Isn't she lovely?

And more importantly, look at that hair:

The photos are from Martha Stewart Weddings' step-by-step tutorials on "wedding hair." I think they are fabulous and any direction I can get on do-it-yourself hair styles is much appreciated. I, unfortunately, have hair that I describe as straw, but once in a while I find a way to wrestle it in to a chignon and it makes me feel so much more festive and pretty.

Additional tutorials on the site. Hopefully they keep adding to it as I'm always looking for an alternative to the low pony when I'm having a bad hair day or short on time. Which, unfortunately, seems like everyday from October to May in the Northwest.

Comeback

First, I apologize for being absent from the blog for so long. The holidays just kick me in the butt every year. Add a busy work schedule onto entertaining every night for 4 straight nights (yes, that's how we do holidays in my house - not the one day and it's over method) and I'm a zombie for a couple days.

Enough said. I apologize. Please forgive me. I will try to make my comeback posts worth your time.

I'm working on a project right now that has tight spaces in a bedroom and family room. My solution - create a custom desk in the family room and a custom console in the bedroom. I'm using these two magazine tears as examples. There's nothing some legs and a solid core door can't solve. When their done they will look like custom pieces.

So easy, affordable and usable.

Image courtesy of Martha Stewart

Image courtesy of Coastal Living

I hope you had a wonderful holiday full of family and friends. Mine was crazy but filled with laughter and fun. Onto the next holiday. This time I only have 4 actual Christmases. Makes me tired just thinking about it.

Good Finds

Carpet for homes that are lived in (meaning you have kids or pets) is a hard proposition. It seems that no matter what you do you can't win. If you get the look you want you might not get the durability or comfort that you are looking for. I love the look of Seagrass and Sisal and don't mind the texture. However, some people want the softness of regular broadloom carpet under their feet.

I'm a big believer in neutral colored carpet that gives the same impression as sisal/seagrass if you want a wool or synthetic carpet. However, I've learned a lot about neutral carpet from my own house. I put in a high end stain master Berber carpet because I wanted sisal but needed something that was soft underfoot for the boys. I was told it would be easy to maintain. Not so. My camel colored Berber carpet has stain marks everywhere. It drives me crazy. No matter what I do new stains seem to appear everyday.

I want to be able to live in my house without worrying about whether or not my carpet is going to get another stain. I want to free myself from getting on my hands and knees and spot cleaning so as to not take the stain resistant chemicals out of the carpet. What is a girl (yes I still think I'm a girl) to do?

When I think of component or tile carpeting, I immediately think of hotels, corporate offices and crazy patterns with circles and bright stripes. But not anymore. Flor tiles is doing some incredible, sophisticated and neutral carpets. The are environmentally friendly (made with recycled materials) and the best part is if you get a stain or water damage, you can just replace the affected tiles. They might just be the perfect answer to a "lived in" house. And there are so many choices now. From plain neutrals that look like broadloom to great subtle patterns and classic traditional stripes. Martha Stewart even has a line of Flor tiles.

They are a great solution for high traffic areas. Runners, laundry room, kitchen rugs, and even the kids rooms. You can create fun patterns with texture or fun patterns with color. You can see the grids/squares or have a pattern that looks seamless, which is what I prefer. The possibilities are endless now that they offer so many options. Check it out for yourself at http://www.flor.com/

I for one would love to replace a square if my sisters dog had an accident or my kids (including my husband) spilled their drink.

Next in Line
Flats & Cords (shown in Vanilla - also in Buttercream)

All Bark and No Bite

In the Loop

Coir - (Made with the husks of coconuts) This is a great alternative to sisal since you can easily repair a stain.

Faux Bois
Botanicals

Mod Zebra

Regatta Stripe

Sea Grass Stripe

Is it a "Good Find" for residential or is it still too corporate looking for your house? Maybe it will free me from spot cleaning forever! A girl can dream, can't she.