To-Do List for My Casa

I don't know about you, but I love checking out the List McListerson's over at Young House Love.  It's fun to take a peek at someone else's wish list for their house and then watch them check off projects as their completed.  Maybe it's because I so throughly enjoy making lists and crossing them off.  ;)

Anyway, I thought I'd make my own little dream to-do list for our house.  I kind of like the idea of making the list and completing things little by little.  And, by sharing it with you, I will feel held accountable to at least making some sort of progress.  ;)  Here goes...

Master Bedroom

-fix nick in hardwood floor

- new floor length mirror {wall mounted}

-new or revamped lamps

-reupholster chair???

Master Bathroom

-repaint shower/toilet closet

-remove caulking and re-caulk with clear silicone caulking

-clean out and organize drawer and shelves

-new towels

-jute rug runner???

Breakfast Nook

-remove old caulking and re-caulk along baseboards

-repaint baseboards

-new pantry door???

Kitchen

-remove old caulking and re-caulk baseboards

-repaint trim

-repaint cabinetry

-new double oven w/ self-cleaning function???

Laundry Room

-clean out and re-organize shelves

-move cleaning supplies to shelves {out of kids reach}

-install countertop over washer and dryer????

Dining Room/Studio

-organize shelves

-paint curio cabinet

-sew sewing machine cover

-new desk chair

-new rug

-paint china cabinet????

-find vintage settee for window???

Living Room

-reupholster chair in hot pink!

-lamps for top of piano??

Guest/Kids Bath

-paint lighter color

-make a new shower curtain

-install new shower curtain at ceiling height

-new lower sink??? double???????

When You've Made a Mistake {A Nursery Update}

I really thought I could make it work.  I had inspiration and I could envision how it would all come together.  But the more I worked at it, the more I realized...

...the blue walls just had to go.

I dreaded this.  Hubster had made his opinion loud and clear at the outset that he really didn't want to repaint the nursery.  I was sooooo confident that I would make it work and be happy with the results.

But the more coral, citrine, gold, white, and Tiffany blue we brought into the room the more busy the room became.  It wasn't a quiet and restful nursery.  It was a circus of color.  It was unfocused.

It was driving me crazy.

And yet, I kept trying to make it work.  "One more project and it will feel so much more feminine in here" I would say.  I was lying.

So, 33 weeks into this pregnancy I announced to the Hubster that we were changing the main paint color in the nursery.  I announced that I was fully aware he was not on board with this change, and I announced that I would be doing all the painting.  Myself.  No assistance needed.

Really.

I packed up the Kiddo and together we trudged off to Lowe's and bought a gallon of Valspar's Woodrow Wilson Putty and a new drop-cloth.  And I lugged that gallon out of my car and into the garage, where it sat while I tried to summon the energy to start my project.

All this either thoroughly amused or thoroughly annoyed my dear Hubster.  Either way, he waited exactly one week before he quietly moved all the furniture to the middle of the room, taped off the walls, and began painting.  His only request was that I edge in the tree, which I did.  He even remeasured and repainted the stripes on the striped wall.  What was once a labor of love for his son, he now made a labor of love for his daughter...and for his wife.

We are so blessed to have him for a husband and a father.

But, if I had been honest with myself in January, when I had that brief burst of energy before I came down with the shingles, I would have planned to re-paint all along.  I'd even confided to close friends that if I could do anything, I would paint over the blue with either a grey or an ivory and keep the tree, flowers, and stripes.  But I "knew" that was crazy so we were going to make the blue work.

In my obstinate endeavor to make it work, I kept us headed in the wrong direction for two months.  For two months I could have been painting without it exhausting my body.  I told myself how innovative I was being by working with what already existed.  But I was wrong.

I love C.S. Lewis' quote from Mere Christianity.  I have found it to be true over and over.  When you realize you've gone in the wrong direction, the sooner you admit it and go back in the right direction, the sooner you will make real progress.  

Here is a glimpse of our little girl's nursery now.

