It's a Bust! Spring 2020 ORC - Weeks 2 & 3

Hey, y’all, hey!!! Welcome to the One Room Challenge week 3 (technically weeks 2&3).

Week 2:

As you may have noticed, I didn’t get anything posted in week two. That my friends is because week two was a big ol’ BUST. NOTHING happened! Now, if you know me in real life, you may think I’m just being dramatic. ‘But let me tell you, friends, I AM NOT. Literally, NOTHING happened. So I’m just going to speed past week two and move into week three, mmmkay?!?

Week 3:

 
ORC Week 3.jpg
 
 

Here’s where it gets tricky. Ummmm, pretty much NOTHING happened again. Let me explain. A bit of ordering happened, which technically has happened every week. Here’s the list of items ordered:

  1. New laminate wood floors

  2. New Office Chair

  3. Purchased a vintage buffet for extra storage

  4. New book shelves and cabinets for built-ins

  5. Paint sprayer

  6. Painting tent (for protection of the furniture while spraying the paint on)

  7. Art Work (I’ve only ordered one piece. I still need more)

  8. Lighting (sconces for bookcases)

Soooo I guess I really was being dramatic by saying NOTHING happened in week two. The large items above were actually ordered in weeks one and two. However, ORC, we have a problem!

  1. The laminate floors are in, but the flooring store did not call me to let me know. I had to call them, and because of that and their hours of operation, I have not been able to go pick them up as of yet. Which means they haven’t been installed.

    • This was a task I planned on taking on myself. Now I’m thinking about hiring it out. What are your thoughts?

  2. The new office chair is in, but…….. I don’t think it’s going to work in the space (I secretly want to cry).

    • I have found a replacement chair, but it’s on backorder until late JULY! The ORC is over on June 25!!!! #HELP

  3. The bookshelves and cabinets for the built-ins are not scheduled to be delivered until JUNE 10th!!!! That leaves me with less than 3 weeks to get them built, painted, in the office, and decorated.

    • Are y’all sweating yet??? I AM!!

On top of the growing list of things that are not going so well, I am still in need of a rug. The one that I REALLY want is out of stock with no restocking date in sight. So, yeah. This ORC seems to be going to hell in a hand basket. Nonetheless, I am resilient. I’ll pull through, this I know. I just hope you’re going to hang in here with me to see it all play out.

Who needs a soap opera when you have my One Room Challenge to follow!!??? Y’all say a little prayer for me, please!!!

Catch up on all things One Room Challenge here: ORC Week 1

P.S. Don’t forget to check out all the other Guest Participants and Featured Designers.

With love,

Sonya B.

ORC Spring 2020!! - Form AND Function: Office Edition

Hey hey, y’all!!! Do you know what today is? It’s the first (well second) day of the Spring 2020 One Room Challenge! I’m sooo excited and VERY nervous at the same time, as this is my first time participating.

But, Sonya, What IS the One Room Challenge?? I’m so very glad you asked. Allow me to explain!

One Room Challenge Explained:

The One Room Challenge (ORC) is a biannual interior design event for interior designers, interior design enthusiasts, and design influencers. It typically occurs every April and November of each year. This year, the event was pushed back to May due to the current state of events surrounding the global pandemic.

Each round (April and November) there are 20 Featured Designers and lots of Guest Designers (like me!!), who join in this friendly and encouraging challenge to transform a space of their choosing (this is where the One Room comes in). Everyone is given six weeks to complete their transformations, and each person documents their transformation via their blog and/or Instagram. The process is documented and posted on a weekly basis, and the reveal is on the last week.

This time, instead of the ORC being six weeks, it’s eight weeks, and boy am i GLAD!!! I’m going to need all the time I can get!! Oh, and I forgot to mention that Better Homes & Gardens is the official media partner of the ORC! Isn’t that cool??

So now that you know what the ORC is, I hope you will follow along with me and the other participants, as we pour our hearts into our respective spaces.

ORC - Week 1

I have chosen to make over my home office for the ORC. Now, there is technically nothing wrong with my office at first glance. However, it is currently WAAAAAAYYYY more form than FUNCTION! Over the years, I have come to understand that I am a functional kind of designer, first. I mean, I’m ALL for pretty, but if pretty doesn’t work for the way YOU use your space, then it’s kind of useless. And my friends, that’s what my office has been to me as of late.

 
See, like I said, it’s a decent office, and has served me well. ‘But it’s time for an update!

See, like I said, it’s a decent office, and has served me well. ‘But it’s time for an update!

 
 
This corner has needed help for a LONG time. My chairs will be staying!! P.S. Those pink floors in the foyer are NO MORE!!!

This corner has needed help for a LONG time. My chairs will be staying!! P.S. Those pink floors in the foyer are NO MORE!!!

 
 
I actually LOVE this corner. However, the need for closed storage and a better storage system. This is my first dresser that I owned as an adult (college student) that I purchased for my first adult apartment. I painted this laminate dresser, and I …

I actually LOVE this corner. However, the need for closed storage and a better storage system. This is my first dresser that I owned as an adult (college student) that I purchased for my first adult apartment. I painted this laminate dresser, and I have loved it dearly.

 

Here are my main issues with the current space:

  • Lack of functional (enclosed) STORAGE!

