a new appreciation this mother's day

it was a cold january morning when i first found out our lives were about to drastically change.  i already knew the answer but needed to see the confirmation for myself.  i let the test lay on the bathroom counter and came back into the room again and again to stare at it in disbelief.  could this be it? 

i decided to wake rob up to show him, to make sure i wasn't dreaming.  we both felt it seemed too good to be true and agreed to take another test again the next day.  and the next day, the results flashed on the screen even faster than before. 

several ultrasounds and pounds later, i think the reality has finally set in.  we're having a baby! 
it feels like such a gift and i'm so incredibly thankful.

 16 weeks

this mother's day feels a little different as we look into our future and have a bigger appreciation for our own mothers than ever before. 

happy mother's day to all you amazing inspiring mothers! 

refinished kitchen cabinets

our kitchen cabinets are oak and original to the house.  although they have held up nicely, oak cabinets in general feel a little dated and country to me.  there's also quite a lot of wood going on in one room:  wood floors, wood trim, wood beams, wood doors, wood cabinets.  it was screaming for a little more interest/contrast.

our realtor recommended getting the cabinets professionally refinished, and since painting the cabinets in our last kitchen had been such a tedious process, i was completely open to the idea of hiring it out this time around.

our kitchen looked like a scene out of dexter for a couple days.  everything had to be taped off since the cabinets would be refinished using a sprayed lacquer. 

 

color:  Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray HC-105

total cost:  $1400

 

$1400 at first seemed like a lot of money to me until we received a second bid back that was more than twice that amount.  as much time as we spend in our kitchen, it was decided that the expense was worth it.  i also knew i'd never be able to create as professional of a finish myself with a paint brush and roller. 

 

(i'm still on the hunt for new hardware...)

 

what do you think of the end result?

 

 

 

 

our new dining light fixture

do you remember our plans to replace the existing arts and crafts light fixture? since we have a 1960s ranch (and not a historic arts and crafts bungalow), the style didn't quite go with the architecture of our home.

plus the fixture just felt a little clunky to me. 
 

i need to put an ad on craigslist to find it a new home which shouldn't be a problem based on all the compliments it has received.

the new west elm drum shade went up in it's place.  what do you think?

 

 

i kind of love it. 

winter progress

i've been making some good progress lately in our open living and dining area.  the existing sage green walls were pretty neutral and inoffensive, but just not quite my style.  they set more of a traditional tone than what i was after. 

i found myself coming back to benjamin moore white dove, the same color we used at our old house, tried and true.  i love how white/ivory walls can instantly make a room feel more fresh and modern. 

about that light fixture, i have received a surprising amount of compliments on it in which my response is, "would you like it?  it's all yours."  it's an arts and crafts style fixture.  perfect for a 1920s bungalow.  not so perfect for a 1960s ranch. 

plus, it's rather clunky, don't you think?

our new west elm fixture arrived weeks ago and i cannot wait to get it installed.  i think it will pull the room together nicely. 

the real highlight of this room are the floor to ceiling windows.  the existing faux wood blinds didn't do them any justice.  in fact, i felt like they covered the windows, even while tilted open.  the windows are supposed to be the feature, not the blinds. 

i had to sell rob on the curtains and convince him just to try them out.  we could always return them if we weren't in agreement.  so up they went and i anxiously awaited his reaction.

he loves them and i do too.  finally, we can show those beautiful windows off! 

2013 Resolutions

A fresh new year and a time to reflect.  I've always kind of enjoyed setting goals at the beginning of a new year.  Maybe that's because I'm a list maker and set goals daily.  But resolutions are an opportunity to dig deeper and better ourselves.  I think perhaps we all could benefit from slowing down and keeping ourselves in check once a year, if not more.  Here are my top resolutions for 2013:

#1.  Live in the Moment (and put down the phone).

