Inspiration

So I have been trying to decide how I was going to compose this post for a few days now… here is my best whack at it.

Last weekend, my cousin Jayme ignited a spark in my brain. If you don’t read Jayme’s blog, you should. You can find it HERE. She is an amazingly busy and good-hearted woman, her posts are always fun to read. Her and her husband are expecting their first little one in October, and I can tell ya how excited I am for her! Anywho, Jayme also takes amazing pictures. On Sunday’s she always posts a beautiful picture she has taken along with words from the good book. The scriptures always seem to be unbelievably in sync with her images, this lady knows her bible business!

Jayme has been thinking about selling her “Sunday Scriptures” – so recently, she created a logo and slapped it on to keep people from snatching them up without permission. Now, back to the spark. See I take pictures of family and friends from time to time; it’s just something that I enjoy doing. When I create a CD for give to those folks, I put my own logo on it and send a copyright release just in case their photo printer people give them any grief. And in hopes that someone may see my logo and ask them questions.

This is where Jayme’s inspiration comes in. I had never put the logo on my photos on the blog or facebook, cause I figured the only people who would snag it up was the person I took the pictures for, and because I give them shared rights to the picture, I didn’t see it as a big deal! Now the wheels have started turning. Maybe this is a way that I can get my name out there… I have people who read my blog (Right? You are out there aren’t you? Someone has to be out there…) and friends on facebook… this idea should have hit me a long time ago. So let me introduce my logo.

I am hoping that you will see more and more of it. But I feel I have to give a disclosure. I am NOT a professional photographer. Now days, it seems like anyone with a nice camera is calling themselves a professional, let me assure you I’m not interested in doing that. I consider myself a hobby photographer, with LOTS to learn. I am working on creating a portfolio, but don’t know that I will ever see this as a full-time gig. Simply a way to keep enjoying photography for the moment and maybe make a little extra dough on the side. So if something comes out of this post awesome, if not, I tried. But if anyone reading this (or knows of anyone looking) let them know I’m here and I’m learning – translation: prices are very reasonable.

Here’s to hoping that you have a wonderful weekend! Happy Friday!

House Tour - Outside

I thought I would round out the house tour with a layout and some pictures of our yard. I was planning on taking some updated flower pictures this morning, but I was up until 2:23AM last night (well that’s the last time I remember seeing the clock) and I didn’t make it up in time this morning to snap any photos.

Here is the lot drawing. We have a decent size corner lot, measuring 140’ x 100’ - not ginormous, but plenty to mow! As you can see one of our concerns when buying the house was that there is really no “backyard” with the house/garage being essentially in the middle of the lot. We worried about where to put a swing set and a sandbox down the road, the privacy from the neighbors, what if we want a fire pit/patio, etc. BUT we quickly made a plan and a list of what we could do down the road if this still concerned us.
Here is a general idea of what we have discussed, please excuse my photoshop skills, but you will get the general idea! (Please note that none of my additions are to scale!) There is plenty of room for what we would like to do, while still leaving lots of green areas! The neighbors are wonderful and we are actually enjoying town life much more than we anticipated!

Right now the peonies are blooming and some of the rhod’s, but of course I didn’t get up early enough to snap photos. But last summer I posted all sorts, you can see them here, here, here and here. I am sure there are more, but those will do for now! None of the lilies have begun blooming but I did manage find some photos I took on a stroll a few weeks back of them starting to grow!

With a house turning a century old this year, we have lots of mature trees on our property, including this red maple. We actually have three of them. In addition we have three other large oak trees, four small evergreens and one birch that looks of have only been planted a few years ago.

The birch is planted between the deck and the garage, and we look forward to the day when it provides lots of shade! Afternoons can be awfully hot and sunny sitting out on our new patio set!

As you can see on the “idea lot” above, I would like some raised gardens. Chris decided to take a whack at gardening this summer, and plant a strawberry topsy-turvy. He was very excited, a little too excited for a guy who doesn’t eat strawberries… Any who, that’s our place! Wishing you a Happy Thursday!

House Tour - Second Floor

Alright, we’re back! Are you ready for the second floor!? (I can’t believe I am doing this…) no joke. My upstairs has never looked quite this bad. One room is torn apart and the mess has spread throughout the whole floor. The pictures I have are a combination of pictures taken yesterday, pictures taken over the past year and pictures from our first visit before making an offer. Anywho… let’s take a look at the plan first.
Here it is! I have renamed some of the rooms to what we called them. Certain things you will notice… old home, so shared closets. Guestroom 1 was made smaller by prior owners somewhere down the line, to account for an additional closet in the master. The stairs to the attic are between the guestrooms in the closet and again, small bathroom, lots of doors/windows and hardwoods. So let’s start the walk thru and I’ll share the to do’s.

