... in the fun lane

Powder Room Plans

2013-05-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, I just got done with 8 months worth of renos at ParkView, but my brain never stops and I think it is time to add a little more pizzazz to our powder room. This was actually our first reno. EVER. We ripped it apart 3 days before Wren made her unexpected debut. We threw it back together on a shoe string budget and with a steep learning curve (back when we were DIY newbies!).

This is it today. Clean, fresh, but nothing exciting. I've had the urge to sprinkle it with some character lately.

Speaking of character, it had a ton in it's hey day. Just not my kind of character, I guess. I will never forget pulling down what felt like MILES AND MILES of wall paper in this house when we bought it. I may have sworn that I'd never put some poor future generation through that, but I am going to break my own vow and re-paper it. SORRY future owners. Or you're welcome, I guess, if you like it!

Here is my game plan: use the same pedestal, toilet and fixtures. Just add a new mirror, switch out the light, and wall paper it up! It will take a little sweat equity but the total investment is actually really minimal. The biggest splurge was the paper ($125), but I think it is the perfect mix of happy, fun, and modern. Which will perfectly offset the new rustic light and mirror.

1 / 2 / 3 here and here / 4

And if you were looking for sources on anything at Parkview, have no fear I am working on a separate post with everything.

Ciao my bellas!

Candle of the Month

2013-05-20T03:30:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to finally do another Candle of the Month post! With so much on my plate the last post wasn't since November, which is shocking because these are really my favorite posts.

Spring is starting to bloom up here in Edmonton. The first shrub in our yard to flower every year is this pretty pink number. You may have seen these branches make a cameo from time to time in springs past. I just can't help myself from chopping the whole bush down to fill every room every year. My friend Megan was kind enough to notify me it is double flowering plum, so now I can hopefully find a few more and give this poor guy a rest.

The only catch is that while it is a beautiful, lush flower it really doesn't have any scent. So until my lilac trees start producing I will keep burning candles!

This month's candle is a really refreshing scent. It is the Green Tea Sage soy candle from Target. It is a big, 3 wick candle and so far seems to be a really clean burn (no soot, or discoloration of wax as it burns).

I think I got it on sale for around $10, but it was regularly only $12 so either way really really well priced.

The scent is very light and while it does cover a pretty good area when lit, it was definitely not the potency or range that I seem to get from a Voluspa, Aquiesse or other high end candles. But that was fine for me because in the Spring you don't really want an over powering scent, I'd rather open up some windows with the arrival of warm weather.

It seems to be the perfect kitchen candle. I never cook a hearty meal and not light a candle after to help clear the air.

Interested in what my previous picks have been? Check them all out here.

The Silver Lining

2013-05-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Thank you is not even enough. While I haven't had time to respond to every comment, I wanted to tell you that all your thoughts and words of love these past few days have been very cherished and very appreciated. They reminded me that I am not alone. That we have all loved and lost. And that the memories do last a lifetime.

We are starting to realize our life without our boy is different, but it still goes on. And since we have a lot of dogs in our family we will still be surrounded by fur and fluffy cuddles.

Thank you, again, for reminding me why this blogging gig is beyond amazing.

A not so fun day.

2013-05-16T08:42:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day. It was our first day home from vacation and we spent most of it outside in the yard. Wren make a little picnic spot for our lunch and Mungkee and I joined her with some peanut butter and jam pitas. She shared her 'crusts' with him. He played in the yard with us. We knew he has been sick, but he was eating good and I even gave him a little bath, after which he pounced around like a little puppy (like he always did after a good bath).

We had an appointment at the Vet to do a re-check to see if his medication has been helping, if his weight was improving late in the afternoon. Everything inside me was telling me that he wasn't alright, but he seemed to be 'stablizing' and I wanted to believe it. But something told me that Sean needed to be there, and we made plans for Wren to be with her grandma for the afternoon.

The vet agreed that he wasn't worse, but he wasn't better. She ran some blood tests and did an x-ray. While we waited for the results they brought him back to us and right then I knew.

He laid down on the floor and cried. It was like he held it all together up until that moment and he felt like it was time to give in. A couple minutes later the vet showed me his x-ray and there was a mass that wasn't there in his last 3 x-rays (all taken within the last 2 months). They did a quick ultrasound and confirmed that his liver was engulfed in cancer, too far gone to do anything. It was a surprise to me that it was so bad so quick when we have been doing regular x-rays and scans on him to try and detect anything that would explain his recent changes (loss of weight and very sleepy). But it was a relief at the same time to finally know what it was. And to know that I couldn't have seen it sooner or done anything differently. Mungkee was such a good, easy dog that I felt guilty up until that point that I should have seen the signs sooner, that I could have done something to help him. To know that we checked everything before, all the doctors couldn't find it until yesterday and that they could do nothing for him gave me a little finality and allowed me to let go.

