Master bedroom reveal....

When we moved into this house in September we basically moved our old bedroom into this new house. Nice fit, but zero thought put into the “design” of the room…I basically just put furniture on the floor and a few pictures on the walls.

A few weeks ago my daughter sent me a picture of a well designed bedroom similar to ours.

That’s when I realized our current master bedroom has ZERO “design character.” I hadn’t even taken the time to paint all the trim the “new” white.

Twenty year old lamps, white and brass paddle fan, stacks of pillows in bleach spotted pillow cases, no curtains, scuffed and dinged furniture, clutter…

The picture was perfect inspiration! The push I needed to work this space to it’s potential.

So last week my goal was to to tackle the room. Paint the trim and furniture, new curtains, throw pillows, a few little touches here and there, and declutter.

I painted my bedroom furniture (HERE) almost 7 years ago and while I still love the pieces, they have gotten quite dingy looking. Remember, whites yellow over time and of course there are chips and scratches from normal wear and tear. So it was time to give them a little paint refresher! And the side table tops…holy crud they have gotten nasty. So it was time to strip and restain the tops as well.

Of course the little “room refresh” became a three day chore!

In the end, worth every minute.

New curtains (I still need to hem them), a little wall art and a plant and new throw pillows.

I stuck with my tried and true white bedspread…with a big dirty dog I need something I can bleach every week. It covers a down comforter in the cold months.

I have always loved the larger throw pillows in the guest room so I bought new for that room and put the guest pillows on our bed.

(The giraffes? They were made in Africa from the root of a tree…they are Brian’s…they are different…what can I say!)

I painted the high boy and bedside tables and stripped and restained the tops of the bedside tables. ..the dark java stain has pretty much run its course. New lamps (finally!!!)

I love the look of chandeliers in bedrooms but as I have said before, I HAVE to have a paddle fan above the bed. Brandon gave us a paddle fan he took out of his house and it worked perfectly in our room.

Decluttering is always a must in any room makeover so a lot of stuff was put away.

One thing I loved in the inspiration room picture was the bed bench. My trunk belonged to my grandparents so it has to stay. You can still see my granddad’s name stenciled on the side.

I love the basket and pillows on their bench but our big dog uses this trunk as a spring board so that wouldn’t have worked out well. Sometimes you have to change up a plan to fit YOUR life-style (a.k.a. accommodate animals and kids!)

I still want to do more on the “tv side” of the room. I repainted and stripped and stained the top of THIS little side table…

Maybe add a plant…a little more wall art….a wall leaning mirror.

It only took me a few decades to style the master bedroom in my last house so again, already working at warp speed here.

My next big project are the master bathroom (reveal HERE) windows…

Oh, it’s happening. I cut big holes in the wall to kind of “force the issue.” Windows are on order and the brick guy is on call.

This was the one thing I neglected to do, and my BIGGEST regret, when I remodeled this house…no operable windows in the master bath. I know from my last house that an operable window in the bathroom is a must. I have ordered two casement windows (the kind that crank out) and hope to have them by the end of the month. I have some plumbing to move (WHY IS NOTHING EASY!!!) and framing to do. These windows will look out at the large flower garden out back…I CAN’T WAIT!!!!

Wait I will though…it has been warm enough to plant a few larger perennials like azaleas and Kimberly ferns, but the threat of a freeze until mid-April prevents me from going all out with the annuals. So I sit…and wait…patiently. Okay, not so patient, but I learned the hard way not to rush the early spring planting! Pay attention to your “last freeze date”….then add a few weeks. Ours is the middle of April, but a few years ago it snowed the first week of May!

Until next week…

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A kitchen makeover and painting a refrigerator...YOU CAN DO IT...and sometimes should!

My friends, Tammy and BR, have lived in their home for over 20 years…and like me they are constantly “projecting.” Tammy is the designer ( a.k.a.instigator,) BR is the muscle and craftsman, and usually I am just an advisor and cheerleader.

A few months ago, they started a HUGE project…remodeling their kitchen.

It is a project they have dreamed about and we have discussed and one their 1990s house desperately needed for years!

This picture was taken after they replaced the head scratching paddle fan over the bar with a thrift store upcycled light fixture. MUCH better but as you can see, there was soooo much more to do.

Remove the funky over-the-cabinet florescent lighting and add can lighting, paint the cabinets, replace dated hardware, a new venthood, new tops and backsplash and replace the ORIGINAL almond stove.

A major list on a tight budget.

During one of our “advisory sessions” (again, my advice and opinions are always free) Tammy mentioned she couldn’t wait for her black refrigerator to go out so they HAD to replace it.

