A Complimentary Fit

This is a quick post to mention that despite my crazy antics of second guessing and repainting, my husband is currently sitting in his office looking at paint swatches to repaint his office since he feels it doesn't flow with the rest of the house.  He is also looking at paintings for the upstairs orange wall because although he loves the orange wall, he knows how much it is irritating me.

Even though there are times where I wish he would just let me take the lead and do what I say when it comes to decorating, I really do love the fact that he is so invested in creating a beautiful home and shares a similar vision with me. It may make things a bit messy at times but it's our mess together.

On Tuesday we celebrate 7 years of marriage.  It's been an amazing journey and I'm looking forward to many more years of creating of beautiful life together.  Happy Anniversary Beau!

Photo by Jessica Ceason of Jessica Ceason Photography

That Damn Orange Wall

I have a love hate relationship with a certain wall in my house.  This wall was meant to be the accent point in our house, a wall to give life and color to a more neutral home.  With the 60/30/10 rule in design, this was going to be the pivotal 10 that brought things together.  Depending on the day, the light, or my hormones, my feelings change for this wall.  Currently I loathe it and my husband loves it.  He does loathe my ping pong effect of my feelings for this wall which is enough to get him on board with changing it.  Yes, 9 months here and I've painted and repainted more than most of my friends who have lived in their homes for 3+ years.

We have either orange or copper accents throughout the house which is why we chose this color.  I love the color orange but I can't get this particular wall to flow with the rest of the house which therefore makes me want to change it all together.  Unfortunately I have no idea what to change it to. 

Here is the infamous wall from the main view of the house.

Here are some other angles upstairs

And views of the rest of the downstairs living room/kitchen

The grey/blue, Sherwin William's Morning Fog (SW6255), we chose for upstairs is an in between color of the Lazy Gray (SW6254) in the kitchen and Gibraltar (SW6257) on the fireplace wall.  Same color pallet.  My husband's thought is to continue the Morning Fog on the the orange wall.  One idea I had was to use a similar gray from the couch which is also replicated in the kitchen counter/tiles and paint the entire upstairs this...if I can convince my husband of course.

Another thought I had was to use the color below, Black Swan (SW6279), as another accent but that might make it more conflicting with the fireplace wall.

We will be adding a gallery wall of brightly colored paintings from our travels

View of the sitting room looking into the dining room to the living room.  We used Martha Stewart Fig in the Dining Room. Beau's office to the right (which looks a little more yellow in this image) is SW6380 Humble Gold.

I need your insight as I am at a complete and utter loss over what to do with the upstairs.  We have already repainted the playroom portion from the same orange to Morning Fog, and then carried the Morning Fog to the two hallways as well.  I do love the color  but I'm concerned of adding too much blue.  My husbands concern is that we originally envisioned this brightly colorful house as I wrote about here but am slowly ending up with 18 variations of gray. 

Please post your thoughts below.  I'm looking for suggestions for the orange wall only or the upstairs as a whole.  I want to keep the rest of the rooms the same.  Any ideas on how to make my house flow?

Spa Inspired Master Bath

Have you ever not painted a room because you were afraid the color would be completely wrong?  Instead you take the safe route and leave the room blank until you are 100% sure?  Meanwhile, years pass and you still have the same white walls that house came with?

I can confess I do not do this at all.  My tactic is much more forward.  I envision the color I want, pick out my color choices, narrow it down to the 1 or 2 I want, and then take a leap of faith and paint.  If I don't like it, I repaint again.  It's not because I don't know what I want, it's because I do, to a fault.  My husband should be flattered by this "quirk" as we are approaching 7 years of marriage but in reality he's getting a little tired of this method not just due to costs but because I'm constantly ruminating on it until it's fixed....and he's ultimately the one to fix it.

In the 8 months we've lived here the master bath was actually the 3rd room we redid (it's the most complete which is why I'm sharing it with you first).

Here is the starting point:

Problem: White White walls, no personality, and too boring.  I want a master bath that evokes a spa feel where this is too cold to make me feel relaxed.


Solution: Create an Asian Nature Spa feel by pulling out the green in the glass accent tile.

Which resulted in:

Problem:  Sherwin William's 6422 Shagreen.  This color had been described as lime, avocado, 1970's appliance green, baby nursery green, and just too cool for the space.

Where we went wrong:  We actually chose a lighter color green than the tile in the glass accent piece.  We felt that the green was too olive and dark and wouldn't feel refreshing.  Our little accent swatch we did when determining the color looked fine in a small scale but was not right when the whole room was painted the color.

How we fixed it:

I went back to the beginning and began looking at my Pinterest boards to get insight.  What I found was I repeated the same coloring in multiple different bathroom designs: tan tile, cream walls, with subtle accent colors.

