Stuff I love. // #livewithbeauty

Happy weekend! We are prepping for another full-blown snow storm and have plans to snuggle, sled and watch Frozen.

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

this shout out //

Have you ever witnessed someone, with more talent than you have seen in a long, long time, get the kind of noticing they ought to get? Ah, yes. That is how I feel about my BRILLIANT {talented, awesome, kind} friend Angela, and this shout-out – I was tickled pink to see this well-deserved feature on Little Green Notebook.

and

this truth about blogging//

I was so thankful that Edie took the time to write out why it is that bloggers cannot really blog for free. Those of us who are out here cranking out posts, day after day… well, it IS the greatest job ever, and yet there is a cost to us in time, energy, and blog maintenance. She says it MUCH better than I ever could.  Check it out.

this blogging book //

My friend Ruth is all sorts of awesome. And she wrote an ebook –  a really good ebook about blogging.
It is so to-the-point and helpful, and you really should get it if you want to be a savvy blogger. I think I will be reading this one – oh – a couple hundred times, or so.

 

this Pinboard //

Do you know about the awesome Pinboard, Must-Follow Interior Designers? Well, it just so happens to be made up of Must-follow Interior Designers. Get your design fix from your favorite UBER talented design ladies.

 

this candle //

My favorite candle, e-vah!! You will not be disappointed {read: a day at the spa}.

this before and after //

Do you have one of those useless stair landings? Correction: useless no more! I love this uber-wonderful design makeover. Good use of space fills me with all sorts of nerdy joy, and this makeover is a prime example.

this life-changing game-changer //

I know I shared this before, but tickets went on sale TODAY!!! Snag yours, STAT! It is the conference I never ever want to miss. I hope you will go too. And… guess who is speaking this year?

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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I use Essential Oils to help my family stay healthy, my home stay clean, and my rooms to smell wonderful. Click here to learn how you can get  top quality Essential Oils.

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

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So, in blogland, it seems that people are just cranking out room reveals.Well, if things just-so-happen to “reveal” a little bit slower at your house, you might be encouraged by my post. Because, my lovelies, it has taken me three… maybe four…. actually six years to get this boys room “done.” Like a fine wine.

Six years ago, I brought my darling, little, second, baby boy – the one with the perfect lips and a head full of black hair – home from the hospital. This room was his cavernous nursery, with no window treatments and a painted subfloor. Then, when he turned three, we moved my two boys into this space together. That was three years ago, and I have been slowly and surely decorating it ever since.

Yes, I am an interior designer. And {don’t tell!} I also decorate on a limited budget. And I am also unwilling to settle {at least not without a good fight}… hence, often willing to WAIT for what I want. To the tune of three years. This slow-mo decorating actually happens in real life. Now you know. … or maybe you knew already.

Today, I am finally SO excited to share my boys room reveal. AND, btw, in the works is a rockin’ post that will give you step by step details on how to create your own designer room with a limited budget. Next week, hopefully! {click here to get on my email update list so you don’t miss that post!}

{Interior design and Interior Architecture by Darlene Weir, Fieldstone Hill Design}

Yes, three whole years ago, I made this design board, with my vision for this room:

And then a year-ish later, I refined it after working with some clients with their children’s rooms, discovering Pinterest, and finding some goodies I loved. I wanted it to have a more sophisticated feel, and due in large part to my do-not-buy word, I eliminated most of the “cute.”:

Unbeknownst to my 3-year-ago self, a rug with white stripes is a bad option in a boys’ room. So, that was one of my big changes, that I am still so happy about. I had fallen in love with the Treehouse Rug from Dash and Albert after using it in this client project, so I wanted it for this space as well. I loved how it grounded the space, and matched everything and nothing  – with its fantastic muted, earthy colors. I cannot get enough of Dash and Albert’s cotton weave rugs. I use them in – ahem – LOTS of design projects. So, I knew I would be happy with one of their rugs in my precious boys’ space.

I also adore the idea of trunks at the end of matching twin beds, so I had to add that. Perfect for both storage, and as an extra surface. Also, it is no surprise that I finally give in to my drape obsession. Goodbye cornices. You were never meant to be.

Y’all. I am so happy with this room. It is filled with light, and fun, and style, and two of the dang cutest boys you ever did see. And now that the previously mentioned newborn is six, and just lost his first tooth, what do you say we do a room reveal??

