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So we can't get started on the new year without seeing how I did last year, right? It's always fun to see if your December 2013 self was in tune with your January 2013 self - did I get anything done or not? So with that said, may I have the envelope please.

My 2013 goals were:

1. Entry Refresh - Wahoo! We are off to a good start. It may have taken me a while (I started in June and finished in...October) and I did have to redo the entire stencil, (sometimes I guess it pays to read the directions) but it turned out even better than I had envisioned and now it's fresh and bright and a jolly little welcome to our little home.


2. Sew something. Anything. - Bam! I rocked this one like a hurricane for the One Room Challenge in November. It is amazing what confidence a looming deadline will give you. I had just days to go before the big reveal and I was staring at a pile of fabric and no pillows, so I bit my lip and gave it a go. I will say that the intimidation factor is squarely on that damn machine. Actually sewing a pillow is pretty simple, its that blasted bobbin that gets me. Every. Time.


I even went ahead and made myself some pillows for my bedroom while I was at it. Overachiever.


3. The girls' room. This already feels like a million years ago, but I knocked this one off the list in February/March thanks again to the One Room Challenge. This was one of my favorite projects of the year and I'm happy to say the room still looks largely the same - just with the addition of a thick layer of clothes, toys and naked barbies strewn on the floor.


4. Bathroom Redo. This one is a mixed bag. Yes, I have updated the bathroom. Good homeowner. But I have yet to share the updates. Bad blogger. I did share a very small sneak peak a while back on Instagram but that is it. For shame! I promise a full reveal before we hand out Valentine's.


5. Open my little black door a little more. I just realized how...interesting that line sounds. But anyway, it was about sharing more about other aspects of my work, my life, and just putting myself out there more. And I did work on this. I shared some client projects here, here and here. I started a new series, Fess Up Friday and shared more of my crazy life on Instagram, which I consider like a mini-blog of sorts. I have more plans and more work to do this year, so we will call this one 'under progress'.



So all in all, not so bad for old Elizabeth. And I'll tell you, this has gotten me motivated for 2014. I'm ready to get working! And I'll share those plans tomorrow.

So how about you? How did you do with last years goals? Do you make any years goals for yourself, your business, your home?

Wednesday is a good day for a show and share, don't you think? Me too. I'm working with an awesome family of five who just moved into their 'this is it' house and they asked me to help with a few rooms.

First up - the family room. Being the smart (and realistic) people that they are they were not going to chuck a perfectly good sectional just because they moved, so we used that as our jumping off point.

They also had the wicker chair and an upholstered arm chair, so we were off to a good start in the furniture department. The armchair is a bit...dated shall we say and the wicker chair could use a spruce, but no sense in throwing out perfectly good furniture if all it needs is a little pick me up. I chose a great faded ikat pattern that will up the fun factor on the old girl and she is already on her way to the upholster for a little nip and tuck. The wicker chair will get a paint job and be as good as new.

The lucite coffee table will keep things airy and open and finding a great old buffet to go below the TV will provide tons of storage for toys, games etc. And can I just say how much I love a client who is game to rock some pink!

Finally we added a big sisal rug that will stand up to some pretty active littles and layered a pattered rug on top to hide the inevitable stains that littles tend to leave behind.


Good news is the buffet has been found, the curtains are already hung and all of the fabric is on its way. This room may just be ready in time for Santa.

Have a room in your house you want to tackle? Getting ready to move into a new house? Contact me for information on local design services as well as e-design. daily-site@gmail.com

There once was a girl who wanted to switch her living room and dining room. She worked hard and made herself a swanky new dining room, but the living room needed a pick me up. So, she asked her friend for some help. Luckily this girl can DIY with the best of them, and also luckily her friend is me.

My very great friend and her family wanted a cozy space where they could read, do homework, practice the violen and spend hours on Pinterest. And although she knew she wanted to invest in grasscloth, the goal was to work with what she already had, just adding a few things here and there to spruce up the room.
Here is the space before. (cute children not included)


And here is the after.

