2/28/15

Adding a Little Spring to the Foyer ~ Foyer Vignette



As you know I have been looking to change up things in our entry foyer, so in addition to the new paint colors I also switched out the furniture. This is what it looked like right after Christmas.


Not bad but I wanted a larger piece of furniture against the wall and I have been chomping at the bit for a lamp in the entry. So I brought the buffet I had in the kitchen out to the foyer to replace the cedar chest. 


Then yesterday I purchased a new mirror at the Christmas Tree Shop for only $50! I really like the contrast of the dark frame against the neutral wall and it seems to give the entire vignette a new energy! (Not forgetting to mention that one of my many weak spots is that I am a sucker for mirrors which parody windows.) Another reason why the black frame works for me is because it ties together the black of both the stairway carpeting and entry's runner. 

Now using your imagination, add a wrought iron and wood banister to the steps. Nice right? Just waiting on Mr. RL to get moving on that project! (Love you honey!)


 I also stopped by Michael's craft store the other day and picked up some new spring flowers to place in my giant pitcher. I like to switch out the bouquet for each season.


A collection of books along with a little thrift store picture replaced the plates on the small shelf above the mirror, helps to balance out the weight of the buffet and strong mirror frame.



A few baskets fill in the space under the buffet.



Yippee almost there!!! 

I have to admit that I am really thrilled with the foyer's new look and feel. I am thinking about adding a sconce to the wall at the stairway's landing, and possibly more family or vacation pics going up the stairs. But that may just have to wait until I get my new banister so I have a better idea of what to choose with regard to the style of the sconce and picture frames. 

Here's hoping spring is a lot closer to getting here than how it looks outside right now. 


And wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

XO
Sharing this post at link partied hosted by these incredible blogs...

2/26/15

Share Your Style Link Party #2


Hello all you party animals
 and welcome back to another Share Your Style link party! 


We are thrilled you came back this week to party with us. Our host this week is the wonderfully creative Debra of the popular blog
Common Ground
There were some amazing link ups from our first party and Debra has chosen a few beautiful feature selections to share with you this week. So scroll on down and check them out. If you have been featured please make sure to grab a feature button to show off on your sidebar before you leave the party.

21 Rosemary Lane

Now take it away Debra and party on!

XO

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello Everyone, it's Debra From Common Ground, and I 'm this week's host for Share Your Style #2. What a great turnout we had for last week's opening of 
Share Your Style! 
A big thank you goes out to each and every one of you who joined in to make it such a success. I'm super excited to be hosting this week, it's been so much fun for me to get a chance to visit your great links, meeting some new people, and seeing all the wonderful creativity out here.





I hope you'll drop by and get to know
the other hosts of Share Your Style:

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here   
Debra @ Common Ground 


And I'd love for you to come by and visit my blog, Common Ground.
 Here's a sample of things I shared last week:




There were so many amazing links last week
 that I had a hard time narrowing it down to just a few features. 
But here goes...


Looking like it came out of a magazine layout,
this French Country Mantel from Pamela
 at From My Front Porch to Yours has the perfect balance.



I've oogled this Ticking Stripe Ottoman Redo 
from Cindy at Beaux Reves, all week!


I'm lovin' this wonderful plate display
 from Shelia from Note Songs;



Rustic and Refined Grain Sack Chair from Susan at Simply Stone Creek,
 shows a beautiful alternative to white or gray paint
 with this wonderful deep, rich, black accent.


I'm ready for an amazing Spring Wreath DIY  
from Ramon at Row House Blog.


And Amy from Ms.Toody Goo Shoes 
gave us a yummy and good for you too, snack:


Thanks so much you all!!

Hope you'll join in with all your decor,
 vintage, DIY, tablescapes, creations and yummies...
anything STYLE related.
Please have a link back within your specific post
 and visit a few new-to-you links for some great inspiration!

xoxo,

   OK, let's have some fun and get started!

    An InLinkz Link-up
   

2/23/15

Looking for Some Inspiration for Our Foyer


As I have shared with you a couple weeks ago, I was and still am in the throws of painting our entry foyer. So of course with new paint in a space comes...

yes you know it and so do I...

