Playing catch up, I promise.

So much has happened since the last time I posted a blog post. Like most my posts, they start to form in my head way before they make it onto my computer screen and I have had tons of ideas and several nearly completed posts but since they are still in my head they aren't very useful to anybody else. I promise this week to start getting them out and catching everything up. In the mean time, I wanted to celebrate my love for all things retro with these awesome skates.

I have been threatening to buy a pair of roller skates for several years and these just may be the ones that push me over the edge. I would definitely be the coolest mom at the roller rink with these on my feet.

Wedge Sandles Needed

My trip to Vegas and the WWDMAGIC show is now just 11 days away and I still don't have the shoes that I am looking for. Shoes aren't something that you can buy last minute as they need to be broken in first and while I want to have on great shoes for the show I also don't want to be in pain and end up walking around Vegas barefoot carrying my shoes (did that once and it’s not really something that I want to repeat, although they were very cute shoes and the blood stains did come off eventually).

#1 on my crush list if a pair of either brown or black leather and cork wedges, 70's style. I am looking to get a new pair of wide leg jeans and at 5'3" I need some serious platform height to pull it off. I also need them to go with maxi dresses, short sun skirts, and cut-offs to carry me thru the summer. I think I am trying to justify an investment piece. Here are my favorites so far.



Volatine "Sling Shot" Sandal



These are the most affordable at $49.95 and I like the idea of the elastic straps but worry that they might stretch out over time (sounds like a sprained ankle waiting to happen). 

Kork-Ease 'Bette' Wedge Sandle



Talk about a flash back to the 70's, this company has been making these same sandals since they were the new thing and not just the new trend, safe to say they are back with a vengeance. I love the contrast of the suede and the leather plus the bronze color is just fun. Unfortunately at $144.95 they are not 70's prices but definitely could be worse.



Pour la Victoire "Jaclyn" Wedge

 These are definitely a big more of an investment piece but could be justified at $269. I love the contrast of the jute and the leather with the brass buckles, very nautical and 70's at the same time. Two trends with one stone or shoe as it were.

Tory Burch 'Leslie' Cork Wedge

Tory Burch is known for her great mix of classic style and comfort and these sandals definite embody both of those plus they have a 4 1/2" heel height a definite bonus for me. These ones are $295 and would be worth every penny.  

Checkerboard Floor

Checkerboard floor? Yes please. I am so excited I can't even tell you, the kitchen floor started to get laid last night. I couldn't believe how much faster it went than the bathroom, I guess it really does help to use 12x12 sheets of tile instead of 1/4" tile. With some help from my loyal helpers and tile cutters, the Foreman and "C" we got about 2/3 of it done last night. I have wanted a checkerboard floor since I first fell in love with the 50's decor idea in about the 5th grade and it seems very surreal to finally be getting one. I am quite sure it will be a pain to keep clean and I will probably break everything that I drop on it but I don't care at this point. I didn't think anything could top how much I love the tile in the bathroom but I was wrong.

The 1st row being laid down.

I can't wait to get back to my house and finish laying it all down tonight, I will keep you all posted as it comes along.

Mistake #2 - Bathroom Floor

The floor in the bathroom had been an issue from the start, first we had to decide what the material was that was on there currently and if it was safe to rip up then figure out what was underneath it and if it was in good enough shape to leave down or if it too had to be replaced. The tile that I picked out for the bathroom was absolutely perfect, like all other decision with this project I knew the minute I saw it that I wanted it. It was a beautiful ¼” hexagonal tile in white with black in there. This tile wasn't completely period appropriate (c 1942) but it was very close and more importantly it was something that I really loved.