He was ready to let go before we were and it seems he was kind enough to let us have that final piece of closure.

We cuddled him in his last moments and he was a gentleman up to the end. I was proud to hold such a brave little guy in my arms as he passed.

We will miss our little Mungkee. Sean and I were talking last night and we will always remember him as the dog that brought a smile to everyone's face. Always giving love, enjoying the attention.

When we adopted him 7 years ago he was already 3. My parents thought we were crazy for taking on an already 3 year old male dog (that hadn't been neutered!) but within minutes he won over everyone's heart. His previous owner had passed when we took him, and until yesterday I didn't think much about the fact that someone else loved him just as much as us and I am glad that he is with her again.

He was Sean's best man and our little baby boy.

And when Wren came along he took to her immediately, but more importantly she adored him too.

Just his hair could make me giggle if the wind blew it in a funny way.

Thank you for so many loving memories and years,

Good bye "mungkee man".

Time Off

2013-05-09T09:31:00.001-07:00

Thank you all so much for your sweet and wonderful comments on my Parkview post!! It was so much hard work and while I didn't stage it this time like I did at Lexington, I am glad you could all appreciate the transformation. THANK YOU.

This little old part of the internet has been kind of dry lately as I've barely had time to share anything beyond the rare Parkview update this past month. Sorry about that! But with a little rest and relaxation I always find myself eager to get back to sharing the randomness that is my life here, on my blog.

So until the next house sinks it's claws into me, we are back to our regularly scheduled blogging.

It has been a total 180 from last week in the life of Wren and I. Last Thursday I was scrubbing floors and windows until one in the morning, this week we are relaxing and hanging by the pool. It is just Wren and I on this trip while Sean holds down the house and cares for our little Mungkee boy. We wish he could be here too, but I also love that it is a special little getaway for us.

We started our vacation the second we got to the departures terminal.

Wren was so excited she did several dance shows for fellow travellers

(sorry, took it on my phone)

I love this time of year in Palm Springs. It's hot and dry.

We spent most of the last two days in my parent's pool. Wren has a little fish DNA mixed in there, she would eat her dinner in the pool if I let her.

My dad takes Wren turtle hunting every night (knowing there are not any turtles near their house, using it more as an excuse to explore), but we actually found a good place to see some and she was thrilled to finally 'hunt' some down.

After a looooonnnnggg winter, she is back in park mode!

Today we are packing a small bag and heading over to Disneyland and California adventure for a few days. Lots of fun and excitement is in our forecast!

Have a great weekend~

ParkView, all done... pretty much

2013-05-06T20:26:00.001-07:00

About 8 months ago we started with a house that looked like this. I will be the first to admit that we underestimated the time and dedication needed to complete this transformation, but I am fortunate to say we arrived on budget (give or take a little).

We still have a handful of minor details to finish, but I was so excited to share that I couldn't wait. Oh yeah, I am also jetting off with my littlest partner, Wren, for a week of sun and Disney to thank her for all her patience and endless good behavior on our 10 million Ikea runs. So I wanted to get this post done for you.

Here it is as of Monday! We just had the new cement walkway poured and the porch is nearly finished. We still have some minor cleanup and landscaping, but it is officially for sale now.

A last minute addition was some stone work on the porch and a railing. White vinyl trim is still being wrapped on the posts.

Come on in!

Right off the front entry is a corridor that you can go down... or turn right to head into the living/dining room.

Despite 1:00 am clean up sessions multiple nights last week, I am going to call in a cleaning crew to get it sparkly.

Back in the hall way if you look left you would have seen this just before the drywall went up. We changed the layout to a laundry and powder room but this was originally an open galley kitchen.

Now you see this. On the end is the laundry, then the hall turns right into the new family room/kitchen. The pocket door on the right is the main floor bathroom.

It still needs it's accessories hung, but it is a nice little powder room.

The laundry room is one of my favorite rooms in the house.

Lots of storage and the folding doors mean you don't lose floor space in the room itself (great if you tackle mountains of laundry like me... I only get to mine once or twice a month at this point).

At the very end of that twisty hallway is the family room/kitchen. I neglected to get a far out shot like this now that it's done, but I promise the family room still exists.

And so does a pretty new kitchen! Our crown molding is being installed tomorrow and then she is done!

I did not decide to stage this house like I did at Lexington, but I couldn't help myself when it came to the kitchen! I want people to know what I envisioned for it when they walk through.

Again, I went with the Ikea domsjo sink and a new faucet they have, as well as their dishwasher with integrated cabinet door panels (just to the right of the sink). I think it is one of the coolest things about the kitchen!

