Life's about Balance

Last night Jared and I had a conversation about spending money.

Me: "I wish I made more money so I could buy nice things for our house."

Jared: "I think we should spend money on things we can do and experience and not on material things."

Me: "So you're saying we should plan a vacation!"

Jared: "Well... yeah."

Which makes me wonder: should I stop spending so much time, energy, and money on home improvements and decorations? Should we spend more of our resources on trips and be more adventurous? How do you strike a balance between the two?

I think Jared might be right... if our house burnt to the ground and all of our "stuff" was lost (God forbid... I realize this has happened to people so I'm not trying to make a joke of it) but we were fortunate enough to get ourselves and our dog out in time... what would be left? We'd have our experiences and each other... so maybe we should rethink our investments. I know Jared would be seriously disappointed that his new TV went up in smoke... and I'd be really bummed that I just spend two weeks of my life refinishing the china hutch that never got used... but we'd have all that we really need, wouldn't we?

So, Erin... remember how we were talking about planning a trip to Sonoma for Christian's 30th birthday this year? Let's really do it... and while we're at it... let's plan a local wine tasting trip too. I'm all about new experiences...


(And... still really into fixing up the home... but I think I need to find a new sense of balance)

Fun Fabrics

I'm not sure why... but for the past few weeks I have been obsessing over fabric. I've been scouring online fabric depots just for fun and want to share with you a few of my favs.


Fun Fabrics by coffee22 on Polyvore.com

1. I love the solid stripes and am picturing a set of throw pillows on two white Adirondack chairs in my backyard. The navy and white stripes are so nautical and just beg to be outdoors. OK, so my "white Adirondack" chairs are actually off-white, and they are $10 plastic knock-offs from Home Depot last year... but work with me.

2. Depending on the repeat of this next green leafy print, I imagine place mats or a table runner.

3. If you like geometric prints as much as I do there's no limit to options with this silver sage circular fabric. I would love to exchange the red throw pillows I have on my stone colored sofa for a set in this print.

4. This Sungold/Stolkholm print is available at Calico Corners (one of my favorites!) and actually comes in a few other vibrant colors as well. Erin and I are both loving all things yellow this season I this one made my list!

5. I'm reminded of a Rorschach inkblot test when I stare at this print... but I love the turquoise blue and can picture this in any outdoor space.

6. Just because I love the fretwork and lattice prints.

7. Lattice + black & white = I'm loving it!

8. Itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny, yellow polka dot ... pillow! More yellow, and who doesn't love polka dots!?

9. This Waverly print called, "Lovely Lattice" has been in my dreams. I am going to go pick up a swatch so I can see it in person... but I think it will be the perfect backdrop to a project I've been working on for two weeks now. You'll just have to wait and see how I plan to use it, so stay tuned.

I don't like to brag (OK maybe a little) but I did just so happen to win the "Clothing & Construction Award" in High School. And you don't win that baby by stitching up scrunchies! It's been a while, but once I remember how to thread the bobbin (always the hardest part in my opinion) the possibilities are endless. So now all I need is a sewing machine and an afternoon without distractions. I'll let you know if that ever happens.

Before & After: French Doors

A few weeks ago we decided to update the window treatments on our french doors. They were masked with a few sets of sheer panels and while they did provide privacy and diffuse some sunlight, I wasn't happy with the appearance. Here is a quick before shot:

Not really doin' much for me... in fact, I could not wait to (gently) rip them off of the doors...

We drove down the street to Home Depot to pick out plain white blinds that would be consistent with the rest of our windows. Of course the pre-boxed blinds were not available in the exact size we needed for the doors. However, the helpful orange bib'ed man in the blinds department custom cut two sets of blinds to my exact measurements. So I left the store with the perfect size blinds and was able to install them the same day, beat that Next Day Blinds. (And by me... I mean the drill wielding man in my life.) Here is an after shot of the new blinds:
I love sitting in the sun room with a cup of coffee before starting the day... I can open up the blinds just enough to let in some light and still block the neighbors view enough so they can't tell I am in my bath robe...
The set of blinds each came with a trim to hide the brackets above the window. Since we used blinds on doors in this case, we bought a few L-shaped brackets to drill into the door below the blinds and super glued them to the bottom slat so the blinds wouldn't slam each time the door is opened or closed. It was a super easy option to update and improve the look of our french doors and since each blind was under $30, it was pretty cost effective too.

Before & After: Front Yard

Here it is: Our curb appeal before & after -- check it out!

Before:





After:



So what did we plant?

(2) Wintergreen Boxwoods on either side of the porch.
They are slow-moderate growers, and will reach a maximum of 3-4' in height. They're mound-shaped shrubs and evergreen. I love their light green color.

(3) Helen Curtis Azaleas in front of the bay window.
They are slow-moderate growers as well, and will reach a maximum of 3' in height. Like the boxwoods, the azaleas are evergreen, but bloom white double flowers in May, like the example below.