With all the other “must have now” expenses, like replacing the dated almond stove with a stainless, replacing the black refrigerator just wasn’t in the budget. They had already replaced the dishwasher and like most people (including myself) the expense of replacing all our appliances at once is often cost prohibitive.

Light bulb moment.

PAINT IT!!!

I know they have “stainless” spray paint but I seemed to recall a product specifically made for painting refrigerators to look stainless. So I started googling and found this product on Amazon….

The product had good reviews. And like I told Tammy, if it doesn’t turn out great, you can still probably sell the refrigerator on Craiglist for a hundred bucks.

So this is what we started out with…a plain ole’ black refrigerator….

The first thing I did was read ALL the directions but most importantly, the Amazon reviews. The people who have used the product gave some pretty solid advise.

After reading all the reviews, we went to work. I removed the handles (even if you want to paint them, remove them), cleaned the doors thoroughly, and taped off the water dispenser and inside around the rubber gaskets. One of the sagest pieces of advice was to apply THIN coats…so after the first coat this is what it looked like…

While this might not instill confidence in one’s ability to do this, I know how important it is to “trust the process.”

The second coat, a tad better….

By the third coat we were all amazed at how great it looked!

BR did a great job of working Tammy’s list…he removed the over head florescent lighting and capped off the cabinets with crown and installed can lights, painted the cabinets and added new hardware,…

…. removed the old venthood and cabinet above the stove and installed a new stainless vent…

….and removed the old tile backsplash and installed new.

Quartz counter tops were a little bit out of the budget but they were able to achieve a very similar look with new formica.

Beautiful!

Tammy LOVES her new kitchen and fortunately she loves her “new stainless” refrigerator.

Would she be happier with a brand new REAL stainless fridge? Wouldn’t we all!!!! But this is a prime example of changing an element in a room that will stop the growling (and the envy and frustration) until you can afford to do what you really want to do. I have done it over the years with furniture and now I can say I have successfully done it with a refrigerator.

If you don’t love it, CHANGE IT!!!!

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Board and Batten Entry....

The entry…the one place in your home EVERY guest will see. They may not see your awesome pantry…or even your darling guest bath or amazing kitchen, but when you open the door they will see your entry.

It is one reason I really stressed about what to do with this space. I wanted it to be warm and welcoming, and while it is a big space, there is very little “wall space” to allow for big credenzas or entry storage. I really don’t need either since we usually enter from the garage into the laundry room…great “drop zone” for our packages, coats, purses, shoes, etc….but I like the look of both in entry spaces!

Of course the first course of business was replacing the dated door, window and light fixture….relatively easy fixes and something I did before we moved in!

This was after the window was replaced but before the door, light fixture and flooring!

I debated on the board and batten for some time…

I just felt it needed a little “something.”

It only took me 16 years to get the entry in my last house the way I wanted it…I feel like I am moving at warp speed on this one…lol!

At one point I tried a larger rug…but I didn’t like it…I honestly like the little dinky rug that is probably too small for the space. This is a prime example of doing what I LOVE vs. doing what the “design experts” tell me I am suppose to do.

A hint of trouble came when winter hit and we needed a place for visitors coats…other than putting them in the closet in the office, there really was no place to hang them.

Coat racks are a bit out dated and just hanging a wall mount coat rack didn’t trip my trigger.

Board and batten allowed me to put a few hooks on the wall.

But that led to a little problem with the table. I LOVED the little walnut table, but you can’t hang coats above a table.

Again, it is NOT my style HOWEVER it was my grandparent’s and it is walnut…heirloom and walnut…my two favorite elements.

Truthfully I like the look of an entry table…but I really need the hanging space so I went looking for a simple bench.

And I found it….

I LOVE this bench I found on Etsy. Not the least expensive bench out there (and I paid a tad more for walnut) but the quality and craftsmanship made it worth the investment.

Since the table is a family heirloom I didn’t want to get rid of it. The little wickerish bedside table in the guest room had no sentimental value so it got hauled to the bunk room and the table is now a bedside table in the guest room…perfect!

I love the look and feel of this entry now…warm, inviting, functional.

I am currently playing around with the dining room table.

When it was set the other way, facing the living room….

….there was no room on the only large wall for a buffet or credenza.

So I have turned the table the “other” way, which gives me room for a buffet or credenza along the wall…

But I am not sure I like it “that way.” So it will sit while I ponder.

That is just how I roll…sometimes I have to sit and ponder, like whether to put up board and batten or whether I should turn my table a different way. Sometimes I know almost immediately I am not going to like it. Prime example, the “river rock” I put in a flower bed for drainage. I knew immediately I did not like the white rock I put down originally!

