Nursery Tour

I've been meaning to get this post up for a while and finally got around to taking pictures last week so here you go! 

Mister and I had so much fun planning and decorating Little Mister's nursery.  It was my goal to have things mostly squared away for our shower in September and clearly it was a good thing we did!

Granted it was obviously a little while before LM came home but knowing that we could focus on him and not trying to paint or something in the evenings after being in the NICU all day was so nice.

Our plan was to have a loose travel/adventure theme in the nursery.  We both love to travel and want to pass that to LM.  The main design is grays and whites with touches of navy thrown in.  I love how clean and crisp everything is.  I'll put a list at the bottom of the post for all the resources!

Huge shoutout to Mister for painting and assembling, to LM's Grammy for making his window treatments and to Floyd for giving up his room to his brother ;)

 We had our 4 month photo shoot the same time :)

The room is actually quite small so we tried to do our best and use it in the most efficient way we could.  I have to say I think we did a pretty good job! 

 

 That hippo is pure MAGIC and everyone needs one.

No that isn't actually Floyd but it looks SO much like him we had to have it.  It is actually the perfect lumbar pillow or to prop under my arm when rocking LM.  

I just love the way everything turned out!!

I'm sure over time things will change (that is life with a designer) but for now we really love it!

Crib: Walmart

Sheets: Target | Love these too 

Rug: TJ Maxx | Similar

Window treatments (made by LM's Grammy): Fabric.com

Window treatments trim (made by LM's Grammy): Amazon 

Light fixture: Amazon

Night stand: Ikea (we painted white)

Glider: Target

Pillow: Boutique | Similar 

Blanket: Target (no longer available)

Humidifier: Buy Buy Baby

Angel Care Monitor: Amazon

Dresser: Ikea

Changing pad: Amazon

Changing pad cover: Amazon

Diaper basket: Target

Globe: TJ Maxx

Nest cam: Amazon

Toy basket: Home Goods

Closet system: Amazon

Hippo: Amazon

Bookshelves: Ikea (we painted white)

'G' (not pictured): Hobby Lobby

Adventure print: Marshalls

Koala print: Etsy

Atlas print: Gift | Similar

Cincinnati print: Etsy

Frames: Target

Hello Handsome: DIY by mama

Kitchen : The Reveal

I have been dying to hit publish on this post. 

This one has been a long time coming...months in the works.

Sometime around last Spring Mister and I began tossing the idea around of renovating a few things in the kitchen.   It started with wanting to replace the countertops which lead to a new sink and faucet which led to new cabinets and so on and so on.

Well, we all know how those things go, one things leads to the other and here we are...

New kitchen!!

Mister and I are OVER the moon about it.  

Obsessed.

But to fully appreciate the after, let's take a quick look back at the before.

Ouch.

Let's go back to the pretty

So much better!

I am planning on a few full posts laying out all of the details.

How we lived without a sink and water in our kitchen for 2 months,

the selection process with a resource list, the good the bad and the ugly of the whole process and what is located in each of those new cabinets.

Along with any other questions you may have!

(Mister surprised me with the Charlie jar!! We have been on the hunt for weeks for it!)

But for now, here is the short on the details...

We purchased the cabinets from Ikea, had a sub contractor (provided through Ikea) install them, countertops are Ceaserstone and backsplash is from Overstock that we installed ourselves.

Don't mind me I will just be over here finally cooking up a storm and chuckling at Floyd's Charlie treat jar.

Half Way Point, 2015

I may be the one millionth person to say this but can we even believe it is already the middle of June?!

But it is what it is and it is a good time to check in our 2015 list.

We've put some dents in the list for it being June but we have a ways to go.

We have some plans on the horizon so hopefully by the end of the year we will be almost complete!

Of note that have been crossed off...

4. I have been diligent about painting my nails more and splurging on manicures every now and again.  To me it is a little frivolous but it does make me feel better so occasionally it is a nice treat.

9.  Our raised vegetable garden is in full force! Update on that soon!

11.  Kitchen accent wall has been painted!  And we love it! 

14.  Mister tackled the trim one weekend while I was gone, check!

17.  Floyd and I made blankets and sent them to the basset rescue.

18.  10,000 push ups were 100% completed!

And the ones on the immediate or always working on horizon...

