Shelter-in-Place Spring Decor Updates....

Hello friends! How is everyone holding up during this "new normal" and unprecedented time?   I hope everyone is keeping sane, safe and healthy. We are taking this day by day, thankful for every new day we stay healthy and praying intensely for all those who have personally been affected by this global pandemic.

One advantage of all of this extra free time at home is working on home projects and decor updates.  Early this year, around January, we decided to invest in a few more furniture pieces to complete the living room area of our open floor plan for extra seating and a more intimate conversation area. We scored two arm chairs that fulfilled all the aspects we were looking for: sleek, comfortable, neutral colored and low-profile.  The arm chairs we found also had the added benefit to be swivel chairs for added versatility.  Here they are pictured below:

HomeSense (a TJ Maxx Subsidiary) is quite the treasure trov for stylish Decor and Furniture pieces at decent prices!

We also happened upon the most delicate and classic art piece for a space on our gallery wall that previously had a popular Target art piece, only as a place holder. When I saw "Angelique" - because she looks French to me - I knew I had to bring her home:

She's just perfect and ties into the other Classic and French inspired female decor pieces in my space, i.e. - Colette.

and Madelyn...

The Target artwork piece will now live in our Office where there was a large blank wall in need of some color and style:

As for what I have up my sleeve for DIY projects during this shelter-in-place time, its the final piece to complete our living room gallery wall. Here are a few inspiration pieces as a hint of what I'm working on:

I finally received all of the components via Amazon Prime, and as soon as it's complete Ill be sharing on the Blog, so please stay tuned...

What have you been doing during this extra time? I'd love to know. Comment below.


xoxo,

Lyra G.

Our humble abode - aka chateau c'est la vie - has experienced plenty of changes, upgrades, remodels and transitions throughout the years...

I have enjoyed every single minute of exploring my inner decorator whilst experimenting with many distinct phases and aesthetics.

Here are some recent takes of a space that will always hold a very special place in our hearts.

My Photo Art Wall never ceases to make me smile. 

Fresh picked Peonies from our yard. 

My living room has that "collected over time" feeling I created with vintage frames and books.

Some recent celebratory events I hosted for family and friends. I love to put together a simple, colorful but beautiful tablescape. using items I already own and some fresh flowers.

Hope you enjoyed this peak into our beloved "Maison." More updates and significant changes to come soon as we embark on a new journey as well as upcoming Summer Portrait Sessions I will be sharing. Stay tuned friends.

xo,

Lyra G.

Spring 2017 Decor Updates - Chateau C'est La Vie

It's been awhile since I shared a Decor related update, but wanted to share a  few simple changes I made to our humble abode for Spring 2017.

A few fresh flowers, a couple carefully curated accessories and lots of crisp, clean white...

Our Maison (aka as Chateau C'est La Vie) was in need of this refresher.

Hope you enjoyed.

Stay tuned for upcoming portrait sessions and more.

xoxo,

Lyra 

Recent Decor and DIY updates for Chateau C'est La Vie

Hi friends! It has been almost a year since I last shared a decor related post and thought it would be fun to share some pictures of  a few recent changes I have made to some of the rooms in our humble abode - chateau c'est la vie - as well as some creative table-scape ideas I put together using affordable items I already had and inexpensive supermarket florals.

 The result is elegant and chic but as always,  affordable and budget-friendly. Enjoy!


Since Fall 2016 is most definitely in the air and my in-laws were coming over for dinner, decided to put together a Fall inspired tablescape with bold colors, some items I already had in storage and super-market flowers.  I love the way it turned out and so did they!  This was the perfect setting to serve my wine and mushroom gravy pot roast over garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes and my pear and cranberry salad. Got rave reviews all around!

These leaf motif napkin holders were originally a dark forest green when I  purchased them from a  Micheal's clearance bin.  They were a good quality metal, I just painted them white with craft paint and for only $4 for four of them, (bit of a tongue twister there) they turned out to be a deal I couldn't beat. The white chargers I also purchased for sale during the winter time at the off season clearance section. Always great to check out clearance sections during the off season for great deals!

Had some left-over flowers from the bundle I purchased at the super-market, so I added them to other areas of my kitchen to add a little Fall color pop to those areas as well.  Like my DIY chalkboard? I used an old outdated glass and frame and some chalkboard paint to create this. I love how I can change up the wording depending on my mood. .Bon Appetit Mon Amis!