Lets start with the master bedroom. You may remember our transformation of this room from looking very “collegy” to our grown up bedroom in prior posts. And yes, I did steal the pictures from there… today it looks the same except I didn’t make the bed and there is a pile of clothes on the floor!

Master Bedroom List
- Dresser for Her: DONE
- Dresser for Him: Still Looking, want a taller dresser to go in the corner where the flower pictures are.
- Headboard: DONE, so happy I don’t lose my pillows at night anymore!
- Curtains: Definitely moving up on the list since summer is rolling around again.
- Rug: DONE (Thanks Beth!)
- New Bedding: DONE (Thanks Jenny!)
- New Hampers
- Nightstands: Good for now!- TV/DVD: DONE

Now I know that we don’t have a baby yet, and no news on when that will be happening yet… but we do call the room across the hall from us the Nursery. As this is what it will be some day. Today I is a storage room for all the stuff that used to be in the guest room, as well as a large wardrobe that we don’t really use anymore and baby stuff that we have no use for but it was too good of a deal to pass up. (Yes, you can roll yours eyes if you want – my hubby does – but when I find a crib mattress for $10 in brand spanking new condition from someone I know is a gremaphobe , I’m sold!) Here is a photo from our first viewing of the house, they used it as an office… so yes a small room. But really close to us and will be perfect for a little noise maker someday! Nursery List
- Nothing at this time.

With no baby on the way quite yet, we are not focusing on this room. I just hope to finish up the guest room and get it cleaned out! Speaking of, let’s take a look at “The Blue Room.”

Right now we are trying to call this the guest room, but we usually resort back to “The Blue Room” or now-and-then “The Peacock Room” as that is what the new color theme reminds me of. Those pictures may look familiar to some of you from when this room was going to get some new makeup. Well a paint job turned into much more! 6 months later… it’s still under construction, but the hubby has been diligently working on it and it should be completed very soon! Here is what it looks like today!

Guest Room 1 List
- Paint: Partial, still need to do closet and trim.
- Take out Cabinet: DONE
- Rug: Purchased!
- Fix Baseboards: Partial, all done just need to install the last couple in the closet.
- Molding: Partial, ready to be installed!
- Nightstand: still looking!
- Bedding: DONE (Thanks Grandma!)
- Chair/Bench/Ottoman: DONE
- Headboard: still hunting!
- Wall Art: In Progress
- New Light Fixture: will come with time.
- Shelving in Closet: eventually, want shelves in closet to hold linens! (I have no linen closet upstairs)

As you can see it is a major work in progress, but as we find the time, it will get completed. More on that to come!

Now, moving on to the upstairs bathroom. Once again, old house = tiny bathroom. These pictures are older and from the day Chris decided to tear this room apart to fix a drip. Yep. A drip. He is patching it up as we speak! Woot woot!

Second Floor Bathroom List
- New Shower Curtain: DONE
- New Shower: we are in the researching stage. But we did fix the drip! Ha!
- Dual Flush: DONE- New Cabinets: In Progress

Sorry for the bad photos, it’s a tiny room… But pretty basic. Toilet. Shower. Vanity.

This room is a mess. When we moved it, Chris planned to use this as a “Game Room” for when his buddies came over to practice for zombie invasions… since then. We have gotten rid of the monsterous TV and moved in a queen size bed… other than that. Not much has been touched!

Guest Room 2 List
- Get Rid of Clutter
- Another Bed: DONE
- Rug
- Paint (and only paint!)
- Wall Art
- Curtains
- New Light Fixture

We have plans to turn this into another guest room, but for now it’s just going to have to wait. Eventually I will pack up all Chris’ leftover “toys” and move them into the attic… then we’ll get to work! Lastly, there is access to an attic in the closet between the guestrooms.

The previous owners were turning this into a master suite. And while I don’t know their entire plan, I know that they should’ve asked for some advice when undertaking this mission. The sheetrock has been slapped up with lots of confusing edges and they forgot a vapor barrier between the sheetrock and the insulation… so if we ever did want to turn this into a livable space, it would have to all be gutted and redone, including the bathroom they put up there. Ugh.

Attic List
- Nothing at this time.

This is just more space we don’t currently need, we have no plans for up here at this point in time. We are currently using it for storage, and because none of the plumbing is hooked up, we don’t heat/cool it. Simply storage.
Well I hope you enjoyed the tour, from the top to the bottom! If you have any questions, let us know! Friends and family are welcome anytime, just remember - “A clean house is a sign of a wasted life.” (Haha, or at least that’s what I try to tell myself!) Happy Wednesday!

