Accidental wins and fails

Much of the time I arrive at serious win for myself purely by accident.

I get excited about something I see, most often online, on Etsy, a design blog...and out of my excitement I get a bit giddy, turn into a twelve year old, email someone, tell all my friends, make new ones and before long I find myself alone in my office giggling like a school girl at all of the unintentional awesome in my world. It's just how my awesome seems to roll, in giant waves of win.

Many of you know by now that I have a serious love affair with hardwood floors, and even more so, aqua and turquoise painted hardwood floors. And ceilings. But, mostly floors. I dream of someday having a little cottage with white painted open rafters and bead board ceilings and aqua floors (with maybe some chocolately brown ones thrown in for good measure).

Kind of like these ones:

image via Coastal Living

image via The Working Woman's Guide to Domestic Success

images via House of Turquoise

(you get the idea)

Many of you also know that I rent. I may love my little loft like space on the side of a hill, but it's not my own cottage, there has to be some rules. My landlord(s) are about the most tolerant people I've ever met. I pick up free furniture from CL just about every day and they never complain or threaten to kick me out if I bring any more pieces home (or if my porch sometimes looks like this):

So asking if I could paint my porch turquoise seemed pretty audacious of a request, so I really didn't want to ask it. Even though, I really, really wanted to do it. Like, kinda bad.

I guess Kaya heard my internal plea, because Saturday as we were leaving to go to the lake for the afternoon, we walked out to find her standing next to a tipped over bucket of turquoise paint:

(and crap! That reminds me I forgot to jot the color down prior to pitching the can. Doh!). She looked so proud, "Wook what I did Cwisty! I twied to fwinish but my paws are twu small". 

She dumped so much paint the only option was to paint the porch with it. Which, was kind of awesome. Of course, this solved my having to ask permission or potentially being disappointed when I am told, "Hell no, you can't paint your porch turquoise". Yay. Thanks, Kaya.

"Yowr welcome, Cwisty"

My porch before Kaya's awesome metaphoric bucket of win dumped on it:

And now:

I still have a lot of work to do, but that's for next Summer.

Now, as you'd expect, I can't just be awesome and have accidentally awesome things happen to me all of the time. I screw up, sometimes pretty bad, and sometimes pretty often. Usually though, I don't mess up anything that I can't fix with some Dry Dex or Painter's Touch, but other times...

Yeah. About that.

Pretty much anyone who has been around since Stuff Chrissa Loves is incredibly aware of my recent obsession with yellow doors and my insane need to have one of my own. I blame Tobi Fairley.

Just LOOK at this door. It'd make anyone want a yellow door. Heck, it'd make anyone want a barn door.

image via Tobi Fairley

Soooo...I decided to paint my own door yellow. I had a gallon leftover from this dandy lil' project of mine:

Now before we get too very judgy, I have to admit a few things:

1. I didn't prime first. I know, I know, I know.

2. The door wasn't dry by the time I had to rush off to see my aunt at the hospital. And then it rained.

3. I used latex paint. And. I didn't prime first. Or sand. I know, I know, I know.

 I know, I know, I know.

Guess what I'm doing this weekend ;)

What are your biggest accidental wins and fails? I'd love for you to share them so I don't feel like such a doofus.

xo, Chrissa

This wasn't as bad as I thought

It's rather hilarious how difficult and easy it is to get the perfect shot produced in real life that you see in your head.

Too Dark?

Too light? Don't like the hands?

Yeah....I kind of don't want cleavage...

And now we're getting somewhere....

It's funny how the littlest things will stick out to us that we want to just BE a specific way. Like a name, or brand mark, for instance. Many of my friends sang the virtue of having a blog/products/websites, etc., named after yourself, but as much as I loved the response it got and how much other's welcomed my little project, it just didn't feel right to me.

It feels right now. In fact, it feels GREAT, in fact. 

It's perfect.

I am a design junkie. Design blogs are my crack. I need it. I crave it. I jones for it when I don't have it.

Thanks for hanging in there and following my silly mind-changing self to and fro.

xo

Things I love today

I saw this glass drink pitcher and thought I owed it to you to share. Isn't it awesome? I love the spigot. You can get it right now at Target for only $9.99 (or $11.99, I forget, but it's still cheap)

I love these built-ins. I recently watched an episode of HGTV's Moving Up and the first thing the new owners did was tear out the same built-in cabinets. I thought they were out of their freaking minds. My great aunt had the same ones, with the insides painted a very pretty aqua blue and to this day I still think of them.

See that chandelier that appears to be a bunch of twigs held together? Well I love it, and I want to make one. I mean, I am going to make one. Somehow.

images via A Life's Design

It really makes me sad that this woman doesn't appear to be happy wearing this dress. Because you know if I was wearing it? Yeah, I'd be grinning my fool little face off. I.love.it.

SWOONS:

Of course these are Monique Lhuillier, which explains why I love them.

 images via Beautiful Things To Share

Perhaps now that I have a sewing machine I can hit paydirt making this thing, because, is it not just the best? 

To shop Artlab's Etsy store Click Me

I'm really into Kelly green these days. 

