Thursday

Project #4- Wine Cork


Nate's Aunt Susie retired last year and after his grandma passed away she moved back home with Grandpa. I personally think it is great so they both have company..but Aunt Susie had alot of antiques and they are currently being stored at Nate's Mothers. So she no longer had use for this bar cart. Nate's stepdad and him had to unassemble it to fit in our SUV and we hauled it back to Texas from Illinois. I love it! But I felt that the area above needed some approriate decor. That is when I decided to make a wine wreath.
The first step was to collect wine corks. Most of mine are collected by yours truely but the first layer you lay straight as possible and won't see with the top layer so I bought some online.
So you line the corks up as close as possible and hot glue onto a straw wreath. After you cover the first layer you go crazy layering corks which ever way you want on the second layer. But remember this layer is the layer you see so you have to be sure you put the pretty side of the corks showing. I even included a couple champange corks. The one on top is from our honeymoon and the one on bottom is from when we bought the house 3 years ago. So it has lots of memories in this wreath. Total time to make is 2 hours. You can hange it with fishing line or ribbon. But I chose twine to make it more coastal/beach bungalow feeling. I mean wine and the beach are hand in hand in my mind!

Wednesday

The Big Day!! Closing Day- Project #3

Our Lovely Suburban Cottage In January!
 Today is HUGE!! We finally finished the refinance process and we are closing again on our house! I am soo excited. This whole process started in October. They had a appraiser come out and appraise our house (luckily it is worth more than we paid for it- which is great in this market) but the appraiser said there was water damage on the molding under our bay window and on three pieces of siding. Most likely still left over from the stupid hurricane!!!
 After christmas break I called the contractor about replacing the siding. We were in a jam to get the siding repaired, appraiser back out, pass inspection and close by Jan 31st so our taxes would be paid on time.  Nate and his buddies replaced the modling under the bay window during break and I painted it. But the siding intimated Nate since he had never done it. I remember watching my dad repair some so I felt we could. Well after the call to the contractor and the shocking price of 800 bucks..we decided time to knock it out ourselves. But the problem was we have what almost looks like a dormer window (one of the front bedroom windows pocks out more) in the second story where the roof and siding meet it is pitched. So Nate was concerned with the angles. The whole first story is brick. I recalled that Home Depot cuts wood and thought they would cut siding too. We go to two stores before we find one that has the siding and saw that is working. The guy said he really shouldn't cut hardiplank because it is basically concrete and could get in trouble. But the pieces wouldn't fit in our SUV unless cut down and I think he saw my expression and felt a tinge.. He said 'well I am the manager I can't get in much trouble I can do the straight cuts for ya!' Wohoo. So we got the siding but by this time it is dark! The next day we spent the evening cutting them and putting them up. The third night painting them. Nate and I were so proud that we did ourselves, saved money and did it in 30 degree weather. Oh and the total for the whole repair of molding on bay window $64.00 (molding, liquid nails, caulking, nails and paint) plus the siding was $65.00 (paint, nails, saw blade to cut concrete, and siding). I feel like we came out on top here..heheh!
Pic of the siding we repaired!! Sorry a little dark





The  last step was the appraiser came back out and we passed!!! So now onto closing before Jan. 31 when our taxes are due.

So today I will leave work early and sign the contract to close on our house again. Which means taxes paid on time..wohoo!! Also, if you read in my previous post- I am very emotionally attached to this house. I am very excited to be closing again. The best part about this is- this time the house is move in ready! Oh and my stuff is already there!! Score- no more painting and unpacking! Instead I just have to organize all my crap now instead. And this time we don't have to ripe up flooring, install new flooring, rip up sub flooring, install new toilets and subflooring, paint every surface, survive a hurricane, rebuild after the hurricane, drain and acid wash the pool, instal pool equiptment, refinish the gazebo, redo all the backyard landscaping, and install all the lighting in the house! I feel like this time we are really coming out on top! Thanks to the previous owners.. oh that is us!! Needless to say, at moments my husband gets frustrated with the projects we do on this house and says I can't beleive we ever bought this house. But really in the end it was a great investment. We bought at the low and got a bargain for it. Even with all the money we put into it we are still coming out wining here! So I am happy to say I feel that 'We are finally home'.

Our house will prolly never look like a PB catalog as much as I would love it too. But it is our house and to me it holds great memories. I love our house and I can't wait for all the new memories we will have in it. So let's raise our glasses to my house!

Monday

Project #2- Living room & Dining Room Updates

 Linen Curtains, Milk Glass ( some have corks spilling from their edges too), White Frames, White Candle Holders with White Peace Lillies infront of Fireplace & SEAGRASS JUTE RUG!!
 White/Linen Throw Pillows- once summer arrives I want some beachy white/blues!
 My cork,seashells and vanilla candle centerpiece on coffee table. I love it.. some might think wine & beach not really .. but they have my color theme whites and tans.
 Here's the dining room- table still not refinished.. but new PB stripe Jute rug, New Bar from my MIL, monogram plate from Cousin-in Laws, Margarita Maker & Wine stored below!!


