Bathroom Vanity and Contest Winner!

So I have been a little behind...in fact very behind in announcing a winner to the Name Your Wish Images contest! My kids were home from school and the week was way more exciting than I thought it would be! I had very little time in front of my computer but that was time well spent with my kids!

One of the projects I was working on this past week was a mini bathroom face-lift on my own very boring bathroom that sorely needs updating...and since this is not my forever home, I am not committing to a full bathroom redo.  Instead, I am challenging myself with a budget makeover...starting with the oak vanity, which I would like to paint. Here are some of my inspiration photos...

This one is in Benjamin Moore Ashley Gray....pretty, right?

Source: cotedetexas.blogspot.com via K. on Pinterest

Could you not just die from the detail on this??? I want to replicate this!

Source: theinspiredroom.net via MelissaOklahoma on Pinterest

And this is my exact vanity!! Except it is purely oak....wow! What a difference...now I am motivated!

Ok, and now on to my giveaway winner....and the winner is......generated by Random.org.....

photoeo...our very first entrant! Thank you to all who entered and I will be in touch with the winner via email!

True Random Integer Generator Min: Max: Result: 1 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Peeping Tom Tuesday: Michael Kors' Kitchen!

Here is the divine and simple kitchen of Project Runway judge (and world-renowned designer) Michael Kors. It was featured on Cultivate. Cultivate is a wonderful website by Williams Sonoma which features great kitchen design, designers and inspiration! Check it out...designed By Glenn Gissler Design in NYC...loving....

Check out the other pics here!
 
BTW- winner for our Name Your Wish Image announced tomorrow!

Last chance to enter the giveaway...who doesn't like to win?

Ok, so there are only a few days left for the giveaway...and the entries are kind of low....(although my sister is happy because she thinks she might actually win something!) And of course, she might because it is totally random! But now is your chance to finally win something yourself so you don't have to walk around saying "I never win anything!"

Enter here....it only takes a minute....tweet it, Facebook it....just leave a separate comment on the original post for everything you do and you're in! You could be...

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Joanne on Pinterest

Source: craftster.org via Joanne on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Joanne on Pinterest

I did that one for a few laughs. Now go enter and good luck!

Great new window treatment resource!

So today I am the Featured Designer over at the Blinds First blog, Blindsopedia. I was very excited when Blindsopedia asked me to contribute and share some of my thoughts on window treatments so I got up on my soapbox and called myself the Rachel Zoe of windows....yes, people, I was having a good day that day! Anyway, please go check out the post and I appreciate any comments you can leave there! Due to space constraints, they did not include all the yummy photos I chose to join the story so I am posting those here. Its a teaser to my story!

And if you are not familiar with Blinds First, they are a new shop at home window resource with great support for their customers. Check out their FREE samples and their great return policy. Always love finding new resources.

BTW, I was not paid for this post in money or window treatments! But I am featured on their Facebook Page as the Featured Designer....go 'Like' them for great window updates!

On another note, there are only a few days left to enter the amazing giveaway from Name Your Wish Images and entries are low so get over there and say something! Enter here.

Good Valentine's Gift for the Home and a Giveaway!

A few months ago, I had a vendor table at a charity event for the Visiting Nurse's Association of the Hudson Valley. I met many wonderful attendees and even had a chance to explore the other vendors as well. Lucky me, two tables down were two amazing women of Name Your Wish Images . At Name Your Wish Images, they personalize original photography which they sell through their own Etsy photography shop. And since I just love to mix business with pleasure, I had to do a little shopping myself! I picked this photo for the cafe shelf in my kitchen (please ignore the fact that I don't have candles on the candlesticks..clients first, I say!)

And a close-up of the picture personalized with my family....(hold your comments, I am not a photographer...ok?)

Here are some of my favorites from Name Your Wish Images which I think would be divine Valentine's Day gifts:

Name Your Wish Images

Name Your Wish Images

Name Your Wish Images

And the great part is that April and Laurie are so kind to giveaway an 8x10 to one of my lucky readers!There are several ways to enter this great giveaway. For each entry action you take, please leave me a separate comment directly on my blog and include your email address. 

NOTE: Those of my lovely readers who are new to blogs and receive this update via email, to leave a comment directly on the blog, please click on the title of the blog and this will open the blog in Blogger. Scroll down and leave a comment in the comment box!

The many ways to enter!

1. Follow or subscribe to the Homestyling101 blog!

2. 'Like' Name Your Wish Images on Facebook here.

3. Add the Name Your Wish Images Etsy Shop to your favorites!

4. Share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or Blog about it!

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each action you take to enter yourself in the giveaway multiple times.
The giveaway will end on midnight, February 20th and the winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on February 22nd. 

In the meantime, be sure to shop Name Your Wish Images for a great Valentine's Day gift for your love!

