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The cutest patio umbrellas for under $200 plus a bonus!

5/12/2020

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Nothing can make a backyard patio space sing more than a 1950s or 1960s inspired umbrella with fringe, scallops or poms.  I searched HIGH and LOW for the perfect umbrella for our stock tank area (#12!!) but while I was at it, I figured I was amassing quite the list of amazing (yet, affordable!) patio umbrellas and wanted to share them here with you. 

I'm also including another special round-up of gorgeous splurge-worthy designer umbrellas that are NOT budget friendly but are definitely INCREDIBLE.  So if you have the funds-- spring for an extra special jaw-dropping patio accessory.

​Most of them tend to be 7-9' but make sure to check the measurements for what you want in your space!  

Adorable Patio Umbrellas for $200 or less

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1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5* // 6 // 7* // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15
*The numbers with an asterisk are just the canopy and a frame will need to be purchased.  It can be bought here.

Designer Patio umbrellas

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1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15
Don't forget your umbrella stand! Here are three I like: a black square one, a bronze square with trellis pattern and this white one that we purchased (it didn't fit the peach umbrella perfectly like I was hoping but I was able to make it work.  FYI, the peach umbrella has a white pole unlike the brown one shown!

What one is your favorite?  And if you purchase one, make sure to send me a photo of it in your space-- I would love to see!

xo,
Rachel
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The links in this post contain affiliate links.
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Our Stock tank pool reveal and all the supplies you need for your own pool!

5/7/2020

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Ever since I laid eyes on the concept of stock tanks, I knew it would be such a fun thing for our kiddos.  Once we moved to Florida and experienced one summer without a pool, I decided it was a must-have for this coming summer.  It's so hot and humid here for so long that swimming is nearly the only fun thing to do outside (weirdly, public pools aren't really a thing here). That said, don't feel too sorry for us because the rest of the year is paradise but I knew a pool would really help us to enjoy our summer.  THEN, we moved to a rental with the perfect backyard spot for a stock tank pool.  It was like it was MADE to put a pool here. 
We've spent the last few weeks gathering the supplies and putting it all together.  The hardest part has been figuring out exactly what to order to keep it filtered and then getting the giant thing home (we rented a trailer and that ended up being a fiasco!).  In the end, it was more than worth it.  The girls are obsessed with the pool and sand and spend a good chunk of the day making sandcastles and swimming.  Judah swims when it's above 85 degrees ;)



​
So, without further ado, here she is.  Our PEACHY PARADISE: 
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As you can see, we did not paint our pool. A lot of people do and it seems to work out pretty well, but the prep and painting of something this large seemed like a nightmare to me.  Plus, we don't really have a big enough garage to work in, and then transporting it all nice and painted to the back sounded way too hard because we just have a narrow path and rolling it was the best way to get it back there.

I decided to go with an easier solution that would hopefully mean less maintenance over time.  I purchased 4' H bamboo fencing, my husband cut it in half with his Dremel tool, and then we spray painted it. We wrapped it around the pool, strategically hooking it together with heavy gauge wire every once in awhile. He had to cut out sections for the filter hoses but otherwise it was pretty simple. The bamboo adds such a chic Palm Beach element that I adore. Scroll down to the end of this post to see exactly what we purchased for this part.
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Yes, the sand gets in the pool, but it hasn't caused problems yet. It's been so much fun for our girls and was the cheapest option to surround the pool.  We are using our hand skimmer to scoop it out when we clean debris out of the pool.  Jared is also coming up with some fancy set of stairs that cleans your feet of sand as you go in-- this is why I married him, people. ​
Now for the supplies if you want to create your own.  It took us hours to sort through people's advice online, and was difficult to make sense of what we ACTUALLY needed, making sure it came in the right sizes.  Descriptions of products online did not explain what came with the filter (hoses? if so, what size? what about the strainers?).  I hunted and hunted and narrowed down the best things so you don't have to.  Here's my visual shopping list for your backyard stock tank pool, and if you choose, a little additional beauty at the end of this post.

