So I'm a thief...

Or, I like to steal other people's creative ideas! But I'm getting ahead of myself. You don't get to see the finished product work-in-progress until tomorrow, but I want to give you all some insight into where I got the inspiration for my bathroom. I wanted to depart from the teeny bopper style I have had in the past and do something a little more grown up, with a little bit of a beachy feel.

I must admit, I steal a lot of my inspiration from other sources (but hey, they steal theirs from other places too so that must mean it's ok!). One of my favorite inspiration sources is Young House Love. They are a young couple who are obsessed with DIY, their daughter Clara, and their dog Burger. And I am obsessed -in a totally non creepy way- with them. Well, mostly just with what they do with their amazing house! Check them out here. You will be provided with countless/endless hours of fun, entertainment, laughter, and inspiration!

But I digress. My inspiration for the bathroom came from the Young House Love site. See their original post here. I love the clean, breezy, beachy, spa-like feel of this bathroom, and I knew it was perfect for the feel I was going for with my new condo. So I went on over to Home Depot for painter's tape, a brush, and some creamy white paint. And then I spent 3 weekends taping off and painting that bathroom...with the help of my super tall and hunky boyfriend (smiles!) of course. We all know this shorty can't do all the tall stuff by herself! I didn't really want to copy this bathroom exactly, but I loved it so much I did use most of the items in that bathroom (even the paint color...it was just so yummy I had to have it!). But seeing as it is impossible to change the tile/counter/sink, I had to work with what I had for the most part.

Come back tomorrow for an in-progress view of the bathroom, and make sure to come back Friday for a step-by-step and hints post about painting stripes!

The Girl with the Barefeet Covered in Paint,
Courtney

Zagat's Guide to Gulf Shores

Well, maybe not. My taste isn't refined and I don't rate things with stars (although my obsession with stars might seem unhealthy to some) but I wanted to share some of my favorite things about my soon to be new home.

I will start with my favorite restaurant.

Well, my FAVORITE place isn't in Gulf Shores, or Orange Beach for that matter. My favorite place in the area is actually in Pensacola Beach. Hemmingway's is a beautifully decorated and reasonably priced (at least, reasonable for beach food!) restaurant on the water at Pensacola Beach. It's cuban-ish food (based on Hemmingway's extensive time in Cuba) and the atmosphere is so fun!

A few tips from my time at this restaurant:

1. Sit outside. The view of the water and pier is gorgeous, and the fans overhead provide the perfect breeze for the beach heat.

2. Order the Island Caesar as your appetizer and order the big one, not the half size. Trust me. I mean it. The dressing is to die for-its a coconut-pineapple caesar and I literally licked the plate. And Im not ashamed of it. I even asked for a to-go container of it. Although I left it in the car over night and I didn't get to use it. 

3. I ate the Tilapia Plantanos, which was a Tilapia Filet with Plantains and a trio of yummy sauces. The fish was bland but the sauce was awesome. Don't order it. If you really want to get the full experience out of this restaurant order the Tenderloin Churrasco. Yes, it may be one of the most expensive things on the menu, but its totally worth it. Trust me. Yummy steak cooked perfectly with a citrus butter sauce on it and served with the best mashed potatoes ever. Well, aside from mine of course. 

4. The rum-runner is awesome. Legit.

My favorite place in Gulf Shores may be a little unexpected. If you're a local, you know about Crico's pizza. If you aren't, you have probably driven by this hole in the wall 1000 times. Crico's is a buffet that is super cheap and yummy. And did I mention it was cheap?

 I cant recommend dishes because they change all the time. But its good-truth!

My favorite place in Orange Beach is Franco's Italian Restaurant. Pretty much everything is good, and it's in a random place so it's not always as packed out as some of the seafood restaurants.

I had the alfredo-not very glamorous but VERY good! The bread is ballin' and the salad is pretty good too. I'm looking forward to trying more dishes here!

And last but absolutely not least is my wonderful employer, The Hangout. I am working through this menu a little bit at a time, but here are some of my tips.

1. If we are busy, sit in the main dining room. It's where all the fun happens and trust me, you want to be a part of the fun!

2. If we aren't busy, ask to sit on the porch by the beach. The view is the best, although that section is always packed so be prepared to wait a little longer!

3. Visit the gift shop. It has so much cute stuff that I want...I spend a lot of time in there in the mornings while I wait to get a table!

4. Get the wings. They rock. Not your typical fare at a beach restaurant, but they seriously are the best thing on the menu. 

5. Another awesome appetizer is the chips, queso, and salsa. It's usually demolished immediately at our table.

6. The Hang 10 Burger, Highway 59 Quesadilla, and Mediterranean Salad are some of the best thing on the menu. When in doubt, ask your server. They usually have good tips.

7. When you server tells you they are going to go dance, go with them. And when they invite you to get on the table and dance with them, do it. It's fun. Swear.

So that's it. The Bosky's guide to my new area. Come check it out. And while you're at it, eat in my section at the Hangout and leave me a big tip. Just saying'!

Barefoot Foodie,

Courtney

Coming soon to Theatres...

....I mean the bungalow of course! Here is a sneak preview of what is going on at the bungalow. On Thursday I'll give insight into what inspired this progress, but for now this taste will have to do! Come back tomorrow for my favorite places (so far) in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach!

So the sneak preview is....

 Stay tuned for the results of this adventure in decorating!

The Barefoot Drama Queen,
Courtney

Real World: Orange Beach

Ok, so my apartment may not be filled with drunken crazy party people but my digs are pretty cool. Sure, the surfaces may not be shiny and the (currently non-existent) furniture isn't designer, but I think I'm pretty good and design on a budget. Yes mother, I actually do know what that word means! I cant wait to design each room to my heart's desire-and of course document it all here!

So here goes the grand tour of my oh-so-empty condo. Imagine it full of color and life and happiness, as it will be sometime in the near future!

                                    Here is the view of my porch as you walk in off the landing.

                                                       Dining room from the living room.

                                                         Living room from the hallway.

                                                     Master bedroom from the entryway.

                                                 The next three are of the Master bedroom.

                                                                     Master bathroom

 A closeup view of the dining room.

 The TV nook in the living room.

 The kitchen.

 Living room from the dining room.

 So there you have it. There is another bedroom and bathroom, but those are full of stuff that is waiting to get put away. Hey, at least I'm honest! Pictures of those rooms, along with a tour of the property will come next week! 

Come back tomorrow for a preview of the first room to be worked on at the Bungalow!

Forever Shoeless,

Courtney

Welcome to the Bungalow!

As some of you may know, I have begun the process of relocating from Auburn, Alabama (War Eagle!) to the beautiful beaches of Gulf Shores/ Orange Beach. I am now the proud owner renter of an adorable condo in perfect proximity to my work and the beaches. I have thus dubbed this sprawling home cozy condo "The Barefoot Bungalow." No, it may not be an actual beach house, but I will obliviously call it a bungalow anyway. And those of you who know me know why it is the "Barefoot" bungalow. For those of you who don't know me (and let's be honest, is anyone reading this anyway?), I am famous-or infamous- for my lack of shoe wearing. I was once asked on a trip to Puerto Rico if people from Alabama actually owned shoes. Hmm....now that I think of it, maybe they were trying to tell me something! So the name "Barefoot Bungalow" was a natural and perfect fit!

In this lovely little blog I will show you around my new home, one step at a time. Ill give you step by step details of my decorating process, with little tips and tricks along the way. I will also take you (via internet) to some of my favorite places in the area!

So there you have it. The dreaded first post. About absolutely nothing. Check back tomorrow for a tour of my new digs!

Shoelessly Yours,
Courtney