Rantings of a Creole Princess

Either / Or? - Curtains

WITH tiebacks?

OR

WITHOUT?

Easter 2012!

I love mother-daughter pictures.  Especially when they are color coordinated!

This is my dear, dear, friend.  She's been through so much recently and this profile shows her strength.  Seriously.  

Jaru is surveying the Easter egg decorating center.

The very thought of an Easter BASKET when you're 13 made E shudder so he got an Easter JAR.  LOLOLOLOL!

A 13700 Easter basket!

Play clothes!  LOL!  #OldSkoolMama

Of course he wouldn't let me take a REAL pic of him.

My Bella.  Isn't she perfect?

Another of my "Huxtable family" friends.  LOL!  SO PERFECT!

Don't be fooled.  She has no use for flowers.  LOL!

Looking like her daddy with hair.  LOL!

I love her.

He loves her too.

My Becca brought me a Georgetown Cupcake.  Red Velvet!  Okay...so she brought enough for all.  I just wanted to be special!

A tabletop terrarium!  This is lavender!

Sage!  I searched high and low for small pots and couldn't find any.  These are sugar containers I found for $2.99 at HomeGoods.  I removed the lids and VOILA!  A small pot!

Speckled eggs!

I only got to take pics of those who arrived super early and I'm soooooooo sorry.  Everyone looked stunning in their Easter finery and I really wish you guys could see it.  I didn't post mine cuz seriously...I'll be wearing it again soon.  ROFL!  

The food was delicious and we had a REALLY good time hanging and laughing.  Truly hope you guys had the same!

HAPPY EASTER FROM 13700!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Faux Plants

Do you have any faux plants in your home?  

How do you care for them?

Do they get crazy dusty?

What would YOU do with this piece?

I ran into this piece and it wouldn't let me leave it behind.

Now...I don't know what to do with it.

What would YOU do with it?

SIP:  Lucy is wondering too.

Houzz

I hate my friends for introducing me to this site.

Seriously.

HATE.THEM.

You will too.

www.Houzz.com

Lazy Lucy Lima Bean!

I bought some new pillows today to play around with.  I was messing with the ISO on my camera and Jaru came to check out what I was doing. 

Lucy?

She was sooooooooooooo not interested.

Imma get me a new dog.

So whatchall think?  Don't look at the rug cuz that's gonna be outta here as soon as I find the solid light colored shag rug I'm looking for.  Robby says I can't get a new sofa cuz this one has only had a butt on it 8 times in 7 years so I'm stuck with it for now. 

*sigh*

N E WAY...

Work with me...yall like either of these pillows?  The solid or the print?

Or...do I need to keep looking cuz neither are hitting on ish?

Wall Stripe Painting Project COMPLETE!

Okay seriously...that Frog Tape stuff is the BIZ.NESS!

There was no seeping whatsoever! I just have some touch ups to do on the absolute edges cuz I didn't press it all the way down and it seeped through.

I can't BELIEVE how well it all worked out! It only took me about 3 hours from start to finish. This was an AWESOME project!

I can't wait to finish this room now!

How to Paint Wall Stripes

Step 1:  Pick a Pandora station on your internet television.

Step 2:  Take your measurements and get out your supplies (level, pencils).

 

 

Step 3:  Get out your good Frog tape.

Step 4:  Draw level lines and tape them off.

Step 5:  Paint the stripes you want to paint using the primer + paint stuff for good coverage.

Step 6:  Get harryazzed by your Godson who thinks white stripes are fruitless and they should have been orange instead.  *sigh*

Now...we sit and wait for the first coat to dry and do a second coat.

I'll remove the tape tomorrow.  **UPDATE**  I read the instructions on the website and it states to remove the paint immediately after painting.

GO ME!

Have you ever done paint stripes?  Have you ever wanted to?  If you wanted to but haven't...why not?

 

HotNESS or HotMESS? (SM): Black Cabinets

Would YOU date him?

5'8"

A little extra around the middle.

Never married.

No children.

Gainfully employed.

Is really involved in church and active within several ministries.

