Office Furniture

Lake Constance is Europe's third largest lake, on the gorgeous Rhine, at the foot of the alps. The lake and it's absolutely adorable towns makes for a gorgeous day trip from Ulm. Actually - I wish we had scheduled more time to explore the towns. You can read about Lake Constance on Wikipedia.

I love half-timbered buildings...

So gorgeous!

As always - thanks to my bf Chris for these gorgeous photos.

Here's that list again of all my posts from our travels that I've posted -

Spain
•Introduction to my European backpacking trip and a list of places we visited
• Galicia - Baiona and Isle de Cies
• Galicia - the coast, some charming vineyards, and Pontevedra
• Santiago de Compostela and gorgeous hidden beaches
• Gorgeous mountain lakes of Picos de Europa
• Stunning mountains - Picos de Europa
• Bilbao and San Sebastian
• Beautiful Barcelona
• The amazing Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona
• Art Nouveau dream house by Gaudi in Barcelona

Italy
• Not to miss - the gorgeous rocky coast of Italy's Cinque Terre
• More from my summer traveling Europe - amazing Rome
• From my summer in Europe - amazing Pompeii
• Turquoise ocean and vineyards on cliffs - the amazingly stunning Amalfi coast
• My Summer in Europe: Pictures from lovely Florence, Italy
• Enchanting Siena
•Venice
•Lake Como, Italy

Switzerland
•Jungfrau region, Switzerland, Part 1
•Jungfrau region, Switzerland, Part 2

Germany
• One of my favorite cities from my European backpacking trips - Ulm, Germany

Beautiful Villa Elevation - 1602 Sq. Ft.

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Furniture Feature Friday - Favorites & a Link Party

I was totally useless today. I did get my kids ready for school, but then I got right back in bed. I sat on the couch and, aside from a couple of phone calls and answering some e-mail, I just chilled out. I stayed in my jammies until noon, watched a lot of TV and wasted time in general. It was amazing. Now I feel ready to get back to work.

Well, I did spend some time looking through the FFF links from last week, but that's "fun work", so it still fits in the chilling out category. Here were some standouts for me...

I love old shoe carts, but they're often rickety or the "shelves" are angled or only dowels, so I thought that Frugal Farmhouse Design was brilliant to have a modern version made. I might have to show this to my husband...he can just add it to my already long list of honey-do projects. I think this would look great in a bathroom.

Julie of 551 East Furniture Design painted this beautiful secretary desk...inside and out, which is a huge chore. I think it turned out lovely.

Carrie from Lovely Etc. found this cute little cabinet at a "yard crawl." Now, I don't know what that is, but I bet I would like it. She picked a perfect aqua color and you know I'm a fan of dark stained tops, so this piece is right up my alley. Great work, Carrie!

Thanks to all who participate each week! Enjoy!

Here are the rules for our furniture get-together...

1.) Your post has to be about furniture. Please, please, please...just furniture. If you find your link has been deleted, it's not because I'm mean, it's because your post was not about furniture. You can share makeovers, awesome finds, favorite pieces, furniture arrangements, or even pieces on your wish list! Built-in furniture like kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities qualify as furniture.

2.) Post a permalink (the link to the post), not the link to your blog.

3.) This party will close Friday at midnight PST and I will choose my favorite(s) and feature their piece(s) on next week's FFF.

The Dos and Dont's of Kitchen Decorating

Decorating magazines can be a great source of inspiration, but they can often overlook the basics. The problem is that basics are a big deal to the first-timer decorator. Getting your kitchen perfect is no simple process, and we can’t take anything for granted. So in order to help, we’ve assembled the most essential dos and dont's of kitchen decorating.

Do's

• Invest in a high-quality worktop. It is essential to the aesthetic and for maximizing space.

• Allow for numerous electrical sockets. You can’t have too many unless they’re eyesores.

• Separate the refrigerator from the grill, oven and similar appliances as much as possible.

• Make space for a dishwasher.