This clearance $109 light from Restoration Hardware is another of my favorite things. It is very easy to pivot and swivel as needed.

And my light greyish/green island is the perfect hint of color/texture for in here.

Now let's make our way back to the hall from the front door. Because that is where you will find our side entrance from the back drive way. It started like this.

It is a lot brighter and more functional now.

The original cement ledge was too high to install a closet, but I think this may be more functional for families really.

Looking in.

Just off the mudroom is a small staircase that leads up to another family room or den.

This is once of the biggest rooms in the house and would make an amazing office or playroom.

Let's go upstairs!

The upstairs is so much brighter with all our enlarged and lowered windows.

I love the simplicity of a school house light and great windows.

I also love that while it is an old house, we have lots of storage as each closet is deep enough to have a full door. I also like this because not so much wall is used up by folding doors when it comes to furniture placement.

The main bath upstairs is simple in warms shades of grey and white.

I assumed it would be the kids' bath so I chose a fun round mirror and added a telescopic mini mirror to offset so many square details.

At the front of the house is the master.

And it has the fourth bedroom-turned-ensuite all to itself. I love the hotel vibe it has. And there is still tons of floor space for more storage or laundry hampers.

The glass is still waiting for install.

Off the ensuite is a nice long closet with tons of natural light. Closet hardware is being installed this week!

And finally, here is the third and final bedroom.

There are so many little details and other things I will show you when I get back (like our rear deck and garage), but I am just so thrilled with how things turned out. I hope you like it!

Thanks so much for all your sweet, encouraging words over the past few months on this journey. TRUST ME, the road felt pretty bumpy at times. But I know some lovely family will appreciate all the things you just saw and more (like the all new wiring, plumbing, furnace and ducts, insulation, and on and on) that you don't often see in old neighborhoods like this one. Which makes all the heartache and hard work worth it.

THANK YOU AGAIN!! I am so thankful to have so many people to share this work and my dreams with.

ParkView: The final week

2013-04-28T21:36:00.002-07:00

We are in the final week over at ParkView! I know I may have said that last week, but we had a few little hiccups with scheduling and as anyone who renovates knows, it really is a domino effect. So one thing bumped another, which bumped another and now we are pushing to the finish line. I am listing the house for sale this Saturday so things HAVE to be done.

I only brought my camera along a handful of times but here is some progress that happened last week.

Our island counter is in place and looking beautiful!!

You may remember it from a string of photos as we progressed, a la this shot from January. It started as a cast off piece of rubbish we found in the basement. All along various trades have offered to throw it in my garbage bin for me but I've held on tight to it. It had paint, drywall and lord knows what else crusted to it even before I got my hands on it. But with some sanding and expert trimming by my finisher it is PERFECT.

To add some character once it was sanded I bought some Boos Block board cream from William Sonoma.

I am a big Boos Block lover. My own board was actually never treated before either but I'm going to give it a go here at home too after seeing how pretty the island turned out.

The left is after only a few minutes and the right is still untreated.

I rubbed it all in by hand then let it sit for a couple days to really absorb and moisturize this old block.

(I'll give you a sneak peek at the end of this post).

Another spot that is like night and day is the mud room. I can hardly remember it looking so shabby as this, but here is how it looked not all that long ago:

And all painted up it looks like this!

I love how the cubby and step turned out!

From the doorway looking in.

Also painted up and pretty are the new railings. My painters are miracle workers, taking the time to do more prep than painting so they could spray all my trim, doors and railings instead of brushing. As someone with a little experience in that area I know how much more time that takes, but it is well worth the effort.

The plumbers also popped by last week!

I`ll give you the run down on all the details in my final reveal, but these Price Pfister faucets are definitely a detail that was not a usual `holly`purchase, but they tie in well.

And while it may be a grainy-camera phone photo, I just had to share my waxed butcher block counter and painted island! I did the grey paint myself as one of my own little projects. I thought it would be cool to have the white wood doors/drawers and then grey deco panels, or in this case a custom surround.

As you are reading this my carpet is going in and my electricians are installing all the decorative lighting. I am hoping to pop by once more before the final unveiling, but I know this week will be crazy so all I can promise is that I will see you when I see you!!

Have a great day.

Parkview, again!

2013-04-23T08:07:00.002-07:00

It is only the second day of the week, but I cannot tell you how much got accomplished already over at ParkView. Not getting accomplished is the gigantic pile of laundry at my own house.

My amazing finisher was finishing up and leaving yesterday, meanwhile the painters were caulking all the trim and doing their final coats of paint, and the plumbers were making some last minute changes work. There was easily twelve people at work there all day which is funny now that I look at the pictures because I didn't get a single photobomb.

All this progress is from Monday morning, and I will share again tomorrow what it looked like on Tuesday morning (today) because even by mid afternoon it was a huge transformation.