Rents an apartment in a not-so-safe neighborhood so he can save money to buy a house.

Passenger side door doesn't open on his car so you'd have to slide in and out of it from his side.

 

Question...

What colors are your bedroom wall colors?  What colors did you accent it with?

Touch-Up Painting, etc...

I started doing touch-up painting at 13700 yesterday.  See...I thought I wanted a new color so I've been waiting on some inspiration but yeah...I like the yellow on the main level so I'm keeping it.  I finished all but the foyer area and I was planning on doing that sometime today.

Or not.

Did yall know they make spackling now which comes out the tub pink and once it's dry enough for sanding it turns white?  I.LOVE.THAT!  Whoever did that deserves some kinda really huge award.  That is simply soooooooooooooooooo awesome to me!

I do want to do some wall stripes in the front living room.  (Calling that room a formal living room just sounds weird to me cuz we are nothing next to near formal.  LOL!)  Imma do the wall that you see when you first walk in the the house.  I've been wanting to do it for a while so I went ahead and purchased what I'd need to do it properly (that paint plus primer stuff and some frog tape) so I can have it at the ready whenever the inspiration hits me.  I think I finally know what I want to do to that room to make it something we'd actually use.  See...when people come to 13700, they immediately roll back to the family room.  That's always been the way it is.

So...I wanna make it bright and fun.  Something that will make folks want to stop and enjoy instead of rolling straight to the back.  I might even hide a small television in there.  I see cream, amber and bronze/brown accents in there with some lime-ish green thrown in for a fun pop.  I need art, chairs, an ottoman, maybe a bench, and I might change out the tables which are currently in there to something more square in shape.

HOWEVER...just cuz I finally see it means nothing.  LOL!  It will take me forever just to find the chairs I want probably.  *sigh*

BUT I GOT A PLAN!!

Anybody working on any home improvement things?  Any home improvement goals?

 

Yall proud of me?

We help you keep up with Hollywood gossip.

In theory...

...this was a good idea.

In practice...I'm returning this console. It doesn't work with how we watch television.

*sigh*

Back to the drawing board.

Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless

HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you help me find this sofa sectional for less than $6,897? 

Thank you in advance. 

Oh...and when I say less...I'm talking chop that sucker in half and STILL have a coupon less.  :)

Interior Design

I'm in the process of thinking about finally doing our front living room.  Here is the basic design map I'm using.  I'm trying to do it the right way and price it out first.

When's the last time you re-did a room in your home?  How'd you do it?  Did you use any designing tools?  Did you set a budget?

How long did it take you to complete it?

JCPenny Windows Department

If any of you need window treatments and you're not giving JCPenny a chance...yall crazy.  Yup...I said it.  Yall crazy.

YOU ever bought window treatments from JCPenny?

Scrollies

Lately I've been attracted to scrolly kinda stuff.  Odd huh?  Any similiar patterns you find that YOU are attracted to? 

Blame it on the PLANE!

On Monday I flew home solo and The Robinator went to Los Angeles where he had a conference to attend.  The initial plan was for me to go to LA with him but I have a lot going on so I returned to 13700 alone.

Yall know the kid has every device that technology deems as HOT.TO.DIE.FOR right?  RIGHT.  The problem with that?  I ain't got ish to do for the first twenty minutes of a flight cuz you have to turn off all electronics.

*HARD.BORED.STARE.*

Re-doing My Gallery

Doesn't it look neater? I'm still adding on. Do YOU have a gallery in YOUR home? 

Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless

Question...

What's the most you'd spend on a sofa?

The last sofa you purchased...where'd you buy it?  Do you feel like you got a good deal?

Colorful and Airy

Describe YOUR home in only two words!  Do you think your home decor reflects your personality?

Soothing?

Are these colors soothing to you? 

Would you ever dress a room in YOUR home this way? 

Would you ever have the courage to put together all of these different textures and patterns?

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

Did you ever live in a house that had a papasan chair in it?  Have you ever wanted one?

Holla Atcha Girl...

