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The Design Inspirationalist

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The Design Inspirationalist

Category Archives: Inspiration Photo Friday

Inspiration Photo Friday: The Meaning of Christmas

20 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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christmas, family, friends, gifts, holiday, love, season, snow, winter

So Christmas is just around the corner and its time to start preparing for the holiday. Whether you are hosting or not, there is always something to do. This year I am having my family over for Christmas Eve and couldn’t be more excited. For years I dreamt of hosting this event and having us all together in my home. And now its finally coming true.

I am sure Christmas means a lot of different things to everyone, depending on your traditions, but to me it is all about spending time with your loved ones and making memories. Although I love giving gifts, that is just a bonus. I imagine a white covered landscape, a crisp breeze, a warm cozy home filled with festive tunes and smiles, and lots of love in the air. Oh, what a great night it will be. It’s the whole package of the holiday that makes me smile.

I took this photo days ago when we got some snow. Long Island hasn’t seen a storm yet so this is the best we’ve had. Even though its a little, it put me in the holiday spirit. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Inspiration Photo Friday: The Meaning of Christmas

Inspiration Photo Friday: Fresh and New

13 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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bathroom renovation, design, master bath, modern, remodel, vintage

When we moved into our home, my husband and I took hold of all the projects and got to work immediately. Since we lived here, there has been an endless amount of things to get done, all of which we pretty much did ourselves. It has been a tiring two years for sure. I knew when I saw a photo of the house that it was the one for us and I was right. It just needed a lot of love.

The last major space that needed to be renovated was our master bath. Besides having no heat, it was seriously outdated and very small. The jacuzzi tub was too big for the room, as well as the toilet, and due to the layout there was so much space wasted. It drove us both nuts. Two years using this bathroom was two years too long. So I am sure you can imagine how excited I was that we were getting it redone. And we didn’t have to do it!

Since last Thursday the contractors have been working hard to bring my vision to life. I knew what I wanted from the start so translating my design was easy. I imagined it would look modern with a vintage touch. We couldn’t change much of the format of the space but was able to open up more of it for storage. This was a major element for me. I chose all white tile for the shower and floor and a light gray for the walls so it felt more airy and spacious. The new white vanity and medicine cabinet will tie in well and the brand spanking new tub and toilet are going to make a huge difference in updating the look.

Watching the stages of its transformation has been fun but getting our bathroom back fresh and new is going to be simply amazing. These are the photos I took when we first looked at the house. The previous owners did nothing for the space, as you can see. How depressing! I look at these and finally smile because its in the past. We both feel so lucky to have had this renovation done and have it reflect our Chicago remodeling style. It surely needed a makeover and now it can truly shine.

{I will be posting about the process and final results soon!}

Fresh and New

Inspiration Photo Friday: Holiday Cheer

06 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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christmas, christmas tree, decorating, family, friends, holidays, ornaments

I love the holidays. Being with family and friends, giving gifts, and decorating are the elements I love the most. Having Santa ride around our neighborhood on the fire truck is certainly an extra bonus. All these things is what makes the holidays so much fun. And in the middle of it all, stands the infamous Christmas tree.

This year my husband, Dan, and I got our first big tree and you can bet I was excited to decorate it. It may sound silly how happy it made me but since we’ve been together, we’ve used tiny trees, both fake and real, and it just doesn’t compare. When we went to buy one, we laid our eyes on the first tree in our view and both agreed it was perfect. And the perfect place for this beautiful tree was right in front of our main window for all to see.

I dressed it with all the ornaments in our collection which includes many from Dan’s childhood as well as mine, along with some new ones we acquired along the years. I like to use white lights so the colors from the ornaments shine. And since it was our first large tree, I thought I should do something special. So I strung popcorn and made a garland, which took me about 6 hours to make. It was all worth it though. Then I sprinkled a little tinsel along the edges and it was good to go.

We love how the tree came out and the warmth it adds to our living room. At night, it glows so beautifully, it truly makes me smile. The holidays are surely felt in our home and since we are having my family here for Christmas Eve this year, it’s going to be one of the best we had in a long time. So excited!

Inspiration Photo Frida: Holiday Cheer

Inspiration Photo Friday: Being Thankful

29 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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belief, cruelty-free, earth, family, holiday, life, love, morals, thankful, thanks, thanksgiving, tradition, veg, vegan, vegetarian

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with delicious food, good times, and people you love. My husband and I started our own tradition about 4 years ago and love our peaceful holiday even more each year. My mother joined us for dinner this time, which was a nice bonus, and Dan’s parents visited with us earlier in the day. After our meal, we went to my cousin’s house for dessert, where the rest of my family was. It was a good day.

I decorated the table with harvest trinkets and kept within a country/rustic style. Simple and in the spirit of the holiday.

Inspiration Photo Friday: Being Thankful

This year, I tried some new recipes, all of which turned out awesome. The menu included Stuffed Peppers w/Brown Rice & Spinach in a Parmesan Mascarpone sauce, Green beans, Mashed Potatoes & Veg Gravy, Sweet Corn, and Tempeh Wheatballs. Yum!

image

Dessert at my cousin’s was fun and there was more than enough sweets to go around. And of course, its always nice to see family and catch up. We were home by 9pm and took the rest of the night to relax on the couch with our dogs and chill out.

You know, every day I am thankful for the great things in my life as well as all the amazing people. I am also grateful for change and new beginnings. The simple fact that Dan and I created our own tradition for the holiday, just makes it that much more special. It doesn’t bother me anymore that I am not sharing the infamous feast with all of our family because to us it’s more than just a holiday. We’ve chosen to stick by our beliefs and celebrate a cruelty-free Thanksgiving that we look forward to sharing with our future children. Being thankful for the Earth and everything it shares with us, is just the beginning.

{For any of my recipes, just contact me via email}

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