Thursday, May 29, 2014

Party on Wheels {IKEA Hack}

Furniture hacking is when a piece of new furniture is immediately refinished or repurposed for better use. Why not right? Most commonly done with Ikea furniture due to the inexpensive cost... and of course the broad range of furniture they have. Well this project has been a long time coming. I'm so excited to finally show you all my Ikea bar cart hack!


Let me start off by saying this BYGEL Utility Cart from Ikea is only $29.99. Yes, that's right - I said $30.  You can get it here. Next, Once I got it all out of the box - I took my gold spray paint to it. Unfortunately I work full time during the day so I painted this after work {essentially in the dark} and there are no pictures of the painting process. I promise you it's very easy though!! The best part about Ikea products is that they come unassembled. Once you take all the pieces out of the box you just need to spray paint anything and everything that's 'silver' metal. Then once you've sprayed, sealed, and dried - follow the directions and assemble it! Ta-Da!
You might notice that I have a nice little wine rack where I can hang 4 wine bottles under the middle shelf... this is where I like to think my creative genius came into play. I took the VURM 4-wine bottle rack {painted that gold as well} and had some help with attaching it to the underside of the middle metal shelf. Note to self: this was pretty difficult and I suggest having someone with experience help with this. Drilling metal screws through a metal shelf & then cutting the ends of the screws.... Difficult. Definitely not my area of expertise, I like to stick to spray paint!

Now, to decorate & make it look pretty in your space! Mine is sitting in my new kitchen with grey walls and white marble floors. This bar cart fits perfectly into my new space! Enjoy!
Evelyn Henson Bar Cart Print





Want more ikea hack ideas? Check out my post over at Creative Juice on 6 fun & easy ikea hacks!

Monday, May 26, 2014

Moodboard Monday



Happy Monday! Tis the season of peonies and I love that they're filling up my instagram newsfeed. Pretty blooms {especially peonies} are a great way to brighten your day! Instead of focusing today's moodboard monday on peonies and fresh blooms, I've decided why not think out of the box and get a little creative? Great photos of peonies are always filled with pastel hues - Here is today's pastel moodboard:


Friday, May 23, 2014

Memorial Day Sales


I hope everyone is excited for the long weekend ahead! What better to do with your three day weekend than hit the mall and spend some money!! There are some great sales happening this weekend - here are just a handful of the memorial day sales going on this weekend you won't want to miss!

West Elm
10% off $100 | 15% off $250 | 20% off $500 | 25% off $1,000
Code: "SUMMER", here.

Target
Up to 20% off patio furniture, here.

Crate & Barrel
Up to 30% off outdoor furniture, here.

Overstock
30%+ extra 10% off Garden & Patio Furniture
45%+ extra 15% off Area Rugs
40%+ extra 10% off Dining Room Furniture
35%+ extra 10% off Living Room Furniture
Check it out here.

Serena & Lily
Extra 20% off!
Code: "SUMMER20", here.

Lulu & Georgia
Extra 25% off!
Code: "MEMORIALDAY25", here.

Wisteria
Extra 25% off!
Code: "MEM2014", here.

Z Gallerie
20% off Art & Accessories
Code: "MEMORIALDAY"
15% off Furniture
Code: "FURN15", here.


Thursday, May 22, 2014

Simple & Sophisticated

A Beautiful Mess
This entryway is so simple yet so stunning to me. The baskets serve for great hidden storage, and come on - us girls can always use some extra storage... am I right? Well, adding some metallic accents and some greenery into this simply white yet sophisticated space will polish this look off and you'll have this look for less!


Look For Less: Entry Way




Shop the look:

Console Shelf: Ikea | $199
Starburst Mirror: Target | $35
Wall Art Print: Target | $53
Bowl: Ikea | $13
Candle: Bloomingdales | $35
Flowers: Ikea | $1.99
Plant: Ikea | $3.99
Metal Hurricanes: H&M Home | various sizes

Basket Option #1: Ikea | $7.99 each
Basket Option #2: Ikea | $17 each


Can you see this in your home? Who's ready to go shopping? I know I am!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Gold Digger


Gold Gold Gold. By now you all know my love for gold as an accent color - I feel like I could run the gold lovers bandwagon! So, for all of my fellow gold diggers {no pun intended} and for those of you who need some convincing still - Here are my 5 gold must haves for the week:

You can find these all at Target too!!


5 Gold Must Haves from Target



Shop These Gold Looks:


Have you hopped on the gold accessory bandwagon yet?

Monday, May 19, 2014

Moodboard Monday

It's Monday and you know what that means! It's time for a moodboard - This past weekend I went to Maryland to visit some college friends and attend one of our best friends Baby Shower!! It was so much fun and great to see and spend time with everyone {especially the momma to be!} Remember this amazing bathroom transformation? That's her! They will be welcoming a beautiful baby boy into the world in just a few short months! It was so exciting to be a part of such a wonderful shower.

As for the navy and orange - these are the colors of their nursery!! Navy is such a popular and widely used color right now but the orange added the perfect pop of bright color to the space! I felt as if it was a perfect fit for today's moodboard! I hope you enjoy this little preview of inspiration!

Here's a little group shot from the shower! Happy Monday!!

Friday, May 16, 2014

Friday Favorites & The Liebster Award


Happy Friday!! Here are my friday favorites from Pinterest this week - There's even a DIY included!