5.  I've read 7 books so far.  Have one going in the car and a couple on the Fire.  15 should be easy to do.

7.  I've been keeping an eye on Dot & Bo and West Elm for a good lighting sale to pick up some pendants.  

10.  Turns out photos albums aren't the easiest things to find.  I need Amazon to step it up.

12.  The 50mm lens has been getting used more and more and it is going pretty well.

13.  I have run a little over 100 miles so far this year.  A vast difference from last year...thank you IT band. I am just happy to be running again in any form.

16. I am still crossing my fingers we can foster a basset...I stalk the OBHR site quite often ;)

So things are coming along but I am also trying to keep in mind my overall goal of resting and relaxing.  I have been doing my best to be more conscious of that, every single day!  But I sure do love crossing things off the list! 

5 'steps' for decorating a staircase wall

Get it? Steps...staircase...

Some of you may know that by day I am an interior designer (and I love it!).

And I love getting design questions from friends and family (and readers if you want to send them in!) about areas in their home that they need help with. 

Last week one of my besties sent me a question that I was happy to answer.  The more we talked, the more I realized this was a problem a lot of you may struggle with and why not make it a blog post?

She asked me, 'how in THE world do I decorate up a staircase with photos?'

Well, just about any way you want!

But here are my tips!

1.  Choose which photos you want to display

1a. Vary the sizes

The key to putting together a gallery wall, whether it be a on large, small or staircase wall, is to vary the sizes.  If every piece is the same size, the look becomes monotonous and uninteresting.  Varying sizes keep the eye looking around and interested.  

2.  Choose simliar frames

Similarly shaped and colored frames create a cohesive look, even amidst the different sized photos.

I love thicker black (or white!), square edged frames.

The frames do not all have to be exactly the same but similar enough that they all coordinate.

3.  Create a square or rectangle in your space

Instead of following the angle of the staircase up your wall, create a defined square to contain your photos (or objects).  Maybe it' is just me but I do not love the look of photos cascading up and down the staircase.  It tends to get too busy in my eye, but that is just my personal preference!

Once you have measured out this space, it is easiest to lay these measurements and your photos out on the floor.

Either tape or measure out your area and start laying your pieces out within that area.

Make sure to mix and match your pieces while creating a balance.  You don't want all of your large pieces on one side and all of your small on another.
Another option is to cut out pieces of paper that are the same size as your photos and use painters tape to attach them to the wall.  This helps you see the arrangement and move and relocate pieces that are not quite right.

4.  Use non photos

One way to make the space more interesting is to use items that are not photos.  Whether that be found objects, initials, canvases, etc, it can be fun to used a mixed media approach to your gallery wall.

(great use of non photos. via)
The dimension created by those objects makes for an eye catching area. 

5.  Measure and hang

Now that you have all of your photos and objects laid out, you can get hanging.  I suggest measuring down from the ceiling to achieve your most accurate measurements.  

6. (Bonus!) Have fun!

This is the perfect in your area to have fun with and I say go for it!

Find seasonal objects that are easy to switch out.

Or take a family photo in front of a sentimental tree in your yard each season and swap them out as the seasons change.  Switch things up every once in a while to keep the area fresh and exciting!

Hope this helps and please do not hesitate to shoot me an email if you have questions about this type of project or an area in your home that is giving you issues!

DIY : Painted Cabinet Knobs

So far we've managed to cross a few of the big items off our 2014 list and this weekend I tackled one of the smaller, but big impact ones. 

And as we saw yesterday, my trusty helper wasn't too far behind me.

This was one of the projects that once I finished it I thought 'well that was super easy, why haven't I done that earlier?'  But really, when doesn't that happen when you attack something with a can of spray paint?  Instant change, love it.

Awhile ago I had looked at replacing our knobs but then I counted all of the ones we had x $3-$4/piece and one can of spray paint was much cheaper.  Maybe down the road we will replace them all but for now this seemed like the best solution.

What we started with.  Not awful but not my favorite.

And if you look closely you can see 'knobs' written on the chalkboard.  Told you guys it was the perfect place to make to do lists. 

Did I mention this one was super easy?

Hold on for the easiest DIY ever.

