garage doors

Planning projects to start in 2013....


I've been dreaming about a pergola over my garage for quite some time.  It was denied by the HOA in my hood {lesson learned: never live in a deed restricted community again}.  Also, since 1/3 of my house facade is a garage door, I need to make it cute!  I priced out snazzy carriage doors like these, but at over $1,000 it just ain't happnin'.  I did however think I could slap some carriage hardware on my existing builder standard metal garage door and possibly swing a knock off.


I would love to get that french or english garden look with the carriage doors, vines, and lush casual landscape, but with the concrete box that it is now {and oh, do I love that box}, we have a looooooooong way to go.  Our landscaping currently consists of two sad little oak trees that are barely taller than I am and a few plants that are the size of some of my shoes : /


heart.


Another thing I've been looking into is faux painting my garage door {and possibly front door} to look like wood...but I'm not sure that with the real wood shutters it would be the right solution...


I'm still thinking about a fun color for my front door, but haven't come to any conclusions on that either....


I might age it a little...

I guess that's it for now...bedtime {yawn}.  I'm taking the afternoon off tomorrow to work on the house!  yay!!!  Hopefully new pics soon :) 

-jd

big blank wall ideas

So, I think I figured out what to do with the wall behind the TV (faux paneling) and the columns (MORE faux paneling), but that still leaves quite a few gigantic blank walls that I need to fill...cheaply :) 

Here are a few ideas I'm tossing around. 


You know I've been dreaming of a gallery wall for forever, but I never thought about creating shelves for flexibility.  Seeing how I move things around constantly, this might be more practical for my needs.  Hmmmmmm, maybe in the dining room similar to this on the wall perpendicular to the buffet.  I've toyed around with putting a fireplace mantel on that wall, but so far, no luck in finding {an affordable} one.


I would love to find something like this, but am only willing to shell out $50 or so for it...maybe I could put it on my paneled wall under the TV {which would be mounted on the wall}.  So many ideas, so little time...


Another idea I've had is to try a large black and white painting.  Somehow paintings like these go with any decor and add so much personality and life.


My last idea...stencil!  Cheap and fun! 

What have you guys done to fill up those walls?

-jd

desks

I'm pumped to paint the desk next to the bed tomorrow.  I'm still trying to perfect the "restoration hardware" wood finish look with paint.  I haven't yet, but another try will be tried tomorrow on the desk!  I painted and reupholstered the chair today and can't wait to see it all pulled together.  Here's some inspiration:


The mirror and lamps are so interesting and I so wish I had a space for a big table desk like this...



This is so perfect... Why can't you ever see the wires to the lamps??!?



I think I'll take the mirror I got for the nursery {that I don't think I'll use now} for $5 and hang it over the desk.  The wood look on this chair is what I'm going to try to create on the desk...


I need a lamp, books, flowers, a mirror, and some other things to lean against the wall to layer...

Hopefully tomorrow I can get the desk and chair finished and possibly accessorize with what I got!  Stay tuned :)

-jd

T O T A L L Y O B S E S S E D : Moulding

I have been toying with the idea of trying to bust out some 'faux' paneling on the many columns in my house as well as the blank wall in the living room that will hopefully soon house the TV. 



As a homeowner of a new home, I lack architectural interest.  I love my house, but it has minimal details, no fireplace, no moulding details, etc.  We installed crown moulding in the entire house a couple of weeks ago {pics soon to come} and it made SUCH a big difference especially for the money we spent by buying MDF moulding.  It made me wanting to add more and more. 



I think I'll take the 'paneling' up to about 6' on the columns and then do a full wall behind the TV.  The columns will be painted white, but I might paint the full wall either the wall color in a higher sheen or a couple of shades darker...


I think the key, no matter what, is to paint the moulding the same color as the wall.  When it is accented in white like this, it just looks cheap {to me}.


ooooooooooooooh  la  la.

-jd

The Grammys

found these while watching the grammy's.  btw: lady gaga is so weird.


I wonder if I can use the top of my big coffee table as a huge canvas for a black and white circle painting.  I don't know that this would go in my house, but I LOVE it.  I have also been stalking that sofa pillow fabric for quite some time at Calico Corners, but afraid it might look too "dorm room"....might have to pick some up now after seeing it in action.


rustic wood, a french provincial piece, art collage, old books, fresh flowers, and gold mirror---you get my heart EVERY TIME.  I could do without the cheap pink pillows, but I still love this room.


packed with personality

My next home WILL have out of control paneling and moulding...and be near a sidewalk...and some water ; ) 

Night Y'all,
-jd

Hide Rug

I've been trying to figure out how to incorporate a little animal print into my house since this post and I think I've finally figured it out....a hide rug!  I got an oriental knock off rug about 15 days ago at 'Tuesday Morning' that has been posted up in my breakfast room until Thursday.  It just wasn't doing it for me.  Old rug returned, obsession of hide rug continues.  I found one on eBay last week and I promised myself that it can be mine, all mine...IF........I finish all of the other little projects I have going on at the house right now.  Let me tell you, that is no small feat.  I have a breakfast table, 5 dining chairs, a desk, a desk chair, a guest room and closet, and a king headboard to paint.  I have curtains that need a rod to be hung.  I have to get a cable outlet installed in the guest room, another chair to be painted and reupholstered, baby bedding and curtains to make, and last but not least, a chandelier to repair and hang.  Whew! 

