SALE ALERT

Check it out!  This beautiful button tufted, wingback headboard is on sale for HALF OFF!  I already have a headboard I love but am tempted to buy this one too!?  It's in a lovely natural linen that will go with just about any décor!  It's on sale right now for $154 for a queen headboard and $166 for a king headboard (PLUS FREE SHIPPING!).  I don't know about you, but have any of you tried to do a DIY tufted headboard??  You'd be coming in to close to the same price but with none of the headache of getting each of those tufts just right!  Check out the sale here. Trust me, if you in the market, this is a STEAL!!!!  Happy shopping!

Tips For Decorating Your Thanksgiving Table

Since when is Thanksgiving only 3 WEEKS AWAY!!!  Time is flying this year to say the least!  If you are hosting Thanksgiving this year it is time to start planning for visitors and gathering your décor.  There is always so much to do and the more you can plan ahead, the lest stressful your holidays will be.  And even better, grab a friend and plan together!  Not only will it be more enjoyable but you can also help each other out sometimes they will catch something you missed.  Below are some tips for creating a beautiful tablescape for you Thanksgiving dinner, and bonus, all of this can be done on a budget!

Side note...I love this set up!  If I could eat Thanksgiving like this I WOULD!!  However, it is probably very impractical, and cold for that matter. :)

1.  A D D  G R E E N E R Y
I love the look of magnolia garlands in the fall and winter.  Even better, grab a can of spray paint or liquid gold leafing and add a few gold leaves throughout your garland.  If you want a more modern look you could also you succulents or if you on a budget, clippings from your own yard make beautiful centerpieces as well.

2. F I L L E R S
Once you have your greenery in place add in some "fillers" for additional dimension, layers, and texture.  For this I've picked DIY dried orange slices, pheasant feathers, white pumpkins, and small votive candle holders.

3. D I N N E R W A R E
The only tip I have is to KEEP IT SIMPLE.  By choosing minimal dinnerware you allow for decorating with other pops of color and you can use the same dinnerware all year round, year after year.  The plate shown below is from Ikea - beautiful, budget friendly dinnerware.

4.   F L A T W A R E
Add a little color or shine to your table by selecting a gold or copper flatware.  I love this gold flatware from non other than Target!

5. L I N E NS
I like to keep a more simple sophisticated look by using a table runner instead of a tablecloth.  Choose something neutral in color.  A great neutral linen, white burlap or ivory plaid would all be great choices.  You can then add another pop of color in with your napkins.  This Fall I am in love with rich plums and rusty reds/oranges.

 

6. P L A C E  C A R D S
By adding place cards to your table not only do you not have to answer the question, "Where do you want me to sit?" a million times buy you can also add a personal touch and sometimes a little gift for your guests.  I love these easy DIY gold leaf place cards.  Simply gather your leaves, dry them, add a little spray paint and then your guests names.  They can either take it home with them or you can make a thankful tree and have them write what they are thankful for on the back and hang it on your "Thankful Tree."

Hopefully these tips will help you to get ideas and start gathering items for your Thanksgiving table.  Happy hunting!

Babies & Birthdays!

Just sent these gems out to some wonderful clients!

Foiled Eggs

Did I mention in my last post how much I LOVE anything gilded?  I normally wouldn't have two similar posts right in a row but after I saw these gorgeous eggs on Martha Stewart I knew I HAD to post them!  I can't to try these myself.  Go to Martha Stewart's website or click here and see the how-to video tutorial.  It could not be more simple to do and the outcome is simply stunning!  Your Easter/Spring décor is begging for a few of these! Be sure to let me know how yours turned out and I'll be sure to do the same! Happy Foiling!!

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DIY: Gold Leaf Vases

I LOVE gold leafing and could seriously go overboard leafing everything in my house! So in case you need further inspiration for what you can add gold leafing to, here is a quick and easy way to spruce up any décor or your Easter table this Spring!  These gorgeous gold leaf vases are soooo easy to do and the design possibilities are endless!  All you need are glass vases, gold leafing, metal leaf adhesive, metal leaf sealer and two paint brushes {all of which can be easily found at your local craft store!}. Really! That's it!  I found a great online tutorial here at SAS + Rose.  So go ahead and give it a try!  You won't be disappointed!!

PS.  You can also buy liquid gold leafing which I DO NOT recommend for this project.  I have used it before and it is a great product for certain projects {like my DIY golf leaf pine cone garland}.  However, for this one the gold leaf sheets end up looking so much better and have a lot more character and color than the liquid gold leaf. {And you don't have to worry about brush strokes or drip marks}.

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Tis' the Season

Christmas is definitely my favorite time of the year!  One of the reason I love it is because I love creating holiday cards for my clients! It definitely keeps me busy this time of year but it is so fun to see pictures of everyone's cute families and design something for them that they love!  And isn't it the best to have something in your mail besides bills???? Always!

Don't forget that if you place your order with us by December 16th you'll receive 15% of your custom design!  Simply e-mail as at ccarterdesignstudio@gmail.com or visit our website {link above} and fill out the "Contact Me" form and mention the promo code: HOLIDAY15!

Thanksgiving Prep

I LOVE fall and Thanksgiving to me signifies the end the season.  So when I realized yesterday that we are only TWO weeks away from Thanksgiving I couldn't believe it!  I'm still trying to figure out where the first half of November went!  I seems like we had Halloween just a few days ago but it's time to face reality and it's time to start preparing for the large undertaking of cooking Thanksgiving dinner.  I know in my family we always have a huge family dinner followed by food induced comas, football and pie!  Thanksgiving is by far one of my favorite holidays and this year we will be enjoying it with my sister and her family which means her and I will be preparing the meal.  So if there are any of you out there in my boat it's time to start thinking ahead and starting the prep work so we can take a little stress of the holidays. 