It is not perfectly staged.  There are still many, many projects which are undone.  And the hinges for the closet doors have gone missing!  But this room is more restful, and now the colors give pops of life to the room instead of competing with one another.

I am so glad we made this change.  The reality is that I might not be able to carry this little girl all the way to our planned c-section date.  I have been ordered to rest every chance I get, which doesn't leave much room for design projects.  It is such a joy to have this one thing done.  I know everything else will fall into place over time.

Breakfast Nook Chairs {re}Vamp

I'm in love with my new {old} breakfast nook chairs.  I'm just gonna throw that out there.

They didn't always look this fabulous, if you'll remember.

They started out finished in a dark walnut stain, which is a finish I usually am drawn to.  However, in our space, with limited lighting, they just felt dark and heavy.  When I had to pick between the dark walnut breakfast nook table and my Granny's old pedestal table, I knew the dark walnut table would have to go.  But the chairs are sturdy and can take a beating, which makes them keepers in my house which is slowly but surely filling up with little ones.

The chairs are 7 years old this month.  Hubster and I purchased them almost a year after we got married and they have traveled all over this country with us.  7 years later, the chenille upholstery was still holding up beautifully.  But I've never been crazy about the color and I bought the set intending to upgrade the fabric the first chance I got.  The dark walnut stain didn't hold up nearly as well as the upholstery (on the table or on the chairs) and since these are engineered, veneered chairs, and not beautiful solid wood, I didn't feel bad about painting them.  The veneers were so thin that any damage to the stain pretty much went straight through to the MDF, which left drastic off-white gashes in the dark stain.  (I could go on a tangent about how hard it is as a consumer to find well-made products that will last a lifetime...but I won't.)

The Hubster did the honors of spraying these chairs with Valspar's white lacquer spray paint.  Even with a face mask, it was quite fume-y.  Thankfully they didn't take long to off-gas once they were sprayed.  I'd say 24 hours was about it.  

Next we tackled the reupholstering.  I chose Harriet's Kitchen by Amy Butler in a laminated finish.

I ordered through fabric.com without pre-ordering a sample swatch.  I was a little nervous, but I love this fabric so much.  Pictures just don't even do it justice.  Plus the name is perfect.  I am that girl who picks lipstick and nail polish based on the name...and apparently fabric as well.  ;)

The wonderful thing about DIY-ing a project like this is you have free reign to experiment and see what you like best.  I decided that I loved the fabric so much, I wanted each chair to showcase a different part of the pattern.  That way they are all the same, but a little different.  And I can enjoy all of Amy Butler's fabulous print.

After deciding which part of the pattern I wanted centered, I cut around the chair pad allowing about 3 inches for stapling.

This is where I was so glad Hubster was helping.  My (then) 31 week bump was quite large and it's just hard to sit all balled up on the floor these days.  I made sure the fabric was even and pulled taut while Hubster tacked with the staple gun and then hammered the staples the rest of the way in the MDF.

Even though we've both done this before multiple times, it was a little fiddly the first go-round.  We just played around with how the fabric folded over the corners until we liked how it looked.  The first chair took about an hour with all my perfectionistic fiddling...and honestly it still ended up a little off-center.  We knocked out the last 3 chairs the following evening and they probably took about an hour and a half total.  I stopped trying so hard for perfection and, ironically, I think the last 3 chairs probably look the best!

I love them.  They are so stable and sturdy and SO easy to clean.  I wish I'd thought of this a loooooong time ago.

My favorite!

Each the same, but each a little different.  And the Valspar spray lacquer is holding up so much better than I anticipated.  

The space feels so much brighter with the white chairs, but I still have one more project to complete for this room...

The curtains are lovely and thick...which is fabulous for privacy, but they block so much light.  Since I don't have a window in my kitchen, I really rely on the breakfast nook window to provide natural light in my kitchen.

