Botbyl Style Aisle

Fantastic Finds and Design ideas for a Cozy Inviting Home Office!!

2012-02-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

Good Evening fellow friends and Bloggers!! I recently realized I've never written a post about our new home office (in progress...that is) which is basically where I spend a significant amount of time focusing intently on various aspects of school work including lesson plans, grading papers etc, listening to and discovering new music, and blogging, which I do with extreme enthusiasm. It's definitely important to create a warm, welcoming space conducive to creativity, inspiration, critical thinking, and relaxation in a home office, especially if you plan on spending a great deal of time in the space. Here is our home office in progress :

I always make it a point to put function in the foreground, so organizing is extremely important when designing a home office. I constantly use labels, storage containers, shelves, and cubbies to maximize space and functionality!!

I've been in search of a fantastic picture, piece of art, or sculptural decor for the corner of the room to the left of the window, where we just placed a large tan leather chair and ottoman, and today I came across this beauty :

Purrrrfect!!!! exclaims Cece, as she casually strolls over to the empty brown box, and puts it to great use!!

I digress...Anyhow, about the picture, I Absolutely love it, and will definitely be hanging it soon!! There are still a few more items I'm interested in adding to the room such as additional storage, an awesomely inspirational area rug that picks up on all the vibrant blues, chocolate browns, and timeless tans in this progressive home office space. Hopefully those two items will tie everything together and we'll have one adorably stylish office.

Stay tuned for future Home office updates!! Love ya!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

Magical Mysterious Winter Whimsy!!

2012-01-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

There's definitely something mysteriously magical, crisp, clean, and inspiring about winter's whimsy!! The way the bare tree branches, brushed with soft white snow, reach up to sky, very hopeful, very strong. There's something extremely beautiful and awesome about that strength and perseverance that captures me!! Although I look forward to the newness and fresh happiness of Spring, I'm captivated by Winter's longing...

All these scenes/items remind me of Winter!! What do the long Winter months represent to you?? Freedom, Perseverance, Whimsy, Anticipation, Stillness Tranquility, Captivity, Sorrow, Hopelessness, Hope, Warmth, Love, Home?? I'm sure it could represent all these feelings...As I look to the months ahead, I'm going to keep my eyes focused on freshness, excitement, and inspiration...

12 fabulous finds to enthusiastically kick off 2012!!

2012-01-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

Ah, New Years Resolutions!! We're on Day 16 of 2012, and much to my disappointment, I'm not quite as far along as I'd hoped on a couple goals. However, much to my excitement and happiness, I'm much further along with a couple of other goals, which evens thing out a little, and definitely permits me to conclude that Jon and I are in good standing thus far. As we eagerly plan for an amazing 2012, I've decided to showcase a couple of...12 to be exact, fresh fabulous finds that have served as awesome additions to our Botbyl Style home decor collection for our new house.
1.) Vintage Salvaged Door (my favorite btw!!) This unique piece lends a terrific sense of depth and character to our entryway, which is currently in the process of being stripped naked of its wallpaper and painted. I'm totally in love with all the gorgeous details, cracks, hinges and everything. As you can see, Cece is rather intrigued by it as well.

2.) Salvaged Barn wood mirrors. Awesomely unique and weathered. Love them!! Found them at the Philadelphia Homeshow at an Antique Market they were showcasing. Love that beautiful shade of kelly Green.

3.) Vintage Birdy - Love this little lady, whom I found hiding out at this small Victorian shop in Pitman. She even has a scarf just like I always do!! Aint she a purdy birdy??

4.) Wooden Box with Chalkboard paint. Adorable!! Fantastic find from Marshalls!! Not sure where I'm gonna put him yet tho :(

5.) Vintage Ruler - Housed in my french bathroom, also from Home Show Antique Market

6.) Rustic wooden star - Groff's Millpond Christmas collection, I have a couple of these!!

7.) Rustic White twig wreath - I've been eyeing this (ok, falling madly in love with) since Groff's Millpond Grand opening which I believe was in November, but I'm extremely glad I waited because I scored this awesome find for half price, $12!! Isn't it lovely?? I tied my famous stripped patterned material around the top of it to hang it. I'll call this my 2nd favorite treasure!!

8.) My Blue Peace Candle - This was a gift from one of my flute students, Ann, who's a fashionista!! Isn't it great?? It's so wonderful I had to display the awesome candle...on top of the awesome box!! It just happens to partially block Jon's view of the cable box in our family room, which is a whole other story.

9.) Trellis Patterned Lampshade - Originally for my office, but currently glamming up our living room poll lamp, on which it will definitely stay!! Love it!! Target btw!! Couldn't resist...and have been searching for a mod shade since we painted the room. This one is sooo perfect!!

10.) Fiery red wall art - From Bed Bath and Beyond, had a gazillion coupons and a gift certificate (thank you Shari) Jon picked it out, rather design-savvy-ly!! He said it inspires him!!

11.) Vintage Rustic Hanging Candle Cage - I'll call it?? Love it!! Groff's Mill pond.

Last but certainly not least...A pollyanna Gift from Jon's family Christmas party, better yet, Jon's pollyanna gift!! He just happened to get this...But I stole it from him, and I LOOOOVE IT!!

12.) Modern Candle Globe - I'll call it!!

Well there ya have it: 12 new fabulous finds!! Have a Fantastic Day and a wonderful week and Thank you so much for stopping by!!

A Marvelously Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T14:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2011 was absolutely awesome!! Here's an illustrative recap!! For Christmas Eve, Jon and I went over Jeff and Danielle Botbyl's beautiful Home (pictured below) where we celebrated and exchanged gifts.

(Their house is extremely gorgeous, and they've only been living there for two months, by the way!!) We had a terrific time!! Now, the following is a recap from Christmas morning...

Later Christmas morning, Jon and I left for Lancaster, where we had made reservations to stay at a beautiful hotel called "Eden". We desperately needed time for relaxation since during the school year, there is no such thing, and we both become exceedingly stressed out. Also, because we don't have children yet, we might as well take advantage of the great opportunity to get away, have a fancy dinner, spend some quiet time by the pool, (let our poor kitty fend for herself), and visit a couple...or more than a couple adorably unique home decor shops in Lancaster, which is extremely well-known for their Amish-made furniture and great deals.

Isn't he...or she(?)incredibly adorable?! We were extremely lucky because we ended up with a room in the greatest location - Poolside and two yards from the gym, so awesomely convenient!! I spent most of my "pool time" listening to new music on Spotify which I plan to integrate into my General Music curriculum.

We had a fantastic time and are hoping to return maybe next year??

Finally, here are a couple photos from this afternoon, during which Jon and I spent quality time with my parents who just returned from South Carolina, where they were visiting my sister Ashley and her boyfriend, Dan.

How cute and clever is that Home Depot Gift Card?? Love it!!

Hope everyone had an incredibly tremendous fun-filled and stress-free holiday this year!! Looking extremely forward to moving on to 2012!!

Merry Christmas!! Hope your Holidays are purrfect!!

2011-12-29T13:16:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my pretty kitties out there!!

Jonathan Botbyl has been...Caught in the Act!!

2011-12-24T04:27:00.000-08:00

Gotcha Botbyl!! What better way to enthusiastically celebrate the wonderful Holiday Season than to bake the yummiest and most fattening treats for your family of two!! I'm intentionally not considering Cece the "Christmas-cookie-eating-type"...She's more like the "Christmas-Kitty-Chow-eating-type" although she'd undoubtedly sink her curious little paws into a creamy delicious peanut butter filled cookie batter without a moment's hesitation on any occasion if cats could eat cookies, that is...So, that only leaves two of us!! Ironically, Cece just confiscated a mini candy cane from my "gift wrapping station" as I'm typing this post, lodged it under my desk, and is presently creating a loud clanging sound as she attempts to wiggle it back out...then feast on it...wait for it...wait for it...Got it!!

As I was saying, of course, Jon always means well, in that he "plans" to serve his amazing cookies to other people (family and friends)

It's just that the cookies are usually gone before that happens (for which I'm occasionally to blame...I said occasionally, meaning usually, or even more than usual??) All in all, I'm exceedingly lucky to have such a great-cooking, but still extremely good-looking husband, who I love very much!!

Well, I sincerely hope everyone is ready for an amazingly fun-filled Christmas, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas Eve!! (and a Happy New Year to come, but hopefully not too soon...)

Enjoy!! and hurry, finish your shopping. Just for the record, I was shopping at Ikea in the photo above, not Five Below. (Does Five Below make anyone nauseous by the way?? That was actually my Birthday present, from my husband who took me to Homegoods & Ikea on the same day!!!! (Ahhhhhh...the same day!!) See, there I am, clutching my Ikea Catalog along with an interesting array of other items for my entryway, and a couple of awesome Christmas Gifts, which (I made sure) are hidden, or disguised in the picture!!
Without any further ado, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Living Room Love : Part 2

2011-12-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

Good Evening!! It's been a little while since my last blog post - Life has been exceedingly busy, and once again Concert time is fast approaching, (not to mention the Christmas Holiday) and that's always considerably stressful, although gratifying, but blogging is important to me, so I'm going to keep up!!

On to our living room progress : Here's our living room so far, which is currently decorated for the Holidays. I attempted to strike a balance between modern and vintage, which will hopefully come across in the photos. I will 1st share a "before" photo from my last post, then a "progress" photo from today!!

Before :

After :

As you can see, there is a definite mix of old and new; New, fresh, and modern - the paint color, chairs, accent art, and quote above...Old, charming, and vintage - The Piano, which Jon and I scored off craigslist at a great price, the Christmas decor, and shelf items, and vintage ornaments :

We also purchased a beautiful entryway piece that I've had my eye on for months and decorated it with vintage Christmas accents :

One of my favorite accents is this adorable little couple!! Aren't they fantastic?? Well, that's all for today!! Have an amazing week!!

Living Room Love : Part 1

2011-11-27T14:09:00.000-08:00

Good Evening!! I've been planning for a while to share with you the progress we've made on our living room so far, which by the way, is currently decorated for the holidays. The room started off very...well...UGLY(?) with cream floral wallpaper, faded in some spots, and a couple small stains on the rug!! Here are some before pictures :

During the last couple of months, we've carefully removed the lovely wallpaper, primed and repainted the room a beautiful deep grayish taupe shade, purchased a vintage piano from Craigslist, bought two zebra print chairs and a little black pedestal table, restyled our cottagy cream shelf, added some much needed art work and a musical quote from Uppercase Living as well as a little vintage flair, and installed crown molding, which became an enjoyable and interesting learning experience for Jon...and Cece!!

We are also planning to add molding to the pass-through between the Dining room and Living Room!! There are so many options!! Here are a few :

Well, hopefully you'll stay tuned for the Living Room Reveal (although we're still in progress...) in "Living Room Love : Part 2"!! See you soon!!

Giving Thanks and Falling in Love with Autumn Awesomeness

2011-11-25T04:31:00.000-08:00

Good Morning!! Or shall I say Amazing Morning!! The air is incredibly crisp and wintery, and the leaves outside, despite the reality of them slowly turning a burnt sienna brownish shade, are beautiful and captivating, I must say!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and thoroughly enjoyed spending well deserved time with family and friends!! Yesterday, we went to my grandmother's in Pottstown PA - This year, we were a small group, but with BIG personality!! Also, my beloved Birthday happens to fall on Thanksgiving this year - I'm turning 21!! (tehe...)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Gram's slightly camera Shy - It looks like I kidnapped her and forced her to smile!!

Inspiring Vintage Eye Candy!!

2011-11-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

The two beautiful photos above are from http://salvagedior.blogspot.com I love how rustic, natural, Parisian, and cottagy these inspiring pictures are!!

Below, you'll see three awesome photos from www.sadieolive.com, a great vintage blog that has been inspiring me for a couple weeks (ever since I found it!) The 1st two pictures are of a vintage nursery, which is adorable, and the last picture is such a warm, inviting, and charming vintage living room decorated for the Holidays!! Love it love it love it!!

Lately, I have really been into (or obsessed with??) cottagy vintage treasures, whenever time for decorating contemplation arises, that is. (It's been an incredibly busy couple of months, that's for sure!!) They are so warm, inviting, architectural, and textural!! I absolutely love when people decorate with rustic garden accents and salvage pieces. It feels aged, interesting, authentic!!

I've been trying to take decorating risks, and am looking for some salvaged wood, shutters, and window frames (I never know what to call them...) and maybe even an old vintage door to add to our happy little decor family!! The three photos above are really cute!! Well, enjoy the rest of your weekend!! Happie Saturday!!

Open-minded, Accepting, Positive, Trusting, Loving?

2011-11-19T05:02:00.000-08:00

I find it extremely difficult to be open-minded, accepting, positive (all the time), and willing to place all prejudices and cynicism aside, which requires...(actually) forces us to go beyond our comfort zone. This concept or truth...or weakness (?) has been my most monstrous struggle lately...or for a long time, and I'm almost certain that most individuals face this on a daily basis. We're all wired very specifically and differently and our reactions and that on which we base all our decisions, entirely depend on our upbringing, passed experiences, observations, and the thread that we've used to sew our lives together. 

While we grow, we form certain habits...habits that may stick with us the rest of our lives. Cynicism is easy. However, the ability to believe, to trust, to be openly loving, to put ourselves out there and be a living example of God's unconditional love, forgiveness, patience, and deep-rooted strength...not so easy. Many of us utilize defense mechanisms frequently, in order to shield ourselves and justify just about anything. We've trained our brains to believe that it's best, (and safer) to steer clear of openly feeling vulnerable, trusting, open-minded, and venturing out into the unknown. Straying from our safe havens in order to be more than what we are involves huge risks. Then again, any amazing accomplishments or important goals always involve risk and sacrifice. 

The biggest risks I've ever taken are : My 1st teaching job, then leaving that job a year later to take a different job, selling our house in a down market (and losing $) only to gain something much better, rescuing Cece when Jon specifically told me "Don't bring those kittens in" (one of the best decisions I've ever made...sorry for mentioning that Jon - I know you love Cece), and jumping into important roles at school such as drama director ( a couple years back), choir director, dance co-director etc, when at 1st I'm not sure what I'm doing.

Being thrown into a role or situation where you must quickly think on your feet and figure it out as you go along, even if the job or role seems impossible or extremely complex, usually proves to be a huge blessing in disguise, and in the end you're thankful and grateful for life lessons, knowledge, control, and experience you've gained as a result. I lecture on this a lot at school - (as well as)trying new things, pushing yourself to accomplish something new and exciting, meeting new people. I feel like I should take more risks, push myself even further, and I've decided to stay committed to this decision. I feel that my focus is definitely improving, and I've learned that if I make a decision, truly stick to it, concentrate with every inch of my being, even if it means making sacrifices, I accomplish the goals I set out to achieve...Usually it takes a while, and patience is the one thing I really struggle with. My question for today is : Is being patient, open-minded, trusting, and willing to try and think positively about new things difficult for most people?? (Is it hard for you??)

Crafty, Creative, Creepy creatures and Festive Fall Fun - Creating a Warm Inviting Halloween Atmosphere at Home

2011-10-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

HALLOWEEN, one of my favorite holidays, is just around the Corner!! Here are a few Decorative Accents that Jon and I have created and displayed in order to Accentuate this Frighteningly festive but unforgettably fun time of year!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

The Itsy Bitsy Spider crawled up the chandelier!!

Gourds Galore!! When fall rolls around, I usually become obsessed with bumpy oddly shaped gourds, white pumpkins, and fall-ish scented candles!!

Yummy Mummies!!!!

Wanna go for a ride?? (These are supposed to be Witch's Brooms, btw...)

This is a cute idea for the floral centerpiece that you already having sitting in the center of your table or kitchen island - Just add a freaky or creepy spider or goofy creature to top off and voila!!Hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful Season!! Have a tremendously creative weekend!!

T.P. Bowling Anyone??

Inspired By Mother Nature

2011-10-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Good Evening and Happie Friday!! I would like to take the wonderful opportunity this inspiring autumn evening to create a well-passed-due post about my magnificent, stylish, compassionate mother, and feature her beautiful home, which has been decorated tastefully and colorfully for a the amazing season of fall.

My mother has definitely inspired me to achieve many goals in my life, and for the patience, generosity, intelligence, and perseverance, (list goes on and on) that she has displayed over the last 28 years, (and beyond) I will be eternally grateful!!

The photo of my sister Ashley, and mother Nancy (above) was taken at The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg Virginia, my sister's Alma Mater!! Aren't they cuties??

And, here's the odd couple!!

The three photos above are the outside entry way to my parents' home!! Aint it purrrty?? The following photos were all taken of the Interior of The Artese's Humble Abode!!

Last but certainly not least, my beautiful mother with this dashing young man!! I love ending with a quirky picture!! Hope your enjoyed my post!! Have a fantastic weekend!!

Who inspires you??

Vintage Treasures!!

2011-10-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Good Evening!! Just thought I'd share a couple of interesting Vintage Finds and Treasures that I came across over the last few weekends. Last week, mom and I went to Wheaten Village and this passed Saturday we took a trip to the Mullica Hill Harvest Festival, where they hold sidewalk sales, and have special deals. I've been searching for a vintage cottagy coastal piece with rustic charm to hang on this wall that juts out between our kitchen and family room, and within the 1st 5 minutes, I spotted this beautiful rustic mirror, which I completely fell in love with and positively had to have. Luckily, It was a great price, and as you can clearly see, Cece is also a fan of this awesomely charming unique find!! Here it is on the wall, above Uppercase Living Lettering that has been waiting for it...

