Patio Before & After

Finally almost finished! I got all pregnant and distracted from my patio makeover and started researching baby decor instead. I would still like to add a few things on the walls, but for now, it's a much more enjoyable space than before. And not an expensive makeover either! Check it out!


Before, there was a random chair and unused lamp.


After, we hung a $40 hammock from Lowe's, removed the random chair & placed the lamp behind the hammock for easy reading. Jonathan & Merissa brought the wood stack over back in the winter so we could build a fire, but I like it as decor better :)


Before, there were drab, white cushions with dog prints all over them and only one lonely side table.

After, we added custom Trina Turk pillows from Lounge Interiors (site to be live soon!), removed the former white cushion backs, bought a $24 side table from TJ Maxx & added a few $10-$15 candle holders. We washed the seat covers, but apparently somebody named Buzz found his way back on to them...The splashes of the teal make me very happy. You'll probably see the happy splashes of teal again soon in Baby Singleton's room.


Before, the lack of color made this space completely boring.

After, we added a $20 outdoor mat from World Market that made all the difference in the world!

And two more photos for the finale.




So that's that! Hope you enjoyed the patio makeover!

A Bargain Shoppin' Kind of Gal

If you know me, you know I love a good bargain. I know where all the clearance sections are at Target & I always make a beeline for the sale room at Anthropologie. I'm also guilty of sometimes purchasing things on sale just because they're on sale. But after watching a few episodes of Hoarders, I've gotten much better about that, and only buy things that I need. Well, OK, maybe I don't need half of the things I buy, but I like to make my house and myself look as pretty as possible:) I also do research before I make any big purchase. Mainly because I've shopped the sale racks my entire life and have learned that, in most cases, I can find it cheaper somewhere else. Not everything though. Sometimes I see something that I know I can't pass up, and I go for it. But when it comes to electronics, books and furniture, I become a bargain hunting machine.

Here's a few tricks I've learned along the way:

1. When making online purchases, ALWAYS google promo codes for the site you're purchasing from before you check out. Retailmenot.com is a good source for this. This can also be used with #2 below.

2. Subscribe to Ebates.com here. You'll get a percentage of your purchase in cash back if you link to the site you're going to through the ebates site! I just had to reorder some perfume and makeup from Sephora the other day, and got 12% cash back and saved $10! Also purchased my pricey camera on there and got a $17 check in the mail! Most stores you shop at online are on there too. Like Target, CB2, Walmart, Best Buy, Dwell Studio, Bath & Body Works, and TONS more. It's awesome.

3. Subscribe to local coupon emails, like Groupon and Living Social. They email you deals in your neighborhood every day! I have a friend who uses these for personal maintenance, such as teeth whitening and waxing. As women, it helps us feel a little less guilty about spending a little something on ourselves! We deserve to be pampered at a bargain price, right?!?

4. If you go to Target all the time like me, get the Target app. (if you have an iPhone) You can get coupons straight to your phone, then the cashier can scan the bar code on your phone for the discount. Not usually a huge discount, but fun to use either way. Also, Michaels craft store now scans phone coupons. Very handy when you leave your printed one at home:)

Hope you enjoyed my few tips on how to save a few bucks! If you have any good tips, feel free to share!

Beautiful Illustrations: Eleanor Grosch

If you know me, you know I love simple design with a great color palette. Clean lines, blocks of color, and a touch of a nostalgic feel. That's probably why I'm such a huge fan of the illustrations of Eleanor Grosch. Her prints are absolutely gorgeous. I purchased the skull print and had it framed in a chunky white frame as a gift for my sister, and I think it might have been one of her favorite gifts from me yet. And not only are they gorgeous, but they're insanely affordable. So buy yourself one, then buy one for your favorite friend!

Along with her prints, she also designs adorable greeting cards, t-shirts, coffee mugs, cd covers, posters, fabric and a ton of other goodies. I've seen her designs on keds shoes, baby clothing, diaper bags and even tiny sketchbooks at Urban Outfitters. She has such a distinct style that I know her work the second I see it! I hope you enjoy her work and are as inspired by it as I am! Here are a few of my favorite works of hers. Click here for her full site.

Sun Room Makeover

Spring is just around the corner. Or is it already here? I can't ever tell. It's pretty nice today and should be even nicer and warmer soon, and I've been thinking about updating our screened in patio. It's such a fun space in our house, and it's the first thing you see when you come in the front door. But somehow, it seems to get overlooked. Last summer, we spent a lot of time expanding and updating our back deck, and that's usually where we end up when we are entertaining. So this year, the sweet sun room is going to get a cozy makeover. It's going to be perfect for those extra hot days since there's already a ceiling fan in there! So here are a few ideas and things I've discovered so far.