The windows and doors throughout are now finished with their trim work. I am so happy with the final look, the header style was a bit of a chance on my end because it had a hard (no round edges) and modern profile, but used in this style it seems to feel right at home. It was my way of adding a modern twist to traditional without being too off the wall.

The railings went in over the weekend and are being painted as we speak. If you look through parkview photos closely you will notice I did not use rounded or curved details in the house, so I went with a straight spindle and post.

My island was also getting finished yesterday! We used Ikea cabinets for the island, then he built out the exterior for me instead of doing deco panels. I am going to paint it a contrasting color to the cabinets for some pizzazz. Item number 34575 on my to do list for the week.

This has been my little pet project: turning a previously raised closet into a functional mud room. My finisher was the brains behind the whole thing and even came up with the genius idea of adding a step so little kids can get up on the bench easier, and then a little cubby to slide shoes into! Should be painted today and then I can finish is up.

It is a far cry from the damaged tile and wood walls it started with.

Now I just need these lights installed so I can photograph it in good light for you!

When I have the time, and before I share all the final photos I will track down the layout schematics so you can see how bizarre the layout was, and while we have made it WAYYY more functional, there are still a bunch of twists and turns and long hall ways.

At the end of one of those hallways is our new laundry room! Lots of cabinets and room to tackle laundry piles like the one waiting for me upstairs...

I'll be back tomorrow to show you more, but until then happy TUESDAY!!

Friday

2013-04-19T06:43:00.003-07:00

It's Friday!! Today I am not just celebrating the end of the week. It is so much more here.

It is the fact that it FINALLY feels like Spring might be upon us, the fact that Parkview only has a week left until it goes on the market (let's hope it is ready!!!), the fact that we are over the last bout of flu, and the fact that we had another week with our little buddy: Mungkee.

I mentioned it briefly on Instagram yesterday, but we nearly lost our boy this week. Things didn't look good, and the fact that he is older (10) and was dealing with a handful of health issues for the last few week, some of them still unclear, sure had me feeling hopeless and unable to see how long he could continue. Our vet tried a couple new things and he seems to be responding now so I am hopeful that it will sort itself out. But even if not, we had the joy of another week of cuddles and love from the sweetest dog ever (sorry if you also think you have a sweet dog, but I assure you this boy is pure gold!).

It is a good day in my world.

And I hope it will be a great one in yours.

ParkView via my phone

2013-04-16T09:15:00.006-07:00

Hi you!

Life is hectic right now, I am really really eager to get back to my regular blogging schedule! But for now, my days are full nursing Mungkee and Wren back to health (both are STILL sick!), and running around like a crazy lady with ParkView. I haven't had time to bring my camera over there since last week, but I am excited to keep you updated.

Last week I hit all the stone suppliers to pick out counter materials. The options are endless, but I will give you a little hint about what I chose: it is honed again, but not a material I have used before.

This is what I was up to this weekend. I was a little impatient to wait for the finisher to arrive so I unpacked and set up the vanities where I wanted them. Then I realized that I needed the plumbers before I could make any more progress...

I love the mixing of wood and stone texture in here. It has a really relaxing, zen feel, but once all my chrome fixtures and sconces are up it will have a little hit of bling.

The counters are being templated and installed this week so the kitchen wall cabinetry is all in place.

The crown and kick plates are still waiting to go in, but I am already in love with the layout.

I had ANOTHER Ikea delivery late last week for all my mudroom, laundry room and kitchen island cabinets which now take over the room. I am so thankful they deliver here because I cannot even imagine moving this all by myself and getting it into my SUV.

A tiny step forward for this kitchen, a huge leap for Parkview!

Have a great Tuesday!

ParkView Bathroom update

2013-04-11T09:12:00.004-07:00

I'll start with my good news: Mungkee came through his little procedure all right. We don't know for sure if this will help him in the long run, but so far he seems to be a little bit closer to the old Mungkee we love.

My bad news is that the flu has taken Wren down AGAIN! Seriously, this kid has had the flu, a cold and now another bout of the flu. I am hoping this one is short lived and the last time we see a sick bug in our house this year.

As promised, here is a little look-sie at the bathroom progress I promised. I am also excited with how our trim is looking!! My finisher is amazing and a pro with the saw.

Our show glass manufacturer did all his measurements yesterday and we should have some walls and a door in the next few days.

I also did some damage yesterday and bought all the vanities, sconces and lighting for the bathrooms.

Sean was pretty surprised with the direction I took, but I know it will be the perfect fit. I went with double floating vanities for the master and a single for the other bath. Most of the time floating vanities are used in very modern settings, but once in a while you see one in a more traditional bathroom and I think it looks stunning.

via

via HGTV

As soon as they are installed I will show you ASAP!!

