The Married Life Diaries

A baby!

2011-04-27T11:40:00.000-04:00

Well, it has literally been forever since I have blogged. I could blame it on the cold weather in early 2011, or that we were not doing many home improvement projects. But the fact is I was literally exhausted most of January through March! N and I found out that we are expecting our first child in September! We could not be more thrilled. I have had a relatively easy pregnancy up to this point, and can only hope that continues through September.

We have started the nursery, but are going to wait to make some design decisions until we find out the gender on the 16th of May! I am counting down and can't wait!

Why do we send holiday cards?

2010-11-10T16:40:00.000-05:00

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." Thornton Wilder

So often we let holidays slide by without pausing to reflect on their significance. Every end-of-year holiday, from Thanksgiving to Kwanzaa, Eid ul-Adha, Hanukkah and Christmas, is at the core about reflecting on and celebrating the things we are most grateful for: family, friends, health, food, warmth, faith and enlightenment.

I challenge that before you make your gift list, scour the web for the best gift ideas, or taking out your credit card at the mall, take the time to ask yourself what and who you are grateful for. A simple acknowledgment of gratitude such as a thoughtful holiday card, sent with love from the heart will make for a ‘warm’ holiday season.

I was so happy to find out that Shutterfly was offering 50 free holiday cards to bloggers. So, I thought wow this is an inexpensive way to make someone smile this holiday season. Or should I send a New Years card? So many decisions.

Which of these do you like, I have narrowed it down!!!

Go Sledding

Goodbye 2010

Confetti Countdown Filmstrip

Love Stockings

Check it out! It's fun too!

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

The First Year and Beyond

2010-10-06T15:06:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, N and I celebrated our first anniversary. Wow, how time flies. It still feels like we haven't even been dating that long. So, after the first year did anyone else get the itch? And by itch, I mean baby. It seems like the only thing that has been on my mind lately is a baby and everything that goes along with it. Maybe this too shall pass.............Only time will tell.

Beach and Blogging

2010-08-16T20:10:00.000-04:00

We just returned from here!

Over a week of vacation, sure doesn't make it easy to get back into the swing of things. My dad did give me one of his camera's so hopefully I can start taking more pics and blogging more! Now time to catch up on some reading!

Living Room: Will it ever be complete?

2010-07-28T10:29:00.000-04:00

I have this feeling that I will never completely be finished in a room. I always want to add something, move something around, change something out, I guess if I keep that up my house will never have the complete feel to me, though to others it may.

Remember this post about my wall issues. Well, I think we have resolved this issue. Rather than go out and spend tons of money on new prints and frames, N came up with a solution. The internet. Yes, that seems to be the solution to everything these days, but I had not thought of this. His recommendation was to search the internet for prints that I could print at Walgreens. Yes, there may have been some copyright issues, but they were all on google images, and if it's out there than I will use it. So, needless to say we got a great amount of prints at a drastically reduced price. I mixed in 4X6 prints with 5X7 prints to have different sizes. So, the finished product! Much better than before.

This weekend while out in the 105 degree record breaking weather , I finally found my solution to the coffee table. Our house is not large, thus our living room is not large. A large coffee table would overpower the room. So, we picked up this storage ottoman at a discounted price and birthday present (Thanks Mom!)

So, there is our new living room in a nutshell. All in all I am happy with it, but think I might look for a yellow lamp, to add a pop of color!

What I was doing this weekend!

2010-07-05T14:14:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since my last post, but thought I would share some 4th of July pictures from yesterday!

A weekend of all things home!

2010-05-28T09:46:00.000-04:00

This weekend we are headed to the beach for some rest and relaxation. Thanks to Jeannine at Small and Chic in Cville, I have added a shopping trip! Check out that post for these great finds at Exotic Home. I have already mapped out my Saturday, which includes this little jewel and a trip to Home Goods, and maybe some thrifty finds!

This is what I have my eye on, now if the price tag reflects a gentle number, maybe it will be in our house come Monday evening!

Happy Long Weekend!

Decorating Dilemmas!

2010-05-26T20:27:00.000-04:00

Well, yes I have neglected the blog. We have been out of town, playing in the beautiful weather, and neglecting the house! But, Amanda over at Serenity Now is having a decorating dilemmas party. So, I figured this was motivation to get me on the blog. Not to mention, the camera is broken so this picture with my cell phone will have to do!

So, go over and check out all the dilemmas and let me know what you think. So, on to my problem.

Our hallway has a portion of the wall in our living room. It is a large space, and now I don't know what to do with it. Here is a pic of our three small pictures that I have on our wall. Yes, they are small. So my question, should I do more collages, should I do a large picture, should I do shelves? Some inspiration. No clue! Help!

Cara and Eric at Live the Home Life

Lauren at Life Uncluttered

Cream or Sugar?

2010-05-10T11:43:00.000-04:00

I am on the hunt for a coffee table. The more I sit in our living room, the more it feels like it needs a coffee table. Just something small, not too tall or too obtrusive, and definitely not too expensive . I also want to be able to accessorize, so that may be the real reason I want one!

These three from Target.

They are all different, but still may be too tall. Any suggestions on an alternative to a coffee table? Maybe goodwill will have something I can convert?

Spring Delight

2010-04-28T13:01:00.001-04:00

Lately it seems that I am in a color frenzy. It could be that I watched Color Splash on HGTV recently, or the fact that spring makes me giddy for color. I still have window treatment drama. I found these cute springy curtains from IKEA, and think they will be perfect in our yellow kitchen.

Then I found these and really fell in love, though I don't have anywhere to use them, and they are a bit pricey. They are way to expensive for the kitchen.

So, this weekend I think I might be on ebay bidding for some curtains since the closest IKEA is over four hours away and they don't sell them online. I love spring!

To Makeover or Stick With?

2010-04-27T07:53:00.000-04:00

N may kill me after this post. He gets on me for wanting to change things on a regular basis, I admit sometimes I do change my mind, but not that much :) I feel like our bedroom is in a funk. I want it to be a place of relaxation and tranquility. Right now I just say blah when I walk in. It could be the mess that it is, but I think its the original color scheme I picked out. I picked out the duvet cover for my registry because I thought it was green, it wasn't and instead of returning it, I kept it. Then for some totally bizarre reason, I got these horrible curtains, I know short, don't cover, they were a quick fix to lots of bright light, though in this picture you would think I was lying to you.

Then we get into the whole furniture debate. N thinks we should have as much furniture as it takes to keep our clothes in our room, I disagree. Currently, we have this dresser which holds our tv and some of my clothes.

Then we have this little gem that is currently empty waiting for some TLC and a fresh new coat of paint.

I don't want to pick a color until I decide what to do in our bedroom.

The only really splash of color is this painting, I loved the orange.

So, it's on to decide if we should get some new curtains , paint the dresser to add some color , and take out the extra dresser, or if I should start all over? Yes, that does cost money, but have I totally missed it on any of these pieces?

Personally, I was thinking of mixing the orange with something, our guest bedroom is blue, and of course I gravitate towards that, but don't want to much blue. Maybe accent the wall behind the bed with a splash of color? Too many decisions.

Maybe Miller can help me decide.

The Tree Saga.

2010-04-26T09:33:00.000-04:00

Last week, we had a large oak tree removed from our front yard. It was approximately 75ft. tall and about 20ft. around. After closer examination, it was estimated to be nearly 200 years old. We hated to take it down, but because of the numerous, large, dead branches, we had too. Needless to say our tree people didn't think it would be such a task.

