Renderings

I was able to do a few renderings this month. Here are a couple that I did.

Merry Christmas!!

Holiday Decor

Christmas is almost here so I thought I would share my holiday decor with you. I didn't purchase anything new this year. I just used what I already had and tried to make it look nice.  I did make a new wreath this year though. The plain wreath was given to me last year. So to decorate it this year, I purchased some small red balls at Walmart for $3. I used some silver ornaments I already had and the little beads are from a garland I already had but wasn't using for anything. The "H" was also something I had on hand. I painted it white and hung it on the wreath with some ribbon. All I spent on this wreath was $3.

I have a hard time with Christmas decorations because I like too many "Christmas styles." I love the traditional red and green style, but I also love the more elegant silver and gold combination. This year I kind of split my room and did two different styles. The perfectionist in me was fighting it and I kept going back and forth, but then I just said to myself, "You know what?! Who is really going to care?!!" This is how I decorated my entry table using stuff I had:

During our Thanksgiving vacation in WA we made darling little gingerbread houses, all red and green,  and my talented sister in-law made me that fabulous tulle wreath

And in my apothecary jars I used some small ornaments mixed with pine cones.

Now, the other side of my room I used my decor that I purchased a couple years ago. It's in grays, silvers, and golds.  I hung small wreaths from my curtain rods using ribbon. Very simple and inexpensive.

I bought my Christmas decorations a couple years ago and am proud to say I only spent $50. I gave myself a budget and stuck to it, and I have to admit I think it looks pretty great for $50.

It's a combination of stuff from Michaels, Target, and Walmart.

Schoolhouse Pendant

Wow! I have been major slacking on posting lately. This last week went by super fast for me!
Anyway, my kitchen projects are finally getting started. Thanks to a very helpful reader, a couple days ago I purchased this little beauty for over my sink:

The best part is that it was only $39.95 from Destination Lighting. They have free shipping if you spend $50, so to get the free shipping I bought a couple CFL's (something that will always come in handy to have around the house). I thought it was a great deal, AND I just checked the tracking number and it should be here today! I hope I am still this happy about my purchase when I see it.

Personal Home Renderings

I am now offering personal home renderings as a new service. For only $80 I will draw and render an 8x10 portrait of your home. These make great Christmas gifts! Email me if you are interested: amber.horch@hotmail.com

I'm Back

So, if you didn't notice, I took a nice little break from blogging. We just got back from visiting my husband's family in Western Washington for the holiday. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know we did. It was very relaxing and so fun to see our family. Now that Thanksgiving is over I am ready for the Christmas season! I turned on Christmas music this morning for the first time, and I can't wait to start getting some decorations out.  I have a lot of unpacking and laundry to do before that happens though, so I better get off the computer.  :)

But, before I go here is a little something to ooooo and awww over. :) While I was on vacation, I got my Baby and Child Restoration Hardware catalog in the mail and swooned when I saw this adorable boys room:

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I LOVE that blue striped duvet!

Pottery Barn Finds

I am always excited when I get a new Pottery Barn catalog in the mail. I never can afford anything, but I always find so much inspiration there. Here are a few of the things I am loving.

Sorry this pic is a little grainy because I had to scan it in, but check out the numbered baskets! What a fun way to liven up some functional yet boring storage baskets.

Just use some house numbers. These one from Lowes are only $4.98 ea.

I also like PB's upholstered chairs. Like the Napa Chair with this Peacock Bhotah slipcover.

I am also really loving Pottery Barn's lighting collection lately. I'm a big fan of this Exposed Bulb Pendant track lighting

The Holiday catalog also got me really excited to start decorating for Christmas. I am trying to hold off, but is is very tempting. I have been seeing a lot of silver and gold holiday decorations and I love the combo. My tree decorations are silver and gray but this year I might have to add some gold to them.

I thought these Magnolia Lights from Pottery Barn were super cute and easily DIY-able. Christmas lights and paper....anyone want to try?

One of my favorite decorations I saw in the PB catalog was this antler art.

It's rustic, yet a little modern, and so fun! Antlers also could be great to hang stockings from.

Living Room Design Board

I recently did a design board for a neighbor of mine who is putting her house on the market. She wanted to make it look more presentable. It is a gorgeous 1930's brick home with tons of character. In her living room there are two gorgeous stained glass windows on either side of the fireplace. I decided to work with the warm colors in the glass.

Rendering

This is what I have been working on the past few days:

I frequently do renderings of exteriors for my cousin who is a builder. I love how this one turned out. I really like the blue siding. I love to draw and render. My drawing classes were definitely one of my favorite courses in design school.

The Pendant Search

I am still working on sprucing up my kitchen. There have just been a few things holding me up. My daughter's party was one of them, and then this last weekend my handyman (also known as husband) shot an elk, so every night this week he has been, literally, up to his elbows in meat. Disgusting, I know. Anyway, I have been trying to find some options for a new light above my sink. Here are some lights from Lowes that I have been thinking about.

But then, on Pinterest last night I saw this:

I LOVE that light! It has a classic look to it that I think would be perfect in our 1940's home. The price isn't perfect though. I found a similar one here, but it is more than I wanted to spend, so I am going to keep looking for a less expensive one. Wish me luck!

