College Days Pinterest Board

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I've come to the reality that my daughter will be a senior this year.  Where did the time go?  My youngest daughter will be a senior the following year. I've been watching several of my friends as they prep for the big send off.

The decorating and organizational part of it can be very overwhelming.

They have been buying bedding, organizational items, rugs, lamps, etc. to make their new college students room feel like HOME.  The rooms are awfully tiny, but there is no need for them to be boring!  There are great ideas out there to make great use of the space.

 Part of me is hesitant but a big part of me is excited for this stage of life, it will be exciting.

 I've decided to put together a Pinterest board of all my favorite dorm room ideas.  Throughout this year, I'll pin pictures for those of you are in this same stage of life too. Hopefully it will inspire you as you prepare.

Click link below to follow my Pinterest Board.

College Dayzzz Pinterest Page

 Wish me luck as we start this new stage of life as a senior in high school.

Gorgeous Castle Lakes Resort - Colorado

We just returned from Colorado after being there 10 days with family and friends.

We traveled with 6 other families (26 of us in all).  We all have RV's and it was such fun to be on the road together.

Even our doggie Ava loved the ride.

We stayed at Castle Lakes RV & Campground in Lake City, Colorado.  What a gorgeous place.

 I thought I'd share some of my favorite captures my eyes took in.

This was the view from our RV site.  It was breathtaking.  It was a great place for coffee in the morning.  Nice and cold too.

The water was like glass most days and we had spectacular weather all week long.

I just loved how the mountain reflected in the water.

Can you believe how gorgeous this is?

We took walks around the lake and admired the wildflowers and beauty.

Hanging baskets were overflowing with color at the lodge.

I was tempted to bring this fabulous piece of driftwood home!

I'm sure the beavers would have been sad to see it go.

This bridge was perfect for fishing.

All 6 families  rented jeeps from the lodge one day. We drove  in convoy right up into the mountains.  It was an amazing day of adventure and  fun!

I just couldn't believe this view.  The color of the water in this valley took my breath away.

See what I mean?

Waterfalls everywhere.

Sheep grazing.

but lots of dust flying everywhere too.

Loads of belly laughter around the fire each evening. Loads of memories were made!  Some of these friends have been in our lives since high school so the stories that were told were absolute hoots.

Lots of hiking and fishing too!

The jeeping was my favorite, maybe because I had such a handsome driver.

Always so good to be in nature exploring God's incredible beauty.

Hard to be back in the 100 degree heat here in Texas now.  I'm going to miss my coffee spot.

but.... ready to start all my new projects!

I have 2 photo shoots this week. A kitchen remodel and a bathroom remodel completion.  Pictures coming soon!

Creating homes as unique as you are!

 True fulfullment is being able to enrich a families life by creating a home that suits their lifestyle. My goal at DecRenew Interiors is to create a space that is as unique as the client.

 Our tag line is: "Creating homes as unique as you are."

 I  met with this client after they had been living in their newly built home for a year.  This is the second home that I have had the opportunity to decorate for them.  It is always such a pleasure to work with the same client over and over again.

 The drapery fabric (mainly the colors)  was my inspiration for pulling the entire room together.  I adore all the  vibrancy and so does  my client.  As you scroll through the after pictures below, you will see how I made sure these colors were all married together somehow.  Different textures, patterns, shapes, etc. together created a mixed up, eclectic style with a transitional flair.

They had some things that I knew we could repurpose.   These two club chairs were reupholstered because the client loved them and they were super comfy.

 They just needed a makeover after being used in their gameroom surrounded by kids and all that goes with that!

My goal is to use as much of what the client "already have" in order to save them as much money as possible.  Of course, only if the item was  still stylish :)  Often times, my clients will say "really, keep these old things" and I say "yes, they/it has HUGE potential."

Ruthie Decorating tip:  Use unique items for your flowers. This candle holder was perfect for the fresh flowers on the coffee table.  Make sure that the item is not pourous if you place the flowers directly in the vase.  If it is, I put a small drinking glass inside the vase and use that for the flowers.  

 We were going to redo these two ottomans.  As the room started to come together, I thought they could stay "as is" since they go beautifully with the animal print rug.  I'm crazy about the round side table.  Such great detail!

Gus loves his new home too!

 The coffee table is so unique and the texture and color make the reupholstered chairs united.  See how the detail of the book on the coffee table pulls together the ottoman color?

Those are the details that I think about for days and days before the installation.  I often wake up in the middle of the night and get up and write things down.

What color florals to use is also a huge decision.  

Notice how these flowers make the entire room pop.

The new gray sectional is perfect for their family life.  This family room is where everything happens in their house.

The stripes and houndtooth patterned pillows add a masculine touch against the more feminine draperies.

Adding unique wooden side tables makes the room feel warm and cozy.  With the high ceilings in this room, we needed that.  Also adds that shape that we needed to soften the edges.