They arrived Monday at 8:30 and finally completed the job Tuesday at 7:00pm, Wednesday the stump grinder came back to get the remaining part of the tree up. So, after a tortured affair the tree is gone. We then had to til, reseed, and straw the yard. It's coming in slowly but surely, and hopefully we will have grass soon! Here are a few pics of the massive tree.

N must have the after shot of the house on his camera! Will update with the final result with pretty plants, and grass!

Back at it!

2010-04-25T16:44:00.000-04:00

Needless to say, I have totally neglected the blog. Taking out a large oak is more than just a tree company coming and taking it down. More about that later. I have been catching up on reading and found I was featured over at Better After for our TV Stand Redo. Check it out here! This week, hopefully, I can update you on the yard, and what else has been going on. Off to get some yard work done, the weather in Virginia is wonderful!

Mulch, Flowers, and Everying Between!

2010-04-05T09:15:00.002-04:00

Let's just say manual labor is so not my thing. Needless to say, it is totally N's thing. I have such respect for someone that can work outside for 8 hours a day, then come home and do more work on the weekend.

When we bought the house, there was absolutely no curb appeal. There were some holly bushes that had gotten out of control. You may remember this post about what we should do, and what we had done already.

In central Virginia, we have a huge amount of red clay. Paula, I am sure you know what I am talking about. The red clay was in our front flower bed and rubbed up against the block in the front of the house. Needless to say it formed an orange like color against the block. It looked like this.

Pretty gross? I thought so. So, armed with a roller and some white exterior paint we were set to make this brighter and clean. We scrubbed and painted. Raked and mulched. Planted and watered. And now. The block and the plants.

It's clean and white!

Then it was off to figure out the space next to the deck. Since it is such a small space we decided not to plant grass but rather build a flowerbed.

We stayed busy! Next we put grass seed down in the front along the flower bed and under the large maple in the back.

Next weekend, we have to finish the block in the back and pick out some more plants. We have put a hault to most of the yardwork as we have this project to look forward to in the next two weeks.

Yes, that's a 200 year old oak tree, that's dead. It's about 75 feet tall and about 10 feet around, so it will be interesting when the tree guys come. I am more excited to see all of our neighbors gawking at them as they take it down. (We live in a neighborhood where we are the youngest by about 30 years). I am excited to see the yard without the tree, what a difference it will make and we can finally work on the front of the house without fear that the tree will fall and ruin our work.

Door or No Door?

2010-04-01T08:41:00.001-04:00

We lack storage space, or I have too much crap. N says its the latter of the too, while I choose to disagree. This is our linen closet.

We took the doors off for two reasons 1. The doors were rotten 2. The doors wouldn't close and it was not worth repairing the hardware. Also, we already have a small bathroom so the doors opening into the other door, etc. were just too much of a space problem.

So, should we put a curtain up, should we build doors, should we keep it open and put more baskets in there? YHL's closet looks great.

Or this could work?

Too many decisions, and too many possessions. Time to downsize.

Friends and Family.

2010-03-29T09:36:00.000-04:00

This week N and I ventured to the beach to hang out with my parents and celebrate their 30th anniversary. Here's a little family shot for ya.

I made five stops in local thrift stores, no good finds. I have been striking out lately, just gotta keep going. On to the good part. Last week I had planned on doing the guest bedroom reveal, Sarah told me that she had some stuff for my guest bedroom, so I figured I should wait and see what kind of goodies she had for my beach themed guest room. Much to my surprise, I was so glad I waited. Here is a peak at some of the goodies, but you can see her whole process and find out how thrifty she is here.

So cute, I can already see these on the dresser.

A cute beach themed frame, Love it!

Needless to say, after a whirlwind weekend I have not had time to figure out where all my new fun things will go. Tonight, after we replace the broken thermostat we came home to, I am going to map out a plan for all of my goodies.

Hopefully, I can reveal the entire room later this week.

Book Nerd!

2010-03-26T09:16:00.001-04:00

To many this will probably put you to sleep, to me I think it's neat and not so often that something like this happens.

First can you guess what these are?

Does this give you a better idea?

Today, I stopped by the overpriced DAV (where they try to sell old dressers for $125.) Yes, we don't usually find anything there, and N hates going there. So, on the way home from work I made a little quick trip and found these book ends. Well, the story behind the G and S, is this. My maiden name begins with a G, and my new married name begins with an S. Yes, to many this is not a big deal, but they were the only ones there and they were taped together, it was just weird so I had to buy them. They were overpriced, I think ($4). Now, I need to find a home from them and a new color. Any suggestions as to what I could use these for except for there standard use?

MIA!

2010-03-24T09:14:00.000-04:00

Wow, I have been MIA! N got a new job and started last week, thus much of the house projects have come to a complete holt. Then we were out of town for a baby shower, and are headed to Virginia Beach this weekend to celebrate my parent's 30th Anniversary!

I have been hitting thrift stores on the way home from work, nothing. Hopefully this weekend I will get have some better luck and have some awesome new projects!

Bright Lights.

2010-03-17T08:43:00.000-04:00

Our current lighting situation in our living room is not cutting it. When we redesigned this room, we could no longer use the lights we had, so we sold them. Now we have a table lamp that does not do much for the room at all. N wants a ceiling fan with lights, because he thinks that when we do sell, sellers will appreciate that. I personally think ceiling lights are very bright. So, what to do. I really like recessed lighting, but don't know if that is just a personal preference. These two rooms look so warm and inviting.

Or maybe we go with a compromise like this?

Do you like it light and breezy in your room? Should we do recessed? Should I breakdown and get the ceiling fan with lights?

Friend Making Monday

2010-03-15T19:42:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across Friend Making Monday, at Amber's Blog. Today she is asking us the following questions! Come join!

I am.... currently obsessed with link parties.

I think....life's too short to worry about the small things.

I should...get outside more often.

I dream....of working from home one day.

I want....and I need is a difference I am learning.

I know... I can be a pain in the ass.

I don't like....people who talk on the cell phone while paying for something at a store.

I smell...freshly cleaned wooden floors.

I hear....the fresh sound of spring.

I fear....clowns and squirrels.

I usually...go to bed before 10pm.

I search...for great finds at local thrift stores.

I miss....our friends throughout Virginia.

I always...make sure to tell those around me I love them.

I regret....nothing.

I wonder....what life has in store for us.

I crave....fruit snacks, especially gushers.

I remember...what means the most to me.

I need.....some new jeans!

I forget....a lot of things.

I feel....great!

I can....hang with the best of them.

I can't....wait to see what happens next.

I am happy....most of the time.

I lose.....my mind on a daily basis.

I sing....like I am the next contestant on American Idol.

I listen...not as much as I should.

I shop.....at Goodwill more than any other store.

I eat....entirely too much junk food.

I love.....my husband, family, and friends.

Here to stay.

2010-03-15T16:59:00.000-04:00

Looking at the weather forecast for the next week, and having enjoyed the past few days of excellent weather makes me think that spring is here to stay. When we bought our house it looked like this, well kinda.

That large tree in the front is an oak that is estimated to be 275-300 years old, needless to say it needs to come down. We are in the process of getting bids and scheduling

a time to get it removed. It's huge so it will require lots of work and time.