ParkView Update (overdue!)

2013-04-09T09:36:00.003-07:00

Hi Guys!! Hope you have been enjoying Spring this week. Did I mention they cancelled it here?? Really, we've had snow and grossly freezing temperatures. Yuck.

I said I was going to show you my ParkView update last week, but guess what? This little guy isn't doing so hot.

As I type this he is having some minor surgery, which I am hoping helps him feel better because he hasn't been himself for the last little bit. It was last week that I noticed he wasn't eating and just seemed to be weak and unable to walk properly so we took him in and ran a variety of tests and diagnostics all day last Thursday. So I'm crossing my fingers he we will back to my lovable, spunky Mungkee soon.

Besides Doggy Drama, I've had roofing drama and tiler drama. Which has left very little energy for blogging...

I'm not going to go into details because it just doesn't seem professional, but Mama had to be a boss and had to say "You're fired" a few times in the last few weeks. It cost me some time, but I know I made the right decision.

I will bring my camera to the house tomorrow morning and show you some more dramatic changes, since all of these were shot over a week ago already!

Some of my tile choices.

Here is our family room off the kitchen with all the new wood in!

And also in the den/office. We have all our tile and wood in now, so just carpet remains to be done upstairs which will happen at the very end.

Needs to be wiped down again, but here is my grey tile in the mud room.

My most exciting progress has been the bathrooms, which are my idea of heaven!

I did extra wide subway tile in both showers, with a mosaic glass/marble band like I did in Lexington. I only needed 9 sheets to do both showers and just had them cut into thirds.

The grout wasn't done yet in this shot, but it is very true to the final product as we did a grey grout for lots of contrast.

This walk in shower is going to be my favorite thing in the house once the glass is installed!

I promise to let you know how my baby is doing tomorrow, and show you some more fun shots at ParkView.

And hey, Torri, can you send me the ParkView blueprints????? THANKS!

Bliss and Tell Winner!

2013-04-03T07:24:00.004-07:00

So, I have had a couple crazy days and my ParkView update isn't going to happen till later today (sorry!), but I didn't want to keep you all waiting any longer to hear who won our fabulous Bliss and Tell Giveaway!

MichelleM, random.org says you are our winner!! Congratulations. Unfortunately your profile doesn't have an email address attached so I can't reach out to you. If I don't hear from MichelleM in 1 week I will redraw for a new winner.

THANKS AGAIN BLISS AND TELL!!!!

Foyer light FINALLY hung

2013-04-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

This was one of those projects that just seemed like a MAJOR pain to tackle. Not because it was a hard job (we've rewired dozens upon dozens of lights over the years) but simply because it required locating a virtually skyscraper height ladder to get it done. So while I've embarassingly had this light for 2 years now (you can see the first mention of it here) it was only recently hung. However the crazy high ladder still needs to be returned. We suck at this project, hey?

And by recently hung I mean back in January, which you will see by the glimpses of Wren's party decor. As you can tell, I'm a little behind on keeping up with things.

Here was our Foyer pre-new lighting. Unfortunately even my afters are pre-new door. But I am hoping that will be a Summer switch-out. The frosted glass half panels HAVE TO GO!

The chrome plays up nicely with all the chrome in the kitchen as well, and I think it was a good, safe bet for us. Nothing surprising or ground breaking, but a necessary switcheroo.

So if you've been dutifully waiting to see this for 2 years, THANK YOU for your patience.

And if I owe you your ladder, I promise you won't have to wait 2 years to get it back.

AND if you've been patiently waiting to see an update on ParkView, pop by tomorrow! I have some fun stuff to share.

Toodles~

Happy Easter

2013-03-28T11:35:00.004-07:00

From our family to yours, have a safe and wonderful weekend.

xoxo Holly

Things that make me Happy

2013-03-27T08:58:00.003-07:00

Happy short week everyone! Sorry I've been MIA this week. We had a MASSIVE snow storm here late last week which threw a wrench in some plans, and ParkView has been eating up my time pretty much everyday this week. It is like night and day in there from just a week ago, although I've had my share of struggles there this week (more on that in my next update), and it has been exhausting.

But instead of focusing on my frustration I thought it was about time we talk about what is making me forget my cares and sport a smile.

{ Eggs }

Wren is thrilled with the Easter season this year. She had been begging me to dye eggs with her since February because it was the thing she remembered most from last year. I finally caved and we did some last week. She wanted to do shades of pink and purple and I have to say, she definitely has an eye for color.

{ capes }

I found this one for Wren back in December and kind of thought it was the coolest thing ever. So I kept my eyes peeled for one while out thrifting. My persistence paid off when I scored this vintage wool cape for $14. The fact that it matched my new Joules boots perfectly was too awesome (yes, I still say awesome from time to time).