How we fixed it:

I used Sherwin Williams Color Snap on my IPhone and snapped the color of the tan tile as my starting point.  Was able to choose colors from there to determine the right shade.  I then picked one of the lighter shades to contrast with the dark tile.  Presenting Sherwin Williams 7567 Natural Tan.

To add a nice pop of color, we pulled the purple in the glass tile, SW 7630 Raisin to paint the window casings.  

To complete the Asian Nature Spa Feel, we went simple with a purple orchid, grass green bath essentials,  amber colored candle holders, and rolled white towels.  Two off set dark floating wall shelves displays the products nicely without cluttering the space.

Just to recap ways to find the perfect color:
1. Collect images from HGTV, Houzz, Pinterest, or your favorite decorating magazine.  You will begin to see a trend that shows your likes.  Use that as your guide
2. Do not force a color.  I should have known the green was not going to work when it didn't match the tile.  I should have gone with a darker olive that matched, or chosen a completely different color all together.  You will see this trend on my next few redos.
3.  As a person who loves color, there is no reason why you can't focus on accents being the color in the room.  Yes, this is a cheating approach but if you are not 100% sure, use a neutral that coordinates with your   tile or cabinets and sets the temperature for the room, buy some fancy towels, a nice plant, or some fun brightly colored pieces.

In the end don't worry about painting and then having to repaint.  Seriously, paint is cheap.  Even with labor, it is still cheaper than redoing your tile, replacing cabinetry  or buying furniture.  Plus, it is so much more enjoyable walking into a room that you love 100% instead of hoping the color grows on you.

Room to Grow II

This post takes on a whole new meaning from when I first thought of it back in July with our first edition of Room to Grow.  Not only does Little Man need a space that grows with his interests, he'll soon need a retreat from the baby that is about to storm in his life.  

That's right, Little Man is going to be a big brother come August!

This news is also why I've been MIA for a few months.  Lets just say it's hard to be inspired when your head is in the toilet most days, you can't keep your feet on the ground in the middle of Walmart, and your depression/hormones are as unpredictable as a teenage girl picking out her 1st day of school outfit.  While this pregnancy was planned, the symptoms that came with it were rather unwelcome.

I'm now 16 weeks and beginning to see the light of day again.   My creativity can now branch out from the food choices that allow me to keep things down where they belong, to working on my house and photography once more.  It's good to be back!

Now, back to a room fit for a big brother...

Here is the room we started with (I really need to invest in a wide angle lens).

My goal for this room was to make it bright, fun, and versatile   I took the design ideas I had from his old room to fit into the new space.  

Decor:

My inspiration was to carry the blue, orange, and green colors and art from his room in Germany to his room in Texas.  This made the choice for paint easy.  I used Sherwin Williams Loch Blue which was a brighter blue with a twinge of green in it.  By just using the color on one wall, it allows to make a pop without overwhelming the rest of the space.  The green lamp and black out shades help to carry green around the room and the blanket (see below) stands out nicely.  I'll soon put a large world map over his bed since at 3 he's already traveled to quite his fair share of countries.  As he grows, we can easily change out the art work to include sports, movies, science, or whatever else he may be into.

Bedding:

In order to compromise with Jude, I opted for a solid cover "moving blanket" from Land of Nod.  This was originally supposed to go over a quilt but he was surprised by his Papa with a Cars blanket that fits nicely underneath and keeps him toasty warm in the winter months.  I accented his bedding with Toy Story.  This allows him to think he has the coolest sheets ever, while they can easily be switched out with out changing the rest of the decor.  It's no accident that the colors match the other solid tones in his room (momma searched high and low for that).  Sheets are comparably inexpensive than the rest of the bedding.  This is a good alternative for your "insert fav character/marketing ploy" fan.  

Furniture:  

All of Jude's furniture is now in the nursery awaiting it's new occupant.  When we decided on the new furniture, I wanted something that would grow with him but also didn't break the bank since kid's furniture will inevitably be destroyed in one way or another.  We chose Ikea's Malm Series.  This has the modern flair I love and the price tag we can afford.  No, he most likely won't be able to take it to college with him but how in love with your childhood bedroom set were you?  We already had his bookcase/side table in our old living room so we just need a bed and a dresser.  While I was thinking a twin size bed would allow for more space, the reality is, all of his toys are in the giant toy room.  This room is used for sleeping and quiet time currently.  We did move his small table and two chairs back in since he's too big to nap now and needs space for puzzles and other activities to occupy him since sleeping is only for nigh' night time.  The full size has been ideal and still gives him plenty of room for activities.  It will give him the space he needs when he has sleepovers, allow him to still have fun bed sheets since kids' sheets come in twin and full, and plenty of room for cuddling with mom and dad during story time or nights when he's ill.  

