I love the Ombre look and have definitely seen it everywhere from fashion to baking to interior design. Ombre, by definition, means shaded or graduated in tone. I am sourcing some area rugs for a client and came across this beautiful ombre rug:

As we celebrate Earth Day, I try to remember to reduce, reuse and recycle. But, there’s also the fun kind of Earth Day Inspiration. When I think about going green… I also can’t help but daydream about spaces with the color green! Here’s some great inspiration and pretty green rooms to start your week. Enjoy!

It’s such a fresh, energetic and fun color! I am sure you have ‘gone green’ in the sensible way, but have you also ‘gone green’ with your decor???

I am looking forward to a nice, long weekend ahead! I thought this dining room image was cheerful and reminded me of spring! Although I wouldn’t take the literal interpretation of this room for my own home, it’s a happy space for this Easter weekend!

Ever since the Bravo show Flipping Out aired, I have been a huge fan! Jeff Lewis and Jenny make a great team- I am always laughing out loud! So, tonight…. their new show Interior Therapy will make it’s debut on Bravo. I’m such a dork- I can’t wait! Will you be watching??? Here are some images of his amazing design work:

Jeff and Jenny:

I will definitely be watching tonight! To see more of his design work, go here.

Hello, hello! I’m glad to be back and feeling better. I’ve been a little sporadic with posts because of a head cold. And I’m happy to return with a fun one… I’ve been tagged by my blog friend, Pam, of Simple Details to be a part of a little Q & A going on throughout the blogosphere. I answer 11 questions that Pam has come up with and then create 11 new questions for other bloggers. So here goes-

1. What would be the career of your dreams?

I have always wanted to enter the design world, somehow! For me, the ideal job would be an interior decorator (trying that as we speak) and boutique owner, selling collections of my favorite decor and furniture styles. I think the exterior of this shop is so sweet!

2. I would eat Top Ramen noodles for a month in order to save up for ___________! Or, I wouldn’t eat Top Ramen for anything!

Oh, I’m up for that challenge! I would eat Ramen noodles for a month for a new subway tile backsplash and quartz countertops! I like our white cabinets, and with those changes, it would be worth the food sacrifice!

3. Which would you choose for a date with your husband: Candlelight dinner at a nice restaurant or day of hiking in the mountains?

Although my husband and I love the outdoors, I would choose the candlelight dinner! We love to try new restaurants, and with the hustle and bustle of daily life, sitting and relaxing would be nice! I think he would agree with me on this one too! How about this location???

4. In which sport or athletic activity would you most like to participate?

I love running, so I would choose track! I ran track in high school and college and I loved the rush of adrenaline! The anticipation right before the race began was so exciting. Nothing like it!

5. What do you wish you were more knowledgeable about?

This is a good one! I could pick so many things!  🙂 I would have to say history! I think it’s extremely interesting, but I might not make it far in Jeopardy!

6. Pretend one of your online blogging friends is coming to visit for the weekend, what one thing would you do to your home before she arrived?

Ohh… good one! I would definitely have to clean up, polish the accessories and add fresh flowers to the table! Everything always looks better with some peonies!

7. What kind of driver are you (speed demon, rule follower, tickets, fender benders, easy going)?

I guess I’m pretty much a rule follower, but maybe a bit impatient behind the wheel, too!

8. It’s hard for me to_____________.

Hmmm… I guess it’s hard for me to stop/forget something until it’s finished. When I’m creating design boards for clients, it’s all I think about until it’s done. Projects can consume me, but in a fun way!

9.  What are your nicknames?

With a fairly short first name like Amber, I never really had nicknames! I have always been called Amber.

10. What is your best quality?

I guess my best quality would be optimism! I always try to look on the bright side of everything. It always works out in the end as my mom would say!

11.  What is your best piece of advice for raising children?

My best advice would be to allow your children to be who they want to be and explore! I was so lucky to have my mom and dad support me when I almost changed colleges and degrees. It really made me feel as if I could do anything!

