Touring Through Blogland

Hi ya'll! Welcome to the Decorating Duchess. My name is Alyssa. Whether you are an old friend and follower or are just visiting for the first time, I'm so happy you're here.



With my boys Jackson and Gage

 I don't usually do tours so I'm new at this, but I couldn't say no when my friend Christine at Little Brags Blog invited me to join in. She is by far the most friendly blogger I have "met" and has been very encouraging to me. Her blog always makes me smile especially when she adds in that cute little bunny of hers. She has a very warm rustic style in her design which I, of course, appreciate. Be sure to stop by there too on your tour!

Closet Project ~ Pretty Rods

The details in a room can be very important, I think. One detail that has always bothered me in my closet is my clothes hanging / rod situation. First of all, the rods went all the way across the room on both sides of the closet. Who needs that much hanging room? I'm not Mariah Carey! Builders tend to think that a closet should consist of a couple of rods and a few shelves. Does this really work for anyone?  Where do you put folded clothes? A hamper? Hang belts and scarves? I know, there shouldn't be any complaining on the yacht, so to speak. I'm lucky to have my own closet. There is still always room for improvement.

Closet Progress ~ Sugar Skull Stencil

I knew that I wanted to do some type of stencil on the back wall of my closet but I wasn't sure at first what it would look like. You might have read previously that I was doing a Junk Gypsy inspired room and they actually had a show where they installed skeleton stickers in a closet. Then I thought, "Skeletons in a closet, how cute is that?" I have always loved the sugar skulls from The Day of the Dead and being from San Antonio, I thought these were perfect! It was a little tricky making the stencil but I'll show you how I did it.

Pretty in Pink (Closet Makeover Paint)

The winner was pink. Julia Roberts would be proud. (Steel Magnolias reference) Although pink is not MY signature color, I did want something really girlie. In case you didn't know, there is a lot of testosterone in my house.

Closet Cabinet Makeover Before and After

I was so excited today to get started on my closet after writing about it yesterday. I was going to paint the walls first but I needed a trip to Home Depot for that and I new that I already had everything here to refinish the cabinet in the closet, so I started there. I have a turquoise color that I have used before called Gulf Winds from Behr. You might have seen it on my kitchen island redo post. I thought it would be perfect so I got started.

Junk Gypsy Inspired

HGTV Magazine

I'm taking a little break from the Master Bedroom to give a shout out to two girls who totally inspire me to be more creative and fun. If you haven't heard of them or had the pleasure of watching their show, you can check out The Junk Gypsies on GAC (Great American Country channel) on Thursday nights at 9/8c. Their new season started last week. I spent the entire day last Thursday binge watching last seasons episodes and I was so impressed by their ability to take junk and transform it into treasures. Their style mixes rustic with glam as you can see from the photo above. Their look is not very practical but boy would I love to live in their world. Their look is dreamy and whimsical and as one of their customers said on the show, " I want to be a Junk Gypsy when I grow up."

7 Ideas to Freshen Up Furniture and Accessories

After painting the Master Bedroom and hanging drapes, I decided that some of the furniture in the room needed to be reinvented. I started with this ottoman, painting the base and recovering with some leftover fabric and a burlap rug that I found. (The burlap rug is from Armoires and Accents)

Pillows ,Pillows, Pillows

Another change in the bedroom...pillows. I'm obsessed with them. If I didn't love my husband, the bed would be covered with them. Not that he ever makes the bed, but he is very practical and I know he would give me a hard time if there were any more than this. I have to restrain myself because if I didn't my house would be covered with pillows....and candles...and shoes, actually. I think he might keep me from being a hoarder.

How to Make a Really Long Curtain Rod

After I painted the bedroom white, I knew that I needed to add drapes for some color. The problem was that this is a very wide expanse of windows and I was having trouble finding a rod long enough, even one that expands. I'll show you my solution...

My New White Bedroom

It was just brought to my attention that I haven't had a decorating post in a while. I didn't realize how long it had been.  How time flies when you're having fun and fun for me is painting! I recently painted my bedroom white and what a difference it makes. It is one of my missions in life to convince all doubters out there that white is not only a COLOR but a GREAT COLOR for walls.  My bedroom had previously been painted a sad beige and I'm sorry but beige does not go with everything! I love white because it does go with everything and it makes a room feel so fresh, light and bright. If you have been following my blog before this, you know that I have been slowly transitioning my house from builder beige to white. Here are some other rooms that I have painted white: