HopeChest Bride

Who Needs Starbucks....Part II

2011-11-16T09:04:00.001-05:00

I blogged about this here several months ago and felt compelled to do a follow-up post after reading this article this morning online Starbucks is raising prices .

I have to agree with the majority of the folks who commented, why are we spending all that money (some of us everyday) for a product you can easily make at home for much less??

My hubby bought me a Keurig last year and I LOVE IT! I can't say enough good things about this machine. It has not only saved money, but time. I don't know about you, but there's no Starbucks in my neighborhood, so that means I have to drive all the way to the nearest mall to find one. I live in the boonies people..LOL!!

When I go to the supermarket I purchase my flavored creamers (during the Holiday season they usually have the Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread and other yummy flavors available) and Redi Whip. I also keep a jar of caramel in the fridge and there's always cinnamon and nutmeg in the pantry. I sometimes use my K-Cups but I also have this nifty contraption that allows you to use your favorite ground coffee instead.

Look at all that yummy goodness dripping down the side of the glass.

Super convenient cups for when you're on the go. I purchase mine at Dollar General. That cute coffee canister holds my stash of Starbucks coffee. I purchase mine when they go on sale.

I'm just saying, I don't know about you guys but I would much rather spend my spare money on home decor items, awesome fabrics or a pair of cute shoes than to spend it on a cup of Joe!!

Lisa

Apple Crisp

2011-11-03T21:17:00.000-04:00

Pat and Gina Neely's Apple Crisp! This was simply delicious and so quick and easy to make. The only thing I added to this recipe was the warm caramel sauce drizzle. Here's a link to the recipe @Food TV .

Enjoy
Lisa

Church Nursery Project

2011-10-29T20:40:00.000-04:00

Lisa

This Is Me

2011-10-27T23:15:00.001-04:00

Playing around with Polyvore...lol

This Is Me by lisaj1 featuring a brim hat

Cotton shirt
$12 - topshop.com

H m
£20 - hm.com

TopShop wet look legging
$44 - topshop.com

TopShop leather boots
$280 - topshop.com

J Crew twisted hoop earrings
$35 - jcrew.com

Stone necklace
$55 - qvc.com

Michael Kors sport watch
$225 - net-a-porter.com

Juicy Couture brim hat
$68 - piperlime.gap.com

Keurig Single-Serve Coffee/Tea System
$250 - bloomingdales.com

ESSIE Lady Like - 764
$12 - boutique1.com

Creating a Space With Personality

2011-10-20T12:53:00.000-04:00

Today we have a guest post from Arcadian Lighting on "Tips for Creating a Space With Personality"

Here are some of our favorite tips on creating a space with personality for your home. Most involve things you already own or simple design solutions like paint and trim or light fixtures. Your space should reflect your personality and interests, not a furniture showroom. Have fun and let your personality shine through in your rooms.

Houzz (via)

Creating a space with personality is about making the space reflect you. Mixing up furnishings, new with vintage, and styles is a great way to up a room's personality.

House Beautiful (via)

Wall color is an easy (and easy to change) way to add personality to a room. Select a color that is one of your favorites and be bold. A pink living room? Why not? Then go for a finishing touch like this awesome crystal chandelier.

Young House Love (via)

Add personality with large scale art. This predominantly white room zings with pink and red accents against a large floral photograph.

I Want I Want I Want (via)

A collection of art hung in a gallery above the sofa brings a lot of the owner's personality into the room. A mix of colorful accessories and pillows adds personality to the generic white slip covered sofa.

Velvet & Linen (via)

If you collect, display your collections together in clusters so they have more impact. Like with this collection of sailing art and objects--a corner or wall of a room is a good place to start.

House Beautiful (via)

If you are a gardener or outdoorsy type, bring your personality into a space with floral or botanical inspired prints. Wallpaper can bring big personality to even a small space like a powder room.

NSK Wood (via)

Add personality to a kitchen with open shelving to display plates and china or mount decorative plates on the wall. Ceilings and floors can be painted to add interest.

Decoist (via)

Pattern and color on any surface will add personality to your rooms. Don't forget the trim—like on the shades of impressive table lamps in this cheerful living room.

Content provided by Arcadian Lighting, a site that specializes in top quality lighting fixtures at extremely affordable prices. Come visit us today!

Lisa

"Happy Fall"

2011-09-23T14:28:00.000-04:00

Today may be dreary wet and rainy outside as the seasons change from Summer into Autumn, but we must remember to "Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because He is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before." {Joel 2:23}.

Thank God for the rain.

