Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Celebrating a Birth: Remembering a Life

 

 

Let us all celebrate the life of a man who stood up and changed the face of our nation forever.

 

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

 

Happy Hump Day

A lot has been going on with me recently. I started back to school taking online classes for the first time. Introduction to Psychology and English Composition II are my two courses. I started Monday trying to finish all of my assignments so I could focus on the rest of the week. I also am a part of the team that is decorating a room for Decorators' Showhouse here in Birmingham. This is the house:

Very traditional, very Georgian. Not exactly my cup of tea, but the experience will be worth it!

So I'm moving into my new apartment Saturday. i.e. I have a lot of work to do. I've started the packing process but I feel like I haven't made much progress. I've gotten the kitchen, bathroom, and majority of the living room done. My room hasn't been touched and it's probably going to stay that way. I have too many shoes and clothes to deal with!

 

You can tell I'm very eager about this.

 

If you don't know by now, the Birmingham area has rained and rained and rained for a least a week now, I suppose. It's very frustrating and cold. Either my mother needs to buy me those Hunter rainboots I want, or the sun needs to get out from under a rock and shine again! Needless to say, I'm ready for Spring Break. I hope all of you are having an OK start to your week. Be happy; the Hump is over! Have a great weekend!

 



CasaSugar House Tour: Sheridan French

This post is brought to you by:

It's no surprise that designer Sheridan French's Texas home is infused with the same layered prints, exuberant colors, and exotic influences that her collections are synonymous with. After spending years as a student and model in Europe, Sheridan landed a job at Prada's London Press Office but continued to create her own collections on the side. It wasn't until Sheridan returned to her hometown of Fort Worth, TX, to raise a family that her lifelong dream of developing her own label, Sheridan French, came to fruition.

'Never do this, never do that,' and then sure enough, you come across a room where leopard and tartan are combined beautifully with some chevron thrown in that just works. So never say never! I think everything can go with everything if you put the right spin on it. Perhaps not trying too hard is key.

As a line previously dedicated to fashion – think shift dresses, tunics, and shorts with a luxury resort twist – Sheridan French now carries equally exquisitehome goods. We asked the Southern style maven to let us peek into her vibrantly decorated home to get a sense of how she melds fashion and interior design, both professionally and personally.

For the full interview with Sheridan and CasaSugar, check out the post here. 

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A beautiful house, right? I love her unique style and the way she's added those exotic, worldly pieces to her design. The global influences that she's brought into her home are so aesthetically pleasing. I love the way she threw in bright, fun colors into her home. In one room, you see a bust of an animal on the all and in another you see orange patent leather chairs. I think my favorite room in the tour was the kitchen. Wow, is all I have to say about that. The ghost chairs around that natural wooden table - big thumbs up. She has a successful balance between classic, vintage, old-world and girly, chic, and contemporary. I don't know how, but it just works. Very adventurous and bold. I'm in lust with his home! What did you think?

From Drab & Dreary to Bright and Airy: Dorm Decorating 101

School has just started back for the majority of Birmingham. Most of the students at UAB live in the dorms. I, personally, have never lived in the dorm, but I have lived in a Cracker Jack box. If you're entering in dorm life for the first time or have just leased your first apartment and you don't even know where to begin as far as making it your own, you've come to the right place.

Anyone who's ever had to decorate a small apartment or dorm room, one of the things that's the biggest issues is painting the walls. A room's atmosphere can be altered in a second through paint. Most apartments and dorm rooms don't allow painting or at least you have to paint it back, so what's the next big thing? Wall decor. The best way to upscale your tiny space is through artwork and abstract pieces.

Depending on your style and personality, a sleek bookcase can add a lot of interest to your space while taking up some wall space at the same time. You can display some of your collectibles,  books, and baskets. Over cluttered bookcases make you look like a hoarder. Use balance and harmony when filling your bookcase. For more added interest, add your own spark and try painting or wallpapering the back panel. The possibilities are endless.

If you have a lot of vintage artwork that you'd collected over the years, now is the time to display those. Create an abstract feature wall using old frames and pictures. This will give your space an eclectic look and allow you cover up some of that white washed wall. It also allows you to pull colors out of the pictures and add them elsewhere in your home. 

Depending on your wall type, whether you have a stucco finish or flat finish, you can add a large wall decal. Decals, like the ones you put on your car, are easy on and easy off. I've seen quote decals at all of the major department stores, but finding a really cool and much larger one would be fun too. Another great way to add color and interest to your space. 

Shadow boxes are really cool because you can change them out depending on the season, or if you have new knick-knacks to put in them. A great way to use things from vacations, concerts, birthdays, and more. You can hang the boxes on the wall or prop them up on a shelf. Both are going to allow you to bring in color to your walls. 

I hope you got some inspiration and you're not ready to give it quits on your new space. There are other options to cover up your walls such as large posters, tapestries, window treatments, mirrors, and more. Don't get frustrated when it comes to decorating your space. Use what you have and just spice it up a little. Pinterest is a great tool when it comes to DIY wall decor crafts and dorm room ideas. 

If all else fails and you're planning on staying in your apartment for a year or so, go ahead and paint, but choose one wall, not all four. Create a feature wall with some of my suggestions above. Good luck with school and your new space!

Crafting Day

My friend Kassie and I had a little crafting day yesterday, and we made tile coasters, which were really easy and cheap to make. We bought a pack of 4 x 4 stone tiles at Home Depot and them modge podged the scrap paper on top. We allowed it to dry and then sprayed a clear coat on top. I'm really excited about the way they turned out.

 

 

 

These would make perfect gifts for any occasion and what's even better is that the colors are endless!!

Hometown Tragedy



via Facebook



Another student from Pinson Valley High School left this Earth yesterday too soon. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire city of Pinson as well as the family of this young man. It breaks my heart to know another senior won't walk across that stage in May. I didn't know the kid, but it fact of the matter is is that it just sucks. No parent should have to bury their child, much less one who's whole life is in front of him. I don't know the whole story or what cause the accident but that doesn't matter. Three other students were injured and I hope and pray that they make it out alright. I always see the city of Pinson coming together at a time of need. It makes me feel proud of my hometown and proud of what I was taught the time I was there. All over Facebook, I've seen statues pertaining this incident with stories remembering the kid and it's all so heartbreaking to read. All I have to say to my Pinson family is to be strong. As you go back to school tomorrow, hold your head up high. Never get to old or too "cool" to tell your friends and family you love them. They can be snatched from you in an instant. Your friends are what makes school bearable. Don't ever take them for granted. I've been in the same situation more than once when it comes to losing a close friend and/or classmate. So lift up this kid up; remember the good times; have a moment of silence. I'm proud of you PVHS, for putting aside your own problems to help the ones that are devastated by this tragedy. Only the good die young. God Bless.

 

 

Black Is Back

Or did it ever leave? Black has always been a classic color selection for anything you're going for. This issue of Veranda magazine calls black the "perfect way to acheive elegance with an edge." I found some beautiful black pieces from one of my favorite designer stores, Z Gallerie.