Friday, February 28, 2014

Fabulous Feature Friday {Jeffrey Allan Marks}

I am a HUGE Million Dollar Decorators fan. If you don't have any idea what I'm talking about, it was a design show on Bravo where four prestigious decorators from California design and decorate some amazing spaces. It comes on usually during the summer, but I haven't seen any new episodes lately. Some of the designs are quite fabulous and it is amazing to see what people will spend on a lamp, rug or chair! A totally different world than I am use to.


Anyway, I am in love with Jeffrey Allan Marks Designs. He has such a unique personality when designing his spaces.  He makes each space feel like home and not "stuffy". I am in love with all the natural elements he brings in his spaces. I could move into them all! Not to mention he is quite gorgeous himself!

I thought it would be fun to feature a few of his designs today so you can get on the JAM bandwagon. So sit back with a cup of coffee and enjoy these beautiful spaces!
 {If you want to pin these images, please go to JAM's Gallery and pin from the original source!}

























So did I convert you to the JAM fan club? Absolutely fabulous spaces designed by a fabulous guy. For more inspiration and photographs of his designs go HERE.

Have a wonderful weekend!


Wednesday, February 26, 2014

New Flip Home #5 {Before Pictures}

Happy Hump Day All! Hope you are having a productive week without too much fun! :)

I am happy to announce that we have closed on our 5th flip home this week. We have already started tearing off rotted siding, pulled up gross carpet and started patching holes in the walls. I spoke with the neighbor yesterday and he said this little home has been sitting empty for about 3 years! Isn't it crazy how long foreclosed homes sit before the bank does anything about them!? We are happy that this little home is ours. We are going to make her shine and then give her a new owner to love on her!


This little beauty is around 1600sqft with 4 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, a good size family room with fireplace, eat in kitchen with french doors leading out onto a large back deck. Spaces fenced in yard with just about three quarters of an acre. Sounds dreamy doesn't it? You Just Wait!

Are you ready for the BEFORE pictures? Just brace yourselves...they aren't pretty.


You can see I am shooting toward the front door. There are a lot of items that need to be done right here. New light fixtures, New Paint, Carpeting, touch up all molding and doors.



Don't look directly at the walls, but this is the family room. The fireplace is in great shape, which is a plus. This room will need new paint, carpet, light fixture and new screens for the windows.



The family room opens up into the eat in kitchen/dining area.


Doesn't look that appetizing to cook a meal in now, but just hold your horses! This kitchen is going to get a full face lift with bright white cabinetry, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, tile floors and new light fixtures. This is where we will spend the most money, which is important because a kitchen is the top space that sells a home!



Even though there isn't a lot of counter space, this kitchen is actually quite spacious and the new owners can even opt for putting in an island. The small door to the left is a good size pantry. The doors leading out flow right into a laundry room with a side entrance from outside.



Your master bedroom looks like this..does it not? HA! Pretty gross. Hope you aren't eating your breakfast right now. The master will also get a full neutral paint job, new carpet, wallpaper border will be gone and a new light fixture is in order!



Someone really liked to faux finish walls! This is the master bathroom. The tile floors are hard to see, but are actually in good shape, so we are going to keep them and just clean them up a bit. New paint on vanity, new counter tops, fixtures and framed mirror are priority in this space. Behind the door is a full tub/shower. I didn't take a picture of it... because to be honest, that is the worse part about the house. I think we are going to tear it out and start over. I have no idea how a bathroom gets to the point of no return...if you get my drift.


You can kind of get a peek of the shower through the mirror. Doesn't look that bad from this view. Some people will like the fact that there is a shared bathroom downstairs, some won't. But, there is access to this bathroom from the hallway as well as the master. Nothing we could change about this layout with the budget we have. We will see what buyers say when they walk through the finished place.



There were some really creative people that lived here! This is the second bedroom downstairs that would actually be a great office space facing the front of the property. New paint, carpet, fixtures are a must!



Upstairs are two good size bedrooms, a full bathroom and walk in attic space.