Lisa

Gratitude....and Blessings

2011-08-19T21:13:00.000-04:00

I read a beautiful post at ala parisienne today regarding gratitude. Please take the time to visit her blog and read the entire post. I promise you will be inspired.

"Gratitude" by Nichole Nordeman"

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead

And if we never taste that bread
Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need
So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitudeFor lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in needAnd if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please . . .

Lisa

August 7, 1968.....

2011-08-07T11:00:00.000-04:00

Psalm 139:13-18

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
   were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand—
   when I awake, I am still with you.

I am truly humbled and ever so thankful God has blessed me to live to see another beautiful birthday. Oh how I love Him.

Lisa

Before & After....Bookcase

2011-08-02T23:05:00.000-04:00

This piece was a great Craigslist find {Campaign Bookcase}. I knew just the spot I wanted to put it....my office. I can't seem to find enough storage space in there and what a great way to add a little touch of elegance to the space. The walls in there are a cool shade of blueish/grey, so I went with a soft grey for the paint color.

After painting it a couple of coats of grey semi-gloss paint I applied a remnant of Trina Turk fabric to the back of the bookcase and Ta Da! Done!!

I'll be taking a trip to the office supply store this week to pick up a few storage containers. Maybe something like this.....

Or maybe something more swanky like these from Reaney Designs boxes....HA!

I think this project turned out pretty good and came in under budge at $45 for the bookcase, fabric and paint.

On to the next project.....

Lisa

Lunch Break.....From Projects

2011-07-28T16:42:00.000-04:00

Working on a few projects today that I'll be sharing later on this weekend. I did however take time to break away and fix a delicious Pasta Salad for lunch. Rotini pasta, tomatoes {from my container garden}, sweet vidalia onions, red & yellow sweet peppers, green peppers {also from my ~~tiny~~ wonderful garden}, black olives and Robusto Italian Dressing. I topped the salad off with some grated Gouda cheese I had in the fridge and what better to wash it down with than a glass of Coke Zero {okay...yes wine would have been preferable, but it's the middle of the day people..lol}. Super simple and so Yummy!

Lisa

Anthro Inspiration

2011-07-26T16:37:00.000-04:00

So I fell in love with this necklace at Anthropologie

Now I don't think $49 is a bad price for a necklace like this, but I decided to challenge myself and see if I could make it for under that amount.

After a few trips to here & here......

I was able to produce this:

I choose to make two separate necklaces instead of one combined, that way I can wear one or both at the same time. I also think I'm going to add some length to the back of each necklace so that I can wear them long or short depending upon my outfit.

So, what do you think? Oh and by the way...it only cost me about $20 to make the entire necklace!

Lisa

Dressing Room - Part II

2011-07-24T22:51:00.000-04:00

Okay....so I'm a little late posting this follow-up.

As I said before, we ~~have too many clothes~~ try to keep things neat around here, even in the closet, so without further ado....here's our "Dressing Room" reveal {he..he..I always feel like I should be draped across a divan in a fur stole or something when I say that...LOL}

I have got to pull that cord cover up so that it covers the entire cord.......

There are a couple of more things I would like to add...such as a better way of displaying my shoes; however I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

You can read about why we choose to turn this space into a dressing room here.

Off to finish yet another project....

Lisa

Who Needs Starbucks???

2011-07-20T22:42:00.000-04:00

When you can create your own coffee station right in your very own kitchen...HA! The thing is there's an awkward "semi-wall" right as you come into our kitchen that always bothered me. Every time I enter the kitchen it always feels so empty, well couple that with the fact that "cooking gadgets" on the counter top ~~drive me crazy~~ seem to tamper with my OCD, I figured why not find a way to squeeze my coffee maker {which is a MUST HAVE in my kitchen!!} into that space.

While Seville and I were in Charlotte this past weekend we found this cute cabinet in Marshall's....marked down from $99 to $75...STEAL! and presto-chango we now have a cute little coffee station in our kitchen.

After a trip to Kirkland's for some cute kitchen art my space was all set.

Tell me what you think? Am I the only one out there who hates kitchen gadgets on the counter tops?

Lisa

Sea Fan Art

2011-07-11T22:15:00.000-04:00

I'm linking up to "Between Naps on The Porch" Metamorphosis Monday. I shared pictures last week of our Great Room. After living with the room for a few days I decided it needed a little something different in the way of artwork. I've been swooning over these for many months now toying with the idea of creating my own.

Restoration Hardware $329.99

Amazon.com $425

While blogging yesterday I found this great tutorial from Erin at Stillwater Story!