Date night at home is some of our favorite moments. For this special night with the hubby, I decorated the table with an intimate setting for two. Plates on clearance from Marshalls Home Goods, DIY fabric napkins, bird motif on clearance from a Micheals bin, Costco roses, and used a good bottle of wine as part of the centerpiece. Dinner was a shrimp scampi over linguine, the hubs was a happy man!

The best way to brighten, soften and romanticize a room, is to add beautiful fresh flowers as I did here in our living room, I used the bottom of a lovely glass apothecary jar gifted to me by my sister, as the vase. Adore the combination of these lovely flowers with the stack of vintage books and my little ceramic bird I painted white (was originally brown.)  A Vignette like this in the middle of a cold winter day, is the perfect pick me up.

And finally, in  our extra bedroom which serves as a multi-purpose room (man cave, office, guest room) we swapped out the ol' futon there that  had received quite a bit of love over the years, for a functional but stylish sectional sleeper with extra storage. It works perfectly in here with the cooler toned color scheme of blues,grays and that pop of yellow.  Went to pick it up at our local IKEA, we were glad we had waited till this year,as there was a $100 less price difference from last year.  For those interested, here is the link to purchase this great sectional - FRIHETEN Sectional Sleeper.

And those are all the decor updates for now. (Please note all these pictures were taken by my phone camera, so excuse the quality.)

I will be sharing more decor and DIY updates soon. I have many upcoming projects I want to tackle for 2017 so please stay tuned!


xoxo,

Ly

2015 Spring Decor updates and DIY projects.

It has been quite some time since I have posted Decor/Design related content; however, I am constantly making small enhancements or changes to my humble abode. Constantly. Chateau C'est La Vie - our petite maison  - is  always under the scrutiny of my watchful eye. After all, it is a well known fact: a decorator can never really leave well enough alone now, can we...

My Decor philosophy has always been to create chic, stylish, personalized spaces using:  a) what I already own and up-cycling  and b) re-inventing the use of items for different purposes c) never pay full price for anything.

This is the case with my most recent DIY project. Spring always inspires me to refresh my rooms and change the decor, even if it is simply switching out of the bedding, adding fresh flowers or making something new out of something old, as I will explain below.

As I was perusing the clearance aisles of one of my favorite discount department stores - TJ Maxx - I came across this set of four fabric place mats on sale for only $10. As soon as I saw the pale blue, silvery grey and white color scheme and the ikat-esque pattern, I knew I had to introduce these into my home as decorative pillows. They perfectly coordinated with the color scheme in my living room and master bedroom, while adding a fun modern punch to my mostly traditional/cottage type decor scheme.

The DIY process itself was quite simple. Using fabric shears, some old throw pillows I had in storage and my handy glue gun I was able to create four "new" pillows for only ten bucks.

Here are a few pictures I snapped using my phone of the completed project:

And while we are on the subject, I wanted to share how I Spring-ified my dine in  kitchen using another TJ Maxx clearance aisle find as my inspiration: these delicate bird motif yellow and grey dinner plates imported from Indonesia. Only four dollars each, and so lovely.  I decided to build around them using linen items I already had to create this pretty tablescape for a special luncheon I was hosting. Ties perfectly into my cottage/farmhouse inspired decor scheme.

(all pictures taken with my phone, pardon the quality) 

And as a brief sampling of what was served during said luncheon, a picture of the non-dairy cream of asparagus soup I served as a starter. Quite delightful if I say so myself:)

I was also asked by a dear friend to come up with a Spring inspired table scape for a special dinner she was hosting. For her table my inspiration came from this cobalt blue textured table runner I had in storage. One of the souvenirs I brought back from my Peru trip many years ago. I knew that I wanted to contrast the cool blue with lots of bold warm colors like tangerine and fuschia.. This is the final result:

Last update for this post is dedicated to my on-line Fine Art Photography Shop - C'est la vie art. Make sure to stop by, explore a little.  I am constantly updating listings with unique, seasonal one-of-a-kind captures I've personally taken from across the Globe. I not only greatly enjoy the opportunity to be able to share my art with you to display on your walls, but take great pride in being able to display some of my favorite captures in my own home. I have selected a few of my favorites and display them on a wall in the living room (or as my hubby jokingly refers to as the "museum") on a special wall I have dubbed the "art-gallery".   For instance, if you are a lover of all Equidae family as I am, , you will appreciate the following vignette. To purchase any or all of these prints yourself, please visit the following links:

Wild Mustangs of Wyoming

Wild Mustangs of Wymoing in Black and White 

Zebras of Zambia

Zebras of South Africa

Thank you for taking out the time to read through the Spring updates and projects I have been working on. As an FYI, although I am currently specializing in photography sessions for the Spring and Summer, I still offer my Decor/Design consultations as a service for those interested in some advice or need extra inspiration. Please check out my Investment and Services page for more information.

