We are just a week shy of being in the new house for a full year. Initially, I had a goal of being 90% complete with the remodel within 3 months. As the contractors were working, I was planning the space, deciding on electrical fixtures, marble, bathroom fixtures, which furniture to keep, what to chunk and what to buy immediately. With all that was going on, I had decided that my personal office could wait until I was prepared to deal with more work!
I really needed a refresh though, because I sometimes need a quiet place to think an operate my empire. (Totally joking, but your life is your empire and mine needed focus and reorganization!)
My empire consists of my fashion management job, my new cosmetics start up, <em>Bosscat Beauty, my little blog that you’re reading, and KS Tennis USA…a local tennis business that my husband runs.
My goal was to get my office cleaned out, reorganized and decorated before year’s end so I could start 2018 with better focus! This is my reveal!
I had decided to stick with the charcoal gray paint, since that’s the base color that runs through the entire house. The house is not huge so I didn’t want to break it up with a lot of different colors.
Although I tried to go with antique desks, dealing with independent dealers was a hassle that I didn’t have time for, so I opted for the white Sasha desk from Z’Gallerie. I thought it would go well with the Jaipur Furniture reclaimed wood and steel shelving unit I purchased. I feel in love with it the minute I saw it. I did not realize though, how incredibly heavy it was. It literally sat in the hallway for a week until I found some men to help me bring it into the room. I can never move away now, because it’s literally heavier than anything else I own and it would be too much work. The unit goes beautifully with the distressed look of the laminate flooring in the office.
My thought was that the white, modern french style of the Sasha Desk would add a bright pop to the room.
Although I plan to try and add a small futon so that I can use a custom brass wall piece to the wall behind it, for now I am done!
I kept my antique vanity as my makeup table, added a vintage wood table that used to belong to my mom as a corner area. I am trying really hard to keep it sparse and have some open space. That is hard for me because I love to layer! I did decide to utilize the shelves for some fun keepsakes, and forced myself to throw out a lot!
The pink train case at the top of the shelves, was actually a creme color a few weeks ago. It is an old train case that had belonged to my mom, and it has some of her things inside. I painted it pink so it could be enjoyed and not hidden. While I was at it, I decided to paint my mannequin pink as well, and quit hiding her in the closet! I don’t know why girls love mannequins but we do! I also kept my mom’s old college yearbook and some of my old child’s books…like Charlotte’s Webb…just as nostalgia. Old things remind you of where you came from. The little white Bible was the second one ever had as a child. I’d originally had a small pink one, but it got left on the patio and it was ruined in the rain….I cried for a week!
This room is my escape pod, so of course it needed a chandelier. Chandelier’s make everything better.
Literally, I have no excuse for not accomplishing everything that I’d like to this year. I’ve created my own little corner to drink coffee and plot my days in. I have a space that has some old things, some new, and it’s just a fun little spot for me to work from home!
YOU MAY HAVE MISSED…
home decor
TOP TWELVE SHOTS of 2017
1. CHANDELIER LOVER
Like most ladies, I absolutely love chandeliers! When we decided to move into a new house in January, I struck a deal with my husband. We could buy the house, which was about 10 years old, if he let me remodel the entire thing before we moved in. I didn’t want to drag it out over time while we were living there!
My vision included cramming as many chandeliers as possible into the house! Since we had visited Paris earlier in the year, I decided to use the inspiration from the Palace of Versailles for our little Texas home! The remodel went very smooth and we were able to move in on time! You can see some of the blog posts here!
2. HOME REMODELER
This is probably the fourth home I have gotten to revamp, and it gets easier each time! This time, I really got to have fun and not worry about boring things such as resale potential! My dad stated, “Well, that’s great as long as you don’t need to resell it,” after seeing the beginnings of the work! LOL! The saying goes, everything needs to be dull, safe, simple to help with selling potential….which I refer to as vomit. It was nice not having to worry about anything except what we want.
The other great thing was that my husband had literally no input! 🙂 It was heaven to not have to debate each little thing! There’s another link here. I had to have dog friendly flooring and furniture so those were really the only requirements.
As I sit here, almost a full year later, the entire decor part is complete and now I can focus on gardens and real life.
3. BIRD WATCHER
It’s always been a desire of mine, to be able to get up close and personal on a fresh bird’s nest. I’d always wanted to be able to watch the babies grow! I finally got my chance when a few months after we moved into the new house, a bird made it’s nest in a pot on my front porch!
