Masculine Seaside Bedroom

Well.....

Now that we've seen everything in Connie's bedroom.....

let's move on to her hubby's room!!!!!

His name is Chris, and he is a sweety pie,

(just don't tell him I said so....)

A  big advantage of having aging couples as clients,

(yes, I include myself in this group.....)

 is that many of them now have separate bedrooms due to changing sleep patterns and accepting the importance of a good nights sleep in regards to one's health.

I've noticed that this is becoming less of an exception to the rule, and more the norm.....

Whether it be someone getting up in the middle of the night and fleeing to the guest room,

or just acknowledging the reality of what happens to baby boomers as we age.

Some of us develop restless legs,

some of us get a little noisier,

some of us get a little  a lot warmer.....

What ever the reason.....

now we can have girly rooms and butch rooms!!!!!

Below is the way Chris's room looked before we "fluffed" it.

We hadn't gotten the bedding yet, and this shot is when he first moved in.

The Previous Designer (TPD) had chosen the furniture from British Khaki, 

and I actually liked most of what she chose.

But.....

True to form.....

the night tables were at different heights, and the one on the right, she had placed on the left and it blocked the window.

The bookcase on the right, she had placed on the left, and it was much higher.

Soooooo.....

I switched them and had the bookcase cut down, so it would be the same height as the table.

The reason I placed it in on the left of the bed, is because.....

with an open back, you can see through it, so it's OK in front of the window.

Chris had collected wonderful African art from his travels, and this was the perfect setting to show it all off.

Connie and I chose the earth tone batik-like fabric that Pottery Barn has on sale right now!!!!!

It was a great match with the lamps I had found years ago at Brunschwig & Fils.

The room opens up to an upstairs porch that looks out over the beach to the ocean.

The wall of French doors supplies a stunning view.....

But....

one of the problems of living by the ocean is the salt water spray is really corrosive, and everything starts to rust.....

So this year Connie and I went and found new chairs for the porch.

Then I dragged her to Home Goods and we scooped up that fake plant!!!!!

The door behind the chair opens into Connie's bedroom, so this creates the master suite.

Next post is some more about this room, and then it's on to other stuff!!!!!

On that note.....

all together now.....

Latah, Gatah!!!

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Accessories Make the Room

Continuing with Connie's bedroom by the Florida coast.....

This is her bedroom, if you're just dropping in.....

Traditional Home 2007

The wall alongside her bed looked really bare before we found that little plant stand at a local antique show.

We dragged it back to Connie's and I loved it, it was all beat up.....

but she wanted a cleaner look, so she had it repainted.

Then I started hanging pictures on the walls.....

a pair over the plant stand.....

and three over the bed.....

But it still looked too bare to me!!!!!

the room needed plates!!!!!

on the walls!!!!!

Sooooo.....

onward to ebay!!!!!

I found these four Catalina Pottery floral plates that were just perfect for the room.

They were flowers, but not Victorian sweet, 

(if you knows what I means.....)

Sooooo.....

I crawled up on Connie's bed

(I took my shoes off first.............)

(it's very important to take your shoes off...........)

(however, keep the rest of your clothes on, if you're working for a client.....)

(Betsy's decorating tip #782, don't decorate in the nude, if you're working for a paying client.......)

(unless you're being paid for something else...................................)

Oy, where was I?????????

oh yeah!!!!! plates!!!!!

So I hung the plates over the bed.....

Bracketing the pretty framed floral prints I had found.....

Here are the prints over the plant stand.....

And here they are.....with the plates!!!!!

I really loved this little piece of furniture, it was just what the wall needed.

Connie had seen my collection of china parrots at my Florida home, 

and demanded requested that I find some for her bedroom too.....

So, as you can see.....I scattered them around her boudoir.

(if you look closely, you'll see one in among the plants.....)

I placed another one on her chest of drawers....

in front of the vase with real fake flowers!!!!!

I have nooooo shame.

I LOVE FAKE FLOWERS!!!!!

To the right of the wicker sofa across from her bed stands an iron floor lamp that I found, fell in love with, and hauled back to Connie.

She loved it too, which was great, because sometimes I find what I consider to be 

absolute gems.....

and the recipient acts like I am trying to shove junk at them......

WHAT'S WRONG WITH JUNK?????

I LOVE JUNK!!!!!!!

 This lamp has just the right touch of garden whimsy to work with the floral them of this room.

I love the scroll work of the iron.....

It's purdy!!!!

I had a custom lamp shade made, which is the trick to bringing junk up to a classier life.....

Deck it out with haute couture!!!!!

Make inexpensive stuff cost more money!!!!!