A visit to Marshall's turned up this.....marked down to $8.00. I then returned home and looked through my stash for just the right size frame, rummaged through my fabric stash and found a piece of linen fabric leftover from my jewelry board project, some primer and paint and I was on my way.

I think it turned out pretty good. I may add a little umber glaze to the frame to tone it down a bit, other than that I love it!!

Thanks for the tutorial Erin!!
I'm also linking this post up to Sherry, Katie, Emily & Lana's Pinterest Challange!!

Lisa

Part II "The Great Room"

2011-07-05T13:12:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July!!

Fourth of July was at our house this year so I was in overdrive mode this past week trying to get the house together. It's funny how the thought of others seeing your "unfinished projects" can kick you right into gear...HA!

The room started out like this....

Here are a few photos of our semi-finished Great Room.

{please ignore the cords dangling behind my tv stand/sofa table...lol} I have yet to find the perfect piece for this space.

That artwork you see hanging on the right side of the fireplace used to look like this.....

after taking it completely apart I used some of the left over wallpaper from my bookcase project to redo the matting. I then turned to the Bible for art inspiration....there was a beautiful picture of the Sea of Galilee in my family Bible...I ~~cut it out~~ borrowed it...fit it within the matting and framed it. And this is how it turned out!

I showed you in a previous post how we were able to take these from this...

to this....

Well....that's one more project down....tons more to go!!

Lisa

I "HEART" Candace Olson....

2011-06-29T16:13:00.000-04:00

I truly do....and I've been purring over this sofa for many many months... from the Candace Olson line "The Naomi"

It would cost between $1575-$3200 to order this sofa.....EEEKK!! Not over the top as far as pricing goes these days for a well made sofa but alas my budget will not allow for such luxuries.

However; the Father ALWAYS knows your secret desires and will "give you the desires of your heart".

While shopping this past weekend with my sweet hubby we came across this.....

Same fabric I would have chosen the Naomi sofa in, same finish on the feet {a warm chicory}. The only difference is there is no nail head trim along the arms of the sofa....which is okay with me. I love it!! And wait for it....wait for it....only $899!! It was marked down from $1199. The sofa was such a great price we purchased the matching chair to go with it.

I'm still putting the finishing touches on this room so I'll be able to post some photos soon.

Lisa

"Pudding Face"

2011-05-14T16:39:00.000-04:00

Have you seen this commercial?? I know creepy right...LOL!! But today if you could see my face, that's just the expression you would find! Let me explain....hubby and I were on our way out of our neighborhood on this morning to shop for....wait for it.....A Lawnmower! I know..."what the what". Hey this girl would much rather go shopping for let's just say anything other than a lawnmower. I mean how exciting is that?? Anyway you can just picture my mood as we got into the car to drive off. As we were leaving the neighborhood hubby spotted a garage sale and commented on the rather large office chair in the driveway....well I have to admit, the phrase Garage Sale prompted me to glance in the rear view mirror just in time to scream STOP!! This is what I spotted.......

an Eames Chair!!

I couldn't get out the car fast enough. As I'm walking up the driveway I'm preparing myself for the astronomical amount of money she's going to be asking for this chair, so you can imagine my surprise when she said $25!! It took everything in me to contain my joy!! I asked if she happened to have the footstool that usually comes with the chair and she stated that it was at her mothers house and she would be happy to get it for me....and get this, bless her heart, she's still selling it for only $25.

I had researched the Eames Chair before so I knew I was getting a reproduction of the original. You can find a ton of great information at Worthpoint about the Original Eames Chair and how to tell a fake from the real deal. And although I did not acquire an original, $25 is a far cry from the going price of most replicas on Ebay and other websites. Many of them charge anywhere from $250 to $700 dollars.

Now do you see why I have "Pudding Face"...LOL

Lisa

Lighting 101

2011-05-13T14:55:00.000-04:00

I'm always amazed when I see a lamp listed online or in a magazine/catalog for mega-bucks when I know you can find the same lamp or one very similar, that will help you to achieve the look you're trying to capture in your room design, at a much lower cost. I always start out with a vision of the perfect lighting for the space and then I'm on the HUNT!! Thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, ~~Aunt Rose's living room~~ hand me downs from dear family members are always a great starting point when you go on the hunt.