Must have items for your pool

​click to purchase // links work best on a computer
8' Stock Tank
Intex Filter
Plunger Valves
Input Strainer
Hole Saw
Arbor for Hole Saw
Flat Washer
Helpful notes:
  • The 8' foot pool is the way to go.  I can't imagine going with a 6' foot pool and actually having fun. 
  • This pump comes with ONE output strainer and this is why you need to purchase the input strainer separately. It also only comes with one filter so you will have to purchase more periodically.  At this moment, the strainer is out of stock but I'm assuming it will be back on Intex's website shortly.
  • This hole saw makes quick work of cutting holes in the metal but don't forget the arbor. Drill from the outside so the majority of the shavings fall outside the tank. Use a metal file to clean up any sharp edges, then use a magnet to collect the shavings from the inside of the pool so you don't get a metal sliver in your foot.
  • We needed one flat washer for the input strainer-- the output comes with one.

The pool DOES NOT leak if you have the rubber washers and cut a 2-3/4" hole! This size may not be stocked at the first store you visit, but don't just shrug and buy the 3". If you make the hole larger than 2-3/4", you may need lots of silicone sealant (which my husband cannot condone). If you make it smaller, the parts won't fit.

Helpful Items to have for your pool

​click to purchase // links work best on a computer
Pool Maintenance Kit
Floating Chlorine Dispenser
Chlorine Tabs
Hand Skimmer
10' Pool Cover
Helpful notes:
  • I have heard this floating chlorine dispenser is important to keep the chlorine from settling on the bottom of the pool and causing the pool to rust-- not sure if that's true but I got it anyway.
  • This pool cover is larger than you need but I have read the 8' ones are too small to pull over.  It cinches closed with a rope and works perfectly.

​
There are tutorials and videos online for putting it all together but we felt Stocktankpool.net was the most helpful and simplest to follow.  Honestly, cutting the holes and getting it all attached was easy once we figured out what to order and got the dang thing home.  The next hardest part was figuring out the chlorine amount but we went with the one or two 1" tab per week suggestion from Stocktankpool.net and the pool is perfectly blue.

get the same look as us with these items

​click to purchase // links work best on a computer
Outdoor Club Chairs
Metal Dining Chairs
Dining Table (two sizes)
Rattan Lounger
Large Wicker Lantern
Battery Operated Candle
Peach Umbrella
White String Lights
Peach Spray Paint
Bamboo Fencing
White Gloss Spray Paint
Play Sand
Make Echo Portable!
Helpful notes:
  • The furniture I purchased for the pool area was vintage but HANDS DOWN, if the budget would have allowed, this is the set I would have purchased.  It's so hard to find metal bamboo fretwork new at the store so take this as a sign to get it while it's possible :)
  • I linked to the peach spray paint I used as it was THE ONLY peach spray I could find.  Thank you, Martha!
  • Lastly, you may think my favorite part of this makeover was the pool or umbrella but it might be the battery pack that allows us to take our Echo outdoors.  I am obsessed and now carry this thing around as much as my phone- lol. We love playing music and it's so nice to have millions of songs available at any given moment-- anywhere!
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I hope this has been helpful!  Please message me on IG if you have questions!  I would love to help. 

xo,
​Rachel
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This post contains affiliate links.
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Spring One room challenge 2020

5/4/2020

24 Comments

 
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IT'S FINALLLLLY HERE!!!!!!! The Spring ORC has begun!!!

Who else feels like this year has been a million months long?  Thank goodness I've had a goal to work toward during this confusing time and have been able to tackle it little by little to keep from going crazy.  The ORC was supposed to launch in early April, then it was delayed because of COVID (though we were all still allowed to start, just not post).  I was sad about the delay at first but didn't know I would be homeschooling my kids several hours a week at the time.  Now that we are in a better rhythm with school (that was ROUGH at first!), I'm hoping this will be a fun way to get a little "me" time. PLUS, we moved to this new rental in February and I want to inject some flavor into this baby!