In the photos below, you'll see a vintage spool and adorable felt Candle cover, which were also tremendous deals!! Last but not least, the last couple of interesting items, 1st the vintage wood planes (which were actually a pair), I spotted at a yard sale around the corner from us, and I've never seen these go for as good of a price as I paid : $4 for the pair!! And, the vintage horseshoe, how neat is that??

Infatuation with Classroom Organization

2011-10-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

Good Evening!! Hope everyone is doing fantastic!! Lately, I've been struggling with organization, & attempting to function on a much higher level of effectiveness at school. Isn't it difficult to continually stress (to yourself) the importance of creating & maintaining an extremely organized & functional classroom & workspace, when there's constant movement, activities, papers in, paper out, piles on desks, cabinets, sticky notes, class lists, etc. Here are a couple of classroom clutter tamers, I'll call them: File Folders, this little organizer briefcase doodad I bought from Walmart, which has a couple different layers (actually I just went back to pick up a couple more...), & ample shelving space.

Creative Crafty Creatures in the Middle School Music Classroom

2011-10-01T05:05:00.000-07:00

Designing & Decorating our classrooms

Good Morning!!!! Hope everyone had an amazing September, because it's October 1st, can you believe it?? Now that school is in full swing, everything is hustle, hustle, rehearsal, concert, performance, music video, Pep rally, assemblies, AHHHHH!!!! I have a great vibe so far about this school year, which has been considerably successful so far, so I'm hoping it stays that way. I've also been making it a point to keep up on Classroom decorating, which there's never time for. I'm finding it way more difficult to come up with ideas that fit the middle school classroom than the elementary classroom, without being too cutsie or corny for 7th & 8th grade, but I love a good challenge.

The most important aspect of Decorating a classroom is organization, so I've decided to dedicate a box/bin to each holiday & only fill it with items I absolutely love & every year, edit the box by taking away & adding, or just adding something new, which could be store-bought, homemade, or made by students, while keeping things simple.

Right now, the only substantial boxes I've put together are Halloween & Christmas. So, this year, if time permits I may add a Valentine & Easter Box. I don't want to have every Holiday because you'd go completely crazy taking things down and putting things up, runnin' around like a turkey without a head. Speaking of turkeys, I don't have any Thanksgiving decor, but I'll group Halloween & Thanksgiving into "Fall" I guess, tehe!! Well, here's my attempt to fit in some "Fall"/Halloween Decorating!! What ideas have you thought of for Holiday Classroom decorating or Classroom design?

The last two pictures aren't really Holiday design, I kinda just stuck em' in there!! Have a wonderful weekend!!

Vintage crafty whimsy?

2011-09-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

Good  Evening!! Well, school has definitely swung into full gear by now no  doubt, which for the most part, is a major relief. When the end of the  summer rolls around, there's a great deal of anticipation, anxiety, and  curiosity (& fear??) of the unknown, as well as the urgency to  jump back into a normal & more structured daily/weekly routine. A  new school year always brings the all-too-familiar feeling of being  completely consumed by the (hopefully) clever creation of music  projects, grading of quizzes, tests, homework, classwork, along with the  running of rehearsals, concerts, additional performances etc, which is  exceedingly exciting, especially at the junior high level, but doesn't  allow for much of anything outside of school, including decorating  & design. (Everyone struggles with this) My challenge for this  school year involves strategically balancing & simplifying all  things loved in life, as difficult as this may be for all of us. (Life  in all its complexity, & choosing what to focus on can be  extremely overwhelming can't it??)

Anyhow, this may be one of the last rooms I post about for a while since summer is now over, but I figured I'd touch on it. I was really hoping to create a place reminiscent of childhood, happiness, comfort, & whimsy, which is what this guest room represents, (both guest rooms are vintage inspired...just by two different eras) & I've been working on this a little here & there whenever I felt inspired to add/tweak something. The room is still in need of a new paint color, which I've decided will be soft gray, for a very soft muted look (which contradicts my bright teal vintage room, adjacent to this room)

This awesome wire basket was free - found it in my new backyard, hosed it down, wiped it off, & voila!! How adorable is he??

Here's a vintage gallery wall I put together, which is currently displayed on the carpet...tehe.

Below is a cherished treasure from childhood...How adorable are those two??

Here's a totally simple but whimsical way to display vintage (or actually any...) family photos; Just take an old (or antique-looking) jar, fill the bottom with buttons, marbles, ribbon, rope, beads, pearls, whatever looks creative & fitting for the room your designing, and float a little photo in the center of the antique jar. It could be a bright colorful photo, a black & white or sepia toned picture, an old or new post card or letter, or whatever reflects your style & the style or color scheme of the room your decorating. Then top it off with a cute little ribbon or piece of material.

A great place to buy scraps of material to cut up & use creatively is Joanne's Fabric's in Deptford, or Walmart, where you can pick up fabric squares or a little baggie of scraps. You can also use scrapbook paper to wrap around, decorate, or add whimsical personality to a plain ordinary jar.

Many of the pieces in this room are antiques, & some are made to look antique...at least I'm trying to pull off "antique", which so far works.

Thank you soooooo much for stopping by!! Have an incredibly inspiring weekend, & stay tuned for a short series of blog posts showcasing creative, crafty, clever, (& ofcourse) cost-effective ways to Accentuate Autumn & feather your nest with festive fall fun!!

Modern Living Room in Progress...

2011-09-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!! Happy Saturday!! Just thought I'd create a short post on our living room makeover, which is definitely coming along, slowly, but surely...& stylishly. Here are a couple of "Before" & "Progress" shots:

Before

In Progress

I'm completely in love with these modern glam chic zebra print chairs that Jon & I found at Diamond furniture for a fairly reasonable price. We had searched about four different furniture stores, as well as target's online collection, which was my 2nd choice, but something about these chairs won me over. Much to my surprise, my husband was actually on board with me, & even likes them...now, he didn't go as far as to pay for them, but just liking them is good enough for me at this stage of the game!!

And this little guy, exactly what I'd been searching for, was hiding at Homegoods for around $30!! (Muah! I love you...Taking you home with me!!"

Here are a couple other contenders for the room, discovered at Homegoods, along with my cute little round table.

Well, thanks for stopping by!! Have an amazing inspiring weekend!!

Celebrating Cecelia's 1st year of Couragious Curiosity, Comfortable Cat Naps, & Cat-itude!!

2011-09-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

One year ago tomorrow (we've estimated) our sweet adorable, energetic Cecelia entered this world, so I decided to dedicate today's post to my lovely stylish chic kitty!! (to learn more about Cece, go to "Kitty Corner". Here are a couple of High-lights that mark Cece's 1st year :

Learning how to climb into her bed, by following her brother!!

Discovering the refrigerator for the 1st time!!

Struttin' her stuff, with some major catitude!!

Then, taking a well-deserved, much needed cat nap!!

And now...she's a teenager...

Aint she purrrrrrrrdy??

Happy Birthday Cece!!

What a nerd!!

2011-09-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

Jon & I set out on our last Horrah for the Summer this Wednesday to AC, where Jon performed on the Boardwalk in a show entitled "Everybody Loves Italian". I was never one of those "Candy Store" kids. but this was definitely interesting!!

and so was this little guy...He probably would have been way more interesting if I had shared my gluten-free pretzel sticks with him, but I refrained...Didn't wanna make enemies on the beach!!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!

Turquoise & Pink Glam 50's Inspired Guest Room...in progres??

2011-09-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!!!! Hope everyone's doing exceedingly well!! Just counting down the last week of summer, which for me ends next Tuesday. I'm kinda sorta excited, but am in shock literally at how extremely fast our summer has flown by, & have been asking myself "What did I do all summer?? How did this happen?? It's just...gone!!" Then I realize all I have to do as a reminder of what an awesome & empowering summer we've had is scroll through the last couple of pages of this blog & see the growth, progress, experiences, culmination of relationships etc that have taken place over the last three months, & smile - It's been a really great summer, & we've been blessed beyond imagination!!

On to a little daily dose of design, here's my latest project, My turquoise & Pink glam 50's inspired guest room in progress:

Yeah...It's a little bright?? And, it's VERY in progress. I still have a couple things around the room that I know I definitely want to use, but am just not sure where or how, which requires some major creativity!!

Horrific Huricanes, Terrific Turquoise, & Wet Wallpaper

2011-08-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon!! Hope everyone made it through the wonderful storm successfully, without out broken tree limbs...or body limbs, or ferocious floods (which I'm certain many people had to deal with), totaled cars, or days without electricity. Somehow, our electricity never went out, although half of our development actually did lose power yesterday, so we feel exceedingly lucky to have had light, food, & function throughout the entire time. Anyhow, we used this stuck-in-the-house opportunity to enthusiastically tackle a couple of projects both for school & home, which we are presently working on. These are a few highlights :

1st of all, I've been completely obsessed with the concept of infusiating turquoise into our home; It's such an amazing vibrant & fun color, & yesterday, I couldn't help but to see how creative I could be with a can of turquoise paint, a couple of frames, other items, & a blank canvas. All these are extremely inexpensive projects that take less than one day:

This burgundy Cafe sign is from our last kitchen, & since there's no sign of red in our kitchen, I transformed it. This is such an easy project for anyone who has items that are perfect...but just not the right color for their home.

These next few items were 20 cents at the Berlin Auction, & I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to paint & modernize them, while still giving them a 50's feel, which fits perfectly in the guest bedroom I've been working on.

This project is so easy & inexpensive - I just bought a couple of blank canvases from Big Lots, then sketched & painted my letters!!

This next (big) project is something we've been planning to do for a while, & were debating as to whether it would be easier & safer to have a professional wallpaper-remover/painter...(is there such thing as a wall-paper remover...est??) come & remove all the wallpaper in our living room, prime, & paint the room, only because Jon & I tackled our wallpapered, bordered kitchen in our old house, which ended up being a little bit of a nightmare, although it was one our our very 1st projects so we weren't quite as savvy, I guess you could say. We didn't necessarily wish to relive that experience here, especially with the 1st room you see upon entering our current house.

But, ya know what they say, curiosity killed the cat, & we're just a couple of cats, the three of us!! We became curious, starting pulling, & before we knew it, were equipped with a couple necessary items that allowed us to un-paper the entire living room, so that it's now ready for priming & painting, (Big smile...) then we're going to try & stick to this design plan that we came up with that will hopefully make the room feel like a modern, urban, city loftish music room, with a little bit of vintage...& a little bit of glam. Yikes!!!! Can I pull this off?? This is a whole new level of decorating for me...Doesn't hurt to try...& eventually maybe it'll get there...in a year or so.

Here's the wallpaper that just came down!! It's not a horrible pattern, but it's a bit outdated, & not exactly reflecting the potential of this awesome room!!

Cece was supposedly in charge of the curtains, which she made into a fun game!! Isn't she a goofball...a totally adorable goofball?

Well...our home improvement saga continues!! Thanks for stopping by...

Fresh Modern Cottage Family Room & Kitchen

2011-08-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon!! We've been working enthusiastically on our kitchen Family room combo, & are really happy with the results so far, so I've been excited about sharing these two rooms. My design plan is to create an atmosphere of serenity, whimsy, energy, comfort, and inspiration for family gatherings, meals, school work, hanging out, relaxing, what have you. Here is our work in progress, beginning with the kitchen, then followed by the family room.

The photo above is my newest addition to our kitchen. I absolutely love these beautiful turquoise antique jars!!

I'm really trying to add many fresh, modern, yet cottagy & whimsical elements to the room in order to give it a warm, inviting, but also vibrant and fresh feel!!

The following photos are from our Family room!!

Dining Room, Part 2

2011-08-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

Good Evening!! Recently, I've taken a few more dining room photos, which is why I'm entitling this particular post, "Dining Room Part 2". Hope I'm not going Dining room crazy, but I'm just so extremely excited about the room that I love to share it!! Enjoy the rest of your week!!

Fine Dining at Chez Botbyl

2011-08-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

Our dining room is finally done!! We just finished painting the bottom portion of the wall, which turned out fantastic!! I absolutely love the color - It's like a stony grayish tan & will eventually go in the living room as well, we've recently decided...that is, after we remove a huge load of wallpaper.

We also added a couple rustic french accents to the room & table, which were terrific finds from thrift & vintage stores & Jon really digs it, which sometimes doesn't happen. We're both really really happy with the way it turned out!!

Well, there ya have it - Fine Dining at Chez Botbyl!! Have a wonderful week!!

Landscaping Love - Part 3

2011-08-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

Good Evening!! Well, this is Part 3 of Landscaping Love!! Our landscaping is done & I'm exceedingly happy & satisfied with the way it looks, & smells (like fresh mulch...) Here are a couple photos of the process as well as the finishing product, with a few artistic photos thrown in just for fun!!

The 1st two photos you'll see are of the final product, & the 2nd two are of the process...

Then there's Serendipity the Spider!! I also took a couple of interesting photos of our heavily wooded lot, which came out pretty artistic!! Our property has so many captivating treasures & pretty naturalistic elements, which I tried to capture!!

The last grouping of photos above were taken from the backyard, & hopefully show the rusticness of our new home!! (Is rusticness a word?? Well, now it is!!) Have a wonderful weekend!! Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Landscape Love - Part 2

2011-08-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon!! Choosing trees, shrubs, plants, flowers, etc for your front hard is an arduous, but enjoyable task!! Here are our runner ups for the landscaping :

How clean and modern is that little guy, or shall I say, lady??

I absolutely am in LOVE with these gorgeous luscious hydrangea - Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!! They pretty must speak for themselves.

This guy is totally awesome, but a little on the pricey side, unfortunately.

This beautiful magenta flower is definitely a keeper!! It's magnifique - so amazing!! This is the color I really wanted to infuse into my wedding, but didn't quite have the guts - It's so chic!! Ya just gotta be careful how you use it!!

And last but not least, these guys - Wouldn't they make a bold statement in anyone's landscaping for sure??

Well, I sincerely hope you enjoyed that brief introduction to our contestants chosen for the front lawn landscaping design plan. Thank you so much for stopping by, & check in tomorrow if you're interested in viewing our completed landscape!!

To be continued...

Landscape Love - Part 1

2011-08-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

This is the 1st part of "Landscape Love", which will be broken up into 3 posts, due to the detailed process of our new landscaping plan, & the exciting & delicate footage that I managed to collect over the last couple of days.

When Jon & I moved into our new home, we immediately planned to give special and well-deserved attention to our landscape, especially because the look of our new neighborhood and the wide variety of trees and "forest-like rustic elements" lends itself to a flexible and imaginative array of shrubs, plants, flowers, etc, whatever you prefer. This definitely excites me, although I'm way more likely to spend quality time inside the house, not in the garden, & wouldn't exactly consider myself a "green-thumb" type of girl. This neighborhood, however, inspires me to take more time to creatively design our yard, just as we enjoy designing each room in the new house. Here are a couple of photos of our house, as it looked when we moved in : Beautiful, but a little overgrown...yet certainly full of potential!!

Above you'll see the Man-eating tree monster covering our living room window, & below you'll see Jon furiously wrestling with one of many smaller monsters, that have gotten slightly out of control.

Apparently, Jon outsmarted his ferocious foe, & lived to tell the tale.

Of course, none of this DIY yard crashing craziness would be possible without Edward Scissorhands himself, who can turn anything into a mustache.

And Dan the Muscle man, who can rip out gigantic tree stumps with his bare hands, and bend a tree limb as if it were a pencil!!

All in all, it was extremely successful, although we hired a landscaping company to do some of the dirtier work, such as take out the moster tree, which may have been too large for any of us to handle, & possibly plant some smaller bushes & flowers that Jon & I picked out yesterday. We're on our way to a beautiful, inspiring, & (hopefully not-to-difficult-to-maintain) well manacured front yard (& backyard??)

Macho Macho Man!! I'm gonna be a Macho Man!! Hey, Hey, Hey Hey Hey Hey!!!!!!!!

To be continued...

Fabulous Thrifty Finds

2011-07-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago, mom & I went thrifting for a little while, & found a couple of awesome treasures to add character & texture to our homes. Among these items was an old vintage shutter, a sweet little bird cage, both absolutely perfect for my laundry room, & an adorable chair pad for the kitchen desk chair, which I had repainted & distressed, & for which I had been searching for the perfect chair pad. My favorite - the vintage shutters!! During this process, I learned a couple of things about buying old shutters, which I had been planning to do for a while, but haven't had the guts :

1.) If you're looking to decorate with old vintage shutters or doors, you might be better off buying ones that aren't painted or have already been stripped of paint, because as I just learned the hard way, this old paint peels off so easily & can make a gigantic mess in your backseat, trunk, or lawn, if you choose to hose them off, thinking that you'll hose the dirt off, when in reality, you're just hosing the paint off. You can always repaint them afterwards if they're just brown wood and simply avoid the beautiful mess of peeling paint, which could be proove to be hazardous to your health...if you ate it, I guess.

2.) Make sure that the hardware is on tight, & that there are pins fastening both latches together, opposed to realizing that one of the pins is missing when you arrive home.

3.) If you're going to separate the shutters assuming that you buy them in a pair, & you're planning to hang one as decor, choose the shutter with the hardware still attached, & attempt to hang it on the wall using the hardware since there are most likely little holes already there.

Have a wonderful evening & enjoy the rest of your fabulous weekend!! While you're at it, Go shutter shopping - It's loads of fun!!

Laundry Room, Loads of Fun

2011-07-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

So, the room that usually becomes overlooked in a home is...you guessed it - The laundry room!! With that said, I'm making it a point to give our laundry room as much tender love & care, as well as a strategic design plan, taking into account the normal components and size of a laundry room. When Jon & I 1st toured the house, & instantly fell in love with it, one of the favorite rooms, I discovered, was the laundry room; It's a perfect size, color, & location, & makes a perfect bedroom for Cece (who has yet to sleep there...but we're working on it)

I decided to go with a shabby chic cottagy feel, & had collected a couple of awesome goodies prior to us moving in, so that I could immediately attack the room, which I did. So far, it's really cute!! I've been searching for a shabby chic valence for the door, but haven't been successful at finding one just yet, & also something gardeny and textural for the wall above my little white desk...The search continues!!

Fine dining, Nautical flair, and music curriculum

2011-07-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

Good Evening everyone!! Hope this has been an extremely enjoyable week - It definitely has for us, between rehearsals, unpacking, summer band, flute lessons, curriculum writing, etc!! Despite a very tight schedule, I always alot a little time for blogging, & have been extra excited to report on our latest updates to our new home, which include our coastal, nautical-ish sunroom retreat and dining room, which I'm attempting to give a rustic elegant "restoration hardware" feel with a masculine, but french vibe...Does that make sense? Here are my latest photos, of the dining room (so far), then the sunroom!! The 1st picture was taken of the floor where I have my photo display tentatively set up...but not finished btw. That's why the pictures are a little crooked, coz they're still lying on the carpet, tehe!!

Dining Room :

Sunroom

How much do you love that pillow?? I've been eyeing Target's white and navy collection for months now, & ironically discovered that beautiful pillow in the clearance isle for $4!! I heart target...

Well, have a wonderful evening!! Time to finish my curriculum.

Home Sweet Botbyl Style Home

2011-07-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Well, Jon & I are extremely excited...thrilled...ecstatic to finally be living in our new home, which we made settlement on this passed Monday!! We're so happy & love to be home more than ever!! It's like, what normally would be "let's go see a movie", is now "nah let's stay home!!" or "Let's go out to dinner"..."nah let's stay home!!" or "Let's go to work...nah, lets...I guess we have to go to work."

There's so much to do, and although we still have around 40 or so boxes to unpack, we've already set aside a little time every day to design & decorate a little. Here are "Before" & "In progress" shots (which we will label as "After") of our family room, kitchen, and sun room which is basically the main living space that we've been spending the majority of time in. There are also a few photos of our 1st floor powder room.

KITCHEN

BEFORE

AFTER

FAMILY ROOM

BEFORE

AFTER

SUNROOM

BEFORE

AFTER

POWDER ROOM

Hope you enjoyed our little dream home (in progress) house tour!! Thanks so much for stopping by this afternoon!!

Saturday Morning Inspiration Saturation

2011-07-16T05:29:00.000-07:00

This fresh summery kitchen from www.inspiracionline.blogspot.com is extremely airy, beautiful, & inspiring, yet simple & sweet!! How much would you like to cook in here every day? I certainly would!!

This beautiful photo is from design star Emily Henderson's new HGTV design show, "Secrets of a Stylist", which I've definitely been enjoying!! This room has such a beautifully fresh, but comfy eclectic feel, doesn't it?

Last but not least, the two photos pictured above are from "House of Turquoise" which always has amazing design inspiration!! They are both so summery & fun, with bold pops of color & personality!!

Hope you were inspired by this great design!! Have a wonderful Saturday!!

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”

2011-07-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm extremely proud (& consumed with bittersweet sadness) to be creating the last post I will write from my home office in my first house on Clevenger Drive. We are tentatively scheduled to move into our new home on Monday, July 18th, & as long as everything goes smoothly, (mortgages, etc.) that plan will remain, which is unfathomably exciting!! Below is a photo of our new humble abode, taken during our inspection two weeks ago!!

So, as I silently sit here trying to come up with something more profound than my usual daily dose of design or weekend updates, while listening to Dave Matthew's acoustic version of "Stay or leave", which compliments my whimsically poetic state of mind, I begin to trail off & look back once again on the concept of change & the evolution that we experience on our journey through life. Wise Ralph Waldo Emerson cleverly summed it up with the following statement, “For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”

In life, we make billions of choices that lead us down many different paths & bring us to experience amazing relationships with others while building awesome connections with places, passions, & things, & how interesting is it that we learn so much from each other & impact (& are impacted by) so many of these experiences?? Makes you wonder & (almost) anxiously await what lies ahead although sometimes, in order to gain new experiences, new relationships, a new lifestyle, we are forced to leave something behind...What's more significant is that we must learn to carry the important things with us. There are memories that cross our minds everyday that vividly remind us of who we are, who we've loved, who we've hurt, who we've lost, how we've gotten to where we are, mistakes we've made & how (hopefully) we've learned from them, & if we're lucky, we realize that we're in a good place...maybe not even a terrific place, but a good place, & that we're extremely thankful that our journey has lead us here (so far...)

We also realize that life (for the most part) is definitely an open book, that we make the beds we lie in, we create the kind of life we wish to live (easier said than done huh?) or at least we are given the amazing freedom to try. That in itself is an exciting concept isn't it? (one that we often wish we had realized a lot earlier in life) Hypnotized by Jewel's acoustic version of "Satisfied", I'm beginning to doze off mid-sentence, then realize these wonderful song lyrics explain a great concept about love, life, & living with no regrets in which case, (although they pertain more to love, then change, but are still considerably relevant to the general concept of this blog post...) I'll close by sharing some with you!! Have an exquisite evening!!

If you love somebody, you better let it out
Don't hold it back while you're trying to figure it out
Don't be timid, Don't be afraid to hurt
Run toward the flame, Run toward the fire, Hold on for all your worth
Cause the only real pain a heart can ever know
Is the sorrow of regret when you don't let your feelings show

So did you say it
Did you mean it
Did you lay it on the line
Did you make it count
Did you look 'em in the eye
Did they feel it
Did you say it in time
Did you say it out loud
'cause if you did hon
Then you've lived some
That feeling inside
That's called satisfied

Busy people walking by, Can't help but worry some
With so many things to do, So little love gets done
Empty hearts everywhere, Drowning but dying of thirst
If you want love, It's not that tough, Start by giving it first
It's so easy to give Baby can't you see
Just close your eyes open your heart and do what comes naturally

Well did you say it
Did you mean it
Did you lay it on the line
Did you make it count
Did you look 'em in the eye
Did they feel it
Did you say it in time
Did you say it out loud
'cause if you did hon
Then you've lived some
That feeling inside
That's called satisfied

Horses are built to run
The sun is meant to shine above
Flowers are made to bloom
And then there's us
We were born to love

Well did you say it
Did you mean it
Did you lay it on the line
Did you make it count
Did you look 'em in the eye
Did they feel it
Did you say it in time
Did you say it out loud
'cause if you did hon
Then you've lived some
That feeling inside
That's called satisfied

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

2011-06-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

I would like to take a couple of moments to Wish my Husband Jon an extremely Happy Anniversary!! He is away for a couple of days at International Baccalaureate Training Camp for his job, so unfortunately we will not be spending our 3 year anniversary together, although I will assure you I definitely have kept myself extremely busy so far today (tweaking my summer band lesson schedule, laundry laundry laundry, & enthusiastically selecting beautiful color swatches to paint our new dining room walls for a house that we don't yet own.) I digress...

This Blog Post is dedicated to Jon, a wonderful, adorable, talented, hard-working, loving husband, who has so many incredibly amazing qualities - He always sees the best in everyone & every situation, he works countless hours & always comes home in a great mood, & he's [sometimes] very understanding (for a man, which is saying a lot), & I might as well put this out there...He has been able to withstand, learn from, & actually appreciate my occasional mood swings, constantly changing mind, & impossible demands!! (Imagine that!!) On top of that, he always searches for solutions, when many people focus on set-backs, like I sometimes do. He's so flexible & adaptable when change occurs, & he's very dependable & accountable!! He always gives great advice when guidance is needed, & even when it's not, BOOM, he'll say something so astounding, so awesome, that he'll instantaneously change your life, just as he has changed & continues to change mine!! He's the GREATEST husband in the world & I'm so glad we found each other!! Happy Anniversary babe!!YOU ARE THE BEST!!