These will be the next thing to change!  I have them almost finished....I can't wait to see how this room looks when it's finished!  It will be the first of the 4 rooms to be completed and I will breath a huge sigh of relief to finally have something all the way DONE.  :)

Vintage in the Home {Vintage Cane Barrel Chair}

I know lots of people who love the idea of vintage, but have a hard time envisioning how to integrate it into their homes, offices, and daily lives.  Every week I spotlight one of my favorite vintage items and how we use it in our home.  Hopefully, this will offer inspiration to all of you who are vintage novices, as well as the seasoned collectors.

She's here!

I found this treasure at Laverty's in Waco sometime last summer.

Even in her rough condition, I knew she was a fabulous find.

$20 y'all.  $20!!!

She was stained, and tatty, and torn, and worn...and smelled like serious smoke.

But that didn't deter me.

Well...actually it did.  I LEFT her there!!  I completely passed on this fabulous little chair!  And I kicked myself the entire 3 hour drive home.  I couldn't stop thinking about this chair and how in the world had I passed over her?!  

My sweet mother-in-law did me the HUGEST favor ever.  She found out when Laverty's would be open next (because they no longer have regular operating hours) and she went as soon as the doors opened and grabbed this chair for me.  

I am not at all exaggerating when I say I waited by the phone with bated breath to hear whether or not she was able to get the chair.  And with good reason!  It turns out there was another woman interested in the chair and my mama-in-law was just a minute faster.  I will never be able to say thank you enough.

Because...with a little scrubbing (vinegar really does deodorize), and with the help of my favorite upholsterer, my chair now looks like this...

She's still rough around the edges...but I like her that way.  I was so close to painting her Benjamin Moore's Elephant Tusk, but I just couldn't.

I'm so glad I didn't.  I love the contrast of her worn wood and bright new upholstery.

You know you want to sit in her.  I had the upholsterers give her all new batting and foam and I have to say she has uprooted my other favorite chair for most comfortable.  At least that's my opinion in my swollen, pregnant state, where the slightest hint of a recline renders me unable to breathe.  

The fabric is Amy Butler's Lark Kasbah Emerald and, since it's a cotton sateen and therefore not as durable as indoor/outdoor fabric, I used two coats of Scotch Guard before bringing the chair into the house.  A puppy, a dog, a toddler, and a baby on the way...Scotch Guard might just be my new best friend.

I ordered 2 yards to be safe and I have leftovers galore!  So I'm thinking new pillow covers for my sofa pillows might be in order.  And I'm also re-thinking the paint in my studio/dining room.  The sand color still absorbs so much light...I'm thinking grey for the top and bottom stripes.  Anyone have any color suggestions?  I love Fieldstone Grey by Ben Moore but I not 100% sure.  

Dining Room/Studio Update

Perfectly staged photos, these are not.  But the reality is that my life is a bit chaotic at the moment.  And I so want to share with you the excitement of how these rooms are progressing.  They are taking on new life, and I think it's good that we haven't "completed" all the changes at once.

First up, the chandelier...

...I went with "Kate Spade" green.

Actually, in the interest of full disclosure, I had Home Depot color match my Kate Spade sunglasses case in a sample size.  Home Depot sells a kit to help you make your own custom spray paint.  All you do is add a little of your own paint and some paint thinner to a glass bottle base, screw the included aerosol can on top, and you're ready to paint.  Sounds easy, right?

It wasn't.  This is the method we used to paint Baby Girl's Eiffel Tower lamp, and it worked well enough for that, but on our chandelier, it really didn't give the even coverage we wanted, even with a base coat of primer.

So, on to my back-up plan: Rust-Oleum Farm Equipment Paint in John Deere Green.  It just happens to match up dead on with my Kate Spade sunglasses case.  And it has a nice glossy finish...so it will hold up super well!