I am a HUGE procrastinator so I love love love to make lists that I can check off to help keep myself on track and on time (otherwise nothing would ever get done!).  So with that in mind I have my own Thanksgiving list that I am sharing with y'all and is available to download for FREE on my website!  So hurry and go download it right now because it starts with things you should be doing two weeks before the big day which is TODAY! Yikes!

 

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One Design Rule You Should Break

Gone are the days of matchy-matchy finishes in one space or even in an entire residence.  Old school wisdom tells you not to mix metals but I see no reason why silver, gold, bronze, brass and copper cannot beautifully co-exist in a space.  You see it everywhere from fashion to interior design and people who are breaking this rule are creating beautiful interiors. I'm sure whoever came up with the rule of not mixing your metals is probably rolling over in their grave at this notion, but today, we are throwing out this rule and giving you tips on how to successfully mix and match metals in your home. 

TIP #1:  DON'T LET ONE METAL TONE DOMINATE
     If 90% of your room is in silver and only one or two items are in a gold tone they may seem a bit out of place.  Even the playing field and scatter various metals throughout the space and you will achieve a more timeless, collected look rather than looking like your trying too hard.

TIP #2: USE YOUR COLOR SCHEME
     Use your color scheme as a guide.  In a neutral room you can use gold tones  to add warmth and comfort or use polished silvers to give it a more modern feel. 

TIP #3: SELECT METALS TO COMPLIMENT YOUR EXISTING FURNITURE
     If your furniture already has chrome play it up with accents of gold or bronze and a few silver accessories.

TIP #4: CHOOSE A DOMINATE METAL
     I know what you're thinking..."didn't you JUST tell me not to pick a dominate metal?"  Yes, yes I did.  I'm not crazy though, this tip is for those who may not be ready to jump in and just want to get their feet wet.  If you're still not sure about mixing metals then start with picking a dominate metal and mixing textures and finishes.  For example, mix polished silver with a brushed or hammered silver or pewter.

Don't be afraid to try new things and mix and match!  I'd love to hear your opinion on mixing metals or if you have any questions about how to do it successfully!  Happy mixing!

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SALE!

Baby K's Nursery

So after several moves {thanks to the military} I have FINALLY finished my daughters nursery and she is almost a year old. :)  I had some things finished before she was born like her bedding and wall art but just barely finished things like sewing the floor poufs {which were super easy by the way and about 1/3 of the cost of buying them}.  I love the way everything turned out, simple but still well put together and hopefully a room she can grow into.
*Pardon the picture quality.  It's times like these I wish I had more than just my iPhone.

New Year, New Trends!

Hello? Tap, tap, tap...is this thing on? Did 2012 really just come to an end and the first week of 2013 too? Where does time go!?  Well dear friends, I'm so sorry to have abandoned you as I graciously took my maternity leave...for six months. :)  I have thoroughly enjoyed being home with our precious baby girl while learning to be a mom, but as it always does, reality is calling me back and now I think I'm ready to welcome it with open arms.  I have missed so much over the last few months that I don't even know where to begin!  So if any of you have ideas of things you would like to see or design questions you want answered, shoot me an email and I will try to incorporate it into the weekly posts.  For now, I'll just give you a heads up on trends to look for for 2013. 

This year I think we will continue to be surrounded by color, but perhaps with more deep and saturated hues than what we saw in 2012.  The Pantone color for 2013 is emerald green which to me screams jewel tones.  We will also see warm modern vintage interiors {sounds like an oxymoron I know, but it's not ;)}, photo-realistic fabrics, lots of high gloss and shine, and modern/painterly florals in fabrics and wall coverings. In fashion week for Spring/Summer 2013 there were an abundance of stripes used so I wouldn't be surprised if you also see that flowing into your interiors this year as well.  But hey, who doesn't love a good stripe and it's a great way to create movement in any space! So there you have it, my two cents on what to look for this coming year. :)

I know I am looking forward to the new experiences, new clients and new friends that this year will bring and couldn't be more excited to see what it has in store for me! And I can't wait to watch this cute girl learn and grow!

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June Already???

So as you may have noticed I have been a litttle absent from the blog world lately. The last couple of months have been spent traveling, visiting family and trying to get ready for our little one to join our family! I am here to make no promises {especially since becoming a new mom will be a bit time consuming} but I will try a make more of an effort to share the things that inspire me and not leave you hangin for so long!

*Sorry for the bad photo quality...nothing like phone pictures! Once it is finally complete I promise to post real photos. :)

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Easter Tables

I can hardly believe Easter is right around the corner!!!  This year Easter and our wedding anniversary happen to fall on the same day so I've been wanting to make sure our traditional Sunday dinner is extra special.  The weather is finally starting to warm up and Spring is in the air so what a better way to bring all that bright cheeriness indoors than by setting a beautiful table for Easter Sunday or for any special occasion really.  One of the easiest ways to brighten up your table scape is by adding fresh flowers.  Nothing is usually more bright or cheery than flowers and somehow they instantly perk up and add sophistication to any decor.  However, you don't always want a giant centerpiece, so an easy (and affordable) way to do it is by adding small arrangement of 3-5 flowers across the table.  Maybe even dust off those egg holders and use them as small vases.  When setting the table don't forget the place cards!  This is also an easy way to get creative and add a special touch to the meal (and if often forgotten).  Place cards can be as simple as a note card, chocolate bunny with a tag, a dyed easter egg or some other small simple item.  Most of all don't be afraid of color and remember that sometimes the simplest items make the best decor.  Here are some images to help you gain inspiration for setting your Easter/Spring table. :)

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