An Organized Life: Laundry Room

My laundry room is nothing special. It is in an awkward space between the garage and entry. It's extremely tight, but at the same time better than just having a laundry closet. The room only contains things that actually have to do with laundry and sewing. The rug tiles are Flor that I got for a dollar a piece years ago hence why they don't match. I would love to upgrade them to these also by flor.


Again I used Emerson Made's idea of using cookie jars for everything. This makes me happy and keeps certain things in constant reach which I love.


I bought this large jar at a local antique shop for a steal. It is the perfect place to store a few bolts and wrapping paper.


Above the washer and dryer I keep all my fabrics that I have reduced like crazy.


I do laundry a couple times a week. As soon as the dryer is done I immediately fold and hang everything in this little room except for the socks, they get put into a basket and get sorted only once a week. I follow up by putting all the regular laundry away. I then put whatever was in the wash into the dryer. Then repeat till it's all done. It seems to be the only system that works for me.


See nothing special, but it was part of my getting organized and simplifying task so I thought I would share.

For the Love of a House

I try to be somewhat original on this little blog of mine, but sometimes that can be hard. As design blogs become more popular being original can sometimes feel next to impossible. I was feeling slightly uninspired so I picked up my camera and started shooting. Slowly and surely I began feeling inspired again, by own home. Now that's fun and rare. Maybe my simplicity goals are actually working. Here is a glimpse into what makes me happy in my own home...


The color green reminds me of spring. Spending time outside, having picnics, and fresh air.


My 30th birthday party dress stays out. I adore it and it reminds me all my fabulous friends and family. Happy memories. The piano was a gift. Can't wait till the kiddos learn how to play sweet melodies.


My new lamps look extra lovely wearing my jewelry. This nook in the bedroom has changed dozens of times since we moved in and I was never happy with it. Finally, while gaining simplicity and not wanting to buy anything new till I was 100% sure I would love it, I stuck a chair that I had for years there and well, I am smitten with it.


We have been doing so many art projects that I decided to stop putting the brushes away. Ellie then started hanging her art on the wall. I rather like how it looks. I think we will continue to do it until the whole wall is full. Makes me happy.


An old star burst clock that I "borrowed" from my parents against the greige walls makes for a lovely combo. The antlers in the guest/kiddos bath adds a little whimsy. I like whimsy and apparently jumped on board with a few trends over the years. ha.


My garden is starting to grow back. Love seeing the sedum peeking through drinking up the sun. Spring time is on its way.

Can you see a trend? My own home makes me happy. I am so excited. Isn't that the way it should be? Oh, and no it still isn't our forever house, but it is my house and I think she can be pretty.

An Organized Life: The Kitchen

Here is my kitchen. Since I learned how to cook last year I quickly realized that our kitchen was a mess. Not necessarily looks wise, but in how it functioned. Here is how it works for us now...


We have two fruit bowls so it keeps access easy for the kiddos and I. Actually seeing the fruit out makes us want to eat it more.


The large basket keeps all our bread at easy access and the small one keeps all our bars like granola, lara, etc bars within reach. I like having all our wooden cutting boards out in plain view, but I keep the plastic meat cutting board hidden away.


This is my baking drawer. It has all my specialty flours and sugars. I keep our all purpose, bread flours and sugar in jars on the counter.


This is an example of inside our cabinets. Everything is neatly lined up and yes we use chinet recycled plates for when we are on the fly.


A few of my favorite cooking books stay out all the time. The rest are kept in a cabinet. I do need to take the time and write down all my favorite recipes on recipe cards instead of having loose sheets of paper tucked everywhere.


The basket is a new addition that I adore. I needed a space for all my table linens and went back and forth with the idea of getting a low cupboard. The only problem with that is that one of our current pieces would have to go in order to accommodate one. I then came across this basket at World Market and new it would be perfect.


The barstools are not new, but the slipcovers are. They were a blue that didn't quite blend into my neutral color scheme and I really wanted a natural linen. I decided before hiring out that I would try to make them myself. The first two went well and the third was a whole other story, but I got it done after much frustration. They are NOT perfect by any means, but they are good enough for me.

*To see a full view of my kitchen you can go here.

