House Project Progress!

Lately...

2010-06-13T22:28:00.001-04:00

Well, we've been up to a lot lately! First, I can say that we've bought/acquired/ordered ALL of the furniture for Mary Corinne's room. Yea! Mom and Dad were generous enough to pass along a dresser from my Grandmother Clara that Brooke sanded and painted white. It looks great and will be perfect as a dresser and then changing table on top. I've ordered green glass pulls to go on the dresser (they're in, but not on the dresser). Next, we had to finish painting the hallway and stairway upstairs. So, that was a big project of spraying and painting. Since, Brooke has pulled up the carpet down the hallway up there and as he refinishes the hardwoods in Mary Corinne's room, he'll also refinish the hardwoods in the hall. We will eventually, in probably the fairly near future, also pull up the carpet going down the stairs and refinish those. The wood is beautiful, so that's great! Finally, Brooke painted the nursery. We first painted it all white and then did a diamond pattern "treatment" on the wall where the crib will go. It really looks great and will echo the pattern on the draperies. The color we painted is Pale Vista by Benjamin Moore. It looks darker in these photos than it really is---it's very pale. Also, we made a trip down to Scott's Antiques this weekend and picked up an armoire. GREAT deal! We got it from a place called Barnyard Antiques. If you ever need a dresser, table or armoire---go there! Amazing wholesale prices. There is one small problem with the armoire---it's black. It was our favorite style, so we bought it and Brooke is going to either strip it and leave it a light wood color or we'll paint it (just depends on how much work is involved!). I also ordered the glider from Wiggle Worm in a celery stripe. At least some progress is being made!!

As you can see, it was a process---I'm glad Brooke is good at math! We all know that I'm NOT! We painted everything white first, let it dry and then he started the taping...

2010-06-13T22:25:00.004-04:00

The finished product!

This is the bumper bedding---aqua and celery with peacocks!

2010-06-13T22:22:00.001-04:00

Started with a nice dresser than needed some TLC...

A bit of cleaning...

Some repair work...

Sanding...

And then done! I know this is not the best pic, but it looks great---you'll see it when it's in the room with the new pulls...

2010-06-13T22:19:00.001-04:00

Yes, he is this goofy! :) I posted this mainly because I wanted to show the ridiculous scaffolding that he made---2 ladders, one upside down in order to reach the top of the stairs. Glad it didn't all come tumbling down! :)

And, the armoire we found at Scott's. Like I said, it will not stay black, we just loved the classic shape of this one (not to mention it was a STEAL!). This will offer some more space for hanging clothes, folding blankets and even toy storage.

Oh my, it's been a while!

2010-05-10T19:46:00.002-04:00

Yes, I know, I know...it's only been 5 months since I last posted! Oops! I'm sure people have stopped checking in. Lots of news since December, though! Most of you know that Brooke and I are expecting our first baby, a little girl! She's due September 3rd and after much discussion, we've decided on her name, Mary Corinne. We've painted the office since my last post, Ashley Gray. Brooke also refinished the floors in there and they look great. But, none of that is as exciting as the nursery post, so I'll get that up first and then move on to the office. Oh, and yes, the stairway and hallway to our room and the nursery is now the same half strength peanut shell as in the downstairs hallway. SO much better!

On we go with the nursery! Of course, most of you know I couldn't be completely normal with the colors. But, I didn't want to go too wild. At this point I suppose the colors are pretty typical of the rest of our house...coral, aqua/turquoise, and celery green. I found a bumper that I LOVED at Serena and Lily that inspired everything. And, then I found some coral fabric that I couldn't part with, so I ordered that too. Then, it was just trying to decide how to tie it all together. So, I've posted some photos below that will hopefully help! We'll be using a dresser from my Grandmother Clara's house and repainting that for a dresser and changing table. Going to Scott's in Atlanta in June to look for an armoire and we'll be ordering a glider that's celery and white stripe. And then there's still the rug and wall decor. Whew, I'm tired!

Oh, and one thing I forgot to include...the link to the lamp that I want for next to the glider (in celery and white stripe):

http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=60&f=5196

2010-05-10T19:39:00.002-04:00

So, here are the swatches. The top left is the white crib sheet with aqua and celery polka dots. The middle stripe sample is the bed skirt. The bed skirt will be straight with 3 pleats and an inch and a half coral ribbon running across the bottom. The far right swatch is the crib bumper:

http://www.serenaandlily.com/Baby-Girl-Natasha

The paint samples are what we'll be painting the walls in there...we'll go for the lighter celery color. And, finally, the background fabric (the coral diamond) will be the drapery panels.
So, I've started gathering objects. This little bench is from Southside Galleries and it doesn't look like much, but the aqua color is an exact color match. We're ordering the glider in a celery and white stripe and I thought this would be perfect in front of that. I might even cover it...
The room in it's current, pitiful state! JUNK room! Anyone want to buy a red desk and chair? :)
Again, looking towards the small closet (we're planning on buying an armoire to add more storage to the room).
And, looking from the hallway into the room. The crib will go to the far left wall. The glider will go to the right of the window.

2010-05-10T19:14:00.003-04:00

Style of drapery panels (the drapes will be in the coral diamond pattern with aqua and celery grosgrain ribbon running down the sides and across the bottom).

The crib!

Funky pendant light for overhead!

It's Christmastime!

2009-12-06T16:15:00.003-05:00

I was traveling for work all week so we've stayed home all weekend getting the house decorated. I can't believe Christmas is only a few weeks away. Where did this year go?!

I bought the gold metal wreath that I hung over the mirror at Sophie's Christmas open house. Love it! I'm planning on using it year round. Also, it's hard to see but I bought little wooden birds at Sophie's that I clipped on the branches. Cute! I've had the glittered numbers for a while, but just pulled them out to hang on the tree.

And, the tree and mantle. I have a few more things to put on the mantle, but it's mostly done.

And, this year, I bought a live wreath and sprayed a light dusting of gold spray paint over the wreath. I also put a few gold feathers in for an added punch!

I bought some prelit garland at Ace. I've always loved Christmas lights but didn't want to go overboard (although, I must say, if it's not my house, the tackier, the better!), so this is a little something to add sparkle.

And, I did the manger scene again in my rice bowl. I just love how it looks. Wish I could leave it out year round. Come to think of it, why not?!

dresser

2009-12-06T16:10:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's quite embarassing, but after 6 years of a marriage, we thought it time to buy a dresser that we could both use. We've each had our own for years now and decided to combine clothes and purchase one for our bedroom! This photo doesn't really do our new dresser justice. It's 80 inches long and almost 4 feet tall. Solid mahogony wood and really a gorgeous piece. I'd been looking for quite some time, online, the major catalogs, and in furniture stores. We needed one large enough for the room (and our clothes!). And wanted something quality. The Pottery Barn versions are only 66 inches long and almost $3,000! We stumbled upon a furniture clearance store here in Chattanooga. We got this dresser for 75% off! As soon as we saw it, Brooke stood by, holding tight while I found sometime to help us put a "sold" tag on it. Exactly what we wanted and at a steal!

Rooster lamp

2009-12-06T15:57:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite websites is Design Sponge. GREAT ideas. One day I found this photo (above) of a blue and white room with blue and white plates and a rooster lamp. Their rooster lamp is a few hundred dollars, but I realized that I had a $20 version from Target, only it wasn't white. So, I painted it!

Rooster lamp before...

And rooster lamp now (forgive the terrible photo!). I painted it with high gloss white spray paint. It look quite a few coats but eventually covers and looks great with the blue and white in the room. And, a fraction of the cost of the "designer" room!

NYC!

2009-12-06T15:48:00.002-05:00

It's been a while! Sorry for my delayed posts. Our computer is acting a little crazy so it takes twice the time to download photos. No excuse, I know! Brooke and I spent a long weekend in NYC to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. We tried to cram it all in...Broadway, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Natural History Museum, 5th Ave. shopping, Soho, and of course food from fancy to pizza and hot dog stands! It was a great trip with beautiful weather. I posted a few of our photos below.

A view from behind the statue, looking towards the city.

My absolute favorite movie is Mary Poppins. Brooke was REALLY sweet and took me to see the Broadway production. He might kill me for posting it, but he actually really enjoyed the show, too. It was just wonderful! Here I am with the playbill, program, and yes red wine from a sippie cup!

Gorgeous day in Cenral Park with a jazz band. Lots of fun!

Our anniversary dinner at the 21 Club. It was truly classic New York and we enjoyed every minute and every bite!

Master bedroom paint!

2009-09-27T16:19:00.003-04:00

Because it's been raining here for about 2 weeks, last weekend we decided to begin a pretty simple project, painting our bedroom. Fortunately, our bedroom is sheetrocked, so it didn't require a lot of painting between grooves like we have to do with the paneling. The room is a nice sized room, has a pretty large closet for the house (which one day we'll make bigger by taking over the attic), and our bathroom is right outside the bedroom door (and, one day we'll make that bigger as well by taking over part of the attic and old closet). It's been painted a nice yellow, mostly that I didn't mind, it just needed touching up and we decided to go with a blue/green/grey that would match our bedding. The color is Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams. Great color!

Before (standing in the nook where Boone sleeps)...

Looking towards Boone's nook (one day I'd like to put a vanity there), and to the left in this shot is the closet door.

The first coat of the new blue.

And, the finished product! I put a new arrangement over our bed. I found the antique french mirror (reproduction and 40% off!) at Southside Galleries in Chattanooga, one of my favorite places. And, the botanicals I've had. The other two floral paintings I picked up at the Ballard Designs Outlet in Alpharetta several months ago. I never knew what I'd do with them, I just liked them. And, the starfish came from Perdido Key. Brooke is still questioning this arrangement, but I like it! :)

View going the other way...

Finally, the finished product!

2009-09-27T16:01:00.005-04:00

It's taken me a while to get the finished house paint pix up, but here they are! It's hard for me to see how far we've come with the house because I live in it every day. But, then I take a look back at the house the way it was the day we bought it and I remember...quickly! And, then I think, why did we do this again?! :) But, I thought the comparision was better looking back 2 years and then the photos of the outside of the house today.

Outside of the house when we bought it (no landscaping, old wrought iron poles on carport and front porch, old door and old paint).

And, another shot the day we bought the house.

And, today!

Front shot of the house with finished paint.

And, closer up shot of the house.

Lantern

2009-09-27T15:56:00.003-04:00

I've disliked our outdoor lighting since we moved in and have been waiting until we painted the house to replace the old lantern that was always much too small, dingy, and old. FINALLY! New lighting...and it makes such a huge difference!

The old, tarnished lantern.

Too small!

With really scary wiring!

Ahh...SO much better!

It makes a huge difference on the front porch!

Day 4

2009-08-15T12:32:00.003-04:00

Day 4: Looking better! Well, I came home from work on Friday afternoon and was pleasantly surprised with the new, updated color. Much better and much more of what we were looking for (a warm gray). You can tell that they stopped at the dining room. But, they will hopefully finish most of the rest of the main house paint on Monday!

Look at the right corner (where the telephone wires connect to the house). You can see that that's still the old color, so it gives you an idea of the difference in color.

Front shot (doesn't it look strange without the shutters...can't wait to get those back up!)...

And, the contrast between the old color and new color...

Day 3

2009-08-15T12:26:00.003-04:00

Day 3: Uh oh. Well, we had a minor set back on day 3. Brooke texted me a photo of the front of the house painted as I was on the way home from work. I almost wrecked the car. It truly doesn't look as bad in these photos below, but the house was YELLOW (think Boone color!). While the Greenbriar Beige is a lovely color, it's just not what we wanted. This was completely our fault as we'd picked the color. But, it was very disappointing to see it up and know we were going to have to shell out more money to have it repainted. Fortunately, they had only done the front and were kind enough to just charge us a day of labor. Still, it hurt, but it could have been much worse. Brooke and I drove down to Lowe's and Home Depot on Tuesday night with a shingle tile and the Greenbriar Beige swatch. Somewhere in between was what we were hoping for. Fortunately, we found a nice Stone Manor color that I think we'll be happy with!

The mistake: too yellow! Notice the new swatch to the right of the door (Stone Manor). We also tried out another color to the right of the dining room window, but it ended up being too light.

A close up of the color difference between Stone Manor and Greenbriar Beige.

Day 2

2009-08-15T12:23:00.002-04:00

Day 2: Shutters down and new white paint on the trim. Wow what a difference just the trim paint makes! The guys mostly scraped and painted trim and handled a few shingle repairs on day 2.

Boone gaurding the front yard with the paint in progress...

Shutters down (I don't think they'd been removed since the day they were hung!).

New white trim paint around the kitchen window!

And, new trim around the bathroom window.

Pressure Washing

2009-08-08T13:40:00.004-04:00

I promised to post again quickly...here I am! The crew arrived at 9 this morning to begin pressure washing the house for paint prep. Fortunately it seemed that it did plenty of the scraping work, as well! As Brooke said, "gotta break it down before it can be built back up!" But boy does the house look bad now. It's amazing what a bit of water can do to old, layered paint!

Paint crew beginning the pressure washing on the front of the house.

I was pretty amazed at this guy's climbing and acrobatic skills. I guess he's done this a few times!

The vent post-pressuring washing!

Front vent and dining room window after the wash.

Side of the carport. Crazy how it pulled that old paint right off.

2009-08-08T13:37:00.001-04:00

Screened porch and our bedroom windows after the pressure wash...

Back corners of the house stripped down!

Carport...

Front entrance looking blasted!

Carport well washed!

PAINT!

2009-08-08T10:24:00.002-04:00

Well, we finally bit the bullet and have hired painters to paint our house. Most of you know how stubborn Brooke is when it comes to house projects and doing it himself. If he can do it (or learn to do it), he won't pay anyone! So, we evaluated several painters, got quotes, and after realizing that it would take considerable time and effort for us to do it ourselves, we decided to hire someone to paint our exterior. So, I took a few before shots...be warned they are ugly! I'm really exposing all of the flaws to the outside of our home (and most of you thought the inside was bad!). It never did look that awful from the street, but look below and you can see how really awful it is! Can't WAIT to get this place cleaned up!

View of the front of the house.

Here are the color options. As you can see, most are a bit warmer than the current gray. We're going with the one second from right (Greenbriar Beige by Benjamin Moore). The shutters will be painted in a color called Dragon's Breath, also by Benjamin Moore. It's a very dark charcoal.

This is the screened porch (minus the screen). We'll be painting the frame white instead of its current shade of gray.

Peeling paint on the column at the front of the house.

2009-08-08T10:15:00.003-04:00

Columns under the carport...we primed them last year, but were waiting on having the house painted. Take a look at that trim on the carport. Rough!

How many different colors can you count in this photo?!

Rotten trim and mildewed siding.

Again, about 7 different colors of paint in this shot (not to mention the molded awning)!

Trim in bad need of repair!

It's Been a While...

2009-08-08T10:10:00.002-04:00

Well, I know it's been over a month since my last post. A few good excuses...a trip to Aunt Frances and Uncle Greg's fabulous lake house for the 4th, a little traveling for work, and then the beach with the family at the end of July. But, now I'm ready to get going again. We've got painters at the house, reporting for their first full day of work! YEA! I'll follow their progress this week!
Our last night at Perdido, dining at Cobalt at Perdido Pass...Brooke and I, Mom and Dad, and Sandy and Will. Fun trip, a week is NEVER long enough at the beach!

Rug, framed hanging, and deer!

2009-06-20T10:44:00.003-04:00

A few more pieces are coming together with the house. I got this rug from Ballard Designs and just love it. It matches the greens in our living room really well and the yellow is great with the wall color. I think it helps fill in the space in the entry hall. And, I also picked up the wall hanging from the frame shop. I really like how it turned out. Many of you know that I went all over the world to try to find someone that would do the double glass that I saw in Coastal Living. A few people were willing to try, but they said because of how large it was, they'd be nervous with the weight. Not to mention, the cost was outrageous! So, I settled for a "regular" frame job. I did go to Michael's and JoAnn's and even at 60% off, they couldn't beat our frame shop on the mountain...Cutting Corners. So, I highly recommend going to Linda at Cutting Corners for your frame jobs. She did a great job and even let me take home sample frames to try before she framed it. Great service! Also, earlier this week Brooke and I were getting ready for work and saw two deer in our backyard. As Brooke said, a teenage male and teenage female. Very technical about their ages. :) They were enjoying the berries from our mulberry tree. They didn't seem concerned about running away and were probably out back for about 20 minutes. We got a couple of shots before they moved on.

Rug in the entry way.

2009-06-20T10:41:00.003-04:00

Up close of the new rug...the green is much more of a "spring green" than in this photo.

And, the new wall hanging framed and up in the dining room!

Wider view!

Here's the "teenage male" in front of Mr. Hulsey's garage.

And, the two deer feeding in our backyard!

Chandelier!

2009-06-07T21:04:00.003-04:00

We finally purchased the chandelier for the dining room (I think I made a post on it originally over a year ago!!). I went back and forth about it many times, but in the end, I decided I really did want a "traditional" yet "contemporary" chandelier. So, I hit the order button online and it arrived in about a week...in a MILLION pieces! Brooke put it all together and I worked on placing the 1,000 crystals.

Here's the old chandelier...old brass and way too tiny for a dining room!

And a better shot...yeah, look at all of that dust! I never liked the thing, so I guess I never bothered to dust it. :)

Here are just a few of the many pieces and parts.

And, here it is all put together...unfortunately, the electrical outlet isn't centered in the room, so we had to buy a hook and hang it from the hook to center everything. Not ideal, but better than having it "off," and better than tearing up the wood on the ceiling to move the fixture!

And, "ta da!" Here it is hung. We still need to put in the dimmer switch, as 7-60 watt bulbs light up the room a bit more than we'd like. Hopefully that'll get done sometime this week.

Ick...the old mudroom

2009-06-02T20:25:00.003-04:00

This always makes me feel better...take a look at the mudroom when we bought the house...gross floor and awful stairs, stains on the wall. UGH. It's come a ways from that...thank goodness!

Countertops in mudroom

2009-06-02T20:17:00.002-04:00

We feel like we're finally nearing the end with the mudroom project. We finally got the butcher block countertop for under the window last weekend. It's about 7 1/2 feet long so it will provide a great workspace for both Brooke and I. Of course, I have visions of a gift wrapping station, a place to arrange flowers, and possibly a bar for parties. Brooke says he's going to use it to "work on things." Whatever that means! :) Regardless, this is some great extra countertop space right off the kitchen. We'll be buying bar stools and of course organizational pieces for storage (and maybe a gift wrap bar or perhaps that really cool Pottery Barn office set up with the bulletin board, wipe board, calendar, and mail slots!). The only thing we now have left to get together out there is the shelving for around the fridge. We hope to purchase that at Ikea in the next few weeks.

Before the countertop (sorry that I didn't get Brooke's bike out of the picture, but you get the idea).

2009-06-02T20:12:00.004-04:00

Start with a piece of butcher block countertop (great deal from Southeastern Salvage!).

Build a frame and mount the countertop (with a few additional supports!).

Add some legs (actually newel posts cut down...we've used them for many purposes), and some trim.

Paint it white and poly the top.

And, done! A great countertop for workspace, and perhaps a nice space for a bar set up at parties!

If I had a Million Dollars...

2009-05-25T19:09:00.003-04:00

...I'd buy ALL of this! I was flipping through my new Southern Living this afternoon and found a web site: www.leontinelinens.com. I decided to check out the site as I thought the monograms in the article were really great. This stuff is GORGEOUS. But, be prepared to drop some money. No, I haven't ordered anything, and chances are, I won't be anytime soon. However, I'd love to see my (or our!) monogram in these gorgeous appliques all over bed linens, bath towels, and napkins. Fantastic! I just had to share!

Brighter and Better!

2009-05-03T21:31:00.003-04:00

All of you know that the house was a dark, dungeonous cave when we bought it. So, anything we can do to add light makes me excited! These pictures are all out of order, but you'll get the idea...new paned glass door from the mudroom into the kitchen, and then one between the "official" mudroom area and the laundry room. I'm excited because we're so close to being done with this room. We went to Ikea a few weekends ago and found wooden shelving that we're going to use around the fridge out there. Of course, we didn't buy it there (we wanted to make sure all of our measurements were just right) and then got home to order it online and found out that most of the pieces were only avialable "in store." Why? Oh well, we'll be back down to ATL soon and will purchase all of the pieces then. After that we'll be putting up countertops and other than "decor," it'll be done! Yea! Another thing to check off the list. Then, on to ripping out and re-doing the downstairs bathroom and painting the exterior. We're re-financing the house and have an appraiser coming tomorrow. Let's hope that all of this sweat equity has paid off and that the house is actually worth more than when we bought it! :)

New french doors (to be painted white!).

And, the finished product. SO much better!

Still some scraping to be done..

Before paint..

The old solid wood door. No light and boring!

wall hanging for the dining room...

2009-03-30T20:59:00.004-04:00

I've always loved botanical prints. I know they've become a bit trendy lately, but I still think they'll stand the test of time. And, all of you know I love green leafs! So, when flipping through the April issue of Coastal Living, I spotted this great kitchen in Charleston. Hanging in the background is this fantastic botanical. I even love the way it's framed---with the glass extending a bit further so that you can see the wall color. I'd spotted a great big scroll canvas botanical at Sophie's a few weeks ago. It had been $125, on sale for $25. Yep, another DEAL! :) I didn't buy it immediately because I honestly thought it was too casual for the dining room. I didn't just want to hang the scroll on the wall. So, as soon as I saw this pic in Coastal Living, I knew I had to go back to Sophie's, buy the wall hanging, take the bars off and have it framed. So, that's what I'm going to do. Let me know if you find any 1/2 framing coupons anywhere!

The inspiration from Coastal Living.

And, here's the wall hanging. Not a great photo, but the berries on the left and at the top (and in the bird's mouth) are all in that pale blue color that matches the kitchen and the lamps in the dining room. Perfect! This is also much larger than it appears in this photo. It's about the same size of the one in the Coastal Living photo.

Tile: DONE!

2009-03-29T14:40:00.003-04:00

This has been done for several weeks now, but I guess I've just been lazy and not kept up the blog! Brooke finished the tile in the mudroom/laundry room. I think it looks really great. Next we'll be putting in french doors between the two spaces, a new door at the top of the stairs going into the kitchen, and a new door going outside. All with window panes. Let the light in!

Tile done---looking into the kitchen.

And, looking from the laundry room out. Yes, we still need to get our shelving up around the fridge for storage, and we'll put in a countertop under the window (the one to the left of the door in this photo). And, I'll be looking for an outdoor rug for the center of this space.

Out of order, but here's the tiling in process.

And, the first 4 tiles are in place!

photos and plates

2009-03-29T14:32:00.003-04:00

This post isn't exactly exciting, but I'm FINALLY getting around to hanging some plates and photos that I've had for many years. It's sort of pitiful that it's taken me this long to get these things up. Can you tell I hate hanging?

Some of my blue and white plates above the bed in the guestroom. I think I might have a bit of an obsession with plate groupings. They're just so easy to do and fill up a space so well. Hanging them "randomly" is much more difficult than it should be!

Here are some black and white photos from our wedding. I hung these in the hallway between the living room and office. Easy to spot right when you walk in our front door.

A wide angled view.

Sometimes I forget...

2009-02-15T16:08:00.002-05:00

I often look around our house and think about all of the things we haven't done and spend little time realizing what we have done and appreciating that. So, I decided to flip back through some old photos of when our BIG project first began. I think one of the best examples is the kitchen, so here are a few before and after shots.

The kitchen in its current state.

Another shot.

Ripped out...

And, here's the kitchen just as we bought the house. Yeah, this does look different now!

Bird tile

2009-02-14T12:09:00.003-05:00

I wanted to break up all of the white tiles behind the stovetop and I was in Sophie's (surprise, surprise!) a couple of weeks ago and found this adorable bird tile. I thought it might match the McCarty perfectly, and it did! There were 2 other birds in the same colors that I didn't buy, and of course now they're calling my name. I might have to go back and bring home 2 birdy friends to keep this one company!

Bird tile!

And, see how it matches the greeny-blue color!

Fun with leveling compound!

2009-02-14T12:00:00.003-05:00

I know all of you are THRILLED just seeing another boring post about the mudroom. But, it has taken up a lot of our time lately. The floor in the mudroom is very uneven and before laying tile, it must be even. So, we bought 4 bags of leveling compound to pour. The compound is a very thin cement that runs to the lowest point, hopefully leveling out the floor.

First, you must prep the floor by priming it with Kilz.

Almost done being primed.

And, then you get to layer on the cake batter like substance.

And, but of course, a road block. We were all ready to begin tiling on Saturday morning (our fun Valentine's Day treat!) when Brooke noticed some of the compound starting to crack. He started peeling away and noticed that all of the compound in the middle of the mudroom was coming up. We realized that because this used to be a garage (in the 40's), cars sat right down the middle spilling oil. So, we bought de-greaser, scrubbed the floor, bought more leveling compound and are now filling in the gaps. Hopefully, we'll be able to lay tile this afternoon after the new compound dries and I can report in on that fun project!

to Reno to see Georgia...

2009-02-14T11:54:00.002-05:00

I was excited to be able to get out to Reno to see my dear friend Ali, her husband Ryan, and their sweet new baby Georgia. It was a wonderfully relaxing long weekend and a treat for me to be able to spend time catching up with Ali and meeting Georgia!

Ali and I with Georgia!

Getting out of PJs and ready for some shopping with her Mom and Cat!

Reno is very close to beautiful Lake Tahoe. We were able to take a trip to the lake one day and eat on the water. Gorgeous!

Sqauw Valley ski resort in Lake Tahoe (no we didn't take to the slopes, but sipped our Starbucks and watched the action!

Ali and I after lunch on the lake.

Stairs and blinds...

2009-01-18T18:20:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been cold here. REALLY, REALLY cold. 5 degrees on Friday morning. I'm ready for Spring! Needless to say, I don't feel we've been very productive the last couple of weekends...much more interested in hibernating. But, I do have a couple of shots below to show that we've done a LITTLE work.

Here are the stairs (going from the mudroom up to the kitchen) that have been unfinished since last Summer. This project did actually take quite some time---I helped with the mitre saw and we had to get exact cuts to make the handrail fit just right. More work than one would think!

Drilling the holes for the spindles.

And, the finished product! Well, a bit of touch up paint and staining, and finishing out the back of the stairs. But, at least we now have a rail!

And, here was the most rewarding project of the weekend---these are the curtains that have hung in our bathroom since we moved in. They look like old sheets with these tacky flower holders on top. Seriously, I'd like to burn these in the backyard. UGH! So, this is the before...

And, here's the after! YEA! We put up the same blinds that we now have in the guestroom and downstairs bathroom. Oh so much better! It's the little things that make me happy. :)

For Trey...

2009-01-18T18:17:00.001-05:00

No, I didn't take this picture of my husband's rear for the blog. This was a special request posting by Brooke for his friend Trey. He wants to make sure Trey knows that he's working ALL Winter to get into shape for Springtime cycling. So, from Brooke, here ya go Trey!

La-Z-Boy

2009-01-04T20:16:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! Is this really the beginning of the end? I've let my husband buy a RECLINER! We needed another chair in our living room and both agreed that a nice leather chair would be great. I did concede a recliner, as long as it looked modern and not like a puffy-armed, oversized monster with a cup holder and magazine flap. Granted, I'm sure those are extremely convienent and comfy, it's just not my taste. So, after looking for several months, we actually really did find one at the La-Z-Boy store. Fantastic deal and just what we wanted.

Here's Brooke in the new chair...doing what guys do best!

And, an up-close of the new purchase. Not too bad for a recliner, huh? Oh, and we finally hung the prints above the chair...only a year and a half after moving, but hey, it got done! :)

And, the other project this weekend was FINALLY getting the chandelier hung in the breakfast room. I purchased this chandelier at the Ballard Designs Outlet store in Atlanta...probably 6 months ago! It just hadn't been a project that we'd gotten done. It retails for $140, got it for $60. Great deals if you have the time to get there. Above is the old chandelier.

And, here's the new one. I might get one of those chandelier chain covers for the chain, just haven't decided yet.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

2008-12-24T11:44:00.001-05:00

Joy to you and yours!

Ladies luncheon

2008-12-21T09:34:00.003-05:00

Mom and Grandmother came into town Friday afternoon and I had a small luncheon at our house on Saturday with some great old friends and family. As most of you know, Grandmother grew up in Chattanooga and graduated high school (GPS) here. She's still close with her very best friend from high school, Sara Lee. So, we had Sara Lee, Aunt Kitty, and one of Mom's "summer friends," Ann up for lunch. It was a nice gathering and I think everyone enjoyed the visit!
I wasn't so good taking pictures once everyone arrived, but here's a picture before the luncheon with Grandmother.

And, the table. I had fun with the floral ring around the Christmas tree. I put it on a cake stand and then just filled it in with greenery and roses.

A more up close shot of the flowers.

And, looking down...

And, for place settings, I decorated cookies with their initials. Of course, drawing on cookies is much more difficult than it seems. I have a new respect for cookie decorators! :)

a bit of Christmas decor...

2008-12-13T20:19:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm finally finished decorating (almost!). We're done with the guestroom paint and have hung blinds in there (thanks, Brooke!), but I'll have to take the "after" pics when the room gets back in order. For now, I thought I'd post a few shots of our Christmas decorations. EBTS came out a bit today. For my friends that might not know about EBTS, it stands for "Everything but the Silver." One day I'd love to have my own business---doing tabletop decor for small parties and gatherings. I love setting a table and as all of you know, I love decorating in general. I'm having some of my Grandmother's friends over for lunch next Saturday, so I'll have to take some more pictures before the luncheon. I've got a few ideas ready for the centerpiece.

Here's my gold "stick tree." I bought a terracotta pot and sprayed it gold, and then gathered limbs from the yard, spraying them gold, also. I found these cute mini ornaments at Hobby Lobby and hung them on the branches. Easy to do! The hardest part was finding the coral ribbon. I still didn't find an exact match, so it's now my mission to find the perfect coral ribbon for that room!

A bit more up close.

And, here's our front door wreath. It's not exactly the best picture in the dark, but it's just an evergreen wreath with ribbons and then a bell (cheap plastic bell from Wal-Mart) that I covered with reindeer moss. Gotta love glue guns!

Here's a better shot of the reindeer moss bell. I also made another one that I've hung on our mailbox.

2008-12-13T20:17:00.002-05:00

And, here's the manger scene that I decided to place in my rice bowl this year. I really like how it looks in there.

This is a very fuzzy shot of the tree, but there it is! We moved it this year to this corner and I like its new spot.

And, the mantle. I still have some more work to do on this, but it's Saturday night and I'm stopping! Notice the new shades for the lamps. They FINALLY came in after a month of waiting! I ordered them from this custom lampshade shop that can do any style, size, and fabric. I think the black shades look good.

And, sadly, the last item from Stray Dog for this year (because the warehouse sale is over!). I got this paper maiche mirror frame from them for $15. I can buy a mirror at a wholesale mirror place here in town for $20. The price on the Stray Dog site: $450! I think this mirror will go over the sink in the downstairs bathroom once we renovate it.

Guestroom and lantern...

2008-12-09T20:39:00.003-05:00

The hallway is finally done! YEA! It's amazing what a couple (or three or four) coats of paint can do! The space is so much more open and it actually makes it feel as though we've added on to our house. It's amazing how closed off that side of the house seemed with the dark paneling. It's a great change! We also began painting the guestroom. I unfortunately didn't take any real "before" pictures and my "during" aren't great so far as we have all of the furniture piled in the middle of the room, so it's hard to get a good photo. But, you at least get an idea. It has been a pale yellow, and we're painting it in Riviera Azure by Benjamin Moore---a lilac-y blue color.

Hallway done!

And a view down the hall towards the guestroom (the open door here is the office).

And, here's our new foyer light. It's an "outdoor" lantern. I like the look, and it was certainly a nice deal at Home Depot!

Here's the guestroom. The door on the left goes out into the hallway, and the door on the right is the closet door.

Here's the closet door...very exciting, I know. :) At least you can see the beginnings of a new color!

Stray Dog Strikes Again!

2008-11-23T12:50:00.003-05:00

Brooke will quickly tell you that I'm not usually much of a bargain shopper. But, it seems in the last few weeks, the bargains have found me! I'd been searching for almost a year for 2 lamps for our buffet in the dining room. I wanted them in a soft blue/green, something that would match the kitchen walls. I thought they'd go well with the coral, and also help to merge colors between the kitchen and dining room and maybe even let me decorate with a little McCarty in the dining room. After looking high and low, on the internet, in little gift shops and big stores everywhere---I found them at the Stray Dog Designs warehouse sale. I walked in on Wednesday, and there they were---with my name on them! Math isn't my strong point, but if I had paid retail for them, I would have paid $410 a piece, equalling $820 total, and that doesn't include tax and shipping! I got 1 lamp for $30 (including the shade) and the other for $45. So, $75 vs. over $820. I'd say that was a pretty darn good deal! :) The one that was $45 was only more because the shade still had the plastic wrap around it. The owner quickly told me that I couldn't even buy 1 shade for $75. Yes, I know. Wow! And, I really like that the 2 shades I got have green silk trim on top and bottom, that will help bring more green into that room, as well!

Miguel lamp on Stray Dog Designs website: $410 x 2 = $820.

Miguel lamps in the Fore house: $30 + $45 = $75 total!

The flash on my camera didn't work so well on this one, but they look great with the coral! Now, those lamps are making my chandelier look even more shabby. That's another project!

Fun things!

2008-11-08T10:29:00.004-05:00

I FINALLY had topiaries put into the McCarty vases to sit in our kitchen window. I had them done at Sophie's. I really like how they turned out!

A bit dark, but you get the picture!

And, I got a couple of new pieces of McCarty. A small basket bowl and a "signature" McCarty piece, their candle plate. The candle plate will actually sit on our breakfast room table. I just need to pick up some candles. It would also be a great "Advent plate!"

And, who says I can't find deals?!?! Stray Dog Designs is based here in Chattanooga and they're having a warehouse sale now through the end of November. I stopped in on Wednesday and was a bit overwhelmed at the fabulous selection. I will be going back next week as I think I might be able to find some lamps for the buffet in our dining room. They're quite pricey normally, but there were some steals there. $500 lamps for $40!!! YES, that's correct. And, absolutely nothing wrong with them. See how I was overwhelmed?!? Anyway, I picked up this adorable paper maiche bird that retails for $50 for $9. Looks cute on the new table! Like I said, I will be going back!

This was probably the best deal I found. This tole Christmas tree retails for $105. I paid $20! The color matches our kitchen perfectly.

This again!?!

2008-11-08T10:22:00.003-05:00

Well, we slacked off all summer, so here we go again...the beginning of the fall project season! We're hoping to get the entire downstairs part of the house painted by the end of the winter. First, we start with the hallway. Once again, priming in between those little grooves, and 2-3 coats of paint on the walls. We're painting the hallway in 1/2 strength peanut shell (the living room color). So, it'll be a bit lighter than the living room. Brooke's favorite part is painting the doors. They require 1 coat of primer and 3 coats of white paint. LOTS of fun! I've taken some shots below of the "cave!"

The hallway closet...before paint...

Standing in the hallway looking into the dining room and up the stairs. The carpet on the stairs will also be pulled as there's gorgeous hardwood underneath. But, that's a project for another day!

And a view down the hallway towards the bathroom, guest room, and office. Lovely DARK paneling!

I primed all of the grooves. What fun!

And, another view of the grooves primed, looking into the living room.

2008-11-08T10:11:00.005-05:00

Primer on the closet door! The first coat of 4!

Primer on the ceiling!

THE loveliest light fixture you've ever seen!

And, the first coat of white paint on the closet door!

Drapes in the living room...

2008-10-19T17:49:00.002-04:00

Why do house projects ALWAYS take much longer than you think? Sadly, I've had these drapes for about 8 months and have been waiting for over a month for the curtain rods to ship. Because that's taken so long, I should have known that it would take me 4 hours to put the pleat pins in the curtains. These curtains came with openings so you could just slide the opening over the rod. I knew the burlap curtains were already very casual, so to give them a more finished look, Mom and Grandmother sewed curtain pleating to the back of the drapes. Yesterday while watching the Dawgs and then again this afternoon, I inserted the pins to make the pleats. My fingers are now numb! It was a project! Brooke hung the bamboo rods that we bought off of Ebay and we finally got the drapes hung. Like I said, after sitting in my closet for 8 months, it was about time!

This picture is out of order, but these are the pleats after the pins have been inserted.
Here's what it looks like to insert a pleat pin. I think using these with cotton or silk drapes would be much easier. Burlap is thick!
And, the bamboo rod is up!
Drapes hung on either side of the french doors.

And, here's a view from the kichen. Strangely enough, Brooke and I feel it makes the room not only look larger, but the ceiling appear taller, too. I've read that putting the curtain rod as far up the wall as possible always heightens the ceiling. A nice trick!

A new outlook and fishy, fishy...

2008-10-06T12:30:00.005-04:00

I realized that I hadn't posted on my blog in nearly a month! Ops! We haven't had too much going on around the house, except for the usual weekend cleaning. We'll start painting the downstairs hallway very soon, and I'll post pictures of that next project. I have had a lot going on personally in the last few weeks---I have a new job! YEA! It's truly an answer to prayer, so I'm rejoicing! I was able to spend some time in the last week with friends and family and it absolutely "re-charged my batteries!" There's nothing better than getting to catch up with people that are closest to your heart. A few lunches out, a little shopping, and a couple of naps over the past few days has made me a new person!

My fish vases from Sophie's and Isabel's. I don't know that this will be their final resting spot, but I've got them here for now. They look so cute with a piece of fern or a single flower coming out of the top.
Looking down...

Mirror up...chandelier...not quite...

2008-09-07T15:48:00.002-04:00

Well, the mirror did get hung this afternoon, but as you can see the chandelier is still in waiting. Brooke has to re-wire the chandelier as the chain / wiring is too short for what we need. So, hopefully that'll get done this week! I'll be thinking of some things to decorate around the mirror. Possibly painting something around it or hanging some McCarty plates. Just wanted to show y'all that we did do some work today! :)

Putting up the plates...

2008-09-07T10:24:00.004-04:00

My leaf plates are finally out of hiding after collecting them for years. We received a leaf plate as a wedding gift and I really liked it, so decided that I'd start picking up a few here and there as I saw them. I've found them at gift shops as well as TJ Maxx and Marshall's, Crate and Barrel, and Pottery Barn. Whenever I saw one I liked, I grabbed it. I still have plenty of room to add more as I continue collecting. The new table presented the perfect opportunity to display the plates. Now maybe I can talk Brooke into hanging the mirror and the chandelier today in the breakfast room and have more to post. :)

Here's the before---I arranged the pattern on the floor first.

And, this was Brooke's clever idea---tape off the top of the table and the edge of the lamps so we could more easily visualize the space.

And, here they are. Yes, it was quite a pain to get the hangers on just right and decide on spacing. Of course, it's supposed to be somewhat random, but my obsessive side couldn't let it be too random! I found the little mini mirrors in a booth at the Southside Galleries. I thought they'd add a little something to the leaves.

And, a view of the finished product! I did end up picking up the twig lamps from Pier 1. I really thought they'd look great in the living room. The candlesticks to the left of the bowl are driftwood (faux driftwood) tht I picked up when we were on vacation at Perdido Key. Also, I added some pinecone candlesticks in the grouping that Mom gave me. I need to find some candles. I plan on filling the red bowl with moss balls and adding a few more pieces to the table. But, for now...I'm pleased.
Here are some starfish that I picked up at Souvenier City in FLA! I'll mix these in with the moss balls. Must have a bit of the beach in every room! :)

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

2008-09-01T18:23:00.003-04:00

So, I was in Dalton last week at the same exit of the antique place where I found the table. I couldn't possibly pass by without stopping in. Of course, I found another deal too good to be true! I saw this mirror stuck behind a few old plates. I believe it was an old vanity mirror that the previous owners painted black (bad paint job, too). I loved its curves and the size was just perfect for our breakfast nook. I'd been looking for a while now to find a mirror that would fit over the pub table. This was just the piece. Cost: $45! I know I couldn't buy plain mirrored glass at this size for $45! What a steal! So, I painted it a chocolate brown color this weekend. We'll hang it over the table and I'll just have another reason to collect more McCarty pieces to display on its outline. I had wanted it to be a bit deeper brown, but after going back to Home Depot twice to get them to re-mix, I decided this shade was just perfect. :) I'll post more pics when we get it hung!

Before: black.
During: white primer.
After: Chocolate Coco by Behr.

Table!

2008-09-01T18:15:00.002-04:00

Being out of town the last 7 weekends in a row has been a lot of fun, but it sure has halted our house progress! This weekend we were finally able to do a little cleaning, wash some clothes and finish up a couple of small furniture projects! Brooke finished staining, polyurethening, and painting the table. We haven't gotten it into its final resting place yet, but plan to this week---then a bit of decorating on and around it!

Here's a before shot---dinged and in need of some refinishing!
And here's the table with the new stain and new legs...
And, the first coat of paint with the polyurethene finished on top. This shot makes the paint look more sage-y green. It's really more mossy.
Here it is, finally in the house. We'll move the two pieces of furniture out and place it against the wall. I've been collecting leaf plates for several years now and we'll hang those above the table. I also found a great deal on some neat lamps at Pier 1. We'll see if I end up buying them. I do think they'd look great on the table. Stay tuned!

New McCarty

2008-08-05T20:23:00.002-04:00

I'd been told that it happens very quickly and easily...and it happened to me...a McCarty obsession! I just got in my 2 new vases for the window sill (love those tomatoes piled up from our sweet neighbors!). I'm going to take these to Sophies and have them put moss covered ball topiaries inside. I think they'll look great!

View at the window...
And up close and personal!

Re-finishing the table...

2008-08-05T20:15:00.003-04:00

Just so you all don't think we've been total slackers about the house lately...here are some shots of our new table. I'd been looking for months for a table about 8 feet long and fairly narrow. I wanted it to go against the long wall in our living room...2 lamps on either end, my red bowl in the middle. I had it all planned out, just couldn't find the table. Well, I did find a couple---one for $1,200 and one for $900 for very rustic tables. So, I happened upon this great little shop in Dalton while cold calling one day. Got this table---great solid wood top, 8 feet long...for $160!!! Amazing! So, we're working on re-finishing it right now...

The before (we used this table to serve on for our 4th party)...
View of the top---just needed some sanding!
Brooke sands (of course it required him to buy a new sander for the project)!
And sands...
And now the top is done and new legs are on. It's just waiting for me to paint! We're going to paint the bottom part and legs in Brookefield Moss by Benjamin Moore. The top will be stained and polyurethened in the Old English like our front door. I'll keep you updated on the progress!

BEACH!

2008-08-05T20:09:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been FAR too long since this blog's been updated. I promise to be better! Since the 4th of July post, I headed to work the Atlanta Gift Mart, then left a day later for the beach and had family in town last weekend. No excuses, I realize, but here I am---finally!

Our view from our condo at the Mariner. I LOVE the beach---just about the only place on earth I can truly relax. And, we were in bad need of a vacation, so this trip was wonderful!
Yep, this is what Dad did the entire vacation. I think he read 4 novels while there for 9 days. He's a speed reader!
A quick group shot of the family. We dressed in red and black to celebrate Ed Field's b-day (he's on Ole Miss fan!)...
Sandy and I got to pile in the back of the Cherokee to ride to our condo!
And, a pic of Brooke and I on the balcony. Wish I was there right now!

2008-08-05T20:02:00.003-04:00

We celebrated cousin Ed's b-day at the beach. Catherine starts off the chow line!
Rich, Uncle Dick, and Dad enjoy the view!
Brooke and Aunt Betty!
The whole Field clan (minus Angus, Jennings, and Beau---they were missed!)
Catherine, Wills, and Elizabeth help Ed blow out his trick candles!

4th of July Lawn Party!

2008-07-06T15:30:00.002-04:00

The ad that ran in the paper when our home was for sale said "THE spot to watch 4th of July fireworks." So, we knew that we'd be in a great place to watch the Country Club's fireworks show. We decided that we'd have to have a party! We invited friends and family and grilled out. Set up a few games for the kids (and big kids) and had a great time. We loved having everyone over and getting to spend time with friends old and new. We look forward to doing it again!

Brooke and I grab a shot before the party begins. I guess Boone was less interested in us than what was going on across the street!
And, for those that know me and EBTS...had to do a LITTLE something. Y'all should be impressed that I didn't feel I went overboard. Only a few bandanas some candles and flowers from the yard (thanks to Grandmother and Aunt Kitty)!
Time to eat! Our fabulous guests each brought a side dish---we provided hamburgers, hot dogs, and bratwurst. Thanks to everyone for the great eats!
Some of the crowd enjoying dinner.
And, Brooke and his favorite mother-in-law!

2008-07-06T15:24:00.002-04:00

The crowd gathers...
Ella enjoys playing ball!
Ty plays his own version of cornhole!
Loved having my Uncle Newell, Grandmother, her best friend from high school, Sara Lee, and my Aunt Kitty up to celebrate in the fun, too!

2008-07-06T15:16:00.002-04:00

Cornhole is a serious game!
Boone got into the festivities, too. He apparently loves watermelon!
Brooke lights sparklers for Ty, Ella, and Gracie. Not sure what their parents were thinking letting Brooke take the lead in this game!
Emmie and Ty ready to see the show!
Our crowd gathered to watch the main event!

4th of July Parade!