• Place base cabinets at least 21” deep.

• Place cabinets above countertops at least 30” high and 12” deep with at least 60” of frontage.

• Make your walkways 42” wide and your passageways at least 36” wide.

• Hire a professional fitter to connect the gas.

• Hire a professional electrician to handle all wiring.

• Hire a professional plumber to set up the water supply, waste disposal and drainage.

Below are some great example of kitchen Do's

via Christopher Peacock

via Kitchenisms

via Pinterest

via Schibsted Forlag

Dont's

• Overestimate cabinetry and cupboards; too much will make the kitchen seem smaller than necessary.

• Go with less than 144” of frontage for small kitchens or 186” for large kitchens (greater than 150 square feet).

• Allow for less than 15” clearance between counter and the bottom of wall cabinets; 18” is best.

• Carpet the kitchen. A kitchen floor will get wet, and it needs to be as hygienic as possible.

• Place a dishwasher farther than 36” away from a sink.

• Hang anything, including cabinets, over an oven or hob.

• Place an oven or hob directly beneath a window.

• Purchase elaborate window coverings. Simple blinds are the best choice.

• Underestimate storage needs. Any kitchen needs a combination of at least six drawers and cupboards.

• Account for less than 12” x 24” for each diner.

• Forget to place a smoke alarm and a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

This kitchen is a major don't...

via Ugly House Photos

These are some of the major decorating tips to look out for when revamping your kitchen. Happy decorating!

*disclosure: this is a sponsored post

Beautiful House Elevation - 2200 Sq. Ft.

204 square meter (2200 sq.ft.) house elevation design

2200 Sq ft House
3 bedroom with attached toilet
Living room
Dining area
kitchen
work area
Carporch

Architect:Subin S
Subin Surendran Architects & Associates
G-128,3rd Cross ,
Panampilly Nagar
Kochi-36
Email: ssacochin@gmail.com
phn:0484 3537074
Mb: 09895697074

packages, pillows & paper

The posts you have read over the past two days were written on Sunday and if you follow me on Twitter, you know I took a spur-of-the-moment trip to Kentucky. It's been a busy few days...yes, even busy by my standards...and now I'm home. Whew. I apologize for not posting a winner of the Stella and Dot giveaway, but I just didn't have the time to do it, so the winner is announced at the bottom of this post. When I got home, it was amazing to see my husband and little boys and I was also greeted by several boxes of goodies. I love goodies. I received some Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint (including the new white), some t-shirts and pillow cases from Dear Lillie, a shelf and soap dispenser from Post Road Vintage and an amazing haul of hand sewn runners, pillows and stockings from Sutton Place Designs.

I'll show off everything in other posts, but Ann from Sutton Place Designs made these vintage ticking pillows...

...(which look fabulous on my sofa), some white linen pillows...

...and two huge boxes of more goodies. This lady can sew. Wow.

Last week, Mini Mustard Seed and I started having some fun with paper. It's the time of year where I have to get geared up for Christmas, so we're turning out wreaths, ornaments and toppers. I'm hoping to also add some new ideas to my "Christmas line" this year.

Perhaps doing more with the shredded vintage paper I am using as nesting for my pumpkins...

Oh...and look who I got to hang out with in Kentucky..

For those who don't know, that's Traci from Beneath My Heart. It was so awesome to hang out with her, even though it was just for a quick dinner.

OK, lastly...the winner of the $50 Stella & Dot Giveaway is...

Sorry this post is all over the place, but I've had about five hours of sleep each of the last two nights, so I'm not at my sharpest! It's definitely early to bed for me tonight.

Office Furniture

Home design ideas of the month - Septembetr 2011 Edition

The charming, idyllic towns along Lake Constance in Germany

Beautiful Villa Elevation - 1602 Sq. Ft.

Furniture Feature Friday - Favorites & a Link Party

The Dos and Dont's of Kitchen Decorating

Beautiful House Elevation - 2200 Sq. Ft.

packages, pillows & paper

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