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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?

One of the best parts about the ORC is hearing everyones comments. It is so interesting what people notice and what sparks their interest. I've had several source requests so I thought I'd lay it all out nice and neat, just like this room was - for about an hour. I am happy to report it is now perfectly trashed, and will probably stay that way for the foreseeable future. Also, the sun finally came out so I got some more true-to-life pictures.



The white stools were purchased several years ago at my favorite local antique store and have been in just about every room in the house and every color in the rainbow. I had just barely enough Les Touches to cover them and I love how they tie the red accents from the front of the house to the back of the room.

The console is an outdoor buffet table. It folds up, has a zinc top and weights practically nothing.

The blue and white is from my collection that has made its way around the house and the lovely brass hardware is from Rejuvenation.

The backs of the bookshelves are planked, just like the far wall. Tutorial to come soon.


The fabric for the slipcovers is plain white denim from housefabric.com (they are local for me). All the fabric was prewashed and the slipcovers were made without piping to prevent shrinkage when they are washed. And they will be washed. Frequently.

The red and white pillow is from Etsy, the white table used to be black, the mirror is from the side of the road (classy) and the toy under the table is probably Fisher-Price. (real life)


The plaid fabric, floral fabric and blue and white fabric are all from housefabric.com. They know me well there.


The color on the chairs is Rust-Oleum Lemongrass. The green pillow is from World Market (although I don't think it is available any more) and the ikat pillow is from Etsy. Rainbow Pom-pom garland from Furbish and sconce from IKEA.


I told you it was a sunny day. Can you believe all of this light came in from the door at the top of the stairs?!


I think that about covers it. Do you have furniture that you recycle from one room to the next? Ever dump something in storage for a while and all of a sudden it seems new and exciting? How excited do you think HouseFabric.com is going to be when they hear I'm actually sewing now?

What better way to wrap up unofficial 'pillow week' with my official pillow source? A lot of you probably already know about Arianna Belle, maker of all things lovely, and if you don't you'll thank me in a minute.

I found Arianna way back when while doing one of my late night Etsy pillow searches. (I know how to have a good time) She created my Schumacher Ric Rac pillow and I've been a member of her fan club ever since.

Girlfriend can create anything you can dream up, her work is impeccable and her taste is spot on. Here are some I've added to my wish list. (take notes hubs)

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

Check out her shop and prepare to drool. Welcome Arianna Belle to the LBD family, I'm happy you are here!

Interested in a sponsorship with little black door? Email me!

So last week I was all about bathrooms and this week it appears that pillows are the flavor of the day. But then again, when aren't pillows my jam? Never. The answer to that question is never.

My pillows pinterest board (say that five times fast) is full of wish list pillows and fabrics to make into more pillows. But since my Publishers Clearing House check still has not arrived, I need to get...creative on how to make these pillows happen.

1 // 2

Case in point.

I love these pillows long time. But they are a bit out of budget. So one day while drooling I thought, "I've got pillow cases and I've got ribbon, how hard can this be?"

The answer - it was so easy I almost feel foolish to share the step by step. Almost.


I started with a simple white pillow cover from IKEA (the Ritva, for only $7). I love the Ritva because its cheap (duh), it has great texture and a nice boarder.


Next was the ribbon - I sifted thru my stash and decided on this navy and white ribbon I used way back when. And if you remember that post you must be my mom as I'm pretty sure my mom was the only one reading this thing back then.


First step - layout your base lines and cut the ribbon/trim to size. I decided to use the natural boarder on the pillow as my 'end' which allowed me to get nice straight edges.


Second step - balance. What is that weird thing in the bottom of the picture? It's a tape measure. I know, weird and very uncharacteristic of me. But I wanted this to be as pretty as I imagined it in my head and for the design to work properly it does need to be accurate. Never a favorite word of mine, but I did it. The measurements themselves are totally arbitrary but once I decided on one side what looked best, I made sure to measure that same spacing out everywhere else.


Step three - add your diamond pieces. You will want to make sure that they meet precisely in the middle of the pillow on each of the four sides to ensure your pattern isn't lopsided. I'm not a fan of lopsided pillows.


Once everything is in place, grab that trusty fabric glue and go to town. Oh, and I did cut down each end and then iron the end of the ribbon to the underside of said ribbon in order to prevent fraying and give it that 'perfect' edge.


And it's (say it with me) just that easy!




Zoey is photo bombing my beauty shot. Don't focus on the dog, look at the pretty pillows. Ooohh. Ahhhh.

Very little work for very big impact. And so fast. I was done in 20 minutes. Give it a go, you know you wanna.

So I've used the words preciously, exact and measurements all in the same post. Doesn't sound like me at all. I must be growing, or hallucinating.

Are you precise with your DIY projects? Ever try a different path for your projects?

There is no better pick me up (is that a hyphenated word? I can never remember) on a hectic first day back to work than going out to get the mail at lunch and finding an Etsy package at your feet. I love working from home! Let me stop for a minute so you can ewww and ahhhh.

happy new pillows

wonderful pattern front

pretty velvet back

Aren't they pretty?! Awesome pattern in the front...yummy velvet in the back. Like a really awesome mullet. OK, an oxymoron, but you know what I'm getting at. These suckers are stellar!

"Oh yes Elizabeth, they are fab! Where did you get them?"

Well I'm so glad you asked. Katie Peters, from Radiance From Ruins, is her name. (I have many of her pillows saved to my favorites) And on top of the wonderful work she does, she is just about the nicest person I've encountered on Etsy so far.

Thanks Katie for perking up my day, and my living room.

happy in their new home