My Dishwasher

My dishwasher is going down the drain, (pun intended). In order for it to start, I set the dial to a precise location, and then HIP-CHECK (see definition below) that baby as hard as I can, again, and again, and again, until it starts. It's a good thing these hips have padding.

My dishwasher really doesn't fit into this decorating/creating blog, but I will justify it. Whenever I have to buy an appliance, I think about ALL THE SUPPLIES AND DECORATIVE ITEMS I COULD BUY INSTEAD. I am yelling. Sorry it won't happen again.

I hate buying appliance. I HATE BUYING APPLIANCES. I HATE BUYING APPLIANCES. Some promises are meant to be broken.

The last appliance Mr. Pink Heaven and I bought was a washer/dryer. I went to ONE store, walked past the least expensive one, and went to the next (washer/dryer) in line. "I'll take that one," I said . Mr. Pink Heaven stopped me short in my tracks, and proceeded to ask a million questions. What's to know? It's a washer/dryer. It washes. It dries. Lets go home! He walks to the most expensive washer/dryer. Somewhere in the middle of his pick and my pick we compromise, and at present our clothes are clean and dry, (if someone actually does the laundry).

I do think however that a washer/dryer is higher up on the food chain then the dishwasher. A washer/dryer can look sleek, even stylish and yes, I will admit, there are different levels of performance. I have never heard anyone say " I just love my dishwasher" and unless you have a MANual dishwasher and he's looking good, I doubt you'll ever say it. Most of the time we try to disguise our dishwasher with panels that look like cabinetry. Make. The. Dishwasher. Go. Away. Are you with me? Until a dishwasher actually puts the dishes away, I'm not buying the "pay more money for a higher lever performance" dishwasher. My dishes are sterilized and clean enough, (as long as the dishwasher runs). People have designed kitchens around great refrigerators, stoves, cooktops, and hoods, but never dishwashers. Just take a look at these beauties.

These pictures are from kitchenbathideas.com

Truth be told, even when the time comes that I need to replace my fridge or stove, I'll still head to the 2nd least expensive one, but for now, I'll keep hip-checking my dishwasher and cheering, start baby start. I don't plan on heading to the appliance store anytime soon.

Blessings, Ele

hip check (plural hip checks)
(ice hockey) a maneuver performed by an ice hockey player to take another player out of the play; a maneuver whereby the performer uses his hip to crash into another player, to check their movement.....or in my case, to start my dishwasher!

Bathroom Makeover

Shades of beige? Yes, shades of beige. This isn't your standard stock wall color. It's a little deeper and richer. It's the lack of gold tone in this paint that I actually like. It's Sherwin Williams Threshold Taupe.

The before color was a light pink.

What do you think? I like to call this room a clean line/shabby chic style.

The vintage mirror received a fresh coat of white paint. I love the contrast of the perfect gloss paint next to the weathered mirror tiles that line the bottom and top of the mirror.

The before of the mirror was quite beautiful, but the white paint adds an extra pop from the wall.

White lace curtains received a bath in tea. I put the curtains into a large pot and added tea bags and hot water. I let them soak for about 1/2 an hour, and then gave them a good wash.

Textures in this room are present in the gloss of the paint, ridges in the sea shell mirror, and the roughness of the coral. The aqua mercury glass and the blueness of the picture are the only colors this room needs.

Blessings, Ele

Chandelier Crystals

It's my mother's fault, really. There are genes in my family for crystal, and chocolate.
The following experiments show scientific proof:

• Place two food items in front of said mother, (make sure one is chocolate). Chocolate will be immediately picked up and transferred from hand to mouth. This experiment has been conducted thousands of times with many variables. Different food items, and even change of environment does not yield different results. Chocolate is always the food of choice.


• Take said mother to a store that is new to her, and she will head right to the crystal department. The woman can "smell" her way straight to the Waterford. Again, this experiment has been conducted over and over....same results.


• Gifts of chocolate or crystal given to my mother produce squeals of delight, (if you want proof I'm sure there's a video recording somewhere!).

So, it's really not my fault that the new chandelier I picked out for my family room looks like this:

Crystal prisms are usually associated with white chandeliers in the shabby chic style. Traditional gold chandeliers look gorgeous draped in crystal prisms. I chose a black rod iron chandelier because my Asian cabinet is black. Even though the chandelier and cabinet are not the same style, the black ties them together. Remember when mixing styles, make sure the pieces have at least one thing in common. In this case, the color black.

The crystal drops satisfy "the gene". Thanks mom! Decorating with crystal prisms doesn't have to be expensive. Prisms hung from a simple candle holder look great. This chandelier isn't actually up yet, as Mr. Pink Heaven will have to hard wire it for me. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it actually lights up!

For now, I'll just stare at the prism bling while I eat my chocolate.
Blessings, Ele

A Bit of Heaven

Peeking through the cottage garden, I see my favorite windows.


The windows of my church studio, A Bit of Heaven, are beautifully framed by hollyhocks in colors of pink. I have not spent any time in their this summer, but soon, I hope.


The cottage garden is home to a purple bench,


multicolored pots filled with moss roses, a weathered angel, and a vintage spade.


A sweet rusted red tricycle also has a spot in my cottage garden.

Tucked behind my green potting shed is a secret place to sit. Look carefully and you will see a vintage iron headboard beside the deck, and a vintage iron railing hanging on the wall.

In this same spot, a vintage wooden ladder rests against a tree.

Blessings, Ele

The Rug....again?

I know, you have already seen pictures of the new rug in this post, but it seems the rug is a bit magical. It knows how to travel from room to room, and does it well!

It has made it's way to "Pink Girl's" room, and I must say adds a bit of pizazz to the pink/dark pink/black color scheme. See for yourself!

I can't say that I blame the rug. This room is a bit of pink heaven, and there are items in this room with the same phenotype as the rug. You know, the black and white damask pattern.

• candle
  
• jewelry box

• storage boxes

Is the magic over, or will the rug appear again.......hmmm?
Blessings, Ele