I am a genius!!!!!

Yes I is!!!!

On that note.....

Latah, Gatah

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Getting Your Subscribers to Read Your Blog on Your Blog Page, Not in Their Email!!!!!

I am diverting my diverting prose today,

to give a tutorial on how to direct your email subscribers to your blog.

(If you have a blog, if you don't this will be very boring.....)

A lot of you have blogs.

A lot of you have subscribers that get your blog emailed to them in their email.

The whole blog is emailed.

They don't go to your blog to read it, 'cuz you've emailed it them.

sooooooo.....

If you are trying to get some revenue from the ads on your blog.

And you only make some moolah if there is traffic to your blog.

And the people read your blog in their inbox, not on your blog page....

then you are screwing yourself up!!!!

Sooooo....

this is a tutorial on how to change your feedburner feed to just a few lines,

so your readers know you have a new post and will click on over to read your words of wisdom!!!!!

Go to your dashboard and click on layout.....

See it?????

It's the second from the bottom.

(actually it's the third item from the bottom, but I cropped that one out.....)

You will then open up the layout page!!!!!

It looks like this.....

Scroll down till you see on the right 

(or however you have set up your template)

you will see your title for your subscribers.

I have them labeled as "follow by email"

Click on the word "edit" on the Follow by Email button,

A page will open up that looks like this on top of the layout page.

Click on "View stats and learn more".

and it brings you to this screen.....

Only it will have your blog name on it......not mine!!!!!

I am very bummed that I only have 807 subscribers.....

I want more more more more more.....

anyway.....

See where my blog name is listed?????

and it's highlighted in blue?????

That' 'cuz it's a hyperlink!!!!

Click on the blog name and it will bring you to another magic page!!!!!

See the tabs that say Analyze, Optimize, Publicize, Troubleshootize????

Click on Optimize.....

At the bottom you will see "Summery Burner" click on that and the next screen opens!!!!

Set the length you want your email teaser to be.

It will just email the first part of your new blog post.

click save.....

and you is done!!!!!

This is my good dead for today.

This was a pain in the neck to write.

I am a very nice person.

On that note.....

Latah, Gatah

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Needlepoint Toss Pillows and What Makes a Husband Happy

Toss pillows are an important element of any room I design.

My brother thinks that they should all be thrown on the floor....

but that's not the reason they are called toss pillows.....

Not only do they add an important layer of visual interest to a space,

but they is comfy!!!!!

In Connie's bedroom I used them to add padding for the back of the wicker sofa at the foot of her bed.

Then we lucked out and found some more at Home Goods!!!!

The white linen ones with little rosebuds I had made, 

using a little green tape sewn into the seam to create a flange.

Connie requested a pillow for her sofa that had the saying.....

"A Happy Wife is a Happy Life"

Her husband agrees, and I'm thinking of making one for him that would match the tones of his room.

It's easier than you think.....

(to make a toss pillow....not to make a husband happy....)

to make a custom needlepoint toss pillows with words.

This is how I does it!!!!!

I choose a font I like on my computer and type the saying out in Microsoft word.

Then I adjust the size of the font to a size that works for my canvas

by using the program paint,

 which is a program that came on my computer.

The Graphics Fairy has a tutorial on how to do this,

so go bother her,

because I am too lazy to show you.

I used to have a printer that could enlarge images.....

but it died....

so sad.....

Now I struggle along with my computer.

Anyway.

Where was I?????

After you print out the saying you want to needlepoint in the style you like....

get a plain piece of needlepoint canvas.

I like the ones with a larger mesh, 

this way the project goes faster, because the stitches are 

bigger!!!!!

I tape the printed out saying onto a flat surface and lay the mesh over it, also taping that in place.

Then I take out my colored markers that are made for just this very type of thingy!!!!!

I paint over the words in a color that's as close to the yarn color I plan on using.

Then I tape the edges of my canvas with a good sturdy tape, so that they don't unravel.

Then I listen to a book on tape while I needlepoint.

This is my secret!!!!!

books on tape!!!!!

The needlepoint gets done in what feels like no time at all!!!!!

It really helps if you don't have a life,

that way

 you don't feel like you're missing anything!!!!!

So, 

that is how I made Connie's pillow for her.

Sooooo.....

She now has a cozy seating area in her room that she sometimes allows her husband to sit on!!!!!

That's it for today,

I need to go take a walk with my Mom and Dad.

It's actually sunny.

And a little warmer.

The snow is almost all gone!!!!!

I HATE WINTER.

I LOVE SPRING.

I ADORE SUMMER!!!!!