If you ask me in the future, my chandelier is Kate Spade green.  That was my inspiration, not tractors and combine harvesters and lawn mowers.  I have nothing against John Deere...obviously they have fantastic taste in color selection.  It's just down-right funny that I was going for this classic, sophisticated, clean green color...and ending up selecting John Deere green.  ;)

You may also notice that we (and by "we" I mean the Hubster) are in the midst of painting furniture.  First up was the tall bookcase, which I wanted to give a lacquered finish.  I was completely intrigued by Jenny @ Little Green Notebook's recent post on achieving a lacquer finish when painting furniture.  In the interest of being a little more "green" and keeping the VOCs in our house to a minimum, I had Home Depot color match Sherwin Williams' City Loft in their Glidden Porch & Floor Paint.  I was assured it would give us the glossy look I wanted to achieve with fewer VOCs.

I love the City Loft color, but it is not a glossy, lacquer finish.  And, if it's lower VOC, I really can't tell.  I should have just stuck to a tried and true oil-based paint for that true lacquer finish.  Plus, it shows brush strokes...which I was desperately trying to avoid.  So, word to the wise...when you're trying to follow someone else's example...it's probably a good idea to actually follow their example and not "tweak" it too much.

Next up, we have a new dining room table/desk!

I am super excited about this find.  I realize this photo is extremely backlit and blown-out, but this table is a fabulous estate sale find.  If West Elm's Terra Dining Table and this 1931 Jules Leleu Art Deco Dining Table had a baby, it would be my new table!

She is STURDY, she has two extension leaves, she is solid wood, she can easily seat 8 comfortably - 10 if we're squeezing in (thereby easing my fears that I would never again host holiday dinners), and at the end of the day, I still have my Granny's pedestal table in the breakfast nook (which also has 2 extension leaves if I ever need 2 big tables).

I'm even loving how my college-days-garage-sale-dining-turned-desk-chair looks with the table.  It echoes the art deco details and I'm thinking of painting it a fun color so it will pop.  I know, y'all are super shocked that I would add yet another paint project to my list the Hubster's list.

Close up of how the edges meet.  Probably should have picked a "prettier" corner, but then again, this table is 50+ years old...she has some worn edges but is heavy on the charm.

I am so thrilled with this find.  The table came with 6 Spanish style chairs, which were in excellent condition, but were not at all my taste.  I asked if the sellers would consider breaking up the set, but since it was the first day of the sale, they said no.  They did offer to take down my information and let me know if it didn't sell by the end of the 3rd day, though.  To my surprise, they called me on day 2 to let me know they had a buyer interested in the chairs only.  Not only was I able to purchase the table by itself, but I also got a 25% discount since the entire estate sale was marked down.  Ironically, this table ended up costing a mere $37 more than the Target desk it is replacing.  Such a treasure!

So the room switch continues.  I haven't made any new progress on the nursery since I've been so focused on making our shared living spaces look "done".  And while this week has really taken a lot out of me, things are getting put together slowly but surely.  The tortoise wins the race anyway, right? ;)

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Boy to Girl {Nursery Update!}

The great room switch is progressing.  You know that point where progress doesn't look pretty?  Yeah, that's where we're at.  Instead of focusing on how un-done baby girl's room is, I'm choosing to focus on the sweet little things that are done.  Small victories, y'all.

First off, we have a girly rug!  The Kiddo's rug went with him to his big boy room, so we needed a new one in here.  I really, really thought I would be buying this rug from Ikea.  I was positive.  Nothing could change my mind.  And then we made the trip to Ikea in Round Rock and I met the Tradklover rug.  There was much hemming and hawing as I went back and forth between the two.  In the end, the Tradklover won.  It's polypropylene...which I generally dislike.  I'm all about buying rugs made out of natural materials, and the Stockholm Rand is made from wool...and reversible to boot!  But it's also rough and not really something I want sweet little baby knees crawling on, so I switched to the Tradklover.  I have no regrets.  It did off-gas for about a week, but luckily that coincided with our warm weather streak, so I was able to have the windows open and the ceiling fan on every day to let out the smell.  I know it will wear well and take a beating, and that is so important in a kid's room.  Plus she's pink!  

