Spring Break sample platter April 14, 2010

Sorry I’ve been MIA. I have several invitations and place card jobs lined up and have been finishing up some other wedding projects before the new ones roll in. But Iwanted to show everyone some pics from the last couple of weeks around here. Spring Break weather was beautiful, with the exception of record-breaking pollen- but I am not going to mention it to God, because the temps were perfect.

I spent some time hanging out in the dining room, just enjoying its "almost" completeness.

 

And while I was enjoying the dining room downstairs, someone else was breaking the law upstairs.

 

We planted some lettuce and spinach and had #3 water them. Sorta.

 

This picture makes our yard look so big, but trust me, it is an illusion.

RIght before school let out, we went to their "Art in the PArk" to see some of the stuff they've been working on this year. This is #2's pinch pot.

 

And #1's mask

 

As you can see, the week was pretty laid back. Here are the boys with one of our neighbors making lemonade on the front porch.

 

And of course, we had some goodies on Easter morning before heading to church to celebrate the risen Saviour.

 

Along with a goodie bucket, the two little ones went shopping with us to buy all their spring/summer clothes. We haven't gotten to #1's wardrobe yet. He is pretty picky now.

 

#3 definitely knew what was going on this year.

 

Sorry, she's so darn cute, I can't help myself...

 

Mom, recognize the dress? This was from when me and little sister were kids.

 

We decided to go for a mountain hike later in the week.

 

The weather was gorgeous and the trail is totally shaded.

 

Someone offered to take our picture. Of course we were all sweaty and gross by this point.

 

I love taking pictures like this!

 

A view of the metro area.

 

Probably shouldn't have looked directly into the sun...

 

Civil War battle site.

 

Just a little bit tired when we got to the top. All of them did the hike themselves with little to no complaining.

 

This could be dangerous...

 

Like I said, tired.

 

Since working on the house defines our lifestyle- I had to include a pic of #1 sanding the mantel for me. He did a pretty good job.

 

And by the end of the week, we had leaves on all the trees and azaleas were starting to peek out.

Well that’s a smaple platter of our Spring Break. We had a lot of fun and relaxation. Originally, we were going to camp for a few days, but quickly decided that plan was NOT relaxing.

On another note, now that we are wrapping up the downstairs projects and only small details remain, we have been discussing where to go next. I thought I would venture upstairs, but in reality, it doesn’t make sense to buy carpet or put in a nice new bathroom when the kids are still quite destructive. We are going to (que some John Williams music)

MOVE ON TO THE EXTERIOR R R R R R  (echo, in case you didn’t know)

I am actually very excited about this. We have decided to hire a professional to come in to replace all the rotten wood and siding on the house. Then we are going to have a houe painting party. We will later get new gutters put on professionally, as well. Right now, I am saving up the cash to have the work done as I have already received a pretty fair quote. We are picking out colors and making plans for the front. Be back soon with some of the options!

Dining Room rough draft April 1, 2010

I can’t help myself. Jeff delivered my table a couple of days ago and I made TWO trips to IKEA to get the chairs. That, in itself, is a crazy story, because I drove the Jeep into the city. I have never driven that far and that long in the Jeep and frankly, I was a little nervous that I might have to call someone to rescue me. But miraculously, I made it there and back, plus a calligraphy drop-off, all in one piece. So back the the dining room…

I love it so far. It is rough and raw, but you can see where it is going. There are a few details in my original drawing that I am going to change, because I think I went overboard in the plan, but other than that, the bones are the same. Here is what I have so far, because if I don’t show you I think I’m going to blow up! So excited to show off what I have so far.

The mantelpiece has to be stripped to the bare wood. I originally thought that I wanted something with tons of ornate detail, but I found that everything I was attracted to was simple with clean lines. Hmm. Who'd have thought? This is a craftsman style mantel made out of red tiger oak.

 

The table is still unfinished wood. I will probably just put a couple of coats of clear satin poly on it. I love the look of the natural barn wood. Up close, there are nail holes, knots and cracks on the planks. We love the way it came out!

 

Here is another view, showing the chalkboard wall. The chairs against the wall are "heirlooms" that we plan on having refinished at some point. The other chairs are slipcovered chairs from IKEA. They are super comfy and you can throw the covers in the covers in the wash and bleach them. I guess I should iron them...

 

There are a few things left to do in here:

Curtains- I wanted white curtains with a faded brown toile on them, but I can’t find them anywhere. I may buy fabric and make them myself, but then it’s another project and I still have to slipcover my other couch. Ich.

Lumbar Pillows- I plan on making a pillow for each chair at the head of the table. The fabric will probably be a bold brown and white damask.

Light fixture- I am so conflicted about this one. I love the big heavy beast from craigslist, but it is going to cost a lot of money to make it work. I am so tempted to take all the blue jewels off of it and recreate the current chandelier. I would probably get new shades for it.