This beautiful Jonathan Adler lamp available at Shades of Light {$199}

Mine which is very similar but with a nickle finished base was purchased at Marshall's for only $39.99!! {and yes....that's a big-ole piece of delicious Trina Turk fabric hanging above my credenza in my office. I still haven't decided how I want to use it in the space....hmmm I heart that fabric}

Here you see a beautiful Barbara Cosgrove lamp available at One King Lane {$119 ON SALE ~~$347~~}

My lamp which bears a striking resemblance to it was purchased about seven years ago at Kirkland's for $7.97 each on clearance

This is a beautiful white urn shaped lamp available at Shades of Light {$199}

Here's my white urn shaped vintage lamp purchased at a local thrift store {$6.00 for the lamp + $5.00 for the lamp kit to rewire it} and look at the size of the base on that baby. Love!

Now this lamp is truly beautiful. Almost makes me want to break the bank and purchase one....almost. Damask Porcelain in Orange with Gray.....

or perhaps you would prefer it in Beige with Spa Green......

or maybe Chartreuse Green with Gray would better fit your color scheme. All are available at Shades of Light to the tune of $439.

Awww....so lovely.

Lisa

Before & After

2011-05-04T12:17:00.000-04:00

Still working on this room in our house {The Great Room} but couldn't help sharing this great before and after. I found this set of bookcases on an online auction a few weeks ago and knew they would be perfect for the space on either side of the television {which by the way STILL is in need of a stand suitable for the space}.

Before

AfterAs I said, the room is far from done, however I'm pretty pleased at how this project turned out.

I lined the back of the bookcases with raffia wallpaper to add a little texture and painted them a soft white color {Behr Silky White}.

I'm very happy that I was able to accessorize both bookcases with items we already owned. I was determined not to have to buy ANYTHING for this project other than the bookcases, paint and wallpaper. That HUGE shell was one of the first things I spotted when I entered my hubby's town home when we were dating...yall know I had my eye on that from the very beginning. The turquoise vase was a great find at Kohl's about three years ago on clearance for $14.99!! The beautiful colored glass also belonged to my hubby. He was so pleased to see me use it in the space. That camera was something I found while cleaning my grandmothers house with my brothers a few years back before she passed, so it has sentimental value. The framed photo of the NC mountains was taken by a dear friend many years ago and the shells in that vase were gathered on our honeymoon last year in Myrtle Beach.

Well there you have it! Another project to check off the list of MANY!

Lisa

PRAYER

2011-04-28T11:26:00.000-04:00

"When a trumpet sounds in a city,
do not the people tremble?

When disaster comes to a city,
has not the LORD caused it?

Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing
without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."{Amos 3:6-7}

This is what the LORD says:

“As a shepherd rescues from the lion’s mouth
only two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued, with only the head of a bed and a piece of fabric from a couch. {Amos 3:12}

He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind,
and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the LORD God Almighty is his name. {Amos 4:13}

I'll be praying for all who were affected by last evenings storms. I ask that you pray with me and that we all remember that the Lord is always present even in our times of trouble and destruction.

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” {Deuteronomy 31:8}

Blessings
Lisa

Versatile Blogger Award

2011-04-25T23:20:00.000-04:00

Cynthia at InSeason Mom awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks Cynthia!!

This award is to recognize and appreciate fellow bloggers and let your readers know about some new blogs they might not have visited.

Now it's time to pass it on. Here are the rules:

*Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.

*Share seven things about yourself.

*Award 15 bloggers you recently discovered.
*Contact these bloggers and let them know they have received this award.

Seven Things About Myself:

1} I LOVE my God and although I know that I'm one of his challanging children....He loves me back!

2} I collect Cinderella books....{I know....wierdo right.....but it was my favorite storybook as a child}

3} Although decorating is my passion....I love making jewelry {still a work in progress..lol}

4} I keep a stash of CHOCOLATE in my office at ALL times

here....Truffle Crisp 3 Musketeers....

and here....mmm M&M's and almonds
5} I LOVE washing dishes by hand....{I know....again...wierdo...lol}

Especially when I can look out at this!!

6} I open ALL the blinds in my house every morning....rain or shine {to bathe the house with God's wondrous beauty}

7} I talk to my Mama at least three times a day! {I wouldn't have it any other way}

And the award goes to:

1}Mikey @ The Single Mom
2}Lara @ Twice Blessed Life
3}Shelly @ My Saving Game
4}CRichman @ C Richman Freebies
5}Deniece @ Organized Homaking For Christ
6}Camille @ Camille Peay's Blog
7}Ashley @ Carolina Couponer
8}Niecy @ Soulful Sandstone
9}Becky @ Cupcakes & Ruby Slippers
10}Kindle @ Redisign Diva

I'll award the last five Wednesday!!
Lisa

Dressing Room - Part 1

2011-04-22T22:58:00.000-04:00

My sweet hubs, Seville, and I are finishing up what we refer to as our dressing room. When we were first married we moved into an apartment until we could decide on a house. We quickly realized that HIS clothes were not going to fit into the master closet {Hi...I'm Lisa and I'm a closet hog}.