25 Random Things You Probably Never Needed to Know About Me...

Thank you to Anna, at Directions Not Included for introducing me to the Link-Up Party over at Perfectly Imperfect where we share 25 random things about ourselves. 

Sounds like a fun cocktail party, minus the drinks, the fancy clothes or having to get off the couch so...I'm in! 

Here are 25 things about me that are totally irrelevant....

1. I am a Virgo. Let's start there because I need this list to be organized. Yes, that's the Virgo in me.

2. I have a dog named Fergie....she is strawberry blonde like Fergie the Duchess of York, but mostly, I convinced the kids to name her that because I always laugh when I call her Fergie, the Duchess of Yorktown. (I live in Yorktown...get it?)

3. I have never met a meatball that tastes better than my Grandma's....boy do I miss those :(

4. I don't have a middle name....don't ask why...maybe my parents got lazy.

5. I met my husband on a blind date....who says those don't work out?

6. I worked as an Assistant Editor at a Plus-Size Fashion Magazine right out of college...sadly the mag folded after 9/11 and there has never been anything else like it!

7. I used to work for 7th on Sixth/CFDA, you know the people who put together the fashion shows in NYC...great experience...met lots of cool people (Jeffrey Banks, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Issac Mizrahi)...perks of going to school in NYC!

8. I was allergic to EVERYTHING as a child...after 12 years of shots I was able to have a dog and a cat (and a dusty home...lol)

9. I met my BFF when we were 4 in dancing school...I moved, she moved and we re-met in middle school and have been inseparable since...love her:)

10. I used to be a biology major...your welcome, Dad.

11. I transferred to design school after 1 1/2 years....sorry, Dad.

12. My husband is 100% Italian and 6'4"....don't believe the Jersey Shore stereo type!

13. I am 100% Italian and have my own nails, never got into a fist fight and don't use hairspray...breaking stereo types all over the place!

14. My daughter eats sliced lemons...in fact I have to stop typing to go cut one...no scurvy here!

15. I do Zumba 2x a week and am addicted! Oh yeah, work what your momma gave ya!

16. I am a middle child. Hence, I only have two kids....

17. My older sister is a brilliant dentist and my younger sister is a rock-star baby photographer...I am still the middle child trying to keep up...

18. I bought my wedding headpiece on ebay...my first ebay purchase ever!

19. As I said, I am a Virgo, my husband is a Leo, my daughter is a Leo and my son is a Virgo....how's that for planning!!

20. I refuse to keep my schedule on my iPhone, iPad or computer...I need a full 8x11 calendar that I can write on in pencil, cross off and erase....don't try and change me.

21. I must eat something sweet after every meal....

22. I am lactose intolerant...boo-hoo whipped cream...how I've missed you!

23. Some of my best friends are my cousins....ok, that is a true Italian stereo type!

24. I used to re-arrange the furniture when I was three years old (wearing a tool belt, no less)...hey, you are who you are!

25.This was easy...as a Virgo, I makes lists about making lists!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this nonsense...I totally get that you were procrastinating finishing that laundry...but I appreciate you getting to the end! Ok, now I really do need a cocktail, that was a lot of socializing!

Peeping Tom Tuesday: Celebrity Home Theaters

With the Super Bowl behind us and the Oscars coming up, I decided to make this Peeping Tom Tuesday all about celebrity theaters! Here are some that caught my eye...pop some popcorn and enjoy!

With the Obama's....interestingly enough, this used to be a coat closet in the White House, later transformed into a theater by FDR.

White House Theater

Do you think he re-watches Idol here? Seacrest out!

Ryan Seacrest Man Cave

You won't believe that this is actually in someone's HOUSE! Crazy...that Russell Simmons knows how to roll....and I think these digs are on the market in New Jersey...

Russell Simmons Home Theater...literally!

A very manly, man cave in a NYC apartment...thank you Mr. 300...Gerard Butler!

Gerard Butler's NYC theater

Hmmmm, which one is your favorite?

Man Cave Mania

This is how I was feeling last week....

Source: thisiscolossal.com via Joanne on Pinterest

I had my hand in about 20 different projects and completed nothing! I couldn't even get my blog posts together! Anyway, it is a new week...so I would like to share one thing I did complete last week and it was my entry into the Man Cave Contest on Olioboard. For those of you not familiar with Olioboard, it is an amazing (and free) site that I use to put together mood boards for my clients. You can print them, email them, and it corrals all the resources to the items you select. You need not be a designer to take part...try it out if you are trying to pull a room together..it is addicting! Anyway, here is the Man Cave I created...I tried to keep it sophisticated yet cool and meeting the needs of every man...(4 tvs....you get the idea!)

I would really love it if you could vote for me! The winning board ends up on the Today Show and you can vote daily!! Thanks and let me know if you give Olioboard a try!