2008-07-06T15:06:00.003-04:00

Brooke and I knew that the Signal Mountain 4th of July parade was scheduled to come by our house on Friday morning. But, we had no idea that we'd be in prime location to watch it march right by our house! All residents are invited to participate---enter a float, walk, etc. Maybe we can dress Boone up to march next year! The first sign of the parade was the police officer that pulled up in our driveway to direct traffic. Must be something big about to happen... :)

The officer using our driveway as his "home" location!
And the parade begins!
The Shriners in their little cars!
And, the Shriners can do tricks, too!
A big tractor is certainly necessary as a parade fixture!

2008-07-06T14:57:00.003-04:00

Chattanooga Lookout's trolley!
Signal Mountain Middle School Eagle's football team and cheerleaders!
And what's a parade without a horse?!
Our friend's children, Marley and Macy. They were dressed alike (no, they're not twins...a month apart)! So cute!
And, 3 fire trucks!

Let there be light!

2008-06-15T20:51:00.002-04:00

I'll venture to say that installing a new front door has been the most dramatic change that we've made to the house outside of remodeling the kitchen! I've been dying for a new door since the day we moved in. All of you have seen how dark the paneling is in our house, and the front door was no help in letting more light in...only kept the house in its cave-like appearance. We decided on a paneled door for it's classic looks and great light flow. Brooke worked hard this weekend in getting it just right. We know with an old house it's not going to be level or straight. And, the door installation was no exception!

The old front door.

Old door from the inside.

Brooke tearing out the old trim.

Trim down!

R.I.P., old door!

2008-06-15T20:28:00.005-04:00

New door in!

Brooke staining the door---Special Walnut is the stain color.

And stain finished---at least on the front. Now just some polyurethene and new trim!

Plants! YEA!

2008-06-08T21:34:00.002-04:00

We made it to the nursery this weekend and hauled home a trailer load of plants! We worked most of the day on Saturday and part of the day on Sunday getting everything in and set up. Kim at the Signal Mountain Nursery helped draw out a great plan for us---we needed plants for a fairly shady yard and a few things that my black thumb couldn't kill! I've listed the plants that we installed below. I love the green look and I think once they start growing and become established, they'll be great. We bought some river rocks to outline the beds and then bought some flagstone to create steps back to the "nook" between the house and carport where we have the hose. Eventually we might put up a trellis in that area. Next project is installing the new front door (hopefully it'll arrive this weekend), painting the posts, and painting the exterior of the house!

Brooke starts digging!
The finished product on the left side of the stairs.

And on the right side---before we planted.

Flagstone steps---back in that shady corner are the autumn ferns.

And both beds finished!

2008-06-08T21:28:00.003-04:00

Piers Japonica Compacta
Autumn Fern
Coral Bell (I believe the color is called starburst!?)
Coral Bell in Pinot Noir
Lenten Rose

On the way to being a lamp...

2008-06-08T21:23:00.005-04:00

So, I found 2 green ceramic "bamboo" vases at TJ Maxx a few weeks ago. I thought they'd work well on either side of our mantel. I took them to Let Us Light Your World in Chattanooga to have them made into lamps. I think they turned out really well, now I just have to find the perfect shade. The hard part is that the mantel isn't very deep so I'll have to get some sort of drum shade. I'm on the hunt!

Brooke's Friends

2008-06-08T21:18:00.002-04:00

Some of Brooke's animal friends decided to visit this week. Here's a couple of pictures of Grady the Groundhog. We've realized that he's eating mulberries from our mulberry tree in the backyard. Quite tasty, apparently!

And yes, this really is what you think---a BLACK WIDOW SPIDER! UGH! Brooke found it right outside of our side door. He squished it immediately after taking this picture, but I've sure had my eyes out this week for any of her lost babies!

Silver Seashells...

2008-05-30T17:13:00.003-04:00

Another "didn't need but really wanted" purchase! I was shopping at Sophie's today and found these silver seashells. I thought they were really fun and will be great to add in decor just about anywhere---tabletop, buffet, mantle, on top of books, etc. We should be working in the yard again most all weekend, so I'll post new pics at the end of the weekend. Happy Friday, everyone!

Beauty and the Beast(s)!

2008-05-21T17:39:00.002-04:00

The wrought iron is gone! Yea! Brooke decided to let someone help us on a house project (I know, pick yourself up off the floor)! The wrought iron posts under our carport and at the front entrance had been bugging me since day one. We were finally able to have them removed and replaced and it already looks so much better. We used Don Young to pull down the old wrought iron and replace them with wood posts. Anyone that lives on the mountain, we HIGHLY reccommend using Don. He's a perfectionist and loves to work on older homes. Let us know if you need his info! Brooke will finish off the posts by painting them white and putting decorative moulding at the top and base of each column. Don also added a post in the middle of the carport. This automatically cleared up the sag in that roof. We'll probably add some wood to the posts on the front porch to make them a bit larger and more "stately." Of course, a new front door and new light fixture will also go a long way to help show off the front entrance. Again...progress...very slow progress, but progress for sure!

The pile of old wrought iron.
The new posts on the front porch---the gutter makes the left one hard to see.
And under the carport...
Side of the carport...

2008-05-21T17:36:00.001-04:00

Wrought iron under the carport.
And at the corner of the carport.
Don said that the posts weren't even connected at the bases (as you can see). A strong wind could have taken off the roof!
And at the front...
Under the carport.

Grady the Groundhog and a bit of Landscaping...

2008-05-19T22:04:00.006-04:00

Grady the Groundhog!
Look at that LITTLE pile of dirt! Brooke's really hauled a lot in the last 2 weekends!
My lantana and Mexican heather at the base of our mailbox.
Boone inspects the new plantings. Check out the rock border. I think once we get more plants in, this will look pretty great.
My new rhododendron bush. It's called a Purple Gem Rhododendron. These grow really well all over the mountain and are in full bloom right now. Love how they look!

_______________________________________

Friday night brought us a new visitor---Grady the Groundhog (Brooke chose his name, not sure where that came from!). He apparently lives in a burrow behind our house and comes out at about 6 or 7 at night and feeds on leaves from a downed tree in our backyard. The picture below isn't great because it's taken through our screen, but you can see---a real, live groundhog! Brooke worked all weekend on finishing grading the dirt around our house. We also found some river boulders to line the border on one side of the house, just need some more to finish off the other side. I bought two rhododendrons and planted them, and also planted some lantana and Mexican heather around our mailbox. We picked out the bushes for in front of the house and will hopefully purchase those and get them in the ground in the next few weeks.

I've been tagged!

2008-05-19T21:36:00.002-04:00

I've never been tagged before! Payton tagged me for this theme: Six Quirky Things about You...

Here are the rules:
*Link the person who tagged you.
*Mention the rules in your blog.
*Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
*Tag a new set of six following bloggers by linking them.

So...here are my quirks (and yes, Payton, I do have some quirky stuff going on!)...

1. I have flat feet. Well, I suppose that's not so much a quirk as an oddity, but everytime I take my shoes off in front of someone that doesn't know this, I certainly get a laugh. I guess I couldn't have ever tied on those point shoes...or gotten into the Army!
2. When I lay down to go to sleep, I start on my stomach and then flip to my side, back, side, stomach, side, back, side, etc. I do this every night until I fall asleep "flipping." I think Brooke's finally used to this, but I know it's not any less annoying.
3. I don't like anyone stepping on my bath mats with their shoes on. They can walk all over the house and step on every other rug, but step on the bath mat and it goes straight into the wash.
4. I make strange noises when sitting completely still. Not sure exactly how to describe it, but I think I almost hold my breath and slowly let air escape...yes, I know this is completely odd, but ask anyone that's sat next to me in a meeting or in a movie. They'll know! I don't even know I'm doing it.
5. I love, love 40's music. Could probably listen to that forever and never miss any of this "new stuff." :) Broadway's not bad either!
6. My favorite cereal is Grape Nuts. Even when I was little. Never wanted the Lucky Charms or any of the sugary sweet cereals. Always loved Grape Nuts the best!

And, I'm sure my friends could come up with about 47 more "quirks" of mine. But, I was only told to write down six!

Now, I'm tagging...

1. Nikki
2. Kathy
3. Aimee
4. Kathryn
5. Mandy
6. Keri (Payton, someone had to do it at some point...I know I'm opening a can of worms!)...

A new mailbox!

2008-05-11T21:13:00.003-04:00

Yes, an entire post devoted to a mailbox! Our mailbox had been bugging me since we moved in. The poor thing was tilted and banged up, and literally on it's last leg. I think the mailbox is one of the first impressions you get of someone's home, so it better look good! Ours...did not! Brooke took the post hole digger to three different spots near the old mailbox---he hit solid rock only a few inches down on each try. So, we decided to move it to the other side of our driveway. I really like it's new spot and Brooke's very happy that he thinks the postman won't run through our grass anymore and he'll actually get some new grass to grow in the old spot.

The old sad looking mailbox.
And, the post for our new mailbox (you know my husband wouldn't dare put up anything without his level!).
The new box! The actual box is a rust color---they make some pretty cool looking mailboxes these days!
And, the front view---still have to buy 8-0-6 numbers to put on either side of the post. Of course I picked out the most expensive numbers at Lowe's (always). But, they didn't have a "0" anyway, so we're going to look some more. I don't want those typical slanting numbers on there. I'll have to google "cool mailbox numbers" tonight! :)

Playing in the dirt...

