Spring Table Setting

Haven't updated for a few weeks now, mostly because I really haven't been working on much new stuff. I got some stuff planned though, so hopefully I'll be able to get on that now that my college class is ending and I'll have more free time. In the mean time I wanted to share a spring table setting I did this last week. I was randomly inspired by the spring weather, and was rather tired of not working on anything home decor related so I decided to churn out a couple table settings just for the fun of it.

I got these wonderful weaved place mats from my grandma's house a few years ago. I've never used them once since then, so I excited to finally pull them out.

The greenery clippings I cut from an apple tree in our backyard. Unfortunately it wasn't quite blooming yet, so I had to cut a few flowers from a different plant and add them to the leaves to give more interest.

That's about all I have for now. Definitely plan on getting some more projects done very soon, and I'll be sharing them with you all once I do.

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Linked to: http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Bathroom Vanity Redo

So...it's been a long time, I know. I feel like a horrible blogger. I'm afraid once I get out of the groove of doing something (like posting) I tend to have a hard time getting back into it, but I'm going to try my best.

Today I'm going to share my bathroom vanity redo with all of you. Unfortunately I don't have any before pictures because I took them years ago and I can't find them anymore. Ya'll will just have to be satisfied with the after pictures. *sighs*

Before the vanity was just a natural wood tone. Nothing too hideous, but it was basically just boring. I decided to go with a neutral, gray washed looked. I was somewhat inspired by this hutch from pottery barn:

I really love the tones in it! Mine, of course, doesn't look quite so good, and had to be interpreted a bit for a vanity, but I'm pretty pleased with the final result:

Please forgive some of the awkward angles. Our bathroom is quite small and doesn't allow for ideal angles.

That's all for now, but hopefully I'll get another post up soon and not wait a whole month before I post again! Thank you all so much for reading, and don't forget to subscribe if you like what you see. :)

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Living Room Reveal

This post is late. Like, really really late! I finished this project before I even posted about the painted trim, which makes it over a month old! I had every intention of posting it sooner, but I just never got around to it. So I'm really really sorry about not updating more. When you have 50 million different hobbies as well as school you just don't always get everything done that you'd like to but I'm sure you all understand that.

Anyways, enough apologizing, let's get to the project! I've been wanting to paint my living room for a long time now. For as long as I can remember it's been painted blue. I have nothing against blue, but when you have blue carpet and blue walls and blue accessories, well...blue gets a bit overwhelming. So I knew that I wanted to paint it, but I struggled for the longest time about what color to paint it. I thought I would do gray for the longest time, which probably would have looked fine, but it never really sat well with me.

I finally found some inspiration from the photo below:

(Source: Unknown)

Yeah, I know it's a bedroom not a living room, but I was more concerned with the color scheme and patterns in the room than the furniture that was in it. I already had some toile valances in my living room, which I thought would fit in nicely with the sort of style seen above. Most importantly, I loved the blue with the understated khaki walls. After much thought a deliberation I finally decided to go with a khaki color for the walls.

Now before I show you the repainted/decorated room, I want to take you back to about a year and a half ago. This is our living room. Brace yourself, it's not a pretty sight:

BEFORE:

To be fair, these pictures were taken during a short period of time when my brother had practically turned the living room into his own little office, so the room didn't always look so bad, but still, I think you get the idea.

Alright, so here is the room after about a year of work, gradually painting this, refinishing that, etc.

AFTER:

As you can see the room retains very few of the original elements...

The sofa had to stay, because we simply can't afford a new sofa right now. However, I plan on getting a slipcover for it as well as some new pillows. Just look at those frumpy blue pillows; awful!

This old rocking chair, which belonged to my grandma, was also kept. (It's not pictured in the before photos, but it was in the room) I hope to recover the cushions on it or buy new cushions for it, and make a toss pillow or two for it.

The TV had to stay of course, but I'm desperately hoping to find a new stand for it at a garage sale or thrift store. Hopefully something that will hide the TV when it's not in use.

