3.28.2014

Photography 101

How many of you own a DSLR camera and don't know how to use it? If you could see me right now, I'd be standing up and wildly waving my arms, YES! Right here! ME! ME!

I've heard about Shoot Fly Shoot before and have heard great things. It's an online training course on how to use your camera and finally take it off the auto mode. It is not after all a point and shoot camera, so I thought I should learn how to use it correctly. There are so many buttons on that darn camera that I don't have a clue what they are used for. My photos show for it as well.

Finally, I took the plunge today and signed up. It's all on videos, so you can watch them on your own time. Cool.

Major bonus right now they are having 40% off their costs on classes right now. For example, their photography 101 class, which I signed up for was $69 but now until March 31st it's $41.40. And if you sign up for photography 101 and 102 right now, it's just $59.40 for both. Score!

If you have ever wanted to learn more about how to use your camera, this is a great time to jump on that goal. What are you waiting for?

Click here on the photo, or the shootflyshoot photo on my sidebar.


3.27.2014

Crushing On: Modern Farmhouse Exteriors

Something I've been crushing on as of late, are modern farmhouse exteriors. I am sold on white houses, anyway but there's something about these new "modern" take on farmhouses that just make my heart sing.

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Do you love this look? I think what I love most is the feeling of simplicity, down to earth, calmness an old farmhouse has, and with now the touch of modern.

You can see more photos that I've pinned on Modern Farmhouses, HERE.

3.26.2014

Another Round of the One Room Challenge

It's here again....Linda of Calling It Home is going to be starting up another round of her infamous "One Room Challenge" next week, Wednesday April 2nd.

She and 19 other talented designers/interior design bloggers will transform a room in 6 weeks. She also is letting everyone else join on the fun again, and will be hosting a link up party, so that YOU too can participate.

On Thursday, April 3rd you can link up your ORC on her blog, or just follow along and see what fun projects everyone is doing.





I wasn't sure if I was going to participate this time around,  (my last ORC HERE)but I've been given the go ahead from the hubby (thanks babe) and I am so excited to get my room going! Check back here next Thursday and see which room I'm doing and what my plans are. You will not believe the before photos, it's rather embarrassing.



If you would like help with a design dilemma, or question, please contact me! No charge. Stewardofdesign@gmail.com

3.20.2014

Lauren Liess

I've blogged about Lauren Liess before (here) and how I LOVE her style but I had to share her recent photos of her new home. Since her family moved to a new home and spent many months making it their own, I've been on pins and needles waiting to see what they did.

Finally, her photos have been released and she was published in Domino Magazine.









Come on! Isn't it ALL gorgeous??!! I love every square inch of this home. She is one of the designers I would have help do my home, if I could afford her that is.

Which room is your favorite? Or favorite furnishing, product she used? I love it all as I said, but I love the wall to wall seagrass carpet she uses, I love her kitchen and the island is so great.

Some of these photos are from the Domino Magazine shoot, others are from Lauren's blog. Please, if you haven't been to her blog before, you must check it out. You're welcome!

3.19.2014

What I am Watching


Flipping Out on Bravo tv has started its seventh season two weeks ago. It is such a wildly inappropriate show, but I. LOVE. it! Oh, the stuff they talk about in the office, and Jeff Lewis, the designer/owner of the design business, pays for a breast augmentation for one of his employees! This would never happen in the "real" world, I think that's why it's so engaging and funny.

Besides all the funny, inappropriate banter between the staff and their clients, there is also a whole lot of pretty homes being designed.

Here's a few photos of Jeff's home.











All photos found on Bravotv    

The show airs Wednesday nights on Bravo. Do you watch?


Also, have you heard one of my other favorite guys, Nate Berkus, is hosting a new show on NBC?
It's called American Dream Builders and will air on March 23rd 8pm/7c. The basic premise of the show is two teams will redesign a home each week and will be judged on how well the transformation is. The losing team will have to eliminate one of their team members. It will go down to a final showdown of sorts with the last 2 remaining designers. I have this set on my DVR already. How about you? Will you be tuning in?

Do you have any other "design" shows you love? Do tell...

3.18.2014

Progress on "Paint it White"


Finally our dark stairway got a little face lift. Not a full on facelift, where you don't recognize it but just a little nip and tuck. I may still do some touch ups eventually to the stairway, like some sort of wainscot or trimwork, wall art and I am thinking of painting the oak black,
but for now it's just a whole lot lighter.

Before





Now











 I know, not that exciting but it has made a world of difference in making it more light in this very dark area of the house.





3.16.2014

My Happy Place... Hawaii

Aloha! I knew it's been awhile since I blogged and yet I didn't realize it's been almost 2 months! Holy cow, does time go by fast!

I won't bore you with all the mundane, tedious things that has happened in those 2 months, but I will share some photos of a recent trip to Hawaii I took. Not to show off or make you envious, I just HAVE to share this beauty with you all.

We stayed at the Westin Kaanapali in Maui. I highly recommend it. It's right on the beach and very close to a small shopping center and restaurants.









You can't have a Hawaiian vacation without a lava flow!



A MUST place to dine in Lahaina, Maui. The pizza is SOO good ,and the photo before this one is the view, heavenly.

Okay, please tell me you see this too. Two kids looking at one another, one on left is a boy with a newsboy cap and on the right a girl with a little piggy tail on top of her head. Do you see it?

My husband and I. On the trip... alone...no kids. It's been forever since we've done this and never this far away or for so long, but it was so nice to reconnect and just be us.












The sunsets here are amazing. This particular night it was outstanding! So bright pink, and it kept changing colors by the second. I couldn't take enough photos and of course the photos never capture the true beauty!






I bought this book to bring home for some inspiration and dreaming. I am so in love with old Hawaiian plantation homes. The ones with dark floors and white planked walls, and beams. LOVE it! 






and of course adding these photos with the app Waterlogue, makes them a little bit cooler.


Hawaii is such a peaceful, tranquil place. The minute I walk out of the airport, the stress of ordinary life just falls off my shoulders. If you have read my blog for awhile you may know my deep desire to live in Hawaii someday. (You can read about it here.) But for now, we will just have to visit, and hopefully visit frequently.

The trip went by way too fast of course, but it was good to get back to our girls, our pup and our own bed and pillows.

Hopefully, I will be back to blogging a little more. 
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