We made an attempt to force all his clothes into the guest bedroom closet, to no avail. While shopping in Lowe's one day we spotted this..

courtesy of Lowes.com

It was as if we heard "The Angels Singing". Seville was so excited, he installed it that same weekend {now ladies we all know how hard it is to get our man to jump on "projects"}...HA!

Problem solved!!!

When we moved into the house we were already envisioning a space with not one but two wardrobes, one for him and one for ME. I have to say, we are truly blessed. The master bedroom in this home has two closets and they are very large; however we already had our mind set on a true "Dressing Room".

Here's a sneak peak at our progress...

Do you face the same challenges? And what was the outcome? Stay tuned!

Lisa

Guest Bedroom...Part 2

2011-04-03T18:37:00.000-04:00

Here's a glimpse of my "almost finished" Guest Bedroom.

As I said in my previous post, I kept the walls a very neutral Antique White {just in case I get the notion to change things up a bit} and I repurposed my old ribbon chest and buffet from my previous dining room.

I had the guys at Sherwin Williams mix me a quart of Silver Sage {Restoration Hardware}. I love the grey/green color, very creamy. I wanted to keep the original hardware brass however there was too much damage and paint to take off. So I got out my trusty can of grey Rustoleum spray paint and gave them a couple of coats. I love how the grey pulls look up against the paint color.

Oops! She's still in need of a mani-pedi..LOL

I started out with this....

Then I remembered I had this....which needed a LOT of work.

It's not perfect; but I think it's a perfect fit for the space {thanks Eddie Ross for the inspiration..lol}

This....is now....

This! And this......

Is now......this

I still have to go over the door hardware with a fine paintbrush {don't you just love it when they nail the hardware to the door!!}.

The drapes are Simply Shabby Chic for Target. I love the embroidered detail at the bottom.

And this lampshade was found at Hobby Lobby {ahhh linen....you had me at hello}.

I'm not done by a long shot. I still need to find a rug for in front of the bed, there's a chair that still need to be redone and a very BIG blank wall space over the TV, but all in all, I love how the room turned out. My mom spent the night a few weeks ago and she loved it! I hope you enjoy the tour.

Lisa

Playing With Color {Yellow & Grey}

2011-04-01T15:07:00.000-04:00

Jonathan Adler Yellow Flame Euro Shams in Yellow Flame

Trina Turk

Eric Cohler for Lee Jofa

Paper Mojo

Hollywood Regency Chairs

I'm starting to see a trend here....I {heart} Yellow and Grey

Lisa

Our Home {The HopeChest House}

2011-03-31T12:04:00.000-04:00

I’m opening myself up here; taking you guys along with me as I give you a front seat look at the challenges a decorator will face when decorating her OWN HOUSE! Let’s begin with “The Guest Bedroom”.

Here's what I'm thinking....

Guest Bedroom by hopechestbride

I have several vintage furniture pieces I've gathered that would help me create this look. My ex-ribbon chest I lovingly painted and distressed to give it just the right finish three years ago. Since I've got another great storage idea for all my precious ribbons up my sleeve {more on that later} I can repurpose this piece. I also plan on repurposing my vintage french country china hutch. The base would make a great tv stand.

Since the only people who come to visit are our moms and my husbands sister I can justify giving the space a more femenine feel. Imagine a quaint French B&B. I plan on keeping the wall color neutural {a warm antique white} which will give me the option of changing the look completely for very little money just by changing the bedding and accessories.

I found a great bedding set a couple of weeks ago at Belk's for 75% OFF!! You know how you have a vision in your head but you can't seem to find exactly what you want?? Well thats what happened to me a couple of weeks ago when shopping for this project. I literally NEVER shop in Belk's, but it was on the way home and I figured "WHAT THE HECK". They had this HUGE sale on their bedding that day, so I scored a beautiful bedding set that just happen to be exactly what I was looking for.

Now I'm off to the paint store. Here's a sneak peek at what's to come.

Shop HopeChest Bride

2011-03-31T12:00:00.000-04:00

I've been thrifting and antiquing for months now accumulating and refurbishing beautiful treasures that I will soon have to part with {Yeah!}. It's been a ~~chore~~ blast, but I have to admit I'm having the time of my life. How could I possibly complain about having the time of my life!

All items will be posted on my Etsy shop. Stop by and take a look around.