Style Me Pretty
The Apron Blog {Home Depot DIY included!}
Home DIY Concepts



Now, I have some exciting news! Kristen from Home Sweet Life blog has nominated me for the Liebster award! Thank you so much Kristen - It means a lot! The Liebster award is a series of chain posts that link, connect, and act as a way for new bloggers to get to know each other!! Keep reading to see who I've nominated! {this is going to get wordy - stick with me}

If anyone is looking for the official rule list, here it is:
The Liebster Award Rules:
1. You must link back to the person who nominated you.
2. You must answer the 10 Liebster questions given to you by the nominee before you.
3. You must pick 10 bloggers to be nominated for the award {under 200 followers if possible!}
4. You must come up with 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
5. You must go to their blogs and notify your nominees

As for the 10 questions from Kristen:
How long have you been blogging?
Almost a year! It's so crazy to think it's already been one year - WOW!

What or who serves as your blogging inspiration?
My overpriced education..... HAHA but really. I love love love residential design. My day job is a little unique and if I had to categorize it I would say it's a little more on the commercial side. While I love my job - Defined Designs is my outlet for keeping up with the latest trends, styles, and everything you can think of Design! It might sound weird but my inspiration is definitely staying current.

If you're not in front of your computer writing posts, what could your fans find you doing to enjoy your free time?
Well, if i had to be honest.... I'm always in front of my computer. Yes, I work from my computer & I blog from my computer. But those hours that I'm able to step away from the laptop, you can probably find me out and about in the queen city with my friends! Shopping, Eating, Enjoying a country concert in the summer.. {in reality you can probably find me at cabo fish taco or chipotle...}

Has there ever been a project or idea that didn't go as planned? AKA any DIY disasters
Yes. Yes. Yes. Nobody is perfect of course there are DIY Disasters. The only thing is - I usually get frustrated and throw it out so there is zero documentation of any such thing.

Where do you see your blog in 1 year?
Can I say I have no freakin' idea? I have so many hopes and dreams for myself in general I feel like I would be happy with any form of success that comes within the next year. I would love to connect with more small business's or bloggers and collaborate and partner more. I don't plan on stopping this blog any time soon so like my mom and dad always told me {cue cheesy background music} "the sky is the limit so reach for the stars"

If you had to describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be?
This is such a difficult question.... Perfectionist, Crafty, and Talkative. {hence, the blog}

If you could have anyone play you in a movie, who would it be and why?
That's easy, Rachel Bilson. If you haven't seen Heart of Dixie go sit down, log onto Netflix, and binge.

What's your favorite home purchase/ project you've ever made?
Well, I did just move into a house so this one is going to be hard. Home Purchase - definitely either the TV cabinet I got off craigslist & I'm having refinished {score!} or the amazing new area rug I got at home goods! {similar here}

Any travel plans this year?
Hmmm.. well I seem to travel a lot for work - Does that count? I'll most likely have the opportunity to visit a few job sites for work and see the construction/ warehouses/ and the furniture! Besides that I would LOVEEEE to go on another cruise but I don't see that panning out for a while!

What advice would you give to any new bloggers out there?
This one is a little ironic because my blog is still so new to me. It's hard to believe it's almost been a year since I started. This past week I attended a blogging conference at the Art Institutes of Charlotte where I held a networking workshop with a fellow Charlotte blogger friend of mine. There is so much advice I could give this answer would drag on for days. The one piece of advice I would have to say would be to stay true to yourself. It's very hard to get caught up in other blogs you follow and it's easy to find yourself comparing yourself to them. What you don't think about all the time is no matter how fancy and successful those blogs are - they all started out just like you!


The Blogs I have nominated are:
1. Hope in a Blog
2. Trendy Lindy
3. Turquoise and Teale
4. Sweet Peach Couture
5. Lessons with A
6. The Wetherills Say I Do
7. As the wine cork turns
8. Becoming a Mrs.
9. The Mainline
10. The Next Step

My 10 questions for my nominees:
1. How long have you been blogging?
2. If you had to pick one blog you follow that you find the most inspirational, which one would it be and why?
3. Where do you see your blog in 1 year?
4. What was your most recent shopping purchase to use or feature on your blog?
5. Do you have a DIY project you are proud of? What was it?
6. Most bloggers are very mobile, where do you blog from mostly and why do you enjoy blogging from there?
7. What was your first "success" moment in blogging? {big or small}
8. If you could have anyone play you in a movie, who would it be?
9. Who or what serves as your blogging inspiration?
10. What is one piece of advice you could give to new bloggers out there?


Good luck and congrats to all of the bloggers nominated!! Thank you Kristen!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Finding Organization


After packing up my entire life and moving into a new place recently, I think I've finally realized how much stuff I have.... A  L O T. Whew - I've been here for a little over a week now and I feel like I haven't even made a dent in my unpacking! I can't figure out where I'm going to put all this extra stuff I have whether it's crafting supplies {oh my lanta - The crafting supplies} or the mass amounts of paint I have collected, or even just design magazines or books I've saved. Why? Not a clue. Good thing I love painting cause I could open up my Hobby Lobby with all the paint I have!

As I sit here in my {unpacked} living room staring at the buckets and boxes of stuff just piled up in the corner of the room, I'm thinking I need to get something to help me organize my own personal Hobby Lobby. My criteria for this:
1. Appealing to the Eye - This is a must, being a designer I needed my space to look very well put together.
2. Easily Accessible - Hey, A girl can like to craft and paint right? I would love for my paints especially to be organized, hidden and easy to get to.

Just two simple requests and the more I think about it I know the perfect resolution to this. One word - IKEA. The Expedit shelving series would be perfect for this situation! The only question now... Which one? Check out some of the looks I love using the Expedit series:

Made by Girl | Pinterest

Bien.hu | Pinterest

lolalina | Pinterest

BloigPluss | Pinterest

Birch & Bird | Pinterest

Live Creating Yourself | Pinterest

Apartment Therapy | Pinterest

Flickr | Pinterest

Design Sponge | Pinterest
I love the thought of putting legs on the long, skinny Expedit shelving unit and filling it with pretty decorative baskets. What's your thought on this organization idea? How would you style this ikea product?