Author: racha1982

– Filoli Tour and a Winner

Hello all. Before I announce the name of the winner of the $30 gift card from Fashion to Figure, I want to  share with you some picture of the Filoli Gardens in The Bay Area.

My friend was visiting from Lebanon so my husband gave me the idea of  showing her Filoli. Before I share with you my favorite pictures that I’ve taken during the trip, I want to give a brief introduction about these beautiful gardens.

“Located 30 miles south of San Francisco, Filoli is an historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and one of the finest remaining country estates of the early 20th century. Whether enjoying its beauty or pursuing its educational opportunities, we invite you to explore this cherished community resource.” (Source: http://www.filoli.org/)

Here are the pictures. Oh, BTW the winners name is announced at the bottom. Well, I guess you have to scroll down all my photos :p

 

 

These pictures were not supposed to be posted on my blog , they were just for Facebook 🙂 but I couldn’t resist but share them with you

 

 

 

Can you see these beauties behind the cabinets glasses….I need them for my Turquoise dining room 🙁

Now I will announce the winner of $30 gift card from Fashion to Figure and the…. winner…is…

I’m a follower through GFC: Book Sake. 
I like the Wood Bangle with Studs and the Arrowhead Earrings.


Please email me so I can go through details with you…Thanks for those who entered this giveaway 

 

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– Model Homes Tour

Hello friends… Before anything, I want to share with you that today I will have my first guest post. It is going to be on Stardust-decorstyle. I am ecstatic so come on over and drop a line or two 😉 While you are there please don’t forget to check out Olga’s great blog. Olga hails from Greece so she comes with many new original ideas.

So back to Model Homes, last Saturday, the hubby and I were bored so he asked me if I want to check out the new model homes by LENNAR Homes around the corner. Are you kidding me? Do I wanna see model homes? of course I want to. It is like discovering a great blog and hit the “Home Tour” link,  well I think it is vice versa , the blogs are like visiting  real homes 🙂 But you know what I mean right?

I will stop talking and show you the pictures, but I want to let you know that the pictures were taking using my Samsung cell phone camera , of course I can’t walk around with a DSLR camera 🙂

The first home:

On the right is the living room with cream sofa and orange love seat. The color palette as you can see is : Cream , dark brown and orange …like bright orange. even though I’m not a fan of orange but I really liked it, it made the home so cheery and welcoming.
 On the left the dining table and kitchen: I liked that the dining table is round so it can fit 6 people without wasting the space. Did I say how much I love those rattan chairs?
The kitchen with dark brown elegant cabinets was not my favorite. It has white subway tiles back splash which is cool, but I would have preferred if the cabinets went up to the ceiling, so you can make use of every inch in the space and it is always better than collecting dust 😉
As you go up the long and narrow stairs you will see the loft. I love everything in this room from the rattan coffee table, to the Chevron curtains and that antique style movie camera just wow.

To the left, the home office…Guess what I like the most, of course that vintage style vibrant orange color chair LOVE IT.

 

This should be the girl’s bedroom, notice always same colors through out the whole house but you can tell it is the girls bedroom by the 3 big metal flowers on the wall and  the flowers on the curtains ( this can be easily DIYed on any ready made curtains) .

Can be the boy’s bedroom… I love it…I know I am loving everything but this house has very positive energy. It is so colorful ,so Electric, and so Happy…this is the key word …HAPPY. I’m a color person so I cant live without colors.

And finally the Master Suite.

 

NNNNaaaaaaaa I didn’t like it hahhaha ( kidding). I love this chubby chair it is so comfy, I sat on it, you know I have to try it before I make such a big decision and buy the house 😉

I like how they painted the wall with two tones of orange and then framed it, this way the headboard looks  HUGE so the focal point in this room will be the bed ( this can be easily DIYed too). I like also that they used dressers as night stands they way you will have extra storage and who doesn’t like to have extra storage!!! not me



The master bathroom , I know I didn’t take a good picture here this is the only one that I got 🙂 So it was a his and her sinks and a big shower 🙂

So here is the tour for the first model home, I have two questions for you: What is your favorite room and why?assuming the money is not an issue would you buy a model home or would you design your own? Can you have one color palette through out your whole house?

Make sure you come back later to tour the second model home.

