Grande Format Installation: Peggy's Bathroom

When my customer, Peggy, remodeled a bathroom recently to make it accessible for an aging family member, she knew she wanted to dress it up with a UL tree. She had a very specific space for us to work with; the tree had be narrow enough to fit between two towel racks but full enough to fill the space above them. During our consultation, we discussed our different styles, took measurements, and played with several color combinations before settling on our Leafy Tree in Mocha Brown with Terra Cotta leaves. When it came in, she was kind enough to share these photos of the installation with me. They are an excellent tutorial of how to put up our Grande Format designs. 

Because of their size, Grande Format expressions come in multiple pieces. The design includes numbered registration marks to help you match up the corresponding parts. By lining up the registration marks on different parts of the expression, you will get a perfect installation. The registration marks are the diamonds you see in the photo below; they will be removed at the end of the installation. 

The registration marks show you exactly where each section goes.

Once all of the branches have been applied, you can remove the registration marks.  Peggy chose some additional pieces for the base of the tree, which she has begun to apply here.

The grasses at the base of three are layered to add depth.

At last, it's time to add leaves.

With all of the leaves added, the tree looks beautiful! Notice the leaf that is falling softly toward the grass?

By investing a little time, Peggy has added a striking focal point to this bathroom. She may decide to add more grass or some birds in the future, but I think her tree looks pretty great as it is. Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos with me, Peggy.

Surprise Your Sweetie On Valentine's Day!

I have a confession to make: by the time Valentine's Day rolls around, I'm pretty much over it. I've barely put away my Christmas and Hanukkah decorations when it's time to plan for my husband's birthday on Feb. 4. I also have to contend with a birthday party for my youngest, whose birthday is Feb. 27th. Every year, my poor husband kind of gets ignored on Valentine's Day because I've had it with decorations, celebrations and gifts (thank goodness he's easily pleased by a giant box of chocolate), and don't really feel like spending a lot of money. Not that I would be upset to find a blue box with something sparkly in it for myself on Valentine's Day...but that's a whole other blog.

So, assuming that at least some of you are like me in that you'd like to surprise your Valentine with something sweet and sentimental but also easy and inexpensive, I came up with a few Uppercase Living designs. These can go on your bathroom mirror so s/he sees that you remembered first thing in the morning. They are also ridiculously inexpensive, especially with our current Buy 2, Get 1 FREE special. Of course, you can change fonts, colors, lettering in your own pieces, but you won't go wrong with either of these:

 

Of course, the possibilities are endless with this idea. You could make your mirror message the first (or last) clue in a Valentine's Day secret adventure or even use UL lettering to put a big giant proposal on the mirror (the ring embellishment is on me for anyone who wants to do this!). Of course, at these prices, you can do one for each of the kids, too. 

Another way to surprise your Valentine is by putting an expression on her car the night before. Here's one with a frame around it along with initials. How fun to drive around town knowing that someone loves you! Don't be surprised to see her friends' husbands or boyfriends giving yours dirty looks for making them look bad. And you didn't even have to spend a fortune! 

Another advantage to an early-in-the-day Valentine's surprise? Your Valentine will know right off the bat that your loving gesture must be reciprocated and has all day to come up with something wonderful enough so he can save face. Of course, he'll say he had it planned all along. That's what they always say!

UL Tip: Don't forget a bottle of Mistick to make your glass installation much easier. Allow enough time for it to dry!

Stuck for ideas? Contact me for help with a custom design. 

For more Valentine's Day photos and ideas, visit my public Valentine's Day Album on Facebook.
 

Our Brand New Catalog Has Arrived!!!!

Last week, at our annual convention at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, Uppercase Living finally revealed the brand new vinyl catalog that we've all been waiting impatiently for. It is now available for you to page through on my website. All the new expressions are also there for you to browse or search. There is just too much good stuff for me to detail individually here. But here are some of the highlights to whet your appetite. Hostesses always get free catalogs, so contact me to schedule your party and I'll get one out to you ASAP. And now, here's the scoop:

Brand new color: This year's new color is Mustard Seed. It's a deep yellow that is not only decor-friendly, but the perfect shade for softballs and water polo balls for all those sports teams. I think it will look particularly beautiful on darker walls and/or paired with Navy, Slate Gray (a very on-trend combination right now) or Vintage Bordeaux. 

Tons of new expressions: I love our new expressions. So many beautiful sentiments with more contemporary fonts and styling; sweet, fun, romantic, serious and playful; always with the most important undertone being home, family and the activities that bond us together. There are so many inspirational words for your walls. Here's one of my favorites:

Big Changes on Accessories: You'll notice that our Accessories section has been streamlined. The MDF Foundations boards all now come painted white!! There's a gorgeous new Vintage Embossed Metal Board in Berry, which previously had just been a seasonal item. Best news of all: lower prices on all Frameworks!!