So out came the white rock and I found some that I liked better…

Sometimes it is okay to sit and “ponder.” I have learned that the more I really think about something, the more I tend to like it long term. When I just jump right in and start on a project without really visualizing it, living with it in my mind for a while, I tend to not like it as well. And that is a waste of time, energy and money!

Until next time….

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Downspout river bed...

I am SOOOOO bad at posting “before and afters” let alone tutorials. I see something I want to do, go do it and then think “Wow, that would be cool to share.”

This past week we put down mulch in all the flower beds. Then we had a heavy ran and one of the down spouts washed all the new mulch into the yard.

We tried the little rubber mat diverter thingy and that didn’t work. i don’t like those plastic hose things you attach to the end of the downspout…kind of ugly.

Hum…so I did what I usually do. I searched on Pinterest and found this solution….

I love river rock and love what Chelsea did with it to prevent washouts in her flower bed.

I dug out the area that was washing about 4” deep.

I bought two bags of smaller rock for a base and 5 bags of large white rocks. I edged the “river bed” with plastic landscaping edging just to keep everything in its place.

Walla…a simple solution for an annoying problem!!!

I’m not sure I am digging the white rock but that is what they had at Lowes….there is a good chance I will eventually replace it with something a little lest stark. For now I hope it resolves the problem.

The rocks on the left may seem a little out of place but those are my Colorado rocks…every time we drive out there I bring back a rock…one year it was a brick. (It just so happens the story of the brick is on the same post as a tutorial for making cedar planter boxes…perfect project for early spring!)

You may notice too that the daffodils seem a little, well, pathetic. That is because they are ones I just dug up and transplanted. Usually you plant spring bulbs in the fall…but every few years I go out into highway easements or the woods and dig up blooming daffodils in the spring. This year I brought home 3 HUGE buckets of FREE daffodils to fill the new beds…not so hot now, but next year they will be glorious!

One more month until our freeze date…can’t wait!!!!

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Finding the perfect display shelf (hopefully)....

I haven’t really been MIA…I’ve been here. My computer however has been with my accountant for two weeks while she did my taxes. AAUUUGGGGHHHH! I seriously dislike taxes. Which is why I pay an unGodly amount to have someone else do them.

Last year was a nightmare….first year I didn’t have a “kid deduction” and I sold the apartments and bought rent houses through a tax exchange.

Nightmare I tell ya.

But it is done and life goes on. Just one of those annual unpleasantries in life like mammograms and having your teeth cleaned…painful but necessary.

When last we spoke I promised to share the board and batten in my entry. I think I will wait for a full reveal until the custom bench I ordered comes in. The problem is I have put the walnut table back and I am really digging the “entry table” look. But I put hooks on the wall specifically for guests to have a place to hang coats so I HOPE I love the bench look!

Sooooo….what have I been up too. Well, nothing of any great consequence. The past two weeks have been typical winter weather so I have had to limit myself to “inside work” and since many of my inside projects entail some outdoor time, I haven’t accomplished much. It has warmed a bit this week so I am hoping to start getting more done!

I did get my Easter decor up. I have decided that rather than just decorate for fall and Christmas, I am going to do something for each season that will carry me through the entire year. So after Christmas came down, I did a little for Valentine’s Day…after that a little Easter…after Easter I will do Spring, then Memorial Day/ 4th of July, then Summer, Fall and finally Christmas.

Nothing HUGE like fall and Christmas but table decor on the dining room table (since we rarely use it)…

A wreath on the front porch…

Seasonal pillows on the porch chairs…

A little kitchen froo-froo…

And a few knick knacks and pillows here and there.

Simple but fun!

I love this little sign.

I bought two, not knowing whether I want to go with white or black.

I love the black by the front door. They each have a simple bow on the top (like the white one) and I discovered you can take the bows off…the little wire that holds the bow and greenery is fed through a little hole in the sign. At Christmas I made a Christmas bow and it was so cute I decided to make one for each season…a little seasonal ribbon and a little bit of greenery. Cute as a bugs ear and super simple!

I have spent YEARS propagating my fall and Christmas decor, and I REALLY don’t need to add to those collections. I have decided that every year I will start adding to my other “seasonal” collections….I so dislike how “bare” the house looks after the Christmas comes down and it will be nice to look forward to keeping the house festive year round. Again it will all be much more scaled down than fall and Christmas, but fun all the same!

My next big project will be shelving for my living room. I want to put a display shelf/bookcase to the right of the fireplace.

I thought seriously about doing a credenza type look with tall art or some such but I feel like I need something with more height since the shelving on the left is “low.”