And hey dont forget to enter the fabulous giveaway to win a Cutting Edge Stencils ( free delivery too) so go quickly and enter your name 🙂

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iheartnaptime , bystephanielynn , notjustahousewife , insidebrucrewlife , mommybydaycrafterbynight , twindragonflydesigns , staceyembracingchange , thetrendytreehouse , diybydesign , thediydreamer , theshabbycreekcottage , staceyembracingchange , craftyscrappyhappy , herecomesthesun , shabbynest , sassysites, romantichome , fivedaysfiveways , classyclutter , bedifferentactnormal , sixsistersstuff , itsoverflowing , thekurtzcorner , kammyskorner , funkyjunkinteriors , sugarbeecrafts , insidebrucrewlife, mommybydaycrafterbynight , thekurtzcorner , twindragonflydesigns , diybydesign , thetrendytreehouse ,
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– My First Giveaway

I’m sooooo excited today, I will be having my first giveaway. And what best would it be than clothing giveaway??!!!! 
 
I know since fashion is my business I should be sick and tired from just hearing the word fashion but not with Fashion To Figure since they have very  trendy  pretty   fashionable clothes for plus sizes women at GREAT fashion prices

Below are some of my favorites :

 If you wear regular size, you can win a handbag or accessories

I love this Aqua and Gold clutch …and that  Gold Chain Necklace
Ok enough of my favorite, let’s tell you the details of this giveaway.
Fashion To Figure is giving a $30.00 gift certificate to spend at their amazing boutique.
To win this FREE $30.00 gift certificate, you  MUST be a follower of my champagne taste please leave a comment letting me know.
 
2nd entry: Visit Fashion To Figure come back and leave a comment which item you liked.
 
3rd entry: Share this giveaway on your facebook or on your blog, and leave me a comment letting me know

P.S: For the US addresses only, thanks.
This giveaway has ended.

DDD Oh C’mon Ladies Im not that naughty ;)

I am proud today to have Taryn from Design Dining & Diapers to be my featured guest post. As you can tell by her blog’s name that Taryn is not only a wonderful designer but a super mom as well. Please take a minute to visit her remarkable blog and read about the amazing designs she did for Baby E ‘s first birthday party.

Hello! I’m Taryn from Design, Dining + Diapers and I’m so honored to be visiting Champagne Taste today!! I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband, 12 month old baby girl and our spunky Golden Retriever. When I’m not busy being a mom or part-time PR/Marketing freelancer, you can find me blogging about DIY home decor, crafts, sewing projects, and allergy friendly foods!
Like Rasha, I’m always trying to achieve ‘Champagne Taste’ on a ‘Beer Budget’. I go out of my way to complete a project for a little as possible! It’s one big challenge to me and there is nothing I love more than a challenge and throw a little bit of creativity in the mix and I’m in heaven.
Today, I’m sharing a few projects I’ve completed for pennies, if not less! Hopefully this will inspire you to check out your local thrift stores, dollar stores and discover new possibilities with items already in your home.
DIY chair makeoverFirst up are these worn chairs I purchased at the Goodwill for…$1.30! Can you believe it? After a few coats of paint and new upholstery, they look good as new! (Click here for the full tutorial)
Tea Stained Coffee Filter Wreath
Next up is this tea-stained coffee filter wreath I made for my daughter’s 1st birthday party. The whole wreath only cost me $4.99! The wreath was $2.99 at Hobby Lobby, I purchased a pack of 130 coffee filters and the ribbon at the dollar store and used tea and jewels I already owned. (Click here for the full tutorial)
button magnets
And for those of you who have large button collections, here is one for you! I inherited a huge button collection from my great-grandma (and grandma who doesn’t sew any more). The buttons are just gorgeous and I wanted to find a way to display them in my home. I picked up a pack of magnets and made these decorative button magnets for our fridge! (Click here for the full tutorial)
Besides DIY and craft projects, I also post allergy friendly recipes like these gluten-free blueberry muffins!
blueberry muffins, gluten-free
To see more of my projects you can visit me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest! Please come by and say hi, I would love to see what you have been working on too!
Now before you throw away your old buttons or chairs, think twice! You never know what they could become 🙂
Thanks to Rasha for having me over today! It’s been a honor!