So, it might be next year before my hide rug actually gets purchased, but that's OK.  I actually need a rug for the living room more so me and baby girl can have a play area!  To date, I've drug home three different rugs for that purpose.  They've all been returned :)

Here is the one I found on eBay.  It's almost 7'x8', so the scale would be amazing and take up almost all of the floor space. 


It will go so cute under the round table {to be revealed soon} and bamboo chairs {soon to be painted and recovered}.  I'm hoping to have a revamped breakfast room in about a month :)

Here are some pics that are helping to pursued my decision...

 



Hope everyone has a relaxing, peaceful, but productive Saturday!  Hopefully new posts to come tonight or tomorrow with what I get accomplished today. 

-jd

Happiness

It's Saturday morning...one of my favorite times {the other is Sunday morning} and I am watching an Oprah show about Happiness.   Isn't that what life is about?  Happiness...

My typical Saturday morning consists of kissing the sweet love of my life goodbye at 7:30am {he works every Saturday}, lazing around in the bed for another 30 minutes playing with Ozzie and kind of meditating silently in bed.  I get up, make coffee and waffles and sit on the sofa and watch DVR Oprah and Ellen while surfing the net for decor inspiration.  Sunday morning goes about the same way, but Drew participates :)  That is one of my happies = being at home with the ones I love in peace and relaxation.

It recently occurred to me that my weekend morning routine might come to a halt when baby girl gets here, so I am making it a point to soak up each and every one before that day.  Now, don't get me wrong...I'm sure when that sweet baby arrives, my old favorite mornings won't even compare to the pure bliss of being with this little thing that Drew and I created, but just in case...  ;)

I'm a simpleton, I know.  I've grown into that and come to accept that I might not ever enjoy traveling around the world.  I might always pick taking the family to the park over going to an extravagant meal.  That's okay with me.  Here are some other random things that come to mind when I think of what makes me happy {in no particular order}:

Sunshine: Since our recent vacation to New York, it has been confirmed that I am a 'fun in the sun' kind of girl.  Cold weather is not for me.  When I am outside and the sunlight is kissing me skin, I feel my soul refilling with joy.  I know that sounds corny, but I consciously think about how happy I am every time I'm in good weather...a light wind blowing...

Exercise: About 4 years ago, I lost 40 lbs.  It was life changing to drop that much weight, but more importantly, I learned how much better I feel when I'm active.  Like the rest of the world, I struggle with this daily.  I run out of time, I get tired, I make excuses, but at the end of the day I know if I am active...I feel better.  I have confidence, more energy and am happier. 

Dancing:  Anyone who knows me knows I was born to shake my tail feather.  I can be tipsy, drunk, sober, at a bar, in the house, at a wedding...I LOVE TO DANCE.  Music gets in my bones and I feel it.  If I hear a good song with a beat, my mood is immediately lifted. 

Obviously there are a ton of other tiny little things that make me happy, but lastly, working on my home, makes me HAPPY!  On that note, here are a few little beauties I found this morning:


How cute is this bathroom?  I want to see the whole thing because I'm thinking the wee bit of zebra rug in the right bottom corner is probably preeeeeeeetty cute.


In my future farmhouse on acres of land...this will be my kitchen inspiration ;)





I wonder if I could panel my long entry hallway???  hahahahahahaa, just kidding, but isn't this gorgeous!?



Alright everyone.  It's almost 10am...I guess I better get going for the day.  I'm interested to know what make you all happy.  Let us know!

Enjoy your weekend :)

-jd

paint, check. lighting, check.

After hemming and hawing over what shade of gray to paint the babe's room, I finally settled on a purple gray.  The choices were down to a gray pink, a gray purple and a gray gray.  hee hee.

I got my inspiration from the following pics:









These are from the nursery of one of the writers of one of my all time favorite blogs Material Girls.  I thought I wanted a purple gray color before I found these photos, but when I saw it paired with the white and gold accents, I knew it had to be...


I like how the chair on the right is almost the same shade as the wall color.  I stole that idea as well ;)  The white looks sophisticated against the gray and of course, you know I gotta squeeze an weensie bit of zebra in her room somehow...


This is my dream living room.  I don't know exactly what I'll take, if anything, from this photo, but it inspired the room in some way.

Today Drew and I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to clean and paint out the nursery.  It took us a couple of hours just to clear out the clutter.  The room had become {one of } the junk drawer of the house which collected golf clubs, random items to be sold on ebay, old electronics, papers to be filed and the random collection of baby items we've received to date. 

Here was the before in case you forgot:

This is the closet.  What's that gem in there being held together by one screw?  You know I get a little zealous on my dumpster dives and sometimes come home with pieces that really have no hope.  This is now by the side of the road if anyone else wants to try and make it a trash to treasure.  I just don't have the energy...