I will show you my design plan in a second, but I wanted to show you my inspo first.  Besides a heavy dose of Palm Beach Chic and some funky flair, I wanted this space to be very matchy.  Matching and coordinating is indicative of PB design and something I really have to push myself to do-- so I am excited to take on a new challenge.
I love how these rooms have predominately one color yet they are still interesting.  The simple color palette feels chic and clean.  The textures and materials really pop and the white in each space really punctuates the room.  These rooms are fresh and traditional, fun and classy.
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Please Lord, let me find identical wicker chairs to these so I can put them in my space. 
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This mirror wouldn't hurt either, AMEN!! 
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And I'm always ALWAYS up for some lucite.
I posted my design plan on IG a few weeks ago but as I've worked on aspects of the room, some of the plans have changed.  I'll show you what I posted a few weeks ago and the changes I've made now.
Real quick, here's a before photo of the living room I will be redoing.  Behind me in this photo, is an awesome FL room that we spend tons of our time in that I hope to accentuate with this design as well. 

Since we are renting, everything has to be renter-friendly which means no changes to the carpet and the only wall I am changing is the blue one back to white.  We will change the fan and another light fixture knowing we will replace them with the old when we move.
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Now onto the fun part:

Original PLan

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The layout of this plan involved a larger seating area and a separate reading nook which were differentiated by the two rugs.  However, a couple things transpired that made me change directions.  Once we got started on the space, we decided we would make the corner reading nook a small dining area since we don't have a dining room in this house.  It's small but I'm used to working tables into small areas and have some ideas to make it work. 

The next thing that changed was due to our bunny actin' a fool and peeing all over our rugs.  This blue and white one was in my living room but Bun Bun dug holes in it and peed all over it (bad bunny).  ANYWAY, due to that craziness I had to come up with a new plan.  I figured it was because of the texture of the rug and knew we needed to switch to jute or sisal to deter her potty habits here. I also decided I wanted one large rug instead of two smaller to make the room feel larger and less busy.

Current pLan

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I really want the room to be mostly blue and white, neutrals and pops of green.  Once the wallpaper was up that plan solidified even more and I ended up simplifying the color palette in the new design even further.  

Originally, I had wanted to put a slipcover on the IKEA sofa for something new.  BUT, then I decided I wanted to do this whole thing on a tighter budget and that I would work with the green sofa and paint the green credenza to save money instead.  P.S. I did that this weekend and it's DIVINE!
One thing that hasn't changed from the old plan to the new are the incredible items gifted from Spoonflower.  I'm obsessed with the look and feel of everything from them!  It's such high quality stuff and I love that I was able to pick from thousands of patterns to find the exact perfect prints.  The wallpaper, curtains, pillows and fabrics are stunning and I will be showing them to you as the weeks progress. EEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

In case you are curious: here's a running list of all the items I will have to tackle in the next 8 weeks.  
  1. Hang wallpaper (nearly done)
  2. Paint green credenza blue (done)
  3. Paint accent wall white to match the other walls in the room
  4. Hang curtains
  5. Hang ceiling fan
  6. Recover stools
  7. Spray paint mirror
  8. Recover armchair or thrift new
  9. Thrift dining table, chairs and chandelier
  10. Hang chandelier
  11. Shop for decor
  12. Style and photograph the space

There's still a lot of things that may change as the room evolves since I'm planning on using FB Marketplace and hunting thrift stores (if they ever open again!) to find the dining table, chairs, chandelier and more, for the space.  Plus, I like to have a plan but also see how a room evolves before I have all my design decisions solidified.  That being said, now you have had a peek inside my designer brain and how it likes to jump around.  It's just part of being a genius-- what can I say LOL.

If you haven't followed along with the ORC before, 20 featured designers are chosen to decorate their space in 6 weeks (8 weeks this time!).  The rest of us are guest designers that have jumped on board.  Make sure to follow both groups--on Wednesdays the featured designers post updates and on Thursdays it's the guest designers' turns.  We will be posting each week until June 25th (the BIG reveal!) and I hope you will follow along and support all the designers.  Make sure to check out the One Room Challenge blog to see the other rooms and thank you, Linda, for hosting this event and taking such good care of us this year! 