I checked it several times a day and got to photograph the babies as they grew for a few weeks! If birds are your thing, you can see the shots here!
4. HUMMINGBIRD STALKER
I find it annoying when people always talk about how blessed they are. But OMG, I feel so blessed because I’ve always thought of hummingbirds as my favorite bird…and I have tons of them that I feed now! I spend hours trying to photograph them, and finally got a few fun shots. Not perfect or detailed, but they speak to my heart.
5. FASHION BLOGGER
I work for Johnny Was Clothing, a California brand that I love…so I blog about their clothes a lot. The shot above was actually showing off a custom dress that Eshakti sent to me, along with a Johnny Was Biya coat that I love! Although I have made some money from my blog this year, I am not one of those people that only shows you things that I want to earn a commission on by linking to an online shop. If it’s something I think is cool, but won’t make a dime for me…so be it. My blog is an ongoing commercial about clothing. What is terrible is that I could provide a lot more content due to my ongoing new supply of clothing but time is an issue. For us, if I happen to be dressed and in the mood…we snap pictures. I want to do so much more writing and hopefully this year I can get better at a lot of things…blogging being one of them!
6. LASH BOSS
I finally got to do something I’ve always wanted to do! I’ve started a new business in the cosmetics industry! After researching strip lashes for years, I took the plunge and developed my own brand, Bosscat Beauty. I designed two types of silk strip lashes and decided to start the business with one product, the Glam Edition Lash Box! The fun part was getting set up and building the first product from start to finish. Social media advertising is also fun. This next year will be about setting up retail accounts while also growing individual online sales to help promote brand awareness. I’m proud of my work so far and can’t wait to see how it goes in 2018!
7. CREATIVE DIRECTOR
One of the greatest jobs that I have with Bosscat is being able to create and design products that I hope people love! The above is just a first shot that I took for initial marketing once my boxes first came in! I will take a little time and get better at it, but it’s a start!
8. DOGMOM
Somehow I turned into a pink loving, flamingo floating, bleach blonde, dog mom. I think it’s funny as hell. I wanted to include this cell phone picture because it is so real. This past summer, each afternoon for an hour, I would try to relax outside with the girls. They love getting on floats and we just hang out and watch the birds and squirrels. It’s a little bit lonely at times to have such a simple life, but at the same time, I love peace and quiet so it’s really a cool life.
9. JAZZY LOVER
Being a dogmom, really started with adopting my Jazzy about 16 years ago. She was skinny, small, not too outgoing of a personality. She looked me straight in the eyes though, so I adopted her for the connection and her desire to understand. We knew she didn’t have much longer, so we took all three girls on a #dogcation a few months before she died. She had an accidental death three days after we moved into the new house. It has not been a year yet. I loved her and gave her a safe home for 16 years and try not to think about her accident. She was a great little dog and this year I had to say goodbye.
10. PET CEMETARY GROUNDSKEEPER
If you read #9….then you get why I created a Pet Cemetary in my yard! It’s my little special place to honor Jazzy’s life and respect her with a memorial garden while having a great prayer spot at the same time! I’ve never shared a peak before. This next spring my biggest project will be my back yard. It’s freezing right this minute and probably killing my palms and fruit trees so a big clean up will be in order.
11. WANNABE YOUTUBER
I started making a few videos again, due in part to the new Bosscat venture! It is so hard to try to come off as your true self, and look ok, and have fun! The thing is, that it really is fun to make videos if you have the time to put in! This year is going to take some serious time management in order to meet my personal goals! It would be so neat to be interesting enough to do well at videos but not sure if that’s in the cards!
12. MAKEUP ARTIST
I made time to do makeup on a new friend this past year! I met her through work and really like her so we took a day to play! Nothing feels better than doing what you love and spending time with nice people so it was a high point for me! Leilani is a total ray of sunshine!
In closing…these are just a few simple pictures that help show my year, and what is important to me. Well, some of the things anyway! I also love President Trump, Jesus and my husband. We’re not supposed to talk about politics or serious things because we want to appear neutral. It’s very hard to pretend to be neutral when there’s so many serious issues in the world and my conservative belief system is not in line with the previous status quo.