Next up, I have our sweet girl's baby blanket crocheted!  I used Lion Brand Sock-Ease yarn in Cotton Candy and the Sunshine Blanket pattern from Linda Permann's Little Crochet.  It's a wool blend, but it's super lightweight, so it will be easy to care for and perfect for Spring in Texas.

In case you're wondering what all this blanket is hiding, I have stacks of hand-me-downs in piles by sizes that are hanging out in the crib.  I'm all about the organized chaos.

And here is the next nursery project on my to-do list...a chevron stripe baby quilt!  I'll be using the Anna Maria Horner coral, teal, and citrine prints for the stripes and the Amy Butler grey and off-white floral for the back and binding.

The pillow and the throw are also from our recent Ikea trip.  The cream colored curtains were previously used in lieu of closet doors when the Kiddo used this as his nursery.  I'm contemplating re-installing the doors since we are now using the curtains on the window.  On my to-do list, the rocking chair will be getting a new white slipcover!  I'm thinking the more light-colored accents I bring in, the more feminine the room will feel, even with the blue walls.

Hubster has been busy with paint adding new leaves to the tree.  We've used Coral Gables by Ben Moore (color matched in Valspar from Lowe's) for new wall accents and...

...as a new coat of paint for my old Eiffel Tower lamp, which sits proudly next to the vintage clock radio Baby Girl received from her Grandma, and my Molly doll (which is also technically vintage, ha!).  

I couldn't resist this mama and baby fox at Ikea.  We did owls for the Kiddo and will be doing foxes for Baby Girl.  Not too many - I don't want to be too theme-y - but I'm so drawn to all the cute foxes out there right now, they're hard to pass up.

And Baby Girl has a couple of new outfits in addition to her hand-me-downs!  Hubster couldn't resist buying her the Baylor cheerleader outfit the last time we were in Waco (I don't blame him) and I had to get some Mommy-Love in there somewhere.  ;)

Her closet isn't going to stay this bright green...more painting on the never-ending list of things to do.  But it will all get done.  I have faith.  

And seriously, if it doesn't, it's really not the end of the world.  It's so easy to get swept up with all the fun ideas for a little girl nursery.  But while this little girl is such a sweet blessing from God, she is not the only member of this family.  And with 4 room make-overs going all at the same time, something is going to have to give at some point.  I keep reminding myself of that, with the knowledge that the most important thing is to have a healthy baby and a healthy mama.  Everything else is just icing on the cake.  :)

Vintage in The Home {The Favored Chair}

I know lots of people who love the idea of vintage, but have a hard time envisioning how to integrate it into their homes, offices, and daily lives.  Every week I spotlight one of my favorite vintage items and how we use it in our home.  Hopefully, this will offer inspiration to all of you who are vintage novices, as well as the seasoned collectors.

Please allow me to introduce you to Arabelle.

  

Don't let her age fool you...this is the most comfortable seat in the house.

My sweet mother-in-law found her ages ago at a Salvation Army in Waco, TX.  She always wanted to get this chair reupholstered.  But, unfortunately, her cats also took a liking to the chair as a scratching post.  So poor Arabelle sat lonely in a room - unused and defaced with her stuffing exposed. 

Last Christmas, as my gift my mother-in-law graciously offered to have Arabelle reupholstered in any fabric of my choosing if I would like to have her come live at my house.

To which I said, "Heck yeah!".

And so we ordered yards and yards of Robert Allen for Dwell Studio Indoor/Outdoor Peony Canary.  (Psst...the price has dropped significantly since then...I'm guessing because Dwell Studio dropped Robert Allen's name...it's a steal now!)  And my in-laws took Arabelle and her fancy new fabric to the best upholsterer in Waco to get a face-lift.  And he said...."What???  You want me to put this antique-1920's-can't-find-one-like-it-anymore-chair in a modern indoor/outdoor fabric? You're crazy, I won't do it.  And, oh by the way, you need twice as much fabric and I happen to have some lovely options on my showroom floor starting at $30/yd.  You want a traditional print in a very small scale in muted colors."