​See y'all next week!!! 

xo,
​Rachel
​
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Pivot

4/6/2020

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This is the word that has been floating around in my head lately.  Pivot.  Because that's what we have done.  
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It's been 11 months since Jared quit his engineering job and we committed to working together full-time to support our family. 10 months since we moved to Florida.  8 Months since we launched our shop Coco and Viv.  7 Months since Jared started Ubering weekends and working weekdays as a handyman.  4 Months since I set up shop at Oh Whatever to sell my Coco and Viv wares.  2 months since we moved out of the 700 SF Cottage and 3 weeks since Jared started his job as a project engineer doing something very similar to what he did for many years in Iowa.

In some ways we have come full circle and in other ways we are in a completely different place than we were a year ago: literally and figuratively.  

We came down to Florida with very clear objectives in mind: we wanted to pave our own path and live the way we wanted to live and not how Jared's job dictated us to live.  We wanted him to thrive away from a job that was the only job he ever had after college and just wasn't fulfilling anymore. We also had the dream of working together, had tasted that during our flip houses and wanted that to be a full-time gig.  Lastly, we hoped that working our own hours and on our own business would afford us a more intentional and connected life with our kids. 
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Moving to my mom's cottage in Florida gave us a free place to live while we got on our feet.  

We had wanted to flip houses when we got down here but we didn't end up leaving Iowa with as much money in the bank as we originally projected... again, it would have been too scary (and stupid!) to spend everything on one investment. 
So, we had to look for other ways to grow our business.  
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We started the online shop and it went fairly well but we quickly realized there was no way it was going to support us anytime soon.  I know the statistics about businesses taking 5 years to produce a profit but I had hoped if we both worked at it very intensely (full-time and not as a side gig), that we could grow a profitable business much sooner.  The first problem was that I was not comfortable gambling away our savings while we worked toward that goal for however long it took.  Thousands of dollars were being spent a month to support our family and start our business and at the rate it was going, we were going to be out of money within 6 months. The second problem came when Jared got the handyman job for quick cash flow.  We needed it, were so grateful and there was no way around it, but it took him away from our businesses so we weren't able to grow them as quickly.  In short, we took an important step forward financially but backwards as far as the businesses were concerned.

My bread and butter had always been in Interior Design work and I wanted to continue that here as well. In Iowa, I had a large design clientele that was fairly easy to come by because I had lived there most of my life. In Florida, I underestimated how hard it would be to build up a totally new clientele in an area where no one knew me.  I knew it wouldn't be easy but it felt near impossible. In addition, since I was spending ALL my time on Coco and Viv, I didn't exactly have a lot more to invest in design projects for clients. I love both avenues to our business but can't do them both full-time like they really needed to take off and support us here.

Which brings up the second thing I underestimated: a year's salary goes by very quickly when you've just moved across the country and are starting a new company (think: moving trucks, changing insurance costs, and business start-up costs).

Something else struck me about halfway in: I had completely taken for granted Jared's PTO when he had a salaried job. This past Christmas, we decided we would go home to visit family in Iowa.  To save money, we had to buy plane tickets that returned us home to FL well after Christmas. It wasn't until about two weeks before we left that I realized the whole time Jared would be gone, he wouldn't be making any money because he wouldn't be able to work.  DUH! Not only would we be paying for Christmas gifts and travel to Iowa, we weren't going to be getting paid for two weeks which was a big deal for us financially. It didn't feel like working for ourselves was giving us the freedom we had hoped for.
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After Christmas, we knew things weren't sustainable and as much as it felt like we were failing and the world was watching us do so, we did what we knew we needed to do: Jared started job hunting.  At first we looked into jobs in other fields, we brainstormed things he could do that he hadn't done before but could possibly be equipped to do.  In the end, we kept coming back to project engineering because it's where his experience is and where he was most likely to get a good job.

