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Edward Cullen's bedroom

I love the style of the Cullen's mansion from the Twilight series - ceiling to floor windows - light and airy rooms - simple lines....*sigh* I'm listening to Clare de Lune as I write this blog in bed and it makes me want to paint all the walls shades of white and grey and go on a white furniture rampage at Ikea.

(a little voice whispers, but soft, what mess through 4 dogs break.....)

I saw a Feng Shui specialist on TV who said despite thoughts to the contrary, animals bring feng shui into a household. It's hard to imagine how four clunky dogs can do such a thing when it's actually about simplicity and cleanliness....but also about energy...and these particular owners get kind, sweet energy from their pups. We try to maintain sacred rooms the dogs may not enter - the study, the bedroom, the master bathroom....but as I type a lab just sat up and stretched in bed next to me and a German Shepherd has her head next to my feet. Clearly white furniture won't suffice.

But why don't I get to my point....?

If I can't have the entire Cullen mansion I will take a piece from Edwards bedroom - his bookcase.

Simple...clean...curious.

Booklovers understand. There's something emotional about books, particularly favorites. The nostalgia they inspire whether they are fresh and well taken care of or a more 'experienced' tattered favorite.

I love the personality of this bookcase, it's minimalistic without being cold, it's size suggests....these are the favorites - display with meaning.

I have a wall picked in the bedroom that I haven't known what to do with but I think I do now. My mind is racing trying to figure out how to construct this myself, searches on the internet haven't yielded too many options just yet, at least none that aren't more than a little overpriced. Plus the wall is maybe too large for the exact bookcase in Edward's room....I'm considering numerous Ikea shelves scattered across a wall that will probably be a similar spin on it.
This should work perfectly, I've never been the type to put out a lot of knick knacks or prints, I like the art in my house to have meaning...and I like to underdo it. And I love my books.

Poor T....another project to be added onto the ones we're already behind on. I'm just not happy if I'm not gutting a house.

Breaking Dawn

I was harped on by months to finish The Twilight series and here we are at the end. Twilight has been an experience of its’ own, probably accounting for the almost cult like devotion from the fans and the journey it led us all on…..everyone knows someone who reminds them of the Voulturi or Jacobs’s sweet, protective nature. The thing I hate about once in a lifetime books is they rarely satisfy, instead you find yourself turning to the last page shocked that it’s over and wishing there was just one more chapter or one more book….

That said – I’m more stoked than ever about the next two movies and can’t wait to find myself at the movie theatre, resisting the urge to fall asleep at a sensible hour. I hope Stephanie Meyer continues with the story of Renesme but it’s doubtful.

I’ve been meaning to start including my favorite quotes for my book journal and here it is from Breaking Dawn:

"Is there no hope, then?" Carlisle whispered. There was no fear in his voice.
Just determination and acceptance.

"There is absolutely hope," I murmured
back. It could be true, I told myself. "I only know my own fate."

Edward took my hand. He knew that he was included. When I said my fate, there was no question that I meant the two of us. We were just halves of the whole.

I just love this book and the characters. Big hugs to my fellow Twilighters!

Everything you Need

On my desk at work.

Avoiding playing magic tricks in Excel. Obviously.

Word Art

Spring in Austin is about the prettiest time of the year - before the raging heat forces everyone (and their dogs) inside - and before we skip autumn altogether and move onto some of the silliest winters most have ever seen. Right now it's all about basil shoots (just forced their way up yesterday, pics to follow) and weather that beckons me through the office windows.

We're working on more projects - painting chairs, picking the 'right' shade of grey for the dining room, cleaning up after a Lab that is shedding in anticipation of the upcoming dog park visits....it's a good time, hard to even post all the pictures.

But here are a few word arts I love and might print out for the study.

Who doesn't love Audrey Hepburn who believes in pink?

Sounds about like my mom.

Makes me want to enroll in a photography class and really learn the art of black and whites.

A sucker for pictures of trees.

Oh, the traveler's heart.

Obsessed with the 'Keep Calm' quotes these days, I thought of painting this in my closet above a shelf but it's so time consuming. Just read up on the history of these today, they were created by the British government for their citizens in WWII but abandoned. Rediscovered in 2000 they have been popping up everywhere.

I love this little bird - this one is a winner and completely frame worthy.

Dinner is served.

Mmmmmmm - mom's little cheesestick concoction left in the oven.

Still, better than sunglasses.

Closet Makeover

The unveiling is here!!!!!!!!

What started has TJ’s idea to install shoe racks for my birthday evolved into something bigger (and therefore much more time consuming) – the conversation over the past month went something like this:

Let’s install shoe racks…of course if we’re going to do that they are going to be pretty permanent so if you don’t like the flooring it’s time to get rid of it now. …..oooh I’ve been wanting to install tile……if we’re going to do the tile I should paint before we rip the carpet out….now the trim looks aged….we should do this the right way and paint it as well. Okay, now the trim, shelves, and walls are painted – let’s install the tile.

Before the tile was installed I came home from work on a Friday to find the chandelier of my dreams installed in the closet. *shriek* And then came the tile itself, we took a trip to Lowe’s and found the most adorable white tile that wasn’t too shiny or too flat….then we started walking around the store and decided for some deco tiles, I warned TJ they would be more complicated to cut but don’t you know he was a natural with the tile saw?
Okay okay, no more….feast your eyes. I wish I had more 'before' shots but you'll get the general idea.

And now....







Here are some shots of how the tile was done, first we dropped in one of the main tiles and worked around it - the deco tiles were so tedious to cut and place properly but I'm so happy with them. I was worried about the added cost a little but in the end I only got three at around $5.00 apiece.





And then the final product after the mortar.



And then came the shelves themselves. A lot of cutting, a lot of painting, a lot of going back to the home improvement stores for things we'd forgotten or run out of. In my experience these projects never run according to plan.





I wish I had more pictures of the wood as it was being installed and before it was even painted - I must not have loaded them to my account and they are being held hostage on my laptop at home. Oh well.

Do you love it? I like all the little details, the satin covers on the bars, the little belt hooks TJ mounted for me. It was the best birthday gift I could have gotten, not just an important part of my house getting a makeover but the difference a year makes. When life hands you lemons you refuse to settle and chunk 'em.