Dynamic Design

Things start as hopes and end up as habits.

-Lillian Hellman

Image courtesy of bhg.com

Post #100 and it’s all about you!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to anyone and everyone who has ever read my blog! This has been an amazing journey thus far and I am excited about what lies ahead.

For my 100th post, I want to remind you about my TWO GIVEAWAYS that end TOMORROW, FRIDAY OCTOBER 29TH. The details are below:

Win a 1-hour decorating consultation

Email me a picture of a space you would like some professional help with.The Artist’s Eye has been generous enough to offer ONE lucky reader with a one-hour design consultation. Here is what you need to know to enter for your chance to win.

1. For this giveaway, you need to live in the D.C. metro area (no worries, I will have other giveaways for readers outside of the D.C. area).
2. Email me a picture of the space you want The Artist’s Eye to help you with and a brief description of why you need the consultation by  Friday, October 29th.
3. I will select a winner based on the emails and photos I receive.

Win  an arrangement of coffee filter flowers

You get to pick all of the details for the arrangement. There are three ways to enter:

1. Comment on any post
2. Join the Fabulous in Four-Hundred Square Feet Facebook page (if you already follow my Facebook page, Contact Me and let me know and I will count an entry for you)
3. Follow me on Twitter (if you already follow my Facebook page,Contact Meand let me know and I will count an entry for you)

You can do one or all three for a better chance to win. Deadline is Friday, October 29th.

So there you have it! Many thanks again.

Bonnie

Flowers?! For Me?!!

Yesterday was Day 7 of Apartment Therapy’s 20/20 Home Cure. For Day 7, Maxwell revisits our assignment from Day 2 – Buy Flowers. While I absolutely love flowers and have a minor obsession with sunflowers in particular, I don’t typically use them in my home. My number one reason would be my Lola’s (my cat) attraction to water. Anything with water in it is intriguing to her and on her mission to get to it she usually knocks over the container and makes a huge mess. Since cleaning up messes frequently will take away from the joy of having fresh flowers, I have chosen to forgo this pleasure until I find a solution to my cat problem.

She may look like an adorable angel...

...but don't let her fool you. She can be a real troublemaker.

Keeping with the topic of flowers…don’t forget to enter to win a free arrangement, of your choosing, of coffee filter flowers. I’ve recently made a bouquet for a coworker as a thank you and she loved it. Here is another bouquet I have been working on.

This giveaway has up to three chances to win, so be sure to check it out.

Another giveaway opportunity for my readers in the Washington, DC metro area is a 1 hour consultation with The Artist’s Eye! Entry information can be found HERE.

The deadline for both giveaways is Friday, October 29th.

By the way – this is my 99th POST!

Dynamic Design

First – I have to catch up a bit on the Home Cure 20/20. Last Friday was Day 5 of the Home Cure and the assignment was to “Buy or Replenish One Eco Cleaner“. I have to admit that I have not been the most eco-friendly person when it comes to cleaning. I will definitely be trying out this eco-friendly all-purpose cleaner.

Yesterday, was Day 6 and it was a familiar topic – Clean One Room. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I find it very therapeutic to clean at the start of the week. It makes me feel as though I have a clean slate to approach the week – literally and figuratively.

And now for topic 2 of today’s post. I think that the adjusting and go-go-go of my life is catching up to me. I am completely exhausted today! My bestest says that it is because of low-pressure, so maybe its not me. Either way – I’m sooo tired. My apologies for the relatively short post today, but now you know why. Here is a great inspirational quote:

If one advances confidently in the direction of one’s dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

-Henry David Thoreau

I bought these adorable and affordable shoes this weekend. Along with great quotes, great shoes and great always make me smile.

Monday Mall

Today’s Monday Mall theme is – Wood Furniture

Antique Desk/Sewing Table – $20

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/fuo/2023629080.html

Cherry Finished Media Storage Shelf – $35

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/fuo/2023663575.html

Four-Drawer Storage Cabinet – $40

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/fuo/2023709158.html

Freebies and Friday!

Happy Friday!

First – Home Cure 20/20 Day 4 – Remove One Item and Set Up Outbox. I think it is so very important to clean out your home every now and again. You’d be surprised what you have accumulated. Until recently, this was definitely the hardest part of organizing for me. I have always attached some emotion or experience to items. Look at the item for its use. Do you use it? If not, why do you still have it?

