What Attitude do you have toward your home?

{this post is part of the series Overcoming Decorating Paralysis}

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If you have a home, or a roof over your head, you are blessed.

And yet……if you are human… you sometimes struggle with taking your blessings for granted!

For me, I know – with my head knowledge – what a tremendous blessing my home is. I am so fortunate to have a safe and warm place to not only raise my family, but to nurture my family. We are blessed even further to have a space to decorate and enjoy, and to have land for our boys to roam and play.

We are blessed. This I know.

But I would be lying if I told you I always lived as if I knew I were so blessed. I would be lying if I told you that I never compare. Or covet. Or dream of wanting more.

I would be lying if I told you I never wished for more funds to decorate or renovate or improve.

Here is the truth.  I am fully aware of how truly blessed we are, and yet, sometimes I am dissatisfied. That tends to be a theme in human nature, no?  {Did I mention that I am human?}

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Thankfully, I don’t have to give in to, or settle in to, my dissatisfactions or disappointments.

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Daily, I can decide to move on with better attitudes toward my home: {<- Tweet this}

THANKFULNESS AND PATIENCE.

Thankfulness:  I remind myself of how thankful I am for what I have, which is SO much more than most.

and

Patience:  Because with the limited resources we all have, we also have choices that come with those resources. And right NOW, I choose to spend my resources in lots of ways. Sometimes toward my home, but most often not.

and here is, quite possibly, the most surprising cure-all attitude:

COMPARISION

We always hear: Don’t compare yourself to others! Don’t compare.

But, maybe, just maybe,

we should.

Maybe, instead of comparing ourselves to those who have more, we should compare ourselves to those who have less. And remind ourselves – REGULARLY –  of what we already have, of how it is largely more than most, and of how we could easily give more away.

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For more inspiration, you might just be blessed by this series, which will have you Overcoming your own Decorating Paralysis!

I would love to hear your thoughts!

How do you struggle with your attitude toward your home?

What helps you get out of that downward spiral?

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Take daily, bite-size steps toward living in a home you LOVE: Be sure to subscribe to FHD via email, bloglovin, your fave reader, and follow Fieldstone Hill on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

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 Don’t miss a single post from Fieldstone Hill Design! Have regular decorating goodness delivered {free!} directly to your inbox.

{This post contains affiliate links. You are supporting this blog and the info I share with your clicking love! Thank you SO very much for reading and supporting FHD! }

Stuff I love. // #livewithbeauty

Welcome to my third edition of “Stuff I love,” Weekend Links. Sharing some of my faves with you today:

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this before and after //

I love this closet makeover from my talented friend Kelly. This wallpaper is amazing. And I love the chandelier and the necklace display. I am a tad envious of all the matching hangers. That is on my bucket list, y’all. The thing I love about this: A space like this would truly make a difference in your day. Way to #livewithbeauty in your everyday, Kelly! Gorgeous.

and

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this friend is amazing. vote for her!//

I have not cheered this hard in a long time. A favorite actress – now friend – is lighting it UP on Dancing with the Stars this season. I got to know Candace while writing for her online magazine, Roomag {you can now find Candace writing at Practically Speaking}. Folks, this girl is the real deal. Watch her first week … she is amazing.

{image via ABC Dancing with the Stars}

And here is the thing. Not only is Candace talented and fierce on the dance floor, she is also heartfelt, down to earth, and gutsy. Imagine yourself, for a moment, being in the CENTER of Hollywood, and then having the guts to proclaim the name of Jesus on Prime Time … setting yourself up for all-manner-of-things to be said about you. Y’all, this woman has guts – and oh yeah, can dance! Not only are we cheering our socks off for her, but our entire family is praying for her. I invite you to watch her on DWTS on ABC, Monday nights. And vote for her!!! xoxo

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this book //

I have been following Sarah’s blog for a long time now. I must admit, I am scared to go completely off of sugar, but after pregnancy – ahem – binging, I know that this is now what I need to do to get healthy again. SO, I JUST preordered her book, I Quit Sugar: Your Complete 8-Week Detox Program and Cookbook , and I am hopeful! I shared about the diet that I typically follow {which allows for honey and fruit}, but I am struggling to get back into it, and I know that I need to go cold turkey on sugar to reset my health. But I also know I can’t do it alone! I REALLY want to do Sarah’s 8 week class, I Quit Sugar, when it comes back around….  so if I do decide to go down that road, I will share the results with you. Is that something you would like to hear more about?