– Guest post # 1

I have a nice surprise for everyone , I’m gonna start having guest posts every week ( hopefully every week) first I wanna thank Carrie from  lovelyetc  for writing this post on such a short notice. Her blog is full of amazing projects make sure you go visit her after you read this amazing post 🙂

Hello My Champagne Taste Readers!  I’m Carrie from Lovely Etc. It is such a pleasure to be joining you here on my new friend Rasha’s site. Rasha has really great style and I have been having a great time getting to know her.
I am all about making my home unique and meaningful – without spending much actual money to do so.  So I thought I would share some of my favorite tips to make that happen.
1. It is almost never too far gone!
I love searching yard sales and thrift stores for great vintage finds and various other junk. Now, to be honest, even what I call great finds, most other people would call junk. But there is almost nothing that can’t be turned into something amazing.
For example, this sad, forlorn cabinet.  Loose glass, peeling veneer, no back – it wasn’t too pretty to begin with.
IMG_6030
Some repairs and a bit of paint and it no longer seemed ready for the trash at all.

IMG_6395

2. Look past what it is – think about what it could be.
As you can see, I love vintage details but I have no problem making things a little more up to date.  I’d much rather make something old more relevant than see it sitting neglected in the basement in ‘original condition’.
I found this somewhat over-the-top old clock at a thrift store. It definitely had gorgeous curves but was not exactly my style.
clock
A little paint and a mirror from Hobby Lobby and now it is right at home in 2012.
napoleonic blue mirror 1

3. Forget what everyone else is doing – do your own thing.
It is always a thrill making something completely unique, something that no one else has.  Like my biggest and most favorite project yet – my painted floors.
IMG_6660
Our nasty, stinky carpet had to go but there was no money to replace it. Which led to a great idea – I simply painted the plywood subfloors.
IMG_7589

Now go forth and rethink lots of old junk in completely original ways!  Okay, so maybe that is a lot of pressure.  Geez, it’s a lot of pressure for me too.  How about just get out there and be creative and see what happens.
Thanks for having me as your guest!  Stop by Lovely Etc. anytime to see what I’ve been up to lately.

– Oh NOOOOOOOOOOO

Yesterday I lost my first follower. I checked in the morning I had 302 followers then in the evening I checked then I saw the number 301 follower. Three hundred and ONE…ONE why ONE ??? What did I do to lose that follower? Do followers leave some blogs? why, when, and what???


Then it hit me. It is not what did I do to lose it, it is what I didn’t do. Well, I know (ashamed face) I didn’t write posts on a regular basis. I think maybe it is the language thing that makes me always wait so much time to publish my post (since you know English is my third language) I always keep on writing and editing but from now I should be a lesser perfectionist and stop worrying about my grammar.

So from now on I will start writing posts about everything I like, about everything that makes me say Ohhh, Ahhh and Wow, and hopefully, I will ohhh, Ahhhh and Wow you too 🙂 Like my recent thrifty find, these 2 teacups with vintage romantic look :

I’m a pink girl…Lately, I’ve been adding a lot of pink touches throughout my house, and this color makes me feel so happy! If that makes sense to you then tell me what color makes you happy?

Don’t ask me about the names of these books 😀 I just bought them because the cover is pink lol

I’m in love with my vintage silver sugar bowl.

So shhhh between you and me, I’m not gonna judge: Do you keep on checking your follower’s number?or am I the only one?

xoxo
Rasha

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centsationalgirl , herecomesthesun , funkyjunkinteriors , twindragonflydesigns
itsoverflowing , iheartnaptime , bystephanielynn , modvintagelife , myuncommonsliceofsuburbia , sweetlittlegals , sugarbeecrafts , thekurtzcorner , notjustahousewife , tipjunkie , mommybydaycrafterbynigh , insidebrucrewlife , creatingahouseofgrace , primitiveandproper , thewinthropchronicles , diybydesign , cleanandscentsible , twindragonflydesigns , restoreinteriors . somedaycrafts, staceyembracingchange , theshabbycreekcottage , jaimelyn , beyondthepicketfence , thevintagefarmhouse , frenchcountrycottage , findingfabulousblog, cookienut, lollyjaneboutique , bedifferentactnormal , bluecricketdesign , classyclutter , sixsistersstuff , iheartnaptime ,  bystephanielynn , diyshowoff , sugarbeecrafts , gratefulbelly , theshabbycreekcottage , fivedaysfiveways , knickoftimeinteriors, bystephanielynn , thekurtzcorner

– Glaming Up a Boring Table Lamp

The last few weeks were hectic. I was preparing the Spring Summer Collection for my clients back home. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned before but I run an online fashion boutique for clients who are mainly in Lebanon, Africa, and Canada. In addition to my full-time job, DIYing is a hobby and not my business 🙂

Having said that this justifies why I haven’t tackle any major furniture renovation. To stay in the loop I would like to share some of my old and simple projects.