The interview process was fast yet tedious and he was offered something in the nick of time-- just before we would have to start paying for a rental due to my mom moving down and taking over the cottage.  His new job is similar to what he used to do -- large-scale projects for a food manufacturing plant -- but this time it involves travel and is a much bigger, more profitable company that seems more organized and just an overall healthier and better fit for Jared.  It's like the older brother version of his last job.

In some ways it feels like we didn't accomplish the goals we set out to do but I think if we look closer, we absolutely did.  1) Our family has never been closer and the memories we have from this past year will stay with all of us.

2) Jared is at a job he enjoys and will hopefully be really good for our family.  I couldn't be more grateful that he got a good job in food manufacturing (which never goes away!) right before the pandemic hit. 

3) We aren't working together everyday like I had originally hoped but here are my current thoughts on that... A) maybe that will still come and B) If our family is thriving in another way, I'm OK if it doesn't.

4) There are multiple ways to find more freedom.  Working for yourself can afford you freedoms working for a corporation won't, like being able to take a spontaneous day off without having to ask anyone.  However, depending on how much you make with your own business, it may cost a lot of time or effort for very little pay off.  Sometimes having a stable job and good income actually brings you more freedom.  Freedom to choose, freedom to vacation and still get paid, freedom to go to a good doctor because you have good health insurance.  It all depends what you are willing to pay for said freedoms and what freedoms are the most valuable to you.  I think you can find freedom both ways but we didn't have the luxury of endless time and money to figure it out.

Long story short-- if we had more savings and wanted to spend another year or two completely focused on this thing, I think it could have panned out more closely to how we originally envisioned.  But the grind of trying to make ends meet was wearing on us and I had more anxiety and depression in the past 6 months than I had any other time in my life besides during my pregnancies.

So that's what I mean by PIVOT.  Sometimes you set out for a goal, you try hard and realize that goal needs to shift and change.  Over time, you realize you may have different goals for yourself than you did months or years ago.  Your focus has shifted, circumstances have changed and it's time to reassess and sometimes, even, pivot. It doesn't make sense to hold fast to a dying dream or to seek after a goal you made in a different frame of mind.

I share this because so many people are afraid to follow big goals and dreams and I'm here to tell you that even though sometimes it can feel like a disaster when you are in the middle of it, it usually doesn't end up as badly as you might originally predict-- even if it doesn't pan out at all like you expected.  And truly, if things don't end up exactly like you think they will: it's OK (hey sometimes, it's even better!).  It doesn't mean you have failed, it means you have learned and grown and you never have to ask yourself "but what if?" regarding that topic again.

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I would do this all over.  I live in my favorite place, with my favorite people and Jared has a better job than we could ever have hoped.  The pressures of making our business work so I can pay the bills have subsided and I am FREE to enjoy my life again. Jared is enjoying his job and eager for what's to come. For us, this is working, and in a round-about-way we arrived to exactly the place we wanted to. At least for now, because I'll fully acknowledge we are still living in the middle of the story :)

xoxo,
Rachel
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Fashion meets interiors no.1

1/25/2020

1 Comment

 
I am passionate about helping others know their interior style.  More often than not, I think not understanding one's loves leaves a person to freeze up when it comes to decorating their home.  I'm here to tell you, you may know more than you think you know.  If you have a decent sense of what you look good in and what you like to wear, there's a really good chance that your closet would and should translate to the interior of your home.

This doesn't work in every single case but most people gravitate toward certain colors/patterns/textures in their wardrobe and that can say a lot about how you would want your surrounding space to feel.  I have yet to find a person that only wears white and decorates in all the colors of the rainbow.  I'm sure they exist but most of us probably fall into the 95% of people with cohesive wardrobe and interior design tastes. 

To hit this point home, I wanted to show you some real examples.  I may do this in different ways from time to time but I think it's fun to see how a room can inspire an outfit and visa versa.  So, here's where I will quit yapping and get to it:
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I chose this outfit for many reasons: I love Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Kate Spade and this is actress Rachel Brosnahan modeling her late aunt's (Kate Spade) clothing line, Frances Valentine, founded a few years before she died.