Pillow(s) from Jessica Nielsen from Envelope, via Bloesem

I can't figure out how to make it work in my own home right now though, because I really only have 3 rooms. Even though the kitchen, dining, living room and office have their own rather distinct space, they're still in the same room as far as visual congruency is concerned.

I pretty much have to have this aqua pillow with the birdies on it. If I don't get it, I might cry or die and that would be sad.

Pillows by Skinny Laminx

WANT:

via Caitlin Creer Interiors

This week is crazy busy with projects, painting and the usual stuff that I can't seem to get enough of. What's inspiring you these days? Feel free to answer with a link to your favorite blog or image. We love blogs and images around here.

Wishing you vintage white chippy paint

via A Beach Cottage

xo

Obsessed with yellow

Your emails have been so sweet and encouraging! Thank you so much. I'm still working on my bedroom redesign project,  but since it's not done, I figured I'd share some eye candy inspired by my "new" bedroom's colors. I can't wait to show you guys.

via A Life's Design

via A Life's Design from House Beautiful

This room shouldn't be a shocker. I saw it on a few blogs now and each time I see it I smile as I would seeing an old friend. I love the brightness of this room and how the space just invites clear and creative thinking. Oh, and I don't hate the yellow either ;)

I also blame this lamp:

via Absolutely Beautiful Things

(My obsession with mixing in splashes of hot pink might be traced back to this post as well)

image via The Designer's Attic

How happy and calm is this room? It's missing a lot of color that I need, and I would prefer aqua to the beige, but not everyone is into such dramatic colors. This is a nice way to take a very relaxing and safe room, and pop in with this bold splashes of yellow . I love the fabric on the linen shades and how lovely it contrasts with the bold stripes of the pillows.

Man, if I only has $150 (a yard!) for that fabric on the windows. Hah!

image via The Designer's Attic

I don't think there's anyone here (that knows me anyway) that doesn't know what I am in love with in this photo. Like, holy crap my pants I love it so much!

I'm also going to have to have one or two of these:

images via Casasugar

image from Shirae's Shop on Etsy

Does she remind you of anyone? ;)

xo, 

Chrissa

Okay, Okay, I'll give you a hint: A glimpse into my new living room

I have been working on how/what to do with my living room (well, all the rooms, but I'm starting there). Although I have been getting some private furniture commission work coming in (Yay!), I'm really not doing too much in the way of design jobs. And really, what do I have to show anyone in respect to my work anyway? So I thought I should start at home. Besides, after I saw this certain episode of Color Splash in which David turned this dark, ugly, nearly unfinished basement den into a "Yaht Club Themed Sensation", I've wanted to come close to the same thing.

I was just going to wait until I was completely finished to even talk about it, then post before and afters and include some inspiration photos. But you know me, I can't keep a secret very well. I get too damn excited. I was so happy with how my bedside table came out, I just HAD to blab about it. But seriously now, I'm keep the rest under wraps. Really. I mean it this time. (Hahaha...)

For lack of better photos to show you of my living room, I share these with you but keep the judgy down to a dull roar. Yes, my Christmas decorations are too busy. Yes the window treatments need an overhaul-it's on the list, and I could list 20 other flaws that I instantly see, we're going to ignore all that. The only thing you're taking away from these photos:

My couch is white
My dog is black
My kid is active
My yard is 3 acres with dirt in it
My garden is massive (which means dirt)
My house has sand dunes across the road

You do the math.

The before living room:

(You get the idea)

For those of you that aren't in the white slip cover club, you're going to want to ask me why I didn't think that white would be hard to keep clean. Well, don't do that. It's not even necessary because I already have the sane reasoning on the ready:

Because I could just take the slipcovers off and wash them! (Every other freaking day)
Because white is so pretty and refreshing! (Sure, when it's white. And even then it gets old)
Because I'm so smart and won't listen to anyone (We've hit the zinger here folks)

Then enters David Bromstad into my life.--->

Dear Lord, 

Why does David Bromstad have to be gay? I mean, first Nate Berkus, now David, can't you let me fall in love with a straight guy that loves interior design?

Lovelorn, Chrissa



Dear Chrissa, 


Hahahahahaah. You're cute.


Peaceout, God.



I totally fell in love with this one room he did. Well, okay, it wasn't a room, it was an entire lower-level den. Navy walls, white wing back chairs, mirrored coffee tables, yellow lucite chairs, navy couch, yellow flowers, ottomans and lamps. It was just crazy inspiring. After searching for days on the web, I finally got off my lazy butt and snatched up screen shots by pausing frames on Hulu. I know, so original, right? ::rolls eyes::

Don't you just love it?

I'm putting my own spin on things. Which means turquoise, duh. The table that I finished isn't even for this room, it's for my bedroom, but I'll share it anyway, you know, to keep you coming back for more.

I think there was a 110% improvement, but then again, I am hella biased because I dig this yellow in such a yoooj way.

Unlike my kid:

B: "So I've noticed a lot of yellow trim and accents lately. I take it your about to redo everything?"
Me: "Very observant. Yes, I'm redesigning my bedroom and the living room and using a lot of yellow accents. It's my new second favorite color"
B: "Yeah, I noticed, about that. Yellow is the color of the glare in a monster's eye. Which means I think it's ugly. Can you not keep using so much of it?"

Alright, that's all I got for now. I'll keep you posted.