Notice all those bushes that covered up our handicap accessible ramp? Needless to say those bushes were not there when we bought the house, but the ramp was. Yes, the ramp is beneficial to individuals that have mobility issues, but N and I do not, yet. So, the ramp had to come out, it was a huge eye sore. The ramp came down and up went the deck.

Doesn't it look so much better?

Next all of the dead bushes and shrubs came up, leaving us with nothing. So in attempt to spice up our curb appeal, we got timbers and created a flower bed for in front of the house. We still need to paint part of this so it all matches.

We then transplanted some flowers from below the deck to our built

in garden box that is next to our front door. I can't wait until they get some color!

Do you think spring is here to stay?

Have you started enhancing your curb appeal?

Closet Rehab!

2010-03-11T12:41:00.000-05:00

This past week, I have noticed a trend on blogs about closets. Kasey over at Thrifty Little Blog dedicated a whole week to closets, and Laura, at The Order Obsessed just did a post about a custom closet she did.

It brings me to think about our own closets in our house. We have small, tiny closets. By, the way I am keeping it real, and not cleaning up for you!

Two are this size.

One holds my spring/summer, while the other holds my fall/winter.

The other even tinier closet, is home to N's hang up's, (he doesn't have many).

Then we supplement our lack of storage space with dressers. I have always dreamed of being able to have all of my clothes in one closet in one room, N also wants his clothes in our room. It's incredibly hard to get clothes out of another room when guests are here, and frankly he finds it irritating.

So, what to do with the closets? Our bedroom and the office were once one room, until they put in these funky closets, I really wish they had been designed better for optimal space.

We do have this little nook behind our door? Do you think we could use this space somehow?

Our ultimate dream is some built in's, we have the space to take the shelf down and add some additional height, but I don't think it will ever be enough space for all of our clothes. Maybe, we should build some wardrobes for each side of our bed, but, the room is already small, and I don't want to make it look even smaller! Any suggestions?

A Much Needed Change!

2010-03-10T07:06:00.001-05:00

Last month, Amanda, at Serenity Now hosted a design dilemma party. Today, I am linking up for her followup, show me the progress!

I received a ton of great advice, and since that day we have been making changes here and there in our living room. It is still not complete, but I think we have made great strides to where we once were. The room feels much brighter and I actually like being in the room.

Many people recommended to get rid of some of the furniture because there was too much in the room. Though, we don't have a huge furniture budget we did manage to score a great craiglist deal on a sectional. The sectional is in exceptionally well condition, as the previous owners took great care of it.

The closet door was a problem, as we needed to have the furniture on that side. We decided to go ahead and swap the furniture and tv and block the closet door for now. The closet will come out soon, but for now we have it blocked with our side table and one lamp. We got rid of the two tall lamps, and will need to add additional lighting, probably in the form of a ceiling fan.

Our TV Stand also got an upgrade. We traded out our old Target low profile stand, for a taller dresser stand. After some paint and new hardware we have a great new piece. Not only does the color brighten the room, it is also the perfect piece for storing extra remotes, batteries, and accessories, and the best part is that they are hidden in the drawers!

Next it was on to my wall issues. I have a huge problem deciding what should go on walls. I know that they should not be bare, but what to do with them has always been an issue. So, now I have two wooden framed, fabric type artwork that accent the wall. They match with the decor and now the wall is broken up and doesn't look as bare.

Remember my lack of curtains? What was I thinking? N jokes me still to this day about this decision. So, we spiced it up with new beige curtains and bronze rods.

So, now for the before and after you have been waiting for!

Thanks for all the input. I like this room so much better!

Wall Issues!

2010-03-09T08:18:00.000-05:00

When it comes to putting things on walls, I am extremely terrified. I always end up making the wrong decision and I always seem to change my mind. It's hard to know what will look great on the wall unless you put it up there. I know that I should have some artwork, but that is also very hard for me to do. N doesn't care one way or the other what goes on the wall. Recently, we have had lots of pictures of ourselves up, and I told N that I thought it was very self centered, and his response was "it's our house", so needless to say he still didn't care what I put up on the wall.

So, I asked my friend Sarah what should go on the wall. She suggested long, horizontal abstract art. So, I set out to find something. I looked at Overstock, All Posters, PB, Target, Pier 1....the list goes on. Needless to say, nothing really sparked my interest.

We had recently seen an idea on HGTV where the designer used fabric to make a wall covering. So, N suggested we go to Joann Fabric and look for something. After 20 minutes of aimlessly walking around the store we finally found something that we both agreed on.

We came home and made the two 35X20 frames from leftover wood. We then wrapped the fabric around the frames and used a staple gun to secure it in place. 4 screws later they are both hanging perfectly centered on our wall! I love them! I am glad that I could pick something out that I actually really liked rather than settle on a piece of artwork that I might decide down the road I don't like. And, they are so easy to make, I could change my mind and rotate them out, who knows maybe I will make some for the holidays?

Recycling.

2010-03-07T20:28:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to spice things up in our living room, we have totally gone crazy. New couch, old furniture gone, new tv stand. Its such a refreshing difference. So, on to the big reveal of the new TV stand. Remember this dingy looking Goodwill find, well it wasn't that dingy, but I had been dreaming of adding some color to it!

One of N's biggest problems with any type of TV entertainment unit, it seems that you can always see the cords. So, N was determined to minimize that. So, we took out the top two drawers and used a sheet of wood to create a shelf. He then used the remainder of the wood to frame out and stain the opening that would be showing. He even added some molding to the top shelves to cover up some of the imperfections. So, now our DVD player and DirectTV box are sitting on the shelf, instead of out in the open. The other two drawers are home to our wii (since we don't use it that often), coasters, remotes, batteries, etc. I LOVE IT! I am obsessed with this piece of furniture. I am so excited I went with the Beachy Grass color, it just adds that extra spice in our room.

Isn't it great what some paint can do?

Check out all these great sites where I am linking up!

Make it for Monday at Cottage Instincts!

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch!

Just Something I Whipped up at The Girl Creative!

It's So Very Creative at Its so very Cheri!

Make your Monday at Twice Remembered!

The DIY Showoff!

A Little Less Talk, A Lot More Action

2010-03-04T14:28:00.000-05:00

Whenever I am checking out a blog, I get ants in my pants to do the project that I am reading about. N always tells me that we should just complete one thing at a time, but what fun is that? I like to have my hands in a lot of things, that way I feel like I am getting more done, when actuality I am accomplishing much less.

So, needless to say, I am going to stop talking, and start doing. For instance, my desire to find a piece of furniture, paint it, and turn it into a TV stand. Well thanks to my obsession with Goodwill, I made that purchase and that little jewel is in the basement. I met N at Lowe's during lunch so I could pick out the paint color and some new handles. I originally thought I would go with blue, but once I started looking at all the pretty samples, I decided on this, though I don't think this picture does it justice because its from my cell in my office. It's the middle one!

And since the dresser is super old, they have distinct keyholes, that we are going to leave on so I decided to go with a bronze handle, I think this is the one :)

Tuesday, I posted about my dilemma in the living room. Thanks to Meg, I now want to do this rug that she found here! I have already been scouring the stores online to find a rug, it seems that our area doesn't have a lot of pieces like this, so it's my mission this weekend to find it. N thinks that I am wasting money on this project, so my goal is to show him that I can make a super cute rug, thus saving the money I would have spent somewhere else, can we say Pottery Barn? I think he will appreciate the $20, I plan to "waste" opposed to the same thing with a slightly larger price tag.

