My Dream on Paper

Hello,

I'm happy you're here. 

I'm excited to share that after years of dreaming, musing, and writing, I'm ready to take the plunge and publish my very own book of poetry. Ooh! I like how those words sound.  You see, I've been dreaming of doing this for years but never arrived at the point of finishing. 

A little 7-year-old girl with big dreams once put her pen to paper and the ink spilled all over the school magazine. And boy, was she proud! If I could visit her today, then I would encourage her never to stop spilling ink because someday she'll live to not only tell the tale but also to pen the sale, ha! 

Follow me on my journey to discover my dream on paper.

Excerpt from my upcoming book, 

"Sweet Symphony"

 💕

ORC Week 1 - Colorful Laundryroom Redo!

Hello all! Are you ready for another ORC ride of a lifetime? Well, come aboard for the next chapter. You will get a front-row view of design influencers and guest participants working tirelessly to decorate a space in 8 weeks. Progress updates will reveal improvements or potential obstacles that may pop up along the way. 

My next plan of attack! - The laundry room. Currently, the space is minimally functional and lacks visual appeal. I registered last night and will limit my workload to a quick refresh. 

ORC: Week 8 - Fun and Colorful Bedroom Reveal!

Hello lovelies! It's such a pleasure having you here today. After 8 weeks of hard work and determination, I've arrived at the finish line of the One Room Challenge...YAY! Be prepared to enter a world filled with bursts of colors, healthy fruit treats, a couple friends of the wild, and countless loads of fun. 

Are you ready now for a dramatic and exciting reveal? 

Well, ready or not, here it comes! 

ORC: Week 3 - Painting and Priming!

Good day my lovelies and welcome to Week three of another ORC update! It's always a pleasure having you visit my little blog. This makeover began 3 weeks ago, so it would be best to visit Week 1 and Week 2  to see my plan and how I progressed to this point. 

Let's start by saying that for the past few days I've been dabbling in paint and primer...lol. The first victim was this lovely bunk bed that my kids use whenever guests stay over. The little fellow wants it in his bedroom, so I'll be using it for a swap with his full-sized bed. My original instinct was to paint it all red, but I think it looks fine, as is. What do you all think? 

ORC Week 2 - Mellow Yellow for my Little Fellow!

We are entering Week 2 of the One Room Challenge and my plan is to decorate a fun and colorful bedroom for my eight-year-old. The little fellow requested blue and yellow for his wall, and further begged me to brighten up the space. Kindly visit  Week 1 to see how it all started, 

Now, let's get to the good part where all the colors bond together to partake in the fun. After much searching and pondering, I concluded with this plan:

Since it's a boy's bedroom, no pink or purple polka dot decals will be harmed in this makeover 😊. I will only be using the remaining colors .

ORC Week 1- Boy's Fun Bedroom Makeover!

It's that time of year when 20 design influencers and a countless number of participants go crazy decorating a space in six weeks. Each week, we provide an update of our progress while detailing tiny hiccups that we may encounter. Currently, what's most awesome is the two-week extension, complement of our lovely host, Linda. Hopefully, this adjustment will enable us to complete the task with limited stress. 

We anticipate lots of fun choosing beautiful paint colors, breaking a golden sweat, and pampering our bodies at the end of each tiresome day. I invite you to hop on board and get ready for the ride of a lifetime. (I'm really excited, can you tell? ...Teehee)

Tween Girl's Bedroom Reveal! ORC: Week 6

Welcome to REVEAL DAY, the day we've all been waiting for!

Six weeks ago, I, and 200 guest participants, took on the challenge of decorating a room in a short time. My plan included a fun makeover for my tween daughter's bedroom, a space that she could enjoy as she transitioned into her teens. 

Tween Bedroom Homestretch! ORC: Week 5

Tension, anxiety, and all the works usually accompany Week 5 - the final countdown. 

But in the words of Usain Bolt, the world's fastest runner, 

Worrying gets you nowhere. If you turn up worrying about how you’re going to perform, you’ve already lost. 

Easy is not an option... No days off... Never Quit... Be Fearless... Talent you have Naturally... Skill is only developed by hours and hours of work.

So to all my fellow compadres - Let's do this! Let's take this challenge to the finish line!

I am currently adding the final touches to the room and also doting on this beautiful rug. I love its burst of colors and the variations it allows for choosing accessories. 

