Staple-gun Hand...

I have "staple-gun hand" lol. I spent last night helping some friends re-upholster their dining room seat cushions after they had a house fire. That spot between my thumb and pointer finger is KILLING me from squeezing the staple-gun about 3 billion times- but they turned out beautiful and I was happy to help. Things like this always make me feel good- being creative and crafty. Working all these hours has really taken a toll on my creativity the past few years- but I am slowly claiming it back.

This past year I took on the master bedroom re-design. I went with an overall calming effect and a hollywood regency style. I chose a dove gray wall color- it has lavendar tones and a soft gray hue- very soothing to the eye. The bed was one I had for a few years- and I added a lavendar silk tufted headboard to it. I made the headboard with fabric, foam, masonite, and a staple gun.

The furniture I got off craigslist- it was a steal! All vintage Henredon dresser, mirror, nightstand, and 90 inch long vanity for 300 bucks! IT is all dovetailed and beautifully crafted. Honestly I dont ever see myself letting go of this bedroom set. The white nightstands we bought from a friend for $25 and painted them white- they are also vintage- and I still need to add the crystal knobs. You can also see the lucite lamps and behind them are mirrors I made to flank each side of the bed out of leftover masonite and mirror tiles we used at my wedding. I painted them white and painted a vine motif with the pearl glaze, so you can only see it when the light catches it. i hot glued the mirrors and crystals all around it.

The prints around the silver mirror are from a calendar (which is my favorite trick to save money and create a clean modern look with art) of black and white photos of Paris. The frames are from the Dollar General store- 3 bucks a pop. Its a high end look without spending much money. Anytime you use something in repetition it looks more expensive.
On the dresser I have 2 silver apples that are containers of junk as well lol. Apples mean alot to me since I cant wait to get back to NYC and silver accessories are clean and sparkly without being overly feminine.

This is another view of the vanity- the piece facing in the picture is the nightstand- I turned it this way and sat it against the vanity to create an "L-shape" and added the $50 target bookcase for more interest. It is filled with trinkets Brad and I selected together. He always jokes when he sees something or I point something out that I will probably just paint it silver- most of the time he is right LOL. The white vases are vintage from the salvation army in Madisonville for 25 cents each and the branches are pussy-willow from hobby lobby. The only thing that will be changing here is the carpet. We have already bought a dark walnut hardwood floor to put in when we can find the time. Also the curtains I made- they are also a dove gray in a velvet so they block the light and in person add texture without overwhelming the eye.

I was so excited to find these prints! they are of NYC landmarks and were gray and lavendar- perfect for my room! And also in the style of art that was popular at the same time hollywood regency was. You can also see the paint detail that I did. I used a translucent pearl glaze and made a diamond pattern (after nearly throwing the laser level out the window in frustration) and put silver thumbtacks every two inches to create a sparkly nailhead effect- God bless anyone who decide to undo this lol. It is suble but fun and modern and young I think.

Here you get another view of the wall and you can see the shade we added to our fan- we find it hard to live without a fan. I would prefer just this shade on a dropped pendant- no fan- but this combination makes me happier than I thought it would. It is just a plain drum shade- I sewed crystals to the bottom for a little glitz and brad got an extender for where the bowl used to attach.. Here you can also see our 2 walkin closet doors. We are considering loosing one closet in favor of a second full bathroom- hope the money finds us soon!

So there you have it- our newly completed (almost anyway) Master bedroom. These are all camera phone pics- wish I had a better camera- but you get the idea. As soon as I finish another room I will post it as well- the kitchen renovation should be done in a week or two (God bless my husband ) and the living room and dining room are also coming along. Until then I hope You all are well- Im so excited to have followers! lol

Life....

I made a lampshade the other night. I found these large brass rings at Hobby Lobby and knew I could somehow figure out how to make a drum shade- for some reason they are VERY hard to find. I couldnt find any fabric I liked- so I went to Ross (which is like the tjmaxx for the tjmaxx- final prices) and found a sheet set in a gray and white hollywood regency pattern. 10 bucks! And lots of fabric for me to use many ways. I will have to post a picture of the shade once I hang it- using just posterboard and hot glue it looks completely professional :)

I am on my way to a healthier lifestyle. I have been overweight all of my life- so this is a huge step for me. Counting calories and working out and it feels so good. Last night I did 20 minutes at level resistance 4 on the elliptical and then my husband and I went for a run/jog/walk for another half hour. Very proud of myself. And I am making healthier meals that taste good- and making better choices. How do you make a lowfat cupcake?!?!

Victory :)

So the health care bill passed last night. This was a day we had been praying for for some time now. My husband was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic a couple months before our wedding. Its odd to be diagnosed as a type 1 as an adult- usually children are diagnosed with it and they grow up with it. Its really scary to me to think he may have gone a very long time without knowing. Thankfully we had insurance through work when he was diagnosed so he has been covered. Its amazing for us to see how much money we would be shelling out if we had no insurance. This has really put a halt on us selling our house and moving to NYC, since his diabetes would become a "pre-existing condition" and IF we could even get him covered, it would be an exorbitant amount of money. I hope and pray that now this will allow us the freedom to move and get new job without his health weighing so heavily on us. The bonus was- yesterday was his birthday :)

Also my first attempt at making fried chicken- his request for his birthday dinner- and it turned out fabulous! With green beans, mashed potatoes and goulash (mac and tomato and beef like nanny used to make). I was very proud and so was he.