So, I have my work cut out for me. It is supposed to be gorgeous this weekend, so that means lots of projects and lots of success. Hopefully, next week I can share our bathroom (trim is going in this weekend), possibly the kitchen (If I can convince N to decide on flooring), a new bench for the end of the bed, new closet door in the guest room, our new TV stand, and a rug (or two). I know I have lots of aspirations, but come on, there are 24 hours in a day!

Have I gone nuts?

2010-03-02T14:27:00.000-05:00

I must have totally gone off the deep end. I have totally decided to change our living room/den around. Am I nuts? Should I go for it? I love color! I love paint! I want a bright and cheerful piece. That's where my lovely dresser purchase comes in! I have decided that I want to go with a very cute blue, notice this little jewel over at Mckinney Living!

I love this color, or something similar! So my plan is to paint the dresser, well the plan is to have N paint the dresser. Then I want to replace our sofa and rug. I feel our old stuff is so drab and does nothing to brighten up our room. I found this really simple rug over at Overstock, but am not completely sold.

Our loveseat is a beige/gold, so I am thinking a neutral rug, and maybe a white couch would all tie in perfectly. Thoughts? Suggestions? If only N had gone to pick up that couch on the side of the street today, I could have cleaned it and put a pretty slipcover on it, now its snowing so I am guessing it's probably ruined. We will find something, I hope!

Missing in action.

2010-03-01T08:22:00.000-05:00

I haven't been on in forever! Our computer at home broke and being super busy at work has left me no time to post. So, hopefully starting back up today will inspire me. And, hopefully that weather will inspire me too. This weekend we didn't do much, rearranged some furniture, cleaned out some things, and went on the search for the credenza. No luck! So yesterday I went to Goodwill and stumbled upon this little baby!

Now, I just have to decide what color I want it. N wants to keep it looking original, but I think a splash of color would really spice up the room!

To Buy, Or Not to Buy

2010-02-17T08:49:00.000-05:00

As Heather over at McKinney Living recently asked, Deal or No Deal? I found this blue credenza on Craiglist. The seller admits it needs some TLC, and the color right now is kinda scary. It's about 45 minutes to an hour away, and is currently listed at $99. What would you do?

Progress in Living Room.

2010-02-15T12:06:00.000-05:00

So, I guess N was tired of me talking about how I hated the furniture in our den/living room. I kept on and on about it, until finally he got up, turned the tv off, and moved the furniture. We are planning on taking the closet door out and putting it on the other side. Though, the more I think about it, the only thing in there is a vacuum and a few coats, could I get away with taking this out completely and knocking down that wall? Thoughts about the coat closet? We won't live here forever and I wonder if it's worth it to knock it down or just rearrange the positioning?

So, we switched the couch and tv, and now I already feel like the room is larger. Next, we will add a ceiling fan, and get rid of these tall lamps.

They were nice when they were next to the couch, but now they are awkward. So, we plan to get an entertainment center, I really wanted to find a credenza and rehash but N wants this fancy entertainment center that is special for the tv or something? He does not usually have input about this stuff, so why not go with that he says?

So, needless to say I am happy with how things are going. Now, I need to find some curtains, a plant, and possibly a new couch!

Shop the House Sunday!

2010-02-13T16:32:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to clean our third bedroom, I figured if I set a deadline to link up at Kendall's Shop the House Sunday, then there was no excuse to not get it done! This was the current state of our third bedroom. Yes, its a catch all for anything and everything. It seems that whenever we are in the middle of a project, everything gets thrown in there. Notice that collection of glasses, well that was an overflow from our kitchen. It definitely gets anything and everything, from wedding gifts, to things that need to be returned!

So, today we set out to get some things accomplished. Who knew that we could do so much in an attempt to just get a room clean. See this table?

We inherited this table from my great uncle, and it was just sitting around, so with a previously used can of spray paint, N covered it to match the mail sorter in the office.

What a difference a little color makes. Now, we have it in the office with the chairs that were already in there. And not to mention, I have sorted through most of the stuff on the bookcase, and even moved all of our photo albums into an organizer in the living room. It is amazing what a difference some rearranging and organizing can do!

Glad we finally got it all cleaned up!

Linking up over at Kendall's Party, come see all the great projects.

Day 123.

2010-02-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

It was today, a year ago, that N and I moved to a brand new place, where we knew not a sole. It was the next phase in our lives. We were moving, I was starting a new job, and we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Today, marks not only the year anniversary of our move, but also day 123 of our marriage. Today, I am thankful that N stood by me over a year ago, when we made the decision together to take a huge risk and move. It wasn't easy for either of us, but for N it was especially hard. He was leaving his family, and though we can still visit and talk to family, it's not quite the same.

So, on day 123 of my marriage, I am most thankful for N and for where we have been and where we are going. So, on this Valentines Weekend, remember your significant other for those small things that mean the world to you. Love you N.

Thinking Cap......

2010-02-11T08:49:00.000-05:00

So, after many wonderful suggestions from yesterday's party, I have lots of thinking and arranging to do. Though, I love the idea of moving the couch up, the space does not allow it. The room is much smaller than it seems, thus you would be right on top of the television, to allow space for the door to open. I shared all of the ideas with N, and he thinks that we should move the closet door to the other side, like this.

Then we could get a larger couch like this. Personally, I think it would take up the whole room and make it look smaller than it is already.

I personally would rather have something like the pieces below, and make the room look a little bigger. Of course in coordinating colors!

A girl can dream right? The chairs are small and I probably could find a way to work it in somehow. Any suggestions? Thanks for everyone's help yesterday! All the advice I can get sure does get me pondering and excited about a transformation!

Decorating Dilemmas!

2010-02-10T07:46:00.001-05:00

In an attempt for help I have linked up to Amanda's party, yes we have the same name, and both live in Virginia! So, go on over and check out all the great dilemmas!

In previous posts, I have mentioned our lack of space and design in our quaint living room. We have lots of stuff in a small space.

View from front door

View from kitchen

The Windows

Wall Leading into Hallway

My main concern is that there is no other place to put the furniture. It's an awkward room. We also don't know what to do about that wall where the TV is, we like the TV at an angle so that anyone sitting on the loveseat can also see the TV. But, it is the first room that you come into as you enter our house. I have plans to do all four window treatments in the same color.

Help! We don't know what to do!

Kitchen: Take 2

2010-02-09T07:59:00.000-05:00

So, our cabinet doors got lots of paint this weekend, but it seemed that there was still this funky yellow that resembled a coffee stain bleeding through. So, with Kilz in hand, N went back at all the doors and it really made a huge difference!

BEFORE

AFTER

I decided that we needed a splash of color in the kitchen. Who wants everything to be white anyways? The paint we picked from Home Depot was Glidden's Early Morning Sun. I am not known for my painting skills, actually N doesn't usually like me to do anything but trim out, so when he didn't say anything about me painting, I was surprised. I think I did ok, no matter how well I did, it definitely needed two coats.

Currently, we have this white and blue vinyl flooring in the kitchen, so I am off to find something that is darker and makes the room pop, rather than look so drab. We thought about asking our friend to come tile the floor, but rather wait on that, we decided to tackle it ourselves.

