:: media room mood board

So, I need a little advice from my fellow decorators & designers.  I am finally getting around to updating our bonus/media room. I've found furniture and accessories I like, but I just can't seem to decide on the color of the room, I'm personally leaning towards the blue.  Help! I can't decide!

Which wall color do you prefer with the furnishings above, blue or gray??  

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

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:: quickie gallery wall

This is just a fun little share, so please excuse my less than professional I phone photos. I usually completely forget to snap a before photo, but since this whole design started with a text from my oldest daughter around 8:30 last night including a before pic we're good to go.  

We started out exchanging texts and photos of her living room, she needed a little help with arranging & hanging some items above her sofa & pulling her home together in preparation for listing it on airbnb. After sharing several images & throwing out ideas via text, I decided it would be much easier if I just drove over & helped in person. So an hour later like any mom would do at 9:30 at night ... I jump in my car & head her way ready to relieve some of her stress and anxiety.

Luckily she has some really great items for me to work with, so within a few minutes I had grabbed various items from around her home to use for a little collection above the sofa. We had a great bull skull purchased at a Flea Market,  floral artwork { Target }, large rattan mirror { Target }, clock from  { Ikea }, and the large hammered metal "A"  I had given her as a gift from  { TJMaxx }. 

I simply arranged the items on the floor in front of the sofa. She approved of the arrangement and we began hanging the items on the wall just as I had them placed on the floor. Super easy & we were done probably within 15-20 minutes of my arrival. I removed the afghan from the back of the sofa, fluffed up the pillows, added another table, lamp & rug from another room & voila we had a cool cohesive & pulled together look. I think it's perfectly eclectic & boho chic.

We continued moving and rearranging items around her home until around 1:00am. We still have some other little projects to tackle to get her place ready for airbnb, but she & I were very happy with the end results... I would certainly be happy to stay here for a visit, how about you?

More pics to come, and soon she will have a nice place for you to stay if you ever come for a visit to the Queen City, Charlotte NC.... any Panther's fans out there :).

{ peace, love & a hug }

Carrie

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:: the coffee scoop

Hello Sweet Friends, it's been a while. Lots going on these days, lots to keep me away from this little happy place. I'm hoping that in the coming days I can get here more and more often, I really do miss blogging and all of my sweet bloggy friends.

Today I just so happened to be inspired by a coffee scoop of all things. I was simply making a cup of coffee....When I realized how much I love using my stainless steel Starbuck's coffee scoop {one of my favorite yard sale finds of all time} it's such a simple pleasure. I simply love the weight of it and the feel in my hand...this realization led me online to try & find another for our new lake house. 

I was really hoping to find the same one since I adore the weight of it & the two tablespoon measure (less scooping). Well, I did find one used on Ebay, but it was really rather pricey compared to my little yard sale find....it is used after all :(. Anyhoo, I realized that there are so many other cute options, there's hand beaded, vintage, and my new favorite...hand carved wooden ones. I just love a good wooden spoon, so I've decided I'm going to have a wooden one instead. I found so many lovely options on ETSY....you can always count on finding something unique & special there, I adore handmade.

The arrow desing by Custom Timber Home Furnishings is my absolute favorite...

I'm so crushing on arrows these days. It really seems to fit into my lake decor perfectly. 

This one is rather cute also. 

Made by Falling Pigeon of Wisconsin White Oak...

I think the handle looks quite comfy to hold.

Another interesting design, I like the wavy handle and the flat bottom. 

There is lots of detail including inlay around the bottom of this scoop by

Barden Woodworking.

How lovely is this little black walnut scoop. The bowl of the scoop looks nice and round.

I bet it would be fun to scoop with. This one is made by Lots of Woods, I love the leaves...

it just screams fall & sitting on the porch drinking coffee.

This beautifully crafted scoop made by Polder's Old World Market is my second choice. 

I love the simple design and the warm coloring...it's a little out of my scoop budget though.

I'm sure it's well worth the money, lots of beautiful craftsmanship.

So there you have it, a few of my favorite wooden coffee scoops. 

Hooray for simple pleasures, COFFEE & SCOOPS!

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

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:: million dollar baby

It's all about the kitchen

a dining room with water views

a huge room for lounging with guests after a day on your yacht

a lovely room for the ladies

and one for the gents

a lovely sauna

grab a vintage from here

or maybe you prefer a more intimate space to unwind 

you can live the dream here

Your cost....a mere $49,500,000

for a lovely little 11 bed / 18 bath / 22,000 sq ft home

and I thought I dreamt big... 

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

Home Found Here

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:: moving in & moving on

Okay, let me just start my saying what the heck was I thinking when I agreed to move. Oh my, I think I never really thought through all the work and stress that would be involved. All I can say is that never never will I bring everything with me ever again when I move....

can we just say "too much stuff".

Well anyway, I wanted to share a pretty picture with you so above is the kitchen before we officially moved in. So lovely, clean & serene....this photo makes me want to simplify even more.

Here's what it looked like during the moving in process.  STUFF EXPOLOSION. I'm pretty sure it was multiplying in the truck. I seriously thought we'd never get out from under the piles.

By the way, there are two ways to have a professional mover move you. 

