Tag Archives: wood

05.09.13

Please tell me I am not the only person who drives through their neighborhood and stares at all the houses.  When I go out walking I tend to peep into windows just a tad too long.  Please don’t call the five-ohs (hi mom- that’s slang for cops) I fully admit to being a creeper but I mean no harm.

I oogle pretty doors, and swoon over landscaping.  Most of the time I see a house I love and I can’t quite put my finger on what I love about it.  Those are always my favorite, because it is all in the details.

The perfectly level green grass, the landscaping rocks that surround brand new mulch, the pretty porch light that matches the house numbers that match the screen door.

One thing I have begun to notice is crazy mismatched curtains.  You never notice the homes with nice clean matching curtains, but you better believe those red bedroom curtains will always catch your eye.  Especially when mixed with the bamboo curtains in the living room and the white sheers in the bathroom.  A crazy mumbo jumbo of window treatments.  Get that under control number 4256.

After a few hundred nights of pulling in and seeing our blinds all torn up from a psychotic dog that has figured out how to destroy manipulate the blinds into perfect guard dog positioning, I decided that consistent window treatments needed to move to the top of our project list.  The next time we hit up the hardware store we beelined for the roman shades and commenced the “great shade debate”.

He wanted Roman, I wanted Bright and Light.  After quite a few arm curls with all the choices we landed on a white bamboo roman shade.  The perfect compromise. before & after blinds It may not appear to be a major change to our neighbors, but this is the definition of an upgrade at this house. blinds up your curb appeal It is little things like these that pull your house together.  Now I pull in the driveway and smile, until I see my dying ferns.  Greenery hates me.

Any tips for reviving ferns?
Do your blinds match?
How do you up the curb appeal at your house?

Written by Christina and Tim
05.08.13

Have you entered to win?  Get on that.

You know that lately I have been backyard dreaming.  Longing for days of margarita sipping and sun soaking.  So obviously when Sherry, Katie, Renee, and Emily announced the Spring Pinterest Challenge my attention went straight out the window.

My original plans were to build a grotto ala Mr. Hefner but Tim put his foot down when I said the only bunnies making an appearance would be furry.

So I turned my attention to a few of my favorite pins. pinterest inspiration We already have a welcome mat surplus, so I started making plans to bring color into our backyard oasis in other ways.  Enter stage left, the wooden wind chimes. painted windchimes I have a weak spot in my heart for the tink tink of a wooden chime.  You too?  Well, here let’s make them together.  Go put your patience pants on, and bring a pair for me too. the goods I began by painting one little chime while sitting on the floor.  Then it dawned on me, I would be painting one chime at a time and holding it until it was fully dry so that I didn’t get paint everywhere and ruin my project.  Then I put on my thinking cap.

I grabbed some yarn and hung the chimes from a hook in our ceiling.  My smartest move to date, thank goodness for thinking caps.

I used my thumb to pull the chime out and give it a quick thin coat, then let it dry for a hot minute.  On to the next one. painfully slow I will not lie to you and tell you this project is incredibly easy and you can finish it in ten minutes.  These windchimes took over my life for seven hours.

It was as close as I have been to throwing in the proverbial towel, especially when I decided that you couldn’t see the orange and red paint well enough.

So those chimes needed to be sanded and repainted in the “cool” colors.  There may have been a nervous breakdown, or at least a lot of ice cream consumed. i know from experience Luckily, the result was marvelous and I couldn’t be happier.

I have already hung them up and forced Tim to sit outside with me admiring their cheery disposition.  I just can’t get enough. painted bamboo windchimes Are you a fan of windchimes?
DIY anything neato lately?
Need a gallon of ice cream?

 

Written by Christina and Tim
03.20.13

I told you that when we went to look for flooring we magically picked out tile for the master bathroom.

We even brought the samples home, and displayed them proudly for all to see.  All meaning us…and the dogs.  Then something happened, I freaked out.  I started thinking about staring at that tile for the next ten years, and wondering how hideous the next home owners would think it was.  Will my faux wood floor be the equivalent of gold shower doors?  Will this “linen look” actually just come off as dirty?

Originally we picked out “Leonia Silver” for the walls and “Sersa Black Walnut” for the floors.  We had left any accent tiles up in the air….and that’s when the panic set in.  We still really like both, but we just don’t think they are quite right for our space.

I started browsing.  Pinning like a maniac, and rekindling my romance with Houzz.

Tim and I both agree that this room should be masculine and modern.  What we can’t agree on are the finishes.  We both like a couple different things that always end up contradicting.  For instance, we both love the faux wood tile from our original dream team…but hate the look of it with a wood vanity.  Enter gray floating vanity stage right.  If only there were an Ikea closer.

Hola Option One. option one I have a serious crush on the Turkish Bath Towels, and a new bathroom is a totally legitimate excuse to buy some.  Almost everything pictured would come from Lowes, with the exception of that vanity from Ikea.

But then again… option two On the other hand we also both like the herringbone trend, but aren’t crazy about it on the walls.  Which leaves us with floors, which means we could have a wood vanity….but that means no wood floor clearly.  And then we are left with what to do on the walls.  Tim likes a manly mosaic, but I still can’t quite commit.

Are you down with the herringbone?  Think I can convince Tim to let me bring some more color in?  What is your favorite?

Written by Christina and Tim