1st Birthday Bash

My daughter's first birthday was this week, so of course I wanted to throw her a party. Let me just begin by saying that the day didn't go exactly as planned. There was quite a few ups and downs. It started with me puking my guts out the night before and thinking, "We are definitely postponing the party." I had some stomach flu thing, but luckily by morning I felt great, despite the fact that I didn't get much sleep, so the party was back on. But then, my daughter started acting a little cranky. So of course a million worries are running through my head, "Oh no, is she sick now? Maybe she is just tired because I woke her up a few times last night. Maybe she is teething." I don't know if I should cancel the party or not. The whole morning I am going back and forth trying to figure out what to do. I finally decide that we are just going to do the party, and pray that the baby doesn't get sick in the middle of it. So, with all of that going on I was pretty stressed trying to get everything done that I wanted to do, and the party decorations weren't as perfect as I pictured in my head. But with all of the drama, my baby girl had a wonderful time at her first birthday party, and that is all that matters.

I had fun making the invitations. (I edited out my daughter's name. It didn't just say "E" :) )

 
The birthday girl all ready for her guests to arrive!

I, of course, had to make a cute little birthday banner. I made it with cardstock and used crepe paper for the ruffles. And I apologize for the crummy pictures. The party was in the evening, and I had planned to take good pictures before it got dark outside... but that didn't happen.

I set up a few pictures on our entry table and then the guests placed their presents there as they came in.

I took a cake decorating class in college, so I like to make cakes. For E's I decided to do an ombre look.

And decoration with the most effect was the pom pom chandelier. I made the pom poms myself and then hung them and the paper lanterns to the light chain. I loved the way it turned out!

The party was a huge success! E loved her cake, that she insisted on eating with a spoon.

She was having the time her life...

until, right after the guests had left, she fell and cut her eyebrow open. Luckily, she is fine. We took her to the doctor, and it was just a minor cut, but I told you the day had it's ups and downs.

The High Chair Search

I have been looking for a high chair for a while now. We have been borrowing my parents old one. I really wanted a wood high chair because they have so much character, but I was having a few issues trying to find the prefect one. First of all, antique chairs are kind of hard to come by. At least where I live they are. Second, all the antique ones I found were overhead trays, which I didn't want. I wanted a sliding tray. The third problem I was having was most of the antique high chairs weren't very stable. Which is understandable because they are old, but if I am going to putting my child in it I want it to be safe. The last issue I was facing was the prices. Most of the antique chairs were approximately $80, and I found a brand new one for $135 but both of those prices were just way out of my range. Well, anyway, after searching and searching I finally found this little beauty:

I found it at an antique store. I have no idea how old it is, but I love it! I love it's simple clean lines, and it's really sturdy. But, what really sold me on it was the price. I only spent $25!!! It is missing the tray, but my crafty husband said he could easily make one. Now I just need to figure out what color I am going to paint it. I am thinking about doing a fun color like one if these high chairs.

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Isn't this pink high chair absolutely adorable?! I LOVE the wingback look.

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I was hoping to have a cute high chair for my baby's birthday this week, but I don't think it is going to happen. Oh well. I will still have to take some cute pics of her in it when it is done.

Online Living Room Design Board

I recently did an online design board. My client wanted to give her living room blue and green accents and make it feel more light and airy. Here is what I came up with:

I also did a quick sketch of the space to give my client an idea of furniture and accessory placement.

I am happy with how it all turned out. I can't wait to see it come together!

Happy Halloween!

This is my first Halloween with a little one, and I must admit it has been pretty fun so far. I had fun making this little owl costume. I found the idea here, if anyone is interested.

This week my little owl turns one year old! I have some fun party decorations planned, so (if they turn out like I hope) I'll be sharing them soon!

New Projects in the Kitchen

I am itching for a project, so I think I am ready to start sprucing up my kitchen with a few small and inexpensive projects. Here is what is looks like now,

And here are a few things I want to do:

I want to make a fun chalkboard. Mine won't be as big as this one, but isn't this one so cute?!

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I plan on finding some cute fabric to make a roman shade for the window above the sink.

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I also want to find a pendant light for above the sink.

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I have seen painted rugs all over Pinterest, and I want to try and tackle one. I love this chevron painted rug. I'm not sure what pattern I want to do yet, but chevron could definitely be an option.

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So, those are my plans. I can 't wait to get started!!

Risky Design Choice

Today, I'm over at The Story of Home talking about a risky design choice I made, so go check it out!

New Look!

I'm trying out a new look. I don't know how long it will stay, but so far I am really liking it.
I can't post with out a little eye candy though. Saw this on Pinterest today:

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Those green ghost chairs are fabulous!!

Free Halloween Decor

I am not much of a holiday decorator. Not because I don't want to, but because I can't afford it. When you're on a tight budget it isn't easy to justify spending money on decor that you only have up for a few weeks out of the year. This year for Halloween I decided to get a little creative. I love finding free printables on Pinterest, so that's exactly what I did. I turned my entry gallery wall into a spooky Halloween display for FREE.

I love how it turned out! I will definitely be switching up my pictures for other holidays too from now on. Here's what I did and where I got it:
The bat idea I found here.

I used black cardstock and stuck them on the wall with tape. So far they have stayed on pretty well. I made the silhouette of my daughter using photoshop. Here are the rest of the printables I used.
The "Keep Calm" came from here.
The Halloween Subway Art is from here, and also comes in three different colors!

The bat can be found here.
The vintage skull image is here.
I found these great labels, like this one,  here.