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this Pinboard //

I have been wanting to create this Pinboard for a while! It is just getting started, but the contributors are A.MAZ.ING, and are some of your favorite bloggers. We would love it if you followed along and joined in on the conversation of ways to #livewithbeauty!

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this DIY-worth-doing //

You know how I barely ever DIY. So, I only share DIY’s that truly would be worth the effort. Read: this will look designer when you are done and will be worth the effort. Lacquer trays are amazing, and I think everyone should have trays in their home for decorating because they are both practical and beautiful. They also add much needed layering to any display. Enter Kristin’s super simple DIY. And yes, believe it or not, I have actually done this DIY. Worth it.

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this healthy deal //

I have shared here, here and here about how I love my oils. In fact, I am typing this post while lavender, vetiver, and cedarwood fill the air {hello. spa in my house.}. I disclose ALL in my other posts {yes, I make money from commissions. and YES, they work, y’all. and Yes, they make my life yummy.}, so check them out. M’kay? But for now, I just wanted to share that any Premium Kit signups in March {that is 4 more days, folks} get a free orange oil from moi. So now you know. wink. Hop here to sign up or for more info.

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Have a great weekend, friends! Happy Weekend Browsing!

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Take daily, bite-size steps toward living in a home you LOVE: Be sure to subscribe to FHD via email, bloglovin, your fave reader, and follow Fieldstone Hill on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

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CUTE BABY PICTURES ALERT!!!!!!!!

Sooo…. I may or may not be obsessed with Tea clothing for my little munchkin. See her Tea cuteness on Instagram, here and here and here!

Check out Tea Collection’s Newest Moroccan-Inspired Arrivals!

A Soft Blue and Gray Family Room

So true. It has been a while since I have shared any of my design boards! Basically, I have been swamped with projects over the last year, and then I went ahead a threw a big-ol’ wrench in my progress {albeit, a VERY CUTE wrench in my progress}. Sooo, I have been playing a bit of catch up, and I am sorely behind on sharing my latest finished design boards with you. And, since my list is still closed {sorry, y’all! this won’t last forever. Pinky promise!}, I haven’t been wanting to hang a design carrot in front of anyone’s noses.

In the space below, my client {a busy, working, mom of two adorable twin boys} wanted a space where her favorite people could relax as a family, not worry about her boys getting into things, but also, she wanted a gorgeous space since she has a main view of this room from off of the kitchen. We worked together, first to find a vision for the space that she loved, and then piece by piece to find the perfect resources that would meet her entire family’s needs.

I am so in love with the results:

{for more design boards from my portfolio, click here}

What I love about this space:

1. The varying shades of blue keep things interesting, but very calm and peaceful {great for a house with two twin boy toddlers!}.

2. Drapes!!!!! You know how much I love the drama of drapes. What I love about these drapes is that they are a few shades darker than the walls, giving a gorgeous texture of layered grays to the room. So moody and foggy and soothing.

3. Built-ins that are gray-blue. These make a stunning impact, and truly are a show-stopper in this space.

4. Glimpses of gold around every corner, in contrast with all of the silvery blues and grays, make for a gorgeous mixed metals feel.

5. Pale upholstered pieces in durable, washable fabrics make for family friendly living, but still give the bright feel that makes this room appealing.

6. Large baskets under the console look great, add texture, but most of all – serve as excellent, kid-level storage.

7. The bold patterns {on pillows and chairs} are made livable with soft colors. My favorite is the gray suzani-like Fabric on the reupholstered chairs.

8. A few pops of navy and black add contrast and depth to the room.

9. The fabric ottomans and X-benches. I love using these in homes with children. They encourage climbing, comfort, and flexible seating options.

What do you think of this eDesign?  Would any of these ideas work for you in your home?