Lovely, eh?  That fan is one I've had forever and used to have to sleep with it on.  I've weened myself off of it, because it is completely heinous, but I kept it around in case I had a week moment.  It actually made it's way back into our bedroom somehow ;)  The sound of those rickety blades banging around is like music to my tired ears.  Lullaby. 


The nursery was also the perfect place for our vacuum.  We've since done a mini pre re-organization on our master closet so it has a permanent home. 

Whew.  So after we moved all of that jazz out, we got started painting.  I chose to go with Sherwin Williams Perfect Greige SW6073.  After we finished, Drew hung up my little light I found at Lowe's and here's the status as of today...


This is my favorite part.  I decided not to go with a chandelier like I originally wanted.  The ones in my dreams were no less than $2k and I just didn't want to scrimp on a tiny one, so I opted for this crystal flush mount.  It creates this sparkly pattern on the walls that I'm loving and won't compete if I decide to do a mobile. 


This is it with the lights off, so you can see the detail.  By by building standard boob fixture.  One down, three to go {master bedroom, guest room, and living room}. 


Yesterday on my all day shopping extravaganza in Orlando, I picked up this chair and ottoman I found on craigslist for $100!  How PERFECT!?  It's alot bigger than I thought, so I'll have to reconfigure my furniture arrangement, but for this chair...I would design my whole nursery around it.




I'm going to paint it {possibly white like the picture above} and recover it in this linen fabric:


tone on tone.


I spiffed up my free dresser with some Old English and once the drawer liners are in, I think this puppy is good to go.


That red piece is my other recent deal.  I picked it up for $25 at Salvation Army two weeks ago.  Oh...funny side note on that:

I'm checking out at Salvation Army and the middle aged man behind the counter goes "When are you due", "May 22nd"  "OH {eyes bugging out of his head staring at my belly}".  I just stare at him eyes half open like "what!?!?".  "You got a while to go", he says like I am going to need assistance being rolled out of the building.  "Yea, but I'm half way"  I say trying to smile and figure out where he's going with this.  "YOU'RE GOING TO BE HUGE" he says.  "Not in a bad way.  I mean, you look healthy and all, but that is one big baby in there".  I take a deep breath....my eyes dart back and forth and I can feel the sweat on my neck as I am trying to figure out if I can jam that pen he's writing with into his neck so he'll shut up.  I quickly wonder if I should say something like "you must not be married or have children" so he knows was a dumbass comment that was.  I decided against it.  I just narrow my eyes and flash the only smile I could muster up and mumble "what was my total".  The rest was a blur, but I made it out with a spiffy new red {possible} changing table and that man is still alive.

Anywaaaaaaaaaaaaays,

Still contemplating what to paint my new piece, but it was worth the complete mortification I had to endure. 


Here's the closet "after".  I took down the wire shelving determined to make better use of that space.  It now only houses some of my goodies that need painting or mending. 

What a day!  I am still on the hunt for a crib and even though I originally wanted bookcases to flank the crib, I just don't think it will work now with my almost 4' wide chair and ottoman...which just saves me more money, so I'm OK with that.  Stay tuned for more ;)

I have to paint most of the pieces I got a while back, come up with window treatments, find a crib, bedding, art, accessories and I'll be ready for this little baby to come home :) 

Enjoy the last remaining hours of freedom before Monday
-jd

a little bit of THIS and a little BIT of that

After some very LONG hours we finally bought a couch (it was seriously worse than purchasing a car)  How many different ways can we tell you that we don't want the EXTRA protection plan PEOPLE!?!!?!!?!  We should be able to pick it up this Saturday.  It will be so nice to have something to sit on after two weeks of sitting on a pile of blankets. 

FYI...hardwoods are H A R D on your tushie no matter how many blankets you pile up! 

We also scored several pieces at the antique market.  [We love this antique market, if you are ever in the area you should check it out.  There are two buildings and the one across from the Home Depot is the good one! The other building is a bit like a museum, you can look but can't really touch that table for EIGHT grand...heheee] 

We finally got our beloved coffee table. 

LOVE it! 

 We got this one for a real deal! After being quoted six hundred for the first one we found; we scooped this one up for $185 at the booth right around the corner...That my dear is one of the joys of the antique market!  You can compare prices without ever leaving the building! 

Next up we have our lovely end table. 

This was hand made by Southbend Millworks.  We have been stalking admiring their stuff since we found them WAY back when we thought this was going to be our front door.  Since that didn't work out (and we are SO glad it didn't) we had to postpone our furniture buying!  We were so happy to finally make a purchase from them.  They are going to be doing a custom piece for us for the living room as well! More details on that to come.

The finds didn't stop there.  The dream daughter also found a few things she couldn't live without.  This chair is PERFECT for school

 and this will help put a dent in some of the thousands many bags laying on her bedroom floor! 

Plus this is the color scheme (minus the hideous blanket in the background) I would like to do in her room after I find her a vintage armoire and dresser!!

This weekend we will be attending another antique market.  We haven't been to this one in a while so we are stoked.  I am really hoping to score a very LARGE vintage sign for my living room wall.  Preferably metal, rusty and a little dirty.  Hopefully next week we can do a big reveal!