The Boys’ Room at Fieldstone Hill:

 

Sources:

The showstopper rug: Treehouse woven cotton rug, 9 x 12: Dash and Albert

Duvet Covers : West Elm {original pattern, mosaic tile}

Schumacher custom designer pillows, fabric Adras Ikat in Caravan: Beckwith Textiles {These pillows are from  an awesome shop of Designer fabric pillows. Loved her quick delivery time and quality handmade pillows, all using designer fabric.}

Pillow Cases : Pottery Barn Kids, {brown dot}

Brown Gingham sheets: Pottery Barn Kids

Whale pillows: Etsy, Contemori shop

Beds: Craigslist

Dresser: Yard sale

Brown Gingham blackout curtains: Pottery Barn Kids

Custom Barnwood Art: 163 Design Company

Wall color: Blue Heron by Sherwin Williams

Solar System Mobile: Pottery Barn kids

Rocking Horse: Baltic rocking Horse

Wooden trucks and cars: Community Playthings

Byholma Gray Wicker trunks: Ikea

Bean bag with sherpa cover: Pottery Barn Teen

Fan: Hunter brushed nickel table fan

Sofa: from a local church youth group room

Door hardware: VanDykes Restorers

Painted subfloor How-to Post

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My clients, two awesome and fun and wonderful boys, really adore their room. Pillow fights abound, lots of horsing around goes on, and all in comfort and style. It is a place we all love!

Thanks for hanging with me at Fieldstone Hill as I lovingly reshape our house into a home! Stay tuned for my next post detailing how you can create a fantastic designer room on a limited budget.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this space, or any thoughts on your own children’s room projects!

*** this post was sponsored by Dash and Albert. I pursued them {in hound-like style} because I REALLY wanted their rug for my space. All opinions are mine, and I really do appreciate you considering my sponsors for your next project. I recommend items that I would use {and DO use} in my own home. Thank you, lovelies!

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MY GENEROUS SPONSOR:

This entire blog is generously sponsored by my YL. I am into natural choices for my family, and this is the main way I avoided toxins during pregnancy, and now our family is hooked. My Young Living essential oils are also my business, and the oils are so well loved that they sponsor my blog!!! Thank you, friends!  Enroll by clicking here.

I am SUPER excited about the new Premium Starter Kit. You are going to LOVE it… unless you hate things that smell heavenly and make you smile. #spaliving #livewithbeauty #wellness #MyHouseSmellsLikeASpa

Questions? Head here:

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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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{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! }

I truly hope that you live in a part of the world where you cannot even fathom what I am talking about:

But TRULY… IS. IT. SPRING. YET ???

Because, I am about to go C.R.A.Z.Y.

Friends, when I gaze out of my door, I see three to four foot piles of snow circling my car. I see our recycling, which has not been collecting in over a week, balancing precariously on a five foot snow beast. I see sheets of ice because, as I understand, the entire Northeast is out of salt crystals.

Yes. Typically, I am one of those folks who declares, “If it is going to be cold and it is going to be gray, well then, it may as well snow.”

But, “BASTA!!!” {that’s Italian. For “Enough, already!!” Watch out when I start throwing fits in Italian.}

Is it Spring yet?

Did y’all know that I curate a special Guest Picks collection for Houzz.com every month?

This month, of course, I had to daydream about the soft tones of Spring. The sweet smell of Spring. And the gentle buzz of the honeybee. Ah, yes. I nearly hear Vivaldi’s violins starting up in the background.

So, in honor of my current obsession with Spring, I curated some honeybee-honeycomb-hive-love, in the event that you are ready to add a little touch of Spring to your home… like, today. These are affiliate links {thank you, lovelies. xo}, but only stuff I think is fun and/or gorgeous. Enjoy:

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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!

* * * * *

Have you been hearing buzz lately about Essential Oils? I love mine for a zillion reasons!

* * * * *

 

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

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{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! }

In the few times that I have been to a spa, my favorite thing about it is the atmosphere.

Candles. Fresh fragrance. Soft Music. Peace and Quiet. Details that Pamper.

And while I am still holding out hope that I will suddenly turn into a “regular spa girl,”  it is probably not going to happen.  Truth be told? I would rather spend my resources elsewhere on most days {read: decorate my house}! Better that I turn a tiny bit of focus toward creating the Spa Experience here at my own home.  Adding a Touch of Spa to my own bathroom seems like a much more effective use of my time and money. That way, the spa is waiting for me… every day.

