Paper or Plastic?

Well actually, I really want to know if you would prefer plastic or wood (I liked the other title better), saw horses that is!  I am not sure how I thought I would get any of my projects done without saw horses but a few weekends ago I realized they were a MUST HAVE so I went to Lowe's to pick them up and add them to my wood working arsenal.

Two hours later and the expansion of my tool wishlist from running around with the Lowe's guy, I ended up with these these in my cart:

Stanley Twin Pack Folding Saw Horses for $31 bucks!

I was drawn to these due to the limited storage space I have for tools and such so I thought these were my best option since they folded up.  I ran into a very nice gentelman who sells tools on Craigslist and he managed to talk me out of them.  Even though the Lowe's salesman swore by these plastic beauties I decided to listen to the man that used saw horses on a daily basis.  Thank you nice man in Lowe's :)

So I opted for wood saw horses.  All I need was the brackets and some 2x4's to make the legs and top piece.  So easy, and Lowe's made the wood cuts for me so I barely had to do anything but drill the wood into the brackets when I got home.

This is what they look like and you can find them here:

So what I want to know from all you builders out there, which style do you prefer more?  Any experiences with the plastic horses?  I am going to put these into action this weekend for my kitchen window seat so stay tuned for that!

See you swoon,

Kitchen Rug: Take Two

On Monday, I posted about my beloved Zig Zag Rug that I thought was going to be perfect for the kitchen breakfast nook.  Sadly, it was not.  The rug, while so so chic and soft, is a woven cotton and just not ideally suited for under a kitchen table where two children eat.  So out it came.

I took note of what worked and what didn't with the rug.  I liked that it had a cool pattern: I wanted something a little modern and fun, but nothing too crazy.  I liked that it had a natural texture and felt good under foot.  The size (5x7) was just about right. On the other hand, I did not like that it wasn't stiff enough: I needed something that would stay in place when the chairs moved in and out.  I did not like that you could not clean it easily: not with a vacuum and not with a broom.  I did not like that it did not repel stains (water, food, etc.) very well.

I went trolling for rugs online and went to one of my favorite spots: Overstock.  I have only had great experiences at Overstock, and you cannot beat the $2.95 shipping plus super quick delivery.  I narrowed the search results to the least expensive 5x8 sized rugs and came across a really cool indoor-outdoor jute looking number: the St. Bart's Indoor Outdoor Sand rug.

What caught my eye (besides the great price) was the oversized pattern, which reminds me a lot of the print on my drapes in the den.

 The price was right, so I clicked the order button and crossed my fingers and toes.  Unbelievably, the rug arrived just two days later and yippie!  Look at how lovely!

It's more grey than "sand" as the description says, which is a huge bonus to me because of all the grey in my space.  I love the oversized print and the grey has a great texture, which is comfy (though admittedly not as cushy as the cotton zig zag rug) and will hide stains well.  

Here is how this space has evolved ... from no rug to the zig zag rug to the current rug. I'm happy with how it looks now!

{before}

{in between}

{now}

You know those brown chairs are taunting me with their ugliness.  I need some quality time with them and a paint brush (or spray paint ... still on the fence).  Hopefully in the coming weeks I can turn to this project and make the brown chairs white!

One quick question for you guys: what would you do for a window treatment in this space?  Right now I have nada on the windows and it feels a little too stark.  See?

Would you do a bamboo shade?  A drape shade in a cool fabric?  Something completely different? I'm all ears.

See you swoon,

5 reasons you should wear it again...

The days are flying by and before you know it, January 28th 2012, our long awaited Wear It Again event will be here.  So to get all you as pumped up about the big day as we are let me show you five reasons why you don't want to miss this!

1.  First amd foremost, all proceeds will go to benefit a very special charity, The Nursing Mother's Advisory Council.  So not only are you partying the night away, you are donating to a great cause at the same time!



2.  This is one of my favorites: You get to wear you most prized evening wear all over again, whether it is your wedding dress, mother of the bride dress, or bridesmaid dress.  We know you are dying to wear it again and trust us, it will feel good.