I've already started gathering a few things (like that awesome hammock swing x2) so hopefully I'll have before and afters within the next week! I want this space to feel relaxed and soft with a kind of beachy vibe with lots of curves as opposed to straight lines. I can't decide if I should use a strand or two of lights, but those little bird lights from Pottery Barn are calling my name! I want it to be nice at night too, so I'm going to try to find some nice candle lit wall sconces to make sure our nighttime sun room is extra vibey:) Stay tuned for more updates!

William Eggleston

I'm not the world's biggest fan of photography, but there's something about the photography of William Eggleston that I can't get enough of. Maybe it's that he's from the south (Memphis to be exact), and he captures moments or objects that we see every day and makes them seem beautiful. Or maybe it's how beautiful all the colors are in his photographs. After all, he has been dubbed "The Father of Color Photography." Either way, I just wanted to get the word out in case you're not familiar. Also, for my Nashville friends, he has an exhibit up at the Frist right now. Definitely check it out if you can. You won't be disappointed! Here's his web site so you can see a lot of his work, and below are a few of my favorites.











Hope you like these photos as much as I do! Happy Monday!

Airstream Before and After

Welcome to 3rd Bird Design! We are up and running out of the Airstream now! All the major work is finished, and now we're just waiting on fabric for the sofa and pillows. I have a temporary solution for both of those now. I'm not sure how long it will be until we get that part completed, so I thought I'd go ahead and share photos of our restoration. These are just photos taken with my iPhone, but I plan to have professional ones taken later as well. So here it is! Hope you enjoy!

Welcome to 3rd Bird! Come on in!


The sitting area before and after. This is where the custom fabric and pillows will go. For now, I have a sheet and two pretty pillows my mom made that will go back in my house after all this is finished.




Here's the kitchen transformed into my work space! It's so cozy you won't even believe it. I use the TV on the wall for client presentations. My wonderful father in law built the desk. Isn't it gorgeous?? And I could stare at the wallpaper all day long. Thanks, Lounge Interiors!




This is the little window I day dream out of sometimes. And if I'm lucky, a few pretty little birds will land on that fence post! My next DIY: Bird houses! I've got some good ideas:)



The food section slightly updated from before:) And a gorgeous lamp my thoughtful husband bought me for Christmas. I still can't find a good shade! Any suggestions on where to find a good one?




Yep. That's a fake fire/real heater. It's even cozier in here than you thought, right?


As most of you know, we always have a house full of people. So this works out when Casa de Singleton is all booked up! And it also works out when I need to rest my creative mind and take a little nap:)



This is my book shelf that's in the bathroom. Mainly because that would have been wasted space otherwise. I found that little ceramic origami bird at West Elm! And I haven't brought all my books out yet either, so the poor shelf looks a little naked now.


Here's the tiny bathroom before and after! The streaks on the window are from the product we used to try to buff the Airstream to a beautiful shine. We let it sit overnight, and it rained, so now I have streaky windows. Oops!



All of the cabinetry is beautiful and clean and white! I love it.


And last, but not least, a happy mistake! We didn't know that these metal panels were magnetic when we bought them! But I was especially excited when I figured that out!! It makes it easy to look over proofs throughout the day.


So that's it for now! I'm very excited to be working out in the Airstream. I could not ask for a better work space! I didn't put photos of this, but we made storage underneath the beds and sofa so I can store paper and extra supplies. Very handy! Hope you've enjoyed!!

Airstream Progress

Hello! I haven't updated about the Airstream in a while, and that's mostly because I want my fancy father in law hand made desk to be in there before I post the final photos. Other than that and covering the sofa cushion and getting a few throw pillows, we're finished! It might be the coziest most fun place to work that's ever been! And I haven't even started working out of there yet! I know, it's annoying that I'm not showing you what it looks like yet, but I will tell you that there's some really pretty wall paper involved. And I'll show you my office chair.



Isn't she a beaut? I was a little nervous about the silver, but once I got it all put together, I knew it was the perfect Airstream chair. And it reminds me of an Eames chair that is far out of my price range. I got mine at Overstock.com for a pretty good deal! They have a great selection, if you're in the market for an office chair.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that we should be completely finished in the next few weeks! Stay tuned!