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"Behind the Scenes"

As a decorator focused on creating beautiful and more importantly, budget friendly spaces for my clients, there’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes in order to accomplish just that.  With my next client install day swiftly approaching, I thought I’d give you guys a behind the scenes look at the project.   

You may recall the plan that we laid out to infuse some life into the modern great room, which is virtually a blank slate.  We decided to go with a less predictable and more lively color scheme of navy, chartreuse and blurple (blue-purple).

 
I know, it scared me a little in the beginning too, but things are really coming together.  One of the things we like to do prior to the install day is put as much together as possible. 
 
 
You’d be surprised how many decorators (and interns) it can take to assemble a console table. Lol!

When thrifted items are being used, as they often are, it’s usually necessary to give them a fresh coat of paint, or repurpose them all together.  This is also all done ahead of time.

 
 
 
This prevents us from having mishaps onsite on the day of the installation.  Trust me, there's enough to stress about as it is.
 
 

The fun part is actually seeing the space you imagined (slowly but surely) come together right in front of your eyes (or in your office in this case). 


 I LOVE it!  Can’t wait until d-day (next Saturday)!

"Another Year"

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know I believe in taking control of my own birthday.  I wrote about my decentralized birthday celebration last year.  


Not sure when it began, but somewhere during my adulthood, I realized that if I were going to have a fabulous birthday, it was going to be up to me to plan it.  Over the years, I hosted tea parties, shoe parties, white breakfasts, destination parties and the like.  This year, I wanted something low-key but fun, so I gathered some of my vino loving friends and headed to a winery about an hour away. 



I have to say, I think we were all impressed.  I mean, it's not like we live in Napa Valley.  It's North Carolina, not a place exactly known for it's wine.  However, it seems that more and more wineries (pretty good ones) are popping up in and around our area.

Childress Vineyards
The grounds were stunning. And while we didn't exactly have a beautiful weather day on Saturday, that didn't put a damper on our fun. 
Yes, we were photo bombed by our sommelier.
We arrived at the beautiful facility and headed straight to the tasting room.


We had the option to taste sweet wines or dry ones.  I'm a dry girl myself. 

The wines were surprisingly delicious.  My favorites were two fabulous reserve reds.

2010 Reserve Malbec
Earthy and luxurious, Malbec entertains the senses with a minty nose, cherry fruit flavors, hints of leather, and subtle tannins.

2010 Reserve Petit Verdot
Lush and rich with a nose of plum and flavors of blueberry and peppermint, this wine pairs nicely with lamb, short ribs, or roasted duck.

After the tasting we had a delicious lunch in the bistro.
 
Can I just say there is something about Sangria in Mason Jar that just calls my name.  Anyway, the food was yummy, and the place was packed!


Unfortunately during lunch the skies opened up and our vineyard tour didn't happen, but we had a fab time despite the inclement weather.


I'd highly recommend a visit if you're in the area.  Thanks to my wonderful friends, I came home with a little reminder of an afternoon well spent. 

 

Another year, another fabulous birthday. 


The Bar Cart is Back!


Well, looks like we've made it over the hump.  I probably should've warned you guys that not only is this week my BIRTHDAY week (which you know if you follow @dwellbycheryl on Instagram) but it's also a business travel week for me.  Needless to say, the blog posts are a little sparse this week. 

 
However, in my travels I was able to stop by the Ballard Designs Backroom, one of my favorite spots for great decor at discounted prices. While I was there, I ran into (and fell in love with) this bar cart. 
 

  Lately, they seem to be popping up a lot.  I think it's safe to say they're back. 
 
 
| Postcard from Paris Home
 
 

 
I've actually been wanting a tea/bar cart for a while now. Not sure why, since I'm not a big fan of liquor.  I'm sure I'm most intrigued by them because they allow for another space to display and style beautiful things. 
 


I secretly keep hoping to run into one at the local thrift store one day.  No such luck yet, but here's hoping.  This one is currently on Craigslist in my area, but it's a bit pricey for something I don't actually "need".

Via Craigslist Charlotte
 
I do like the fact that it's pretty substancial.  I guess until I find something that I like that's reasonably priced, I'll just have to keep my eyes open and start thinking about where I'd actually put it. 
 
Do you have a bar cart?  Better yet, do you have one you'd like to get rid of?  : )
Until next time.

"Yard Sale Saturday Recap"

I love a good yard sale.  However, as I mentioned in my first post about yard sales over a year ago, I'm not much for getting up early on a Saturday morning, so I often miss out on all of the great deals. Not this weekend though.  I made up in my mind early in the week, that I was hitting the pavement on Saturday no matter what.  With my most organized shopping buddy Jennifer in tow, we headed out before 7:00 a.m. to be there when the doors opened (so to speak).  
 

 
Seriously, only a professional organizer would map (and type) out the game plan. Of course, I have to admit, it was much more efficient than roaming around aimlessly looking for the next sale.
 
The first sale was pretty promising. I saw a number of contenders...
 
 
 
....but in the end, I left with this window box.  I can't wait to plant flowers outside of the window above my kitchen sink.
 
 
The lady at the next location was pretty organized, which Jennifer loved.  It was clear that she knew exactly what she had (she even labeled noteworthy items).  However, her prices were still very reasonable.
 
 
I picked up this McCoy planter for a song.
 
 
 
As a decorator, I'm always on the hunt for accessories and one that's used in every space is books.  They're good gets at a yard sale because they're often $1 or less (cheaper than the thrift stores). 
 
 
Couldn't resist picking up a few.
 
 
One of the best things about yard sale shopping is the mystery.  You never know what you'll drive up to.  This sale was actually inside and everything was being cleared out.  I mean, it's hard not to buy when things are priced at $0.25.
 
 
 
I ended up with a set of six Corelle serving bowls for $2.00!  And needless to say, I'm regretting not picking up a few of those $0.25 items.  Urgh!  It's hard to think clearly that early in the morning.
 
 
 
Glassware is always plentiful at yard sales.
 
 
 
 I've got a few projects in store for these that I picked up.
 
 
The selection can be a bit random, so it's so important to go with an open mind and keep your eyes open for diamonds in the rough. 
 
 
 
A few other winners from the day included:
 
2/$1.00 Ipad cases, including this cute purple Lucky Brand one.

 
 
This 4 X 6 lemon print.  The frame is horrid, but I love the print, brown matte and $1.25 price.  
 


A faux bamboo chair.  By far, this was my favorite deal of the day. We picked it up at the post-garage sale trip to Habitat Restore.  It was $20 and in good condition. I immediately texted my upholster to see if we could work with this.  He confirmed and I bought!  More to come on this one....


Overall a pretty productive Saturday morning, don't you think?

Painting the Vanity

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback on the medicine cabinet makeover.  Apparently, I'm stuck in bathroom mode this week.  You know, it's not me unless I'm in the midst of, or contemplating a project.  I've been saying I'm going to do this next idea for a while now, but it wasnt' until two of my favorite bloggers went for it, that I decided to do the same.
 

There's nothing really wrong with my current master bath vanity, but the builder basic oak leaves a bit to be desired.

Both Decorchick and Dwellings by Devore recently painted their bath vanities, and surprisingly chose very similar colors.  They both turned out beautifully.  LOVE!



Decorchick!
Dwellings by Devore
 While I love the coral color they chose, with my pink walls, I think I'm going a bit more neutral.   I'm seriously leaning toward a true, mid-tone gray.


Valspar - Elephant Gray


Sherwin Williams - Summit Gray

via Houzz www.verandaestatehomes.com /LifeSeven Photography
The process "seems" pretty cut and dry.  Of course, we know shortcut Sally (me) will surely have some sort of mishap. I think I could knock it out in a weekend.
 
After I paint, I'm definitely going to change the knobs.  Not sure what direction I'm going, but there are lots of options out there.  This one at Anthropologie is nice, but may be too girly.
 
 
There's also Hobby Lobby.  Not sure if you're aware but Hobby Lobby has the BEST knobs and pulls section.  They're usually 50% off the price marked.  I like both of these options, currently available on their website.
 

 

 I guess as my friend would say, "There's nothing to it, but to do it!"  Touche', my friend, touche'.

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