EARTHQUAKE! ... among other things...

For those of you who live under rocks and inside caves, we had a pretty significant Earthquake here in Virginia yesterday. I know, people joke about the lack of damage and the general chaos that ensued - but in reality, I think we're all very lucky the damage wasn't more extensive. It was a pretty crazy experience, especially considering the lack of seismic activity that generally occurs in this region. I won't drag on about it - that's what CNN is for - but I figured it couldn't go without mentioning.

Anyways - a few months back I mentioned a new segment I wanted to start: "Website of the Month". Well, needless to say, that was the last (and only) time I've posted a site so FAIL on my part. In an effort to make it up to you, I offer you Copy Cat Chic. Keeney turned me on to this site and it is my new addiction. The woman who owns this blog is a bargain hunting genius. To sum it up, she takes popular pieces from pricey stores like Restoration Hardware, Ethan Allen, Layla Grace (and sooo many more) and finds nearly identical pieces for a fraction of the cost. It's absolutely mind blowing to see the things she finds and the money that can be saved. She provides the links to each piece so you can compare for yourself, and purchase if you so decide. I haven't made my first Copy Cat Chic purchase yet - but I definitely will as soon as the perfect piece comes up. I've been on the lookout for a china cabinet or some kind of buffet table for the dining room. So here you go - August's website of the month... Copy Cat Chic

Bathroom Makeover

I'm so excited to announce the powder room makeover is officially under way! As most of you know, we bought our house from a total loser who basically destroyed the place. I guess I can't complain all that much because that's pretty much the only reason we were able to get the house - but it's been a lot of work restoring it to the beautiful house that it is. The only good thing about our former owner is that he did absolutely zero decorating, which means blank canvas for me! We had no ugly walls to paint over and very few holes to patch up. Painting is one of the few changes you can make for super cheap that will make a BIG impact on a space. Well, super cheap if you have amazing parents who own every type of painting supply on the planet and let you borrow it all - then all you have to do is buy the paint :)

So rewind back to a few months ago - I had a decorator come out to help us pick a wall color for the dining room. I wanted a color that would flow with the rest of our colorful rooms without making it look like Joseph's Technicolor Dream House. We settled on a beautiful coraly/rosy/pinkish color that would tie in with some fabrics we had chosen. All was great until I showed Johnny the swatch later that evening...

"PINK!? You want to paint the dining room PINK?!" ....(long pause of silence accompanied by blank stares)..... "No, I want to paint the dining room Hydrangea Flowers". Needless to say I got shot down. But it was too late, I was attached to the color and was determined to use it. So after some thought and deliberation, I decided to use the color in our downstairs powder room. I had been pushing the bathroom makeover off as a small project that could wait, but with the perfect color in hand, I decided to start.

I ordered a fabulous custom mirror on Etsy (otherwise known as the greatest place on Earth.) And some cute PB monogrammed hand towels. Stefani and I hit up the craft store and I'm going to make a cute candle tray for the the toilet tank, as well as a few shadow boxes for wall decor. I have an adorable idea for something I want to do on the main wall, but I don't want to reveal it until I know it will work :) The only thing I am having trouble finding is the perfect rug. The search continues...

Fast forward to the present. I've been procrastinating on getting the painting done because A - the mirror hadn't arrived and B- I suck terribly at painting. Lucky for me, my wonderful mother-in-law has been in town this week visiting from Tennessee. She flips houses for a living, so she is a total pro with a paint brush. She of course offered to paint the bathroom and even shut me down when I offered to help (probably because I had already told her the story of when I tried to paint Jack's playroom....FAIL.)

I don't have any before pics (imagine white, boring, builders grade bathroom) and I don't want to reveal after pics until it's complete - which should be about 2 weeks from now when my fab mirror will finally make its debut. So until then, I leave you with the swatch that got this whole thing rolling...

It's a little darker on the wall than it appears online, with a touch more coral. I can't wait to add all the finishing touches!