Aiight...I've been doing my Spring cleaning this week and one of the things I normally do is re-paint the front door because it's white and gets icky over a year of the comings and goings of people and doggies in rain, sleet, snow, etc.

The exterior of our front door is black and the interior was white.

I wondered how it would look if the interior was black too and well...yall know ya girl...I painted it black.

Help 13700 Out and PICK ONE!

A.

B.

C.

Robby:  Does the Tribe know that the longer yall take to pick one...the longer it's going to be before I can get into an already made-up bed? 

Moravian Star Ceiling Light

I think I want one of these at the front door.  What do you think?

Question...

What color is your front door exterior? 

What color is your front doot interior?

HOTNESS! Privacy Window Film

Last week I just happened to be standing in the front living room when someone came to the house.

I was startled to see they looked through the little window on side of the door first before they rang the doorbell.

It seriously made me feel some kinda way.

I thought about things I could do to cover up that space but nothing really spoke to me and my take on my personal decor style.

But the kid was mad.

So I started dinking around with Mr. Google and looking into options and I found this:  First Stained Glass Window Film 24-by-36-Inches

Hmmmmm...

Whatchall think?

I'm testing out a couple different looks since I ruined the last one.  UGH!  I.HATE.CHANGE.WHEN.YA.GOTTA.CHANGE!

Kitchen Decor

 

Does your kitchen have a "theme?" 

If so...what is it? 

If not...what are your colors?

Either / Or?

A. 

 

 

B.

Vases

Where do you generally get your vases?  At this point in YOUR life...what's the most you'd spend on one?

Ajrak Bed Sheet

For Christmas I give the neighbors homemade bark as you guys know.  I love doing it because I don't get to see many of my neighbors when it's cold out.  Most of them try and feed me or make me drink wine with them while there and we catch up for a few minutes while wishing each other happy holidays.

I have a lot of neighbors who don't celebrate Christmas but I give it to them too.  And they are always very happy and appreciative.

My neighbors rock.

Yall might remember my neighbors who are Pakistani and my hostess gift dillema:  "Muslim Hostess Gift?"

Well...they got bark too, of course, and grinned from ear-to-ear when they received it.

A few days ago it was cold as hell and snowing.  I was in my office when the doorbell rang and looked out to see my neighbor standing out in the cold.  I ran down.  I couldn't invite her in because she's afraid of dogs and well...if you've ever ding-donged the doorbell at 13700...you know the Jaru/Lucy reaction. 

So I went outside and we chatted for a few freezing seconds and then she handed me the gift bag she was holding.

Her:  It's a traditional bed sheet.

Me (CLEARLY SURPRISED):  Oh...thank you!

She left and I rolled back into the house.

When I took out the gift I was stunned at how extraordinarily beautiful it is.  It's woven in a gorgeous teal green and brown and yes...it's the size of a bed.  Think of the most luxurious REAL pashmina you've ever seen.  Now think of it...the size of your bed.

So I asked Mr. Google about it and learned that it is an Ajrak bed sheet.  Turns it is a lost art according to this article:  "Arjak industry on the decline"

Okay...so...I absolutely love it.  The quality and FEEL of it is just soooooooo amazing to me.  It's so beautiful and yet...I don't know what to do with it.  It seems such a shame to not have something so gorgeous on display but where?  How?  It doesn't go with the decor in our room or our guest bedroom so...I'm not going to use it as a coverlet...so what are my options?

Help ya girl out.

What would YOU do with it?

Oh...and I am sooooooooooo ordering them a King Cake for Mardi Gras.  LOL!

HotNESS or HotMESS? (SM)

2010 Thanksgiving Tablescape - 2nd Attempt! - Per Tiffany In Houston with her cheeky azz!

I picked these up to play up the silver and white elements of the table but wasn't ga-ga over them.

These are from my everyday placemat stash.  I thought about these but didn't like the idea of adding another "stripe" to the table.

Now...yall let me know which one yall like better.  Anybody siding with TIH Imma need your address so I can swing by your house after the beatdown/grubathon at her house.

HUMPH!