My girl is hardcore. She put up the grasscloth all on her own. Right after she painted that mirror orange and before she put together those IKEA shelves. Unstoppable I tell you.


I love that we talk about the gallery wall and play with some pictures one day, and the next time I talk to her she says, "oh yeah I hung the gallery wall". All I do is plant the seed and she runs with it and makes it look great.


All of the artwork was created by her, in addition to a few pieces by her dad and her kids. They are basically the Partridge family of art.


I love a new tray on an old coffee table. It's almost totally better than a pair of new shoes. That's right, I will always pick a tray over a pair of shoes.


That grasscloth makes all the difference. It makes all of the moldings pop (which she put in during a previous project) and it makes the room so warm. It's like a big huge hug.


The lamp was originally orange but she gave it the gold touch with a can of spray paint.


A collection of gold animals has begun and the gold K looks great against the wallpaper.


The milk glass acquired by the two of us at the single most uncomfortable and slightly bigoted garage sale ever. I'll have to share that story one day.


Yes, this book is upside down. I'm quirky.




And because I hate it when magazines talk about a space and don't show a picture of it, here is her wonderful dining room. Good, right?

So that is the story of the girl who switched her living room and dining room and ended up with a great family space.

How about you? Have you switched rooms in your house before? Made some changes to a room that wasn't working for you?

Are you there reader? It's me, Margaret Elizabeth.

So of course I have to begin with an apology. I tease y'all on Friday and then leave you hanging. Uncool. I'm sorry. Life got in the way. But if it makes you feel any better, my tar and feathering is scheduled for 4 pm today. You can come watch if you like.

Luckily I've got some good eye candy to make it up to you. Let's have a little before and after, shall we? Everyone loves a good makeover story.

It starts like any good story does - a cute little family buys the perfect house. But the house has a dark side. Or, a dark kitchen. Oh the horror.


Metal cabinets. Bad roll on floor. Three different doorways into a small galley and one single ceiling fan. What's not to love?


And who is the genius that forgot to line the sink up with the window? Pitiful.



The layout was just wrong. The counter space was just wrong. Everything was just wrong.

The family wanted to open the space into the dining room, not only to create better flow but to make this kitchen feel larger. They also wanted the kitchen to have a farmhouse feel.

Ask, and you shall receive.


With the plans in place the kitchen was gutted. Soffits were removed, an extra doorway was closed off, appliances switched positions and the wall between the kitchen and dining room was knocked out to open up the space. I love a good puzzle and this space was really fun for me to rethink and reconfigure.  Like a giant game of tetris.


After several long months of work, my very patient clients now have one saucy kitchen.




The space between the dining room and kitchen is much more open now, but still gives both areas their own defined space.


Buffalo check on the dining room chairs is picked up again with the roman shade in the kitchen. You can read more about the dining room chairs I recovered here.


The cork board was a simple DIY project I previewed on Instagram (follow me here). I'll share the tutorial as soon as I can write it up.


I love the side by sides. Let's have some fun shall we.




I love it when a story has a happy ending.

Like what you see here? I can do the same for you. Let's talk.

The big day has finally arrived - reveal day! Six weeks, 20 bloggers and one room later, my girls' have a new bedroom and I have a new manicure coming my way (catch up on weeks 1-6 of work on the ORC here).

So in the words of Jennifer Grey in Ferris Bueller, 'let's not ruin this with a lot of talk.' Let's get right to the good stuff.

If you follow me on instagram, then you've been getting little sneak peeks for the past few days. Here is where we started.


And six weeks later, here is where we are today.








Learn more about the silhouettes here.





Learn more about the heart artwork here.


Watercolor by Mai Autumn.




Learn more about the vanity here.




Learn more about the dresser here.




And with that I am spent. Happy but spent.

I want to thank all of you for following along and for your encouraging comments and support. I accept this Oscar on behalf of all the....oh wait, that's a different speech.


And a big thanks to my friend Linda for including me. My first two cocktails tonight will be in your honor my dear.

Make sure to check out my fellow ORC ladies to see their beautiful spaces as well. It's like Christmas morning I tell ya.

Now about that cocktail...