bow making

happy christmas eve. hope you are having a wonderful holiday season!

every year i try to make my gift wrapping out of something recycled. this year i made the bows with magazine clippings. they turned out super cute and were so easy to make...click to here to see the tutorial i followed.

♥. b-real

winter garden

i just pulled my first leafy head of lettuce from the garden this week. yum yum. i'm growing a variety of lettuces, spinach, beets, parsnips and peppers.

♥. b-real

happy thanksgiving

i'm having jose's parents over for dinner tonight....for the first time!!! lots to do so i will keep this short and sweet. i hope you a wonderful thanksgiving filled with lots of family and friend time.

♥. b-real

i see

i seem to keep things that i think will come back in style and that i might wear again later in life. my sister came over the other day and couldn't believe all the things i've kept from when we were young. and well and i guess my eyeglasses were one of those things. i was missing one pair, my very first pair (the little pink ones) and just found them at my parents house!...my collection is complete.

the evolution of my eyeglasses....my first pair seem a lot like the red ones i wear now. i can't wait for the really round glasses to come back in style....i'm totally going to rock the ones from middle school.

have a beautiful weekend!

♥. b-real

inspiration is flo'ing

hello there! i was super excited when i found out florence + the machine has come out with a new album!! i'm in love...she is insane. i had to post this video because it coincides so beautifully with the venetian masquerade new year's eve event i'm helping design.

this past weekend we had a workshop and made some awesome cardboard chandeliers for the event. i will share pictures soon.

♥. b-real

masque noir - part 2

last week i showed you my image boards for masque noir. this week i would like to share mine and kelly's concept for our main area of focus, which are the nooks. there is an intimate little niche under both sets of stairs that look out into the space. we are creating a cozy place for people to come and mingle. 

above is a floor plan which shows two different seating areas. one is using existing benches that the museum has as a base and building on top to create decorative backs for a romantic little get away . the other is an informal space where people can gather. we plan to use tree stumps as stools and high back antique chairs to create an eclectic area for conversation. below are two images that we are using for inspiration.

via: sweetie pie restaurant & martha stewart

we are also creating fun layering of textures with fabric that will swoop from the ceiling and recycled glass jars wrapped in yarn and lace that will hold candles. i will share photos and tutorials as we being to create these pieces....stay tuned.

have a beautiful weekend!

♥. b-real

masque noir

i got asked to be apart of the mood committee for this year's nye party at moca here in jacksonville and of course i said yes! this year's event is named masque noir with a venetian masquerade theme. with a tight budget most everything will be diy and with only two months away we have been brainstorming like crazy. below are my two image/mood boards. the other ladies also had awesome ideas and everyone is on the same creative wavelength! i can't wait to see it all come together. this past week we went further and provided sketches of the areas we are responsible for, i will share those next week.

i asked my friend/future business partner kelly to join the committee with me and these creative girls casie, meredith, amy, danielle and leah...:)

i didn't credit any of the images on my blog but you can check out my pinterest for image credits.

have a wonderful weekend!

♥. b-real



outdoor living

i've been dying to start creating the backyard of my dreams or at least as close as possible ;) jose and i have been talking about building a deck to extend the small outdoor living space i have now. our plan is start this fall so i've been gathering images of outdoor spaces i love. here are just a few that inspire me in one way or another. i can't wait to start!

1. vertical garden 2. lovely furniture 3. garden boxes 4. what's not to love 5. yes, please 6. pink door 7. perfect gathering

i heard the weather is going to be beautiful this weekend!

hope you have a great weekend with lots of sunshine.

♥. b-real

rearranging and such

i have a tiny little living room and didn't see much opportunity to rearrange until......i was having a conversation with my friend kelly and i got this crazy idea to change it up. and oh my i just love it! so i thought i would share a few special pics from the living room.

i love the "new" feeling i get after rearranging a space. it makes me so happy to be in the "new" room. my house is my favorite place to be and i like to keep things fresh and new. do you get this feeling when changing things up at your house?

well two post in one week is big time for me....see you next week. have a great weekend.

♥. b-real

hello there

hello there….i’ve been in a bit of a funk and haven’t done much of anything creative lately. but i'm still here, now refreshed and ready to get back into the swing of things.

since we last talked i’ve been super busy with birthdays, babies and weddings...i guess it goes with the age.

i have also been taking care of a stray dog that i fell in love with. i finally found him a foster home where he will be given lots of love until someone adopts him.

jose and i had our 3 year anniversary ♥.

lastly we took a much needed vacation.
we borrowed our friends pop-up like last year and headed to north georgia and the coast of south carolina for a little relaxation!

and in the middle of all this a few opportunities came my way that i’m very excited about. one of them was being asked to be a part of the mood committee for this year’s nye party at moca of jacksonville. i think joining this creative group of ladies is exactly what will pull me out of this funk. i will share more later :)

hope you are doing great and having a wonderful week.

♥. b-real

take me away

my suitcase is packed, take me away to a secret place.

tranquil nesting

bohemian daydream

exotic getaway

beach beauty

peaceful retreat

just doing a little daydreaming....ready to escape the world.