The above picture was the standard picture from the Home Depot website for the tile. I loved the terra cotta on the website and even in the store. I wrangled the flooring guy to give me two tiles as samples. I got home, and I hated it! It looks funny, but I don't know where to go from here. Any suggestions?

Wild Hair!

2010-02-08T08:43:00.000-05:00

With more snow this weekend, we knew that we would get crazy if we were to stay in the house with no projects. I had off on Friday, and that was long enough for a lazy day. Saturday, we woke up and braved the 6 plus inches of snow to venture out to both Lowe's and Home Depot.

This time the project was the kitchen. Mind you everything in this house is original. So, when the house was sold the sellers decided that they would put polyurethane on all of the cabinets, I guess to add appeal or make them look fresh. There were also some really sweet (sarcastic) black handles that looked like a blacksmith made them by hand back in the days.

I had mentioned to N that we could paint the cabinets, replace the hardware, and save tons of money. We aren't going to live here forever, and the cabinets do have a lot of space and are still in pretty good condition. I showed him various pictures from Young House Love, and I believe that out of fear of pure boredom all weekend, we were off. So, out came everything from the cabinets, put in various places around the house. Off came the cabinet doors, and we were off to what I thought would be pretty cut and dry. But, thus it never is.

Of course, there is always more that inevitably happens because this is an old house. Behind the range, there was a large hole that served as a vent for the hood, which was not a part of the house anymore. Rather than putting up drywall, they covered the wall with a not so attractive piece of metal.

So, N took that down and we had a lovely hole that needed drywall.

Hole with drywall.

So, all the cabinet doors were off, the hole had been fixed, N was busy ripping up the trim, and taking the old vent to replace with a much more attractive vent. Like I said, inevitably something else happens, so in addition to the hole we now had some shotty duct work. Upon further examination in the basement we realized that the pipes were never screwed together, or properly installed.

So, in addition we will need to fix that, we have fixed it temporarily but something else to be added to the list. So, onto the cabinets. We primed and painted these things. Yes, multiple coats of paint were needed. They are still in the drying process, they have taken over the basement.

Next, it was back upstairs to do the faces of the cabinets. N did this while I started to trim out the kitchen. Here is a peak at the cabinets painted, notice the hint of color above?

Yellow!! So, after an incredibly long day, we need to finish painting the walls, and hang the cabinet doors. Then, the decision for the floor will be next. It definitely needs to be darker than it is now. Maybe laminate? I am sure I will ponder this for longer than need be, but oh well I do want to love it!

Help!!!!

2010-02-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

Below you will see my artistic work (lacking) in a layout of our living room. My camera is on the fritz, so I decided to draw it instead. I need more curtain help! The black boxes represent the windows in our house. The front window is two windows looking out at the front yard. The other two are shorter, stubby windows, that are very tall and you can't see out of when sitting, or standing unless you are tall. Now, these are tricky because the one on the right has a panel coming down, where a window used to be, and eventually we will have to fix that.

Now my design question to you is, do I get all matching curtains? This room is very small, and I don't want it to be busy. So, should I go with alternating patterns, do two of the same on the front window and two of the same on the other? Help!

Thrifty Finds!

2010-02-01T15:33:00.000-05:00

With over a foot of snow this weekend, N and I decided that this was our time to be lazy. Yes, you make think that this is the perfect opportunity to get some stuff done, but with a lack of supplies, and all the snow, we decided we would make the most of some tv, great food, and time together. We are working today, and the big bathroom reveal is coming up this week, maybe tomorrow, but most likely Wednesday. So, today, I thought I would share some thrifty finds.
First, a picture of the house in the snow, not good quality, as it is from the cell phone!

See that huge tree? It should be coming out this spring, but more on that later!

On to the thrifty finds!!

I found this last week, I stopped in looking for a project, and thought this was cute, as it goes with all of my white dishes. I just love the texture! I know nothing about China, but was thinking it was something I should get, and at $4.50 why not? I got home to find out it was indeed China, even better!

I found these two items today!

I need a way to sort mail! It usually just ends up on the desk or in my purse. I wanted an alternative, so I am thinking these three compartments will help me organize bills better. I need help with that to do though, spray paint? Stencil? Paint? Ultimately, I think it would be cute if they said things like to pay, to file, etc. Anyone have experience with this? I am thinking a stencil would work after I paint, but I am just now getting my hands dirty in this type of stuff. Any suggestions, other links to something similar?

My last find for the day. I know it's missing a votive holder, and I have no idea where I will put it yet, but I am always drawn to these types of decorations. Maybe next to the door, where a current frame is?

And a really cute summer dress, with pockets! I'm excited!!!! No more snow!

Window Treatments?

2010-01-29T09:29:00.000-05:00

Our house lacks window treatments. We have super weird windows. The house is super old, and eventually we need to get all the windows replaced. They are short and stubby, thus it makes it hard to work with window treatments. I just think they look super bizarre. In our bedroom, we have three windows. We needed a fix to the sun in our eyes every morning, so we bought three brown panels. They work great, but I have to admit they are not the prettiest thing.

N has been talking about me getting curtains for the living room since we moved in. I have a super hard time committing to curtains. I have no idea why? It's just that I cant decide if I want a pattern or something simple. I wonder if I should have someone make me some curtains, or if anyone has any recommendations for someone that makes great curtains! We currently have a valance up, that looks like this, I am over it.

I have started to do some looking on ebay and have come across some curtains that I like. I have to make sure that they can be returned, though, in case I don't like them. I just know I need something, as these are not cutting it! Any suggestions on great curtain finds?

Handy Man!

2010-01-28T09:10:00.000-05:00

Well, I arrived home yesterday to find many new additions to our house. N always pretends like he is not working on something, but I know that he most likely is working on some kind of project. I apologize in advance for some additional stock photos, he gets to work and doesn't take many before pictures. A while back we purchased a breakfast nook of off craigslist. It was oak in color and needed some work. N stained it and then the table broke, so the benches have been sitting in the basement, with the intention that we were going to use the for storage, they have hidden compartments, or that we were going to sell them. Well, we had done nothing with them, so N decided he would use the wood and see what he could do with it. Fun, right? So, below is the standard nook that he used for a few projects, as well as what picture he did take of the nook.

So you ask, what project could he make out of these benches. Well, he made a headboard!!!

I love that a little paint, some wood cutting, and creativeness on the part of N, resulted in a headboard. And the fact, that is is white and clean only adds to the appeal of the guest room!

In addition, to the headboard, we had only one night stand table that he used, and I just used a spare table. We knew we wanted matching tables eventually, and I have been scouring goodwill to find something we can redo, but haven't had any luck. So, N decided to use the nook and the one nightstand table to create two matching night stand tables for us. Here is the nightstand before N did anything with it.

So, with some woodwork, some stain, and replacing the hardware we now have two matching nightstands!! I love the crafty side of N, though he doesn't want to admit it! How fun is it to use what you already have and totally create something new?

More Before and After.

2010-01-27T09:05:00.002-05:00

Remember, my goodwill filing cabinet find for $10? I had needed a filing

cabinet and set out on a Sunday,two weeks ago to find one, and luckily

found one on my first stop! Here it is before!

After, a can of Satin Italian Garden Spray Paint
and a new handle from Lowe's! Here is the end result!