Artwork- Rather than painting or embroidering an “M” on each chair. I am now leaning towards drawing a big, embellished M on paper and framing it for the top of the mantel. I think I like that idea better. I also have plans to paint a large farm image of haybales and rolling hills to hang on the big wall. I’ll add a few vintage plates on the walls. Oh, and no room is complete without a picture of the kids, so I will probably throw a little framed pic of them on the mantel with some chunky candlesticks or something.

While I’m showing pics of the dining room, I thought I would include a couple of shots from #3′s third birthday this past weekend.

She liked the butterfly on the cake. All she really wanted was the frosting.

 

We had to eat around her fingerprints.

 

Before I sign off, I shamelessly have to brag on my boys.

#1- He totally STOLE the show in the church musical. Not only was he the best vocalist, he knew ALL of his lines and was the comic relief. He played the nerdy role, and hammed it up completely, with nerd dance, voice and costume. Everyone has commented on how talented he is.

#2- He has finished his AWANA book. Twice. He memorized the whole thing. Then did the review in TWO nights. All of the leaders are amazed. No child has ever done this. They are ordering the extended extra credit book for him, so he has something to do for the rest of the year. Now he has all this bling for his AWANA vest. But before you get too excited, he also decided to cut two little chunks of hair off the front of his head with the kitchen shears…

Peace out.

Farm tables March 14, 2010

I have this little obsession with farm house tables. I am not quite sure when it all came about, but when I see a big, husky table with nailholes and a planked top, I get all tingly inside. Sometimes I see them in antique stores, all weathered from years of use and love, but unfortunately, they are usually small. If I find a large one, someone has already discovered what a gem it is, and has it priced accordingly (equals wayyyy out of my humble budget). It was decided long ago that my dining room would sport an antique farm table. I have been hunting a deal all over the internet and local stores, but to no avail. A beautiful farm table that seats six made with old barnwood sings to the tune of about $1800 and up. Bummer. Until I found Jeff. Jeff makes farm tables. Jeff is clueless about his worth and talent. He has no idea how to price his masterpieces. Thank the Lord for Jeff, because now my family will be able to eat around a farm table for years to come and I won’t be paying for it for years to come. And the story is wonderful. Jeff comes from a family heritage of wood craftsman. His dad built furniture and his grandpa and great-grandpa built furniture. They built a workbarn out in south GA back in the early 1900′s and tinkered around with furniture making. After their deaths, Jeff acquired the tools and the barn. Since the barn was out order, he had it disassembled and uses the wood to build his tables. When the barn was built back in 1920 or so, the wood was 100 yrs old. So the wood on these tabels is close to 200 yr old pine. After my table is built, I am going to take some good photos of it and email it to all of my designer friends in the city. Jeff would like to quit his corporate job and follow the passion of his dad’s and grandpa’s  dream building furniture for a living. Lookout Jeff. Dreams can come true.

One of the tables he was working on yesterday. This is an 8 ft pine harvest table.

Finished pine table with bench

Unfinshed pine table. He will put a coat of satin poly on it before his friend come to pick it up.

He will start working on my table next week. I have requested old barnwood with husky tapered legs. The top will be planked and 35 inches wide, 6 feet long, with a 5 inch apron all the way around. Where did I come up with $1800, you ask? I didn’t have to, because Jeff says it only cost $350. See what I mean???!!! I am going to pick up six white slipcover parsons chairs next week. Basically, all the furniture for my dining room will be under $1000, but is going to look completely custom. I priced this stuff out at some local furniture stores and you would not BELIEVE the cost. Please let me know if you are interested in having Jeff build you a table and I will hook you up!

Granny chairs are no more! March 2, 2010

Chairs are back from the uphosterer. This guy did a great job!!

From this...

 

And this....

 

To this-

To this!!!!

And this!!!

 

And I forgot to showcase my slipcover for the couch. It just slipped my mind, but it turned out pretty nice. Now I need to make one for the other couch. Ach. It takes forever too. But it will be totally worth it in the end.

 

And this.

 

If you noticed, I moved the new rug to the living room. We (me and the kids) decided that it worked better in there. I decided that I really did want something more neutral in the dining room. I guess I just needed to see it in person. My original plan for the dining room was a seagrass rug. So here it is! And it smells SO good. And it would be the ONLY thing in our house that smells good.

Update February 24, 2010

Whew! Lots of calligraphy lately. All the spring weddings are keeping me busy. However, I am pinching in some time for our beast of a house.

So let’s rewind back to two weeks ago. It was a Friday (I think) and it snowed. Lots of snow. Well, for us anyway. I bet we got about 4 inches when it was all said and done.

 

 

This is what we do when we get bored of snow. One of my clients mailed her envelopes in this box. #3 was sure grateful for the new box.

The day after snow and ice I was itching to get out of the house so that I could go find a missing part for my chandelier. As you can see from the pics below, I got a little distracted by the other stuff in the store.

Wouldn't mind having this one...

Oooo, or this one!!

Wow. Gorgeous. This one would do.

 

Sigh. Back to reality. Bet you would recognize that ceiling anywhere. Here is our current dining room chandelier. You can see it under the layers of dust, if you look closely.