New Grande Format Designs: These versatile designs continue to be popular.  Among the botanicals and other designs are my favorite: headboards! Over the years I've designed many headboard replacements for customers who just couldn't have the real thing. Now I can add two actual headboard designs to the options. Here is the wrought iron look:

12 New Fonts: The choices in creating your own vinyl lettering designs are greater than ever with the introduction of 12 new fun, contemporary, classy, versatile and gorgeous fonts. Which do you like best?

A Brand New Hostess Rewards Plan: Our new, simplified hostess rewards plan gives you more FREE and half price products than ever before when you host a fun Uppercase Living party. Every hostess with a qualifying party gets at least 2 half price items in addition to her FREE products. Plus, you'll earn FREE products based on every single dollar your guests spend at your party. More goodies for you! As my calendar fills with hostesses wanting to share the new catalog with their friends, party dates will be more difficult to fine. I'd love to schedule yours!

Fun New Additions to Erasables: We love our Chalk Walls because they come in handy in so many ways. Plus they are just so much fun! The new Value Pack is perfect for organizing any space, from a pantry to a craft room to a garage...and more! Our Chalk Markers are now available in red and blue. And guess what else:

I can't wait to share more ideas for this fun and versatile product with you. Look for my "Back to School With Chalk Wall" post soon.

Returning Favorites: To celebrate Uppercase Living's 5th anniversary, some customer favorites have been brought out of retirement and back to our new catalog. You'll be able to find them all with the special logo throughout the catalog. Here's one I love that is not only cute for a bathroom but perfect for a dental office:

Those are just some of the highlights of this fantastic new catalog. Others include leopard print, the Serenity Prayer, owls, lots of great clocks and so much more. Once again, the possibilities for lettering and design are virtually unlimited. I would love the opportunity to help you create a uniquely personalized space with our products. Design and consultation services are always FREE and you can even earn your products FREE when you host a party. Just let me know how I can help you. And if you love working with me, I would appreciate your referrals. I consider them the highest form of praise. I look forward to working with all of you and sharing the great new products in this catalog, and many many more new things with you.

Photo A Day #7

I am told there are certain people out there who, though they may be skilled in many areas, could not find a hamper if it was on fire and dancing. I'm also told that, when introducing a new concept to someone who may be unfamiliar with it, it is best to use clear and concise instructions. So one could say that the expression seen here is an educational tool as well as a charming piece of decor.

I do love this expression and am sad that it's being retired later this month. Its narrow size makes it well suited to often-small laundry spaces. The great thing is the orientation of the finger can be changed to have it point in whichever direction you'd like.

Although it's being retired, you can still get this expression as part of our Buy One, Get One FREE Summer Splash special, but only for a couple more days. After you get it on your wall, you might find that certain people may continue to miss the hamper as they take their daily "Underwear Basketball" practice, but they'll never again be able to say that you didn't tell them where to drop their drawers.

Photo A Day #3 - Playing Catch Up!

Were you wondering what happened to all those photos I promised you?

I went away for a few days and my best-laid plans of posting ahead of time went awry. I'll make it up to you, though, with tons of pictures and ideas in the next few days. You see, so many of our gorgeous expressions are being retired that I just have to share the photos with you...and warn you of an impending deadlines if you've been planning on getting a couple.

Those of you with kids will be able to relate to this expression:

I can't count how many times a day I have to tell my kids to WASH THEIR HANDS. Is it so hard to remember? Is their schedule so full that they don't have the 30 seconds it takes to just wash up? What can possibly be so urgent that it just can't wait? Maybe it's just my kids who need the constant reminder. Do me a favor and reassure me that it's not (even if that isn't entirely true).

If you're tired of telling your kids to wash their hands, too, pick up this cute expression in a color that coordinates with your bathroom. When you do, pick out something else too, because it's Buy One, Get One FREE! But do it quickly because this, and all the other expressions on our Retired List will not be available for much longer.

Run for the Borders!

Long before I discovered Uppercase Living, I went through my fair share of decorating projects. Fifteen years, three houses, three kids and dozens of gallons of paint have seen me tackle everything from stenciling to installing moulding to removing a very stubborn wallpaper border while I muttered some descriptive suggestions for where the previous owners of our newly purchased home could insert their wallpaper glue.

There's no doubt that borders add so much to a room's decor. They can draw the eye up toward the ceiling or down to de-emphasize a too-tall space. They can pull together disparate elements to unify a room. Adding a sense of whimsy or formality, for example, a well-chosen border is the perfect touch to make a room look complete.