I have to keep in mind too that eventually I want to reface the fireplace…I have NO idea what I want to do, but eventually that may impact this area.

I think I went into EVERY furniture store in NWArkansas looking for the perfect shelving. Nothing.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted, but I knew when I saw it I would know.

When I saw this “industrial” style unit in the store where we purchased our dining room table, I loved it.

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Now, I didn’t think I wanted “industrial” style shelving but again, that is the great thing about being somewhat “eclectic” in my design choices…I can add just about any style and it will work.

The bad news was the price….waaaay more than I really wanted to spend on a bookcase. Not that their furniture isn’t worth it, I just know me well enough to know that this is a “design choice” that may not be one of those “heirloom” pieces like our dining room table was.

So I kept looking and found this….

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Waaaay less expensive…and for obvious reasons. The frame is metal vs welded steel and the shelving material is MDF vs. beefy solid wood.

But here is my thought process. The look and style is very similar…almost identical sizing…and I can replace the MDF shelves with beefy wood shelving. It won’t be one of those “heirloom” pieces like the walnut shelves that were my grandmother’s (left of the fireplace) but they will serve their purpose and HOPEFULLY give me the look I THINK I want. Considering the savings, if I don’t like it, I can relegate it to a spare room with out feeling bad! And I won’t feel like I have to factor it into any decisions about the fireplace because if it won’t work, the “cost” won’t be a big factor.

The shelves arrived yesterday so we will see how my “best laid plans” work out. Hopeful they will turn out to be exactly what I want and I can share them next week!

Hopefully….

Until then….

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Pantry storage....

Winter has truly arrived and it is literally FREEZING outside…no bad winter precipitation, but frigid temperatures make going outside brutal. So inside where it is toasty warm is where I have been for the better part of the last week!

I started working on my awesome pantry and this week I finally put up some board and batten in the entry. The latter I will share when the paint dries and I am able to reset a few things.

The pantry…MAN OH MAN!!!

As I mentioned HERE I don’t need a lot of upper cabinet space because I have a super awesome walk in pantry.

As organized as my pantry seemed to be (for ME) I decided to give it a little “facelift”….more baskets, some storage containers, labels…all the froo-froo stuff I normally don’t even bother with. But again, I am “semi-retired” now and looking for things to do until I can’t go outside and dig in the dirt!

In my last house I only had a small cabinet pantry and didn’t see the need for all the bins and boxes and “stuff.” But since I store more in this pantry, everything from food to serving dishes to cookware, I decided I wanted to get super organized.

The first thing I did was pull out everything I wanted to put in containers and baskets. Everything that wasn’t going to be put in a basket, container or bin was organized. (I also took the time to wipe down all the shelving even though it had only been 6 months since it was last cleaned!

Here is my #1 tip for organizing ANY space…figure out what storage containers you need for the items you have FIRST, then go buy your storage containers…don’t go buy a lot of baskets and bins and containers.

In my case, I already had a few wicker baskets…perfect for holding chips, storage containers and lids, seldom used sweeteners, seasonal dish towels, cookie cutters, etc. I had 7 but based on the stuff I knew I wanted to store in them, I needed a few more. Fortunately I got them at Lowe’s and they still have them!

I love these little chalkboard labels I got HERE….super cute! They have a little string but I tied the string in a bow and just hot glued them directly onto the basket.

I have a lot of different flour…almond, coconut, gluten free, pancake mix, etc. I knew I would need proper storage for the flours and such.

My initial plan was to put everything in the Heritage Anchor Hocking jars…I just LOVE the look of a pantry filled with glass jars. But here’s the deal…they are heavy…and I am getting too stinking old and clumsy to be lugging around 1 gallon glass jars filled with flour.

So I wanted pretty to serve my purpose….

I found some nifty OXO storage containers at Home Goods…similar to these. I love them….I bought different sizes for the flours and mixes, baking soda and powder, cocoa powder, cornmeal, nuts, etc. The varying sizes stack neatly.

I also bought three sets of labels…small for the spice jars and medium and small for the pantry containers….I got them HERE! (I went a little over board labeling the actual shelves…I’ll probably take those off.)

The can food rack is a nifty little gadget to store canned food…in theory. In the picture on Amazon it shows that it holds four cans in each section…but it really doesn’t without one of the cans being all womper jomped…meh…whatever…it will do for now!

I bought a few clear containers… the baskets are great for hiding open chip bags and random storage containers and lids but I wanted clear bins for things I use daily like cat food, bread, and a few odds and ends.

As you can see I store a lot of stuff on the floor…bulky items like crock pots and big bags of animal food! I had some wire baskets I originally bought for my holiday wrapping station…perfect for holding water bottles, thermos’, potatoes and critter treats.

