Fireplace Makeover

A while back I tackled the job of making over my very ugly and dated fireplace. It had this rough looking, very 70'sish wood mantle and plain white tile and absolutely no personality. I've never built a mantle from scratch, so I went down to Superior Moulding with my husband and a photo of what we wanted in hand. One of the guys working there help us pick out the moulding we would need and then we were on our own. It took us a couple of days to get it done (nothing is ever quick when you have kids running around) and some help from a friend, but it was well worth it! It really dresses up the living room and we actually use it now. Before we didn't, because it was such an eye sore and we didn't want to attract attention to it.

Jennifer

www.castleberryds.com

A Bedroom Makeover to Cheer Me Up

My new Chair!

 

This is the blanket I really wanted, but it's wool and it's $100.00.

Not a good idea to spend that much when you have kids and

animals on it all the time. It just wouldn't last. For those of you

that don't have to worry about such things, it's available

through the Victorian Trading Company.

 

 This one was on sale at Cost Plus for $29.00

Recently I lost the beautiful tree that grew outside my bedroom window. It was old, lush, big and beautiful. It greeted me every morning when I woke up and opened the blinds. I loved how the little bits of sunlight sparked through it's tiny green leaves and made designs on my bedroom walls. It was fabulous and it was my friend. Unfortunately, it was planted too close to the foundation and it had to go before any damage was done. The day it was cut down I sobbed. Since that day I have not opened the blinds, because the view is so bleak without it. Honestly, I didn't even want to go into my room at all. I decided there were going to have to be big changes in my room, so it wouldn't seem so bleak without my tree.

My first purchase was this gorgeous chair from Pottery Barn that I got a great deal on. It was a discounted floor model and it ended up being 60% off. I couldn't believe my luck on that one! I also got the palm tree, so I would have something else living in that corner of the room again. I'm in the process of trying different wall colors, as you can see by the little patch of paint by the lamp. I've never been crazy about the yellow and this is the perfect time to change it. I'm also on the hunt for curtains. I haven't found the right ones yet, so I might make some instead. I want something light and airy, but covers the view (or lack thereof). I also need a better pillow. I had this one and it does the job for now, but I want something with teal and green like the one below. I'm considering designing my own fabric on Spoonflower, so I can get exactly what I want.

Pier 1 Imports

Jennifer

 

www.castleberryds.com

Inspiration Flew In Through An Old Window

  

AFTER

BEFORE

Here is my latest passion-hand painting on windows! I found this old window in the garage when we moved into our house 7 years ago. All this time it is been sitting out there, waiting for me to be inspired. A few weeks back I was hit with sudden inspiration-don't know where the idea came from. It just popped in my head almost out of the blue. I wasn't even thinking about the old window (at least my conscious mind wasn't.) I love ideas like that-I call them "freebies" because you aren't struggling to get them, they come like they were free! As soon as it popped in my head I got to work. I have never done sign painting before, so it was a bit "trial and error" at first. 

I liked the way the old original finish had the chips and scrapes, so all I really did was knock off some of the old paint that was really peeling. Then I gave the glass a good scrubbing and started to work on the painting. I sat and imagined where this window could have come from. I thought it would be neat if it were from an old beach shop store front along a boardwalk. It's hung from a hook I bought at Anthropologie and some chain and screw eyes from the hardware store. 

This project was so much fun that I went out this weekend to a couple of architectural salvage yards in Pasadena and bought a few more. This window and more will be coming soon to our website!

Angela

www.castleberryds.com

Valentine's Day

Well it was not a romantic night for the hubby and I at all, but we had a great time with the kids. We were suppose to get together with Angela's family tonight, but Sydney came down with a fever at the last minute this afternoon. I had almost finished the decorations at Angela's when I found out, so I went home and started all over again at our place. Even though it was rushed and last minute, they came out really nice. I went with my go-to decorations, which consist of a role of streamers and some curling ribbon. I always seem to have both around and they're quick to put up. I also threw a log on the fire and lit candles, which made it quite cozy!

I was also excited to find out that Cindy picked my favorite design for the studio doors! I will be going by with a sample to see if she likes the size and then I will have them printed up. They're going to look so pretty and I can hardly wait to see them on the doors!

I also got all of my supplies priced out for my mini mudroom project. I was hoping to get started on it this week, but my sweet little Annie has been sick and the vet bills pretty much devoured my budget, so it will have to wait. Of course my little teensie is worth it!

And because we don't always see our true potential, I leave you with this thought-

Back in the Saddle Again....

Well it's been a few months since Angela or I have been able to make a new post. Holidays and life got in the way a bit, but things are back on track. I've been working on some designs for the Gotta Dance Studio in Granada Hills. I'm having a lot of fun with it so far. The owner Cindy needs signs for the different studios, so I came up with a couple of ideas for her to pick from. This one is my favorite and I hope she chooses it. Each studio sign will have a different dancer and will have it's own personality.

I'm also getting geared up to build a little bench in my entryway for a little extra storage. I found this wonderful inspiration pic on Pinterest. I don't know who the designer is, but it's really beautiful. I did all the measurements yesterday and I will be heading over to Lowes tomorrow to get the supplies I need. I'm so excited to get started!

Inspiration from Mary Blair

On a recent trip to Disneyland I made sure to stop off and check out the Mary Blair exhibit at the Disney Gallery on Main Street.  For those of you who have not heard of her, she was one of Walt Disney's favorite artist. She developed concept art for such films as "Peter Pan," "Alice in Wonderland" and "Cinderella." Walt loved her sense of color so much that he also asked her to help with the design of the "I'ts a Small World" attraction for the  1964 New York World's Fair. She also created 2 murals for the Tomorrowland promenade. This just names a few of her accomplishments. To this day she remains an inspiration to many artists, including myself!

 She had such a beautiful way with color and simple but beautiful shapes. No wonder Walt liked her work so much! Here is a concept piece she created for "It's a Small World."

After seeing some of her originals in the Disney Gallery I was totally inspired. So, when a friend of mine called me and asked if I would design a birthday card for her daughters first birthday, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. My girlfriend is a big Disney fan herself so I thought a Mary Blair inspired portrait on the front of the card would be perfect! I really love the way it came out, and decided to add it to our line on Zazzle. I created a line of birthday onesies for all types of little birthday girls!

New Halloween shirts available!

Well, one of my favorite times of the year is here-Halloween! We really get into the holiday here at our house. When all of my friends are complaining that they hardly even get more than a few trick-or-treaters, we get a few hundred of them! Luckily for a die hard Halloween fan like myself, all of my neighbors really get into it too. There are several houses on our block that put on a "haunted house" on the front lawn. Each year we have friends and family come over to help out with the entertainment for all the kids. I stand on the porch with a big cauldron full of candy as trick-or-treaters line up on the walkway.  Throughout the night we take turns haunting in the yard, taking the kids trick-or-treating and going inside for a hot bowl of home made tortilla soup. It's a tradition that I'm sure our kids will remember always.

This year I designed this black cat for some of our products on Zazzle. It was just a doodle that I ended up really liking. I have made it into trick-or-treat bags for our kids. Be sure to check out our Zazzle page to see some of the cute products we have put this new design on!