Monday, March 30, 2015

Six Years, Six of Our Proudest & Most Painful Projects

Late Friday I realized that it had been six years since the day we closed on our home and moved into this little old Dutch Colonial.  S I X...  Y E A R S... It's sounds like such a long time ago but it feels like I blinked and here we are.  Wish it felt like that when we were in the middle of each house projectright?! 

In those moments, during each and every DIY renovation, it felt like time stood still and we weren't getting anywhere with anything in this house and that it was never going to look the way we dreamed that we could make it look.  Now here we and the place looks nothing like the bland peachy/beige box we walked into six years ago.  The crazy thing looking back now (which is a good thing I must mention for any new fixer-upper owners out there), most of the work we did happened in the first 3 years we owned the house and then more minimal updates happened during the last 2-3 years.

Like I said, I wish it all happened in the blink of an eye but thankfully we didn't totally drag all the projects out over the last six years.  - Ugh, I shutter at the thought of that! - So celebrate our SIXTH year at home, I thought what better than a look back at SIX of our proudest and most painful projects!  Be sure to click the links for a look back at all the posts and drama documented along the way!  Drumroll....

The (My) ClosetWorkspace (additional links here)

The Master Bedroom

The Upstairs Bathroom

The Kitchen

The Dining Room

The Living Room & Fireplace Mantel

Which project do you think was most worth the pain?  

What was the most painful or longest project in your home?

Saturday, March 14, 2015

1959 Paris Michelin Guide Map Wall Art DIY

I've been working on a couple fun DIY projects and have the first ready to share- DIY wall art made from a 1959 Paris Michelin Guide Map!  If you have any bare walls at home and aren't sure what to put on them,  this is a SUPER budget friendly and thoughtful way to add in some wall decor.  
If you have any bare walls at home and aren't sure what to put on them,  this is a SUPER budget friendly and thoughtful way to add in some wall decor.

Kind of crazy that I picked up this 1959 Paris Michelin Guide Map for just $5.00 at an antique store in Hopkins almost TWO years ago!  Can't believe it took me this long to do something with it but truthfully I kind of forgot I had it until I stumbled upon it a couple days ago while doing some spring cleaning and organizing... whoopsie! 
That's when my light bulb moment occurred- I could use these maps for wall decor in the small hallway under the stairs!  So, I thumbed through the guide book and picked out six maps for my 4"x 6" frames and hung them up in the hallway.  

I think the contrast of the black frames really pops against the paint color (Behr's Sandstone Cove) and the dusty pink + red maps create the perfect accent color combo!
I know I haven't shown this space on the blog before so in case you are wondering, the hallway connects our kitchen to the back entryway and the door on the right leads into our scary old basement.  We have a couple topographic maps by the kitchen so I like that the theme/type of art flow is similar through to the hallway.

Like I said, if you have some bare walls you are looking to fill at home be sure to always keep an eye out for interesting books at antique or thrift stores.  Who knows, you might be able to create a whole gallery wall with a couple thrifty book finds!

What do you think of the new DIY wall decor?
Would you have done something different with the guide book maps? I'd love to know!

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I'll be working on another forgotten antique find this weekend.  Can you believe I got this antique camping stool almost THREE years ago and haven't done anything with it?!  It's just been sitting in our old gross basement, poor guy.  Anyway, cue the makeover montage music, it's time to get to work!
Ugh, I love a good makeover montage.  I mean who doesn't?!
I'd love to hear any color/finish/fabric suggestions for the stool, let me know! 
Be sure to stop back to see how it turns out!  

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Deja Vu or Just the Winter Doldrums?

Since we are in the worst part of the winter doldrums here in Minnesota, I felt the urge to head over to Bachman's to get some fresh flowers and plants for the house.  Once I got to the store and started looking at the mini potted plants, that deja vu feeling hit me because I suddenly remembered doing the same thing last year AND the year before, blog posts that proved it even (freaky)!  And just look, I am doing it again, LOL!

I suppose it's just an odd time of year- holidays are over, it's not quite spring or close enough to Easter so I suppose I'll just call it my winter doldrums decor update :) highly likely that I'll be doing the same thing next year so why not give it a name right?  Anyway, I'll just get to the whole point of the story and show you the freshened up sideboard decor in the dining room... 

I picked up three $3.99 bundles of Mini Myrtle stems and three $2.50 Delphinium stems at Bachman's and placed them all in my large glass Ikea vase.  I also bought that cute little rosemary plant for #3.99, couldn't resist!  Then, I added in a framed landscape map, ceramic fruit bowl (Alex is really into clementines and kiwis right now, random but not random), and oval mirror on an easel.
I also draped two necklaces I purchased during my first trip to India, I know it's different but I see them as art and not just jewelry so why not display them?  * Sigh *  Traveling sounds like a dream right now!

I have to say, fresh greenery and flowers really does make a difference when cabin fever is hitting hard.  Just having something new to look at counts for a lot too I suppose?  Ugh, can you tell I am tired of being stuck inside?  Winter, barf.  It's just not cute anymore.  Who's with me?!

What do you think of the updated sideboard decor?
Anyone else out there experience deja vu moments during the winter doldrums?!