha

-Mix all veggies, eggs, and garlic together

-Your quinoa should look like this when it is done.

-Add a tbsp of garlic powder to your quinoa and stir in.

-Pour your quinoa over your veggies and eggs and stir. Let them cook in for a few minutes.

-Add a tbsp of parsley, sea salt and pepper and stir in.

-In the original recipe it says to add your soy sauce to the entire thing but I just add it to each serving individually so that it will be soggy free on day 2 and 3 and heck for me day 4.

My meditation for the week:

-Go hard after your dreams. Be open-minded. Love people.

Confession time. I have been really slacking at writing this post. It is hard to find inspiration...

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 17:39:00 -0400

Confession time. I have been really slacking at writing this post. It is hard to find inspiration every week. And I don’t like to read writing that is clearly forced due to some sort of internal commitment. So instead of committing to writing every Monday I am committing to learn something new, capture the moments that mean the most to me, and grow so that my writing is relevant (at least to me.) :)

So, if I had to pick one thing I have been learning to share with you it would be pushing your mind into a space where it can be creative.

The great thing about Pinterest is that is shows you that thousands of people all over the world are reinventing with genius. People are pushing themselves creatively to be original, even if that originality stems from an idea they have already seen.

The downfall of Pinterest is that it has become a crutch to many creative minds including myself.

I have found that dividing my time between exploring the worlds of Pinterest and the like and sitting down with a pencil and staying there long enough to push my mind to put an original spin on something is the best way to produce quality creative work. I am sure this is up for much debate:)

My week at a glance:

Celebrated and hosted my best friend’s wedding shower back in my hometown:

Used the mother of the bride’s wedding dress as decor:

While I was at home I painted my moms fireplace with Annie Sloan paint and will post pics later this week.

Also, I have not had any time to actually capture the after photos of the homes I have been working on. I have 5 houses worth of photos coming your way soon:)

Meditation for the week:

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
Marcel Proust

Have a fancy fourth!

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:30:00 -0400

It’s not too late! Add a little punch to your party by incorporating an additional color into your red, white, and blue color scheme.

Here are some options.

Happy Fourth of July!

BAD TO THE BONE!!! (faux roman shade)

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:52:32 -0400

Don’t have time to dive into the awesomeness of this DIY project. But had to make the time to share it with you guys. I had a person email me and didn’t understand that the words in light purple were linked to the site I was referencing. So, to avoid any confusion, please click on the words “DIY project” above.

UMMMMMMMM!!!!! Yep, that is the first “word” that comes to mind when I think about how...

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:59:01 -0400

UMMMMMMMM!!!!! Yep, that is the first “word” that comes to mind when I think about how to communicate what I have been learning. It is a little embarrassing to admit but I have such a hard time looking at the constant stream of photos that come across facebook of the people who have mastered the portrayal of the seemingly perfect life. Because for a moment I really start to want what they have. When you see pictures of people with the cookie cutter front yards, the children in the little photos with the scrolling photographer logo, the vacation to the Bahama’s with my “amazing husband who never lets me down…ever,” it is hard to see the extensive lawn mowing, the fits of rage from the little one at the dinner table and the possible argument over how many suitcases they each brought to the airport. Having a great yard, or precious children ect are all great things and they are things that in some ways we all want. But sometimes the satisfaction seems to come from portraying those things rather than actually enjoying them. And then it hit me…I hope this blog never leads anyone to believe that I am the perfect designer, daughter, employee, christian, or even friend because it is just simply not the case. I love my life but not because I am perfect in and at it but more because my imperfect life has made me who I am and brought people into my life that I adore.

Instead of stating more opinions on this topic I am going to present the questions that I have been asking myself.

- What if I spent more time making memories with the the people that have been placed in my life rather than envy the lives of other people that I really don’t even know that well.

- What if I shared the realities of my life with that friend that is in bad situation instead of putting the weight of my “judgy” opinion on their shoulders.

- What if I presented to the world via photos, blog, tweets or hell even real live conversations (haha), the struggles that came along with my successes.

And with that said I was going to post a few photos of my week but I will leave you with one:

My meditation for the week:

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

- Psalm 46:10