At this point there was much discussion about the crazy fabric I chose.  Yes, I knew it was indoor/outdoor.  I chose it because I have a dog and a toddler and we wanted more dogs and toddlers.  She's pretty, but she needs to function if she's going to have prime real estate in my house.  If when coffee and milk get spilled I need those drinks to bead up and wipe off, not soak in and stain.  And, no, I did not in fact want a small print in muted colors.

You can probably guess how this story goes.  Since I'm already showing you pictures of Arabelle's new digs.  The Hubster and I ordered even more fabric, found a local upholsterer with a fabulous reputation and had them do the job instead.

They didn't question.  They did beautiful work.  They charged a lot less.  And we received half of our fabric back because they didn't need so much.

So now, if you come visit me, you are more than welcome to visit Arabelle as well.  You will have to fight off a dog, a toddler, the Hubster (in that order) to have the chance to rest your buns here...but she is definitely, hands down the most comfortable seat in the house.  She is vintage...antique even...but she serves her purpose well.  And she's not too formal to hang out with my garden stool from Tar-jay and my end table from Kirkland's.

Have you ever considered reupholstering a thrift store or estate sale find?  If not, I encourage you to consider it as an option the next time you're in the market for new furniture.  Often times vintage furniture has sturdier frames than their modern counterparts.  And when you reupholster you have your pick of all the fabrics in the world, can customize your piece with details like contrasting welts, and even alter the firmness/softness of the cushions.  The result is a piece of furniture that truly suits you and your taste and is one of a kind.

All The Small Things...

Slowly but surely things have been shaping up around here.  I firmly believe that it's the small things that make a space feel complete.  And, often times the small things are quick and easy to change.  Since I'm waiting on an order of fabric before finalizing furniture and chandelier paint colors, now is the perfect time to tackle some of these projects.

The Kiddo's bathroom has long needed hooks.  I think it's a good idea to encourage independence...which is fortunate because I have a very independent-minded young gentleman on my hands!  Hooks in the bath mean the Kiddo can get his own towel off the wall to dry with and hang it back up again.  Bonus: this means I will be bending over a little less in my 3rd trimester.  Just a little less...but I'll take it!

I still love these framed antique book pages as much as I did the first time we hung them.  But the frames were lacking a little something.

Nothing a little gold couldn't fix.

This was a painless change since I knew the frames could easily be re-sprayed black if the gold turned out to be a little too much.  But I'm loving gold tones right now, so I was fairly confident I would be happy with them...and I am.

My gold crush started over the summer when I found this on a thrifting spree in Pagosa Springs, CO.

The shade it came with was hideous, so I replaced it with one of the many I have on hand from the many lamps which have died a slow and painful death thanks to the combined efforts of a 2 year old and a very grown man.  I initially had intentions of painting the base a fun color (or white at the very least), but once I got it home I just couldn't.  I've never been a fan of brass, but this one just reeled me in.

And over time, I've really grown to love the warmth of gold tones against the cooler tones of our house.

Which eventually led this classically shaped mirror...

...to get a facelift as well.

I love how it instantly brightened the space.  Seriously love.

And the juxtaposition of the 1980's vintage brass lamp with the mirror is fun, too.

(Yes, there is a bowl and a spoon on my bookshelves.  And remotes.  Y'all just pretend y'all don't see those and I'll pretend I didn't put my independent-minded gentleman down for a nap 7 times this afternoon.)

All in all I'm super happy with these quick little updates.  They make me smile in the middle of a (still) very chaotic house.

Still on my list for the bathroom is to come up with some filler for the space between the hooks and the framed book-pages.

The hooks are as low as possible so little hands can easily access them.  I'm thinking of hunting down numbers in all different fonts and colors to hang...or maybe stenciling numbers....or stenciling numbers in all different fonts and colors.

Or I might go in a whole different direction.  We shall see!