The second full bathroom is surprisingly not as bad as the master downstairs.


The tile and bathtub are in great shape. We will just add some new fixtures, toilet, paint the vanity, all new hardware and frame out the mirror.



As you can see we are already in full swing of fixing up this place. Workers were on the roof tearing some of the rotten siding off yesterday. I love the backyard. It is fenced in and so private and peaceful. I could see a family really enjoying time back here entertaining with cookouts and games.
The exterior needs some siding replaced, new paint on siding, trim, shutters and doors. The deck needs a few boards replaced, a good power wash and stain. There are pieces in the fence that need to be fixed. The front porch paint needs to be scraped and re-stained. This beauty also needs some landscaping around the front to make her pop from the street.

There is a lot of work to be done, but I love the journey and seeing where it takes us! I will update you along the way. We should have this up on the market the beginning of April!

So tell me...does this place just disgust you or can you see the beauty underneath all the dirt?

If you missed our four previous flip homes you can click Here to see some before and after pictures.

Monday, February 24, 2014

An Organized Coat Closet

Happy Monday! So glad we are off to a fresh new week.



Over the weekend I finally finished organizing our coat closet. It has been bugging me for some time now and all it needed was an hour of my time! I took everything out of the closet and sorted what I was keeping, donating and throwing away. Then I dusted, vacuumed and moped! It was a fresh start!!


I picked up just a few items from Target to complete this project! Wooden Hangers, Plastic Baskets & one large Woven basket.


These woven plastic bins are my favorite! I have used them all over our house including our Laundry Closet Makeover. They are so easy to wipe down. I reused a basket that I already had for the various cat supplies that were just laying on the floor. I already had these chalk board labels and used my favorite Chalk Markers to label the baskets. You can find some great labels at Staples in the Martha Stewart Section if you don't have a label maker at home.



I love this woven basket. It is really large and made of plastic fibers which is easy to clean with some soap and water! This special basket contains all my books and toys for when my niece and nephew stop by. So convenient to just pull out and store.



Matching hangers were a must! The plastic hangers weren't tough enough for the heavy coats. I love how the wooden hangers have really helped create a more esthetically pleasing space. Only $13.99 for a pack of 24! I thought it was a great deal and I have leftover hangers to use in our other closets.


I am very pumped at how it turned out. Now I can open the door and not feel like I need to immediately shut it so I won't become overwhelmed!


You might have also noticed a couple hats hanging on the door and right on the inside wall. I used some 3M hooks I had to hang the random hats that were thrown in the closet. Now we can actually find them!





Pretty Great..don't you think? It took me less than an hour to rummage through everything and get the items organized where I wanted them. A trip to Target or the Container store was also very inspiring! You may not have the extra funds to get new containers, bins or baskets. But, just walking around those stores you can get ideas on how to best organize your own spaces. Think of re-purposing items around your home or using baskets and bins you might have laying in your attic or basement. You don't always have to buy new to create organized spaces!





So what DIY or Organizing projects do you have going on around your home? Do you need a little accountability to get them finished? Email me at: Eatsleepdecorate(at)gmail(dot)com and let's get you motivated!

P.S. Were you the winner of the BIGSTOCK giveaway?? Click on over Here to find out.

Have a great start to your week my sweets! xoxo

Friday, February 21, 2014

Life & New Sales at One Kings Lane

Well folks...it has been one of those weeks. I truly had a blog post planned for each day of the week, but life happened. The Hubs got sick and we took a few trips to the ER and Doctors offices, I was told that our kitty cat has a serious illness and that it doesn't look great and then today I woke up with the flu. Sorry to be on the downer side of life, but I know you have all been there! So, thanks for sticking with me my friends!

I have an organized closet to share with you next week and some exciting partnerships for new products and giveaways. I also have a reader's redesign plan and some decorating dilemmas to help you with your own spaces. So I hope you come back and join in on the excitement!