I really enjoy the Home Cure’s idea of an outbox and have definitely utilized it in my own home. In particular, when going through my closet between seasons, I will put items I am unsure of in a bag in the back of my closet. If the end of the season comes and I didn’t wear them I give them away. Give it a try. Here are a few more of my thoughts on ‘purging’ items you don’t use:

• Take a look through your cabinets and pantry – check expiration dates
• I believe that reviewing what you have is an important part of redecorating any space

Second – don’t forget to enter to win my giveaways!:

• If you’re in the D.C. metro area, email me a picture of the space you want The Artist’s Eye to help you with and a brief description of why you need the consultation by  Friday, October 29th. I will select a winner based on the emails and photos I receive.
• This giveaway is open to anyone in the U.S. (as I will be paying for shipping). You can win an arrangement of coffee filter flowers of your choosing (color, flower type, etc.). There are three opportunities to enter (you can do 1 or all 3). You must submit all entries by Friday, October 29th.

1. Comment on this post
2. Join the Fabulous in Four-Hundred Square Feet Facebook page (if you already follow my Facebook page, Contact Me and let me know and I will count an entry for you)
3. Follow me on Twitter (if you already follow my Facebook page,Contact Meand let me know and I will count an entry for you)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dynamic Design

As I’ve mentioned before, I am going through quite a transition in my life. Between my career changes and deciding where to go with my decorating passion I have certainly worked hard to stay positive.

I saw this quote yesterday and thought it was perfect for what is going on in my life right now.

A diamond is a piece of coal that stuck to the job.

Michael Larsen

Flowers always make me smile (Image from http://www.lhj.com)

Looking for Inspiration

Yesterday was Day 3 of Apartment Therapy’s 20/20 Home Cure. Maxwell talks about looking for inspiration to help find your style and ideas for your own home. Definitely not a new idea on Fabulous in Four-Hundred Square Feet:

• I recommend collecting your clippings in a binder and sorting them by room
• If you need help with identifying your decorating style, I recommend using sproost’s style engine
• In almost every project, I look for inspiration before planning my decorating: an entryway, kitchen organizing ideas, and redecorating a living room

Pretty Pretty Flowers

Yesterday’s (Tuesday) Home Cure was to buy fresh flowers. I would have to agree with Maxwell that this is a great thing to do to add a little extra to your home.

Thanks to my cat’s fascination with water, I typically do not have fresh flowers. This is the number one reason I am such a fan of Aunt Peaches’ coffee filter flowers. I know I’ve mentioned these a lot lately but I am just so impressed!

In keeping with the 20/20 Home Cure, I will be offering my 2nd giveaway in celebration of nearing my 100th post! The winner of this giveaway will receive an arrangement of coffee filter flowers of their choosing (color and flower type). Here are the details:

• There are three ways to enter

1. Comment on this post
2. Join the Fabulous in Four-Hundred Square Feet Facebook page (if you already follow my Facebook page, Contact Me and let me know and I will count an entry for you)
3. Follow me on Twitter (if you already follow my Facebook page,Contact Me and let me know and I will count an entry for you)

• You can do one or all three for a better chance to win.
• Deadline is Friday, October 29th

This is open to anyone in the U.S. (as I will be paying for shipping). Here is a look at some of the flower how tos available on Aunt Peaches blog:

Image from http://www.auntpeaches.com

Image from http://www.auntpeaches.com

Image from http://www.auntpeaches.com

Good Luck!

Have you joined the 20/20 Home Cure?

If not, you should! I did, and today is the first day. Today is the first day of Apartment Therapy’s new approach to the Home Cure. Day 1’s task – Clean One Room. As my apartment is just one big room – yay for living in an efficiency – I will at least be tackling the floor of this whole space. Here are my cleaning supplies…

…for the floor

Swiffer and amazing Hand-held Vacuum

…for the furniture (thanks to Lola)

Hand-held Vacuum and Lint Roller

…for surfaces

Swiffer Duster and Bleach Wipes

With my supplies in hand I was ready to tackle my apartment.

Seventeen minutes and thirty-five seconds later I had:

• Swiffered the floor of my general living space and kitchen
• Dusted every surface in my general living space
• Used bleach wipes on end tables and desk
• Vacuumed and lint-rolled furniture
• Vacuumed my area rug

Not a bad start! While I am typically a bit of a neat freak, I do think that I will begin to clean every Sunday evening for 20 minutes. I think that a clean start to the week – literally – would be great!

