2.29.2012

Pinterest Highlights and Craigslist Scariness

Because of the nature of what I do, I find myself wading through
the visual content of beautiful and inspiring photos
But there is always another side. If you've been following
along for awhile, y'all know that I'm ALL over Craigslist
and the amazing deals you can find from others
selling off their goods. But, ahhhh man....
Craigslist is like the visual OPPOSITE of the
gorgeousness thrown in you face via Pinterest.

Today I'm bringing you a few examples of
Pinterest home, furniture, and design inspiration
vs. finds on Craigslist I'd just rather....well...not find.


Let's sandwich this a little for some sanity, shall we? :-)




GORGEOUSNESS...

Pinned Image
source

2011 Coastal Living Ultimate Beach House Kitchen




Pinned Image
source unverifiable




Hmmm...Craigslist Scariness!!!

I found these ads typing the word "beautiful"
into the Furniture by Owner search
(none of the following words are mine,
but rather ad titles and descriptions)



Beautiful White King Headboard with Two Pink Lights - PIMP! - $65

image 0

"Beautiful white and pink headboard for king size bed.
Has pink lights built into the sides with 4 foot cord."




Leather Sofa -Navy Blue - Good Condition - $200

image 0

"Beautiful Leather Sofa in Navy Blue. Good Condition. Stylish and Comfortable."





Futon Sleeper Sofa - $35

image 0

"Excellent quality futon and wood Frame, heavy duty material, beautiful..."





Conference Table-Round, Beautiful - $25

image 0

For sale is a round conference table. It is in excellent condition and a beautiful finish.



OK ALREADY!!! ENOUGH, YOU SAY!!!
Ew, Ew, EW!
Maybe you have a different opinion, but I personally
do not think that "Beautiful" is the proper word to
describe the items being sold in this ad.


Needless to say...most weeks I need a major
visual break. I have literally put my
(amazingly wonderful) iPad down and said,
"That's it...I just can't take anymore."
LOL
A little ridiculous, but Oh Well! :-D

Ok.
How about we finish up with some more  Pinterest
GORGEOUSNESS??? :-)




Hillgrove traditional porch



Ahhhh, that's better.   Doesn't that last picture make
you wish it were summer already??? At least here in
the Pacific Northwest! :-)



~Anneke ;-)





I'd love to have to follow along on
any or all of the following!


2.28.2012

Family Room Update

Awhile back I posted this design concept for
our family room, which just so happens to be one BIG
room with the kitchen and dining.
I love how open it is!

Here was my design:

McConnell Family Room



And here's where I'm at:





Craigslist apothecary cabinet I need to fix up.





New natural shades on the big windows.
Here's the day view - we're going to "fix" those
parts hanging down because we would like to protect
the little view we actually have of the water! :-)




Night view - yay! No more fish bowl feeling!!!




We got all 5 of our shades from Select Blinds.
I am in no way affiliated with them and this
is just me speaking as a happy customer!
All 5 shades cost us about $325! That's it - custom ordered!
This is the second time we have ordered from them
and both experiences have been super great. :-)



Here's my view from behind the kitchen bar.






See that peeking out on the left???
It's our barstools! Hooray!!!
Let me tell you,
when you have a bar.
with NO barstools.
it drives-you-nuts!



I finally looked at my husband and was like,
"Can I just order the barstools already???!"
(He's a trained sheet-metal worker and was a little
nervous, but ecstatic that they are welded and solid!)
I got these from Overstock.com
(Again, no affiliation)





Ok...so some changes:





Two of these chairs, one each flanking the tv console.

Unfortunately, it is currently out of stock and I didn't jump
on getting them quick enough. Crossing my fingers
they get back in asap!

BUT, just in case, I also like this...


Wildon Home Augusto Accent Chair in Walnut

and this....




What are your thoughts???
I need your opinion! :-)

I've also sold the barcaloungers and coffee table
(both previous Craiglist purchases)
for a nice profit, and still
waiting on the rug and couch to sell.

The hubby put the tv on the wall and
it looks AWESOME! :-)

As I've been looking around for what to fill in the space,
things are always changing slightly
and I'm still debating on the styling of that huge wall!

That thing is a PAIN!

But - I've promised my husband, I'll be super picky, not
rush it, and just get it "right" and not touch the room again for at least
two years or something! ;-)

I know...funny right? Lol

~Anneke





2.26.2012

French Television Armoire by Ethan Allen

It's not every day that I get to work with
such a high quality, just amazing piece of furniture.
It can make you super nervous actually!
But, I am SO excited about the way this
beautiful Ethan Allen Television Armoire turned out!

I'm naming it...



"Danielle"



This is no antique either. It's a 1997 model.
This means high quality hardware and function, which
you will see shortly.



