Happy Mother's Day!

Disclaimer: I'm taking liberties today to write an incredibly sappy post that has nothing to do with decorating. Hate me... :-).

I love Mother's Day....not so much for myself, but because it gives us a chance to recognize all of the fabulous mothers out there and the monumental contributions they make to our lives.

First, I am so inspired by each of you. I love seeing your never ending creativity, your love for your children and families, your imperfections which help me to know that it's ok to be imperfect myself. I learn from you and I am constantly fueled by each of you and your examples. So thank you, and Happy Mother's Day (and if you're not a mother, I wish you a Happy Woman's Day).

I also have to tell you that I have the best mom in the entire world. I really do. She's one of a kind, and I can't tell you how grateful I am to have a mom that would do almost anything for me. She's literally my best friend. I can tell her almost anything and I know she won't judge me or think I'm crazy. She'll listen to me rant for hours about anything from which wall color I should pick, to junk about work, to "Oh so this lady at the grocery store said this...and then I said this...". You know what I mean? How many people in your lives are you really able to do that with.

Thanks mom! I wouldn't be the person I am today without you.

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Paint Sample Tip

I thought I'd share a little tip with you that I devised over the weekend. I'm planning on painting the hallway at the top of our stairs, and, I don't know about you, but it makes me really nervous to pick a color based upon a teeny tiny 1 inch by 2 inch card (or even the slightly bigger 3 inch by 4 inch ones). So, whenever possible I get a little sample of the paint before I make a decision.

The problem, however, is that I usually like to see how the color will look in different areas of the room, (you know...different lighting, furniture, etc.) and it can be a pain to paint samples on every wall in the room. Soooo, why not just apply the paint to a large piece of paper that you can move around as you please?


Easy peasy....

Oh...and yes, I'm aware that the two paint samples are nearly identical. And no, I didn't need to the 2 guys at the Lowe's paint counter (and my 14 year old son) to point that out...and then snicker to each other...and point at the crazy paint lady. I'm very particular about my paint colors, okay? :-)

Giveaway at The Lettered Cottage

In a shameless attempt to win this oh-so-wonderful-I-could-squeel monogrammed burlap table runner (and to give you a chance to win it too...and give me your address so I can swing by and steal it from you in the middle of the night) I'm letting you know that Layla at The Lettered Cottage is having a giveaway that you can check out here.

The table runner is by Grace who has a fabulous Etsy Shop called Coastline. Here's the link to her shop.

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I also have the best readers in the world, and a few of them have been kind enough to honor me with two awards. The first is from Tia at Tia's Comfy Place.

The second award is actually from two great ladies, Karla at the fabulous blog It's the Little Things that Make a House a Home, and the wise and wonderful Elizabeth at Thoughts from an Evil Overlord.

THANK YOU!!!

IDHTBPTBB - An Ode to The Nester

Head on over to the Nesting Place today and you can sign up to receive both a (somewhat) regular newsletter and the Nester's own ebook.



I try not to talk about the Nester too much because I don't want to seem like a crazy stalker or (even worse) a wannabe...I am my own person after all. But I have to tell you how much I love her and her philosophy of It Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful (also known as IDHTBPTBB...you know, for funzies).

Until I discovered the Nester I didn't realize how much I stressed out about making things look "perfect"...and then kicking myself because I couldn't make my house look as fab as the latest spread in Cottage Living or the Pottery Barn catalogue. The Nester opened my eyes and freed me from that crazy, irrational stress, and she allowed me to embrace my slightly imperfect home.

I really wish I'd had found this enlightenment years ago. For instance, here's the fireplace in the house I used to live in.

I hated it. It's dark rusty brick loomed over me and gave me a stomach ache every time I walked in the living room (and we won't even talk about the fact that this room was totally devoid of my personality...nope won't even go there).

I played with the idea of painting it and building a cool mantle about 20 billion times, but I never did it because I was afraid. I was afraid of what people would think; I was afraid of how it would affect resale; I was just plain afraid. The thing was, the lady that ended up buying the house loved everything else I had done, including painting my kitchen cabinets. In reality, she probably would have been grateful not to have to look at that overwhelming rusty wall o'brick.

The point of all this? Follow your instincts...honor your instincts. Take a risk. If you don't like the outcome you can always try again. There's no shame in painting a room several times until you find that color that makes you smile every time you walk in.

Your home should be a reflection of you and your family. It should make you happy, and at peace. That doesn't take money...that takes a change in your mindset and a willingness to take chances.

Have a great Monday!
~AnNicole

Know Thyself - And Then Create a Fab Color Palette

Over the years of decorating missteps and oh-that's-REALLY-wrong's I've figured out what I'm most comfortable living with in my home vs. what's going to drive me crazy. I love so many things out there that it's sometimes hard to be focused, but I've learned that if I create a list of colors and other elements that I know I love and then choose from that list when decorating my house, it's pretty darn likely that I'll be happy with it for a while...yes, even I (Ms. Compulsive Decorator) will be happy with it.

Here's my foolproof list:

White/Cream

Straw/Seagrass/Natural Fibers/Pine Wood

Taupe

Dark Chocolate-Espresso Brown

Black Accents

Silver/Mercury Glass/Chrome

Blue and Green

As you can tell, these are all natural beach-like elements with some classic European flair thrown in. Apparently, that's my thing. I have a good friend who's most comfortable in warm, rich colors and wood tones - that's her thing.

Most of us know what we like and dislike, but try narrowing it down to a handful of elements and see what you come up with. I know for myself, by identifying a set list of things I know I love, the chances greatly increase that I'll end up with a room I'll love. I know...duh...but seriously, give it a try.

Photo Credits (all bazillion of them): White/Cream: 1. Pottery Barn Belgian Sofa, 2. Coastal Living; Straw: 1. Pottery Barn, 2. West Elm, 3. Country Living, 4. Bhg.com; Taupe: 1. Jbeachem on Rate My Space, 2. Cottage Living; Espresso Brown: 1. White Twig on Etsy, 2. Pottery Barn; Black Accents: 1. Ikea Molnig Chandelier, 2. My own "F"; Silver: 1. Delta Kingston Faucet, 2. West Elm; Blue/Green: 1. Alicia Bock on Etsy, 2. Pottery Barn, 3. Pottery Barn.