Stay tuned for upcoming portrait sessions and other interesting tidbits.

xoxo,

Lyra 

Fall and Winter DIY Decor and Organization Projects.

Hi friends! These past months I've been busy with various smaller scale projects around the house and abroad. I have set the personal goal to better organize at least one section of my home per month. As a self-proclaimed organization freak, these little projects make me quite giddy. I've also been working on a few other odds and ends DIY decor projects I wanted to share.

To start with this very simple and affordable project for scarves.

1.  If your like me and love to use colorful scarves to accessorize with, all you need is a good hanger (I chose this felt covered one in a neutral color), a pack of dollar store shower curtain rings and a bit of string or ribbon to cover the hanger hook with. 
2. The process is no more than a few steps, simply tie your scarves around the shower curtain ring and then clip them to the hanger. I like the idea of organizing them in the same color gradient as a rainbow as shown below.
3. Finally wrap the string and/or ribbon around the hook and then hang. Voila!

The next project was more of an upcycle and re-inventing of something I had laying around and literally only cost me a $1.  After my kitchen renovation was complete, I wanted to find a new home and look for an IKEA mosaic tiled mirror that had previously belonged in the kitchen. I remember some time ago I had seen one of my favorite Decor bloggers use a pack of grocery store wood skewers to convert a plain mirror into a fabulous sunburst mirror. This design trend, the Star-burst, was first implemented in Mid Century design and in recent years has made quite the comeback. This classic look with a contemporary vibe does not look like it will be going away anytime soon, but I digress. I remember I had a pack of skewers stored away as well as some old chopsticks and other filler type reeds I had used in previous arrangements and so I gathered my materials and went to work.

1. I began by first gluing the skewer sticks and chopsticks in groups of two and three sections around the inner edge of the mirror using an adhesive I purchased at the Dollar Store. I let these dry over night. 
2. The next day I  went through my collection of craft paints and decided a metallic gold would look best on the mirror to contrast against the teal wall I would be hanging it on, as well as coordinate nicely with the yellow and gray accent colors I have used in this space. I was careful to cover the middle mirror portion with  newspaper and only paint the mosaic tile edge and the wooden skewers, I then let this dry overnight as shown in the collage below.
3.  As a final step, and to add more dimension I sparingly glued longer golden reeds I had stored away from previous flower and vase arrangements. 
4. I love how all of the items were things I had already stored and purchased and that this whole project only cost me what I paid for the glue - $1! I then simply hung up on a blank wall in the man room that otherwise serves as our guest room/gym/and den:)

And since we are on the subject of the man room, I wanted to share how one of the recent listings I added to my Fine Art Photography Shop on ETSY, C'est La Vie Art. this vintage car I took in Miami Beach, and now available for purchase by clicking the link above. Feel free to click that link or visit the section of this blog labeled "Shop with us", where you are sure to find many beautiful and unique images I've taken all over the world that can be purchased to hang as artwork in any blank wall in your home, office or as an ideal personalized gift.

This specific listing is now framed and hanging in my hubby's man room along with another Art Deco Miami print that will soon be featured in my shop  my hubby loves the way they look in his space!  (I apologize for the bad lighting and resolution of this pic, taken with my smart phone but you get the idea.)

Finally, I wanted to share a few Fall/Winter table-scapes I put together. One was for a friend who had some special guests over for a fancy lunch. I used fruits, flowers and some linens I had laying around to come up with a Fall inspired color scheme. The leaf napkin rings were previously brown and boring. I used my trusty craft paints in an apple green and gold color for the edges to breath fresh life into them and create a nice contrast to the brown fabric napkins. The other was a simple table setting for breakfast. I just used a cream colored table cloth and then decorated with two simple glass vases and some gorgeous cream colored napkins, the light and bright scheme played  nicely against all the other light colors in my kitchen.

And that's what I've been up to lately along with the planning of some upcoming parties and photo sessions.

However, as promised, the next post will be all about the kitchen renovation with plenty of pictures of the final outcome. I am so in love with this space, I am looking forward to sharing it with you all.

Till next time. xoxo

Ly