Ashley's Serene Seaside Retreat

2011-06-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

Good Evening!! It's my pleasure to share a couple of very special photos I took this passed week during which mom & I spent time visiting my sister in South Carolina, where Ashley currently resides & works!! We spent about 3 days helping my sister decorate & add warmth & comfort to her new apartment, which definitely turned out sleek & modern, but still beachy, whimsical, & fun!! (& 2 days adventurously exploring the lively area) There were multitudes of amazing home decor stores & seaside consignment shops that made my mouth water such as The World Market, Home Goods, The Seaside Cottage, The Hammock Shops, & Old Time Pottery, many of which we walked away with some fabulous finds!! I was literally hyper-ventilating all day!!A couple of times, a few unexpected items made their way into the beautiful collection of items we selected to spruce up Ashley's Seaside retreat, which made her wonder if she had the correct shopping cart. (She did a couple of double takes) Examples of which seem to be a couple of shabby chic cottagy items...where did they come from?
And of course, we couldn't even resist Good ol' Target!!
Or for that matter, the Piggly Wiggly, which is an extremely popular super market in South Carolina...Who know? Except for the Wiggly Piggly himself (pictured below)
All in all, we were exceedingly adventurous & had a fabulous time!! Wish we could've stayed longer!!
We're confident Ashley will make lots of new exciting friends such as her new pal Al (pictured below)!! What a hunk!! Check out those jaws!! And a couple of dead dogs that hang by the local saloon!!

"Friday" Inspiration!!

2011-06-17T04:32:00.001-07:00

I just realized that today's not Saturday!! (so much for the reference to Saturday Inspiration in my latest post!! haha)

Inspiring Summer Rooms

2011-06-17T03:10:00.001-07:00

I have AMAZING Saturday morning Inspiration for you, which I found on "House of Turquoise", (www.houseofturquoise.com) an awesome home decorating blog!! They are from different house tours that she was showcasing, & are so beautiful & fresh - I just love each & every photo!! These wonderful rooms definitely motivate me to want to create light & summery home decor!! Have a wonderful day & Happie summer!!

Clever, Creative, Crafty, Cute

2011-06-11T04:07:00.001-07:00

Good Morning!! I just had to share these 3 adorably creative craft rooms with you this lovely inspiring Saturday morning!! The 1st one is from "http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com", which is an exceedingly creative home decorating blog!! The other 2 are from Pinterest. I absolutely positively LOVE the little comfortable nook shown below as well as the soft green yellow & blue color scheme. All 3 rooms have a light & airy aesthetic, which I'm definitely drawn to!! It's very springy & fresh!!

Well, have an amazing weekend!!

Musical Creativity!!

2011-06-11T03:37:00.000-07:00

How AWESOME is this cake?? This was made by two of my 8th grade students for their music creativity project, for which the students came up with some amazingly creative ideas!! Although I refrained from having a piece, everyone loved it!! Looked extremely yummy!!

ABC, as easy as 123

2011-06-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

I was just visiting www.thehandmadehome.net which is an adorably creative home decorating blog that has the most adorable ideas such as the images you see above & below!! Did you get the common thread?? Each craft/decorating idea is connected to using letters in a creative & unique way!! Have an awesome day & hope you enjoy the Inspiration!!Meanwhile...what's wrong wit dis picture?? Cats can't be trusted!!She was given very specific instructions to pack up the beach room...

Race to the Finish Line!!

2011-06-04T03:41:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, my magnificent friends! Hope everyone's doing exceedingly well this bright lovely Saturday morning!! The last couple of weeks have definitely been insanely but pleasantly busy with several school-related activities, concert performances & assemblies, gigs, rehearsals, banquets, you name it - Typical end-of-the-year events that come up simultaneously & fly by quickly!! It's totally a race to the finish line at this point!! I can hardly believe it's June - How crazy is that?? On top of everything, I've been attempting to pack our lives away box by box in an extremely organized & stress free fashion, which we'll see if I'll be able to pull off!! Well, have a great day & don't sweat the small stuff - Just the Big stuff!!

Love, Laughter, & Whimsy

2011-05-30T05:08:00.000-07:00

Love, Laughter & Whimsy

Well, as I already mentioned, we are officially closing on July 11^th, on our old house, that is, which leaves us a couple days short of six weeks to pack up our entire house…& get out, which if we’re exceedingly diligent, focused, & task-effective about it, should be ample time for a pleasant, organized, & exciting move. Luckily, I've already managed to make a considerable dent in the packing process by averaging 3 boxes a day, which I'm carefully & strategically filling to the top & carrying into our garage!! I've devised a fool-proof labeling system in order to easily keep track of all our belongings & to insure that once we arrive at our new house, wherever that will be, unpacking won't be a huge undertaking, & everything will make it to the correct rooms!! I'm extremely excited!! In fact, I haven't been this excited since my wedding day - I would say shopping for a wedding dress was pretty high on the excitement scale!!
I just can't wait to paint, decorate, make a new house into a home filled with love, laughter, & whimsy!! I'm looking forward to planning & blogging about this experience, room by room. I have tons of decorating ideas I can't wait to share. Jon & I have seen a couple houses with our realtor so far, & this morning, we are seeing three more, all of which are in Williamstown in beautiful neighborhoods, & are fairly new - around 10 years old or younger.
Jon has been totally awesome!! On the other hand, my #1 Helper has been taking some time off, & feels that she needs a little R & R, & time to herself!!
mmmmmmhhhhhmmmmm...

UNDER CONTRACT!!

2011-05-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

Well, Chez Botbyl is officially UNDER CONTRACT!!!!

I totally can't believe it!! We are moving out July 11th, & it still has yet to sink in. The last four years have definitely been memorably wonderful & we will never ever forget our 1st house. As we embark on a new exciting journey which entails venturing out into the unknown, we will reminisce on trials, tribulations, laughs, love, & unforgettable experiences we've had while residing here!! Particular memories that come to mind are finding sweet 2-week old kittens outside under the hosta bush...decorating our sad little Charlie Brown Christmas Tree...our nephew Brayden nervously exclaiming "Dad, I can't float!! I'm only a little boy!!" Coming home from our honeymoon & actually living in our home for the 1s time...Relaxing in our lovely refreshing pool on a hot summer afternoon!! Having guests over to relax as well!! All in all, we've certainly enjoyed living here, & as much as we'll miss it, we're ready to move on & see what our future holds, and are extremely excited to be welcoming something new - something a little bigger, a little closer to work, & something we'll confidently be able to called our "Forever-House"!!

To D.I.Y. for!!

2011-05-14T06:57:00.001-07:00

Good Morning!! I have awesome Saturday inspiration for you this lovely spring morning, in the form of creativity and craftiness - things that you can create yourself!!

Photo 1 is from Martha Stewart.com!! What a cute little spring tray which could be used for Drinks, snacks, books, you name it!!
Photo 2, 3, & 4 are from Wendy Woodall at Pinterest.com, which is a neat website where you can post collections of things you love!! These three items, the decorative candlesticks, bright & bold pine cones, & the paint chip bookmarks maybe something that you already decorate with or have used before, but without the colorful twist, so It's definitely cool to see how you could take these items one step further just by utilizing vibrant colored spray paint or ribbon!! The 5th photo is from "frugallifeproject.com" & the 6th photo is from "TheMagicofordinarythings.blogspot.com", two creative blogs I just recently came across while searching for some quick inspiring DIY projects!! Last, but not least, the awesome bookshelf idea (photo #7) is from "creamylife.com", and the adorable colorful bird pillow (photo #8) is from "thesoho.blogspot.com".
All of these fun projects could be taken on within the confines of a considerably small budget & time frame, consisting of items that you may already have hiding in your home!! Have an imaginative weekend!!

Run, Sun, Fun, & Mothers!!

2011-05-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

This morning, Team Artese-Botbyl enthusiastically participated in the Brian Anderson Walk/Run-Athon in Washington Twp, for which the weather was absolutely gorgeous - What a fantastic day to spend outside while donating to a great cause! Also, it's always nice to spot people you haven't seen since High School - Most of the time anyway!! The rest of my afternoon consists of finishing school work, while this landscaping service that Jon just hired cuts & shapes our backyard, which better look amazing!! Then it's on to another extremely jam-packed week of work, rehearsals w/the spring dance team, choir, talent show auditions, flute lessons etc!! We're almost at the home stretch at this point!! This year is completely flying by!!

Hope everyone had a terrific sunny weekend & A Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Belated Easter

2011-05-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't yet gotten around to creating a post about Easter although it was a week ago!! These pictures from Easter were taken from mom's camera (since mine's been out of use since its fatal accident that took place in our washing machine), which due to my severe camera withdraw, I just had to borrow for a couple of days!! After our little Easter Performance at church, we headed over to "The Lakehouse" in Franklinville, which is totally adorable, & as you may have guessed, is right on a quaint little lake!! How appropriate for a lovely sunny spring day!! They has an awesome Easter Brunch consisting of a plethura of breakfast & lunch options, as well as dinner such as Roast Beef & Chicken Parmesean - Yummie!! This will definitely be an option for Easter Sunday in the future - Maybe next year!!