Thanks so much to Pam for letting me in on this exercise. It was so fun to think about!

And now for passing it on…
Here are my 11 questions:

1. Think of your favorite blogger. What would be the first thing you would ask that person if you were having lunch?
2. What is the one food you cannot go a week without having?
3. Past or present, who would you want to have over for dinner?
4. If you watch reality tv, which one is your ultimate favorite?
5. What is your best piece of advice?
6. In one word, pinterest is _____ .
7. In thinking about your accomplishments, which one are you most proud of?
8. Would you rather cook or dine out?
9. Who would you want to trade places with for the day?
10. If you could have superpowers for the day, what would you do?
11. Tell us about your best quality.

I am thinking of replacing some sheer drapery panels with roman shades. Currently, I have silk drapery panels paired with sheers. I’m looking for a change, and it got me thinking… what type of roman shade is my favorite???

Fabric roman shades:

Or bamboo roman shades:

And if I go with fabric shades, do I choose patterned print:

Or plain fabric:

Installed inside the wall moldings:

Or outside the wall moldings:

With drapery:

Or left on its own:

Loose flowing:

Or more crisp and tailored:

Ohhh…. decisions, decisions! Either way, this was fun to think about! All of these spaces are gorgeous- I love all of the looks!

Today, I am over at Kristy’s amazing blog, Hyphen Interiors. Kristy is in the middle of a move to Austin, and I am thrilled to be a part of her blog while she is preparing for the move! Today, I am sharing a recent project I completed…. the stenciled wall in my dining room! Stop over and say hi!

The winner of the fabulous pillow giveaway from Milk and Cookies is…..
Using a random number generator, the lucky winner is #14- Latoya from The Scott’s Crib. Congratulations, Latoya! Enjoy choosing a gorgeous pillow! I will e-mail you today.

Thank you so much to all who entered and to Misty for hosting this amazing giveaway!

Are you ready for this??? The amazing, wonderful etsy shop, Milk and Cookies, is sponsoring a fabulous giveaway to one lucky reader of this blog! I love her amazing pillow prints, the huge selection of designer fabrics and the stellar prices of the pillow cases! One lucky Simple Dwellings reader will win a pillow case of their choice- a $25 value! Here is a little sampling of the gorgeous prints you will find at her etsy shop:

There are so many more to choose from on her site! And all of the gorgeous pillow cases shown above are under $25!! AMAZING!! This is a great time to think of adding a new accessory to your home before the holidays or wrap up and give to a friend!

Here’s How To Enter:

– Follow Simple Dwellings through Google Friend Connect on sidebar.
– Follow Milk and Cookies blog.
– Stop by her etsy shop here and come back to this blog, telling us your favorite pillow print!
– Please leave your e-mail address in your comment, if you are not linked up to a blog or do not have a visible e-mail address.

For Additional Entries:

– Like Milk and Cookies on facebook here.
– Mention this giveaway on:
  Twitter
  Facebook
  Your Blog
(Leave separate comments saying you have done so!) 

The winner will be announced Thursday morning, 12/8, EST. Best of Luck!!

But that’s not all!! The wonderful Misty from Milk and Cookies is also giving 10% off to ALL readers until Thursday, 12/8!! Just type coupon code : SIMPLEDWELLINGS at checkout!

I am super excited to be over at a wonderful site, Dot Comes for Moms, sharing some fun and simple ways to decorate for the holidays. This amazing site brings the best of the web to women, moms and all who appreciate home decor, cooking, health, beauty and more. I was so honored when they asked me to write an article about holiday decorating ideas. I decided to pick a theme that we can all appreciate: simple and easy decorating ideas, but with a twist– I thought it would be fun to try and think outside the box and use holiday decorations in unconventional ways! I know that I love ideas that are fast and stylish! I was able to find so much inspiration and beautiful decor ideas through pinterest. I am now ready to start decorating! Check out the post here.