Now we have a filing cabinet that matches our desk! And better yet, a place to put all our papers, rather than all over the kitchen table.

Grand Total:

Filing Cabinet from Goodwill: $10.00

Pull: $3.47

Spray Paint: $2.50

Grand Total: $15.97

Posting at Domestically Speaking!

Fresh Look!

2010-01-26T08:54:00.008-05:00

The dresser below, we inherited from my parent's. Yes, if its not 30 years old its almost that old, at least 27 or 28. I love this dresser, and hope that we can pass it down the line. It isn't anything special, but why not create something special?

It's old and needs a fresh coat of paint, and some new hardware. I am not into gold, at all. So, with some leftover stain, a new can, and some hardware, we have a pretty new dresser, and thus we don't have to spend the money on a new dresser.

Total Cost:

Stain (2 Cans: We already had one) $11.47

New Pulls and Hinges: $15.24

Grand Total: $ 26.71

I am linking up at Today's Creative!

Accessorizing the guest bedroom.

2010-01-25T09:10:00.002-05:00

Everything is painted!!!! Ceiling and walls! N is a super good painter, thus things get done pretty fast. We put the furniture back in the room and now need to decorate and get/make a headboard. We moved the furniture to the other side of the room, to make more space. The room is super small, and the layout is somewhat awkward, thus we have to work with what we have. Pictures to come soon!

Look at this cute little basket I picked up at the Goodwill?

For a price tag of $2.59 it totally can fit in with my beach theme. I am thinking of putting some guest towels rolled up in it, along with some other goodies/toiletries for my guests. Though, we don't have them often, I love the idea of something fun for them when they come.

I found this mirror at a Goodwill while traveling on business. I was only looking for a mirror, and actually stopped at two Goodwill's on the way home.

First attempt fail, second attempt success.

It definitely had been painted over numerous times. N sanded it for me and then it got a fresh coat of spray paint. We decided to let a little blue shine through to match the bedroom. And, it fits perfectly over the dresser. I think it looks super clean and fresh. Sitting in an empty corner in the office I found this candle and stone set I had. With a little dusting and cleaning, I put it on top of the dresser, I think it works for now.

So, now it's on to the wall. For visualization purposes, this is the wall that when sitting in the bed you re facing and staring at. How exciting, a big, blank wall.

I am already dreading having to figure out what to do with this wall. I love the ceiling rosettes idea, but I think I would have to get tons to make it look right, and a picture would just get swallowed.

Any suggestions on what to do on this wall? HELP!

Check it out.

2010-01-23T11:10:00.000-05:00

Kendall, over at Finesse Your Nest has celebrated her 100th post and with that is doing a giveaway. Check out these cute giveaways.

How cute would these be in our new guest bedroom? I decided Thursday, to do a nautical/beachy theme and these would totally work in our guest bedroom! Love them! Thanks Kendall for great inspiration.

What's on tap for this weekend?

2010-01-22T14:33:00.000-05:00

It's cold and wet here in Virginia. It is supposed to warm up this weekend, but I still see rain in the forecast. Right now N and I are trying to find projects that can improve the look of our house, but that we can stay on budget with. The guest bedroom needs some decor, Goodwill here I come! We have a few finishing touches in the bathroom, that will be completed this weekend, and then it's onto the bigger projects.

This weekend N is in the process of fixing an old dresser was purchased by my parents before I was born, so me being almost 27, and them buying before it's safe to say its old. But, it is a tough piece of furniture and I don't want to buy a new dresser. So, N to the rescue. We decided last night that we are going to stain the dresser and replace the hardware. Yes, there will be lots of sanding taking place, and it will be lenghty, but I think in the long run, it will be a treasure, that hopefully we can pass down.

Other than that, I don't know what's in store!

Sarah found these for me to accent our large empty guest wall.

I have been looking around the internet and have found some websites that sell these. Though, I am totally not a good judge of character, I think I will go home and cut out some circles in different sizes and see how they look. Any suggestions on stores that sell these?

Hopefully, we will have the final bedroom reveal soon, along with the bathroom!

Guest Room: Four Weeks!

2010-01-21T18:00:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to make our guest room more attractive and welcoming for our guests, especially those ones coming in four weeks!!!! We have decided that maybe slapping on a coat of paint and rearranging may do the trick for now. We want to have a home away from home for our guests, but also don't want to break the bank of this project, so hopefully I can find some touches that can make the room without breaking the budget.

How lovely is this guest bedroom found over at DIYIDEAS?

Currently, our guest bedroom looks like this. Please excuse the mess! N had already started to move stuff around and I had to quickly take a picture.

It is a small room, so we really need to work to make sure the pieces in the room accent it well. Our bed currently rolls, I hope all my guests enjoy that. It was a frame that was inherited for free when you purchased a regular frame. The dresser and nightstand were N's when he was a bachelor. I talked him into sanding them and painting them white. Here is the standard picture from the manufacturer's website!

He surprised me when I got home, he told me that he was not going to paint them. Then, I saw the bedside table with a fresh coat of paint. I think we will keep the hardware to save money, and its still in good condition. Here are the dresser and nightstand completed!

Notice that paint? I picked it out yesterday and we painted today. N and I decided that we didn't want to paint another room the beige color we had in our bedroom, bathroom, and living room. I think the blue will be inviting and warm for our guests. We also have to paint the ceiling and possibly replace the light fixture. The light is very dim right now. We may go with a fan and light combination, the other two bedrooms are already set up that way. I have decided that I will decorate with a beach/nautical theme. I already have the cute sailboat picture, now I just need to add some beachy touches to the decor. I will have to start stalking ETSY!

Before and After

2010-01-20T16:55:00.000-05:00

So many of you may recall my find on Craigslist a few weeks ago. This was an old vanity that was used in a little girl's room. When I found this jewel for $8, I had to have it. Little did I know how much work it would take to get it looking any better.

Here is what it looked like when we bought it. $8 find on Craiglist.

After, N sanded for many hours this is what we had.

And here is the end result!

Total Cost Rundown:

Vanity: $8

Sanding: Free (Inherited sander from father, and leftover sanding pads)

Paint: $14 (Walmart)

Hardware: $11.82 (Lowe's)

Grand Total: $33.82

This now has a home in our office next to our new filing cabinet. Stay tuned for that reveal!

Too much inspiration.

2010-01-17T13:52:00.000-05:00

Behind every thing someone does, is a reason. This blog is the inspiration of reading so many other blogs, that I thought: I can do this, I want to track our lives together, and the process of renovating our old house. Why not? So, with that said I have found many projects that I want to do. The problem is, I have found way too many projects that I want to do. I think though, maybe I have inspired N. This morning he told me he had been thinking about building wardrobes.

Kinda like these: Found at YHL.

Right, now our current bedside situation is not too hot. N has the bedside table that matches my old bedroom set, that we don't have anymore, and I have a black side table from Walmart. Needless, to say they are not very usable, or attractive. So, we need something, but if we go with the wardrobe that may be ok, as I will have a shelf in that; I could use for anything I need thats currently on my bedside table. But, then I found these super cute bedside tables over at Aubrey + Lindsay's Blog?

I am not very crafty, at all. In high school my friends, would race to see who would not be my teammate when playing Pictionary. So, right there we know my artistic and drawing skills are not too great. But, when I saw these over at Simply Modern Mom, I wanted to give it a try. So, with the help of a Micheals 60% off coupon that starts today, I think I will have to make a trip, and well at least attempt this project. They would be very cute in our living room, they would also go in our bedroom, but then I would have to find a spot for my other new print.