House Tour - First Floor

Can you believe we have been in our house for over a year!? Me neither! So I figured it was about darn time for a house tour! Please forgive me. I am not a great housekeeper, so we’re keeping it real here today! Dust, dirty windows, and cluttered spaces! Lots of projects going on and gorgeous days, mean housework is the last thing on my mind! Some pictures are old from files and some were taken this morning... but this is real life people, no makeup! Hope this post helps clarify any questions regarding the house.

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Here is the first floor. Not sure how accurate the measurements are, but it will at least give you an idea of the layout when we talk about projects. Lots of windows and doors, bold paint colors and hardwood floors. (I rhymed, hehe). Our first floor makes one big circle, so we will start in the kitchen and go counter-clockwise.
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Here is the Kitchen. You have seen how we put up shelving on the wall above the stove and installed outlets in the island – yes, I finally did get a new coat of paint on it, so it is beamingly beautiful. The bucket on the island is not a permanent fixture, we are cooking up a new batch of wine so this one’s house is in my kitchen (where the cat can’t reach that little tube thing on top, yes that is the technical term…) until Friday.

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In the Kitchen is our “To Do List.” We do have a master list for the house, but only take it a piece at a time. When we complete a couple of the projects, I replace them with new ones from the master list. Maybe it should be called “Our Dream List.” We don’t know that we will get everything completed, not sure if this is our “Forever House” yet, but we will work on things as long as this is our current path. As we go through the rooms, I will share our list with you.
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Kitchen List
- Shelving on Wall: DONE
- Outlets in Island DONE with a bonus one below the shelves!
- Fix Drawers: hoping we can do this, they are original, you known the kind with no tracks that just tilts down when you pull it out… yeah…
- New Sink: I dream of a white farmhouse sink with an apron skirt front!
- Re-Do the Ceiling: previous owners tried to use 2x4’s mimic exposed beams… let me tell ya, it ain’t foolin’ anyone.
- New Light Fixture: half done! The original light fixture was fancy ikea stuff that didn’t give off any light and ate expensive bulbs weekly… so we swapped it out for a simple dome… I can see much better, but still nothing fancy to look at…
- Change Hardware: As most of you know, I’m not a fan of gold… nuf said.
- Fix Fridge: simple project, it’s not level, just need to stop being lazy!
- Vent Hood: would love a vent hood above the stove!
- New Flooring: the hardwoods are originally but not in the best of shape in the kitchen… would like to replace someday, maybe, who knows.
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Lots to do! Attached to the kitchen is an entry way from off the deck (this is our main entrance) and a small bathroom.
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The bathroom on the first floor is nothing fancy. It’s tiny, which is the norm for a house this old… Sink, toilet, shower/tub. Pretty simple – but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t make the list.
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First Floor Bath List
- New Shower Faucet: Plumbing is weird, only a shower right now… interesting story another time.
- New Floor: Vinyl flooring was poorly installed (theme throughout the house)
- Dual Flush: Self Explanatory.
- New Light: Of at least paint the gold.
- New paint on walls/ceiling
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Next up is the Dining Room!
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Boy do I have big plans for this room! Right now it is a yellow/gold color. At first I didn’t mind it, but I would like it to match the living room someday… so that is in the works. It has a beautiful picture window with stained glass that we both love. Are you ready for the list!?
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Dining Room List
- More Outlets: I don’t know how (not my job) but we need more outlets in this room, there is no access below this room, but we will find a way!
- Paint: Some more neutral that can also flow into the living room.
- Molding: I dream of super chunky molding going around this room, replacing the puny stuff that is currently lining the room.
- Curtains: definitely a need! I’m sure the neighbors are tired of watching us eat and me stage photos.
- Complete Table Project: In the works!
- Buffet Makeover: questionable, I may have a different idea for this area of the room…
- Window Bench: I would love a bench that stretches all the way across the wall with the picture window… great sitting spot for the cat and mucho storage for me!
- New Floor: The floors are in bad shape here too, this room and the kitchen are the only hardwoods we would consider replacing.
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Connected to the Dining Room with pretty colonnades, is the Living Room.
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We spend lots of time in here, with TV/movies being a common (cheap) hobby of ours! This is where we can be found most nights when we are too pooped to work on projects or clean.
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Living Room List
- New Couch: DONE
- Get a Large Area Rug: DONE
- Paint: match dining room.
- Molding: match dining room. We like the green, but it’s just too dark, need to lighten this room up.
- Curtains: match dining room.
- More Outlets: Some of the outlets in the room are apparently, just for looks!
- New Chairs: bought some, just not sure if I like them in here…
- End Tables: need some badly (so we can stop using TV trays), but space is limited.
- Touch Up Columns: need new paint job and some putty.
- Shelves for Bookcases: DONE
- Wall Art: there are a few thoughts rolling around my brain for some art above the TV.
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The idea with this room is to use paint to brighten it up and keep the flow with the dining room in as much as possible. The room has a very odd shape… which makes furniture placement difficult… Not a “pretty” room at the moment, but definitely comfortable. The picture window in this room shows the porch. It is a complete mess, so I didn’t take a picture. The porch has some BIG wishes, including a new roof. But nothing is for certain at this time. Are you ready to see the room in my house that makes me hang my head in shame!?
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The Den has been our “Catch All” room for over a year now. Two weeks ago, I tried to make a dent, so it is looking much better than it was! This room will get a major makeover sometime in the next year to become a more inviting, functional and visually appealing area of the home. For now we just close the doors and pretend it’s not there!
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Den List
- Add Storage: a definite need for this space.
- Sell Embroidery Machine: DONE
- Sell Big Desk: now that the machine is gone, something smaller will better fit the space.
- More Outlets: common theme in a century old house.
- Shelving in Closet: Chris uses this closest to store wine while it’s in the carboy, so I would like some shelving in there to serve as more storage…
- New Desk: time for a change
- Sell Computer Monitor: not using, so get rid of it.
- Wireless Printer: would love one, anything to get rid of some cords.
- Curtains: need something to cover the big picture window
- Area Rug: still not sure on this one...
- Sitting Area: still up for debate.
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Next is the Pantry. This area is where the basement stairs are as well as an access to the outside (where the grill is). We store coats, kitchen stuff and groceries in this area. It has some random homemade shelves that make no sense to use and is always a mess. But will get some more focus these next couple months.
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Pantry List
- Remove Random Shelves: we don’t understand the purpose of the shelf below the coats…
- New Lower Cabinet: something sturdier!
- Storage Baskets: help to hide the clutter.
- New Light: bought a dome, just need to install.
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The basement is only a partial and is not finished. It is where our washing and drying machines are, and also where we store our canned goods and finished homemade wine. There is a tiny furnace room, lovingly referred to as the dungeon and that is where Chris works on his guns. Next time we will head upstairs where the real mess begins!

