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SADDLEBAGS

August 30, 2010 By JJ

Ah, age. You are a such a little brat.

Every now and again, I’ll catch a reflection of myself and see a big batch of grey hair…and I call my salon immediately. Likewise, I might notice my frown lines deepening…not because I frown a lot, but rather because I squint due to too much sun. In those cases, I slap on some deep moisturizer and call my facialist for a little microdermabrasion.

However, I just saw something HORRIFYING that I don’t know how to control. It’s new and it’s NOT pretty.

I shot a wedding earlier this month and my second shooter sent me her files today. And I saw the nastiness…deep, dark circles under my eyes. WHERE DID THESE SADDLEBAGS COME FROM and HOW LONG HAVE I HAD THEM?

See how sad and pathetic they are?

Anyone have any solutions? I need to put a REAL smile back on my face…not one like this scary fake one…and one that makes me look younger than I am. And I’m pretty sure it won’t be real until I get rid of these bags! ; )

Filed in Category BLAHger’s Rants ‘n Raves 7 Leave a comment

WHERE I BLOG

August 30, 2010 By JJ

My friend Kate, the Centstational Girl, is having a linky party today on where we blog. And because I’d jump off a bridge if my friends were jumping, I’m linking up!

The photo to the right is my GIGANTIC home office. {smirk} Yes, the tiny shoebox that I call home does not have an office, nook, or even built-in. Rather, I have a corner of my bedroom where I do my blogging and run my photography business. It’s tiny, but it works.

When I initially decided to make this corner my office, I knew instantly that I wanted a mirrored desk. It had the degree of “bling” that I was searching for. I had a few options to choose from, but was STOKED to find this one for a killer deal at JC Penney of all places! They have a great furniture department and this desk was hand delivered.

The convex mirror came from Aaron Brother’s and the shelves came from Target. I HATE THOSE SHELVES. They were so challenging to hang properly, and man, they fell out of the wall about seven gabillion times as I was trying to hang them. The accessories came from all sorts of stores. I really love the vintage cameras and the bust. I renovated the chair as a part of another linky party last year – woo – and the iMac is my newest baby! I LOVE this sucker!!!

So, there you have it. I blog in the corner of my bedroom on a mirrored desk with my FABULOUS computer. It’s not flashy, but I couldn’t be happier.

Where do YOU blog???

Filed in Category CONDO2CASTLE 34 Leave a comment

BUILDING A BEDROOM

August 27, 2010 By JJ

I got a new Ballard Designs catalog yesterday and I was really drawn to their instructional pages on building rooms. Of course, they do this to inspire you to buy their products, but it got me to thinking about how I built my bedroom.

Ballard recommends starting with practical, but comfortable furniture, then choose bedding and drapery, and finally add art, lamps, and a simple mirror to complete the room. Sounds like a snap, huh? Sounds like something everyone does, right?

Wellllll, I’m pretty sure that’s NOT how I designed my bedroom.

If you’re anything like me, you acquire furniture in odd ways throughout the years. Maybe you have antiques, maybe you still have hardcore IKEA college furniture, or maybe you have some FABULOUS expensive furniture that you bought in a suite.

When I bought my house, I bought a bedroom suite of furniture on the cheap. It was maple and trendy…but that was an impulse buy. I didn’t consider how I would feel about it down the road. Since that time, I have bought random pieces of furniture in order to replace the old set…yet still have some of the old.

When I changed my headboard from the maple wood to a raw silk headboard, I knew I needed new linens. I found a neutral set which I thought were pretty and timeless. Later down the road, I found draperies, which I then customized even more. But more than anything, I believe my bedroom inspiration has come from the major art piece I found a couple of years ago. Having such a large focal point in my bedroom has essentially driven the vibe I’ve wanted to convey…and in turn, it’s really inspired the additional pieces and accessories I’ve purchased since.

It’s interesting to really think about how I have designed my bedroom. It’s basically based on a major focal point that I LOVE…which got me to thinking about the other rooms in my house, and you know what?! I can’t pick out one thing that I’m CRAZY about in my living room, which makes me think that I MAY need to start spending more time in there considering where I want to go to next.

How about you? How have YOU designed your bedroom? Is there one piece that you’re IN LOVE with?

Filed in Category DIY Diva 3 Leave a comment
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