A NEW FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT

...plus the purchase of a few other new items. So I have been perusing the Internet, Google Images being my favorite way to go, looking for some much needed inspiration. I had fun checking out the many beautiful foyer ideas, so I thought I'd share with you a few that really caught my eye.

Here we go in no particular order...

I just adore the cozy feel of this first pic from Southern Living. 
(I can imagine the palms outside that little window swaying away in a warm gentle southern breeze.)


And I am really crushing on this wood and iron railing. Thinking that maybe just what is needed on our staircase. Isn't it pretty?


This next entry is cozy as can be and wonderfully charming.


Vanessa from the blog At the Picket Fence, shows off her elegant foyer. She strikes the perfect balance between wall art and furnishings.


You know the saying...Go Big or Go Home
This is not the entry to the home, excuse me, mansion, it is actually on the second floor, however it very well could be a foyer. This is the Blairsden Mansion, one of the largest privately owned homes in the country, located in Peapack-Gladstone NJ. I went on a tour of this magnificent place last May. If you would like to see the entire mansion tour just click here.


And now for something really striking! (Or should I say "Striping"?)


This next foyer is my hands down favorite. I love the architectural detail of the walls, ceiling and doorway casings, which seems to render this space absolutely timeless!

(source)

And who doesn't adore StoneGable farmhouse? Yvonne has the most amazing style and her entry is simply stunning! Don't you love her new chair? I'd want to park myself in that chair for hours just to sit and admire her lovely farmhouse inspired home.


(source)

Here's another entry idea from Pottery Barn. I've recently noticed that I am drawn to the idea and look of gallery walls. To me they tell a story.



And finally this last entry, which is way way way out of my reach, I had to share because I think it is just beautiful!


(source)

So there you have it! Some wonderful inspiration for me to mull over in my mind. I do have a few ideas of what I'd like to do in our foyer, I just need to play around with them over the next few days. But in the meantime, I am wishing you all a very happy last week of February! 

Come on SPRING!

XO

2/19/15

Share Your Style Link Party #1

I am so glad you are here to party with us at the Share Your Style inaugural link party. I am really excited to see all of your fabulous styles. This party is a big one so link up your style and don't forget to spend some time checking out the styles of other party goers. 

As you know this party has 8 hosts and this week's host is the hostess with the mostest, the Share Your Style originator, coordinator and all around great party gal, 
Sherry from No Minimalist Here!


Hi Everyone. 
I am very excited to be hosting the very first Share Your Style link party. This party has been a couple of months in the making and it is wonderful to finally see my ideas come to fruition. 


For maximum exposure add your link to one blog and it will show up on all Eight blogs.
 Click on any host below to add your link to all eight blogs.
Ron @ Uptown Acorn                Amanda @ Dixie Delights

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you enjoy the party.
Hugs,
Sherry
  
   

    http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=495544" title="click to view in an external page.">An InLinkz Link-up

   
   

2/16/15

Blasting Some Serious Ass-Fat

Well I probably don't have to tell you that the winter months with all it's frigid air, snow and ice, in combination with being a blogger, can really take its toll on the old body. And the older you get the slower that dang metabolism of yours is going to be. So during this incredibly deep freeze we have been in here in the northeast, I have made the commitment to get out and really burn some major ass-fat! 


No that is not my back end, I am not quit there yet. Just using this pic for illustration purposes. But it is not like I couldn't eventually grow out of my nice comfy office chair if I don't do something about it now!!! 

So what am I doing?

1. Finding the Motivation ~ The first thing for me was to find motivation to get to the gym. And while I have been contemplating on going back to the gym for some time now, my motivation to get there actually came completely out of the blue. Last week Grace asked me to drive her and one of her girlfriends up to the YMCA for an hour long class they wanted to take. So instead of just dropping them off and maybe going grocery shopping or going back home, out of pure laziness with regard to driving I decided to stay and get on the treadmill. I did nothing too strenuous, just walked at about a 15 minute pace and played a little solitaire on the cool new equipment they have. Well time flew by and towards the end I thought I'd do a little jogging. Not bad for an hour's worth of work as I burned about 300 calories and got my heart rate up just a little. On Friday the kids were off from school for President's Weekend so we headed up to the gym and again I got on the treadmill, played a little solitaire and time flew by. I hit the gym yesterday and today, and now I am in a groove despite myself. 