In general, I have set some ‘rules’ for myself in regards to making sure I keep my home beautiful.

• I don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink before I go to sleep
• I ‘make my bed’ every morning. By this I mean I at least pull up the comforter to cover the bed. You would be surprised what a difference it makes.
• When tidying, I make sure that if I touch an item it moves to its ‘area’ if not all the way put away.
• Dirty clothes never touch the floor – they go directly to the hamper

You would be surprised what a difference this has made in my apartment.

Do you have any of your own cleaning rituals?

Monday Mall

Today’s Monday Mall theme is – bar furniture.

William & Sonoma Wine Rack – $50

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/fuo/2011357101.html

Small Mediterranean Table – $25

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/fuo/2011109283.html

Bar Stool – $24

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/fuo/2010780012.html

Drop-leaf rolling wood kitchen table/breakfast bar with chair – $50

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/fuo/2010683255.html

If you would like your Craigslist item to be posted, just e-mail me the link to your item. All items must be under $50 and include a photo.

Great Giveaway!

Today is post #90!

Don’t forget to email me a picture of a space you would like some professional help with. The Artist’s Eye has been generous enough to offer ONE lucky reader with a one-hour design consultation. Here is what you need to know to enter for your chance to win.

1. For this giveaway, you need to live in the D.C. metro area (no worries, I will have other giveaways for readers outside of the D.C. area).
2. Email me a picture of the space you want The Artist’s Eye to help you with and a brief description of why you need the consultation by  Friday, October 29th.
3. I will select a winner based on the emails and photos I receive.

Good Luck!

Best Home Cure Yet!

I’m so very excited to hear that Apartment Therapy will be starting its next Home Cure this coming Monday, October 18th. Better yet is their new approach.

In only 20 minutes a day for 20 days we’re all going to make our homes beautiful, organized and healthy.

So perfect! I certainly plan to follow along. I hope to share my experiences with you all and also hear about your experiences along the way.

What a great way to head into the weekend.  Also, here’s a great quote for you to consider

Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live.

– Chamfort

Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend.

Image from Elle Decor.

Nearly a centennial of sorts

I almost can’t believe it, but this will be my 88th post! It is amazing that I’ve posted so much since Fabulous in Four-Hundred Square Feet started in late June. It has been a great journey thus far and I can’t wait to see what is yet to come.

All of this would be nothing if it weren’t for my readers. As a token of my appreciation, I have a giveaway for one lucky reader courtesy of The Artist’s Eye. Marise Riddell is the owner of The Artist’s Eye and has been generous enough to offer a free one hour consultation.

Here is what you need to do to win….

1. For this giveaway, you need to live in the D.C. metro area (no worries, I will have other giveaways for readers outside of the D.C. area).
2. Email me a picture of the space you want The Artist’s Eye to help you with and a brief description of why you need the consultation by  Friday, October 30th.
3. I will select a winner based on the emails and photos I receive.

Pretty simple.

If you live in the Washintgon, D.C. metro area, I recommend you check-out The Artist’s Eye’s website for more information about their amazing services.

A very very big thank you to Marise Riddell!

Just one example of the amazing work of The Artist's Eye.

Best Artificial and Affordable Flowers

In August, one of my favorite blogs – Design*Sponge – posted one of my favorite DIY projects.

These resourceful coffee filter flowers are the idea of Aunt Peaches. Recently I tried a relatively simple version of her coffee filter flowers to add some color and fun to my dining area.

Lola was in a very friendly mood so it was nearly impossible to get a photo without her being in it.

You can find a link to the Design*Sponge instructions via my Projects page.

To take this great idea a little further, I decided to make some flowers to use at my Halloween party. I’m pleased with how they turned out.

I would really encourage you to visit Aunt Peaches website for more amazing ways to make beautiful flowers from coffee filters.

Fashionable, Frugal and Fabulous!

While reading my many favorite design blogs, I ran across this amazing decorating ideas at loving.living.small.

Using the dust bags that come with you favorite designer bags, this creative blogger made affordable and fashionable decor.

By simply framing some handbag dustbags, you can create unique and budget-friendly art.

I’m always looking for ways to create affordable and unique art – what have you done?

[Photos and ideas from loving.living.small]

Monday Mall

Today’s holiday Monday Mall theme is – living room furniture.