Inspiring Spring Kitchens

2011-05-01T18:25:00.001-07:00

Good Evening!! Just a little End-of-the-weekend Spring Kitchen Inspiration for our 1st day of May!! The 1st two photos are from meohmymama.blogspot.com, which is a creatively adorable blog, & the last two photos are from "House of Turquoise". Hope you had an amazingly fun-filled weekend!!

Mulcho Mulcho Man!!

2011-04-25T04:42:00.000-07:00

Hey! Hey! Hey Hey Hey Hey!!
Mulcho, mulcho man
I've got to be, a mulcho man!!

Froggy Bloggy

2011-04-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

Out with the old Frog...
Through hail, sleet, heavy snow, monstrous storms, & all the interesting weather we've had over the last three years, these two little frogs have stood proud!! They've withstood it all!! But as I examine my poor little Mr. Froggies & quickly observe that they are worn, faded, & footless, I realize the little newly mulched patch of land containing a tall tree in our front yard could use a little sprucing up & is in much need of a new frog.

In with the New Frog...(Enter new frog)I picked up this adorably sophisticated little guy (or should I say, grouping of little guys) at Burlington Coat factory, which has a fresh, exciting, eclectic home decor section, & has made it onto my "Top 10 exciting places to shop" List. Hopefully he'll (they'll) give us the fresh colorful punch we need out front as we enter into a happy & warm (one can only hope) spring along with a new array of brightly colored accessories we've just added to the front & back yard as well as inside such as :
and :Spring is a time for new beginnings!! It's a time to start over, to develop a fresh new outlook on things, to give second chances, to grow!! Happy spring!!

Easter Yummies!!

2011-04-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

Sticking to my diet has been extremely easy, let me tell ya!! I have not at all been tempted by all the tremendously scrumptious, tantalizing yumminess, & I just invented a new word - Yumminess...of the desserts brought in by my students yesterday during our reward party...&... I'm totally lying to you...who am I kidding?? I couldn't resist the double decker cookie cake, & was picking at the amazing yellow music cake all day, while mumbling to myself "Just one more teeny tiny piece of this...& a spoonful of that", although I promised myself I'd stray away from Easter goodies at all costs!!

My students were kind enough to go all out, & one 7th grader's mother, who is an amazing baker, baked us that awesome yellow cake, so I am extremely thankful for all the generosity, & I just had to make an exception.

A Life Worth Celebrating

2011-04-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

Madison Muffin Artese has lived a long, educational, enjoyable life, and I feel that it is only appropriate to recognize and celebrate this amazing creature's contributions to the Artese family and the people who have known and loved her!! She is (barely) standing on her last legs, as she will be turning 16 shortly, which is exceedingly old for our canine friends. We're just trying to enjoy her as much as possible in her last phase of life!! Please say a prayer for this old doggie!!

Gallery Walls

2011-04-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

Good Evening Everyone!! Hope you thoroughly enjoyed every moment of your fantastic Friday!! For tonight's post, I've decided to bring up the topic of Gallery Walls, because I've been particularly obsessed with creating some inspiring creative art & photo collections in the form of a photo wall or Gallery wall, & tweaking some of my already created photo collections!! Recently, I've been gathering up materials - unique frames, photos, & such to create a Gallery wall in our Bedroom, & have been slowly tweaking the Gallery Wall in our family room, which is actually more of my main concern at the moment!! Here are a few pictures of our Family Room Photo Wall so far :I'm planning to add at least one round black frame, & possibly a couple more details to the Family Room!!
The Master Bedroom Gallery Wall is currently under construction!!
Have wonderfully inspiring weekend!!

I’m adding this post to The Inspired Room’s Gallery Wall Party! Check out the Party!! http://theinspiredroom.net/

Zebra Rug Love

2011-04-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Good Evening!! This post is celebrating my new favorite thing - this adorable office rug I just purchased!! I've been spotting lots of awesome area rugs on several of my favorite design blogs, & have been wondering where to purchase such cool rugs, then came upon this beauty at Overstock.com, & ordered it for $30.00, free shipping, & figured, if I don't love it in the office, I'll find something to do with it, or use it in the laundry room, or even at school in my classroom!! Who couldn't use a little Zebra textile in the music classroom!! It's black & white like a music staff!! Anyhow, much to my surprised, this beautifully chic, not to mention thick high quality area rug arrived only two days after I ordered it, & it was definitely LOVE at 1st sight!!!! If you're thinking of purchasing an area rug, consider scoping out the Overstock.com's selection of creative area rugs!! Now, it's off to Home Depot w/hubby to pick up & drag 12 more heavy bags of mulch into my tiny car, then head on home!! Happy Wednesday!!

Trials and Tribulations of Home Improvement

2011-04-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

Alas, the tumultuous trials and tribulations of home improvement projects!! The specific project that I'm currently working on consists of sanding, staining, and painting our staircase railings, which is a considerably involved project in that sanding is always a pain, our railings are extra long and curve around several times in different directions, and I've never stained before, and have never been a huge fan of staining for that matter, although growing up, I remember my mom staining small furniture pieces, shelves, etc, quite often. I digress...

Long story short, the shade of stain that I chose barely made a difference, and...

I STAINED MY HANDS TOGETHER, literally, and as I sit here, slumping in my chair, typing with one crooked sticky "antique walnut" finger, I'm asking myself "What were you thinking, not wearing gloves while using an oil based product??"

I've been a victim of oil-based primers before, and if I'm using "stain" why didn't get the hint that it would obviously stain, and stick, and pick up fuzz from every piece of clothing or towel that I come into direct contact with. God forbid I may need to drive somewhere tomorrow, I may not even be able to touch the doorknob, nevermind yank my hands of the steering wheel...and this dilemma still remains after a hot bath and shower, not to mention an hour long hand washing!! Ahhh!!!!!

Please don't tell my husband - I'll need to hide my hands from him when he returns from his gig late tonight. I'll slyly tuck them in socks, and roll over onto them, while I pretend to sleep. Well, hopefully my experience will help someone who's planning to stain gloveless, and force them to think twice before attempting to do so!!

French Inspired

2011-04-01T20:09:00.001-07:00

I watched a couple of interesting episodes of House Hunters International this evening, all of which happened to be based in Paris, & was extremely inspired by Parisian design and the intricacy and beauty of french decor, which I've become considerably fond of lately. I love french inspired furniture, ornate white or cream-colored picture frames, basically anything that speaks to that vintage french cottage aesthetic, and sometimes I wish I could have my own little cozy french cottage!! Here are some inspiring french cottagy photos that I love!! The 1st picture is from "Dreamy Whites", the 2nd & 3rd picture are from "A Beach Cottage", & last but definitely not least, the 4th picture is from "Frenchlarkspur"!! Enjoy and Happie Friday!!

Life After 29

2011-03-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

Good Evening Fellow Bloggers, Family, Friends!! Today is a wonderful day, for no particular reason, just feels wonderful!! Yesterday, my husband Jon experienced the commencement of "Life after 29" I'll call it. That's right, The Big 3 0, which definitely came much faster than we were prepared to deal with, as we continually questioned "What happened to 20...& 21...& 22...??" He's a REAL adult now, opposed to a fake one or an adult in training, I guess you could say!! We had Dinner at the Mozzarella Grill, one of my favorite places to dine, & the food was absolutely exquisite, as usual. I've been on a seafood kick lately, which, I'm learning, is a bit more costly than chicken & ceasar salad. Well, have a tremendous day. I have an evening of pure fun & excitement planned consisting of tackling three loads of laundry, cleaning out the refrigerator, then grading tests!! Stalling much?

Kenna Hope & Shelf Love!!

2011-03-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon!! Jon & I just returned from our niece Kenna's dedication & reception at Jeff & Danielle's house!! It was a wonderful affair!! Unfortunately, I only have a couple kinduv clear pictures, (unlike my usual collection of 50 or more) that I was able to take via I-Phone, my only picture taking device since my camera's fatal accident!! Instead I will steal...borrow some adorable photos from Danielle's amazing blog after asking her permission!! hehe. Isn't Kenna such a beauty?? Isn't Danielle a great photographer??Also, I have been meaning to post these pictures of a shelf that I've been planning to paint for a month or so, but haven't had the chance, so I figured I'd make this a double post!! It's an old shelf that I distressed & am hoping to make a much bolder shade of something - most likely green, kinda like this, which is why it's covered in green paint chips. What shade of green should I paint it?? Dark, light?? Or should I go with a tan or taupe?? It needs a little more love!! Well, have an amazing week!!