It irritates me when a woman mentions Trumps “ridiculous tax reform bill” which was only “for the rich” and he’s only President “to make more money for himself.” Most people who bitch about the tax reform agenda have not processed their own tax return or run a business so how would they know about tax code ? So yes…it’s very hard to stay neutral a lot of the time. I hope to branch out a bit and share more in the future. Blogging is very therapeutic!
Let’s have a great 2018, everyone!
WELCOME TO MY HOME REVAMP: VOLUME 4
Welcome to the 4th installment of this monster revamp! The “before” photos of the living room are at the very bottom of the post. While the home was fine in it’s before state…it wasn’t me. Additionally, we are dog people. I really considered stress free living with our dog family members when choosing flooring and furniture colors.
With pets in mind, I am fortunate in that my chihuahua is no longer interested in jumping up on furniture, but Blanca would be a circus dog in anther life so it’s hard keeping her off of things. The dining room chair she is sitting in above…was chosen in part, because of the arms. When the chairs are pushed into the dining table, she can not get into them! This means no dog hair. That means less work. She never gets to sit in those chairs which is why she has a concerned look on her face.
There is a chaise in the living room, equipped with a white blanket. That is her spot. I throw the blanket in the washer once a week, and all her cooties and hairs come off. It really helps her from spending time on the other sofas when we are not home.
There are some random shots of the living area, some taken at different times of day…so the colors may look different from shot to shot. It’s super glammy at night, with candles lit. The crystal from the chandeliers gives off some shine. During the day however, all the windows give plenty of light yet it’s the perfect level of indirect lighting…in that you can look pretty good naked no matter if it’s day or night! 🙂
Graphic Charcoal in Behr paint is the wall color. Gray has never been a favorite of mine but I tried hard to force myself into something new. I think I have decided to redo my office into a charcoal, fuchsia combination in the future. As a side note…if you ever see anyone mention hot pink it’s because they can not spell fuschia. Just sayin.
Fuchsia (/ˈfjuːʃə/, FEW-shə) is a vivid purplish red color, named after the color of the flower of the fuchsia plant, which took its name from the 16th century German botanist Leonhart Fuchs.
For now, I am just wondering when I will have the time or desire to line the kitchen cabinets with contact paper.
The next decor post will be the master bedroom revamp!
-SDS
WELCOME TO MY HOME REVAMP: VOL 3

BEFORE

BEFORE
As you can tell…this home was a very clean, safe shade of beige. Nothing wrong with it. I prefer depth and warmth though. Oh, and I am a rebel. I’d wanted a more industrial look to the kitchen, so I decided by adding a black ceiling, it would help the common cabinets to pop a bit. I may choose to mirror the back splash n the future with an antiqued look to the glass. I was near the edge of my remodel budget so the idea was to get the major things done before move in, then the rest of the details can be worked on over time.
I used 90% of the accessories and furnishings we already owned for the kitchen and breakfast areas. Curtains, and of course lighting were the majority of budget used. The birdcage chandelier is a great focal point, and was purchased online from Wayfair. The issue with it, was that it came in many, many pieces. The end result was worth it, however, I wouldn’t want to do it again. I read reviews on this particular bird cage chandelier…and assumed the people bitching about assemble time were lazy. Turns out, I learned to heed review advice.
Charcoal paint s carried throughout, because I’d wanted continuity, but since there are tons of windows and natural light, I wasn’t intimidated by a strong color choice.
As you can tell in the after picture…there is a dirty Blanca dollie on the floor. I kept it there to keep it real. We love finding her dolls laying around!
As far as fridge top decor, this s a debate among friends, but I happen to already own the bird cages, and wanted to use them in relation to the chandelier.
The plain white curtains contrast brightly against the walls, and they are used throughout.
Next up will be sharing the living room remodel, and after that we will step into the master bedroom.
I feel like the media room needs some love, and the plans to revamp my current beauty room are being worked on. My mother in law thought of a great way for me to utilize a custom brass headboard yet still keep it as my office/beauty room/world headquarters !
Share your thoughts below!
-SDS
WELCOME TO MY HOME REVAMP vol.1

AFTER

“BEFORE”
Welcome to my newest home decor revamp! I’ve decided to post in increments because the entire house was redone before we moved in, about 3 months ago. There would be way too much to post all at once in order to show the fun before-and-after pictures. Time is really hard to come by so it will be easier to post a room at a time!