Unique lamps and a fun shade add personality, fun and a more relaxed feel.  The painting on the mantel is huge and is all the mantel needs to make a statement.  Less fussy!

The chair pillows add a punch of turquoise without going over the top with this bold color.

  I found a cake platter in one of the kitchen cabinets and created this vignette.

Ruthie Decorating Tip: Accessories placed in different heights make more of  statement and draws your eye into each item.  Look for bowls, books, boxes, etc. to raise things up.  It's more appealing to your eye. 

This telephone was in their junk pile.  I rescued it because I think it adds some history to the room.

I have a love for lamps and this one is to die for!

The family also enjoys playing batgammon.  I placed it out as decor since it is used often.  The kids loved seeing their treasures out and displayed.  I also placed some of their other items like family pictures, grandma's clock, etc.

Paired with this cute piece of pottery that their son made a few weeks ago, it makes for a nice combination.

So you probably want to see a totaly before and after right?

It's a hard room to get a good picture of the entire space because of the light that pours in (a good problem to have).  These are the best we could do but it gives you an idea of the dramatic transformation.

BEFORE

AFTER

I loved what my client said when she walked in her new family room.

 "Is this really my house?  I don't feel worthy of this gorgeous space!"  

Yes, you are worthy!!!!  I so appreciate the opportunity to work with such a wonderful, worthy family!  Thanks for trusting me and for allowing me to be part of this project.

Thanks for joining me for this recap! I'll be posting before and after pictures of their dining room next.

See above!

Gus dog; trending home supermodel.

I'm just finished up a wonderful home in Flowermound yesterday.

We decorated their  dining room and their family room.  Here are a few "snapshot" peeks from the day.

 We purchased new furniture, rugs, pillows, accessories and also "used what they had" to complete each room.

Gus was our male supermodel for the photo shoot.

Isn't he cute?  He liked the new rug!

Audra's shoes worked well with our color scheme and were thrown into the shoot as well.  Audra is my intern that is going off to college at the end of the summer :(

You are going to love the family room.

I'll post more as soon as I get them from the photographer!

Are you Consumed with Comparison?

While I was away on vacation, I had time to really clear my mind and focus on my life  as a Designer and Business Owner.

 Of course, when your body and mind totally starts to rest and be refreshed, you start to think about how things are working in your life and contemplate what is working and what needs to change.

 One of the things that really was made clear to me was the BENEFIT I have of being in front of so many incredibly great people in the Design industry.  I have friends and contacts all around the world on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook.

 The inspiration that I have been able to get from those designers is AMAZING.  I could sit and look at images on their profiles as well as read their advice  for hours and hours.

 All of the conferences, workshops, etc. that I have attended over the years has put me in front of so many extremely talented and gifted people that have stretched me, encouraged me and helped me become the best Designer I can be.

However, one of the things that has been swimming around in my head is that I have become very caught up, almost obsessed,  with comparing myself to those designers that I follow on a daily basis.   

I understand and know that it is extremely important to stay in touch with the latest and greatest in the design world.  I want to be the best at what I do and am always wanting to improve and be better for my clients.  Being the best you can be is what we are called to do, right?

 However, I feel as if I have started comparing myself too much, which is making me feel twinges of  discontentment. and stress.   I have been feeling continued pressure to "DO" all the time and find myself thinking things like:

"Oh no, I should be doing that"

"why didn't I get that recognition, I'm doing the same thing"

"I need to be published, I'm just as good"

"I should be writing about that"

"why don't I have that many followers"

"I need more likes"

"why don't I get 50 comments"

"why don't I know about that?"

"Am I as good as they are"

 When I started my business over 10 years ago, I knew that I was doing the right thing.  Everything I did confirmed that I was doing what I was called to do.

 What I have come to realize is that I have stopped having faith that I am just where I am suppose to be at this very moment.   Comparing myself to what others are doing has started to rob me from my day to day JOY as an Interior Decorator.  I have been gifted with talents and gifts that I sometimes forget to see because of my constant comparison.

 The feeling of constantly feeling like I should be doing something better or bigger is not reality and has actually made me feel like a workaholic at times, constantly striving to be more and more and never feeling like I'm good enough.

My takeaway from my vacation is that what I am called to do is be compassionate about what I do and do it well, the rest will follow!

From today forward, I will continue to be inspired by all those that I follow on Social Media.  However, I will have a new mindset.

 I have worked extremely hard to be where I am today with my business.  I don't need to fast forward to anything other than being in God's plan for me which is right here where I am today.  My talents are unique and different and cannot compare to talents that God has given someone else.

My job is to embrace my gifts wholeheartedly and strive to use those gifts to the best of my ability.

Do you struggle with this same thing?  You may not be a Designer, but I'm sure you are just as involved with Social Media as I am.  Do you feel overcome with visual overload and comparison like I do?   Join me as we start a trend of contentment with ourselves and the personal, unique path we have ahead.

Doing what God has called us to do is WAY better than comparing ourselves to what others are doing!

I'd love to hear your thoughts.