A few weeks ago I talked about some of my favorite accent chairs from One Kings Lane. Have you signed up to receive their daily sales? I'd like to invite you to join One Kings Lane, my favorite destination for top-brand & designer furniture, decor, art, gifts & vintage items up to 70% off. And there's a $15 credit waiting for you! It is free, no obligation! Just wanted to share the Love. You can sign up HERE. And...if you get your friends to sign up, you get $15 dollars each time they make a purchase. Pretty awesome right?


Below are a few of the sales that are going on NOW. So many unique, one of a kind pieces for your home.


The Bridges of Madison County Sale at One Kings Lane
First a novel, then a film, now a stirring Broadway musical— The Bridges of Madison County remains an unforgettable love story. One Kings Lane was delighted to provide props and to have prop supervisor Kathy Fabian walk us through the production. Now you can have the actual items used on set!




A Serene Scene Sale at One Kings Lane
Design the perfect space to rest, relax, and recharge. These comfortable beds, plush rugs, art, and more come in soft, subtle tones that will make any bedroom inviting, elegant, and instantly calming.(I could definitely take a nap in that bed!)





A Place of Your Own Sale at One Kings Lane
Sometimes a quiet moment to recharge is just what you need. From pretty prints to cozy club chairs, this selection has everything to create a relaxing space that’s just for you. (Having a reading chair like the one below is such a wonderful place to curl up after a long day...take a look at One Kings Lane today, you will be hooked!)










I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Anything exciting happening that I can vicariously live through while recovering from my crazy week!?? Do share!




**The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.

Monday, February 17, 2014

New Art in the Master Bathroom {& A Giveaway!}

A few weeks ago I finally got around to sharing my master bathroom progress with all of you. I am very happy about the paint colors and am in love with my HomeGoods Oriental rug. But there was still something missing on the walls. I knew I wanted the artwork to be a little different and without much color.



I was recently contacted by Bigstock Photo to review their artwork.  Bigstock is an easy to use marketplace for quality stock images. They offer over 17 million royalty-free photographs and illustrations from talented photographers and artists around the globe, available for almost any purpose. There are so many options...you could seriously spend your whole day roaming around!



You can find beautiful photography from around the world:

Find this photo Here


Find this photo Here


There are also some amazing prints of artwork. I am in love with the two below for my own home:

Abstract graffiti Here


Boat Watercolor Here.

They even have a variety of prints for the kids!

ABC Sketch print Here


Silhouette Wall Art Here

Bigstock really has anything and everything to give your home a little pop with artwork! You can even take advantage of downloading images for your own website or for a power point presentation! 

I was very excited to try out a print for my own home. I decided to go with this photograph of a magnificent Elephant. I love how the animal is isolated against the black background. You can see every wrinkle on his hard skin and the wear and tear of his amazing tusks! I just fell in love instantly and knew he needed to be in my home. 


The poster is a 36"x24"...big enough to take up a large part of the wall in the master bathroom. This photograph was printed on high quality poster paper. I was surprised and how durable the paper was. It felt almost canvas like. I think it fits my bathroom perfectly... Don't you?



Now my favorite part of the day!....One of my lucky reader's gets a FREE poster size print from BigStock Photos!! There will be many pieces of artwork to choose from. I can't wait to see who wins!

Click on the Rafflecopter below to enter. You must complete the first entry and then the following steps are extra entries. Good Luck to All! A winner will be chosen at random and announced on the blog next Monday, February 24th! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


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BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! The giveaway also includes ALL OF YOU winning a free 5-day trial subscription. I want you to feel inspired to update the artwork around your home using BigStock

Discount Offer located here: https://www.bigstockphoto.com/free-trial/10aday5daytrial

This 5-Day Free Trail subscription will allow you to try Bigstock and download up to 50 Free Images (vs their standard free trial, which maxes at 35 Free Images). So it would be up to 10 a day, for 5 days, for FREE. Any image or vector, any size. Sign Me Up!!

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Thanks so much for following my little ole blog! I love sharing great products and companies with all of you. Now...who wants to win?

Have a wonderful Monday my friends!



Bigstock sent me the poster for review, however I was not sponsored to write this post in anyway. All opinions are mine and mine alone!