Free Inspirations

I recently had one of my readers contact me and ask me what my favorite free magazines were for design inspiration. However, aside from Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs and West Elm, all of the magazines I get are through paid subscriptions. But I must say they are a much better deal than buying them off the shelf. Usually around $15 for a year. That's only a little over a dollar a month. And many magazines run great promotional deals on their sites. For instance, right now Better Homes and Gardens is running a deal for $5.99 for a one year subscription. However, if subscriptions aren't your thing, there are still many available resources online. Here are a few I use:

1. BHG.com- Better Homes and Gardens has a great website with a variety of topics they cover. From crafts, to food, to decorating, to gardening...they have it all. If you go to their website, you can sign up for their weekly newsletter to be emailed to you. I receive this and find inspiration all of the time. It's not one of those newsletters that you delete before even having read it. And the best part is you can subscribe to whichever ones you want.

-Recipes

-Weekly Update (Decorating)

-Life Made Better

-Holidays & Celebrations.

Even if you do have a subscription to the magazine, I would urge you to sign up for this as well because it covers completely different material. And it's free!

2. Decorpad.com- If you're looking for furniture and accessory pieces that are design worthy but not too costly, you should check out Decorpad.com and their "Look 4 Less" page. They also have a huge gallery of rooms to give you inspiration for your own spaces.

3. HGTV.com- This may sound like a no brainer, but I can't tell you how many people love this channel and watch it religiously, yet rarely tap into their online resources. They have tips for every room in your house and advice straight from the show designers.

4. Marthastewart.com- This site offers more DIY crafts, recipes and entertaining ideas than it does actual interior decorating tips. However, it is great when it comes to making you think outside the box, especially for inexpensive accessories and artwork for your home. And if you are planning to throw a great party at your newly decorated place, Martha is your go-to girl for great ideas. She also offers a wide range of newsletters like bhg.com to be sent to your email.

5. Etsy.com- Because so many of the products sold on this site are handmade, it gives you great inspiration for DIY projects. Type in an item you'd like to make for cheap and see what comes up. You'd be surprised how simple it is to make something beautiful at a low cost. Who knows, you might be so inspired that you want to open up a shop of your own on there!

Hopefully these sites will give you just the inspiration you need!

Do you have places that you regularly checkout for great ideas? Where do you get your design inspirations?

Canopy Stripes

As I mentioned in a previous post, black and white canopy striped fabric is one of my current obsessions. It's classic, clean and oh so elegant. Not to mention that it can make a bold statement in a room without being too flashy. I normally favor a very neutral color palette with accents of greens and robin's egg blues, and this pattern could be put in any such setting and be beautiful. Here a few of my favorite examples: Is this room spectacular or what? It's modern, classic and sophisticated! There is a large amount of stripes in this room, yet it's not overbearing. And the symmetry and clean lines displayed throughout give the room great balance. I could just plop this room right into my house! This is another example (as shown in a previous entry). If you don't have the money to invest in a rug, buy a few pillows and get the same look in your room for a fraction of the price. Whoever said black and brown don't go together was seriously mistaken. Lo

Southern Gentleman Baby Shower

Last month I helped throw my best friend (we met in 9th grade speech class :)) Lauren's baby shower for her soon-to-arrive baby boy, Gunner. The shower had a "Southern gentleman" theme complete with bow ties, silhouettes and gingham print. Personal touches and family items were used throughout, including baby Gunner's dad's bow ties :) Gunner's daddy's "going home" outfit greeted guests at the sign in table, along with a framed "Southern gentleman in the making" print. A variety of centerpieces graced the tables with groupings of baby mementos, flowers and photos. An antique baby basket helped house the gifts. The drink menu consisted of milk, apple juice (one of Lauren's cravings), fruit-infused water and coffee. The menu was made of a variety of brunch goodies including fruit, doughnuts, muffins, shrimp and grits, breakfast casserole and a waffle bar. And of course no shower is comp

Table Decorating Contest

Jon and I are leaving to spend a long weekend in San Antonio with his parents and his brother (who will be town from Arizona). But before we go, I wanted to leave you with some pictures from the Officer Spouses Club Table Decorating Contest that was held last night. I called Jon on my way home from base, and he immediately asked "How was the contest?" to which I responded "Victorious." The 32nd FTS, our squadron, took first place! The theme was Silver Screen so we decided to focus on famous quotes from each movie genre. Each place setting featured a different movie. We had a "drive-in" for our center piece where clips of the famous quotes were shown. Welcome to the Jayhawk Drive-In! Wizard of Oz place setting. The glass had a button you could turn on to make the water swirl and look like a tornado inside. Also notice the witch's feet sticking out from under the plate :) A close-up of the yellow brick road I painted. Silence of the Lambs pl

House of Hydrangeas

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