Category Archives: Life

December 13, 2011 · 12:39 pm

Our Living Room Update

Clay & I got so much done on the living room re-vamp this past weekend. I FINALLY picked the perfect aqua color for the accent wall. We chose Benjamin Moore’s bird’s egg . Clayton keeps saying our living room looks like a nursery hahaha but says he loves it. He didn’t want it too bright and wild, so this was the perfect color for us. BTW, I highly recommend using green frog tape to tape off your walls when painting. This stuff is amazing. There was absolutely no bleeding through at all! You can find frog tape at all home improvement and painting stores.

and as you can see we got the chandelier up!!

So romantic at night…

Special thanks to my handy little brother. Love you!

Here’s a before picture (notice the horrendous ceiling fan) – sorry for the crappy iphone pic

What a difference huh? Everytime we are hanging out in the living room, I can’t stop staring at the walls and the chandelier haha. Obsessed. We still have to get a coffee table & two chairs but the room is coming along quite nicely.

Also the Pottery Barn Teen lattice rug is working out perfect!

Sunday we headed up to San Francisco to check out the Oscar Sofa at ZGallerie that I have been obsessing over.

Turns out Clay liked it just as much as I did, so we bought it.

Can’t wait for it to come!

I couldn’t really get a good full shot of the couch since there was a bunch of stuff in the way! The SF store was small and kinda cramped. Anyway, I’m loving the tufted bottom cushion, turned legs, bronze nailhead & the soft pillows make it oh sooooo comfy. Classic. Chic. Timeless. LOVE.

Here’s a better picture from ZGallerie’s site

We ended the night off by going out for dinner & drinks at this amazing Thai restaurant – OSHA Thai

Hope you all had a fun weekend too!

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December 6, 2011 · 2:08 pm

Fabulous Antique Finds

I was in desperate need for a glamorous chandelier to add to our living room re-vamp. I say desperate because the current light fixture/ceiling fan is so atrocious.. I can’t even handle it! So this past Sunday Lizzie and I headed out to the Alameda Point Antiques Faire

and…… look what I found!!

Are you kidding me?!?!??! Ahhh I can’t take the gorgeousness. It’s too good!

I’m pretty much obsessed.. This is exactly what I was looking for. I think it will add the perfect amount of glamour to the living room. Unfortunately for me, my husband is not really the handy man type.. so my little bro has offered to try and help install my stunning chandi! I’ll be sure to take photos when its all done!

In case you were wondering, I scored this chandelier for $70!!! It was originally marked for $100 and I talked him down to $70. I was pretty happy, since chandeliers this size normally go for $300-$400

I also bought that black and white trellis pillow for $25! Down insert included! A pillow like this on Etsy could easily sell for $65 +

Next I came across this gorgeous re-covered antique chair painted in black lacquer .. pretty sexy

Goes perfectly in my home office & it was only $40!

I found this rustic metal basket perfect for our firewood too

Overall it was an incredibly successful trip! Lizzie found some really cool stuff too. Check that out here.

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November 28, 2011 · 11:40 am

Christmas Tree Adventures

Hope you all had a good weekend!! Clayton & I spent the majority of our 4 day weekend being lazy & sleeping in.. Well I did squeeze some work in there too. Yesterday we headed out  in search for our Christmas tree. (He never lets me get a tree this early!!) haha. I have been hearing a lot about Frosty’s Christmas Tree Farm in the Los Gatos Mountains for a couple years now and thought it would be so much fun to go cut down a tree ourselves. Apparently the tree lasts a whole lot longer when you cut it down fresh off the mountain!

Such a gorgeous drive!

Frosty’s was amazing. They provide you with a saw, twine, free hot chocolate or coffee  and the best part, they allow your furry babies! All their trees are $60 – any size! Check out the view!

Cute husband

20 acres of Christmas trees!!

Searching for the perfect tree!

Found it!

Sawing away..

Frank & I waiting patiently

Enjoying the view

Smelling the fresh air

And he’s done!

Thanks babe!!

If you are thinking about cutting down your own tree this year, Clay and I definitely recommend you check out Frosty’s!! I think we started a new tradition!

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November 22, 2011 · 9:42 pm

Rug Sneak Peak!!

Guess what came in the mail today!!!! My gorgeous Pottery barn Teen lattice rug (Yes I said PB teen). I am obsessed with this rug. I can’t stop staring! I decided on warm gray, but it also comes in light blue (aqua), mauve  & black.

Anyway, the couch is on it’s way. Next on the to do list: pick the perfect turquoise/aqua paint color & paint! I’m also on the hunt for an antique chandelier, Chippendale chairs & new coffee table! I will keep you updated as Operation Glam Chic comes together. Stay tuned!

Xo, Melissa

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September 20, 2011 · 10:17 am

Couch Crush And Dilemma – Help!

