Master bathroom renovation

Our master bathroom renovation is finally coming to an end and I am loving the way it is turning out.  My style has changed more towards contemporary over the years.  I had always loved the old world tuscan style which I had in my previous home's bathroom for many years, I figured it was time for a change.  For this bathroom I went with 12" X 24" grey tiles on the floor and 4ft. up the walls and extra large 13" X 40" wavy tiles in the shower as a focal point.  I still need to get a mirror and few accessories… But the major fixtures will be put in a few days after we, by that I mean my husband's employee, have finished installing the tiles.

Here is the tile we chose, the large tile has a beautiful wave on it reminds me of the ocean waves.

We like the look of a curbless shower so the floor transitions into the shower without a step.  My husband made sure underneath the bathroom floor is well protected by installing a rubber floor and cement on the entire bathroom floor instead of just the shower area before tiling.

Bathroom is not yet completed, but here is where we are at now.  Hopefully, it will be finished in a few days and I will be showing you the finished bathroom.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hanging wreath tutorial

I have Christmas dinner at my house with my family and friends each year.   I love making the holiday dinners and enjoy spending time with the people that I love.  The decorating for the holidays is one of my favorite things to do,  this is where I have carte blanch to be creative and over the top as I want.  Being that we are still in our temporary apartment while we renovate our house after hurricane Sandy, we don't have the nicest of a home and that's okay, it is temporary.  To make it as pretty as possible is a bit of a challenge.  In the diningroom there is no chandelier, so I decided to make a wreath chandy.  I am really happy for the way it turned out!

Here is what I used:

                              

                  Large wreath, real or fake will do,  I used a real one.

                  Ribbon, rope or garland can be used. I used a thin garland I bought at a craft store.

                  Tinsels 

                  Ornaments or anything decorative you want to attached to the wreath.

I tied the thin garland to the wreath evenly and hung it up on the ceiling above my diningroom table.  Excuse my mess, Christmas exploded in my house!

Then I added tinsel and icicles ornaments to the wreath.

I love it!!

Linking this post to:

Homestoriesatoz.com

Thank you for stopping by and Happy Holidays!

Christmas Wine bottle gift holder

I had to share with you this cute idea for a wine bottle holder my friend Grace made for us as a gift.  It is simple to make and so adorable... I always appreciate a gift that is handmade.

Isn't this so cute?

Grace took a can large enough to fit a wine bottle in, such as a can of soup or tomato sauce and wrapped it with foil paper.  Then she tied a red ribbon with a bow and put candy canes in between the bow and the can.  

She put a wine bottle wrapped in tissue paper into the decorated can.  

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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It's Christmas time in the city...

Hi all, I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  My sister and her family and my family went into New York City to see the beautiful Rockefeller Center Christmas tree all lit up in its splender on Sunday.  The energy in New York City is like no other, everywhere you turn there is something spectacular to see.   People from all walks of life all melt together in this dynamic city.  

Saks Fifth Avenue's is known for its extravagant window displays each year.  This year the theme is the Sak's Yeti, the legend says that the Yeti family lives at the Saks department store's rooftop and makes snow in the winter.  

Saks Fifth Avenue is not the only store with the elaborate displays, all the high end stores had their own lavish exhibitions. 

Here is a Charlie Chaplin sitting on top of a tree inside a store…

Here is another great display...

The buildings were also dressed with dazzling lights.

I could go on and on showing you more of my 250 pictures I took, but I'll stop for now.  Better yet, if you are near New York, walking down Fifth Avenue is a must do at Christmas time and prepare to be amazed!

Thanks for stopping by!

Upside down Christmas tree?

Have you ever seen an upside down tree?  Last year was the first time I have seen one at my local holiday martket.  I thought they were quite interesting...

Here are some I have seen since then… When I googled it I was amazed that there were so many of them on the net!

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I am not quite sure how I feel about the upside down Christmas tree…  I am kind of a traditional gal when it comes to the holidays and I don't really think outside of the box (or upside down, ha) not sure if I want to, I love our same ole tradition!

What do you think? Do you like or is it too odd?

Seashell ornaments and decor

The holiday season has always been my favorite time of the year… Christmas was always my favorite holiday as it is to most.  When I was young, decorating for Christmas was part of the magic and making decorations was so gratifying for me and it still is.  I could spend hours and hours caught up in a creative zone making ornaments and Christmas decorations, that is one of the reasons why I love having a shop on Etsy.  It provides a place for me to sell my items that I create for me and extra to sell.  
If anyone of you has a hobby and like to create, you should try your hand at starting a business on etsy, if you haven't yet.  It helps you to continue to be creative after you have created for you and your home and gives another purpose to create.  
I have been drawn to using seashell for my holiday decorations since we moved to coastal area.  It's funny, before I moved to a beach community, I never thought of using shells for my projects… Now, I can't stop using them… I love working with shells, their beautiful natural shapes and size can be worked into some many things.  Here are a few decorations I've been making for my etsy shop along with for my home.

I made this seashell Christmas tree by gluing small white shells and rhinestones to a styrofoam cone.  The star on top is a real starfish wrapped with tiny rhinestones.

These sand dollars were painted and glittered.  Added a little rhinestones for a little more sparkle. 

These flat scallop shells are perfect in its natural state, added a metal angel to hang from.

More bling, you gotta have the bling!  I love using abalone shells, I love their iridescent quality they take on a different color at every angle.

I hope you can stop by my etsy shop and also check out some of their great shops.  If you haven't already started a shop on etsy, maybe it will be a new venture for the upcoming year.

Thank you for stopping by!

Heart of the home

I love a beautiful kitchen, who doesn't!  When we have a guests over it never fails, the kitchen is where they all want to congregate.  Eventhough, my house has a open floor plan, everyone always hangs around in the kitchen area.  So, here are some kitchens I would love to hang out in…

This one is one of my favorites from Kraftmaid...

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Traditional Kitchen by Chicago Design-Build Firms Orren Pickell Building Group

Traditional Kitchen by Glen Ellyn Kitchen & Bath Remodelers Drury Design

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Traditional Kitchen by Edina General Contractors John Kraemer & Sons

Contemporary Kitchen by Winter Park Design-Build Firms Phil Kean Designs

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How beautiful are these kitchens? I wouldn't mind hanging out in one them!

Hope you are having a great weekend!