 

Big changes are happening in our dining room and living room. Sorry, I am not ready to reveal anything yet. Let’s just say that we are really making an effort to have a cozy welcoming house. Whether we sell or not, we have to live here in the time-being, and I don’t want our trademark look to be stains and sawdust.

Just a hint. Those grandma looking french fireside chairs are going to the upholsterer on Friday. Yes, I am paying a professional for this gig. I can’t wait to show y’all the transformation because it is going to be awesome!!

Table project February 7, 2010

I love dark wood. Something about it is so rich and warm. When we bought our dining table years ago, we had the intention of using it as a kitchen table. However, the round shape and the size do not work in there, leaving me to use it in the dining room. The stain was a compromise from back then, as Husband likes light stain colors. I hate it. So #3 and I got to work the other day sanding the table. There was lots of crud on it too. I’m still not finished, but I thought I would share pictures of the process. And we may not even keep this longterm. We prefer to have something rectagular and with no leaves in it. But that’s money to be spent another day….

 

 

Rug Update February 7, 2010

Thanks for everyone’s feedback regarding the rugs. After some thought, I did not go with any of these options because they fell into the $500-700 price range. I found a more affordable option at a local store for $350 AND it is made of wool, so I didn’t have to compromise the quality. I also went with darker rather than lighter, because this is in a dining room with food falling on it. I want to be practical so that I am not hating the stained rug by next year.

 

 

 

And also the new paint color in the foyer, since it rivaled a cave.

As you can see, the freezing weather crept up on us too fast and we never stained the floors in here yet. When it warms up, we will resand these floors and finish them.

 

Another view. We also need to tackle all the trim work in the foyer, dining and living rooms.

Rugs are expensive February 1, 2010

I am shopping for a dining room rug. Sheesh, you would think they had gold bits in them for the prices I am finding them for. I realize that some are hand knotted, home weaved and tongue-tied, but I just want a rug that looks nice for a decent price! I mean, I have three young kids and we plan to actually step on our rug. I know some of you are wondering why I would want to cover up the new wood floors. Well, a couple of reasons. First off, I want to protect the floors from the wrath of children. Secondly, this is the room that everyone sees when they come in, especially my clients. I am somewhat embarrassed at what they see right now. Not to mention, I just found out that one of my clients actually lives in a castle. Yes, you heard me right- a freakin’ castle. I am surely not trying to compete with these Lexus-driving city cats, but I at least want this room to look like I put some thought into making it look like I care. So, back to the rug situation. I am a bit indecisive with the type of rug I want. Originally, I was just going to buy a sisal or seagrass rug and call it a day, but although I like the way they look in some shabby chic magazine spread, I’m not sure that I am in love with it for a formal dining room. (And I don’t want my dining room “formal,” but I don’t want it to be mistaken for a sunny breakfast nook either.) If you remember, the full plan for this room is to get a plank-top, turned-leg farmhouse table and skirted parson chairs. The two french chairs from husband’s grandfather will flank each end and the chndelier has light blue crystals made from recycled Coke bottles hanging from it. By the way, the chandelier is still on the floor in the kitchen because I have no idea how to hang this beast. Enough already, here are the top contenders:

So what do y’all think? I will need a 6 x 8 or 6 x 9 to fit the room, which presents another challenge, since that is not a stock size. Oh, well, everything about my house has been a challenge. Look for an upcoming post about my dining room makeover. Instead of sharing parts of it now, I am just going to wait until I have a big reveal. More exciting that way!

I know, I know November 12, 2009

Not much blogging going on. I guess we have been swamped with fall activities. Everything is coming along fine with the floors. We are at a stopping point in the foyer though. We have to build a plank to get from the stairs to the dining room so that the foyer floor finish won’t have little footprints on it. That is on the aganda for this weekend and will most likely become a cubscout project. Speaking of cubscouts, Husband and the boys went on a camping trip this past weekend and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

They made these catapults and launched raw eggs at the older boyscouts.

Technically, #2 is too young to be in cubscouts, but they let him participate anyway.

 

#1 makes careful aim. This will come in handy when we start shooting at squirrels together. Ah, good times.

 

While they were sleeping out in a tent, I was finishing up the last coats of tung oil in the dining room.

Lighten up October 10, 2009

Hi. Compulsive craigslister here. Since I am in the process of putting together a new dining room, I wanted to reconsider the light fixture. The one I have is o.   k.     But it leaves much to be desired. It used to be blind-you brass, but I spraypainted it silver last year and antiqued it. Then I bought some little light covers which helped it alot. But it is very “builder” looking and not very representative of us. So when the PERFECT light fixture came up for sale on craigslist and the seller was practically GIVING this $1500 (I looked online to see the value), I made a deal!

This is the current light. I guess I should have turned it off before I snapped the picture. Looks like UFO's flying over it...

 

New light. HEAVY as a 12 year old boy hanging from the ceiling! I am not sure how to hang it because of the weight, but I will figure it out.

 

Close up shot of the pale blue crystals. They are actually made of recycled Coke bottles. I just love that. The rest of the chandelier is a dark brown antiqued, braided metal.