Tile is much thinner than we had originally anticipated

 We ended up having to rip the floor down to bare beams and went back and forth on what size backer board to use in there, our gut told us to use the thicker one but there was the worry that would be a small weird lip between the bathroom floor and hallway plus I wanted to put down radiant heat in that room which required a mat with coils to go down under the tile. I won't even tell you how many times I was sent back to Home Depot to exchange the backerboard for the other size, ok I will tell you 3 seperare times plus that stuff is heavy to be pulling in and out of the car and into the store and then from the store back  into the car, etc.. and it was 15 degrees outside that night, not that that really has anything to do with anything I just wanted to complain. We ended up using the thinner backer board against our better judgment and trying to make up the difference by using more thinset to build it up. We were about halfway done with the floor when we realized that this wasn’t going to work, between the thinset being so thick and the coils of the heating mat the small tiles  did not dry evenly. 

What we found when the floor was taken up



New backerboard is put down

  The decision was made to rip out what we had done already and start over. This required another trip back to Home Depot to purchase more backer board (the correct size this time), we had to throw away the heating coil, and wait almost 2 weeks for more tile to come in, of course it was special order from the east coast and ran into some weather delays.

2nd time is a charm

The 2^nd time it went in beautifully and looks wonderful, I was however informed by the Forman that the radiant heat wasn’t going to work and if I wanted heat in there that he would buy me a small radiator. I’m glad I decided to stay with the tile and I will absolutely appreciate how even the floor is every time I walk on it. Plus as long as I am trying to be positive about this experience the delay in the bathroom gave me some extra time and I was able to strip the kitchen cabinets down to bare wood before re-painting them.

Finished Project



Shower Curtains

Ok now that I’ve picked my favorite color combos I have to find a way to express that in my bathroom. I will start by trying to find a shower curtain and then will find towels to match. I found a statement Over at Squidoo they sais "an average shower curtain is over 70" x 70" -- Any item that covers that much space in your home should be perfectly beautiful!" I love that statement and have to admit that my shower curtain wasn't something that I had put a lot of time or energy into in my previous homes. That is definately about to change, here is what I found so far that I love.

Black & Ivory



Rosewood Black and White Shower Curtain by Nicole Miller



Dwell Studio for Target® Baroque Shower Curtain



Design Index "Chandelier"

They range in price from $19.99 - 99.99 and each one has a different feel to it but all would fit and make a great addition to my small room.  

Denim for the People

I came across an article today in NY Magazine and found myself really wanting to disagree with what it had to say.  Their tag line read, “The $300 dungaree is dead (or at least dormant). Long live the cheaper, stronger, and still-great-looking blue jean.” But after I read it I found that I was agreeing with what they were saying. Their general idea is that now that the masses have gotten a taste of what designer denim looks and feels like the cheaper (more affordable) brands have stepped up to the plate and are designing styles to compete with the department stores. Just this weekend I purchased a pair of William Rast jeans at Target for $24.99 that I love just as much as the pair that I purchased from Nordstrom last year for $190.

William Rast for Target Skinny Jeans

Being a jeans girl thru and thru I don’t see myself ever completely giving up my designer denim but I can definitely appreciate the need to supplement your closet with a variety of price points. I have been known to mix a pair of $300 designer jeans with a $5 t-shirt and vintage boots from a second hand store, now maybe the whole outfit will get more affordable, or more likely it will just leave me with more room in my shoe budget and probably more jeans that I know what to do with, 23 at last count.

Pantone

I am proud to say I spent my Saturday night playing on the Pantone website. Now at first glance it may appear that I have way too much time on my hands but that is actually the opposite of what happened, I just saved myself hours of randomly searching thru cyberspace. I have been grappling on what colors to use in the bathroom, I wanted something to go with the mint green and that was somewhat era appropriate but that was still fun and had a bit of my own personality infused in it. Maggie the wonderful owner of The Shanty (mentioned here ) showed me a color board on the Pantone website that she thought would make a great bedroom color combo and wanted my opinion on it.

I instantly had a light bulb moment, I had forgotten all about the Pantone website and being a visual person I love inspiration boards and have made them for almost every room in the house so why not look here for possible color combinations. Granted this is meant for weddings but it gives you a great idea of how colors go together plus inspiration can come from anywhere if we are looking for it.  Here are a few of my favorites, I am definitely noticing a pattern emerging here. 

  

Green/Grey

 

Firecracker & Clover



Black & Chartreuse

 



Hint of Green