2010 Thanksgiving Tablescape - 2nd Attempt!

Aiight, aiight, aiight...so it's not really a 2nd attempt.  I just added those leaf plates on the ends.  I'm about to go out and roam around a few spots.  Yall got any ideas?

Stunning...To Me

2010 Thanksgiving Tablescape - 1rst Attempt!

Most of yall have been reading this blog for a minute so you ALREADY know that the first draft of my tablescape is by far the last.

That said...here are pics of my first attempt.

My inspiration?  My new place settings.  They make me smile so basically...Thanksgiving is going to be built around them.  I'm using a lot of stuff I already have but I needed to find some stuff to work with the vision I kinda have.  I'm not 100% feeling this attempt and already have a few ideas that I know will take it to the next level.

Based on those plates I kinda wanted to stick with natural colors and greenery.  Since it's Turkey Day I used the autumnal colors as much as possible and am trying to "ground" everything with white.  The main color?  Green.  Different shades of green.

Whatcha think so far?  Any ideas you'd incorporate?

Thanksgiving 2010 Tablescape!

Yall know the kid LURVES tablescaping!  It seriously brings me JOY! 

Thanksgiving 2009 Tablescape

I haven't had as much time to plan it this year but I have a significant start in that I picked up plates I love already and want to use.  Since the setting is so dark in color...I need to find some way to lighten up the base layer so I'll get started on that today.

Give me some suggestions as I decide what I'm going to wear out and about today.  I'll be back...

Video from last year:

 

Stunning...To Me

On Friday I was running a few last minute errands for movie making and for my Ms. Theone and Rachel's surprise visit.  Rachel is full on vegan now and I wanted to get some of the different rice blends I can get at the Amish Market.  I had exactly 15 minutes to get in and get out because I had a long list of things to do and at minute 13.5 I was headed out of there and got cold stopped in my tracks by the most stunning cala lilies I'd ever seen this early in the season and I simply had to have them.

At $3.50 a stem I knew I'd need some filler cuz the kid wasn't about to be 20 of them. So I asked for a bunch of hypercurium and noticed that some of them were completely young and green.

I asked for the green ones.

Two ladies were looking at my oddly.  One was all official looking with a notepad because she was doing flower arrangements for an event.  I know she wanted to say something but she didn't.

The first thing I did when I got home was take care of the flowers. 

They made me happy.  So simple and stunning.  Different and unique.

I do what I want.

What do YOU think of them?

Either / Or?

A. 

OR...

B.

True or False? + Question

"Your house should make you happy."

How do YOU feel about YOUR house?  Does it make you happy?

Outdoor Living

Are YOU setting up an outdoor living space this year?  Outdoor Living

Accent

What's the accent color in your living/family room?

Easter is April 4, 2010!

I am contemplating color in the back of my mind for my Easter tablescape.  I'm thinking lavender and bronze this year.  

I think this is going to be a great color combination because I can actually tie lavendar into the meal and the gift as well.

But hey...yall know I may have changed my mind come time to start right?

Right.

I DO WHAT I WANT!  LOL!

Are YOU going to plan a FABULOUS tablescape and meal this year?

NOTICE FROM SIP!

SIP:  In reference to the above comment...there shall be NO squeezing of me.  Ever. Ye who tries shall draw back a nub or limp away after being knee'd in the nether regions.

THAT.IS.ALL. 

Color Combinations

What are some of YOUR favorite color combinations?

Valentine's Day at 13700

It's no secret that I love holidays.  Stepping it up a notch is my kinda thing and...dare I say...I EXCEL at it!

We got the gift giving out of the way early:

 

Then we rolled out to see "Valentine's Day" which was a big, fat *YAWN* to me with the most predictable of predictable plots for each story line.  I TRULY could have done without leaving my home to see it.

I love doing dinner at home for Valentine's Day because we get better food and it's MUCH cheaper than a restaurant.  Oh...and we don't have to pay for parking!  LOL!

HGTV Dream Home 2010!

It's that time of year again folks!  Enter to win so you can invite us over!  LOL!  HGTV Dream Home