Here is how to Glam up a boring Lamp: Simply by adding some bling bling. I bought a basic black table lamp from Homegoods, I wanted one with hanging crystals, but at that time I couldn’t find any black lamp with black crystal. I bought black crystals from eBay and attached them to my boring lamp 🙂 and here are the after pictures

 

 

I like the inside of this lamp so much
I just sew these crystals and you can see the threads here 🙂
Hope you like my simple and easy Table Lamp

 

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notjustahousewife , lovelyetc , sweetlittlegals , jaimelyn , nominimalisthere , twenty-eight-0-five , frenchcountrycottage , too-much-time , centsationalgirl , tatertotsandjello ,  thecharmofhome , funkyjunkinteriors , itsoverflowing , iheartnaptime, bystephanielynn , sweetlittlegals , thekurtzcorne ,
beyondthepicketfence, jaimelyn, staceyembracingchange , theshabbycreekcottage sugarbeecrafts , tipjunkie , insidebrucrewlife , mommybydaycrafterbynigh , creatingahouseofgrace , primitiveandproper , cleanandscentsible , diybydesign , twindragonflydesigns , restoreinteriors , somedaycrafts, findingfabulousblog, cookienut, lollyjaneboutique , bedifferentactnormal , bluecricketdesign , classyclutter , sixsistersstuff , iheartnaptime , thriftydecorchick , bystephanielynn , diyshowoff , mommybydaycrafterbynight , diybydesign , lilluna , thevintagefarmhouse , fivedaysfiveways

– Easy Throw Pillow

Finally, my new rug has arrived and I love it …So now  I’m adding the final touches to my family room.
I need some throw pillows and accessories. HomeGoods here I come…But whenever you have something specific in your mind it will be impossible to find it. I found instead an Apron that I liked and 4 Napkins.

So I took out my sewing machine and sewed this simple and easy envelope pillows after I searched the net for so long to find an easy tutorial below is my way of this easy tutorial. ( If you don’t know how to sew you can easily make this pillow by using steam-a-seam tape, I bought it from Joann Fabric and it worked great) you can check out my no-sew yellow pillow here.

I know we all hate maths but sometimes all these classes that we took when we were kids are helpful in real life lol so below is a simple illustration of what I did to have an easy simple pretty throw pillow.

 

 
Take the Length (L) and the Width (W) to an old pillow. So let’s say L=10 and W=10
 
 
A: Cut your fabric adding one inch at both the L and W ( for the seam). We should cut the fabric 11 inch by 11 inch
 
 
 
B: Then cut another piece of fabric, the Width (W) is the same W+ 1 inch, but the Length is by dividing the L by 2 then add 4 inches. We should cut the fabric 11 inch by 9 inches.
 
 
 
C: is the same as B.
 
 
 
 
 
 
I hope I was clear and I didn’t confuse you with my EASY throw pillow :). So now all you have to do is sewing all these 3 fabrics, and make sure the pretty sides of the 3 fabric are facing each other.
 
And if it was easy for your to understand my tutorial please check out this youtube video.
 
And now let me show you the final results, I hope you like them:
 
Do you like the pocket?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
So the family room reveal should be coming soon 🙂
 
Thx
 
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Linking too:
notjustahousewife , bluecricketdesign , twindragonflydesigns , thetrendytreehouse , restoreinteriors , somethingswanky , jaimlyn , romantichome , twenty-eight-0-five , shabbynest , missmustardseed ,
funkyjunkinteriors , bedifferentactnormal , iheartnaptime , itssoverycheri , bystephanielynn , projectqueen , kammyskorner , sassysites , sugarbeecrafts , sweetlittlegals , abowlfulloflemons , myuncommonsliceofsuburbia , cleanandscentsible , diybydesign , thekurtzcorner , bluecricketdesign,
itsoverflowing , modvintagelife , diyshowoff ,  beyondthepicketfence , shabbynest , romantichome , findingfabulousblog , familyeverafterblog , too-much-time.com , classyclutter , bedifferentactnormal , thegirlcreative , knickoftimeinteriors , mommybydaycrafterbynight , centsationalgirl , tatertotsandjello , thriftydecorchick , bystephanielynn , diyshowoff , theshabbycreekcottage , 

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