    • You know, those gold open shelves were cute for a while . However, because I actually WORK out of this office now, I need better storage to hide those not so pretty, but necessary items.

  • Desk is too small

    • I’ve had that white desk for a decade and a half! Yes, 15 years, from TARGET!!! It has been moved from one home to the next, and repainted. I think I’ve gotten my $130 worth out of it! ‘And it’s just a tad bit too small to really spread out and get things done.

  • The FLOORS

    • My goodness, the orange 1990s laminate floors have GOTTA GO!

  • The Chair

    • That little acrylic ghost chair was mad cute! I had.to.have.it. Let me tell you something… it is also MAD UNCOMFORTABLE!

The Plan:

 
ORC-Gold-Logo.png
 
 
This is part of the “plan”; however, things are subject to CHANGE!

This is part of the “plan”; however, things are subject to CHANGE!

 
 
Do you see what EYE see???? ENCLOSED STORAGE!!! This picture give a more accurate picture of what the room will look like.

Do you see what EYE see???? ENCLOSED STORAGE!!!

This picture give a more accurate picture of what the room will look like.

 

There are still many accessory items missing from the images in the plan (including color!). However, I hope you can see where I’m going. Like I said earlier, I’m nervous and excited. There’s still SOOOOOOO much to do. I hope you’ll stay around to cheer me on, as well as the other participants in the ORC.

I’ll see you back here next week!!

With love,

Sonya B.

Weight Loss... A Never Ending Saga

Writer’s Edit: This was written in 2018. I just decided to hit the publish button!

Well, friends, here we are again. This is where I’m supposed to tell you about how I began this weight loss journey back in April of this year, and how I was wildly successful. Then I’ll insert the most inspirational and motivational pictures that you ever did see! You’ll ask me a ton of questions about how I did it, how I stayed motivated, tips and tricks, exactly what I ate, when and how I exercised, and (of course!) I’ll oblige you. Except… that’s not quiet the story I have to tell (insert Justin Timberlake’s #CryMeARiver).

So here goes…

I DID start a (#AndAnotherOne DJ Khalid’s Voice) weight loss journey in April. And I WAS mildly successful (see proof below).

Wight Loss 2018 Beginning

11lbs gone!

Yep, you read that right! The difference between the 1st pic and the 2nd one, is only 11lbs!

Weight Loss 2018 Beginning (back)

Look at that back!!

Chiiilllle, I was looking good and feeling great!

THEN, October happened… You see, October is my birth month, and I LOVE celebrating my birthday. The problem is, this year, I celebrated with WAY more cake than I should be allowed, and WAY more alcoholic beverages than I typically would indulge in. Even still, I only gained a whopping FOUR pounds with all of the junk I consumed. I know what you’re thinking… Sonya, four pounds is nothing, you can drop that quickly. Well, friend, that’s what I thought too! See, the issue isn’t the four pounds. The issue is that we are roughly 6-7 weeks post my birthday shenanigans, and I have NOT gotten back on track with my eating, and certainly not with my workout regimen. I know, I know… I could have dropped 4 x 3 pounds by now! Ugh. Well, I didn’t, I haven’t, so now what?

I’ll tell you what… I am about to start NOW. There are about five weeks left in the year. And I’m not about to wait another five weeks to get back on the proverbial horse. Here’s my plan.

  1. Meal Prep

    • I’m not your traditional meal prepper. I don’t necessarily prep ALL the things. What this means to me is having the main items ready to go. These would typically be your proteins (i.e. chicken, beef, fish) and possibly some carbs (i.e. potatoes, rice). Most of the time, I only prepare enough veggies to last 2 days max.

  2. Workout in the Mornings

    • I am NOT a morning person, like, AT ALL. However, I do know that exercising in the morning is most beneficial to my lifestyle. I have a tendency to stay at work later to get more done, and even if I’m not at work late, when I get home, I go into DIY mode. There’s always a project to be done or nowadays, a blog post to be written. So this means, I have to figure out how to make the most out of my days. And for me, it involves working out in the mornings, so that I can’t talk myself out of it in the evenings.

  3. Remain Consistent and Disciplined.

    • Now here’s the REAL challenge! CONSISTENCY and DISCIPLINE. The truth is, most of us are not successful in weigh loss, or anything else for that matter, because we lack consistency and discipline. The first thing I hear people say is, “I just don’t have the willpower” or “I just don’t have the motivation.” Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but willpower and motivation are fleeting. What produces results are consistency and discipline.

    • You must have the discipline to get up and work out even when you don’t feel like it. You must have the discipline to eat the right foods, even when your mind wants cake and ice cream. You must remain dedicated to consistently doing these things day after day after day, even on the days or weeks, you think you aren’t seeing results.

Between goals and achievement are DISCIPLINE and CONSISTENCY. ~ Denzel Washington

THAT’S IT, friends!! Yep, there are only three things that I need to do to get back on track. You see, weight loss really isn’t as hard as we make it out to be. Sure, you will have to spend some time figuring out what types of foods work best for your body type, and what types of exercises work best for the results you are seeking. The good news is, there is a TON of free information out there to help you with this. ‘And if you don’t feel like spinning your wheels trying to figure it out, seek the help of a trainer and/or nutritionist. Whatever you do, make a commitment to stop making excuses. That’s what I’m doing. What are you going to do to reach your goals? Let me know in the comments below.

With love,

Sonya B.