I also chose this outfit to make my example more interesting.  I wanted to show colors or patterns one might not normally think to decorate with but may wear much more easily-- just to know that those things can and do translate to a room. 

Here's the space that coordinates.  Can you see it?  It doesn't have to be *exactly* the same to get the point across.  For example, if you wear Mickey Mouse shirts, please don't decorate with Micky Mouse-- unless you are under the age of 9!
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Let's break it down in a side by side: 
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In general, both are refined and an ode to silhouettes and shapes of yesteryear (pants, shoes, purse, chaise, lighting, wall coverings) but playful with the bold and bright unconventional color palette and heavy dose of pattern.

This outfit allows one to pull out all the stops in this comparison game but you could also go the other direction with it. For example taking a neutral room with smaller pops of similar color and pattern.  I just couldn't refrain from a maximalist counterpart :)

It's important to note that this excersize is really about training your eyes to pay attention to the details that make up a design-- weather it's an outfit or a room.  Hopefully after awhile, you can use your wardrobe to help inform your interior style or visa versa. 

Lastly: DON'T BE AFRAID.  I think we often wear colors we would never decorate with.  I get that but try to push yourself a little bit, you may be surprised ;) 


I love how so many forms of art and design speak to each other.  If you thought this was fun-- let me know.  I'm thinking about having you all send me photos of rooms or outfits you love and showing you what pairs well with them!  

xoxo,
​Rachel
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Our Favorite family games

12/9/2019

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Whether it's a long game of cards, something animated or low-key, it's not a family gathering without a fun game.  I rounded up some of our favorite games to play with our kids and with extended family.  Playing games together is one of my favorite memories of childhood and adulthood at our family Christmases.  My mom and her siblings laughing their heads off, my great-grandma trying to draw on a big white board or someone acting out something before the buzzer went off-- you name it, we've done it.
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1. Settlers of Catan (one of our son's favorites!)
2. Pictionary (We use a huge whiteboard and dry erase markers, instead of the tiny boards that come with this game. We play with two big groups at my grandpa's Christmas each year.)
3. Password (Best for adults, low-key and brainy but not TOO brainy)
4. Ticket to Ride (Fun and fairly easy, similar to Settlers in concept but easier IMO).
5. Balderdash (SO many funny memories of this but you need to have creative thinkers playing.)
6. Guesstures (What's better than people acting out charades with just a few seconds to do so?)
7. Farkle (Another easy favorite for two oldest.)
8. Quelf (One of the weirdest and funniest games on Earth.  Just make sure you are playing with good sports.)
9. Taboo (Great for a large group-- also funny!)
10. Scattegories (We play this with our kids-- fairly easy and fun.)
11. Catchphrase (I'm sure you know this game, similar to Taboo.)
12. Hedbanz (Fun for all ages but esp with littler kids.)

Some of our favorite games aren't on here because they are so simple or need explanation:

Telephone Pictionary (All you need is pen and paper-- I have never laughed so hard as I have with this game.  It's like the classic game "telephone" but with drawings :) )

Card games like Shanghai (similar to Phase 10 but harder) and Cribbage (Jared and I play this just the two of us or with his parents).

​I hope you try a new game this year and make some fabulous memories.  Let me know how it goes :)

xoxo,
Rachel

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A CB2 Christmas

11/25/2019

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If I could have a shopping spree at any store in the world, it would be at CB2.  It's my favorite home store with their velvet furniture, rattan pieces and plenty of glitz and glam. Knowing that, can you believe that I have never even been inside a CB2 store?!  Much like how I love Miami and Palm Beach styles and I've never been to those places either!  Maybe 2020 will be the year I check those places off my bucket-list!

In honor of my love for this store I made a Christmas moodboard for your viewing pleasure!  If I had no budget, 95% of my Christmas would be from here.  Those cockatoo ornaments?!  The cane pattern ornaments?!  Marble! Leopard! Gah!

The only thing I would maybe change for my own home is bringing in green a bit of green. Or maybe not, sometimes just the basics are so chic. 