I'd like to learn to enjoy my time away from work without constantly checking my email, voicemail, facebook, instagram, and pinterest.  My husband is good at keeping me in check with and did exactly that when we were at a NYE dinner and I ruined the moment by pulling out my phone and was immediately sucked in.  It's not healthy and it need not consume my time as much as it does. 

via design sponge

#2.  Listen to my Body. 

This simply means, learn moderation.  Not too much food, not too much wine, and listen to my body carefully.  It never lies when it's had enough, and I feel the absolute best when I listen and respect the limits.   

#3.  More Yoga.

I have found a deep love for yoga.  Although it is expensive and class times don't always agree with my schedule, I need more of it in my life.  The rewards are positively worth it. 

via emily is gluten free 

(i did my first forearm stand last week!)

#4.  Buy a Bike.

Since we moved to our new house, we now have access to these amazing trails (which I have been on exactly zero times!).  I'm growing tired of the elliptical and have always loved the outdoors.  It just makes sense and I need a new cardio workout challenge. 

#5.  Get Organized.

I would love to master organization in our new home.  Live lean and get rid of what isn't used (donation pick-up is scheduled for later this month so I need to get busy!).  More importantly, find a space for those handbags, jewelry, and scarves that aren't quite accessible in Rubbermaid's on the closet floor.  I'll blog about my progress but please share any solutions that work for you! 

There are a lot of great blog entries right now on resolutions.  Check them out here, here, and here should you need some inspiration. 

Wishing you the best in 2013! 

economical vs. expensive furniture

i have been on the market for 2 side chairs and have been debating on whether or not to invest in quality furniture or go with economical options.  my wish list continues to grow as our budget stays the same. 

making our dollars stretch right now is important.  however, i do believe you get what you pay for in terms of furniture.  i've learned many important lessons on doing things right the first time instead of having to replace something that doesn't hold up. 

that said, the room that i'm working on is our more formal living room -  one that's not frequently used.  i decided to go the more economical route this time, but advise on really assessing how much use and abuse the furniture will get.  spending the extra money is often times worth it. 

let's cut to the chase.  we all love a good deal, am i right?

i stumbled upon this chair recently at JCPenny Homestore while looking for window hardware. i almost walked right by it because the fabric is waaaaaaaay too busy but the fabric swatches adjacently displayed made me realize it was customizable and peeked my interest to take a second look.  the lines of the chair were actually well designed and versatile!

there was a charcoal gray faux mohair option that caught my eye. i pondered long on hard if i could really pull this off on a budget and have it look like a quality piece.

 

in 4-6 weeks i'll be able to report whether or not my risk was worth it.  in the meantime, i spied this crate and barrel chair for $999 and couldn't believe how closely it matched the chair we'll soon be receiving.  can you see the resemblance?

the important thing to note when furniture shopping is the overall design.  paint and fabric can easily be changed and this is a true testament of that. 

JCP Tori Chair $360 (after the friends & family 20% off coupon i snagged from the register)
Crate & Barrel Clara Chair $999

take that X's 2 which equals a $1278 savings!

soon i'll be featuring our new desk, which on the contrary, was more of an investment piece.  it supports the local community, a family business, and will be used on an every day basis for years to come. 

the DIY Tufted headboard i don't recommend doing

(unless you're a diy queen, like jenny.)

many months ago, i attempted my own tufted headboard and gave up with frustration.  i followed jenny's instructions from little green notebook.  she has the best projects, doesn't she? 

 

 (image via LGN)

the problem i found was that pesty pegboard, although genius, was too dense for my staple gun to penetrate through.

determined to get our new guest room together, i picked up this project again and hammered every $&@# staple into that pegboard and showed no mercy.  and that, my friends, is how you get things done.
 

 

by the end, my fingers were on fire and my back was aching.  not to mention my patience worn thin.

 

i think next time i'll either buy the most powerful staple gun known to mankind or go with plywood and pre-drill the holes myself.

(OR just buy a headboard.  now that's a thought.) 

now to find some new pillows to show this baby off  ...