Light Up the Night

Recently, Baccarat, a French crystal company, introduced the Jallum Lamp, an indoor/outdoor glow stick made of crystals, aluminum, and LED lights. When fully charged, it can illuminate for up to 8 hours. The lamp, which comes in two models (diamond bevels or bubbles) will be available for sale in September for slightly over $3,000 each. Not having quite that much in the bank for some outdoor lighting, I found some other cool, stylish, more pocketbook-friendly designs:

Solar Frosted Scroll Lanterns by the Glow Co. UK

Bubble Light by Ecosavers

Garden Globe by Murano

Little by Little

My cousin recently tweeted a pic of her newly refreshed entry way, and it was gorgeous! It was a small area, but it made such a statement.

Sometimes, when looking to decorate or re-decorate, we can tend to get overwhelmed. I know I will think "If I can't do the entire room, it's not worth doing at all." Totally not true. Maybe I only have the time or resources for a single wall in a room. Maybe just one piece of wall art. It doesn't take much to get a theme going, so go ahead and replace the bathroom mirror with one with more pizazz and worry about the hand towels and bath mats later, spruce up your entry way, or work on the window valances for the dining room. Slow and steady doesn't always win the race, but it sure helps with sanity!

Any Stain-Removing Starlets?

As a mother of a rambunctious almost-3-year-old, I'm quickly learning the craft of ink and stain removing. I have learned vinegar can help with many things (as long as you don't mind the smell) and highlighter markers come out of microfiber couches much easier than ink. I have learned nail polish will come out of carpets as long as you get to it quickly. And I have come to the conclusion that repainting the house every few months is much easier than trying to get sharpies, pens, and crayon markings off the walls. (Which reminds me, the master bedroom is in serious need of a fresh coat...) 

Above all, I have learned nothing wears on a home quite like spills and stains. A perfectly clean room looks worn and dingy with spots on the carpet, walls and comforter. Being ready to sop up messes on the spot is crucial to maintaining the charm of a humble abode. But I have two small curious children. So what do I do? Stock up on a variety of cleaning solutions (the more organic, the safer and better), address the problems as quickly as possible, and ban grape juice. Oh, and invest in a good quality carpet cleaner. :)

Glittering Fireplaces and Fire Pits

These are absolutely amazing and beautiful. And anyone who knows me knows my love of all things glittery. So why wouldn’t I like the look of glimmering jewels in my outdoor fire pit?  Gone are the days of fire logs. The glass comes in an assortment of colors and textures sure to match the style and décor of any room. These pieces of glass never burn, melt or fade.  They can emit about as much heat as wood logs without the ash and cleanup afterwards.  Hey, maybe this is considered one of those ever-popular green products! It  knows how to spice up outdoor living spaces and makes fireplaces even more romantic. And it has the added impact of looking gorgeous even when the fire isn’t burning. This little treasure does cost a pretty penny, but it’s exactly what you need to make your space pop. Now all I need to do is  build my outdoor living space…

Here are a few websites to check it out:

DiamondFireGlass.com

BlazingGlass.com

ProductionContractors.com

Granite

Before: 

After:

Before I begin, it must be said that I worked for a Home Improvement show in Phoenix for several years after I graduated. I learned a lot about the home from a very wise and knowledgeable man. Many of his thoughts and opinions shaped the way I now feel about my own home.

Granite was always an odd subject. It's extremely popular right now, and no one can argue the beauty it brings to the kitchen. However, it's not 100% wonderful. There are things to know about granite. This natural stone is porous, bowing to the need to be sealed occasionally to prevent staining. Citrus can to damage to the finish (not that I'm in the habit of leaving sliced lemons haphazardly around the house). There is also, like so many other products, superior and inferior granite. So before diving into the world of granite, homework must be done and a dedication to maintenance must be accepted as part of the deal.

Granite is also a huge selling point. I would venture to say that in some markets, it's to be expected. So for us, it was an easy decision to make. We wanted granite countertops in our home. 

I am also happy to say the upgrade was much easier that we expected! We did our own demolition to help cut costs, and we went with a reliable local company for the installation. (I will note here that we also got rid of the boring tile backsplash and that turned out to be tedious and exhausting, but that's a whole other post.) The local company was slightly pricier than the "big box store" we originally thought we had to go through, but the turned out to be worth their weight in gold. The entire process only took a week. They installed the countertops and sinks in the kitchen and both bathrooms. At the same time, we began replacing our white appliances with stainless steel and installed an over the range microwave. When everything was said and done, it felt like we had a whole new home! I was excited to invite friends over for a "viewing party." I even took great joy in cleaning the house to keep things looking as polished and fabulous as the countertops.

We were scared at first to take on such a huge project, but it turned out to be much easier and enjoyable than we thought. Who knows, maybe our next house will be a fixer-upper so we can do this again.

Before:

After:

Picking Back Up

Sorry for the long hiatus. I'd like to say that I've been so busy that I haven't had time, but the truth is, I've just been negligent. However, things HAVE been very busy around the McBride house lately. Changing up the kitchen, both bathrooms and the master bedroom are some of the major projects that we are working on. More on that to come. And with Valentine's Day right around the corner, perhaps a few decorative ideas will find their way onto this blog as well.