See below for sources.  
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1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9
10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 
What's your favorite item on the board?  Those wood trees are to.die.for.  What is inspiring you this Christmas season?  If you love this-- shop these sources or make it your own by taking out and adding in what makes it "you"!

xoxo,
Rachel
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Styling a graphic Tee!

11/21/2019

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A lot of you already know that I own my own online boutique where I sell vintage decor, vintage-inspired jewelry and graphic tees I've designed.  Because of that, I have had a lot of people ask me how to style a graphic tee.  Here's three of my tshirts, three different ways!
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Tshirt // Cardi (similar) // Favorite Jeans // Necklace (similar, same brand) // Clutch // Shoes 
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Tshirt // Cardi (obsessed) // Jeans // Earrings // Shoes 
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Tshirt // Blazer // Skirt (similar) // Earrings // Clutch // Shoes 

So tell me, what's your favorite outfit??  What do you want to see next? Enjoy, my friends!

xoxo,
Rachel 
​
links contain affiliates
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A blush, red and green christmas with links

11/11/2019

0 Comments

 
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I love making moodboards because it's therapeutic and like trying on new outfits and in different styles I may not regularly "wear".  I made a traditional Christmas design with a modern twist-- that way, if you already have red and green Christmas decor, adding in a bit of something different shouldn't be too hard.

Some of the items are things you could use year round: the blush or red pillows, gold flatware, abstract dish set and candlesticks.  In case you do already have some similar items, for example, large green ball ornaments, then use those and get wide wire ribbon in red instead!  

My vision is to have the room be about 50% pink, 30% red and 20% green and that's why most of the tree ornaments are the rose gold.  However, you could always do more red and less blush-- or switch up one color from year to year!  Just make sure to disperse your colors around the room and have one that's more dominant.

I would get at least a dozen of the "special" or non-rose gold ornament, just FYI.
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Here's the links to all the items!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10
11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // 19 // 20
21 // 22 // 23 // 24 // 25 // 26 // 27 // 28 // 29 // 30

If you liked this, let me know and I will do some more :) 

Links contain affiliate links
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One room challenge reveal!

11/6/2019

10 Comments

 
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I like the way you work it
No diggity, I got to bag it up, bag it up
I like the way you work it
No diggity, I got to bag it up, bag it up

Hey yo, hey yo, hey yo, hey yo.......
Oh sorry, I'm just over here enjoying my new night club -- er, living room. With a neon sign it's pretty tempting to start jamming in here, and since I haven't been cool since the early 2000s most of my music is outdated, but whatever.  ANYWAY, onto the reveal because that's what you care about ;)  

I'm going to try to keep this short and sweet because lots of words are just annoying-- amirite?
If you want to catch up, here's the past several posts:

Week 1 // Week 2 // Week 3 // Week 4 // ​Week 5
This was our room on June 1st of this year, the day we moved from Iowa to Florida to live in my mom's tiny beach house:
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And this is now:
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What did you think the neon sign would say?  Are you surprised?  There's so much in those two tiny words for us, and I'll get into it more at a later date, but in a nutshell, it represents everything up until this point-- every risk, every dream followed, every idea that's crashed and burned.  We have done some crazy things and we are better for it.  It's not easy or even close to perfect, but it's good.
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This corner is the focal point with the wood wall and bright windows and I wanted to pull out all the stops. 

I found a gorgeous chair on Marketplace and had it recovered in a leopard fabric I got for a steal at Hobby Lobby!  I added a faux plant wall and then topped it off with a gorgeous neon sign from Hey Light Co.  They were amazing to work with and I LOVE HOW IT TURNED OUT.  It got here with time to spare and completely makes the space.
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The lucite stool is also thrifted.  I changed the cushion from white to black because it got lost in the shuffle before and now it stands out.  #ilovelucite
I made cornice boards for the windows in the space to bring in a traditional Palm Beach feel.  The goal of this room was to marry a sexy Miami vibe with a preppy Palm Beach vibe.  I honestly wasn't sure I could pull it off but I think I did!!!!??!
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This shelf is one of two items that stayed in the room (obviously because it's amazing). I restyled it with items I mostly already had, including this "neon" art from Hapi Art-- one of my favorites.
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I had really wanted a new sleeper sofa in this space but in the end, it just wasn't in the budget.  We pulled our green velvet sofa out of storage and it works perfectly.  It was originally from IKEA and still so pretty even after 3 kids + a bunny and all their fluids ;)

The coffee table is SO fab.  It's an original Milo Baughman piece from Craigslist.  Each circle rotates independantly which makes the piece so sculptural and functional.  It can fold so the circles completely stack, or it can spread out really far.

