In Love...

Hi all!

I have to admit that life has gotten in the way and blogging has fallen to the wayside.  I decorated for fall last weekend and while I still need to add a bit more once we get pumpkins in a few weeks I am mostly finished.  I'll be back with pictures soon.  Speaking of pictures I wanted to share this original painting I'm lusting after for the dining room.  While browsing Etsy I came across this abstract and I NEED it for our dining room.  I would love to have something bright and original across from the windows.

find it here

I messaged the seller and she would make it as large as I would like but I am nervous about spending such a large amount of money on something I found online.  I sure wish I could see it in person!

Anyone bought art online?

Genius!

Hi!

Have you all seen this idea on Pinterest?  I ran across it the other day and think it is genius.  You paint popsicle sticks or paint stirrers with the colors in your home and then keep them in your purse or car for when you're out shopping!

Source: nattybydesign via seleta on Pinterest

I am the weirdo that has the paint chips in my purse but I really like this idea too!

Guest Bedroom Paint Options

Hi all!

I'm back with some paint options I'm considering for the guest room. If you don't remember ....this is the room. I am tempted to go dark since I have all white bedding.

I know they are hard to see against the tan wall so I labeled them.

I'm unsure.....maybe I need to go in a different direction.

Anyone want to vote?!?!

Emily

Stencil

Hi all!

I'm back with pictures of the wall I stenciled this last weekend. Jacob and I both like it because it sets off the little nook that is essentially our entryway table, even though it's more in the living room.

Here is the before:

After:

Not too shabby for a free project. I had the paint and the stencil I borrowed from a friend! Now to find something to put on the wall! :)

Emily

Green Dresser Reveal

Good morning!

Thank you all for your kind words about Tatum. We are hanging in there....taking one day at a time.

Last week I showed an inspiration picture of a green dresser here. With that in mind I took this dresser and gave it a makeover. I moved it from the guest bedroom to the hallway where we had a blank wall. I want it there to store games and other toys as Madeleine grows.

Here is the before:

And the After:

The color is Sherwin Williams 6445 Garden Grove and I love it!

I wanted a kelly green color but not too bright and this color was perfect.

You can see the little nook I was working with and I think this fits perfectly. I used the same knobs just stuck them on bamboo skewers to spray paint them and it worked like a charm! I plan to hang a few frames above the dresser but I was too anxious to share so I put a few things on top and snapped a few pictures. I'll do a full reveal when it's finished....but who knows when that will be! :)

Not too bad for a 30 year old piece of furniture that started out as my brothers, then my baby dresser.

Emily

Thrift Store Dresser Makeover

Happy Friday!

Remember this dresser I teased you with months ago? Well, even though I painted it months ago before we moved it has sat in our garage. I was stuck on knobs for forever because I needed 12 and didn't want to spend a small fortune.

For those of you that don't remember or are new to the blog I bought this dresser for $20 at a local thrift store. I had no idea what I was going to do with it just that I could use it somewhere either as a buffet, a dresser, an entryway chest, or as a console in an office. I decided to go with black while I painted the inside a creamy tan.

I finally bit the bullet and bought these knobs once we moved and had a World Market nearby.

We currently have the dresser in our dining room as we have no formal dining room table. She is keeping the room from looking bare since we probably won't have a table for quite awhile....baby stuff trumps nice table.

I think it will work well as a buffet if that is the route we end up going in the future.

Total cost of the makeover: $20 Dresser

$20 Paint

$60 Hardware

$100 Total!

Not too shabby!

Don't forget to enter the drawing for a $45 code to be used at CSN stores. Click here for details and to enter.

Have a great weekend!

Emily

I'm mad

I'm mad. In fact, I'm a lot less mad than I was yesterday but I'm still pretty ticked. I know that this will sound silly to some but if you have been in my shoes you will understand. I am breaking up with blue painters tape.

As most of you know, we have been painting since we moved in. While buying paint we bought a few multi packs of blue painters tape and have been using it to tape the trim as we have moved from room to room. Now, the only compliant I had until yesterday was that it didn't peel off all in one piece but rather it split down the middle. It didn't happen a ton so I didn't worry too much about it and continued using it since we had so much.

Fast forward to Sunday when my mother in law taped the trim and cabinetry in the powder room so I could start the first coat paint in my striped room. We finished our 2 coats and I taped off my stripes before heading to bed. When I woke up the next morning several pieces of the blue tape were falling off the wall. Now if you have ever painted and taped stripes you know it's a pain. It takes forever so the thought that I now had to redo it made me mad. I jumped in the car and headed out to get the green frog tape because I now no longer trusted the blue stuff to not seep if it wasn't even going to stick on the wall.

Fast forward again to yesterday afternoon when I have sealed and painted my stripes and am peeling off the blue and now green tape while the paint is still wet. The green tape came off with no problems. I didn't have one single piece of green split or tear. The blue tape not only ripped and left tiny pieces everywhere but it ripped off 5 layers of paint leaving big gashes in my wall.

I had a ton of small pieces like this that I had to go back and clean up with a razor blade

More small pieces

The gashes from where the blue tape ripped off 5 layers of paint

More damage

Did I mention it seeped too? Yeah, that is through a glaze I coated it with

I spent an additional hour and a half with a razor blade and a paint brush cleaning up the mess that the blue tape left and I still have gashes that I'm not sure how to fill without repainting large areas. Needless to say I won't be using it again and even though the frog tape is more expensive in my mind it is worth it.

Anyone else had a similar experience?

Emily

Paint Colors

Good morning!

I hope you all are having a great week. I have accomplished a lot on my to do list and while it's still very long it feels good to cross things off the list!

As promised these are the paint colors we have chosen and painted so far in the house:

In the Formal Living and Dining Room

Behr Ashes

In the Master Bathroom and soon to be 1 Guest Bedroom

Color Matched Restoration Hardware's Silver Sage (top color)

In the Entryway and Hallways

Behr Toasted Cashew

In the Kitchen, Breakfast Nook, and Family Room

Behr Celery Sprig

We haven't chosen the colors for the guest bathroom, nursery, master bedroom, laundry room, and the 2nd guest room. I know the powder room colors I just haven't painted it yet. :)

Stay tuned for more painting updates!

Emily

Painting

Good morning!

My mother in law has been here all week and we have been painting like crazy. The entire first floor is almost finished including the 2 story entryway. Whew!

I'm hoping Jacob and his brother can finish up for us today. We're seriously considering paying to have the other 2-3 rooms I want painted because I just can't do it anymore.

I can't wait to share pictures in a few weeks once I start pulling things together!

Have a great weekend!

Emily