The bookshelf got fresh new decor. Unfortunately there's still a little empty part on the left side, 'cause I couldn't find anything that filled that spot correctly. :P Oh yes, and that darn knob fell off one day and never got put back on.

My favorite little corner.


Just a few more details:

So there you are!
The rooms not finished, by any means, but I think it looks loads better and
I'm completely satisfied with the khaki color; it really helps draws attention away from the blue carpet, imo.

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Fresh Start

Things have settled down here now that the trim is all finished and my parents are back home safe and sound, so I thought I'd go ahead and share some thing I had been doing around the house before I started the huge trim project .

Knowing that I'd be painting the trim while my parents were on vacation I started packing away the Christmas stuff somewhat early this year so that it wouldn't be in the way for the project. After I removed everything I felt really excited to have a fresh pallet. There was nothing set up anywhere, and the house felt really open and clean. Almost that feeling you get in a new house. No clutter, no mess, just an empty room to explore creatively in, and that's just what I did.

I decided not to put all the stuff back where it was before and, instead, took all my decorations and literally put them in a pile on the couch so I could see all that I had. I set up this, took down that, set up something else, replaced it with this and kept on in that way until I came up with something I liked. It's still not perfect, of course. I'm almost never 100% satisfied with my work, but I thought I would share what I came up with with all of you (don't you hate using double word's like that? "with with." Sounds so stupid.)

Please forgive my excessive picture taking, sometimes I can't restrain myself. :P

A few things have changed (for the better, I think) since I took the above picture, but you get the general idea. You can actually see the part-way-painted door in the background. Oops!

This is my favorite frame in the house!

I love these old books to death! Just look at that faded gold lining!

I decided to go with a sort of travel/beach theme in this room, hence the shells in front of a framed map.

You can see here that I've flipped all the books on my bookshelf so that the pages are showing rather than the spines. I saw this on some home decor site, but I don't recall which one.

I think it gives the books more uniformity. Don't get me wrong, I love book spins, I just didn't think they went with this particular room's feel.

This is the travel themed buffet. A suitcase, two pieces of driftwood, some shells, a glob and a couple of books.

So that's about all from me for now, but I'll definitely have some stuff coming your way in the next few days! If the sun will come out and give me enough natural light to shoot the living room than I'll be sharing that, and I have some lamp redo's that I should be able to share soon too. So definitely check back, if you want, subscribe.

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Trim Reveal!

It's been quite a long 13 days, but it's finally done! I feel so relieved and accomplished! I knew painting the trim in all three of our major rooms would be a huge job but, I have to admit, I still underestimated how much work it would be. I'm just exhausted from it all! It becomes so extremely tedious to be painting the same thing 13 days straight, esp. when there are complications and hiccups along the way. Of course, it didn't help that I got sick part way through.

Luckily I'm fully recovered now, and feeling great about the finished trim. Parents will be home in a few days, I'm a super excited to see what they think. Particularly my mom, because my dad will probably just say "Aaaaalright," in his signature way, which usually means he approves, he just isn't that into it. :P

Okay, so, of course, before I can show you the new trim, I have to show you some before pictures. After all, what would blog world be without before pictures?
Nothing...the answer is nothing. So here's a peek at the trim/doors before:

And a nice detail shot so you can see how beat up it was:

Yeah, pretty nasty! Although, admittedly, not all of it was as beat up as the trim in the picture above. Even so, the color was really bad.



Alright, now unto the afters!



I feel like I'm in a new house, seriously! Everything looks so fresh and new!


Our blue front door looks so much better without that ugly tan framing it!






It's still not perfect, as you can see from the picture above. There are still nicks and such, but they aren't really noticeable unless you get really close.

Overall I'm incredibly satisfied with how it turned out! I love waking up and seeing the new trim as I come down the hallway. It brightens my morning.


There is one room I purposefully didn't show you the trim in, and you'll find out why in a couple of days here. I'm pretty excited to share it with you all, but as it's not quite finished just yet I'll have to wait. So stay tuned for that!

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