The Master Bedroom Plan

So I'm going to go through each space of my house and share my initial plan... and what better place to start but the very place I will lay my head down every night... well, every night that I'm not traveling at least!

You're aware of the before:

 

As you can see, there is no door. Interesting, huh? Well, the master is the only thing on the top floor, so a wall is not necessarily necessary for privacy, however, it feels a little odd not being able to close the door to my room. I contemplated a few options here. I knew I had to get rid of the current wrought iron railing, but I initially thought I'd replace with a more traditional wood railing and just leave the space open as-is, but then the more I thought about it, the more I realized I'd really like to be able to retreat to my room and close of the rest of the world house if I felt like it... so I added a wall to my to-do list. 

And I already have a great furniture set for my bedroom, so that helps the budget, as well as some of my bedding! I'm a sucker for a simple white bed with pops of color, texture and pattern. Here's a little idea of what I started with:

Still love the pillow combo on my bed, but I'm ready for something different and I have plans to use these pillows in a different room {stay tuned on that!}.

After living in a rental house for the past three years, I came to a couple of conclusions:

1. I am ready for a little more than a neutral color on my walls.
2. I love hardwood floors in my bedroom.

So with those two items at the top of my list, here's where my mood board started out:

wall color image: Country Home Magazine - chair: world market - bedding sources {clockwise from top}: the hunted interior /apartment therapy / unknown / style me pretty

And here's a breakdown of my to-do list:

• Paint the walls a great bluish/green color
• Remove icky carpet and install rich hardwoods
• Build a wall to close off space from stairway and add a door
• Replace ceiling fan {I have a serious fear of a ceiling fan falling on me while I sleep... so scary!, but this is a phase 2 project when I replace the lighting throughout the house}
• Paint doors black for a glamorous look
• Add trim to doors
• Add crown molding
• Re-purpose some of my existing bedding
• Add new pops of color and monogram pieces
• Create a cozy reading and/or TV watching area
• Add a rug, drapes, new wood blinds and accessories
• Add storage unit for hidden shoe storage {yes, I have a shoe storage problem} and accessories

I'm happy to report that the first few bullets have been knocked out! Floors are in and being stained right NOW! So the bones of this room are coming together, just need to get my stuff moved in so I can see what I still need to fill in the gaps!

Here's a sneak peak:

Wondering why there is an outlet smack dab in the middle of the new wall? Planning on mounting my TV!

Don't mind that weird built-in cabinet thing in the corner... I'll figure something out to do with it! I was thinking of taking the doors off and just making it an open shelving area {maybe painted a cool color or striped or lined with a pattern}, but the shelves are crooked and I think it might be more of an eye-sore. We shall see what I come up with here!!! Oh the "charm" of old houses!
 
Well, there it is! Hope you liked my first house update. There's lots more where that came from... just bear with me!

Return of the Curl

You know the age-old question that always seems to pop up in fashion magazines... if you could only put on one make-up product before you walked out the door, what would it be?

Well, for me it's always been mascara... with a curled lash, of course. Ok, ok, so that's technically two products, but they're like peanut butta and jelly. They just have to go together.

I shared from the get-go here that my fav eyelash curler was a bargain buy, but sadly, they changed the sponge in it {it used to be black... and it was ah-mazing... now it's a clear-ish/white and it's no good}. So I've been on the hunt. And it's been a long one. I mentioned here that I ordered and tested the highly recommended Shu Uemera and it was terrible. 

But finally, the search is over! Meet my favorite new eye-opener:

Shiseido 'The Makeup' eyelash curler. Heaven. I feel like I can see out of my eyes again! Ok, so that's a little dramatic, but it really is a great tool. It's not quite the $2 bargain I used to rely on, but I don't even care. Best $19 I've ever spent. I recommend you all add one to your makeup bag ASAP. Enjoy!

The Before {Inside}

I mentioned I bought a house and we are mid-reno, but what reveal would be complete without a good look at the before? {And by the way... I finally upgraded to a legit camera, unfortunately, these before pics were my first try using the gadget and I was painfully unaware of how to zoom out. Oops! Oh well, the 'afters' will be better!}

Here we go...

Living Room:

Coming in and looking immediately to the left you see these built-ins.

Dining Room: 

Kitchen:

TV Room:

Downstairs Bedrooms:

Front Bedroom

Back Bedroom

Downstairs Bathroom:

Master:

Clearly my Dad was excited to take the stinky carpet up!