I'm looking forward to his personality spouting as he gets older to see how his room transforms.  He's going to make a great big brother but I'm so excited that he has this fun space to call his own when he needs a break from his pesky little sibling.

The Next Step

After much soul searching and discussion, I have decided to start pursuing my photography as an official part-time job.  I'll be focusing on families, maternity, children, individuals, and boudoir.  My 1 1/2 years of portfolio building,  online workshops, original major of being a photographer, and my lifelong passion has given me the confidence to take this to the next step.

This wasn't an easy decision to make.  I'm not naive.  I know there are plenty of SAHMs  that have a fancy schmancy DSLR camera who claim themselves to be photographers (hey, we all have to start somewhere).  I also know I may not be accepted into this profession by some already established photographers because they might think I fall into that category.  I had to put those fears aside and focus on sharing my love and talent instead of what's preventing me from doing so. 

Being new to the area has presented a challenge in finding a great location to work with.   There are so many beautiful fields and nature surrounding my community that scream to be the background for a fabulous family shoot.  Alas they all come with a "do not enter" sign, fence in the way, or a gigantic motor speedway off in the distance.  Recently I offered a few friends a photo shoot if they came up with an awesome and/or original idea for shooting locations.  Thanks to my awesome friends who are helping me with this task.   I now see why Jessica Ceason was having such a hard time adapting to life back in the states. 

In addition to location, I have been deciding on my company name so that I can officially begin marketing myself.  While I love my "Simply E3" logo because it is fitting to my product and personality, I'm not sure if that is the best for an official business license.  Most photographers and artists for that matter seem to have their full name.  Mine is a mouth full.  Both Elizabeth E. Ellenbecker and Elizabeth Ellenbecker do not roll off the tongue as easily as Simply E3.

This is where I need the help of my readers to insert their own opinion.  Imagine yourself as a potential client or utilize your own marketing experience and help me decide which direction I should go in.  Put your suggestion in the box below since I can't figure out how to insert a poll.




Option A: Simply E3

Option B: Elizabeth E. Ellenbecker

I want to thank all of my friends, old and new, that have helped me with this decision.  I'm very excited about what's to come and I can't wait to share it with you!

Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Yesterday my family and I had the pleasure of attending our neighborhood's National Night Out.  It's an annual event that allows you to meet your neighbors, the local fire and police department, and have your kids get hyped up on cookies, bounce houses, and clown tricks dangerously close to their school night bedtime.  

There were kids galore and plenty of SAHMs like me that I was like a kid in a candy store with so many options for playdates.  I probably came off as a little too excited when I introduced myself to a few new faces but what can I say, I'm ready to find a sense of community.  

To add a bit of healthy competition to the mix, us neighbors got to put our whisks and oven mitts to the test with a Cookie Baking Contest.  As Rachel Ray would say "How cool is that".  Alas I did not win but my husband thinks these cookies are award winning, probably because he helped invent them.  We wanted a seasonal yet Texan charm to a standard chocolate chip cookie so we created a Dark Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Cookie.   They were delish.  The crunch of the pecan mixed with a hidden essence of cinnamon and nutmeg complement the tartness of the cranberries and subtle sweetness of the cacao.   Next time I'll add a bit more chocolate and some rolled oats but the recipe below is a champion in itself.   

Baking and new friends, I think I'm going to like this neighborhood.  

Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Pecan Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup butter softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar packed
2tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
8oz 60% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips (next time I'll add the full 10oz bag)
3/4 Pecans
4oz of Dried Cranberries
1/2 cup rolled oats if using

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a medium size bowl.  Set aside.  Cream the butter and both sugars in a larger size bowl with a hand mixture on medium speed.  Add vanilla and eggs to the creamed mixture on at a time, until blended.

Slowly add dry mixture to the sugar mixture.  Fold in chocolate, cranberries, pecans (and rolled oats if using).  Use a rounded tablespoon and drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for about 9 minutes until golden browned.

Color Palette

My awesome husband Beau is finishing up the upstairs painting (for now anyway).  Fuschia accent wall in the guest and a burnt orange game room.  Painters come next Thursday to do a dark grey 2 story accent wall in our living room and our teal kitchen.  Pair it with the it's so dark purple it's nearly black accent wall in the sitting room, the grey/purple dining room, parchment yellow office, lavender accent wall in the master, and the blue green accent in Jude's room.  I guess you can say we like color.

Yes, it sounds like an insane combination that would make you nauseous upon entering but trust me, it works fabulously and without being overwhelming.  Here's the painting where we got the majority of our inspiration for our open downstairs area.  The rest, well, you will just have to wait and see...

ZGallerie Madera 2: