Steps and a red bowl...

Brooke made some good progress on the mudroom stairs this weekend. He put in the stained and polyurethened steps with wood adhesive and screws. Next he'll cut out the white wood board to put between the steps, and also finish off the handrail. Then---on to leveling the floor and tiling! Also, I bought an antique red bowl at Sophie's this weekend (remember, it's one of my favorite Chattanooga gift shops!). I've always admired these old bowls, but not usually been able to or willing to afford them. I walked in---this had been $95, and drumroll...got it for $22! I thought that was pretty good! It's a great red for in the living room and while I'm not exactly sure what I'll do with it yet, I know it'll look fantastic when I find the right spot!

A view from the top...
And from the front (notice Boone's little paws!)...
A view from the top of the bowl...
And, a view from the side!

Little bit of Paint

I'm afraid that the pictures below are quite boring, but at least you can see we've been working! We got 2 coats of wall paint and 2 coats of ceiling paint on last weekend in the mudroom. We decided to go with the Peanut Shell paint color on the walls because it was a bit lighter than the Roxbury Caramel that I'd originally picked and that room needs to remain light. Not to mention, it was certainly a better deal because we had almost a gallon of the Peanut Shell remaining from the living room!! The ceiling is painted the Palladian Blue that's on the walls in the kitchen. I thought it would be something a little different and also a great transition from the mudroom into the kitchen. We will be putting a paneled glass door at the top of the stairs going into the kitchen, so this room will be visible and hopefully it'll tie everything together.

Painting starts...
Brooke plastered over this little stoop that was concrete---we think it was part of the original garage. But, now it will be the perfect spot to prop your feet while sitting at the counter (use a little imagination here!). We're planning on putting up a bamboo countertop under this window and a few bar stools to use as a project/craft area.

Taping off the trim for the ceiling and wall paint...
And, here's the finished product. The fan will come down (don't look too closely at the dust hanging off of this one!). We'll put up a new light fixture/fan and then the door that's open will be replaced with a paneled glass door. Also, as I think I mentioned in an earlier post, the opening on the right side is the laundry room and there will be 2 french doors going in that spot.

Dinner

Today has been absolutely gorgeous. The sun's shining, blue skies, and it's 72! FINALLY! I decided to make one of my favorite summertime recipes. Now, I know it's not quite summer, but I picked up some great Florida tomatoes at a roadside stand and couldn't resist making this pasta dish for dinner tonight. I included the recipe below, so you can all try it out. I think this originally came from Mom's dear friend, Susie. Thanks, Susie! :)
A pic of the dish marinating. YUM!
The grass is beginning to green. Brooke just finished cutting the yard as I was chopping tomatoes, and I had to get a picture. I was so excited to be able to raise the windows for the first time and let some fresh air in!

Here's the recipe:

Linguine with Tomatoes, Basil, and Brie
5 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2 " pieces
1 lb. brie, rind removed, torn into small irregular pieces
1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (I actually eyeball this and use less than a cup---I love EVOO, but it can tend to be too oily if you add the entire cup)
3 pinches crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 lb. linguine

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a serving bowl large enough to hold the cooked pasta and sauce. Stir gently to combine. Set aside at room temperature for at least two hours.

Cook the linguine in salted water until al dente. Drain and add to the tomato mixture. Toss gently to distribute the sauce. Serve immediately. Serves/Makes 10.

dining room finished (well, for now!)...

Yea! The dining room is done (for now!). Drapes and mirror hung, and rug down. Lots of accessorizing still to do, but things are in place and I feel better about checking this off the list.
Here's a view from the hallway into the dining room. My obsessive side thinks we need to bring the mirror down a bit more to the top of the buffet, but for now it's gotta do! We had the drapes in Macon, so there's really not much new in the room. I am searching for 2 lamps for either end of the buffet, and you all know about my chandelier hunt. Still haven't decided for sure on that one.
And, the view from the kitchen into the dining room...
In the corner, looking to the kitchen, and beyond that the entry to the living room.
And, our houndstooth rug. I still love this after a few years!

ribbon and numbers...

The dining room is almost finished being arranged, I'll get the final pics posted tomorrow! I thought I'd show you something fun I found---these are our house numbers in antique glass glitter. I found them at this really neat stationery store downtown. It's called Dandelion. They have gorgeous and unique things. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with these yet, but I couldn't resist. They'll age over time and become more gold-y/copper. I'm thinking of hanging them on the backs of chairs or hanging them from a branch displayed in a vase or hanging them from a chandelier. Any ideas out there? Now, that leads me to the ribbon part. I love ribbon---always have. Loved it in my hair growing up, love wrapping packages with different types of ribbon, love it on wreaths and in flower arrangements, tied on shower curtains and on drapes. But, I've never really been on a great hunt for any, just pick it up here and there and save scraps. Payton gave me some great websites for scrapbooking ribbon, but I've also found a really fun site: www.ribbonjar.com. Check it out---cool site design, too. So, at Dandelion they have vintage silk ribbons in every color and size. I was tempted to purchase the coral, but was a bit afraid of the price! So, I'll have to hunt elsewhere. I also purchased some burlap curtain panels with fringe from Ballard Designs that arrived this week. I'm thinking of sewing on a couple of different colors of ribbon---olives and sages for the living room. Just thought I'd share my ribbon obsession and the picture of the absolutely unnecessary, but really fun antique glitter numbers!