 

It only had 3 out of 4 of the original knobs,
so two went on the outside, and two other similar
knobs I had went on the inside drawer.














The piece is refinished with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
in a mixture of Old White and French Linen,
with French Linen on the top and
sealed with Polycrylic.





Ok....unedited photos from here on out!
I have some kiddos to take care of!!! ;-)

Again, this piece has AMAZING hardware!
The doors open out like this, and
then they slide smoothly back into the cabinet.

 


 
Because of all the moving parts, I chose not to deal with
disassembling and painting the interior.



Here you can see the top quality sliding
hardware
for the doors.





The interior shelf slides in and out. The picture above shows
the maximum amount it slides out...it's just a little bit.




Here you see the alternative knobs and interior drawer.




Look at the solid wood quality and dividers!
The keys are taped to the bottom right section.



Or if you prefer, you can easily remove the wood dividers. :-)
Nice, huh?!




It gets better!



It has three integrated outlet plugs and a coaxial cable.







"Danielle"


$795 cash
Dimensions are: 36.5" wide x 22" deep x 50.5" high

Contact me for arrangements.




~~~~~~~~~~


BEFORE:
It wasn't in terrible shapes, but had scratches
and some fading on the wood...





Thanks for stopping by today!


~Anneke~


I'd love to have to follow along on
any or all of the following!

2.25.2012

Moroccan Oil Treatment - Have You Tried It?

Ok...so I know I'm not a beauty blog, but I think in the midst of house-cleaning,
painting clothes, landscaping clothes, and work-out clothes,
I'm reminding myself that YES, I am a girly-girl at heart! :-)

First of all, I am in no way affiliated with anyone with this company,
nor am I being compensated in any way, shape, or form!

This past Christmas, I mentioned to a friend that my hair was feeling a
lot drier than normal and she recommended Argan Oil. I did a little
hair repair shopping at the salon and went with the name brand
(yes, SO unlike me, right?),
but let.me.tell.you.

This stuff is Ah-MAZ-ing!!!

11_oil-treatment

This is .85 oz. for $16.95

This is like a 2 inch tall bottle!!! Teeny!

But...

Let me give you my personal statistics:

1 dime sized amount per day
4-5 days a week


I've had this since just before Christmas and I still have
half of the bottle left! A little goes a LONG way,
and if you have any dryness, this stuff makes
your hair feel amazing, smell amazing, and look amazing.
I've often just used it instead of a styling product.

You could always just upgrade to
3.4 oz.  at $41.99  ;-)


Let me know if you try it ~ I'd love to know your results!


~Anneke~





























Home Stories A2Z

2.22.2012

Geneva Diane Designs Giveaway!

Hello everyone! I'm SO excited to bring you a giveaway today
along with the wonderful Geneva of



I had the opportunity to interview Geneva
last October before our big hunting trip
and I'm SO thankful to know this sweet, talented
designer in person!
Click on the link above to get to know her better. :-)



Today, I've partnered with Geneva to bring you a
Facebook Fans Giveaway!
I promised a giveaway at 500 fans, and so
many of you shared and gave sweet comments
and encouragement! This is my small way of saying

THANK YOU!!!



6.jpg

That's her beautiful self ~ say hello! :-)




Geneva is a talented designer who focuses on
Custom Floral Design
Event Coordination
&
Event Design



Ok - let's get on with it!



Today's giveaway is a quality silk floral arrangement
determined by the winner and Geneva herself!
(valued at $35)

Wow! Not only is Geneva's work gorgeous, but
one that will last? Yes, please!

Geneva does not have pictures of her silk arrangements,
but has suggested the following pictures as examples
of possible options. And hello? Look at her work
on her website. Like I said, just beautiful!




Maybe you would love some personal decor,
a new item for staging (you know who you are!),
a birthday gift, Mother's day present, and so on!


And you even get to work WITH Geneva on what
you may like (think colors, style, etc.)
Can I enter please??? Lol :-)

Tropical Silk Flower Arrangement in Bamboo



Here are the rules:

1. This is a Giveaway for Facebook fans of RustiChic AND Geneva Diane Designs.
Click "Like" on each to follow along!

2. Post a comment on RustiChic's Facebook page telling us
what you would love to use your arrangement for or
what your favorite type of flowers/arrangements are, etc.
This doesn't have to get too technical! Lol :-)

EXTRA ENTRIES: Sharing via Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest, etc.
Let me know with a link for each.


That's it!!!


*If you are not linked by e.mail, you need to include an e.mail
address so I can contact you if you win! If I cannot contact the
winner within two days, a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway ends Thursday, February 23rd at 9pm PST. Shipping cost may or may not be included. US Residents only. The winner will be drawn at random via random.org and announced on Friday, February 24th at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/RustiChic/131587453579738?ref=tn_tnmn
 

Good Luck!!!





~Anneke~