Needless, to say the influx of blog reading has made me want to try many more things, and expand my home decor and crafty side. Hopefully, the vanity will get painted tomorrow, can't wait to see what a difference a little love makes.

New Goodies!

2010-01-17T11:36:00.000-05:00

Saturday, N graciously helped my boss clean out her mother's house. I of course, was roped in to go. All, in all we only were there for about 2.5 hours, which I thought was very good for the amount we got accomplished. When we arrived the entire garage was clear, and driveway packed with loads to be taken to various places.

First stop, the dump, there N threw away a recliner and Nordic Track, from about 1970.

Then, it was off to one of the siblings house, to load junk in his garage.

Next, a truck load and car load to the goodwill, I managed to get my own box in the car, knowing we were going. That's two donations and it is only halfway through January. I see that goal, I set of 12 donations, is well on its way to being met.

My boss, was going to put a porcelain claw foot tub in the dump! N said, no joke these words "That's worth a lot of money." To which, my boss replied "Yes, I know, do you want it?"
To which, of course we want it. Not that, we can use it right now, but who wants to throw away a claw foot tub? Those things are so popular right now, if we don't keep it for a future house, or basement bathroom, we could it least sell it on craigslist, right? I mean those things are super cute, and it is in great condition. If only, my bathroom would allow for a claw foot tub? Who wouldn't want to have this bathroom?

I know, I sure would!

As, we were leaving my bosses mother, was so grateful for all of our help. She had heard us talking about Craigslist/Ebay, and decided that she had a painting that she thought, I could sell on craigslist. But, I actually really liked the painting. I am thinking it will go great in our guest bedroom above the bed, or maybe in the nursery when we have children, in the years to come. Where would you put this little jewel?

Needless to say, what I thought was going to be a long process, and not such a fun day, actually turned into quite a fun day, with great finds! Can't wait to see what else we can get when N starts getting these kind of jobs on a regular basis!

Pier 1 Excursion

2010-01-13T19:02:00.000-05:00

I have always had an obsession with Pier 1, but honestly, sometimes I don't want to spend the money on the things in there. But, when they have a clearance or a sale, it is a little harder to part with your money. This time, though I had a gift card, so spending my own money was minimal.

I really had my eye on this chair. Though, the price tag is still a little high for me, but it would be super cute for a nursery, not that that's in the works anytime soon. I really went in looking for a piece of artwork to go in our bathroom above the toilet. It's a small space, and needless to say Pier One specializes in really large art work.

What do you think about this above our couch?

It may be to small, and maybe a long mirror would help to make the room look larger?

Anyways, I didn't buy any of that stuff. Instead I bought this and this.

The first item is in our bathroom, as a towel hook. It didn't look that sturdy, and I figured it would just go in the bathroom as an added decoration, but to my suprise

N had hung a towel on it today and it was still hanging.

Who knows what will happen when I hang my towel up too?

Our duvet cover another loving wedding gift, is very simple, yet I love it because I have recently become obsessed with trees. I wanted to get some more color in our room, so that is where the picture is. I love it!

I also got some baskets for our bathroom, that have helped to tidy it up a bit, more on that when our linen closet is completely finished! I will have to remember I can get some good finds at a cheap price.

How about this for the bathroom above the toilet?

It matches the color and the shower hook!

Bathroom: Take 4

2010-01-12T18:36:00.000-05:00

N has been super busy on our bathroom redo. From fixing the wall, floor, toilet, he has kept himself busy. I am now happy to report that we are in the homestrech of our bathroom remodel. Yes, we still have to fix the shower insert, but that is not in our budget at the current time, and anyone that really loves us are the only ones that use or see the shower, thus I am sorry that you will not be able to see it until our big Before/After reveal.

So now the walls are finished, the vanity is up, and half the molding is up! Yay! It's all coming together. So here is the vanity, the best part about this is that we spent none of our own money, a few Target gift cards helped to purchase this little baby.

Though, it is small, we didn't want something that would overpower the room, so the old vanity hole was too big, so N, made up for that with some molding. Notice that nice 45 degree angel. He's so talented, and I am so thankful!

What we were up to this weekend!

2010-01-12T18:22:00.000-05:00

With the freezing cold temperatures, and budget conscious lives we are leading, we had a weekend in full of home projects and relaxation. I have been trying to sell this desk and hutch on craigslist forever. So, far no takers.

Needless to say, its taking up room in our third bedroom, where eventually my new desk will go. Well, for the past week N has been hearing me complain about my lack of shoe storage. Right now, I just throw them all on the floor, all over the place, and inevitably I can't find one. So, N had an idea to make me a shelf that would hold my shoes, and why buy something when we can reuse what we already have. So, down to the basement N went with the hutch. About 15 minutes later, I had shoe storage. N decided that he would leave some of the shelves higher, so that my heels would fit in those holes. I don't have lots of shoes like most women, I do have more spring shoes, so we may have to make another creation in the spring. To my delight today I came home today to find, another storage type of component in my closet. N had used the other side of the hutch to create a box for my boots. The other storage container could hold boots, but they would likely lose their shape, thus this keeps there shape because it is the perfect height for them to sit between the two shelves. Yay, now our closet (well only my clothes) are almost put back together. Now, I just need to find a matching curtain to go over the closet.

Bathroom: Take 3

2010-01-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

The dreaded closet and what to do with it! I hate this closet because of it's doors, thus I have enlisted my design friend Sarah to help me with some ideas.

Not a great picture, but it does have lots of usable storage which I love. And the fact that we have no other linen closet, makes it a necessity. At first, I thought we would just paint the doors and put them back up. But then that seemed boring. So, Sarah suggested glass doors like these:

Still, a door, but very modern looking, and of course I would put all the pretty stuff out that you could see and hide all the other stuff on the bottom shelf. Well, N didn't really want to hassle with the glass doors, as again his we won't be here forever conversation came up again. Then I thought maybe, a curtain to cover the closet, something functional and pretty. Then Sarah, brought up the fact that some people may be confused as to where the bathtub is. So, back to square one. We will paint the closets white, and put on new functioning hardware, but I still plan on keeping it pretty!

Bathroom: Take 2

2010-01-07T19:47:00.000-05:00

Bathroom Take 2: N decided that at 3pm on Sunday, he wanted to tackle the bathroom. We only have one bathroom, luckily for me we had the toilet back in working order that evening!

After getting all the plumbing fixed, it was on to tackle the floor, walls, and toilet. Here are before pictures of the bathroom.

I told you it was hideous. I wish I had taken a picture of the towel bar so you could get the full effect. Though the tile looks like it matches upon closer observation, half the tile is plastic, while the other half is actual tile. The people who put this tile up put a huge amount of glue up thus, our hopes of tiling, were very slim. This is not our dream house, we do love this house, and the renovation process, but we will not be here forever. That being said, we do a cost benefit analysis in every home project we take on. In this case, tile wasn't for us.

So, after all the tile was down, we decided to go with a fake tile board. It is moisture resistant, and was super easy to install. And lucky for us, one of our walls is the exact size of the board, thus we didn't have to cut it at all. Just apply some liquid nails, and we have a pretty tile like wall! We still have the other side to do, which will require some cutting. Then we will add molding above the tile for a more complete clean look.