Tween Girls' Bedroom Update - ORC: Week 4

It is Week 4 of the One Room Challenge and I can attest to the saying that time flies when you're having fun! I think the ORC accounts for loads of it because no sooner than I make a post, another one pops up.  
With only two weeks to go, I am trying my best to complete the room, on time for reveal day.

I received this pendant light a week ago and am pretty stoked about having it hung. My intention was to have it installed earlier, but the light kit was out of stock, forcing me to pre-order.

Knock-Off Mirror for Girl's Bedroom - ORC: Week 3

Week Three of the One Room Challenge is upon us folks! Need I say more?

 Between my daughter taking the Milestones exams and my son celebrating his birthday last week, I barely got anything done.

On another note, I fell in love with this wood beaded mirror and figured I could get away with a knock-off version except that mine is rectangular. 

Personally, I think every princess deserves a full-length mirror in their bedroom, particularly for function.

And because pretty girls are the happiest, pretty rooms are necessary to keep them glowing. A beautifully designed frame adds style to a space, creating the perfect look of elegance. Also, if mirror frames are elaborate in design, they can improve a young lady's smile, which will be evident upon approach (... just made that up) 😀.

Tween Girl's Bedroom Redo - ORC: Week 2

Wow, Week one of the challenge flew by so quickly and I just can not believe we are already in Week two. Happily, I made some progress with painting the walls and getting the popcorn ceiling scraped. The ceiling was not previously mentioned in my plan 😊, however, I thought it would be fun to try something new.  I am still contemplating what tone would work well, or if I should use a certain technique to spruce it up. But knowing me, something will definitely strike my fancy at the last minute.

Here are a few accessories I picked up for the room

Well here are some photos of what I have been up to at this point.

I painted the room and I love it! While the former bright colors were lovely, I am enjoying a new look for a change. 

Tween Girl's Bedroom Makeover - ORC: Week 1

Yay! I am happy that I am diving in headlong again as a guest participant in the popular One Room Challenge (ORC). This season, the targeted space is my tween daughter's bedroom. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the ORC, it is a biannual event that includes 20 designers and 100 guest participants who makeover a space in just 6 short weeks. Each week, participants take us on their journey to reveal the challenges and successes encountered along the way. The ORC then culminates in week 6 for the final reveal. 

My daughter's bedroom is currently one of the most favorite spaces in the house, referred to as "the pink and green room".

As you can see, the color scheme is quite beautiful, but she outgrew it after having lived with all the decor for 10 years. 

Tassel Embellished Sandals - From Drab to Fab!

Hi you all! This provides a quick and easy tutorial to jazz up your summer sandals. I was inspired by all those tassel/pom pom shoes I saw on the web, and decided to put my own twist on decorating a pair.

The desire to DIY came about when my daughter suddenly experienced a growth spurt, and started wearing adult shoe sizes. I must admit, "I was not prepared for it...not one bit!" However, after discovering Lace-Up Slide Sandals that actually fit her, I became determined to transform them into something a little bit more 'girly'.

Jamaican Fruitcake Recipe

Growing up in my native Jamaica, I had a 'front-row seat' to scrumptious meals shared throughout the holiday during the Christmas season. 

Of the many foods consumed, my favorite was the delicious Jamaican fruitcake, a complement of my mom. She upheld this tradition annually, and ensured that as kids, we got our very own cake, baked in a tiny cleaned up tuna can. Oh, how I treasure those childhood memories of our beautiful island home! Precious and tender feelings that stay embedded in my heart. 

My desire to replicate my mom's baking skills now has me mixing up yummy batters each December. 

I am tooting my horn, but I think it's safe to say I have finally perfected my craft 😏. My cakes are mouthwatering, reminisce of the two-day consumption in my household (not revealing the biggest consumer, of course). Ha!

Well, enough chit-chatting. Let's now delve into the hidden secrets of the batter 😋.

You must first gather the ingredients needed to make this delicious cake.

These include

Guest Bathroom Reveal! - ORC : Week 7

Hello everyone! Reveal day has finally come! For the first time in ORC history, we reveled in the excitement of a week's extension. Our host, Linda, graciously prioritized recent disaster victims. 

A big thank you to my amazing sponsors - Pfister, HomeRight, and Sylvie Demers, who assisted me with the completion of this makeover. 

… and without further ado, I present to you the long anticipated Guest Bathroom Makeover!

A reminder of how it all started 

HomeRight Paint Stick EZ Twist Review : ORC - Week 6

This post is sponsored by HomeRight.