2008-05-11T20:55:00.004-04:00

MUCH work was done this weekend---even if it doesn't seem so! Brooke had 7 tons of dirt delivered on Friday and worked moving it around the house all weekend long. First, he tore up what I called the "nasty parking pad" on the side yard. He pulled up the railroad ties and the dirt pile sits there. The parking pad will be filled in once all of the dirt is moved to spots surrounding the house and will be seeded with grass. We have a very long driveway, and the parking pad really isn't a necessity...just more of an eyesore! Next, he pulled up all of the old bushes that had not been taken care of by previous owners (and probably not the proper plants to grow in such a shady yard to begin with). He also pulled up old landscaping tarp and then graded the beds to slope away from the house. We'll put more mulch in the beds and then the plan is to outline the beds with rock to match the house, plant rhododendrons, native ferns, and other evergreen bushes in front of the house. My thumb isn't the greenest, so we'll see how all of that goes!
This is a picture of the "nasty parking pad" before it was pulled up...

And, here's a picture of the very stick-y and scraggly plants in front of the house.
And the LARGE pile of dirt!
Plants pulled and ready to be delivered to the dump!
Brooke topping off the left side of the house with the good soil.

Steps and a red bowl...

2008-04-20T17:49:00.004-04:00

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

2008-04-17T10:20:00.003-04:00

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

2008-04-06T16:12:00.003-04:00

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!)...

2008-04-06T16:05:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-04-05T16:53:00.002-04:00

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!

Baseboards and Bert...

2008-03-30T16:07:00.002-04:00

Chilly again this weekend---what happened to Spring? I've noticed that it warms up during the week and then is freezing cold every weekend. A cruel trick?! Brooke says I post too many pictures of "house stuff" and that I should start posting more of the other things we do (what else do we do?!?!)! So, I've taken his advice! We had a fun weekend---Friday night we were able to take a peek at a renovated home in our neighborhood---the house was built in 1917 and had been completely gutted and put back together exactly as it was built, plus a few modern convienences. It was truly inspiring and was exciting to see and get some ideas. Saturday we were fortunate enough to be able to explore my Great-Great Aunt Bert's house. Her home is on Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga and is currently on the market. I remember this house as a child and it was great fun to "poke around" as an adult. Her home was built in 1904 and has also been restored and updated. Interestingly enough, she lived right next door to her sister, my Great Grandmother, and the home my Grandmother grew up in. Their old house still looks great...wish I could have looked inside that one, too. Do we see a trend here? Are Brooke and I addicted to old home remodels? In between these outings, we did a little cooking on the grill and church this morning. All in all, a nice weekend at home.
It was a very foggy morning, but this is the view from her front yard---it over looks downtown, and in the distance Lookout Mountain and Signal Mountain.
The front of the home---a GREAT porch for rocking, and out back, a screened porch that runs the length of the home. My favorite feature is a spiral staircase that leads from the back porch up to Bert's son Earl's old room. She had it put in so that he didn't have to go through the house to get up to his room when he was messy and dirty after playing outside.
This is a really fun picture---this is the exact spot where my Grandmother and Grandfather's engagement picture was taken. So, Brooke and I flipped the camera to black and white and will have to post the pic of Grandmother and Gramps when I get a copy so you all can see that!
Brooke puts down the baseboards...now all that's left is cleaning up and hanging curtains, mirror, etc.!
Is this who I married?!?!

Kitchen re-do and ALMOST done with the coral dining room!

2008-03-26T09:27:00.003-04:00

Thought I'd show where I placed the pottery in the kitchen. Utensil holder in the same spot, then I put a fern in the bowl and the sponge is in the small footed bowl. Daffodils started blooming in our front yard! Fun to find those! I just had to bring some inside.
Over to the other corner---I bought some glass canisters from World Market (THE place to go for those---great deals!!), and then have the platter and plate up on a stand in the corner...as well as the candlestick.
Full view---a bit better as far as making the kitchen more inviting. Still gotta get those window treatments done, but all in time, right?!?!
And, Brooke showing how much he LOVES painting! We put the final coat of coral on the walls this weekend and only have 1 more coat of ceiling pant to put on and then we're finished! YEA! Except, Brooke will have to put up the baseboards. Maybe this weekend we can clean up and start getting things back in place!
Another view of the room. You see we opted for a white ceiling. I brought back swatches of the metallic paint for the ceiling, but with the very bright walls, decided to stay white. I think there will be enough going on in the room that it will satisfy my need for a bit of added craziness!

Last snow (hopefully!)...

2008-03-26T09:19:00.002-04:00

We had a snow a few weekends ago, and I'd forgotten to post these pictures. While we've enjoyed having a few good dustings this winter, I'm ready for springtime! Hopefully this was the last snow of the season! Boone contemplates the white stuff...
Brooke decided to go artsy with the camera. Pretty cools, pics, I must admit. We drove over to my family's house in Summertown, Glen Mary. Glen Mary's just open May through early Fall, so it looks quite lonely without rocking chairs and flowers planted. But, the black and white pictures make for a neat look. The above pic we're standing on the front porch looking down the walk over the brow.
A big maple tree (I think it's a maple) stretches over the brow.
The house covered in snow!
The Little Brown Church. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day, built in the early 1900's for the residents of Summertown.

Fun things!

2008-03-17T17:43:00.002-04:00

We had a great weekend---dinner Friday night at Lil River Grille in Lawrenceville with wonderful friends, Nikki and James (their baby Liam is due April 2nd!), Saturday Mom and I met Sandy and Will to scout out a possible wedding/reception site for them, and then Mom and I had a great Mexican lunch at Pablano's in Snellville, then on for manicures and pedicures, and finally Saturday night to Will and Sandy's engagement party...LOTS of fun! I gathered a few treasures this weekend, so I thought I'd share...

This is McCarty Pottery from Merigold, Mississippi. Cousins Julie, Melissa, and Betsy gave me the first piece as a shower gift (the utensil holder in the back left of the picture). After painting our kitchen I realized how perfectly the pottery matched our walls and always having admired it, thought I'd consult Julie on gathering some more pieces. Turns out she and her crew were headed to ATL for the weekend, so she gathered some pieces from Oxford, Miss. and brought them my way. Thanks, Julie! This pattern is called Jade. They also make a Cobalt and Nutmeg pattern---all made from Mississippi mud by a couple that's been doing this for about 50 years! I love the variations of color in these pieces. Even better the pieces are dishwasher and oven safe. I do believe I'm starting a new collection!
Another view...isn't the little goblet cute?!
Mom picked these vintage postcards up for me at an antique show in Crystal River, FLA a few weeks ago. Thanks, Mom! For those of you who know the mountain and Chattanooga, the above pics are of Bluff View, Alexian Village, and Falling Water. Crazy to find these in a little traveling antique show---very rare!
These are of Signal Point, Signal Mountain Blvd., and the W Road. The two pics on top are of the road Brooke and I travel every day up and down the mountain. These pics are circa 1890's. I want to get them framed in 3s in maybe a rustic wood frame.

Like it? Don't like it?

2008-03-09T18:10:00.003-04:00

We made some progress on the dining room this weekend, but I didn't take enough pics to really show the progress. So, you will have to wait until sometime this week (hopefully we'll be motivated enough to paint after work). Thanks to those of you who voted...Lei Flower did end up on top! I love the way it's starting to look. It's bold, but a lot of fun. I was googling chandeliers this afternoon and found this one. It's made of black crystals. Yes, that's right. I think it would be a really neat contrast to the coral and other black and white accents in the room. Don't worry, I'm not ordering yet, just thought I'd post the pic to see what everyone thought. I realize it would definitely make a statement, but these black chandeliers have apparently been in Europe for hundreds of years. So, it's not so new school, but an old tradition! Too gothic? I don't want something so crazy that I have to replace it in 2 years. I wish we had snatched our pretty crystal chandelier from our home in Macon. That was a classic. We'll see...I'll probably completely change my mind tomorrow!

Time to pick a color...

2008-03-02T17:48:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I was out of town, this weekend, Brooke's been sick. So, not too much going on around here. But, I did finish rolling primer on the walls in the dining room...
...and started on the ceiling...fun project!
Here are two paint swatches from Sherwin Williams. Both very similar, one has more orange, one more pink. Coral is a VERY difficult color to pick.
They now have the small cans of paint at Sherwin Williams so you can try several colors. Far left is "Emotional," then "Rejuvenate," and finally "Lei Flower." The picture really doesn't seem to do any of these justice. They really are pretty colors and not quite as shocking as they seem in this pic. They are all very coral, though! I really like the "Lei Flower," Brooke seems to like the "Rejuvenate." We'll see who wins! :)

Cat's Weekend Project...

