Yardwork

We have been trying really hard to get our yard looking half decent. It has been a lot of work, but we are finally starting to see the fruits or our labor. It still needs a lot of improvement, but we are pretty happy with how far it has come. Hopefully it will look even better next year! (now if only we could get rid of those dang slugs!)


{This is Mr. G chillin while we work on the yard}



Christmas is Coming...

Our house looks like Christmas, smells like Christmas and feels like Christmas! This year I added a couple of new ornaments to our tree and I am in love with them! I also got to put up our mercury glass decorations that I got last year after Christmas for a killer deal. This really is the most wonderful time of year! Things have been a little hectic around our house, so we haven't had a chance to really soak in the season, but coming home to a pretty lit tree and some fun decorations makes it a little better! I love this time of year!

Project Nursery: Final Reveal

So we pretty much have the nursery all put together.... with a few days to spare! Now the baby can come any time and I will feel okay about it.

Here is a before picture to remind you what it looked like before...

And here is what it looks like now... {Awesome Glider that was a gift from my Grandpa Fox}

Now all we need is the final accessory to make this nursery complete... a baby!

Project Nursery: Wall Art Update

Here is an updated photo of the wall art I posted about a while back. We grouped it together collage style on the wall and I think it turned out pretty darn cute. Don't worry, these suckers are as secure as can be! We used nails and these things that secure the frames to the wall that they use in earthquake country. They aren't going anywhere!

Project Nursery: Accessories

I have loved gathering little accessories for the nursery here and there through the last few months. A few of my favorite accessories are:

{squirrel wall decal that adds a little whimsy to the room}

{Jerry's blue baby blanket and orange polka dot pillow I made}

{orange sand timer... might be good for time outs in the future?}

{snips and snails print}

{sweet little bird nightlight}

{owl lamp from target}

Hallway Revamp

Our hallways were looking a little empty, so I decided to spruce them up with a collage of frames. I really like that we were able to gather lots of pictures from throughout our dating and marriage and reminisce every time we walk by.

Dog Bed

Since our dog is with us all the time and she sleeps and stays out in the living room, I thought I would beautify her kennel and make it a little more coordinating with our house. Here is the before and after.

I think she likes it....

Speaking of beautifying things... here is a picture of my new favorite throw pillows on our couches. Best part about it? They were on sale for $5 each at KMart. Who knew KMart had such cute stuff??

Project Bathroom: Before and After

I wish I had more BEFORE pictures, but unfortunately I didn't take too many! I was not too happy with my paint choice the first time we painted this thing about a year ago, so I ended up painted the entire room instead of just having one ugly accent wall. I also repainted the ceiling (not by choice... I kind of had to because I kept hitting it with the roller when I was painting the walls! I am not patient enough for painting!) a creamy white color. Now... my project is not complete without finishing touches right? I used my same oil rubbed bronze spray paint and painted all of my existing hardware (towel ring, tp holder, towel bar). I even sprayed a basket I had around to match the bathroom a little better. I decided to paint the vanity in the bathroom pillar white by behr and added some cute oil rubbed bronze hardware. Last but not least I sprung for a new light fixture... oil rubbed bronze of course! It looks like a whole new room, and I am pretty happy with it!

{BEFORE}

{AFTER}
SO... let's break it down...
TOTAL COST: $44
Paint on walls: $0 (left over from front room)
Paint on ceiling: $0 (left over from master bedroom)

Paint on cabinets: $5 (after $10 gift card from work)

Hardware on cabinets: $16

Refinishing tp holder, towel ring and towel rod: $0 (left over from fan project)

New light fixture: $23 (after $25 gift card from rewards debit card)

{Before}

{After}

Satisfaction from lots of hard work: Priceless.

*Next up on the to-do list for this room... remove mirror and add framed mirror, get new ORB faucet, get new shower curtain and accessories. Those are all another project for another day...far far away. For now I am happy with my newly redone bathroom.

On the Brain

I have house re-do on the brain. There are so many little projects that I want to tackle at our house, but I have to organize my thoughts and decide which ones would be the most worth while. As I have been doing some research to see how much each project would cost I find myself wandering the aisles of Home Depot and Lowes quite a bit. Since these projects won't start until after we get our tax return I have a lot of time to sit and look at all the pretty little things that I would like to buy. Here are a few of them.... {all photos are from my phone. sorry about the grainy quality}

{I am going to work on making one of these TV stands from a coffee table that we already have. I don't know how great it will turn out, and we might just end up buying ourselves one of these. I just can't bring myself to dropping $400 bones on this thing!} {I am in love with this table. AND the lazy susan. I want it. Bad.}

{we are going to start working on our basement soon and I am thinking an L shaped sectional would be perfect down there. And this one? So comfy.}{the kitchen is another project that will be coming up soon. I really love this faucet. ORB? yes please.}

{I have already started working on our hallway bathroom.... and that reveal will be coming soon. But I am thinking this light fixture would be just perfect in there.}

{and wouldn't this big mirror look awesome above the vanity in the bathroom? I am thinking yes. yes it would.}

Can you guess the projects I have decided on? Let me break it down for you.

House Re-Do To Do:

-Paint kitchen cabinets and add ORB hardware (maybe replace kitchen faucet with ORB if we can find a good deal)

-Get new dining room table and chairs to match our great newly painted kitchen.

-Get/Make window treatment for kitchen window (no more neighbors spying on us cooking in the kitchen! creepy!)

-Get/Make entertainment center for upstairs TV to get all the chords and electronics organized and out of the way.

-Finish hallway bathroom project (it is almost done! woo hoo!).

-Paint and texture walls/ceiling in basement to cover bad mud job from previous owners (maybe add wainscoting or bead board as well)

-Get furniture for basement

-Get/Make window treatments for basement

-Move sprinkler lines to make way for a cement patio in the back yard.

-Lay cement patio in back yard. (this one I am nervous for. my dad knows how to do cement, but would it just be worth it to pay someone to do it for us? thoughts?)

-Plant trees in backyard to block the view from the neighbors who peek into our kitchen. (any recommendations on good low maintenance trees?)

These are our 2010 house re-do projects. We will see how many of these projects we really get done! We are going to be doing these projects all by ourselves. So... if anyone has ever tackled anything similar to these projects any advice would be great! Wish us luck! I'll keep ya'll posted with our progress. Now all we need is for the IRS to hurry it up a little! Sheesh.

Before and After: Ceiling Fan

Everything in our house is brass. Doorknobs, light fixtures, hinges, railings.... EVERYTHING. We have already started to replace some of the light fixtures and other things, but it can get expensive. I thought I would try and be thrifty and refinish what I already have. So... Here is what I came up with.

{Our ceiling fan before... a brass mess. }

{in the process... priming}

{after the painting... without the new light}

Did you know they have Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint? AND did you know it is AMAZING? I think I may be using this on a few other projects. It was so easy to use and it came out great! I spent $8 on spray paint (primer and paint), $30 on new lights for our fan and VOILA! A brand new fan.

Here was my inspiration ($177 at Lowes).

$38 later.... and I am happy with the results!

Yay for thrifty home makeovers!