I seemed to have found the perfect sofa to go perfectly with  Operation Glam Chic. The only problem is that I want it to be fancied up a bit… (yes I know that is not a word)

Meet The Chloe.. my current couch crush (thanks to BFF Lizzie)

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So there you have it. The Chloe in ivory with a build in tufted backing, sloped arms and exposed wood legs. Chic beyond words… As much as I would love to be done scouring the internet in search of my perfect sofa, I just don’t know if I’m there yet.

Things I am not trilled about:

1) I prefer the look of two seat cushions, rather than three. Two cushions gives the sofa more of an updated modern look:

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2) Chloe measures out to a tiny 76 inches wide.. considering our current couch is 98″ wide, I don’t know if the husband would go for it.

3) The tufted backing is gorgeous but its built in the back, not really providing much of a cushion plush feel which is kind of a big deal since, hello I want it to be comfy!

4) the fabric is a velvet/suede. I don’t really know how I really feel about that. But I guess I would live.

Finally 5) There is no gorgeous bronze nail head trim!

On the other hand it IS ONLY $899 at Macy’s

What would you do? For a little bit more I can have a custom couch made through Home Plate Furnishings (Again recommended by the amazing BFF

Loving the wood trim all across the bottom of this William Sonoma Sofa

I love the bronze nail head trim of this one below

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Upclose of the nail head

If I did decide to get the sofa custom, I could have tufted cushions made for the sofa like these shown below

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I definitely like the built in cushion look a lot better. Definitely gives a chic look. My only concern is comfort.

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What do you think? Would you sacrifice comfort for looks? Have you owned a tufted couch like the one above? If so, was is comfortable? Would you recommend? Normally I always choose aesthetics over practicality,  but in this situation i don’t know. I really don’t want to be stuck with an uncomfortable couch! Please tell me your thoughts and opinions! I would love some help on my couch dilemma!

 

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September 7, 2011 · 10:29 am

Baby Fever

There has been a lot of talk recently between Clayton & I about when we will have our first babe. I know I am probably getting ahead of myself but, I can’t help thinking about decorating the most to die for gorgeous nursery! I have so many ideas.. Some of which are a little much for the space we have to use. The room is a tiny 9ft x 11ft, but I am determined to make it work without making it look cluttered.

Something you should know about me? I cannot stand clutter!! Ask my husband. It drives him nuts. Half the time I will be too lazy to actually organize.. so I end up stuffing things into drawers so I don’t have to look at the clutter.

Here is my inspiration for our baby’s room. I’m loving the all white feel – Did I mention I am obsessed with white?

I love the dark wood floors so much. Unfortunately with our cat and  dog, both being blonde… those beautys are out of the question for me.

For me a chandelier is mandatory. Chandeliers just make a room feel so special, and I’m sure our little munchkin will love gazing up at it all the time. I love this one from Horchow. So gorg and unique.

Now for some color! I love white, but I also like a bold print here and there. Color makes the room feel fun and happy. Loving this chevron stripe rug! Overstock has an incredible selection of area rugs. The best part? They are a fraction of the price. Check out this rug from Overstock similar to the rug shown below. Or.. this one

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I have had my eye one this gorgeous blue & white medallion rug from Horchow for quite awhile. Found one just like it for half the price at Overstock – score!

I want to incorporate a sunburst mirror into the baby’s nursery.. maybe over the changing table. That could be really cute. These are really pretty!

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Gotta have a gorgeous chair! I have had a small obsession with tufted upholstered chairs, couches, headboards.. really anything. So glamorous.

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This one from ZGallerie is nice too

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Do you have any ideas for decorating your nursery? What colors are you doing??

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September 1, 2011 · 1:20 pm

Life is good

While in the midst of all the wedding planning, my mom & I decided it was time to team up in business. It makes perfect sense! So a couple weeks after I got back from our honeymoon we started our mommy daughter duo!

The first week we started back working together, I got a call from a buyer I met at an open house months ago. I showed them property & my mom & I ended up writing an offer with them that night! Since then the phone has been ringing off the hook, listings are being taken.. it’s almost like the universe is telling us that we are doing the right thing by working together in real estate.

Throughout this week I will be updating the blog.. making it better and better! Updates include: client testimonials, loan information (how to obtain a loan, refinancing, guidelines, etc) , FAQs page for buyers & sellers, our monthly newsletter showing homes for sale and market trends. And of course I will share some of my gorgeous home decor & project ideas with you!

We hope you enjoy this blog with all it’s resources. If you have any questions at all, you can email or call Virginia or myself anytime. We would love to hear from you & are always here to help out. Feel free to email me with any suggestions or if you would like more information on something.

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

I leave you with a few of our wedding photos

All photos taken by the incredible Jason & Anna Photography – website

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