Making Choices

I have been thinking for quite some time about having a new style sofa in our keeping room. It also acts as our home office when we have potential clients over for a meet and greet. Not that I did not like the light gray one we had, but it was rather large for the space. So I pitched the idea to the husband and he gave me the go as long as I sold the current one. Thankfully it sold quickly to a dear friend who happens to have a larger home than I. At first my heart was set on the english roll arm sofa...

Even though it is the same size as our old one it feels smaller due to the smaller arm proportions. I could also see it as our main sofa in our next home, but that may still be years away. Here is somewhat of an image of my old sofa in the room, just so you all can get an idea of the feel of the space. I then came across this lovely lady...

She is a bit more tailored and comes in a 72" option which would give us tons of extra room and open the room up even more. It also reminds me of this beauty in which I have had my eye on for quite some time. As I said our sofa sold and I still haven't even ordered the next sofa so I moved the chairs that were on the outer edge of the rug back to where the sofa once sat. I could even face this new sofa towards the windows with a console/storage behind it if I didn't move the chairs back. Just a thought.



Then again I rather like how moving the chairs opened up the space. This then got me thinking that maybe I could just add one new chair by the piano. Loved how the other chairs somewhat hid all the toy baskets.  The only downfall is that at times we have a lot of people in this small space and it is my favorite place to lounge with a magazine and I do love to lay out. I think a chair like this would work if I went with this idea though...

Then of course choosing a fabric is the next big decision...

I LOVE all these choices. I know pink would never actually happen for this space, but it would be fun. Maybe one day. You know how I love a pink sofa. I was thinking the natural linen for the english sofa and the more gray tones for the more tailored sofa. As for the chair I have no idea as of yet, I could possibly even do a pattern here.

I would love your thoughts and ideas. It can be kind of like a vote, but in the end I truly decide. Ha. I am the one that has to live with it after all.I do value your opinion greatly though.


*all my choices are by Robin Bruce an extension of Rowe. I like that it is an eco friendly line that also happens to be in my budget.

A White Christmas








This year I was able to host Christmas and it could not have been any more fun. We spent the morning watching the kiddos open gifts, relaxing, and cooking the main course. Christmas eve day Ellie and I began the festivities with quite a bit of baking. One of my favorite traditions is baking Jesus a birthday cake and this year we went with the Sprinkles mix, so good. Ellie then was sure to let Jesus know she was going to save the best one for Him, but He would have to multiply it if He wanted to share with everyone in Heaven. I set the table using my late grandmothers dishes and it made my day when my father walked in and said it looked like a table my grandmother would have done. Oh, and the best part? It snowed for the first time on Christmas day since I have lived here.  That's 14 years! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas also.

A Tree


Today I am over on Mrs. French where I am sharing our advent calendar for this Christmas season. I can easily see it becoming a Christmas tradition. 

Also I would like to say a huge thank you for all your kind words on yesterday's post. I really wish every one of you could come over for a cup of tea and some cookies.

Decking the Halls

As I mentioned yesterday I wanted to go for a more simple and rustic theme for this Christmas and this is what I came up with...



Last year we had a Charlie Brown tree, because I was quite under the weather for the season. This year I was determined to get a huge tree, so we did, 10 ft. I could not be any more excited.


Every year I get the kiddos each a new Krinkles ornament. I then label the box with their name and the year. When they grow up and have their own tree I then plan on giving them their ornaments to start them off right.


We were all home sick yesterday so we watched a lot of netflix hence Dora being on. I thought I would just be real. Ellie thinks the Mr. and I have ugly stockings and the nutcrackers were given to me by grandmother when I was just a child. I adore them.





This little display was made from the trimming of the tree. Cost effective and I rather enjoy it. Oh, did I fail to take a pic of the blow up snowman? So sorry, but it was raining, ha!


We already owned most of the decor I used, but I added fresh greenery and a  few other things. The key in keeping it simple for me is to also keep it budget friendly. I am sure I will add a few things here and there though. I also need to do the dining table up all pretty like, but that will be for another day. Did I also mention I am hosting Christmas dinner here this year? I feel so grown up.