We were only vaguely considering moving when we came across this house. My husband fell in love with the location and the lot, but after recently finishing the remodel on the last house, I was not in the mood to do it all over again, so I struck a deal with him. I said we could buy the house, IF he would let me remodel the entire thing BEFORE moving in. He agreed to a budget I could use on the remodel, agreed to let me do whatever I wanted. All he cared about was getting the house.
Although this property was well taken care of, and pristine, it just wasn’t me. The family we purchased the home from, were very nice people. They had an open house, and a few people making offers within the first day – including us. My husband is not perfect. At all. That being said, I can say this…he is a very hard worker. He deserved this house that he wanted so badly. We had no debt, no children to put through college so if the man wants this house, I wanted him to have it. All I ask is for some style. So we entered into our arrangement. He was busy and wanted nothing to do with contractors and tile shopping. That worked out great for me!
To save money, I was the contractor and I hired out the workers and purchased all materials. By this time I had done 4 homes so it’s pretty simple…don’t get screwed over. I believe in buying your own materials so that you can more clearly see exactly what labor is costing you.
The guest bathroom in this house was modified for handicapped usage. It, had a roll-in shower, and french doors for ease of access. The french doors went into a bedroom that we turned into a media room, so I needed the door hole closed because it wasted a needed wall in that room. I knew the bathroom remodel would cost the most. I needed the french doors taken out, all tile removed, and something done with the shower.

Guest Bathroom “BEFORE”
I decided that I needed marble. Instead of putting in a white claw foot tub, I opted for black and white marble walls. A walk in spa shower, with a raining shower head would be acceptable for a guest bathroom. The money saved on a tub, was used for the marble instead . Honestly, since it’s very rare that anyone comes to stay and even if they do – most people take a shower rather than a bath when staying at someone’s house anyway.
Marble wall tile was also another way of avoiding water splatter on painted walls. My husband shakes his hands like a dog so water gets everywhere. Marble would be glamorous and have the added benefit of being easier to clean.
I had the tile guys build a wall to keep shower splatters inside the shower area, but again, one of the great battles in life in shower glass. I loathe shower glass. Shower curtains are common. This was my answer. No glass door.
I chose the mirror from ZGallerie. It’s named Chloe. The chandelier is from there as well. I found the vanity on line at Home Depot. Materials cost me about $3,000 for this bathroom. That doesn’t include labor obviously. I love the way it turned out.
I was inspired by the trip to Paris earlier in the year. I do not like trendy glam because it’s appeal fades quickly. Old world glam is more fun to me. I don’t think black marble can ever be a bad thing. A little over the top? Of course.
I used spare marble around the fireplace to connect and flow, but I’ll show that in a living room post coming up!
-SDS
YOU MAY HAVE MISSED…
HOME DECOR REVAMP: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
I have a few home remodels and revamps under my belt. This latest one is finished. It was just a small nest, but my husband let me do whatever I wanted so I ended up changing it from an all white bachelor pad that didn’t look lived in and transformed it into a fun, cozy nest for two.
Pretty much the only thing that is left over from his single days, is the dining table with nude angels on the base. I mean, who doesn’t need naked angels around the house? Oh, and the single guy, creme leather sofa set in the front office. It kills my soul, but he won’t part with it.
We took two bedrooms, and made them into our separate offices because it was a total waste of space to have spare bedrooms when literally no one ever comes to stay over night! We have sold two beds in the past 6 months, and I have one more in the garage to deal with.
This commercial grade flooring was completely scratch resistant and made life so much easier than the previous carpeting that was there before. I am using this same flooring in the bedrooms of the new house we are remodeling because it goes with anything, doesn’t show dust like dark wood flooring does and is so extremely durable and scratch resistant.
The kitchen was probably the best part of the house, with a large center island that makes cooking a lot more enjoyable. The large crystal chandelier over it was the focal point of the area. Black granite was used in the kitchen, as well as in the two bathrooms. We could not bear the thought of having different counter tops throughout such a small home.
When it came time to list this home, it sold within a week. In the mind of a new homeowner, there was literally nothing a person would need a to repair or change, except perhaps the paint. Paint is the cheapest, easiest fix for a new homeowner. Of course it is the first thing we are changing in the new place we found, along with the flooring throughout and a bathroom revamp. (I’ll share those pictures once it’s complete!)
I had been wanting to share this little revamp of mine for months, but never had the time! Now that we made the decision to sell, it seems the perfect time to share! We are super excited about the move and can’t wait to share the progress on that project!
-SDS
MAYBE YOU MISSED…..