Supplies needed:

Bucket/water/soap

Knobs, pulls

Spray paint (I used black but oil rubbed bronze would work too)

Old box

1.  I unscrewed all of my knobs from the cabinets and soaked them in soapy water.  I just wanted to make sure they were clean and didn't have grime on them that the spray paint would stick to.

2.  I found an old box and sat all of the knobs upright in them and headed outside.

I figured it was easier to have somewhere to corral the paint and the knobs while spraying them.

3.  Spray away!  This is the fun part! Just make sure you aren't close to anything or wearing your best clothes.  Or maybe you are a more careful spray painter than I am....

4.  Let dry.  I just left mine out side for a few hours in the sun and they dried very quickly.  You want to make sure they are fully dry and not tacky or else they will show your fingerprints and then you have to start the whole process over again.

5.  Screw them back on your cabinets.

See, really couldn't be easier (or cheaper!) and I love what a difference it makes!

Truthfully we could start changing them every season or whenever we felt like it!

How about hot pink for summer, Mister ;)

Red, Red Door

With all of the updates to the outside of our house, our front door is now looking a little sad.

And dull. 

I don't do dull.

So it is our new mission to paint our front door.

And soon.

After much deliberation, I think we've decided on RED.

Like, bright RED.

My thought is that if you are going to go red, then go bold and bright.

My initial thought was a rich, dark navy blue.

But then I got to thinking about the seasons and hanging wreaths on a navy door and I didn't love that look as much.

There is definitely a place for a deep navy color (powder room, some dining rooms) but my front door isn't the place. 

Now, red, red I can get on board with.

Just imagine a bright red rood with a great Christmas wreath hung on it.

Yes please.   

I have always loved a classic, red front door on other houses and think it will really pop on our house and our street.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

I am usually one to go against the grain with any sort of design but when it comes to a classic, red door, I am happy to swim right along with the crowd...for the most part.

No one else in our neighborhood or street has quite the bright red that I am aiming for.

I can only imagine what the neighbors will think. 

Funny enough, Valspar makes a paint called, 'classic red' (I promise it's brighter on my color fan) that I think is just about perfect.

I am thinking in a semi gloss...yes yes yes.

What are your thoughts on red front doors? Yay or nay?

Any other suggestions for us? 

I think this should be a quick and easy project for us to knock out so I am excited to get it started!

We're Around

The Mister and I are on the go a lot.

Like, a whole lot. 

But, by nothing short of a miracle,

we are home (as far as I know) for the next 3 weekends!

This is unheard of for us and I could not be more excited! 

While we do love to go go go, see friends and family and travel,

being home is just as nice sometimes.

Because of this we have put together

(an ever growing) list of some things we want to

accomplish while we are home.

I'm hopeful that a lot of these things will get done

but I know that life (and fun with friends) can 

always come up and derail those plans.

BUT here is to hoping and being successful! 

Here is our list:

• Install new fan in the Mister's bathroom
• Fill holes on deck (we had a carpenter bee issue that I am NOT happy about)
• Patch hole in my bathroom (we had a towel bar go awry)
• Paint my bathroom (I just came up with this one...)
• Organize recipe binder
• Clean up yard for fall
• Put away (and blog about) inherited items
• Deep clean sofa
• Create new art for over bed (This is going to be a Mister DIY- I smell a guest post) 
• Clean both of our cars      
• Mount TV
• Get rid of a few big items- Craigslist/Ebay/Goodwill run

Here is hoping and the motivation to get these things done!

I'm sure that this list will continue to grow...

 

P.s. I got my 'Keep Calm and Blog On' shirt last night that I ordered from Steph.

 I LOVE it! 

Any tips for making sure we get all of these things accomplished?

Someone's Handy

So a while ago (too far ago for me to even mention, it's embarrassing), the Mister and I bought a new faucet for the kitchen sink.  The one that came with the house left a lot to be desired.  However I did like that it had the extendability option for hosing things off. Other than that, it needed to be replaced and updated. 
Mister to the rescue! Not that I doubted his ability but I was very impressed with Mister's installation skills! He got the job done very quickly and the new faucet works great! He also had a little help from our four legged handy man (see below). 

Isn't it gorgeous?!? I love it!! 

P.S. I'm linking up the Nester's National {not really} Take A Risk Day. Go visit and see the other risk takers out there!