The left side of the pantry is for cooking ware…casserole dishes, mixing bowls, appliances and spare pots and pans…

One thing I LOVE about this panty…it has an outlet…so I can leave my toaster and can opener in the pantry rather than take up counter space.

While I was organizing and labeling I decided to do all my spices as well….

I had the milk glass jars but didn’t use them because they weren’t properly labeled…now they are!

At some point in the future I really want to add glass to the pantry door like I did to my laundry room door HERE.

No earth shattering reason…I just think it would look awesome with the glass cabinets.

But again, winter is here and there is NO way I can do any work outside…so that little “to do” will have to wait until warmer days!

Hopefully I can share my entry next week. I THINK I like the board and batten…maybe when I get it all staged I will know for certain.

So until next week….

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Curtains...

Last week I concentrated on hanging curtains in a few windows.

I have a “list of things to do” but it is still pretty cold outside. I need to paint the trim in the office, master bedroom and laundry room. I am using oil base paint and as you know, cleaning brushes with mineral spirits can take a bit of time outside. I want to do some trim work in the entry, but again, outside work. I may tackle the pantry this week but not sure exactly what I want to do…I ordered some jars and labels.

I have Raynaud’s which is this stupid circulation thing with my hands and feet. No biggy except whereas a “normal” person could probably work out side for short periods of times when it is below 65 degrees, I can not. It causes great pain and distress and is frustrating as heck!!!

I’m still adjusting to being “semi-retired.”

For those of you who grind it every day like I did for years, the idea of “retiring” may seem appealing. If you like waking up on Monday morning with little purpose for the week, go for it. If you like sitting around reading or binge watching 10 year old TV programs days on end, go for it. If you think you are going to volunteer, forget it. They don’t want you during a pandemic. If you think you are going to garden all day or project outside, make sure you have a library ready for the three or four months out of the year you can’t get outside.

The highlight of my entire week was the little warm up we had. I was able to get out and reorganize my garage.

Seriously, that was the highlight of the ENTIRE week.

I knew finding a “purpose” would take time….it’s still taking it’s time…lol!

Enough of my pity party…on to the curtain adventure!

So as you may know from my last house, I am not a big “curtain person.” Every single window in this house has 2” mini blinds…which are nice but they are just so….”mini blindish.”

One of the really awesome things about this house is that no window gets direct sunlight, so no window really needs to filter out hot sun. Also, no window is really “open to the public” so privacy is not a huge issue.

The windows in the living room and den adjoin the all-season room.

The windows in the breakfast room adjoin the side screened porch.

The windows in the dining room face west…

… but are shaded by the covered front porch and the large trees in the front yard. There is a bit of a need for “privacy” since they face the street…but not much. You would have to be on our front porch to see in and truthfully I am rarely in a state of “need for privacy” in my dining room!

So basically the need for curtains boil down to aesthetics…I look at curtains kinda like lipstick. You don’t HAVE to have it but it kind of dresses things up a bit and finishes off the “look.”

For the record, I rarely wear lipstick either!

But since I want to really make an effort on this house and since I have WAAAAY too much time on my hands, I decided to tackle a few windows…put a little lipstick on the rooms so to speak.

So off to the home decor store I went.

Again, I don’t really NEED curtains in the dining room but I found a set I really like.

(I notice I need to make some adjustments…especially to the curtain on the left.)

I decided to leave the blinds in place for now just incase we do need privacy or to block the sun…eventually I may do something different but not sure what. I do love the curtains and they work well with the “glitter/monotone” vibe I am going for in this room.

I did have a debate as too where to hang the curtains…above the transom or between the transom and the window. I looked on Pinterest and decided I actually like the look of curtains above the transom…so that’s where I hung them.

My plan is to make this table my “seasonal decor” spot. Since we rarely use this table, it is the perfect place to go all out…kinda of like I did for Christmas….

I plan to do this for every holiday. I picked up a bunch of stuff for Easter but can’t find anything I really like for Valentine’s Day so right now it is kind of bare.

I am a big fan of Pinterest. If you are looking for inspiration…what color or how high…just search and cruise. I promise you will eventually see a pattern to what you do and don’t like.

Went with simple for the den and breakfast room…I removed the blinds and added plain ole’ white sheers. Neither of these windows need shading or even privacy for that matter and I thought this simple look was like a bit of lip gloss. Simple and understated.

I found curtains for the office but still have to get another curtain rod…another project for another day!