Cute Cozy Cubbies

2011-03-18T18:20:00.001-07:00

Good Evening Everyone!! Just thought I'd throw a little extra special organizational design glamor your way!! These photos all have one thing in common - Cute cozy cubbies!! The 1st photo, which is from a design blog I've recently discovered entitled meohmymama.blogspot.com is extremely refreshing & modern with an urban twist!! The 2nd photo is from "Young House Love", under the House Crashing section, & last but not least, the adorable office is from "Making it Lovely"!! Here's my own randition of "using cubbies to decorate"!!

Saturday Morning Design Inspiration!

2011-03-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a little Creative Design Inspiration for a beautiful Saturday Morning!! The 1st lovely photo is from "Isabella & Max Rooms" & the other two photos are from "House of Turquoise" both for which links are provided!! Have a wonderfully enjoyable & restful weekend!!

Cece, The Fashion Plate

2011-03-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

Wut cin i say? im totaly a fashun plate! i lay around all day like the pritty kitty that i m, okassunally poze for a cuple ov piktures, then take my beuty rest, then begin the wunderful process all ovr agen!!

Time for my beuty rest! Luv ya!!
Sinseerly,
CeCe Botbyl

Cute Cozy Nooks

2011-03-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

Good Evening!! It's been over a week since I've posted on my Beloved Blog, & as I'm about to nestle into my warm cozy bed, I figured I'd quickly share three adorably comfortable cozy nooks with you!! They're all from "House of Turquoise", & are sooo cute!! Have a wonderful evening!!

Truth Serum

2011-02-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've taken a step back to examine my life...not even just my life, but LIFE, and through several attempts to view things clearly, I feel like I'm finally starting to really get to know myself, and am realizing that there are ways for us all to transform any situation, any dilemma or challenge, big or small, into something that truly benefits us and those around us, allowing everyone to grow and mature with our experiences, while learning from them, if we try hard enough to pull from what we already know and have as well as that which is staring us in the face. How's that for one big happy run-on sentence??

There's something about working at a middle school that forces me to be brutally honest with myself about life, happiness, self image, integrity, reality, (and the list goes on and on), and makes me wanna change the world. I've always felt that there's something to be said for being real, being honest, and being different, and always trying to do the right thing, in a world where everything seems to be sugar coated in some way or another, and having integrity isn't necessarily valued as "the cool thing", although it definitely should be!! I strive to be these things. Isn't it difficult to always do the right thing, or at least to try and do the right thing...or do what you think is right, even when it means that you might be laughed at or you feel as though you're laying your soul out on the table, no matter how old we are??

There are so many times when I wish I could totally go out on a limb to improve the quality of someone else's life, but feel like I have limited means or resources...or something, or maybe I'm not brave enough yet...or maybe I'm too prideful, or maybe I'm scared, but I've set out to make this one of my goals for the week - To reach and reward as many people as possible just for being awesome and having integrity, and...just because I'm extremely thankful that they're in my life in some capacity or another.

On my way home from school today, I began thinking about all the relationships we have in a lifetime, and how unique and special they are, whether it be an exceedingly close knit relationship between two sisters, a first love, the unconditional love between a parent and a child, and I started remembering middle, high school, and college years...all the different people you come to know and love, comical things that happen, feelings we all experience...those incredibly special moments that you wish you could have back again even for just a second, those times we all felt completely invincible, those moments when you've said to yourself, "I will never ever forget this night..." those sorrowful moments during which you swear the intense pain and suffering you're feeling will never subside while your parents and friends tell you that this too shall pass...and it eventually does...

Thank God for all these people, and experiences, even the hurting we face and no doubt grow strong from...Without these things, how would we advise others, how would we grow wise, how would we be able to dig deep down in our souls and know what these things feel like, how would we truly experience life in all its depth, glory, and sadness, and joy??

House Hunters - OPEN HOUSE, Sunday 12:00 - 3:00

2011-02-19T04:38:00.000-08:00

OPEN HOUSE
SUNDAY 12:00 - 3:00

House Hunters come Hither!!

Small Inspiring Spaces

2011-02-18T15:28:00.000-08:00

Great things come in small packages right?? Here are five AMAZING small but inspiring spaces!! The 2nd photo is from "Bower Power", the 4th photo, "The Lettered Cottage", & last but definitely not least, the 5th beautiful space, "Small Place Style"!!

Mom & I had an awesome time at HomeGoods this morning, & although we scoured the entire place for unique finds, we managed to not become too carried away, & came home with a new bright blue pillow for my (ahem...I mean...) Jon's office chair, & a couple of small rustic accessories, & of course a couple of photo albums, which brings me to my current problem - My camera. I've been attempting to avoid even thinking about this, but the other day, I could not possibly find my wonderful new camera, which Jon just bought me for my Birthday. I searched the entire house, however, much to my dismay, It was no where to be found until...I went to transfer a load of sopping wet clothes from washer to dryer, & low & behold, at the bottom of the washing machine, there she lay, still, cold, wet, & unconscious, just waiting to be freed from her cloth camera case, & revived!! MY CAMERA!!!!! Oh no!!!! I'm still letting it dry out, which I'm assuming won't work, since it just will not turn on, after several attempts made by an insane, frantic, wanna be photographer such as myself. Anyhow, long story short, I won't be taking/posting any new pictures for a little while now, only ones I've been saving, & obviously pictures that are fairly recent. Sad face!!

TGIHF - Thank God It's HOMEGOODS Friday

2011-02-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm REALLY HAPPY!! Can you guess why? I'M HOMEGOODS HAPPY!! Mom & I have planned a trip to our favorite store & I've been up since 6:00 AM (of course, I can't help it, since my body & mind...& my cat...are completely programmed to wake up at 6:00 on the dot) preparing for this exciting journey, not that I desperately need anything, or have much room for any new gadgets, furniture pieces, bold artwork, etc, for that matter, but I always discover amazing treasures at that wonderfully eclectic & inspiring place, & somehow make it work!! Well, it's off I go!! Happy HomeGoods Friday!! HAVE AN AMAZINGLY MOTIVATING WEEKEND!!

Bold, Blue, Beautiful!

2011-02-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

Good Evening!! Just sharing a quick exciting DIY project that can easily be done on any worn out piece of furniture in need of a little style or color boost, in less than 1 hour. I had bought this little unfinished wooden table at The Amish Farmers market a couple of years ago, & when I had found a new piece to take its place in my family room, I decided to move it up to my little "office in progress", with intentions of punching it up a little with some color & pattern!! Voila!! Wish I had a before photo, but it was basically oak & unfinished, & now it's bold &...well, blue!!

All Will Be Well

2011-02-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like you find yourself spending more precious time carefully planning out your future than living as fully as possible in the present? It's almost as if you have these tremendous grandiose dreams that you wish to make a reality, but you're stuck in a rut, where you're scared to move forward, or are faced with several paths, and continuously go back and forth with yourself as to which path to travel down, frightened that if you choose the wrong one, the "unknown" lying ahead could be riskier than the "known" of today, although you know there's a great chance that the "unknown" could bring about something amazing and wonderful, something you were born to discover?

I've been thinking non-stop lately about everything - present, future, lifestyle, occupation, family, spirituality, balance, physical fitness etc, and sometimes I experience difficulties attempting to prioritize all these aspects of life. I've been reading an inspiring book that I was introduced to while in college entitled "Awaken the Giant Within"...Reading it for the 2nd time, and trying to adopt some of the important principals about how to alter our thoughts and habits, and be more positive, empowered, inspirational, successful, and enlightened, and I've been taking notes!!

There was a period of my life where I loved read motivational self-help books; I would always search for ways to increase positivity, success, and personal development on various levels, and I feel that it's exceedingly important to revisit materials from our past that promote growth and inspire us to better ourselves, and it's always interesting to me that many of the concepts mentioned in these books are things that we already know deep down, but maybe haven't taken the time to face or think about, especially in a fast-paced world where technology is slowly abducting our brains. People are still reading books these days right? Real books...

My struggle this week has consisted of asking God for patience, strength, clarity, and consistency in my life, especially with decisions I've made, or have put off making due to a lack thereof. I need to live as fully and as positively as possible, even when there is uncertainly, which is always present in our lives in some capacity, and when I feel like the ground beneath me is shaking. In the words of singer song-writer Gabe Dixon, "All will be well, even after all the promises we've broken to ourselves. All will be well. You can ask me how but only time will tell."

Adventures of Cecelia Botbyl

2011-02-12T06:55:00.000-08:00

Good Morning!! I've been meaning to post about Cece's latest three-day-long adventure at the Gloucester County Animal Hospital, where she was fixed & declawed, from which she's recuperated considerably well, with help from banana flavored anti-biotics that she actually enjoyed!! She was frightened...downright freaked out actually when I brought her in last week, & I wish I could say that she adapted quite well, but was still frightened & freaked out when we picked her up three days later. Nervously burrying her face in her newly soft & claw-less paws, she couldn't wait to curl up in her little bed & rest, which she did!!