Tile in bathroom.

Next, it was on to taking out the toilet. We thought when we moved in that the discoloration on the floor was because it was leaking. So up comes the toilet to find the rotten floor! Now not only do we have to replace everything in the bathroom, we also have a rotten floor!!!

After we discovered the floor, we then had to replace all of the subfloor surrounding the toilet, put another layer of floor so that we could attach the tile flooring. N had to cut out all the holes for the drainage for the toilet, which took lots of time and precision. Again, lucky I don't have to call a plumber or carpenter to get all of this work done.

Now we have this pretty floor!

After the floor was completely in, it was time to put in our new vanity. (Thanks Mom and Dad) . N mounted and secured the vanity, hooked up the lines, and now I can brush my teeth in the bathroom again!

So, in terms of the bathroom redo, we have one wall, molding, and the installation of our new vanity, which should arrive tomorrow, weather permitting! Stay tuned for the completely finished bathroom! Much better than the blue don't you think?

Bathroom: Take 1

2010-01-06T13:07:00.005-05:00

When we moved into our home, the one thing that almost broke the deal was the one and only bathroom. Yes, our house was built in 1956, and yes the same woman had lived there for at least 20 years, and yes she didn't update anything.

This bathroom was the type of bathroom that made you want to wear shoes all the time, even in the shower, made me think of college days and necessary flip flops at all times. The one thing the seller did leave behind, were two handicap bars in the shower, as well as a half used bar of soap. The sick part about this whole bathroom saga is that this woman fell and broke her legs in the bathroom, and then sadly passed during surgery. So, that makes the bathroom just a little more creepy-we didn't learn that history of our house until we had lived there for a few months.

The bathroom was completely blue, everything from the tile, toilet paper holder, vent cover, and shower insert. The towel bar had been glued on so many times that the glue had taken over half the bar.

We knew we wanted to tackle the bathroom, but we also needed to stay within our budget as to not go in debt for a simple bathroom redo. Little did we know, that all of the plumbing needed to be replaced. The tub was not draining properly, the toilet was leaking (we later discovered it was the sink). With all that said, N had to take out all of our old cast iron plumbing and replace with PVC pipes and fitting. I went to Home Depot four times that day, and I can now tell everyone what a Y a cuppling and an elbow are along, with many other pipe fittings. Just today, I had to pick up a P Trap for the vanity. Next step in the bathroom process, is the dreaded floor around the toilet! What fun it will be!

My obsession with Craigslist

2010-01-05T09:32:00.004-05:00

In an attempt to find things for our home, we often frequent craigslist. I first became obsessed with this jewel of a website back when I was living in Tappahannock. Though, now and then there was no city listing for Tappahannock, so I would frequent the Richmond and hope that some in Tappahannock was doing the same thing. No luck there. Once we moved to Lynchburg, craigslist is the website I visit most often besides Gmail and Facebook.

Anyways, on to my point. Today, while browsing I came across a deal!

This old vanity-$8 on craigslist. Yes, it needs to be sanded, repainted, and the hardware needs to be changed. But, I am thinking that this would make a very cute desk, and I can finally get rid of the large one that currently occupies our third bedroom. Now, I just have to decide what color I shall paint it!

An attempt.

2010-01-04T09:10:00.007-05:00

In an attempt to be better about this whole blog thing, I have decided that it is not a new years resolution to write more, but rather an attempt to follow our journey in life through exploring an outlet that let's us write and explore as things happen in life. Thus, I may not write everyday, but I will make a solid attempt at keeping up with this. I really don't believe in a specific New Year's Resolution, as I think it is just another excuse to make something up that you want to change about yourself, when actually you could have done it prior to the new year. Though, I believe that the new year is a fresh slate to only make yourself a better person. With that said, I plan on the following "attempts" as I call them to make a better life for us!

My Attempts for 2010

1. Take home renovation as a growing process.

It takes time and is not something that can happen overnight, though my husband has managed to do lots of our bathroom renovation in one night, more details to come on that later. As a couple it is important that in this process you can work through everything. Let's be real who really looks like this?

2. Give to charity more often.

Though, I did give to the nonprofit I currently work for and to Goodwill a total of nine times, I would like to increase that to at least once a month. I am close, and I already have a bag ready to go!

3. No more new clothes, or purses for that matter!

We are already doing a pretty good job at cutting costs for necessities that we do not need. Clothes, shoes, expensive dinners out, happy hours have all become a thing of the past, unless it is for a special occasion. We really want to spend money on the renovation of our house, so that when we do decide to sell we can actually make a good deal of money. Thank goodness, for my handy husband, if he wasn't as great as he is with home repair, I am sure we would have a even larger amount of home repair to finish, along with more bills.

So there it is, not much but still a start to the new year. 2009 was a great year! I landed a wonderful job, bought a house, and got married. I can't wait to see what's in store for 2010!

Not always between a man and woman.

2009-11-16T13:19:00.003-05:00

In every married life, there is that one person that you can go to: whether to bitch, ask for advice, confide in, and worry that you are pregnant with. For me that person is Sarah.

A tribute to my best friend, and if I was a lesbian would be life partner, formally known and always known to me as SAL.

(Sarah and I in 2006. Wild Wing Wednesdays!)

Sarah and I were not always the best of friends, I told this story as I toasted her and her new husband, Kyle at their wedding. In fact, we didn't like each other much, but had the same group of friends. Eventually, we would become friends, in fact becoming inseparable, hence the lesbian life partner reference. Today, it is unusual if Sarah and I don't talk everyday. Though, we are hundreds of miles apart, we do take the time to be a part of each others lives everyday, and I imagine that tradition will continue as we have babies, grow older, and make more memories together.

I think that having a best friend when you are married is vital to the success of y our own marriage. Hence a conversation we had yesterday: the topic of pregnancy, and if we in fact were pregnant and had not planned it. Most people would think we were silly, but best friends have the ability to put aside the silliness and actually relate to each other.

For our friendship, I am truly thankful. No matter the distance, I know that we always will be the best of friends.

Lessons Learned from my best friend:
1. No matter how ridiculous you may sound, she will always be there for you.
2. If you don't tell the doctor all your symptoms, you are lying by omission.
3. Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
4. Stalking is always acceptable, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
5. I can go to her, for anything! And I mean anything.

I love you SAL!

(My wedding, 2009)

46 Days of Lessons!

2009-11-16T12:59:00.000-05:00

Today makes the 46th day of my nuptials. Yes, it seems like just yesterday I was engaged, and planning the fairytale that would be my wedding day. Then, it flew by and now I am a married woman in the process of learning all of the new adventures with a husband.

As you can see the day, was truly a fairytale come true. The weather was beautiful, we were surrounded by friends and family that we love most, and I was marrying the man of my dreams.

Then reality sets in. I am no longer the single girl, but the wife. I have responsibilities. Not, that I never had responsibilities prior to marriage, but it's weird to think I now have someone to be legally accountable to.

Lessons Learned in the first 46 Days:

1. It is definitely not Amanda's world anymore! (Though, I still have a hard time with this)
2. Home Renovation will either make you stronger or kill you.
3. Having a dog previous to your husband may not be the best for a relationship.
4. Moving to a small town where you know no one, is very hard and trying.
5. Being married is work, but is worth it!