It  may be tight but I am going for this (we will see what winter and lots of holiday dinners bring to the waisteline):

and Shanna, well, she has told me that her heart and mind will be thinking of this beauty but after the babies that is where this dress may have to stay.  Yay for babies, boo for stretched out rib cages.  From what I hear though it is all worth it!!

3.  This is almost as important as number two:  A night out with your best girlfriends of course!  There is no substitution for a girl's night out so grab all the ladies and bring them for a night you won't soon forget.  It's all about the memories so make sure to bring your cameras and put this one in the history books.  Don't forget we have set up accomodations at the Holiday Inn so for thse of you planning to watch the sun come up you can be rest assured that when you do finally decide to lay your head down, we have a place for you to do it :)

4.  An amazing DJ in the entertainment insdustry who will have you dancing your butts off all night.  We all know the music makes the party and Fred Hart will exceed all expectations.  Thank you Fred, we cannot wait to see you!

5.  Last but certainly not least, you can capture fun photos of you and your girls in the Shutterbooth which our friend and one of our favorite vendors, Roxanne from Philadelphia Shutterbooth, will be bringing.  We want to see you all doing this:

No, I don't know these people but they were on the website which you should check out if you ever need them to attend your event!

So there you have it, five reasons we need to see your happy, smiling faces in a few short months.  Tickets are on sale now so we will look forward to hearing from you (you can check out instructions for purchasing tickets here)!

See you swoon,

Zig Zag Rug!

Hiya! How was your weekend? I really cannot believe it is officially Fall.  Oh, I love this season.  I am a cooler weather girl through and through and am positively giddy about the idea of wearing sweaters, boots, jeans and enjoying the glorious weather and leaves here in the Northeast.  But I digress: today's post is all about the new rug I got for my kitchen in the breakfast nook.

I needed something thin and durable but also stylish.  I wasn't happy with anything I was seeing (for the price I was willing to pay) at the usual places, and then I stumbled upon this lovely Zig Zag Rug from Urban Outfitters:

They had it in grey, blue or black. I went with grey.  I love the blue, but I also felt for my space, the grey would work a little better.  The price was too good to be true: $70 for a 5x7?   And it got even better!  Jamie's friend works for Anthropologie, and was able to use her discount, which is normally 10% off, but happened to be a whopping 40% off because it was their "friends and family" special.  Oh, and free shipping!  I ended up paying about $44 for this 5x7 rug.  Deal of the century, my friends.  And without further ado, here is the before and after.

{before}

{after}

{before}

{after}

But sadly, this story does not have a happy ending.  As much as I'm loving this rug (it's so pretty and soft and yet durable, which is a must with two kids),  it doesn't lay flat and is a total bear to clean.  I guess under the kitchen table is not an ideal spot for it.   Sigh.  The search goes on.  However, next up for this space is to paint those chairs a soft cream and to get something on the windows. And, if you've been following me on Pinterest, you'll know I'm planning something absolutely swoon-worthy for the doorway between the kitchen and laundry room.  Not on Pinterest? Here are a few hints ...

above three images courtesy of From Our Hiding Place

Oh yeah baby.  I'm going to DIY some sliding barn doors.  I'll definitely do the double doors like in the last picture.  I'm just trying to figure out their color: white? grey? or yellow?  Anyone care to vote?

See you swoon,

Slice O' Life: A wedding with lots of luck

Virginia Beach.  In case you were all wondering that is where I have been for the past five days  three of which rained but the last two days were AMAZING! 

This wedding was very near and dear to me heart.  All weddings for me are meaningful and magical but this time I got to watch my best friend's brother say his vows and marry the love of his life.  I was my best friend's date so on top of getting to attend the wedding I had the pleasure of staying in the wedding beach house right on the beach the whole week and joining in all the festivities!  Despite the rain, the wedding was a blast, everyone danced the night away and we all know what rain brings to the happy couple :)  Lots o' luck!!  Will and Kate, happy, happy wedding day and here's to a lifetime of joy, health, laughter and love. I love you both so much!

And of course you knew I wouldn't leave you hanging without some pictures of the big day!

A shot of the gorgeous wedding location:



What a beautiful family!

OOOO La La!

The bridal party

An amazing cupcake tower (seriously ate about 100 of these to myself, they were so good!)

And our beautiful couple!!!