{ baking twine }

I'm new to the scene when it comes to wrapping food in twine. Seems kind of 'Martha' to me, but geez it's pretty and takes sharing snacks to a whole new level. Plus it makes me feel like a way more accomplished baker than I am. It's a win-win.

{ lip balm}

Proving I'm not the only person frequently using the term 'awesome', the Awesome Balm etsy store has me hooked. Cold, dry winters are not your friend when it comes to soft lips. Wren and Sean have already claimed most of my collection... so I will be restocking again soon. Now that I have my own etsy store I am more addicted to than ever to browsing and shopping all the amazing stores on there!

EDITED TO ADD: wow! Rose from Awesome Balm saw this post and just contacted me to give us all a 25% off coupon! Use FUNLANE25
THANKS ROSE!!

{ chocolate }

Let's be honest, this would be in every Things that make me Happy post if I didn't keep reminding myself that swimsuit season is only a few months away. This is my biggest weakness and I am just thankful Sean and Wren got to these cute little chicks before I could. But the pile of Easter chocolate only seems to be getting bigger, so I plan on indulging just a little.

{ Forever 21 }

I bought Wren an adorable lunch bag for school back in August. It was from an uber popular, fairly expensive local children's boutique. After just over 7 months of use only 3 days a week I started to see mold growing under the oil cloth (which is weird because I only send dry snacks to school and wipe it down to clean it?!). So I took Wren over to Forever 21 and let her pick out on of their make up bags as a new lunch bag. I am kind of obsessed with the Cath Kidston-esque bag she picked, aaand it was only $10. Forever 21 saves the day, again.

These are just a few of the things making me happy, what is floating your boat these days?

Parkview Update

2013-03-20T09:56:00.002-07:00

It's about that time again! We are nearing the home stretch... although it will be a hard push to make it all happen quickly. The last few weeks always seem so close, but really there is a TON to be done.

Our biggest update is on the exterior of the house which looked like this when we started.

Things looked much worse before it improved...

And this is it today! We just got a big snow dump so you can't see the pretty new roof, but I am thrilled with the new siding. The new porch is the single biggest improvement, and adds a bit of character to the otherwise boring front. We still have some character to add to the supports and railing, etc. but I am so happy with the outcome.

Inside we are getting our wood floors this week.

And the tilers are starting too!! Our main floors tiles are all going to be this tile, which I'll show you more about later this week.

I am going for a 'carriage house' look in my mud room with the floors looking cobbled together and some dramatic lighting. I can't wait to show you all the decorative accents I have planned for in here. Two of these guys will hang down over the door ways in the mud room, which I am excited to see installed!

I was also excited when this guy showed up on my door step last week from Restoration Hardware to hang over the kitchen island!

I love the adjustable arms and industrial feel!

As you can see, things are happening and starting to come together, so expect to be inundated with a lot more updates (sorry in advance!).

Bliss and Tell Giveaway!

2013-03-19T02:00:00.000-07:00

Today I have a really great giveaway for you! If you are not familiar with Bliss and Tell by name, I can almost guarantee you have seen some of their work around the internet. They are the design firm and masterminds behind some mighty cute blogs and products. Take a peek at the BLISS AND TELL LOOK BOOK for a quick peak at some of the design & branding work for clients like MISS MUSTARD SEED and HOME STORIES AtoZ.

Here is just a sampling of their esthetic (click the image below to open).

Pretty cute, huh? Not only do they create beautiful websites, but they can help you brand your business in all aspects, including custom stamps and a variety of other products.

So I am thrilled that Reni and the team at Bliss and Tell are offering up their expertise, including a custom stamp, to one lucky reader!

GIVEAWAY INCLUDES:

- custom design/image

- 1 handle rubber stamp (max size is 3"x3")

- stack of hang-tags

- boxed and mailed to the winner

TO ENTER

subscribe to the bliss and tell blog OR like the bliss and tell facebook page then leave me a comment on this post letting me know you have done either of those. Entries will be open until March 26 at 9 pm Pacific Time.

Thanks so much Bliss and Tell!!! If you love what you see, and are ready to take your business to the next level just be in touch with reni

Good luck everyone!!

Spring Animal Parade Cupcakes

2013-03-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

These fun and happy cupcakes are actually a creation of Wren's and I found them so adorable that I just had to share!

If you have little people or a party on the horizon I am sure these will please everyone.

Our project starts with the animals. Wren and I picked up a bag of various animals at a thrift store for $2.99. Some of the animals had stripes wearing off and were ready for a new lease on life. We tossed them in the dishwasher just to get them all clean before we started painting.

