Plantowner

Finally a rainy day, but instead of painting the floor upstairs, I'm getting ready for school (students start next week!) and updating the blog.  Ho hum.

Da da da da!  I haven't named them yet (creepy or crazy?) but here are my new plants...

Probably due the fact that I take all of my pictures on my Blackberry, the color on the walls is hard to see.  But here is the stairway (ahem!... With carpet!!) and the color on the wall here is the same as my bedroom and the bathroom (in this case, 1 gallon went a long way!)  It's a very soft sea-foam green.

All of the dishes I got are a vivid cobalt blue glass -- and so naturally I've been scouring garage sales, Goodwills, and my mom's storage unit for any additions to my collection (obsession).  I just don't think anyone can hate this color!  (Ignore the odd angle at which I took this picture ... it's not a half dressed woman on my wall, it's a mermaid.  You discern the difference.)

I finally painted the dining room table (well, a month ago, but hey) and after the first round of painting had 4 different color chairs.  I decided to do 2 turquoise and 2 brown and the table is a creamy color that matches the cupboards.  The style isn't exactly what I would have picked out for myself, but I think with the color it adds a little pop to an otherwise fairly monochromatic room.

And, although this is slightly off topic, aren't these tiny "Champagne" grapes adorable?!  They're the size of peas!

This picture really highlights the pockmarkings in this old dresser (passed down from my Grandma Brown) but in person I really like it.  It was bright pink and heavily distressed (my grandma was certainly before the trend there!) and I just spraypainted it silver.

And here is where I spent most of my summer.  On the beach and in the water.

Ahhh, ok, lunch and then back to work.

Summer Lovin'

Fall and football season are enticing, but I am very sad to say goodbye to summer.  I spent the day soaking up the sun at the beach, which is what I've spent a large portion of my time doing this summer, which is why I haven't posted much.  (I know EXCUSES EXCUSES)

Also, I feel like I'm not doing as many BIG projects (aka ripping out bathroom) and wonder if the small stuff I'm doing as I putz around the house is blog worthy.  I will have to take some pictures tomorrow (during the daylight) of some neat things I've picked up this summer at local Goodwills and other various thrift stores.

I will mentally debate whether some of my stranger (and questionably successful) odds and ends projects should make the blog picture cut (painting seashells, gluing stones to bowling balls etc)...

I hope that you have fun plans for the last few days before autumn is upon us!

Ok, here is a project finally finished.  Well, almost.  SO close (99.7%) and I'm very happy with it!  Crown molding above the cabinets.

Another big project has begun (I hope to finish this before I go back to work) -- painting the wood floors upstairs (original to the house, minus a couple of patchwork spots for safety).  The is a snapshot of the primer coats.  I have the paint purchased and ready to apply ... I just don't have the willpower to say no to a sunny day and beckoning beach!

In order to keep my bills (and magazines) organized, I set up a make-shift desk on the other side of the loft area.  Even though this is currently the only furniture I have for the space, I feel that it gives it purpose!  And a place to keep my printer set up ...

Off to the right-hand side of the above picture, you'll notice a handy little chair with no seat/cushions etc.  I purchased this for only eight dollars from Goodwill and plan on it being my first ever fancy-dancy-reupholstered-chair.  I also bought the fabric and the staple gun, but out of fear of ruining the fabric (pricey!) I've been gun-shy (hehe).  I need to watch some serious youtube how to videos before I tackle this project.  Plus, I'm saving it for a rainy day, and we haven't had very many lately!

(Note to readers: any upholstery tips much appreciated!)

 After conceding that yes, even though I think my neighbor's new dog is ADORABLE, I am not ready to be a pet-owner (will I ever be?  because I'm pretty sure that no matter how old I am, I'm still not going to want to take a dog for a walk in the winter) -- I have decided to be a plant-owner.  A housewarming gift from my good friend Rachel V. has inspired this confidence.  She got me a beautiful orchid that I have successfully kept alive for 2 months!  Maybe I have a green thumb after all...

 Ok, this orchid deserves another photo shoot, because in person it is a gorgeous fuschia color and this snapshot doesn't do it justice.  I'll add it to my list for tomorrow morning.

Flowers

My mom is truly has an eye for landscape 'stuff' -- so I just let her make the decisions.  I hate to admit it -- but she really did make almost all of the calls as far as colors of flowers and where to put them.  Someone recently asked me if I have a green thumb.  I'm not sure yet, so we'll see!  In the meantime, here it is...

This is one of my favorite hostas -- I'd never seen this 'breed' before, the leaves are smaller than the typical hosta.

On to the backyard!

I think I should name him --- any ideas??

 I got four of these from a garage sale for $2 (what a steal!) -- it was funny because I had just gone up north with some friends and used these little things shaped like tulips to hold our drinks around the campfire.  We were talking about how handy they were, albeit corny (bright plastic tulips).  So when I saw these at a garage sale and ran up to the guy: "Are these outdoor drink holders!?" and he says, "Yes...I guess so, or candle holders?" Regardless of looking like a lush, I was ecstatic to find them. 

 Outdoor seating for friends! (Free chairs...)

Is YOUR backyard ready for the Fourth of July??

Bahahahaha!  Beth will love this picture :)  Told you I would spray paint it!

Where to Start?

The hiatus in the blog posting was initially due to the ending of the school year -- I was busy with grading and tying up loose ends and so there really wasn't much progress being made on the house.  But on top of that, I've been having ISSUES with my internet company .. grrr... and so it's been hard to do blogging from my blackberry.  Lots of little things have been done (like cleaning the inside of the back door with a magic eraser (magic!!!) etc).  So I'm going to just try to post pictures of the new things I can remember?

