Friday, September 28, 2012

Guess who turned 1?



First time trying birthday cake!

Miss Elizabeth did!  Her birthday was yesterday.  I can't believe she is 1 years old.  How did that happen?  I love this girl so much.  She is such a gift I can't thank God enough.  She is such a sweetie.....


My sweetie girl!  Happy Birthday Elizabeth!  We love you!!

Inexpensive Nightstand

I had a different post planned for today, but I couldn't find my camera cord to download my pictures (typical).  :)  So, it'll have to wait.

I've been having tons of inspiration this week!  There are so many furniture pieces we need for our new house that, at times, I get overwhelmed where to start.  Each piece seems a priority!  However, this week, I made decisions as to what I'm going to keep and what pieces I'd like to buy!

This particular inspiration is anything new, but it really hits home that you don't have to spend a lot of money to make your home look nice.  While this nightstand isn't a showstopper, it is simple and clean, letting perhaps some of the other elements in the bedroom steal the show (for example, the vintage lamp!)


It works.  You can get this look $60. A fresh coat of paint (or not) and you got yourself a clean looking and functional nightstand. 



Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Shingles: What Color?

First, thank you so much for your opinions on my roof vent quandary.  There were some good arguments!  So, in addition to the the roof vents, I also need to decide the color of our shingles.

We drove around town (again) to look at the various color options (our roofers gave a list of houses they've done in the past).  It was somewhat helpful; but, just like paint, the color looks so different when there is a lot of light vs. when there is shade.  It is hard to know until you see it directly on your own house.

So, I took the color swatches they had online and played around with them in Adobe Illustrator.  I realize it isn't a true representation (I still can't get the shingles to tilt in the software - very frustrating).   So here are the leading contenders:


Option #1: Oyster Gray


Option #2: Pewter Gray


Option #3: Fox Hollow Gray


Option #4: Charcoal


The charcoal is out - in my opinion, it is just too stark for our house.  Fox Hollow is the closest to our current shingle making it perhaps the safest bet.  However, pewter and oyster may be more versatile should we eventually paint the house a different color.

Fortunately, this will be over in a week and decisions will need to be made probably at the eleventh hour! :)

UPDATE:  To see the color we chose, go here.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Roof Vents: Decision Time.

I know ... this isn't the most exciting topics.  But this unglamorous topic is staring me in the face.  It's decision time and I'm torn.  See our house?


The middle window above the front door is the second floor kids bathroom; our master bath is on the backside of the house.  Since we are getting a new roof, we decided it would be a good time to put in bathroom vents to eliminate moisture.  Neither bath have vents (which is typical for older homes) and we think it is a smart move to make especially since we're re-doing the roof.  Note: having done our research, there is a small minority that say it's ok to vent to the attic (not outside).  But the vast majority of people say you should vent to the outside through the roof (or gables).  

The issue is this: if we put a vent in the second floor kids bathroom, the only place they can put a roof vent (that'll be effective) is on the front side of the roof.  


And, I'm worried it'll look ugly.  A lot of times it is form over function with me.  I hate to say it, but it is true.  But, the roofing guy assures me it won't be one of those ugly pipe vents that stick out like a sore thumb.  And, it'll be a flat square top vent that should be disguised, like this:  


Is this more than you wanted to know about roof vents?  Yeah, me too.  Anyway, I am still convinced it'll stick out like a sore thumb.  

So yesterday, my husband and I drove around our neighborhood to see if any houses have this flat roof vent on the front side of their roof.  And, we found one.  


Sorry, for the crooked picture, I took it while driving, but do you see the little vent above the top middle window?  That is it.  It is pretty small, no?  Is it really noticeable?  What do you think?

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Lately....

I feel like I'm being pulled in a dozen different directions.  I'm sure you know the feeling.  I wish I could say I have it all figured it out, but I don't especially when it comes to decorating our home.


At times, I feel like the traditional style of this house dictates my inspiration and other times I am certain I want to do californian boho eclectic style!  Is that even a style???

And, then there is the roof.  The new roof is wiping out any dream of owning new furniture.  And, when did I convince myself that we really need covered gutters - sure, why not....add it to the list.
Speaking of the roof, we will be getting the architectural shingles (which, I believe, is simply another term for dimensional shingles, as some of you mentioned in a previous post).  While looking at shingle colors last night, my husband and I got bored real quickly and started looking at new cooking gas ranges like those from Wolf and Viking.  Don't ask me why; we could never afford it, but it was much more fun that looking at roof shingles!

And, then there is the unpacking.  Do you ever look at stuff you have and ask, 'Why on earth did I buy this?'  I feel like that with virtually everything I am unpacking.  Ugh.  I'm afraid to buy anything anymore because of the fear I might not like it in a year.

To end on a more positive note, thank you so much for your kind comments about our new home.  I am glad you like it as much as we do.  I am slowly realizing I am the type that needs to live in a house a while before I can make any serious design commitments.  So, that is what I am doing living in our space and taking it slow.  In fact, just last night I used an online room planner and did a space plan of our living room (which is a long and narrow room).  Very cool.   It definitely sparked some ideas.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Another Favorite Spot


While I love our patio off of our kitchen (see here), this is another one of my favorite spots in our new house.  This is a small deck off of our dining room.  Just large enough to house our adirondack chairs.  Directly across the patio is a small garden with a fence.  I have definitely found some time, albeit very little, to sit out here with a cup of coffee and magazine in hand!

The previous owners left the planters which I think are the perfect accessory to this quaint little outdoor spot.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Getting there...

It's been nearly two weeks since we've moved into our new home and we're slowly making a dent in all the unpacking.  To say I love this home is an understatement.  What makes it even more special is the neighborhood.  It is always the unknown when buying a new home and you just pray you have nice neighbors.  It's one of those intangibles you can never put a price tag on.  And, we've seem to hit the jackpot.  Our neighbors have been incredible, bringing over cupcakes, bringing flowers, inviting us to a dinner/birthday parties, helping Luke on his first day of kindergarden and just stopping by to say 'Hi' or lend a helping hand.  It sure has made the whole unpleasant experience of moving so much more enjoyable!


One of the reasons we bought this home was for the outdoor spaces and, in particular, the backyard.  We have a small patio right outside our side door leading off of the kitchen.  Tonight we finally had the chance to have dinner outside on our patio.  We got to use the teak patio set we bought four years ago in Portland, ME (and never had a chance to use because we didn't have a patio at our old home).  I finally set it up tonight and it looked great with the wisteria vine lit up in the background!  And, how about that cute little flower box outside the kitchen window?  I can't wait to plant geraniums in the spring!