White Arm Chair – $20

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/fuo/1999447012.html

Cool Cabinet – $25

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/fuo/1999442786.html

White Ottoman with Storage – $40

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/fuo/1999436370.html

Map-Themed Cabinet – $20

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/fuo/1999338018.html

If you would like your Craigslist item to be posted, just e-mail me the link to your item. All items must be under $50 and include a photo.

Have a great Columbus Day!

Dynamic Design

While I had prepared myself for the transition of job culture from my last job to this new one, or so I thought, it has been a surprisingly frazzling first two weeks. My schedule is all thrown off, I don’t have much work to do, I’m still getting used to wearing “grown-up clothes” ….. the list goes on.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still extremely excited for what the future may hold, and grateful for all that I have, but I’m drained. Hence, the short post today. I promise I will be much more on the ball next week.

I came across this quote the other day. I think it will help me to justify my current mental state and the physical state of my closet.

One person’s mess is merely another person’s filing system.

– Margo Kaurman

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend!

Wishful Wednesday

I wish…

…I was in Germany this fall and had enjoyed Oktoberfest!

From: http://gearcrave.com/2008-09-26/weekend-getaway-oktoberfest-munich/

From: http://oktoberfestlodging.com/Dining.htm

While I can’t be traveling the globe right now, Apartment Therapy offers some great ideas for decorating with maps. I really enjoy decorating with found objects from travels. While studying in Brussels, Belgium, I saved maps from the various cities I visited. Using some empty cans (from almonds, coffee, etc.), I made functional art with my own maps.

For a while, I also had some of these maps as a framed collage.

Lastly, I’m sure I have already shown you all my wall of art that I have collected on my travels. Each piece is unique and from a local artisan (not a gallery).

How do you incorporate your travels, domestic or international, into your own decor?

Craigslist must be cool if Nate likes it

If you don’t yet watch The Nate Berkus Show, you should. While Martha Stewart remains my icon, Nate is certainly a close second. After watching yesterday’s show about shopping your own home to “Reinvent Your Living Space!”, I was browsing Nate’s website – which is amazing – and came across Nate’s tips to “Be A Craigslist-Savvy Furniture Shopper“.

As a follow-up to my Monday Mall post, I thought it would be great to share interior design expert Christina Salway‘s tips for shopping on Craigslist.com.

1. Stay on the Lookout

Scour Craigslist ads regularly! I try to shop every other evening, but if you don’t have time to scroll through the listings that frequently, try and look at least every Saturday morning when there are lots of new postings and people are available to sell items over the weekend. You can always do this in front of a movie or your favorite show each evening!

2. Shop Specifically

Know what you’re looking for and “shop specifically.” If you are looking to furnish your dining room and know you love modern furniture, literally search for a “Modern Dining Table” on Craigslist. This will help to eliminate a lot of the postings that aren’t right for you. Better yet, if you know a particular brand that you love, or a piece of furniture made by a specific company, you can look using those details to help hone your search on Craigslist.

3. Consider the Space

Make sure you consider all of the measurements when you’re buying on Craigslist. Unlike big-box stores, people don’t usually accept returns on Craigslist, so be absolutely positive that your new piece will fit through your front door, and that it will fit nicely into the space where you envision it. It can be helpful to use blue-painter’s tape to map out exactly how and where a piece will fit to ensure that it is the right match for your needs.

4. Ask Away!

Ask lots of questions before you go to see the piece: Does it come from a home with pets? A smoke-free home? Why are you getting rid of the piece?

5. No Pressure

Don’t feel strong-armed into buying anything you don’t want. If you ask about a piece and then decide you don’t want it, you are under no obligation to buy it. If you visit a piece and it doesn’t live up to your expectations, you don’t have to buy it. Don’t let anyone guilt you into anything you don’t want.

6. Don’t Go It Alone

Never go to anyone’s home alone – always bring a friend. They can help you judge the piece, help you carry the piece, and they’ll keep you safe!

7. Be A Smart Shopper

Look for good details to ensure that you’re getting a well made piece of furniture. Authentic, older pieces tend to hold up better than brand new big-box discount furniture. Just because it is cheap, doesn’t make it a bargain!

From: http://www.thenateshow.com/tipsandtools/detail/tips-for-buying-second-hand-through-craigslist

Happy Shopping!