2008-02-17T15:35:00.000-05:00

Here's the dining room pre-paint. Dark, dark, dark. Our dining room table top almost blends in with the walls, ceiling, and floor. It's definitely in need of a makeover. The window you see looks out on the front yard. This room is directly next to the kitchen---the wall with the buffet actually backs up to the kitchen wall. I'm standing in the doorway that goes out into the hallway/foyer. Again, the paneling is gorgeous, just SO cave-like. I already have white/black draperies and rugs for in here, so once the paint goes on and we can put out the rugs and drapes, and it will feel much more done. The exact paint color hasn't been decided, but I'm going with a coral. Also painting the ceiling in here---possibly just a glossy white, but I love the thought of going gold. Ralph Lauren has some neat metallics. I think one is called champagne. A possibility.
I'm now standing in the doorway that goes into the kitchen area...
Painting the grooves in the paneling---a LONG process. We use Zinsser Bin primer. A good tip for anyone that has paneling and wants to cover stains (and knots in the wood). This is better than Kilz because it's shellac based and we don't have to do any sanding to get it to stick. A bit more expensive than Kilz, but worth it (again, worth it if you have paneling---otherwise, go with Kilz).
And, again, finishing up the grooves and the trim pieces. Hopefully we can get the rest of the primer rolled on the walls this week so that it'll be closer to being ready for paint.
Another view---also notice the chandelier. Tiny and usual. I'm looking for something over-sized and unusual. I found a very contemporary chandelier at the Ballard Designs Outlet last week, but I just wasn't sure---it was 4-armed and had white with black trimmed shades that fully encased the lightbulbs. Very NYC looking. I'm very traditional but at the same time really like the unusual, so this will be an interesting search for the right chandelier!

Brooke's weekend project...

2008-02-17T15:24:00.000-05:00

Brooke rips out the stairs...already better!
Then he reassembles with new wood bases and places the stained newell post (notice Boone had to show off his legs in the pic).
Here are the stained steps. Once installed, the back of the stairs will be in white. This is the same stain that's on the kitchen floor.
And, he started priming...

And, he finished priming the entire room and painting the trim in white gloss. Next step is the paint on the walls and ceiling---Roxbury Caramel by Ben Moore on the walls and the same Palladian Blue on the ceiling that's on the walls in the kitchen.

Crown in mudroom/laundry room

2008-02-11T20:23:00.000-05:00

First, I'll aplogize that it's been almost a month since I last posted! I guess things have been busy around here, and we haven't been working on the house as much. But, that will change. This weekend will be more working on the mudroom and I'm going to try to at least get primer on the dining room walls! We got a steal at the Ballard Designs Outlet this weekend in Alpharetta---a great new chandelier for the breakfast room nook---very exciting! I could have spent hours at that place. I think I loved the rugs the most. Good to know they're there when I need them!

Brooke puts up crown around the mudroom walls. Looks much better just doing that one thing!
He also framed out the window---it was missing several pieces of wood, so this too made a big impact.
And, another view of the crown and window.
These are the gross and disgusting steps up from the mudroom into our kitchen! We've bought the wood to replace these old steps---oak, and we'll stain them in the same wood tone as the kitchen floor. Also, new handrail, banisters, and newell post. The backs of the stairs will be white. I'm thinking of painting the mudroom walls in a color called Roxbury Caramel by Benjamin Moore and paint the ceiling the same color as the kitchen.
Here's a better view of the finished paint job on the fireplace. The plant to the right normally sits on the hearth area. Obviously, I need some window treatments and something on the mantel. There's an outlet on the mantel, so I'm thinking 2 skinny lamps would be perfect...

Sunday afternoon...

2008-01-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

I'd been staring at our drab brown bricks and ugly concrete "hearth" for too long...I decided to make a move and start painting...first priming...
Then painting it black...
And finishing the first coat...it will need 2 coats, as you can tell, but overall---so much better and it adds a more finished look and a focal point to the room.
Brooke worked on the mudroom today. He framed out the doorway between the laundry room and project room.
And then he hung the sheetrock. Next weekend we'll begin on the tile (hopefully!).

Next!

2008-01-12T17:31:00.001-05:00

And, onto the next project---the mudroom. This is the view walking in our side door from the carport, facing the laundry area. The door to the left at the top of the stairs is the door into the kitchen. We think it was a garage at one time, but now has been neglected and is very dirty and in need of a spruce-up. The framed out part going into the laundry room will be divided by a double french door with glass panels. This way, we'll be able to separate the room into 2---laundry area and pantry/craft project area.
This is the view standing in the laundry area looking out towards the carport. The fridge will stay in place and we'll put in countertops and cabinets for additional storage.
Standing on the steps that go up to the kitchen looking towards the side door. We'll also replace this door with a full glass french door. The old concrete floor will be tiled in a natural/beige tile, and the walls in the "craft room" will probably be painted one shade darker than the blue in the kitchen to make everything flow. I think we'll paint the laundry area a beige color (possibly one shade lighter than the living room). I'll be searching for a fun fabric to go on the windows out here, but something that's inexpensive and will tie in with the kitchen.

Brooke starts the first work out here---pulling down some of the old framing. We bought sheetrock and 2x4s at Home Depot today so he can build a frame to hold the new french doors...oh, what fun we have on Saturday afternoons! :)

SNOW...again!

2008-01-12T17:26:00.000-05:00

We had a bit of accumulation last week---very exciting!
Looking out the front door...
Across to the golf course...
Boone discovers snow...not sure that he really enjoyed it. I think he's a bit too pampered to be outdoorsy!
Our beautiful wreath from Grandmother! Thank you!

living room done (well, at least the paint is!)

2007-12-29T15:53:00.001-05:00

Well, the living room is done...at least for now. The walls are very bare, so we'll have to work on that, but we're glad to have the paint done. Other than accessories, we'll have to get the floors re-finished at some point, but for now, the rug is a nice cover-up!
Boone decided to pop his head into the picture.
And looking back towards the screen porch. The two dresses won't stay there, it was just the easiest spot for now.
A bit more done in the kitchen---recessed lighting turned on, a new pendant light and some new lamps---got 'em at Target---wood grain on the base...
A more up close shot of the pendant light---it's from Pottery Barn, but got it for a steal on ebay!

Time to paint the living room...

2007-12-16T18:29:00.000-05:00

Brooke begins to put primer on the paneling. Gorgeous paneling, but it's EVERYWHERE in the house. We had to brighten things up a bit. The ceiling will remain untouched, and of course the hardwood floors will be re-finished at some point.
More primer... The contrast of the dark paneling to the bright white.
And today we began putting color on the walls. It's one of my favorite colors---Peanut Shell. It's a special mix from a paint store in Macon. We had them call the "sister" paint store in Chattanooga to mix a batch. It's just the right blend of beige and gold.
First coat is on and begins to dry. We'll probably have to do two coats, but we hope to finish it this week!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2007-12-16T18:22:00.001-05:00

We had a great weekend. Mom and Grandmother came up for the day on Saturday and we had lunch at a cute restaurant downtown overlooking the river, then did a bit of shopping. Grandmother bought us the beautiful wreath for our front door. If you'll notice our roof has a bit of snow! We woke up to flurries this morning. Being from Macon, I'm sure we were a bit over excited about the tiny bit of accumulation!
The "Welcome to Signal Mountain" sign has snow on its roof!
This is a train display that a family on the mountain puts up every year. It's at the entrance to our street, right at the top of the mountain. It's lit at night with a Christmas tree in the train depot. I've seen lots of kids climbing on the train. I'm sure there will be some Christmas card pictures taken in front of this.

Christmas arrives!

2007-12-09T15:48:00.001-05:00

Finally! We found some time to put up the Christmas decorations. I took a picture of our ornaments. I'm a little ornament crazy, and the only requirement---they can't be usual or normal. Of course, there are a few traditional pieces and some sentimental ones, but on the whole---they must be a bit interesting!
Tree decorated---at night, in the dark. This isn't the best picture, but you get the idea!
Here's the piece in our living room with the nativity.
And, a more up close shot of the nativity. My wonderful friends (Leslie, Keri, and Rachel) gave me the creche and Holy family as a wedding gift. Since, Grandmother and Mom have helped to add the wisemen, shepherds, and quite a few animals.

The nature outside

2007-12-08T10:52:00.000-05:00

It's very difficult to tell, but this pile ended up being almost 5 feet tall and it ran the length of our front yard. Talk about a dream when I was a kid---jumping in a pile this big! We have a truck that comes by about once a week and sucks up all of the leaves in people's yards. You just have to get them to the street. Nice service. Brooke spent the ENTIRE day doing this!
I came home from work last week and this big bird was perched on a tree in our backyard. I believe it's a hawk. He was huge.

Accessories

2007-12-08T10:37:00.001-05:00

Most people that know me know if I could be anything in the world, I would be a decorator/party planner/entertaining specialist. But, for now, I need a salaried job! So, because I'm obsessed with accesories, I thought I'd show some of my latest finds on the blog. Above is a clock that I bought months ago before we dreamed up the idea for the kitchen. Got it at my new favorite Chattanooga shop, Sophie's. Sophie's hasn't yet replaced Isabel's, but it's a Chattanooga version of Isabel's and definitely has some great items. Now I must say that I'm pretty proud of the find because it matches the kitchen perfectly---warm with the wood tone background, cool with the stainless frame and hands. I think we'll find a place in the kitchen that it'll fit perfectly.
LOVE this! Feathered placemats/chargers. I actually did find this at Isabel's (my favortite Macon shop) last year. But, I haven't had the chance to use them, so they're still "new" to me. Great colors, great look. Will be perfect each fall, Thanksgiving, and even into winter.
I found this at the Galleries at Southside in Chattanooga. Modern, yet traditional. It'll probably end up in our dining room with the black and white theme. It was only $20. I think that's a find!
This table runner came from the Signal Mountain Nursery. For those that have never been---when you come visit Brooke and I---we must go. The nursery has amazing plants, but also a fabulous gifts and accessories section. The trim on this is actually tree bark and then the inner section is dried leaves. Again, I love mixing the "natural" look in with the upscale and formal look. This will be great wherever it decides to land.