Now let's do it again! 

See you swoon,

Shanna's Home: Curtains! Glorious Curtains!

I am usually so trigger-happy when it comes to great finds (especially if I have a coupon).  When we moved into our new home, I was amazed at all the coupons that showed up from great places like West Elm, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Lowe's, etc.  I have had a 10% off coupon from West Elm burning a hole in my pocket since early June.  I wanted to use it toward something great and really get my money's worth. Did I ever!

I've been in search of the perfect curtains for my living room and dining room.  Naturally, I had a number of requirements:  the curtains had to be the same in both rooms, the curtains had to be light but not white, the curtains had to have a subtle pattern, the curtains had to be weighty but not heavy, the curtains had to go with the whole grey-white-blue color scheme I have going on, and the curtains had to be relatively inexpensive.  I came across these lovelies at West Elm that totally fit the bill:  the cotton canvas faux bead window panels, in a soft grey color.  Here they are with a bonus close-up shot:

And now for the math.  I needed four 84-inch curtains at $39 a pop.  The curtains had free shipping. So I was looking at about $160 and with my 10% coupon, that brought the total down to $144.  Not bad for four panels, especially since I have tried to keep my decorating on a budget.  Still ... I wanted to wait.  I knew it was risking having my 10% coupon expire (horror! no!), but I also had a feeling they'd mark them down.  And I was right! I got an email that West Elm was having a window sale - all window treatments were 20% off!  And free shipping! And I had my 10% off coupon that I could use.  That meant 30% off with free shipping, for a grand total of about $100!  I placed the order that day.  And I couldn't be happier with the results! Here are the before & afters:

{before: living room}

{before: living room}

{after: living room}

{after: living room}

{before: dining room}

{after: dining room}

{after: dining room}

I love them! I'm on the fence about adding some bamboo blinds (in the same wood tone as the floor) at the top of the window for some texture.  Right now, I am ok to hold off. What do you think - yes, no or maybe so?

See you swoon,

Wear It Again 2012: It's time to get this party started!

Come one, come all!  The time has come for Wear it Again ticket sales to open!  For those of you who missed our post a couple months ago you can check it out here but Wear It Again is our labor of love that welcomes women everywhere to wear their wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and mother of the bride and groom dresses again!  If we missed any dresses you want to wear again please feel free to add it in to the mix, we want everyone to be a part of this!

What: Wear It Again 2012
Where: Holiday Inn
             432 West Pennsylvania Ave.
             Ft. Washington, PA 19034
             (215) 643-3000 (for reservations)
When: January 28th 2012
Time: 8PM-11PM
Tickets: $45.00 per person

And now for the details ...

* What It Is *

Wear It Again will be a girls night out to remember with amazing music by Frederick Hart Entertainment (who we blogged about here), great memories captured in the photo booth provided by Roxanne at Shutterbooth Philadelphia (who we blogged about here) and our wonderful friend and photographer Lisa Levine Kempner (who we worked with here and here and here!).  All proceeds from this event will be going to our charity that we hold near and dear to our hearts and one that Shanna is a part of, The Nursing Mothers Advisory Council (with a little more information here).

* What To Wear *

Just to throw out a few ideas for those of you wanting to wear a wedding dress again but may, cough, cough, not quite fit into those lovely threads the way you used to or are hesitant to rip it out of the box you planned to keep it in for the rest of your life :)  Some of our friends will be visiting the David's Bridal $99 event to purchase a dress for the evening and will then donate it at the end of the night.  Of course you do not have to donate, but if you want to, we plan to accept gown donations at the end of the night and will take them to a local charity for resale to brides in need (we also plan to provide receipts for this for tax purposes).  We are also planning to have gown preservation available for those of you who want to break this bad boy(well girl really) out for one evening and then place her back into a safe home for all of eternity (unless you want to attend another WIA that we will have in years to come).  More details to come on these, but rest assured you will have lots of options for that lovely gown.

* How to Sign Up *

Ticket sales are now open!  Our evening starts at 8PM and will end at 11PM with open bar for the first two hours so make sure to to eat a hearty meal before you arrive and be ready to dance the night away with great music and memories to take home with you.  Oh and for those of you wanting to stay over, the Holiday Inn will have rooms ready for any ladies that want to take their girls night into the weeeee hours of the morning.  Signing up is easy!