Here is the Light I was given for the dining room still in it's box.. hubby swears it will go up next weekend & than I will share more pics.

If you saw my previous posts you saw my inspiration. It is finally coming togeather, but I didn't want too much of a theme. Currently there are just a lot of neutrals and it was amazing how when I placed the seagrass rugs in from PB (got them on winter sale) that the rooms look so much larger. They also keep the dog hair down because it doesn't hold the hair well. The shag tan and red rug moved to the other side of the living room where the pool table is and scout still loves laying on 'his' rug.  Basically both rooms are done now! I want to get some nautical beachy pillows for summer and add the bamboo roman shades to living room and I will be done. The dining room just needs ceiling light hung and table refinished. I am thinking since this is the only room with out a vaulted ceiling attached to great room about painting the ceiling an aqua or pale blue.. almost white. I think it would look cool! We'll see if I get around to it!!

PS it is a little dark under the fish tank but I finally got a PB Pepsi crate.. nate dislikes it alot! So it not under the coffee table now. It is under the fish tank. The other one I got was yellow ( i disdain yellow) and is in the garage holding my tools. I figure once we have kids it can hold books or small toys like legos. So I won't part with either!

Happy New Year & Project #1 of 2011

 Coat Rack & show basket overflowing- Above
Below- Entry way Table completed with Chalk board & Wall Gallery - Christmas was still up!!


Nativity Scene given to us from Nate's Mom which was brought back from Africa from his grandpa!! Also our Jingle Bell wreath and Note to Santa on Chalk board from Scout!!


Close up of Valentine Decor in Entryway- Fresh Mum Flowers from my hubby! Not always there! Plus my sheet music wreath with Psalms written on Chalk board. Also my vday decor of XOXO!!
View from livingroom- my last DIY frosted front door windows letting in the light! LUV!!  It looks a little busy with the mums and XoXO.. but its for a short while..


Previously when we had a ton of warm colors in the great room (think all reds & browns) there was no entry way table. It was just a wall of crosses. I loved the crosses but my hubby hated them. He is a christian he just prefers art/photos on the wall than a whole wall covered in crosses! When I decided to change the decor in the room to something I could change when I got tired of it.. I went neutral. Now the curtains are linen to match the walls and everything is very classic with punches of color here and there.

  So I started thinking of a better way to maximize this area. I started with a memo board that is a chalk board (old mirror converted). I than hung all our favorite pics from our weddingmoon in Hawaii. There are pics of Nate and I with his sister and than us with my sisters, landscapes where we snorkeled, the wedding, honeymoon shoots and of course a Hawaiian Guitar printed on sheet music and a vintage skeleton key on scrapbook paper.. I love the Key- Nate will always hold my key to my heart as well as Hawaii. All the frames are black so that it feels cohesive but they are all different types of frames, some shiny, some matte, some flat some bulky with trim! I call this our tribute wall to Hawaii.. whenever Nate & I are stressed we always think back to Hawaii. So it is nice to have the reminder in our entrywall.
 Once I created the wall gallery I felt that it needed a table! So I found a PB knockoff and it is great in it's ebony color- vintage yet modern I feel. It really was a desk but it fit the wall space perfectly and I love the turn table legs and ebony finish.  I also pushed the two stools  covered in cream linen that I use for extra seating when kiddos are over under the table. On top I added a potted orchid- my favorite flower on top of a stack of books on beaches and Hawaii. I love orchids, I have some in my vanity area in our bedroom, one in the guest bath upstairs and now one in the entry. I feel like it adds instant elegance or timeless-ness. Yeah I am an english teacher and I just made that word up!! Plus a great lamp with linen drum shade. It was than complete!
To make the area work even better for us I bought a coat rack to hang dog leashes, keys, my coach purse, scarfs and jackets on it. If you see under the rack is the leather shoe basket which I am going to up grade to a larger one in wicker soon! I have to upgrade because my coaching husband has more tennis shoes than fit in our closet and now the shoe basket!! I found a great one at Target similar to a very costly one of PB and will order next pay period.. I hope you enjoy! I sure love it! I feel like the lamp makes such a lovely light in the evenings.. the photos are near and dear to us obvioulsy so I love looking at them. I also love layering the chalkbaord with wreaths (stole idea from nester).. Lastly  I  love the function of this area now. Pretty and funtional!!

Isn't my hubby great for bringing me mums.. the only reason they are in the entry way is because Bella our siamesse loves eating flowers and she is scared of this table for some reason.. mums are safe!