Friday, November 30, 2012

Front Door Plans

I’ve been talking about painting my front door for over a year now, but I just never got around to it. Since my other porch updates, I’ve been thinking about it more and more. And so yesterday I officially decided to paint my front door this weekend (weather permitting)! Now I just need to decide on a color!

I should note that the security door is staying. We like being able to open the front door for fresh air, but I’m mostly keeping it so *hopefully* the HOA won’t notice my new door color. I’m supposed to submit any front yard/house changes for approval beforehand, but I’m going to live life on the wild side and just paint. So there’s a possibility of an “I Painted My Front Door White Again Because the HOA Busted Me” post in the future.
Anyway, right now I’m torn between aqua, yellow, red, and navy. I love this aqua front door from Kammy’s Korner. It’s light and fun…and one of my favorite colors!

I’m also loving all of the yellow front doors that I’ve seen lately. Like Young House Love’s front door and this one from Quite Contrary. They look so cheerful!

Of course a red front door is always a good choice. Did you know that in most cultures red means welcome? I love the red front door (and lion knocker) from The Comforts of Home.

And last, but not least: navy! I think navy would look great with our current house colors (brown/off-white/brick) and it’s not as over-done as red or yellow.  I love the before and after navy door makeover from A Swell Place to Dwell

OK, opinions? What color are you voting for? I’m really undecided, so choosing a color will probably end up being more work than the actual painting!

Monday, November 26, 2012

New Toy!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I spent Thanksgiving at my parents’ house, but came back to Phoenix on Saturday for a wedding (Congrats Thanh & Christina!). I had a great time visiting family for a couple days and then celebrating on Saturday with my friends – it was definitely a good weekend!
And what weekend would be complete without a little shopping? The madness of Black Friday to be exact…well, actually it was more like Black Thursday this year. Anyway, I bought toys, movies, and something special for me…and that’s what this post is all about.
My new toy:

I’ve been saving up for a new camera for months and I knew that Black Friday would be the best time to buy. I searched all of the deals and ended up deciding on this Canon Rebel T3 package from Target. So I braved the cold and waited in line for Target to open on Thursday night. But they were sold out before I could get one…within the first 10 minutes of the sale. So, I rushed back to my parents’ house and ordered it online.
In all honesty, I only waited in line for about 15 minutes and only because I made it through Wal-Mart so quickly that I had time to spare. It was cold though!
If you’re wondering why I didn’t just order it online to begin with it’s because I wanted to play with it right away - I didn’t want to wait for it to ship. BUT I just checked the tracking info and my camera is supposed to be here tomorrow! It’s shipping from Tempe, AZ, so it’ll only take a day for delivery! Yay!
I’m sure it’ll take me awhile to figure out, but expect to see better pictures on here soon!
Anyone else hit the Black Friday sales? Did you buy presents for others or splurge on yourself like I did?

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Sunburst Mirror Makeover

I finally joined the sunburst mirror party...and I’m only about 2 years late. Better late than never?
After I finished the headboard in the master bedroom I knew I needed to find something to hang on the wall above it. I had sunburst on the brain, but those suckers are expensive. I was planning to DIY one, but then I saw this pin from Kate aka Centsational Girl:

A sunburst mirror for $30 and it’s available at my local Home Depot? SOLD!
Just for reference, Ballard Designs sells a similar mirror for $99 and it’s actually 9 inches smaller…

Anyway, the gold finish ain’t my thang, but before I changed anything I wanted to make sure that I really liked the mirror and that it fit the space. If it didn’t work out, it would be pretty impossible to return a spray painted mirror.

I loved it, so it was spray paint time! A couple coats of Rustoleum Metallic Paint/Primer in Satin Nickel later and I had a whole new mirror. I let it cure in the garage for a couple days so we wouldn’t have spray paint fumes in the bedroom. I hated having to wait, but now it’s hung and I love it!

I still need throw pillows and want new lamps, but the mirror makes the room look a lot more finished.

Let’s end this with a close up – the top and bottom sections reflect the new color the best. *swoon*

OK, who else has a sunburst mirror and how long have you had it for? I remember seeing them all over the blogs a couple years ago, so as usual, I’m way behind on a trend. Although, I think the sunburst can be classic and not just trendy.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Guest Post!

Hey strangers! Long time no talk! Sorry I’ve been MIA the past couple of weeks, but I’ve been crazy busy at work. Yep, when I’m not blogging I have this side gig called a full-time job (aka what pays the mortgage) and it’s been hectic the past few weeks. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a financial analyst…exciting stuff (NOT). I’ve been busy working on our 4th quarter financials and presenting it up the management chain. My last review is today, so things should be back to normal starting this week. *sighofrelief*
Anyway, I just wanted to let y’all know that I’m guest posting today at Christina’s Adventures!

I’m sharing a few of my favorite projects while Christina is away on a Caribbean cruise! You can read my guest post here.
So head on over there and say hello! And for those of you stopping by from Christina’s Adventures, WELCOME! I'll be back tomorrow with some mirror action!