The Office




I know I mentioned a home office redo quite awhile ago. Well, we also did one quite awhile ago I just haven't posted it yet. So this is it, nothing too fancy, but practical. This space is right off our kitchen and is where I blog and where we meet our most wonderful clients. The board over the desk was completely inspired by Erika's office inspiration board although mine was done on the cheap. I simply used 2 of the largest cork boards I could find at Walmart and stapled them together in the back. I then used a cream linen to cover. I am also planning on repainting the desk. It was not a great paint job in the first place and with the new sprayer it will be a cinch to do. I am thinking of using Rosemary by Sherwin Williams. It is the same green that Erika used for her kitchen cabinets and I am rather in love. So I guess I should say a huge thank you to Erika for all her help. She is so good that she can help me without saying a word, ha!

Chair: CB2
Edison Lamp: bought from Tracery's Rosemary Beach Shop
Mouse pad: Shims + Sons
File Folders: Oh Joy
White drawers: Walmart
Lamps: Restoration Hardware
Lamp Shades: Home Goods
Binders: Russell + Hazel
Bookcase: Ikea

A New Look





You haven't heard me hum and haw over my dining room in quite sometime because I finally found my table match. Oh, and a new side table. I found them at a local antique shop. They are made out of reclaimed wood and I am smitten. My savvy smooth talking husband managed to get us both pieces for about a grand which was much cheaper than any other table that I remotely liked. My french antique chairs are finally back from the reupholsters and I could not be any more happy. I found them as a set of six on Craigslist for $250, Ellie broke one right after I got them and the break was in such a way that was not fixable. For now one of our stools will do and KJ has already deemed it his seat so all's good. We kept the old tables bench in the room for extra seating. I slipped covered it in a Robert Allen faux leather that I bought from the Designer's Attic. I wanted something big and more modern over the sideboard to balance out the furniture so I painted a piece completely inspired (copied) from Lindsey Bond's home in this months House Beautiful. Now the only thing left is to find the perfect lighting. Right now there is a fan, I know ugh, but I hope to find a big old lantern for cheap. I think I will be hunting for awhile though and I am okay with that. If you actually read all this then I am rather impressed. Today I am in a rambling mood I guess.

Painting + Rugs



I have had quite a few requests on giving more details about my kitchen makeover. I personally hate giving advice on this subject, because I am not a painting professional and simply did what I wanted. Case in point I used a latex satin paint without any sort of lacquer after. I did not want any sheen so this is what I chose. So far it has held up well and has taken quite a beating from the kiddos and has cleaned up fine. In reality I know an oil base is best as is a semi or high gloss or a lacquer coating. For those of you who could not care less about the how dos you can just take a glimpse at my new antique rug find from ebay. I adore it. Okay now back to it...

-I used a latex primer after a really good cleaning and sanding. Then between each coat I did a light sanding. It took a total of one full evening and one full day from start to finish. It took one primer coat and two to three paint coats. For the framing of the cabinets my husband painted it all by hand with a regular and foam brush. For the doors and drawers I used a paint sprayer in the garage. It has become my new best friend.

-All paint was Sherwin Williams. The bottom is Warm Stone. The top was a Benjamin Moore color that I had matched by Sherwin William's, unfortunately I cannot remember the name for the life of me. In the image it looks a lot more white next to my wall color than it really is. It's more on the cream side. The formula is...

Bac Colorant 02 32 64 128
B1 Black - 2 - -
N1 Rawumber - 11 1 -
Y3 Deep Gold - 9 1 -

-My knobs are the same ones that came with the house. I really wanted these in antique brass, but were a bit too cost prohibiting for the amount we needed.

-My counter tops are Silestone in Minerva Cream. The benefits are huge and were what we wanted at the time which was something easy. They are truly easy and good looking.

Hope this answered a few of your questions. Let me know if I missed anything and I will answer them in the comment section. Have a great Day!

* This lovely lady from High-Heeled Foot in the Door did a great play by play of painting her mother's cabinets. Now that I look back it seems we went with similar colors, ha! Great minds think alike?

Adding Green




I found my self highly inspired by Jennifer's fall post the other day. I have been wanting some fresh flowers, but haven't made my way to the store yet, so I thought I would take Jennifer's route on adding green to my home. On our nightly family walk I decided to bring along my clipping shears and collected some lovely foliage also known as pretty weeds for our home. I am rather pleased with the way it all turned out and love the free price tag even more.

HAPPY


Today I am guest posting over on Bridget's sweet blog. I am sharing an inspiration board inspired by my newish pouf that I had yet to share. I rather love the touch of glamor it adds to my more paired down living room. It also happens to make for a great spot for the kiddos to play around on. Hope you join me here!

