Chicken and the Egg

Design on a budget....

I have become completely obsessed with decorating...I guess I've always been in love with decorating but lately, I can't stop thinking about how I want to redo this room or that room....unfortunately...doing so requires lots of money! which I do not have lots of...so that is why I am obsessed with my newfound favorite blog....This Young House!

-Its all about this young couple buying their first home and re-doing it room by room! and they do it themselves and on a great budget.  Plus, they've now managed to make a career out of this blog!  I love that!

Check out some pics of their renovations!

Room as a dining room in the BEFORE PICTURE!

ROOM AS A 3rd BEDROOM in the AFTER PICTURE!

 

KITCHEN _ BEFORE!!

                                                        And the fabulous AFTER KITCHEN!

Custom name boards....gotta love em!

Back in the day, when my husband and I owned a little baby boutique in Noblesville....my husband designed custom name boards for our customers.  This is a photo of one of the boards he did for a friend of mine....well for her little princess, Jillian.  Isn't it so cute?  I often find myself thinking that maybe we should start doing these again?  I love them.  They take alot of time, but I love coming up with the color combinations.....and I love watching my hub diligently paint and assemble them!

so what do you think? should we start offering these again? 

I "heart" etsy!

I really do love Etsy! and I really love this new shop I recently discovered.....check out this letterpress print!  You can find this and lots of other wonderful prints at Rough and Tumble Press!

Start a new career...

I'm a firm believer that working for yourself ie. starting your own home based business can be one of the best decisions you make for yourself.  In this economy, with thousands of people being laid off every week, we have to start being realistic about survival.  Now I am not saying to run off and quit your job....to pursue your dream, but if you have a plan in place, the proper amount of capital in place, and all of the other hundreds of ducks in a row....then go for it.  You might have to start your work day after the kids go to bed, but I must say, there is no better feeling than working for you!

I came across this fantastic and motivating article in Working Mother Magazine, that you all must read.  It tells the success story of Mei Xu, the founder of Chesapeake Bay Candle Company.  With perserverance and smarts, she created a product that can be found on the shelves of Target, Pier One, and Kohls! 

By Order of Management...another great Etsy shop

I must admit that I did not pay much attention to Etsy over the last couple of years...but as of late, I have found some of the best stuff.  Cute artwork for my home, great clothes for my kids and just all around great gifts.  One of my favorite new finds is these By Order of Management Prints which you can by here at JohnWGolden's shop.  Whether you buy them in a series of 4 "6x10" inch prints or as just one larger sized 10.8 x 18 inch print, each is great...check out a few of my favorites here..

   

ABCD

    Found this great seller on ETSY and had to share with you all.....check out PennyPeople

back in action...

So it's been a while since I last posted (Sorry!)...like many of you out there, I was traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday and getting online was not as easy as I would have hoped or liked!

Anywho...enough of my whining, and on to the blog..

One of my all time favorite things to post about is successful small businesses!  I thoroughly enjoy reading about other peoples success!    If you too enjoy such stories, make sure you check out Country Living's website as they always feature successful women entrepreneurs...

I found today's featured success story through them..

Sandy Stone is the type of artist I would love to have as a best friend.  She has a gift for turning any ol fabric swatch, bolt, blanket or zipper into a beautiful pillow or wall decoration....or perhaps a gorgeous chair cover!  ahhh...they are so lovely!  Check them out for your self...and then check out her site....she features a few of her choice pieces for your viewing pleasure..

Nighty Night

I received a new online catalog from an up and coming baby bedding company and they have some really really cute stuff....very modern..but very cute!  Check out Inspired Crib Bedding ....  they have bedding, cushy robes, great pillows and wall art.....lots of choices!

More letters!

I have always been a huge fan of letters on walls...whether it be a huge initial on a while to represent the family name or some other important sentiment.  When I came across this new collection of 'wall name' decor, I was blown away.....though it appears that not many stores here in the U.S. carry them as the company is located in Australia. 

I'm hoping to change that by carrying them in my own online shop...which I'll post about soon.

Check out these fabric colored names.....just one of the few fantastic creations available!!

Pretty and comfy chairs!

Ever since my friend Tina came over a couple nights ago and told me about all the great finds she's recently made at Estate Sales and on Craigslist, I have been eager to find some key new pieces to makeover for my home.....I really want to paint my master bath and I thought this great chair makeover I found on Country Living, was absolutely perfect.   Click on the makeover link above and you can see how they took an OK chair and slip-covered it to create the perfect bath room chair.  I can see it now, my little pumpkin doodles jumping out of the bath tub and cuddling up on this soft terry cloth chair to dry....

Check out the fireplace corner chairs, Tina found on Craigslist......I cannot wait to see what she does with these cool new finds.....I am so jealous!!