♥. b-real

almost forgotten

hello!

 i wanted to introduce you to the next project from my long list of things to do this summer. i almost forgot about this beauty....she has been hiding away in my garage just waiting for me to show her some love :)

she was attached to a dresser i found on the side of the road. i put her away in the garage and totally forgot about her until i came across this post. i was so inspired i came home and searched for her. i'm thinking about painting her a kelly green! once finished she will be placed above my fireplace which i'm also redoing this summer. i will keep you updated on her progress. i love repurposing furniture and find joy in doing so. would you be interested in me creating a step by step tutorial?

have a wonderful weekend!

♥. b-real

keyed

i recently created a fun piece of artwork out of two different pieces i already had in my bedroom. i had a branch hanging from the ceiling with glass bud vases hanging from the branch on one wall and a framed key on another.... once this wardrobe found it's way into the room the branch had to move. months later i came up with this idea below and the next day went to an antique mall and found these antique door keys to hang from the branch....and that's the story of the two lonely pieces that are now very happy they have found each other. the end.

i hope everyone is having a great week so far. tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the week, thursday. i get very excited and crazy on thursday's....i guess because the weekend is right around the corner. yes i am strange and i'm ok with that.

♥. b-real

4th

happy 4th of july! i just had the best day with family and friends and to top it off my nephew sat on my lap during the entire fireworks show :)

hope you all had an extra long special weekend and great 4th!

♥. b-real

savannah

a little tour of savannah through my camera lens.

we explored the city last weekend with our traveling buddies and had a grande ole time doing it.



♥. b-real

cruising

looking for a way to add a little vintage charm to your bike? check out how i repurposed this wine crate into a basket for my bike.

p.s. i can't take full credit for this awesome idea....jose bought me the wine crate for my bike a few years ago...i would say it was a combined creative effort :)

our friends asked us to join them in savannah this weekend for a little get away. i hope to take some great pictures of the city...will report back next week. hope you have a beautiful weekend!

♥. b-real

the vanity

i posted before & after pictures of my bathroom renovation two months ago but wanted to come back and create a post that focused on the vanity i refinished. so far this re-purposed piece of furniture has been a great fit. i spent several months searching for a piece that was the right size, height and had room for storage. as soon as i laid eyes on her i knew she would make the perfect vanity. i was drawn to the detailing of the apron and spindle legs. she has a romantic vintage feel with clean modern accessories.

before.



after.

i would like to give a big hug to papernstitch and design*sponge for showcasing my newly renovated bathroom....thank you so much.

i hope you all have a great weekend!

♥. b-real

red hott

thought i would show off my new red hott spectacles. xo.

♥. b-real

memorial day

despite my feelings on war i will always have the utmost respect for past and present military soldiers, my grandfather being one of them. this memorial day meant something extra special to me. we went to visit my grandfather's grave site for the first time since he was laid to rest 7 months ago. i got to share this memorable trip with my grandmother and family.

my grandpa wesche gave'em hell and i am sure he is doing the same now ♥.

♥. b-real

oh my garden!

last year jose and i built a raised garden and since then i've have been enjoying the tastiest veggies and herbs around. between my organic vendor at the farmers market and my garden i'm starting to become a veggie snob. i no longer like the taste of store bought fruits and vegetables.

i built this fancy trellis all by myself. this is my first time growing cucumbers...they are a little tricky. i still have a lot of learning to do and many different plants i want to try.

tomatoes galore.

i've been enjoying the herb garden too. i've been making my own salad dressing from the herbs in the garden all spring and lots of herb infused water. the warmer weather always gets me inspired to get creative in the kitchen.

are any of my blogger friends growing a garden? if so, what are growing?

♥. b-real

urban facelift - dos

jose enter another emerging design professionals competition. this one was for a project called the urban facelift.  here is a summary of what the project is all about - "the purpose of the urban facelift project is to inspire property owners, business owners and the overall community by showing a building’s possibilities as seen through the eyes of the designer. the facelifts were originally presented as down and dirty four to five hours design charettes that offer a design freedom not usually possible with client interaction. the urban facelift project gives the designer unlimited freedom to push the proverbial design envelope. buildings are transformed into whatever the designer can imagine".

you might remember me posting this edp competition he won last year.

this year he did not win but i of course thought his design was the best! he has some mad skills and i can't wait for the day when we can design a home together. below is a before & after photo of his entry. if you are curious here are the other entries (there were a few different buildings they could choose from).

hope all my blogger buds are having a wonderful week.

♥. b-real

the cat's meow

we (me and my co-worker kris) entered a design competition called cocktail couture. this year the theme was 1920's and we had to design a hat or purse or both. we were given a bag filled with manufacturer materials and required to use one of each. the materials ranged from carpet to wallcovering...so you have to get pretty creative in figuring out how to use each piece. we were also allowed three embellishments.

after all entries are in and votes have been tallied they throw a fabulous party to announce the winners and raffle off each design. well this year we WON people's choice.....pretty awesome right!!

below are some pictures of the cat's meow.

♥. b-real

bunny love

hope everyone had a wonderful easter. my sunday was a fun filled day with lots of family time.

my mom made my nieces a bunny for their easter baskets. this bunny she did first and changed the pattern because my dad told her the ears looked funny. i loved him more then the one they got so, i stole him! i mean really he is too cute! i couldn't pass up those hott pink dipped ears!

p.s. he has a hot pink bunny tail too.

♥.