Fashion Friday - Go Patriotic Wear Red, White and Blue for July 4th

Let  your  fashion  speak  for  you  on July  4th with  a pulled  together  patriotic  outfit.

Finding  the  right attire for this special  day can  be a little  daunting especially  if  you  want to  be  subtle yet fashionable, proud but not too flashy.  I scoped out my favorite  place Pinterest and found these:

Classic long sleeve striped T-shirt  with white jeans  

A fun polka dot dress teamed with a  bold patriotic T and clutch

Converse  sneakers  in red, white and blue, casual but chic

A sexy one piece bathing suit for  the  beach 

Stars and striped jacket for cooler evenings  

Celebrate with a cool USA logo and a patriotic  

striped watch band  

                                                       
                                                         Photos courtesy of Pinterest

                                                    "Bravery  Never  Goes  Out  of  Fashion"
                                                                William Makepeace Thackeray                                          

DIY Tuesday: How to easily paint over the wood paneling in your home

One of my first DIY project was painting over the wood paneling in our living room. My first instinct was to remove the paneling and install drywall, but I knew this was going to be a huge and costly project. After doing some research, I discovered that I could easily paint over the wood paneling by following a few simple steps, thereby saving myself valuable time and money.

Here are the materials you will need:

Mild detergent
Sandpaper
Primer (preferably Kilz)
Paint brush and roller
Painter's tape
Interior latex paint
Spackle
Drop cloth

The first step is to place a drop cloth on the floor and remove any dirt from the paneling with a mild detergent and water as a clean surface will give you a better result. After the paneling has been washed and dried, fill any holes or scratches with spackle and sand the entire paneling smooth. Remove any trace of dust with a damp cloth. Mask off the ceiling, baseboards and trim with the painter's tape. Now you are ready to prime. (This step is very important, as paneling is a very slick surface and the primer will help the paint to adhere to it.) Use the brush and cut-in the edges and corners of the paneling with primer as it is easier to use the brush in these areas. Apply a coat of primer to the paneling using the roller. After the primer has dried typically this takes about 24hrs, paint the paneling with an interior latex paint of your choice.

Simply painting over the paneling has transformed my living room into a bright, cheery and welcoming place.

Here are a few rooms with painted wood paneling that will inspire you:

                                                                All photos courtesy of Pinterest


What was the first DIY project that you tackled?

Five inspirational fall front porches found on Pinterest

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, mostly because of the changing foliage from green to intense reds, oranges, golds and browns and the comfy and cozy feeling that the season exudes.

To get inspired for the fall season, I love to walk around my neighborhood and observe the unique front porches displayed with beautiful harvest décor and browse the top fall pins on Pinterest see below:

A neutral palette sets the stage for this adorable porch

A dramatic front porch with bold colors of black and orange

                                                                   

 

                                            This pretty porch is enhanced by autumn foliage
                                                   and a painted white pumpkin
                                                                        

The sign says it all on this rustic porch

A unique pumpkin topiary makes this porch modern and fresh

 

All photos courtesy of Pinterest

Have a great fall season from Dawnsboutique

How to accessorize your apartment or house with leopard print carpet and rugs

"Madeleine Castaing pretty much had it all figured out--leopard carpet looks good anywhere".       

                                                                                    Robert Kime, Architectural Digest

 

 

 

Accessorizing an apartment with leopard or animal print is tricky and can turn out to be a disaster if not done in the right way.  Choosing to decorate with leopard carpeting is a bold move but the reward is phenomenal as illustrated below:

 

 

 

                                                                   Photo courtesy of HSN.com

  

 

 

 Photo courtesy of Pinterest.com

 

 

 

 Photo courtesy of Pinterest.com

 

 

As you can see, decorating with leopard print carpeting is quite beautiful, just avoid overdoing it and choose high quality rugs that blend with your overall décor.  Browse your favorite décor magazines and Pinterest.com for inspiration and most importantly, choose a style that is uniquely you.