One of my favorite parts of the room is the white Chippendale chair I scored at a local shop.  The shape brings in that Palm Beach style and adds so much interest to this side of the room.  I hunted and hunted for the perfect chair and was so happy to find this one.  
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I don't know why, but the pillows in this space were so difficult for me!  I don't have the budget for custom pillows and could. not. find. what I wanted.  Thankfully, The Land of Pillows came through and sent me these gorgeous flocked crane pillows.  I honestly think I would have ended up with pumpkin pillows from Tuesday Morning if it wasn't for their super swift service.  I'm grateful!
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The painting is by my friend Kindra (she's amazing and has done lots of cool stuff for me!) and then the photograph is from my friend, Molly.  I met her a year ago when we were thinking about moving to Florida.  She's a Florida girl through and through and I'm so grateful she is in my life as we embark on these new adventures here.  She took this photo in Miami and it's so fun to have a piece of her in this space 'cause she loves design as much as I do.  
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Really, all the main pieces in the space are vintage or thrifted.  This bird's eye media cabinet is no exception.  It's so good in person-- modern lines with a nod to Deco via the curved drawers.  I love the warmth it brings to the wallpaper wall.
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I had a lot of fun styling this area trying to bring in the preppy/traditional/bold elements of my style.  It's a little bit of everything I love in one place.
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Halfway through the challenge, I decided to also do something about our dining area.  Yes, that black table folds out to be a dining table.  I was sick of not eating around the table together as a family but there's literally no space in this place for a real table.  So I got creative and am SO glad I did.  Not only can we eat together instead of all around the room, but I love the look of this area SO much.  I have always wanted a "console" table with two stools underneath and I was able to do so on a budget.  I think this whole area was only $300.  
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The table is from Target, the stools were plain gray ones I recovered in the same fabric as the chair.  The mirror was in our back storage room and I didn't remember it was there until a few days ago! I was thrilled because it was FREE and PERFECT.  We sprayed it gold after a brief debate about going neon pink :) 

The sconces are the cherry on top.  They are not hard-wired and I plan to do the "magic light trick" with them (remote operated lights) which I'll explain sometime soon.  
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This vase is a dream and was only $20 at Homegoods-- man, I love that place!
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I am so excited by how this room turned out.  I was venturing into new territory combining styles I have never put together before and have basically never seen combined, so it was a true challenge but SO FULFILLING.  I hope you love it as much as I do and that it inspires you to live bold in whatever way that means to you.

This project would not be possible without Linda from Calling it Home, who organizes the One Room Challenge.  I had no idea I would be doing this two short months ago and it's truly been a blast, connecting me with awesome people and sharpening my design skills.  Better Homes and Gardens is the sponsor and that's incredibly exciting because they are AMAZING, and because we are both from Des Moines :) Thank you, BHG, for championing good design for so many years.

Lastly, I want to thank my mom who let me turn her beloved cottage upside-down.  She is the most generous, loving woman you could meet.  I know it pained her to have me change this place because it's so dear to her heart but she was happy to let me do it and championed me along the whole time.  Thank you, mom, for always being my biggest fan, I love you (and I hope you don't hate my design- ha!).

Now, go and support ALL the other featured and guest designers.  We are all happy-tired and need your love and encouragement.  Thank you for following along, you guys keep me going.

xoxo,
Rachel
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    Hello friend!  I am Rachel Serene, interior designer, lover of color, and creator of the Interior Design Cheat Sheets.

    Thank you for following along on my decorating and family shenanigans!
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