Hello everyone! Welcome to the final stretch of the One Room Challenge that involves 20 designers and more than 200 guest participants decorating a space in 6 short weeks. Regretfully, I posted nothing for week five so I worked hard this past week trying to catch up. You can refer back to each week to review my progress.

                       Week 2 - Started here

Week 3

Week 4

               Week 5 - No post

                        Week 6 - You are here

I mentioned in a previous post that I planned on painting the bathroom ceiling before tackling the installation of the wallpaper. I had heard great things about the famous PaintStick EZ Twist, so I thought it would be a good idea to try it out. HomeRight was gracious enough to send me one immediately after I reached out to them, and, oh my gosh! Let me just say to you that this paint stick totally changed my "painting" life. First of all, I had no need for a drop cloth because there were absolutely no drips to contend with. Second, there was no reason to use a paint tray. Remarkably, the Paint Stick came with a fill tube which transfers the paint directly from the can to the stick, then finally to the roller. Last, it helped me complete the job in a very short amount of time.  

Guest Bathroom Update - ORC: Week 4

Before I begin, let me first say how happy I am to learn of the one week extension to the One Room Challenge, provided to us by Linda. I happened to have gotten this information from cocoandjack's blog, in case some of you are interested in verifying it. 

Well, I must add that this week has been smooth-sailing, as I do not recall experiencing any hiccups. I patched and sanded the torn drywall, and painted the room. Although I plan on using wallpaper, it only adheres to painted surfaces, so painting was a must. I received the vanity, and I like the white, but I am really itching to paint it - decisions, decisions, hmmm. Also, after much seeking, I finally got a contractor who agreed to install the floor tiles this upcoming Saturday. Believe me when I say I cannot move forward until this happens because almost everything else is contingent upon the tile installation. I cannot have a vanity and toilet put in before they complete this work order. So, do you really know how excited I am about gaining an additional week? Super-excited! :)
 The contractor will replace the tub/shower faucet this weekend, as well. 

If you have been following along, you would recall I changed my design plan. Here are a few items I received to use in the space... I am in love with this wallpaper. The colors are so very subtle.

New Guest Bathroom Plan: Week 3 - ORC

With time swiftly passing, I catapulted into "Usain" mode, where I picked up some lightning speed  :). For those of you who are unfamiliar with the name Usain Bolt, he is a recently retired Jamaican sprinter, and is the first person to hold both the 100 and 200 meters world records since fully automatic time became mandatory. 

Well, before I delve into my situation, let me first say thank you to my amazing sponsor, Pfister who graciously partnered with me to redo this space. I am eternally grateful for the brands that help to support this blog.

Now back to basics - if you have been following along, then you might recall the design board I previously posted for my bathroom makeover here. The plan included a very bright floral wallpaper, colorful pom pom basket, and a tassel shower curtain. Well, I should let you know, I received the wallpaper in the mail, and was very excited to have it hung. But alas, to my dismay, after unrolling it, I watched as the bathroom quickly drowned in all its brilliance. It was difficult to accept that the wallpaper dominated and overwhelmed the tiny space, when held up against the wall. This disappointment quickly prompted a change, however, and here I am today, with a new plan of action; ready and anxious to execute. I have included links to the items in case you are interested in purchasing. 

Bathroom Design Revamp

Pfister tub and shower faucet I cactus art I deer head I wallpaper I paint I rug I shower curtain I waste basket I mirror  vase I soap pump I  I word art

Guest Bathroom Makeover - ORC: Week 2

Well, after much pondering, I decided to join with the group of participants in the ever so famous One Room Challenge. It is now in its 10th season, and involves a group of designers and guests who make over a room/space in just 6 short weeks. The excitement comes from watching each of us push ourselves to the limit while working within time constraints; and might I add, the end results are always amazing! 

For this challenge, I will be making over my guest bathroom which unfortunately, is quite a mess in its current state. No worries, I created a design board to take my mind away from all the ugliness that surrounds me :).

Design Board

The floor tile I chose, is temporarily out of stock, so I am keeping my fingers crossed it will be restocked in time for me to complete the work. If not, I will need to go searching for something else. 

Land of the Free! Home of the Brave!

Happy Independence my friends! It is the best feeling in the world to have the reassurance that you are free - free from oppression; free from pain, free from bondage and chains. Just possessing basic knowledge of the fact that we can move about expressly as we so desire, brings total peace of mind. 

I am thankful for this God-given freedom and for the men and women who fought valiantly so that we could attain this right. 

Yesterday, I celebrated with my family in the simplest of fashion. Despite the simplicity, we bonded over food :), and all plans for dieting went out the window.