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LAST WEEK TO GET A FREE ORANGE OIL {love mine. 2 drops in a huge glass of water is SO very tasty}. Click here to learn how you can get  top quality Essential Oils.  March special for a free orange oil:

Also, read up on some ways to use Essential Oils in your everyday living.

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Take daily, bite-size steps toward living in a home you LOVE: Be sure to subscribe to FHD via email, bloglovin, your fave reader, and follow Fieldstone Hill on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

 * * * *

 Don’t miss a single post from Fieldstone Hill Design! Have regular decorating goodness delivered {free!} directly to your inbox.

{This post contains affiliate links. You are supporting this blog and the info I share with your clicking love! Thank you SO very much for reading and supporting FHD! }

Buy the Best

Affordable Interiors vs. Cheap Interiors

When I posted last week about tricks for decorating a designer room, for an affordable price tag… I was itching to elaborate on: what exactly do I mean by “affordable?” So, I thought I would play the role of Merriem {Dar}ster, and give you my designer definition on what I mean by “Affordable.”

Well, first of all …. most of all, affordable is not the same as cheap.

This sounds like a contradiction right off the bat, but the the truth of the matter is: there is a HUGE difference between affordable/practical/frugal and CHEAPOLA. I want you to free yourself from the following terms:

rock-bottom. close-out. bargain-basement. buy one get one free. dirt cheap. CHEAP.

And instead, embrace your new term: Affordable.

Here are the subtle {but oh so important} differences between these two terms:

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ONE

Affordable means that you keep a standard of beauty and quality, but you work within your means, sometimes waiting longer for the end result.

vs.

Cheap means, you only buy what is the least expensive and fast, and the overall beauty is sacrificed for the sake of cost.

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TWO

Affordable is “waiting patiently and hopefully for what you love to go on sale.” Or, spending the money if you decide the item is a love-affair, deal-changer, room-maker.

vs.

Cheap is “buying what is on sale, regardless of whether or not it is what you wanted.”

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THREE

Affordable ALWAYS means quality. Affording means enduring. And if you get it for a song, of course, that is even better. Just be sure it is not “cheap.”

vs.

Because, ultimately, cheap means bad quality. And it does not matter if it was 2 bucks, or even free…. bad quality costs you in time, energy, and discomfort. It probably cost you more in gas and coupon clipping time to end up with cheap-that-needs-to-be-replaced-in-a-year.

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FOUR

Affordable means buying what you LOVE, even if the price is a wee bit more than you wanted to spend. And then, wait for sales on other less important items in your room, to make up for the pricier-but-worth-it item. 

{“But I don’t KNOW what I love,” you say?? Oh, my love! You MUST Find your own personal style and start saving money and LOVING your home. Stat.}

vs.

Cheap means buying inexpensive {or even expensive!} items because SOMEONE ELSE told you that item is what you should have in your home, and you are not even sure you like it – let alone love it. Cheap is not knowing your own style, and settling All. Of. The. Time.

How “Affordable” Saves You Money:

Quality and Satisfaction. Sounds like a commercial, but it is true. If you purchase items that are quality, you won’t have to buy it twice. If you don’t settle for the cheap version of what you really love, you will be satisfied with your space. You won’t have regrets.

There is nothing worse than wishing you had paid just a little bit more to have exactly what you loved, and instead, you settled for a subpar version that just reminds you of the purchase you SHOULD have made.

Word.

In honor of the Affordable vs. Cheap debate, I just had to share this

free Printable

One of my favorite quotes, of course! … Shocking. I know.:

{To Print: Right click on the image above and save it to your computer. Print it directly from your computer.}

Preach.

Yes, Miles. Yes.

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For those of you revving up to add gorgeous and affordable rooms to your home, I recommend starting here:

1. Find your own Personal Style

2. Hop over to this Post to find out How to Create an Affordable, Designer Room

3. Get yourself some amazing inspiration and then dive in:

These are my favorite design books, y’all.  All guaranteed to be Non-cheapola and Very GORG. {affiliate links, thank you, darlings. But, the love is all mine.}