Days off and Craft time

My husband and I had two days off together and instead of loafing around like we usually do we got alot done. First we went with our friends to their wedding menu/cake tasting which was fabulous! Then we cleaned the house, bought me a new bra (cacique is fabulous!), watched 2012- pretty crazy movie, got the oil changed in my car, paid bills, AND I had time to craft. I have been obsessed with starburst mirrors since they got popular a few years back. I didnt want a tiny one and I didnt want to pay hundreds of dollars for one. So what I did was I went to hobby lobby- bought a 12" candle plate mirror, hot glued some galvanized wired (thin enough to bend by hand but thick enough to have some weight), and hot glued on small round mirrors to the wire.

I havent hung it really yet- I just used the nail that was already up there. Im gonna hang it higher and more centered. I used a decorative plate hanger from hobby lobby to hang it- I was afraid gluing a hook to the mirror would result in a big broken mess- so this was the best option i could come up with. All of this cost me about $25 bucks! I think im gonna glue on all of the little round mirror I had left too. I have wanted to do this for soooo long- so glad I finally got around to it!

Rachael 101

So this post will most likely be a list of everything I can think of that I love :)

* Hollywood Regency ANYTHING
I love the clean lines, Asian influence, and bright bold colors. Glamour and drama! That is what I'm all about.  If it sparkles- it will be mine lol.

Just a few of my favorites right now- it changes everyday!

* My puppies
I have 2 miniature Chinese Shar-pei. They are my children. They crack me up on a daily basis.

This is Violet- she is 4 years old. She is very prim and proper and delicate. Brad, my husband, says she is like me- the princess ;)

This is Newton. He is a little over 2 years old. He is ALL BOY. Rough and tumble, loves the dirt, and has a massive sock collection SOMEWHERE undisclosed. They really make our lives better and more full. No kids yet, but these do very nicely for now.

* SUSHI!

I love food and I have always been about "1 bite" of food that has many flavors packed into it- this is why I love sushi. For anyone who has not tried it there are TON of varieties with COOKED fish- sushi doesn't always mean raw fish- and this is how I started my relationship with sushi- slowly getting more and more adventurous in what I would order.My husband used to turn his nose up to it but a few months ago he tried some and LOVED it- I am eating alot more sushi now that I have a partner in crime to enjoy it with.

* Pink
I have- my whole life- always been obsessed with the color pink. I had a whole family of imaginary friends when I was little- The Pink Family- and they were all pink. I love pink because it oozes femininity, though its pretty hot on a confident man. It makes me feel girly and sexy without going overboard on sex appeal. It bring out the little girl in me who dressed in red glitter Dorothy shoes to go to the supermarket with my mom, leaving a trail of red glitter everywhere I went. I used to wake up extra early on holidays (Easter, valentines day, Christmas) to make sure I had the pink presents- even switching my sisters pink stuffed bunny for my yellow one one year (what WERE they thinking?!?!?!). Pink just makes me happy :)

*Comfort Food
If its cheesy, ooey-gooey, creamy, rich, or anything close to it I am in heaven. I am trying to live a healthier lifestyle since my husband was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic last year- so I am trying constantly to take my fave recipes and cut down the fat. Its difficult lol. Food I would say brings me the greatest joy and the greatest heartache at the same time.

* My husband :)

My Husband, Brad, is my whole life. We have been together 7 years and married October 18th, 2008. He is funny, intelligent, supportive, caring, loving- everything I have always dreamed of for myself. It has been a very long road to get here but we are now partners in life. He is a musician and I have always been an artist so we connect on a very deep level through all artforms. I even bought a guitar for myself (after 7 years of living with a guitar player- you start to feel the itch!) and maybe someday I will learn how to play it hahahaha. Of course its pink. After a long day at work all I want to do is curl up next to Brad and talk or watch a movie or whatever. It really doesnt matter as long as he is next to me.

* New York city

I did my first year of college at The Fashion Institute (F.I.T.) in Manhattan and LOVED it. It really changed me. I used to be so shy and it really helped me find myself and start to love me for me. I miss it dearly and as soon as we are finished prepping our house for sale it goes on the market and we are moving back to NYC! There I will finish my Interior Design degree at F.I.T.- Cant wait!

So now you know a little about me and a little about what this blog will be. I hope to entertain and have fun documenting my life in thoughts and pictures.

Welcome to my life....

        I have been wanting to write my own blog for a while now. I find so many beautiful things, great recipes, and who knows what else that I can hardly keep track of. So this blog will be my catch-all. I have an amazing husband and two funny little puppies who keep me busy when I am not at work. Though most of my time is spent at work, where I manage a mattress store. I spend 10 hours a day sitting and waiting and hoping a customer will walk through the doors. But, with so much down-time, I spend hours upon hours on the internet- shopping for furniture, getting inspiration for interior design, finding recipes, and keeping in touch with my family.

       I hope that this place will serve as somewhere for me to collect all of my ideas and thoughts and inspirations- and if it helps to inspire anyone else along the way? Well thats just the cherry on top :)