So I made an effort and I like the little changes. The major change will be the living room windows. I tried just removing the blinds…I like it…Brian doesn’t. I thought about shutters but when I looked at “shutters” on Pinterest I realize I really didn’t like the look. I may try tall curtain panels across the entire wall but then the big question becomes “what fabric…what color…blah, blah, blah”

I may have to save that for another week…between the afternoon of rearranging the garage and my eye appointment on Tuesday I am plum worn out.

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A new year....

I was SOOOOO excited for Christmas this year…the new house all decked out in all its stunning Christmas glory. (and HERE) It was the first year in years that the entire family would be here Christmas morning. It was our first year without Mom so being surrounded by family was super important.

Then the “2020 curse” hit. Brian tested positive for Covid the Tuesday before Christmas. Sarah and Ashton were already here so they immediately packed up and went home to quarantine for two weeks. Mitchell had driven in from Phoenix so he was kind of stuck. Brian immediately went to bed and could not have ventured out of the bedroom if he had wanted too. I wore a mask in the house and Mitchell and I “social distanced” in my own home.

Mitchell finally went home Saturday and it hit me like a train Monday morning. I spent 5 days in bed wondering if this would be the point in my life when I would start wetting the bed. I was exhausted!!!

Christmas…the most wonderful time of the year.

Not so much this year.

My oldest grandson couldn’t go home for Christmas and my son-in-law stayed in their camper for two weeks because Sarah and Ashton were quarantining after being here. Christmas morning I watched Sarah and her family open gifts on Zoom. Christmas day Mitchell and I opened presents alone….we had to stay across the room from each other and wear masks…no hugs. Matt and Hannah came over and got one gift each and opened them in the front yard while I watched from the window. This past week we finally felt well enough to celebrate Christmas with the local kiddos. Matt and Hannah and our grandpup Piper. Brandon and Taylor and our grandpups Zia and Zoey. I made them all wear their pajamas…I made a few crockpots of soups and chowders and a few desserts.

Katie will be here this weekend…she and her boyfriend had to cancel their trip home for Christmas and spent the day alone in their apartment.

The whole thing made me sad.

Time to buckle down and focus on the positive.

That is ALL I could do to keep from feeling totally overwhelmed with the “grief” of losing what I just knew would be a wonderful day filled with all the magic of a Christmas with ALL my kids. Last year was so difficult because two of the kids were missing. This year Mom would be missing so I was really focused on the fact that ALL our kids would be home and we have a beautiful new home to celebrate in.

So what are the positives…

1) Been there done that…we are finally able to go back to eating out without the fear of catching this blasted virus. We use to go out for breakfast every Saturday morning but had to stop last March.

2) No more “living in fear.” As I have shared numerous times, I believe “fear” can destroy our happiness and cripple our ability to live life to its fullest. While we still wear our masks in public because it is a state mandate, we no longer have to “fear” catching the virus. We’ve had it and we survived.

3) We survived. While I strongly believe the odds are greatly in your favor of making a full recovery, the media has drilled it in our heads that this has the potential to be a crippling and even deadly illness. So the fact that we both came out of it with nothing but some residual fatigue is a positive!

4) None of our family caught it from us. That alone is a miracle and something I am soooo grateful for! This virus is a “flu” and if you have ever had a full blown case of the flu you know it is NOT fun! I am soooo grateful we didn’t infect people we love.

I certainly wouldn’t encourage one to go out and intentionally get this thing, but now I feel like we can begin to live our lives with a tad bit of normalcy again. And while it crippled our Christmas this year, I now have a bit of hope that NEXT year will be better!

All this whining to say…I want to start some projects but right now all I can do is walk around an THINK about it.

So what next? Well it is a bit cold to be projecting outside. Even so, I am chomping at the bit to start landscaping this yard…I think I already have the entire yard landscaped in my mind!

The house…now that all the Fall and Christmas decor is down, the house just seems so “blah.” But now I can start thinking about what I want to work on next.

The entry….

…it needs SOMETHING. Not sure what but it will get some froo-froo. Certainly a rug…maybe a little board and batten.

The living room and den…

…I know for certain I want new paddle fans and SOMETHING with the fireplaces.

The breakfast room…

…I know all the windows need window treatments. My vision is wood tone Roman shades and white curtains.

The dining room…

…I have NO idea but it desperately needs something!

The kitchen….

…I’m pretty happy with the kitchen. I may do something different in the pantry but not sure yet.

Then there is the trim in the bedroom and office that still needs to be painted. The bathroom and laundry room cabinets I think I might want to paint. The all season room ceiling I might want to paint.

So I have a lot of projects I think I want to do…I just have to get focused. Right now the energy level is still lacking a bit and as I said, the best I can do is walk around and think…and maybe that is a good thing. Sometimes the longer I “look and think” the happier I am with the results.