*Giveaway winner announced below!

My Kitchen Redo





I finally painted the cabinets! Well not just me, but me and the Mr. I could not be anymore excited about the outcome. The before is here in case you needed a refresher. It took one night and a full day. We used a sprayer for the doors and Kellen hand painted the rest. The colors I used were Warm Stone by Sherwin Williams for the bottom and __________ for the top by Benjamin Moore but was colored matched by Sherwin Williams. Marianne came over and helped me narrow down my color choices. Let's just say I had a hard time making up my mind and she came to the rescue in a huge way. Did I happen to mention that I am one happy lady?

Between the Sheets...


Today I am guest blogging over on Gramercy's blog for their series Between the Sheets. I shared some of my all time favorite bedrooms and gave you all a look into mine. It's changed a bit from before. Now if only I could add this night table...


and this dresser...


with the same carpeting then I would be in pure bliss. Of course for now I am happy with what I have. Both pieces are from Chelsea House's fall collection and will be in the Gramercy's shop soon. Aren't they insanely gorgeous?

Dining Bliss



Remember last week when I mentioned revamping my dining table? Well the Mr. said I could just get a new one. Still not 100% sure this is the route I want to go. I rather like the money sitting in savings and my taste is rather expensive, but we are budget people so it will have to be quite the find. Besides I haven't met the "one" yet. These are both zinc which I love, but I know are out of price range. I still love the idea of something more farmhouse like. Well, for now I will just ogle over these two rooms. The first is from Sally Wheats residence which is always a source of inspiration and the second although twice the size of our dining space has me smitten.

Having Seen Better Days...

This is my dining room, although at the moment it is in complete disarray due to our new found love for legos. They have officially taken over. The dining chairs are still at the reupholsters and have been since March, ugh. That's what I get for going to someone who is a bargain. Anyhow, my dining table which is a square fits the room perfectly and seats 8+, but it has seen better days. I would love a long dining table, but in reality it just won't fit. We enjoy entertaining so many seats are a must. so I am thinking of giving it a face lift.


Over on Vanessa's blog I saw a link to a DIY project that left me speechless. It seems the lady from Freckled Laundry gave an ordinary wooden dresser a faux zinc finish. I personally think its gorgeous and wonder if it would hold up as a dining table top. Does anyone know if a coat of poly would make it last? I think chipping or paint transfer would be worse than my ugly table top.


I also thought about leaving the top to ruin and keep the aged look and then paint the legs and apron giving it a more farm house feel.

{Let me know if you know where this image is from, I have had it saved before I made it a point to site every image, sorry}


Or my favorite and won't ever happen option is just take off the top and add a slab of marble! Although I am thinking for that price I could just buy a new fabulous table which is something I want to avoid right now. I am thinking cheap.

{again I have this sited as David Jimenez, but could not find it on his site when I went to link, any ideas?}


So what would be your pick?

Ellie's Room Makeover







Well, I finally got it done and posted! I have to say although the before was rather fun this version is a bit more soothing. Ellie loves it and says she feels like a princess. The paint color which she picked out before stayed the same. We did a bit of rearranging , the occasional mess is now hidden from the door way is a huge plus. The biggest difference for me was painting the bed. I went with the same gray that is on the dresser in our room since technically they are a set and one day the dresser will go in Ellie's room. This was also my first time to make fully lined curtains, I must say I am quite proud of the way they turned out.

Paint: Sherwin Williams Parakeet Green
Gallery wall: here
Lamp, side table, white quilt, rug: Home Goods
Fabric for curtains: Paula Prass Garden Trellis in Aqua
Pillows on bed made by me: Barbara Barry Poetical linen bought from LGN and Pink fabric bought from local shop King Cotton.
Bulletin Board Fabric: Same as on pillow
Pink and white Blanket: made for Ellie when she was a baby
Doll Houses: Pottery Barn kids
Kitchen: Target
paint on bed: gray (my own mixture made by Benjamin Moore)

I did a fun little interview with Catherine from iBlog. Her husband is the creator of the gorgeous frame that hangs over KJ's bed. Oh, and when they lived here in Birmingham her sweet little nursery was featured in Southern Living. How fun is that!