With a few paper plates and our favorite colors of craft paint we gave each animal 3 coats. After they were dry we added a few variations to a handful like polkadots or stripes, but others we just left as is. To do the polkadots and striped we just used the blunt end of a skewer dipped in paint!

This is where Wren came in. We originally just planned to paint and play with the animals but she really wanted to put them on our cupcakes. I am well aware that craft paint is not edible and probably not a good idea to use on products touching your food. But for a little afternoon fun I felt it was fine. Would I leave the animals on the cupcakes for days? Probably not. For an hour or two? yeah. If you have an issue with it I am sure it would be easy enough to mount the animals on skewers with some hot glue so they don't quite touch.

To give our cupcakes a little hint of color and a lot of flavor we diced and added blackberries to a boxed white cake mix. These adorable baking cups are AMAZING because they don't brown or discolor during baking, I am a huge fan. You can find them here at Sweet Social.

All iced up, with a few nonpereils Wren stuck her favorite few animals on enough cupcakes to serve at a family dinner we had at our house.

To top off our creations we used our favorite stamp and made little flags on skewer sticks. A Happy Day, indeed.

The rest of our zoo wandering around, waiting for dessert to be served.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow to enter a really cute, customozed giveaway I'm hosting!

Scrap Week Blog Party!

2013-03-15T03:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm happy it's Friday! and I'm even happier that I can see what some of our friends have been working on in our Scrap Week Party!!

My very last Scrap Week project is a simple, easy-as-pie Spring garland.

The only thing you need is one or two hoops of a wire garland like these. I found these ones at my dollar store but I know that most craft stores have them too.

Four easy steps sum this bad boy up.

First, I doubled up my wire garland for a little my substance. It felt bare with just one strand, but this is just personal preference.

Then I cut a few more of my scraps into little 5 inch by 1 inch strips.

Tie them on in any pattern or frequency you like.

Then put it where you please!

I pinned one to the table cloth and washi taped another to a wall where I am working on a little Easter vignette.

I love that it is so light weight that you really can just tape it or hang it absolutely anywhere you want a little festive touch of Spring!

Pretty cute for $1 in materials and 5 minutes of time!

Did you work on a project for Scrap Week? Here's where you share with us!

Please stop by and say hello to all the crafty McAwesome folks who took the time to share their projects as well and I hope you enjoyed scrap week as much as I did!!

Easter/Spring Tree

2013-03-14T03:30:00.000-07:00

We are nearing the end of Scrap Week, but the good news is that we are just nearing the start of Spring!

To celebrate the Easter season and coming of Spring Wren and I decided to do a little Easter Tree this year.

We went out back and clipped a little branch in the yard to use as the base of our Easter tree.

With a little hot glue we wrapped and twisted different fabrics on different parts of the limbs. This is so fun for little people, I let her pick which colors and fabrics went on which branch, and I did all the gluing.

We also added a little cotton yarn we found at the dollar store for extra texture and color.

We spent about an hour wrapping and playing with it till it looked just right. Then we made a second trip to the dollar store to find some inexpensive decorations for the tree. These disco ball eggs were 2 for $1 and I loved the glam twist they add.

We didn't want to overcrowd the tree, 6 eggs in total was all we used.

I like that it isn't your typical Easter decor and adds just a little fun punch of color.

Hope your projects are going well to share in tomorrow's Scrap Week Craft Party!! I can't wait to see what y'all have been up to.

Cloth Garland and Tassels

2013-03-13T08:17:00.004-07:00

That fabric garland you've been seeing in all my Scrap week posts is today's project! I actually first shared this post last Spring, but some how it missed being added to my DIY archives. It is a good one so I am sharing it again today, along with how to make fabric tassels.

Depending on the weight and size of your fabric you could make a whole variety of sizes and lengths in both the tassels or garland. I happened to make a very long, dramatic garland, but a shorter (easier to store!) version would be perfect for a party or in a play room.

To check out the Tutorials simply click here!

Scrap Week: Fabric Braid

2013-03-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today we're gonna put a romantic/country spin on braiding! Unfortunately, you will have to know how to braid (I am not a great teacher but there are plenty of helpful youtube videos out there!), nothing fancy, just your run of the mill french braid.

The only twist is that we will twist it around our head like a crown.

I actually wear my hair like this once a week or so anyways. When your hair gets longer it starts to hurt to wear pony tails too much so I like trying out different braids, especially french braids, because they tug on your scalp a lot more evenly (that doesn't sound any more comfortable, does it LOL).

Here is today's braid without any fabric embellishments, but I think we can kick it up a notch.

Let's start with the fabric. I used three 1 inch strips of fabric that I cut about a foot longer than my own hair.