So here is to 2021…may we all have a better year. Healthier, happier and more productive.

No concrete goals but sometimes just working towards a “concept” is a good thing!

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My Christmas gift to you....

Next week is Christmas so I plan to take a bit of a break for the next few weeks so I can focus on the holidays and my kids! HOPEFULLY they will all be here this year. I know many are forgoing family gatherings due to the virus but we have all agreed to tread lightly and carefully for the next few weeks so that we can all be together!

For Christmas this year, I want to give YOU the greatest gift I can give.

Advice. (Course this may be a prime example of “you get what you pay for…” LOL!)

Okay, so obviously we all (me included) fail to take GOOD advice or we would all have dang near perfect lives. Because let’s be honest, throughout our lives those who were older and wiser told us what we needed to do or not do to have a happy life…we just didn’t take it to heart.

But I saw this on Facebook (if its on Facebook it must be true and wise, right?!) and I thought, this…this is a few bits of good advice. MAYBE I should start taking to heart GOOD advice so my life will be better…and happier…and easier.

Of course, I have had to add my two cents…

1) Love your life…and if you don’t, CHANGE IT!!!! Change your circumstances, change who you allow in your life, CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE!!! If you are unhappy, lonely, hurting….you have all the power to CHANGE IT!!!!

2)Take pictures of everything….but don’t get so busy trying to “capture the memory” you forget to put down the camera/phone and take in what is before you…nature, your kids, a pet. Take pictures, but remember pictures go in albums or in the cloud…the “picture” you take with your mind will stay with you forever if you commit it to your memory! On average it takes about 30 seconds to commit a “short term” memory into a “long term memory.” Put down the phone or camera and soak it all in!!!!

3) Tell people you love them. Say “I love you” every opportunity you have…always. One day they may be gone and you don’t want to live with the regret of not telling them how much they mean to you.

When my mother was dying I leaned down and said “I love you Mom.” She was not really coherent at that point but I SWEAR she said “I love you too.” It is a precious moment I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Say “I love you.” Not necessarily for THEM but for YOU!

4) Talk to random strangers. Not hard for me…I’m kind of an extrovert. But this may be tough for some. Step outside of your comfort zone…even if it is just a quick comment on the weather. You would be shocked to know that there are A LOT of lonely people out there who would be touched by the acknowledgement that they exist.

5) Do things you are afraid to do. Fear is a HORRIBLE thing to control your life. As a matter of fact, I would argue that if fear is dictating ANY part of your life. you are not living your best life. A “healthy respect” for things that can harm you (leaving your doors unlocked, not washing your hands religiously) is good…but FEAR is not good. Really evaluate if your fear is RATIONAL! If it is not, work to eliminate that fear hanging over your head!

6) Take your life and make it the best story in the world. Again, make the most of your life…if you are not happy with your life, CHANGE IT! You and you alone are responsible for your happiness. You are responsible for whether your life is the best it can be. Don’t blame your unhappiness on circumstances or on others…regardless of how badly they have hurt you. YOU have the power to to make your life the best it can be…you have the power to “write” your own story. And see #5, because sometimes fear is controlling our ability to make positive changes…both in our circumstances AND our attitude.

Quick side note…I read somewhere that fear, frustration, and hurt are the catalyst for anger. Hum…if you feel “angry, “ something to think about.

7) Don’t waste it. You get one life. Even if you believe in an after life, these few short years is all you are going to get on this earth. This is it. You were born, you will die. Every day you waste being negative and unhappy is a wasted day. What if this were your last day on this earth…do you really want to spend it consumed by negative emotions…. fear, anger, bitterness, hate!

So as we FINALLY put this tough year behind us, let’s all vow to live a better life.

After all, we all have the power within ourselves to do exactly that.

Take lots of pictures, but commit to memory those special people and places.

Challenge yourself to conquer your fears…pet a spider, jump out of a plane, clean out that closet!

Say I love you more to the people we love.

Say hi to a strangers, give them a smile, pay them a compliment…

Say thank you…

Be kind…

Vow to make your life the best it can be….

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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The kitchen reveal...

When I photographed the kitchen and den for this post, I didn’t know where to start…this space is amazing from every angle.

So get ready for A LOT of pictures!!!!

A few “befores.”

As you can see, the kitchen wasn’t THAT bad…certainly livable and very workable with a little tweeking. But when I bought this house I did so knowing I was going to make it my own. And I did!

This is how I start at “base neutral.” Take it out…take it ALL out…cabinets, walls, fixtures, carpet…EVERYTHING!

I think this was about the time Brian walked in and about had a stroke! He trusts my “vision” but I had DESTROYED a perfectly fine kitchen!