OPTION 1, they pack you up, unload the boxes stack them into mountains & leave you to it.

End Result....lots & lots of boxes & packing paper to deal with. 

OPTION 2, they pack & they unpack...putting things on any available surface {they DO NOT put things away for you}. End Result....piles of stuff, & they take all the packing mess : ).

Can you guess which option we chose?

Ha Ha...yep Option 2.

Crazy Huh.

Well here's the plus side to Option 2....you HAVE to deal with the stuff, lest you live in an episode of hoarders forever {no offense to any hoarders, love that show...and I'm pretty sure I have some hoarding tendencies}. I went that route the last time I moved and it took me nearly a year to deal with the boxes. In the end I lost a whole box of swimsuits & a pair of rx glasses to Goodwill {that's how hubs deals with boxes of stuff ha ha}. 

It was a pretty mountain of boxes though : ).

Not to say that my house is in complete order yet....far from it, but I have dealt with a lot of the stuff {should have dealt with it more before I moved...holy mess} anyway, hindsight you know.

Oh did I mention that during the move I turned 40 and buried my grandfather the same day.

Needless to say so far 40 hasn't been so great. I've had more than my share of breakdowns, and If you've been with me long you know what I'm talking about.

Moving is stressful business....especially when it happens so fast.

It's been over a month now, and I'm starting to feel a little more settled. Still lots & lots of stuff to deal with/get rid of...ha ha you may even see some of it pop up here on the blog. Oh yeah, we also decided to downsize in this move....hence too much stuff & not enough space.

So if you've seen anything here on the blog that you love just tell me & if it fits it ships. Ha Ha.

Stay tuned for more house updates.

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

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:: leaving our nest

The Wren's Nest...a HOME tour...

Well, it's official we are leaving our nest soon....see my little perch hanging under there. I'm excited for the change, but also a little sad to leave my home of 10 years. I can hardly believe it's been that long, my children were just little little's when we moved in, now they are teenagers. We've had so many good times in this home...it's bittersweet leaving it all behind.

Many meals with friends & family have been enjoyed in this kitchen. I can just see my kids propped on the bar building gingerbread houses, making cookies for Santa & dyeing easter eggs.

Cozy fires, Christmas morning, and beautiful sunrises have been the highlight of this living room.

The dining room like most sees action only on special occasions such as holidays & parties.

The kid zone....hodge podge furnishings, cartoons & movies, drums & guitar, games & sleepovers...many many memories.

One of my favorite spaces to create has been my sweet Punky's apartment

I put in the bookcases & gate to create a little playhouse area when she was little & also to hide all the mess/toys from the door , now it's her personal sleeping space & hideaway & she has a little living room instead. Time is marching on, and toys are giving way to boys {uh oh... well not quite yet} clothes is more like it.

My little mister has gone from a giant playroom bedroom to his personal pad including private bath. Gaming system & computer station required.

Our oldest chick is off to college and this has become a landing zone & dumping ground for her more & more infrequent visits as she enjoys her new found freedom.

Movie central, family hangout & guest quarters complete with private bath & workout room.

My fun studio with it's amazing vaulted ceiling, I'll miss you too...at least when you're clean

{ Our Dreamy Master Bed & Bath }

Many talks & cozy sundays have been spent in front of this fireplace in our Master bedroom.

Kids sleeping on the sofa at the foot of the bed, and snuggled in with us too. Those days too are fading away as everyone grows up and into their own...ready for change & a new move.

Proof that things are what you make them, those are simple wire shelves. A little organization makes things much nicer. Though it is a big closet,  it doesn't have to be big to be tidy & pretty.

Just a simple laundry room, but I sure will miss my little window. 

In my personal opinion this could have very well sold our house all on it's own...

{ THE PANTRY }

Is it crazy that this is probably one of the things I'll miss most about this house....my new pantry.  I just had it custom designed to my specifications not even a year ago now. The best part is that my family finally keeps it neat & clean too. What more can a mother ask for?

Hmmm did I leave anything out? Besides bathrooms? 

A Foyer? A lovely staircase, what, did you say two staircases? Done.

Front Staircase

Back Staircase from keeping room.

Goodbye my lovely home with 2 tons of new rock borders installed just last fall by yours truly. I can't believe we are actually moving. I hope the new owners will enjoy all of the hard work & love that have gone into making this house a home...it's been good to us for 10 years.

Mostly we'll miss all of our friends & wonderful neighbors.

WELCOME HOME

{tears, sniffle sniffle}

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

P.S.  stay tuned for our adventures in moving & our new home.

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:: dream pantry

                            Spaces design by Other Metros Design-build Witt Construction

{ p a n t r y   l o v e }

This is what I've been dreaming about lately.  I love this pantry....every last thing about it. Due to a recent failure of our lovely builders wire shelving, we are now looking to redo our pantry.  This is the look I'm going for....to a point of course...but you get the idea.

This is as good as my current pantry gets. It's just impossible to keep it looking this neat.

So, wish me luck & I'll keep you posted on our little pantry project. 

Hopefully I'll end up with a pantry worthy of Houzz { fingers crossed }.

{ peace, love & hugs }

Carrie

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