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Happy Tuesday!

Ashley's Boys

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of spending part of an afternoon with Ashley's boys! We had a great time at the park taking pictures. Here are just a couple from our shoot.

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We tried to use a frame that we had brought with...
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This is the reaction that we got...
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So we decided to just bury it. Happy Monday!

Dragon Tales

Okay, so this journey began a few months back while I was shopping at TJMaxx with my favorite little man, DaShawn. We came across an aqua blue lion, which reminded us of a Chinese “Parade” Lion - please tell me someone knows what I’m talking about… anyways, we had to bring him home for only $6.00.

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He looked amazing and would be a perfect addition to the guest room. Later that week while browsing the internet, I came across a Dragon at Pier 1. I “hmm’d” and “haa’d” for a couple weeks, cause he was $45 + shipping, and would need a coat of paint (too many not me colors). Finally the hubby told me to just buy it… so I decided to go ahead and do it! Went back out to the website and he was gone! Emailed the company and they said they didn’t have any in stock… bummage.
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A few weeks later, while out shopping with DaShawn again, we decided to stop at the local Pier 1. (Well I decided and he had to come cause the police frown on leaving little munchkins home alone). Low and behold! We found him! In the clearance section for $30, brought him to the checkout and he was an additional 50% off! Yes, this is where I did my happy dance.
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I got him home and immediately grabbed a can of white spray paint, then stopped dead in my tracks. No. Not everything needs to be white. I put the white back and decided to be brave, cause if it failed, I could always paint him white.
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Bright green! (The color in this picture is the most accurate) Oh la la! We will try it for a little while in the room and see if I still love it. Chris hates it, but that don’t matter much to me at this time, I simply tell him to smile and move on! Total cost was $15 for the dragon, I had the spray paint on hand - bought it a while back from the clearance aisle at Walmart.
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It was Rustoleum's Painter's Touch Ultra Cover in Key Lime - Just in case you were wondering.

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Now my two exotic beauties are awaiting Chris to finish the guest room, so they can check out their new home! (FYI - Baseboards will be done this weekend! Or my hubby will be sleeping in the kennel... He knows I love him, but a little push never hurt right!?)
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Hope you liked my dragon tale, Happy Thursday!