You can have a spa in your bathroom too! And it is easier and cheaper than you think!! Below is a list of very simple ways that you can add that Spa Atmosphere into YOUR bathroom:

 

1. Add white, fluffy things.

White fluffy towels! Fold them beautifully and pile them high. Stack some on a chair. Hang a white, fluffy robe from a lovely hook behind your bathroom door.

But wait, you say. White seems so impractical and high maintenance. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth, or hotels would all have dark towels. Be sure to buy white cotton that you can bleach, so you will never have to worry about keeping your whites clean. White doesn’t have to be fussy!

2. Remove the labels.

Maybe I am the only odd-duck who does this, but have you ever noticed how gorgeous a bottle can be if you take off the labels? Have you ever noticed how nice an entire bathroom can look without a displayed jumble of mismatching, fully labeled bottles? I just KNOW some of you are thinking: Who in the world has time for that? But I promise you, if you remove the “visual noise” from your space , you will enjoy a more peaceful environment. Peel ’em off when you are soaking in the tub!

The gorgeous bottle in the picture below used to have 2 huge stickers on the front and back, plus a T.J.Maxx sticker, and a clearance sticker. So there. Visual noise: gone!

3. Add a natural sponge or loofah.

The  little ol’ sponge, that you see in the photo above, was less than $2 from Walmart. And there he sits, making my bathroom look spa-like. If you actually use your sponge or loofah {oh, please do! That is what the Spas would do!}, be sure to replenish it when it starts to look drab.

By the way: Loofahs are wonderful for exfoliation. And I can’t think of a single spa treatment that does not include exfoliation! So there you have it, decor that doubles as a fine beauty treatment.

4. Use bar soap on a lovely tray.

Bar soap on a tray adds such an organic look and gorgeous smell to your space. And it is one less label that you have to look at! I recommend purchasing natural, organic bars that have chunks of rosemary or oatmeal or lemon in them. It will delight your senses and add texture to your space.

The silver hotel tray was a clearance item! Keep your eyes peeled and your imagination running.

5. Add fragrance.

By simply lighting a candle and adding some beautiful smelling bath salts to your soak, you will be amazed at how easy it is to get your very own bathroom smelling like a spa. Shop for bargains, and then stock up on delicious fragrances to have on hand.  And for those of you that have read this post, it won’t surprise you to know that I love diffusing my lavender oil into the air when I relax in my own “spa.” When I do, my bathroom is transformed to a spa-like state in an instant.

But my favorite way to add fragrance is with fresh flowers, when I can get my hands on them. Below is a small bundle of Lily of the Valley I picked right in the front yard at Fieldstone Hill. The smell is indescribable.

 

 

6. Splurge on one Spa Product.

Find something that feels and smells divine, makes you feel great, and is not priced at an embarassing rate, and scoop it up. Just one. Just one lovely bit of Spa goodness for you to look forward to. Currently in my bathroom is this face and body scrub , and I am going to have a small pity party when I run out of it.

7. Noise control.

Peace and Quiet is hard to come by in my house. Can you relate? Every once in a rare while, I get the house to myself, and can soak in the silence and really escape to think.

In the meantime, my two tips are this: 1. Find a way, some way, any way to be alone in your space, removed from the regular noises of your week. and 2. Bring some soothing music. May I suggest a Chopin Piano Sonata? And then play it very softly.

If you actually have an empty house, you might consider complete silence. Something not even a Spa can offer.

{all images are taken from my bathroom at Fieldstone Hill}

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For your own Spa Day in your bathroom, I pulled together some of my favorite “spa-worthy” items to share with you below {affiliate links. Thank you, loves!}:

 

Is there anything new you are eager to add to your Spa bathroom?

I would love to hear if you have any of your own ways that you love to “Spa up” your bathroom!!

Now, go get yourself some Peace and Quiet, add a few simple touches, and enjoy your Spa Day!

* * * * *

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!

* * * * *

Have you been hearing buzz lately about Essential Oils? I love mine for a zillion reasons!

* * * * *

 

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

Enter your email address:
Delivered by FeedBurner

{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! }

{portions of this post were previously shared on Roomag.com}