Simply Gorgeous

I love these Chinese floral designs and have images of them adorning the walls above the headboard, beside a night stand in the bedroom or a side table in the sitting room, behind a lovely claw-foot bathtub, in that space between the closet door and the ceiling, or on the grand curving staircase in the entry. They're just so lovely, whimsical and enchanting which would also make them perfect for any little girl's room - let the fairy tales begin!

You'll find these soon sprinkled throughout our Wall Quotes gallery and then in a section on their own under Wall Art (watch for these updates with our new site launch in April - hooray!)

I'm In Love

I designed these two love vinyl wall quotes this week (among others) to include in our updated and expanded wall quotes collection. We're expecting to launch, along with a complete revamping of our site, by the end of April.

In the meantime, if you want one, just email us at info(at)mybelvedere(dot)com and we'll hook you up. Or, if you have a favorite quote you'd like to see us design, we're currently in the market for new ideas as we prep our expanded collection so now's the time to share.

Bonus = if we use your custom design idea, we'll make the vinyl wall quote (any size you'd like) for 50% off. Just tell me what you envision and we'll take it from there.

Lemonade 5¢

It's March. And here in Southern California, that means a return to the 85 degree mark. I know, many of you are groaning as you're stuck still in the throes of winter. But this should cheer you up - who can resist cold lemonade? (Even if it is freezing out of doors and your backyard picnic has to wait another month or two.)

Pitcher & Cups - $0.99 at the Dollar Store
Lemon & Leaves Vinyl Decals - $2.50 from Belvedere Designs
Application - DIY (aka free)
Fresh Lemons - $0.50 each at our local Farmer's Market
Fresh Lemonade in a prettified pitcher for your first backyard picnic of the season: Priceless

But you don't have to wait for a picnic to break your new pitcher in in style. Serve this lemonade at your next Sunday dinner, book club meeting or family get-together. It's that good.

Fresh Lemonade
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. boiling water
2-3 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
5 cups cold water
Lemon slices, maraschino cherries (optional)
Ice

Combine sugar and boiling water, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add lemon rind, lemon juice and cold water; mix well. Chill. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices and maraschino cherries (if desired).

Drink Up!

An "Inspirational" Makeover

An elementary school contacted us a few months ago to help with their teacher's lounge renovation. They decided on three inspirational wall quotes and sent us photos after the big reveal.

BEFORE

AFTER

Inspirational Vinyl Wall Words Quote #4

Inspirational Vinyl Wall Words Quote #2

The wall quotes were the perfect finishing touches for this updated, relaxing space. They sent photos to "show off" and included this sweet note:

"Hello Raelene! Well, today was the day...the big "reveal"... The quotes were a HUGE hit!!!

The teachers could not stop talking about them! We put your website on our thank you card on the wall...I will encourage all to use your wonderful company!

Attached are a couple before shots (just so you get an idea!) and what it looks like now. Thank you again for your company's generosity and your wonderful service."

Is there a space in your office or school or community center that could use a little inspiration? Check out our gallery of wall quote designs and see if we can't help you "pick up the pace" a little bit.

Bathroom Accents

Considering that a) we currently rent a little two-room duplex (with a backyard!) and b) our bathroom is both teeny and outdated, I needed to find a bit of a "pick-me-up" for that oh-so-often-visited space without changing much or spending much. This corner embellishment for the mirror was absolutely perfect. We did it in copper metallic (one of our very favorite colors) to match the curtain valance and contrast nicely with our chocolate towels - don't mind the red soap dispenser, it has since been replaced - grin.

And with this pretty accent in place, the spots on the mirror don't seem nearly as apparent!

I love vinyl lettering on mirrors (and quite frankly, it looks so much more stylish than a sticky note). Remind your kids to wash their hands, tell your daughter she looks great (in every one of the twenty outfits she's tried on), post a goal so you'll remember to tackle the day ahead with gusto, tell your sweetheart those three little words and do it all practically effortlessly, everyday. (But you'll still have to clean the mirror every so often - vinyl lettering will do a lot, but it won't do your chores -sigh).

Here's a closer-up view of the embellishment itself. Love it!

Kitchen Labels

I'm so pleased with how these turned out. Of course, I loved them when they were just designs in my graphics program and I loved them again once we had them cut and ready, but I was still unprepared for how much I would love them once we actually got them onto our kitchen canisters. They just look so crisp and clean and have such great pop! (The photos don't do them justice.) Now I think we're going to have to move them to a higher shelf - to increase the eye appeal, yes, but mostly because our little boy finds them just too tempting to resist!

Want your own? We're currently working on four label design options that will be posted in our Kitchen Wall Quotes section. They're not there yet though, so if you're anxious, just email us at info(at)mybelvedere(dot)com and we'll work it up for you pronto. That way, you'll know the difference between salt and sugar come time for your groggy morning coffee - rude awakenings will be a thing of the past!