Latah, Gatah

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It's All In The Details!!!!!

When I started decorating Connie's bedroom, I chose the rug as the jumping off place for my design.

It was green with pink roses.....

very girly.....

just like Connie!!!!!

Soooooo.....

As this was a lady's boudoir,

we decided to go all flowery and pretty!

This was the picture I showed you last weekend.I tweaked it to add some color and pattern.

I made a needle point toss pillow for Connie.

Ain't it purty?????

I used a kit I found online.

It came with the painted canvas and colored yarn, but the colors weren't right for Connie's room, so I changed them to match the rug.

The flower was originally orange....

 and the butterfly blue.

I also adjusted the background colors and added the borders to make the pillow larger.

If you want to change the colors on a needlepoint canvas, just make sure you keep the values (darkness and lightness) the same, so the shadowing will still work.

I also chose prints for framing that picked up the rugs colors.

(Like the reflective glare in the glass?????)

(I am such a good photographer!!!!!)

Next to the chair is a little metal table we found that had a vintage garden feel.

After searching and searching, I found this floral vase that I had made into a lamp.

I wanted some color on the table, and the white lamp we had been using just wasn't doing it for me.

So then we found a green lamp.

Actually, I think Connie found this green lamp.

You can see in these pictures, this was before I had made the pillow for the chair.

But the green lamp wasn't doing it for me either.....

I wanted something larger and with more color.

So when I changed the pillow and added the floral lamp,

it made me a happier decorator!!!!!

I tell ya.....

this decorating stuff takes 

years!!!!!

I will be deconstructing this room for you guys this week.

Someone asked for the bederizer site, 

it's

http://www.bedrizer.com/

DON'T YOU GUYS KNOW HOW TO GOOGLE???

I am so gracious...

Latah, Gatah

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Seaside Cottage Bedroom

Well!!!!!

We are now finished with the first floor of Connie's beach side home!

Let's go to her bedroom.....

Traditional Home Magazine 2007

I lucked out with the rug choice of The Previous Designer (TPD).

It was one of my favorites from Stark.

I never had a chance to work with it before, so I grabbed the opportunity and ran with it.....

Some of the other bedroom choices by TPD weren't so great.....

BUT BEING THE FABULOUS DESIGNER THAT I IS.....

I fixed them.... 

Let me start by complaining about the bed.....

I love me a high bed!

It is very romantic!

It looks good too....

A lot of new beds are too low, although with the thickness of the newer mattresses and box-springs, this is somewhat alleviated.

I often use something called a bedrizer to raise the mattress height.

Older beds are higher.

They just look gooder.

I wanted Connie's bed to look gooder too.

So it was raised.

Only problem was.....

the headboard was too low.

TPD had gotten it from a catalog.

The shape was nice.....

sooooo.....

We added blocks to the legs to make it taller, 

and of course we painted it white,

and then I recovered it in a fun dotted swiss fabric.

(notice how I edited out the electrical cords.....

when I tried to get rid of them where they run over the baseboard, it just wasn't working.....so I gave up.)

(Now it looks like the wires are coming out of the wall....)

(That's 'cuz I removed them from the wallpaper and floor)

(I can only do so much with photo editing)

(oy)

I really loved this spotted fabric, it's from Brunshwig & Fils, probably has been discontinued, just like everything else I like.

I used it on the draperies and the dust ruffle.

It's a sheer.

It makes up into a really pretty window treatment.

I had Drape It, (my workroom) create a smocked header

 for the top of the valence.

When I use a sheer for a drapery valence, I like to have a contrast trim along the bottom.

This way the side panels are visually separated from the top.

I chose a striae paper in grass green for the walls.

I don't know why.....

but a paper creates a cozier feeling than a painted finish, 

even if the look is the same.

Go figure!!!!

Across from the foot of the bed is a wicker sofa and chair.....

To keep the beachy feel, I had them covered in a green awning stripe.

The view out the window 

is to die for!!!!!!!

Connie falls asleep to the sound of the waves!!!!!

Across from the side of the bed, is the chest of drawers.....

The one TPD chose we placed in Connie's closet.

So, that's it for today.....

For the next few posts.....

I am going to show more of this room and the fun things that Connie and I found to give it some character and punch!!!!!

Now....

I have to get back to teaching myself how to use Photoshop Elements 11.

I just bought it along with Photoshop Elements 11 for Dummies, 

and

Photoshop Elements 11 The Missing Manual.

We will see if this dog can learn any new tricks.....

I also just bought 

Digital Photography for Dummies.....

some of this better rub off!!!!!!

On that note....

Latah, Gatah

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