The new Uppercase Living catalog contains a whole section of borders that are easy to apply, come in all of our decor-friendly colors and can be put up end-to-end to fit any length. See how they complement the decor in the following rooms:

The border used in this formal dining room is the Urban Flourish. I love that rather than placing it predictably along the ceiling, the designer used it just above the wainscoting, where it doesn't compete with the elaborate crown moulding. Notice how the curves in the border mimic the curves of the light fixture.

In this monochromatic bathroom, the Loopy Line border is used just on one wall, between the bath tub and the window. In this otherwise traditional room, the border adds an unexpected whimsical touch. The main part of the two part design is white, which ties in to the tub, accessories and trim; while the second part is a darker shade of the blue used elsewhere in the bathroom.

The decor in this bedroom is structured and symmetrical, down to the perfectly centered pair of mirrors above the bed and matching lamps on the night stands. Enter the Curly Vine border to bring in organic shapes and curved lines to offset the straight slats of the prominently placed bed. The color matches the bedding perfectly and extends the soft shade up almost to the ceiling.

Applying our our borders is just as simple as applying any of our expressions. Registration marks included with the design help you match up each piece for a continuous effect with no gaps. Using the tips in the following short video will help you get the same custom look in minutes.



Seeing how easy these borders are to install and remove brings me back to all the time I spent peeling off that ugly old wallpaper border, piece by tiny piece. Knowing that these borders will never have anything to do with wallpaper glue and the future owners of my home cursing me behind my back makes me love them even more.

New Catalog Sneak Peek!!!!

You've been waiting patiently and here is your reward: the Spring/Summer 2010 Catalog Sneak Preview. Not only is the cover gorgeous, but there is so much new stuff to love inside. First and foremost, our newest product: decorative prints. These are full-color removable and reusable images in a variety of themes and designs. Like all of our other designs, they will help make your decor unique and one of a kind. I can't wait to see how you creative people will use these in your homes. Here's a look:
I love how one of the flowers was applied to the lamp shade to tie it in with the wall decor. Here's another:
What a great theme pack! I can see this used in so many different types of spaces! But these aren't the only designs. The ones available range from whimsical to elegant and will blow you away. Those of you with country kitchens will have a hard time choosing from a couple of different sets and might just get both. Who needs a muralist anymore?

Decorative Prints aren't all that's new in our upcoming catalog. You'll find our new Grande format: larger sizes of some of our favorite decorative designs. Shimmer Vinyl is also back in new colors perfect for spring decorating (and those little girls who can't get enough sparkly pink). And brand new accessories will be great for showcasing Off The Wall designs. Not to mention tons of new expressions to fit every style of decor. You will love this catalog!

Now, I'm sure you're wondering how you can get one yourself. That's easy. Just contact me to schedule your home show or catalog party. Our Inspirations Incentive is back with so many reasons to buy, host and join Uppercase Living in January. But you'll have to wait for a whole other post to find out about that. Just pick a date and call me, you'll be glad you did.

Photo A Day - Day 9 Fun Project

You know I love things that do double duty and this project definitely fits that description. Not only is it adorable, but it really does help locate those pesky socks that seem to disappear from the laundry. The "Lost Socks" expression here is 40% off and can be applied to our pre-drilled MDF board. Just add our bulldog clips and you're done! No more searching through loads of laundry for that one missing sock. Brilliant! What an elegant way to deal with such a mundane chore.

I hope you've enjoyed these photos for the last 9 days. It's a treat for me to be able to show you the versatility of UL products and the huge number of ways you can use them in your home or as gifts. You can browse the entire sale document of over 200 expressions and embellishments on my website. Don't forget your order of $50 or more will qualify for FREE SHIPPING. The sale continues until January 4th, but I do recommend you place your orders before the last minute because our systems tend to get very busy.

If you love what you've seen for the last 9 days, you will not believe what's in store for UL in the next catalog. Come back tomorrow for a look at the cover and a sneak peek of a few of the great new things that will be available in just a few days.

Photo A Day - Awesome Bathroom Idea

Vinyl aside, how awesome is this shower? I can hardly imagine not having 3 buckets of kids' toys in my shower, much less neatly folded towels and a live plant! I think that little plant actually ties in to the vinyl embellishments on the glass enclosure beautifully, and continues the botanical theme of bringing the outdoors in. The eucalyptus branches, which are on sale for 40% off, come in sets of 3 (there are 3 sets in this photo). Here they've been used in the etched glass color choice, which has a small upgrade fee. I love the idea of using a design like this to add privacy to a shower enclosure, bathroom window or front door, while adding beauty and keeping the light in. There are tons of designs in our 40% off sale that would be perfect for just that. And with FREE SHIPPING on orders of $50 or more, you can do up a lot of spaces for a little money.

Tomorrow will be the last sale item photo of the day...but you know what's coming after that, don't you?

Sale Photo Link Tip: The links I've provided here show you the original price of the sale expressions. You will actually pay 40% LESS than the prices you see on my site.