Right now, there is an ice cream truck driving by -- ahhh to live in a cute little neighborhood again... :)

Ok, so here is the new laundry room color.  I bought this gallon of paint at the Habitat for Humanity Restore for $3, and figured it was close enough to the color I wanted.  It's bright and crisp -- good for a laundry room!

My friend Becky knew I was on the lookout for a "new" lawn mower (I was previously depending on the goodwill of my neighbors to mow my front lawn and my mom who lugged her mower out here a couple of times for the backyard) and spotted one at a garage sale for me.  It was only $8, and the couple told me that they were the only owners; it was one of their wedding gifts.  It's easy to use too!

This adorable little entertaining set is a gift from Nancy C -- a dedicated (and kind) follower.  I can't wait to use it this weekend (4th of July) as I'm having friends over!

After our Glen Arbor trip -- I decided that I really wanted to focus on the front of the house.  I was sick of the faded navy blue shutters and barren dirt/grass/weed front yard.  I was between black and white for shutter colors, and narrowed down the accent color to a deep periwinkle and chartreuse.  The girls at Home Depot were SO patient with me and helped a ton -- I asked them to remix these about 8 times on top of choosing colors that they didn't 'have' offered...

The yellow/greenish color was too neon from the road, so I went with the purply blue and really like it.
My dad stopped over earlier in the week and helped me take down the shutters from the highest window (scary!) and I climbed up on a ladder to detach the bottom two windows.  He also attached the flower boxes I found on craigslist (5 for $25!).  I got right to work painting the shutters -- easily the least favorite thing I've EVER painted in my life.  3 coats and it's probably still not perfect.

Dad detaching the upper shutters.

Spraying them clean in the backyard (also notice the bikes!!)

My mom helped me finish the final coats the next morning... it was a LONG and tedious process.  Lots of opportunities for drips!  As soon as we had everything painted, we were anxious to hang them and see how they looked -- however, we weren't tall enough, and neither was the ladder, to reach the top window, so it's flying solo until I can figure something out...

 And most all of the 'big' plants are from my friend Jeni and her mom -- they let me (with Jeni's help) dig up and split lots of their greenery.  Naturally, Jeni and I decided to do this on the hottest day of the summer thus far.  So, I've been watering them as much as possible and crossing my fingers they don't die on me...

And FINALLY ... carpet in the first floor bedroom!

Sigh of Relief: Moving Weekend

My first night in the house was Friday and I have to say, it felt pretty good to wake up here the next morning (regardless of the fact that I'm brushing my teeth over the tub because the sinks are not yet hooked up)!  It took me a bazillion mini-loads on Friday to get everything over here, but I'm finally in.  What seemed like a snag in my plans, not being able to hook up the sinks, turned into a blessing in disguise as my mom found a perfect little bathroom vanity (the furniture style ones that I like best) at a garage sale for $65!  You can't even buy a faucet for a sink for $65 these days...  She also picked up a rug at TJ Maxx that I love for the kitchen table area.  The dark brown blends in with the floor and the design adds some turquoise color to the area.

Spent a good couple of hours on Saturday moving the cabinet up a couple of inches and hanging the microwave.  My question is: how do builders screw into studs?  It seemed IMPOSSIBLE.  But the final product looks amazing -- the microwave is now easily my favorite part of the kitchen :)  Also drywalled and filled the hole left behind from the heating and cooling switch-up.

Uncle Dan, Aunt Marie, Molly, Clay and my mom came out on Sunday to bring the ....da da da da!!! ...Couch!!!  I was excited to see it with the slipcover (custom made) in the room -- the smaller size of the couch seems perfect; not overwhelming in any way.

Then, before my mom left today, we of course had to 'set up' a little bit.  It was hard to get pictures of the room without it looking weird, but in person it looks and feels really nice.  Cozy.  I decided to go with the dark blinds, and even purchased them, so maybe those will get hung this week.  (Hopefully -- because the sheets aren't really doing it for me!)

Finally feels like a real house.

Fantastic microwave.

Lovely rug.

Here is the vanity!

Shower is fully functioning. 

Couch and slipcover.  White's the best slipcover color because you can throw it in the wash with bleach and voila!  It's clean again!

Had to hang the picture with 3 inch wood nails because I couldn't resist hanging things and those were the only nails I have...

Here are pictures of the living room as of right now.  I think it looks pretty dang good for every single piece in this room being just leftover odds 'n ends from everyone...

Blind Frenzy

I was 100% set on white faux-wood plantation shutters for my first floor.  I KNOW that nice, white blinds would look good.  But then I saw some black blinds at Menards that piqued my interest, and then I found some cool Magic Blinds on Overstock.com that beckoned...and so now I have no idea what I want.  Something inexpensive... as I have 13 windows to cover.  I'm also drawn to the privacy and coziness that darker blinds would offer.

I picked up these options today from Lowes and Target.  I know that white would look crisp and would match.  But I wanted to try these ... I'm drawn to the naturalness of the colors and kind of have a South-Pacific thing in my head now after after seeing those black blinds.  Obviously, it was hard to get a good impression because I could only stick them in there at the halfway point... but tell me what you think.  And soon, because I need to make a decision by this weekend!!  The lighter color ones are "Honey-Maple" and were $23 per box.  The darker ones are Bali style and were $13 per box.  They are both 2inch slated blinds.

Lighter color #1

Lighter color #2

Darker color #1

Darker color #2

Both

 

I also picked up this picture last week (more Target), which I think is the perfect size to hang above the baker's rack in the kitchen.  Lurve the colors!  (PS click on this to enlarge the image.. it's kind of hard to see so small.  Make sure you hit backspace though, and don't exit out, otherwise it will close the entire page.)