To get it braid-ready I got out my thread and needle and stitched 2 of the lengths about 3.5 inches from the top of one. This might not make sense, but when you start braiding you don't want too much fabric bulk at your roots. We are going to hide the start of our braid and too much fabric is hard to hide.

In this photo the braid closest to my face is where we start. You can just barely see a bobby pin in the middle of my scalp and that is what is holding our fabric in place. You can also hot glue the fabric to a bobby pin or clip if you find it easier. I started my braid with one fabric section and 2 hair sections to get my 3 braid pieces.

You will braid until you reach the part of your fabric where you stitched the other two pieces. Fan them out and incorporate them into your other 2 hair sections. By this time even your 'fabric only' section will have hair in it as you pull in new sections for the french braid. I like to try and 'wrap' the sections in the fabric so it doesn't get lost under your hair and you can easily see it in the braid. Also, you may notice that my braid appears really neat on one side and that is because I personally prefer to only 'french' braid half the braid, meaning I only pull hair in on one side of the braid. I know that sounds hard, but I actually find it easier! Again, it takes practice and patience if you aren't a natural at braiding keep trying!

On this opposite side just keep braiding around the face, even as you start to run out of hair! This is the beauty of braiding with fabric:

1. Your hair looks extra 'full' and thick because you are adding so much volume with the fabric.

2. If you wrap the hair in the fabric as you go, when you start to run out of hair you can keep braiding the fabric and the hair won't fray out of the braid. This means you can try styles that otherwise only work on really long hair, like this!

Keep braiding until you feel like you are near your ear again, wrap the braid in an elastic and pin in place. I like the whimsy that the loose fabric gives, but if you want a tidier braid just cut those (making sure you aren't cutting any hair!) and tuck under the first row of braids.

Of course, you will need a handful of pins. And a good ice pack for your aching arms! No matter how many times I braid my hair my arms are always killing me by the end.

Scrap Week Begins!

2013-03-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

Scrap week has officially kicked off! All this week we will do various projects/decor that incorporate that stack of remnants we all have shoved in a drawer or bin somewhere. You know, those pieces you always feel bad about throwing out and tell yourself you'll do something with someday? Today is that day!

This project is as simple and easy as they come.

Mummified Monograms

This would be adorable at a birthday party, bridal/baby shower or even as a gift. But I decided to simply make one for Wren's wall.

All you need is your stack of remnants, a letter, and a glue gun. I found this letter on sale for $1.25 at Michael's but you could even cut one out of cardboard or foam-core if you wanted to do it even cheaper!

Thankfully there is no right or wrong way to do this so you can wrap you letter entirely in one fabric, or do a pattern in others. I did four lengths of fabric from a couple old sheets I had used on other projects. I didn't even cut the strips, I just tore them by hand into 3/4 inch strips. This guarantees a straight line and the perfect amount of fraying.

Just remember to glue only on the back side of your letter for best results.

Just keep wrapping till your done! Seriously, easiest project ever.

To jazz it up a little I wanted to make a little rosette to embellish the letter. All those cute rosettes you see around are so easy. I whipped one up in 5 minutes, and I'd never tried my hand it until that moment.

Cut a little circle out of a fabric in the size you want your rosette and then tear another 3/4 inch strip out of the same fabric. This should be about 14 inches long.

Starting from the inside, I just put a dab of hot glue down on my circle and do a 90 degree fold for each petal. Just keep twisting and folding around until you work your way out and think it looks about right!

I glued an old button on my flower to top it all off, but you can do a couple more flowers or other embellishments.

Wren helped me hang it up in her room and I think she picked the perfect spot for it: over her craft table.

And don't forget to try one of the projects shared this week or come up with your own and share it on your blog so we can see your handiwork in our Blog Party this Friday!!!

Friday

2013-03-08T08:50:00.001-08:00

I bet you know a person like that too. You definitely do if you know a small child. Everything is new and exciting, which is probably the single best thing about being a mom. Wren hasn't said much about wanting a pet of her own, but a couple weeks ago she discovered that fish can, indeed, be pets. And we thought she would do a good job and learn a lot if we had one, so we surprised her and told her last week she could have two.

That was probably the longest weekend of her life, waiting till we could go this Tuesday and pick them out. But she didn't pester us, she didn't whine. She just kept saying "I'm soooo excited about the fish".

We let her pick the colors, the names (Tomato and Blueberry), where we'd place them (and the pink rocks, of course). She has spent hours talking to them, watching them and updating us all on what the fish have been doing. She hasn't done anything we've told her not to do, like putting her hands in the water, over feed them etc. and has been a wonderful fish-mom. I'm not surprised, I'm just pleased that something so simple as a $4 fish can teach her so much, as well as teach us that we can trust her to follow instructions and keep her promises.

She is definitely getting to the "big kid", which she reminds me she is daily.