Master Bath:

I'm sure you're all just dying to know what I have planned, but let's let the beauty of the wallpaper, blue contertops and stinky carpet all sink in, shall we? As you can probably gather, each of those items are on the chopping block. Stay tuned for details on what I have planned for each of these spaces! And I owe you pictures of the outside spaces... the patio is going to be wonderful!

Have a great weekend! And a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my MOM! 

I Don't Even Have a Good Excuse

I disappeared. I did. And I had just promised that I wouldn't. Gosh darn it.

Sorry folks. I really don't have a good excuse as to where I went or why I took a break... except, I will say this... I put a lot of pressure on myself with this little blog to have something to write about each and everyday that is new and different. And while coming up with ideas is not terribly hard for me, finding the time to create a post that is thoughtful, engaging, fun and pretty is another story. There have been many times where I've wanted to drop back in and just say 'hello' here, but stopped myself because I didn't have a weeks worth of posts lined up to keep the communication going. The truth is, my favorite blogs are the ones that do have a new post each and everyday. I feel like when I read what they have to say, I'm hearing from a friend. I strive to create that experience for readers here, too, but I've also realized that most of the blogs I read are created by guys and gals who work full-time for their blog. Well, I already have a full-time job, so in truth, as much as I want to keep up posting on a daily basis, I've come to the conclusion that it is ok to keep up as much as I can. I'm taking the pressure off and going back to the reason why I started this little blog, which was to give my two-cents on style, document moments of my life and basically just share what was on my mind.

And in case you are interested in a few of the things I've been up to lately, here they are in a nutshell.

Clockwise from top left:

1. I bought a house! Here she is! It was a pretty quick process. I had put an offer on one house before this one and was heartbroken when I thought I had lost the one, but in hindsight, I'm so, so, so glad this is the house I ended up with. And yes, you guessed it... there are lots of posts in the future about house details. I'm mid-reno right now, so I've got a few things to update you on already!
2. Took my annual to NYC. Gosh I love that place. It makes me feel all sorts of happy and alive.
3. Ohhhh Canada. I've taken a position with my company that has me traveling to the land up north... a lot. I love my company, but have to say this position has offered its fair share of challenges. Live and learn... and I'm learning a lot. International travel {even if it's just to our neighboring nation} is tough. Bottom line. End of story.
4. And, lastly, I've just been happy taking a step back and enjoying a calmer life. 

Feeling Blue

I put an offer on a house yesterday... and I didn't get it. I'm pretty bummed. It was a beauty and it got away. 

And that's the end of my wallowing! Instead, I'm just going to continue to look forward to when I find the one {house and husband, of course... haha}.

One thing I realized as I was picturing myself in this home, is that I'm really craving a shade of relaxing blue in my bedroom. Here's some inspiration:

source

source

domino

Cozy up? Don't mind if I do!

Beautiful Dreams

source

I'm Alive... and Cooking!

Hi there! Sorry to miss you fabulous folks the last couple of days. You may have noticed {via instagram - follow me... username 'ktzeller'} I snuck away for a quick trip to Colorado this past weekend! I went for my best friend Lisa's baby shower. She is the most wonderful person and I just can't wait to see her as a mom... although I kinda hate her right now because she's one of those pregnant gals that looks amazing while taking on the task of creating life. Lisa, her sweet hubby Ryan and pup Lucy were the best of hosts for a relaxing weekend in the mountains!

I can definitely understand why so many people love living in the mountains... I had the most amazing scenery for my morning run where there was zero humidity, followed by an afternoon of hiking. I was more outdoorsy in one day than I've been in the past two years put together! Yikes!

While I was away, my family took a little trip to the farmers market. I was sad to miss it {I love fresh fruits and veggies... they're my only inspiration to make anything besides sweets!}, but I sent them with long list and they delivered!

Tonight, I'll be putting this Eggplant Parmesan recipe from Martha Stewart to the test:

 

Ingredients

• Olive oil, for baking sheets
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 large eggplants (2 1/2 pounds total), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 6 cups (48 ounces) store-bought chunky tomato sauce or homemade Chunky Tomato Sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions

1. Step 1

   Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.

2. Step 2

   Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven; raise oven heat to 400 degrees.

3. Step 3

   Spread 2 cups sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in dish; cover with 2 cups sauce, then 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.