I can't wait to see our new pretty white blooms next month.

So what do you think? Quite a difference right?

I still have plans for the big empty space to the left of the porch, but that will have to wait a couple of weeks. With all the improvements to our curb appeal this month -- which not only included the landscaping, but also getting our exterior painted and replacing the molding above the windows -- we exceeded our monthly "home improvement" budget for April! Which just means there will be more planting in May. Can't wait!

Looking at Knobs & Pulls

Knobs by coffee22 on Polyvore.com


I'm searching for cabinet hardware for the china hutch I bought off of Craigslist in February. It pretty much goes without saying that the cream colored ceramic knobs have got to go. They must have been trendy at some point in the past two decades but today... not so much. Last weekend I removed the old hardware (knobs, hinges, etc.) and began sanding the entire hutch to prep for fresh paint. Tomorrow I plan to finish the rest of the sanding and get started on priming and painting... my goal is a to have a made-over hutch by Monday!



We've already bought new hardware for the kitchen cabinets but have yet to install anything. I'd like to stick with a silver or nickel finish for the hutch since it is next to our kitchen table (and near the cabinets). So I've put together a quick board of options to get an idea of what might work. There are two sets of drawers on the hutch; the top set consists of four drawers each with two knobs and the bottom set of four drawers as a single knob. I'm not sure if I should use the same knobs on all 8 drawers, or if I should look for 8 smaller knobs for the top drawers. (ee photo of hutch below.)

I was considering the idea of using the cup-shaped drawer pulls on the lower four drawers and simple knobs for the top drawers. Then for the cabinet doors I could use the same knobs to keep a consistent look. I'd like a casual look and I think the drawer pulls look less formal. Decisions, decisions...

Happy Earth Day!

I know it's a day late to wish you a Happy Earth Day, but I have been running around Washington D.C. like a mad-woman for work all week. (And Erin is on assignment in Miami; darn you day jobs, you are really getting in the way of our blogging!) It's never too late for Earth Day though, is it?

This is a close up of the tree in front of my house, ain't it purdy?

I don't remember it being this beautiful last year but maybe I just never took the time to notice. Standing under it is like looking up into a canopy of white.

Last weekend it was in full springtime bloom and looked breathtaking. (Especially for those with allergies.) All jokes aside though, I actually stopped in my tracks on my way out the door and took notice of just how lovely the tree looked, and snapped a picture. I know it won't keep these adorable white blooms for long... just goes to show you the importance of the phrase, "stop and smell the roses." Or... stop and look at the trees... whatever, you get my point. Here today, gone tomorrow. Don't let the opportunity pass you by. Yadda yadda yadda.

I even used a few branches in one of my Easter centerpieces a few weeks ago. Back then the branches had pink and white buds... what a transformation. Thank you Mother Earth.

Textured Paint: Do Not Try This at Home

While I love our home for all that we've accomplished since we've been here, there's one room I can't stand to look at anymore, and unfortunately it's one of the rooms in which I probably spend the most time -- our Kitchen.

Our home's previous owners apparently had an affinity for texture, because they took it upon themselves to add a sand texture finish to the kitchen walls, which looks like stucco gone horribly wrong.


As if texture weren't enough, they painted the kitchen walls a semi-gloss mint green! It was awful. One of our first painting projects was in the kitchen, where we took the texture down a notch by painting the walls using a flat, light cream paint. But now with new hardwood flooring installed and a DIY kitchen cabinet makeover on the horizon, the time has come to get rid of the textured walls once and for all.

We're Bringing in the Professionals
I'm all for DIY home improvement projects (obviously!) but we're hiring professionals for this job. The painters are going to sand down the texture and then skim out the walls with a drywall compound until the walls are smooth. Then they'll apply a coat of primer and two coats of eggshell paint to seal everything in.

How to Prep for a Big Sanding Project
Thanks to our previously-leaky bay window, we have a lot of experience with sanding in the home. Nothing gets into every nook and cranny like sanding dust, so if you have a big sanding project to do at some point, I highly recommend the following:

1. Move everything that can be moved. From kitchen tables and chairs, rugs, home accessories, sofa cushions, and dishes, to cabinet contents, window treatments, lamps, books, small appliances, etc., move all of these items to another area. Displacing as much as you can will save you some vacuuming and dusting. Because believe me, you'll have plenty of that to do once the project is complete.

2. Drop cloth what's left behind. What can't be moved should be covered with drop cloths (plastic or fabric) before the work begins. Ideally this will keep dust from settling into what must remain in and around the project zone, but don't bank on it. Drop cloths will protect your large sofa or dining table, but be prepared to vacuum/wipe these things down once the project is complete.

Image courtesy of ApartmentTherapy.com

I just can't wait to see final result -- all the moving, cleaning, and reorganizing will be so worth it once we have banished the most noticeable mark left by our home's previous owners. Our kitchen will have fresh, smooth walls again! There's nothing like a clean slate for an upcoming project!