DIY Monday: Dreaming up a design

One of the hardest things to do in creating a design can be visualizing how the finished design will look. Some are gifted with a clear vision while others can only see the full picture when the design is finished. Some people buy architectural or design magazines and tear out pictures that they like. Others may search the book aisle at their local home improvement or the design section at Barnes and Noble to find inspiration. Still others may go straight to the source - the cabinet maker, the tile store, the appliance section, or even a craft fair - to get that spark that fires design.

I recently found a site that's helped me with a design. It's called Houzz. My husband and I have been arguing over a project. I see clearly how it should be done, but no matter how much I've drawn it out and explained the steps, he can't see enough to be comfortable to move forward with the design. So I've spent some time perusing the pictures on Houzz, adding to my photo ideabook to somehow convey that this design idea will WORK in our space. It's a wonderful tool to get design ideas and get comfortable with your design ideas. Now on to trying to convince the husband that this dream can become a reality on our DIY budget! You'll know soon!

Inspiration Thursday! I'm in trouble...

Eclectic Patriot by SwoonStudios on Polyvore.com

So I was reading my absolute favorite blogger, The Pioneer Woman, the other day... really, I need to stop a moment as this doesn't convey my love for PW... and her photos... and her beautiful children... and her horses... and her dogs... and her FOOD! You really should faithfully read her blog every day. Really. You should.

Anyway, I was reading her blog the other day and she did a post on something that I think could get me into trouble some day. Okay, so maybe today. It's a site that allows you to make mood boards called Polyvore.

The "set" above was just my first attempt at browsing through the items available and playing around with placement, but boy oh boy can I see how this could be trouble if you're, say, decorating a new house? Or sprucing up an old one? I mean, who couldn't use a thousand dollar silver Tiffany candlestick in their living room? Yeah. Like that'll happen. But it's fun to dream!