1. Send us an email at WIA@swoonstylehome.com with your name, birthdate (sorry, event is open only to those 21 years of age and older ...) and telephone number. Please put "REGISTER" in the subject of this email.  
2. Then Paypal us $45 for your ticket.  Paypal address is the same as the registration address: WIA@swoonstylehome.com.  
3. We will provide a receipt by email with your ticket number within 24 hours (please note: receipts are not automatic responses).  
4. Save this email and the ticket number and bring the print out (or your ticket number) with you the night of the event! 

See? Super easy!  Now, if you do not have Paypal and would like to pay via check, just mention that in your registration email and we'll handle that with you.  Any questions? Just email us at the official Wear it Again email account: WIA@swoonstylehome.com.

:)

* Where To Stay *

Why, the Holiday Inn - Fort Washington, of course!  We've blocked off a bundle of rooms for the event, and the rate is very reasonable.  Plus the hotel is so super easy to get to! It's right off of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Fort Washington exit) and is walking distance to the Lansdale-Doylestown SEPTA line with direct service to Center City.  We envision this as a girls night out/weekend away, so make plans with your besties, grab a hotel room and plan to spend the night!  The hotel is recently renovated and the rooms are bright and nice (my wedding guests and I stayed there for my 2009 wedding and everyone was impressed!).  Shanna and I will provide local info for you upon check-in.

And that does it!  We cannot wait to see you all there! Register soon!

See you swoon,

Easy Front Door Update

I finally got around to addressing the front door frame.  The very day we closed on the house, I removed the old storm door that was in front of our front door.  It served no real purpose and was not very pretty.  Plus, I knew it would block the eventual red front door, so down it came.  There were a bunch of holes in the door frame that I knew I'd need to fix up.  So I did.  I took some spackle, caulk and wood putty and filled in all the holes and cracks and then swiped on a few coats of glossy white paint. Done.  

But while I was out there, I noticed that the trim around the door was painted the same color as the siding.  I thought maybe it could use more of a punch.  So I painted the trim white.  It's not a major change, but I think it defines the door and makes the area look much more crisp.  What do you think?

Here is the before ...

and here is the after!

And of course I won't stop there.  I'll paint the trim around the dining room window white too.  And I am sold on adding black shutters on this window too and will paint all of the brown trim a crisp white.   Here is the area I'm working with.

Eventually I'll need to add some sort of furniture: a black bench, maybe some pillows in outdoor fabric ... and I am tossing around the idea of staining the concrete too.  What would you do? 

See you swoon,

A beach house that will make you SWOOOOON!

Ever since we left our beloved vacation home, this is all I have been able to think about.  This home was a dream home for Shanna and me.  It had the perfect paint colors throughout, pottery barn furniture and accessories which you know just made us crazy, I am surprised we didn't rent a moving van and just empty that place out when we left!  Lucky for us we will be going back next year and in the meantime, if any of you have a cool 1.5 million bucks that you are not using and want us to have so we can buy this beach house, we will be more than happy to have you over for a fabulous dinner...and maybe a card game as a thank you (warning we get competitive, but if you ever play with our father in law, watch out, he is dangerous and will win the entire game before you know what happened!!).

Most of the pictures I took were of the walls, I was trying to capture the paint colors which after a little snooping we found to be Sherwin Williams Morning Fog and Benjamin Moore Carrington Beige.  After coming home I ran to Lowe's to get samples of course and they seem a bit dark for the lighting in my house. I may have to add some white to lighten them a bit because these shades are to die for, I will find a way to make them work.  Check it out:



This beige is what I wanted in my bedroom all along, we will have to see if it actually ends up looking like this but folks, this is it.  Now for some real eye candy pro picks from the listing.  I know my pictures leave you wanting more:

Isn't it so much fun to feel like you lived in this home (or any vacation home) if only for a week?  I am still in love and this may be the only thing that gets me through the nasty, cold winters here in PA.  Anyone take a vacation this year?  We would love to hear about it!  And for my own pleasure if anyone has any amazing pictures of beaches with blue water please send them my way :)

See you swoon,