2. Cutting Myself a Break ~ While I am pleased that I have found my way back to the gym and I feel good after my hour on the treadmill, I still find it hard to look at the pace control and know that I can't run the way I was able to when I was training for my marathons. The weight is definitely the main factor but also my poor circulatory system is not able to successfully keep up with the increased oxygen demand I am putting on my body. So I need to be realistic and take it slow, but not too slow. I do want to blast some ass-fat!

3. Incorporating Fartlek Training~ While training for marathons many runners will incorporate what they call Fartleks into their runs which helps to increase theri overall speed. A funny word I know, but Fartlek is a Swedish word which translated means "speed play". Fartlek training is an unconventional way of blending continuous training with interval training. So for example you get on the treadmill and do your warm up walk, then you ramp up the speed for a short period of time, about 45 seconds to 2 minutes, to the pace of a gentle jog, and then you slow the speed back down to your walking pace. The amount of time you jog versus walk is totally up to you, your body will let you know when to slow down to recover, and when you are recovered enough to ramp up again. The goal is to keep repeating this walk jog sequence for the duration of your workout.

The best part about training like this is that it is a very effective way of blasting fat and revving up the old metabolism at the same time! Alternating the intensity of your workout will actually help your body burn more calories than if your kept your workout at a steady pace. This is because you are stressing both the aerobic system (with your walking pace) and the anaerobic system (by the speed burst of your jog), for a more effective calorie burn.

Case in POINT

I know when I trained for my first marathon back in '09 I did EVERYTHING I could think of to prepare for race day. I really had no idea what I was up against since it was my first marathon, so I did a whole lot of treadmill training incorporating Fartleks. Two years later when I was preparing to run the NYC marathon all of my training was done on the road, with little to none in the way of speed training. 

By the time I got to the start line of my first marathon, the Philly marathon, I ran my 5'7" frame at a lean 146lbs.


However due to the way I trained two years later, I ran the NYC marathon a good 13 lbs heavier, at roughly a 159lbs. 


That is a BIG DIFFERENCE when running 26.2 miles!

Now mind you I trained for the SAME period of time, just how I trained was different.

In addition to my going back to the gym I am also incorporating even more vegetables into my diet along with lean proteins like fish. I am really hoping to drop a good 10lbs by mid-March and 20lbs by May. And if I am feeling good and my weight loss goals are on track, I may even think about running another 1/2 marathon this spring.

I will keep you posted!!!

XO

2/13/15

Changes in the Foyer ~ New Wall Colors



If you have been wondering where I've been over the past few days, I haven't been very far away. Actually I've been in my foyer painting on new wall colors. The colors are from Benjamin Moore's Historical collection, Wheeling Neutral and Navajo White. 

What were my colors before you ask? They were much lighter, Ben Moore's Philadelphia Cream with a pure white underneath. 


And while I did like the color combination, it just became too impractical for such a busy area as our home's main entry. The kids were constantly running their hands up and down the walls and the poor white just took a beating from the dog, the kids, and all of their little friends running in and out of the house. So in an effort to maybe "hide" the dirt marks when they happen, I chose darker colors for both above and below the chair rail. 

I also wanted the wainscoting to be the same color as in the dining room. The Navajo White is a very creamy white and I think adds a little sophistication when paired with the Wheeling Neutral.


Our home is over 40 years old and the baseboards in the entry and up the stairs are missing quarter rounds since these areas were at one time were carpeted. The space between the wood baseboards and the walls are, well lets just say less than pretty. So I decided to add some caulking to freshen up the look.
Yes CAULK is one this gal's favorite friends!!!


And the painting is underway.


I am also hoping that we can add a stairway railing and possibly an electric sconce to the wall at the landing. Then it will be time to hang up a little wall art.

And despite all the snow and the days the kids have been off, they still have the extended President's Day weekend, so I am sure not much will get done over the next few days with regard to this project. 


But that's OK. 
I guess I'll just put on a pot of coffee and grab some of my favorite decorating magazines, and ride out the holiday weekend!

You all enjoy a wonderful weekend too!
XO 

PS...AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO STOP BY NEXT WEDNESDAY EVENING AT 7PM FOR THE FIRST SHARE YOUR STYLE LINK PARTY



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