Sometimes I have to take a space or a piece of furniture to “base neutral” before I can get a clear picture of what I want to do…the “what is” can really clutter your mind!

Eventually I started putting it all back together.

HERE I shared how and why I chose many of the design elements in the kitchen. After 20 years of “tweeking” and having just completed a “mini makeover” on my last kitchen a few months ago I knew what I wanted in this space.

I also had a computer file full of inspiration….HERE is my process for “finding my inspiration,”

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There are so many things I love about this kitchen…where to start.

Let me start with the element the entire kitchen was designed around.

The tile backsplash!

I found it HERE. Now…yes, it is super expensive.But I didn’t need a lot and I firmly believe every room should have at least ONE element that is the foundation for all else. It should be something you absolutely love. As long as you can afford to pay cash for it and not “charge” it, I say go for it!

The minute I saw this tile I know it was going to be the foundation for my entire kitchen design.

The grey Carrera marble accent in the tile coordinated with the grey veined quartz and the stainless steel appliances.

The gold fixtures above the island and brass hardware coordinated well with the gold accents in the tile.

Speaking of island…OH MY GOSH I love this piece. I found the largest piece of quartz I could buy (approximately 65x132) and designed the cabinet bases around that.

I ended up with three awesome storage cabinets on the bar side…

Two great built in shelving units on the ends….

The trash cabinet, drawers, sink and dishwasher on the “work side”…

The drawers…I LOVE the “dish drawers.” I had the cabinet maker make the drawers heavy duty and I used THIS system in the drawers for my dishes….

The bottom drawer has the same system and holds glasses and small plates.

I also had the him make “drawer in drawer” systems for the drawers that would hold all the silverware and cooking utensils…then I built the dividers!

Again, LOVE!

As you can see, the utensils were total chaos without dividers!

You may notice I don’t have a “junk drawer” in the kitchen. Well, that’s because I have tons of drawer storage in my laundry room and have TWO designated junk drawers!!!

Okay, one is actually a “tool” drawer. I keep a hand full of tools in the house so I don’t have to go to the shop every time I need a hammer or screwdriver. (Wait til you see the shop…OH MY!)

Again, I built dividers to keep everything relatively organized!

Building drawer dividers is NOT hard…I showed you how HERE. I used ½” oak on these so they are a tad sturdier!

You may also notice I only have two upper cabinets.

That is because I don’t NEED tons of upper cabinet space because I have an AMAZING walk in pantry.

It even has an electric outlet so I don’t have to clutter my counter tops with the can opener and toaster.

The “cooking space.”

First, it is no secret I love walnut. When I was working with my cabinet maker I made it clear that I wanted the most beautiful walnut he could find for these bases. I showed him this “inspiration photo.”

He did not disappoint.

No stain…just three coats of Waterlox. This product is amazing!!! Super easy to apply and has held up beautifully so far. My experience with oil finishes is even when they do get a little worn and tired looking, a quick wipe with 0000 steel wool and tack cloth and a fresh coat of the oil finish brightens like new!

So much of my “inspiration” for this space came from my last home…floating shelves, reed glass upper doors, under counter lighting and gas cooktop.

The oven is a tad “low” for my tastes but the gas cook top needed a specific clearance beneath it. I love the built in look of the microwave…it is just a counter top microwave sitting in a cutout. The large drawer beneath the microwave holds all my daily cooking pots and pans. All the drawers left of the oven hold utensils, baking sheets, mitts, etc. Plenty of organized space for things you need every day at your fingertips! Again, the pantry is large enough to hold things I don’t need every day…crock pots, large pots, mixing bowls, casserole dishes, etc.

The “breakfast room” is adjacent to the kitchen…I shared it HERE when I shared my laundry room….

One thing in my pantry is super special…a functional piece that has sentimental value. This pull down knife holder was my grandmother’s…then my mothers…and now mine.

Maybe silly to some that such a simple piece can mean so much, but it does!

The den….

A perfect space for just the two of us! I didn’t make HUGE changes in this space.

One change was the built ins. “Back in the day” a big base cabinet with shelving above was all the rage. Probably so you would have a place for your big ole’ honkin’ television.

I wanted plain ole’ built in floor to ceiling shelving. I removed the base cabinet and custom built shelving to fit in the space…presto-bingo…shelving!

There are still a few changes I want to make to this space. Again, reface the fireplace and change out the paddle fan…again, all in due time.

The guest room and exercise room are right off the den. Nothing show worthy at this time…the guest room is almost identical to the guest room in my other house. The exercise room is currently my “wrapping room” and that is REALLY not going to be shared at this time!