I've Been Framed

Or at least my front room wall has!! Ahhhh, the front room. What a transformation!!! Here is what the blank sofa wall looked like before...



Here is my inspiration photo a la Pottery Barn...



And here is what it looks like now after my trip to Ikea!!



I wish I would have taken some "during" photos. I used brown packaging paper and traced each frame before hanging them on the walls. It was quite a process but I think the end result is fab! Now I have the fun job of finding photos to put in all of these frames. I'm planning on making it a "Kevin and Molly" wall. Each photo will have something to do with us or where we've been or lived. Or what we do. Should be cool! I am still planning on making a piece of art for the upper right part of the wall above the one frame - maybe a black beat up board with the "312" area code on it??

Here's a look at some of the other parts of this room....


Ahhhh, the fireplace. It's such a hard thing to decorate given it's oddness. I will make it happen!!!


Da bar. This bar is one of my fave pieces of furniture. We make some good drinks here!!!


Notice how there isn't much wine in the wine rack?? I guess we drink it too fast to keep any there!! Want to know what my new fave wine is?? The Barefoot Sweet Red. It's amazing! And I don't normally even like red wine as much as I do white. I also love their Moscato. Amazing!!! Ugh. And don't pay any attention to the stairs. They are messed up AGAIN. The paint didn't stick. Why why why do I have so much trouble getting these stairs right?? I think I need a glass of wine......


I'm still collecting pillows from etsy for the sofa and chair. And I'm also on the lookout for a cool tray for the ottoman!!! Oh and there will be another photo over the chair. I just have to get to target for another one!!

I love how the wall turned out. Once we get some photos up in the frames and finish a few other things in here, I'll have more to share. Until then I'll be searching for the perfect photos!!! :)

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep....My Master (Bedroom) Plan

Well, it finally feels like spring (and sometimes summer) here in my neck of the woods!! Yay! There is nothing like spring sunshine. All of my plants and flowers in the backyard are starting to come up, there are tiny little buds on all of my trees and the grass is the prettiest shade of green.

While there's a lot to be done outside, we were able to get a few things done the past few days. The garden is ready for all of our vegetable seeds we'll be planting within the next month - probably Mother's Day weekend. We took down the kids' wooden playset and gave it to a very nice family with two sweet little boys from our home town. And we've cut back some of the dead stuff from last year to make way for all the little green growth that's happening. I've also been spring cleaning and washing windows inside. We've made lots of donations to our local Good Will Store. It feels so good to get rid of all that extra stuff!! After all, less is more right? More or less. :)

As I was spring cleaning my master bedroom, I got to thinking about the changes I've been wanting to make in there. We are so happy with how the main floor renovations have turned out, I thought, "What the heck? Why not get started in here??" Haha. Nevermind the fact that we aren't technically "done" downstairs yet. I mean, we're done with the major stuff. But there's this....

I need to put another coat of the black on the stairs and then do the other ones, but I have to do it after the kids go to bed at night so they won't walk on them. And lately I haven't had the time!

And then there's this.... I still need to find an end table and some throw pillows (green like the office) and I can't decide what to put on the wall over this sofa....


Or this one actually.....still looking for the right pillows (green ones) to complete the look on the big sofa and make up my mind about wall art/pictures....


So many little things to finish up!! Really it's just wall art related. Nothing too tricky. So!! I decided to just go ahead and sell the orangey oak matchy matchy dressers and nightstands that we've had for the past few years. And the wrought iron bed. I listed them all yesterday on craigslist. When I spoke of my plans to my wonderful husband he just laughed at me. So I took that as his enthusiastic blessing!! :) Basically the plan is to do built-ins in our walk-in closet to maximize the space. We're making them ourselves rather than buying a closet system because they're just too freaking expensive. Once we get the closet done, we won't need so many huge dressers and chests. Right now there is just too much furniture in a not so big room. Here are some inspiration photos of where I'm going with this...









Aren't they gorgeous? I'm thinking - dark wood canopy bed + white bedding + lots of comfy throw pillows... maybe some second hand nightstands that I can paint white.... maybe an armless chair in the corner with pillows and a throw.... and a little round table next to it. There it is! My master bedroom plan!! Stay tuned for photo updates of that and also maybe some progress on the other crap I haven't finished yet. Hopefully.

New Music Monday 4/4/2011 'Faded Paper Figures'

Can it really be Sunday again?? The weeks go so fast I can hardly keep up!! I'm going to have to type this out fast because I just checked the weather map and it looks like we're in for a pretty decent spring storm. Those of you who know me well know that storms are not my favorite. Guess I will be taking the weather radio to bed with me tonight!

The band I'm writing about this week is an indie electronica group called 'Faded Paper Figures' that hails from LA. The trio consists of John Williams and Kael and Heather Alden. They started writing music back in 2007 and ended up putting a few songs up on myspace under the name Machine Discourse. Obviously, they later changed their name to Faded Paper Figures or FPF.



FPF's first album titled 'Dynamo' was well received and described as "a balance of upbeat and soothing electronics.' They've been compared to The Postal Service which certainly shouldn't hurt their feelings. I personally love the balance of chill and fun these guys offer up in their songs. And not only are they musically talented, they're smart. Heather is currently a med student at UCLA and John is a professor of English and media studies at Yale. But they've still been able to follow their passion and make great music. Here are a few top picks from their 2008 album....

'North By North'


'B film'


'Logos' :) maybe my fave of all


'Polaroid Solution' sooooo Postal Service-y & yep it was played on Grey's


'I Fell Off My Name'


'The Persuaded'


Despite how busy they've been with school, FPF came out with a second album last year called 'New Medium.' I freaking LOVED the first album, but this one is amazing. I love everything! It's too hard to pick which songs to share here, but are my faves....

'Invent It All Again' LOVE


'Limelight'


'You Know What I Mean'


'Small Talk'


'One More Crash'


'The Cold Wars'


'New Medium'


If you're looking for fun and upbeat music, neither of these albums will let you down!!! Happy listening and Happy New Music Monday!!!

Do You See What I See?

I've been pondering over what to hang on the walls since we painted them way back before Christmas. One wall in particular that's always been a big question mark for me is the wall opposite our kitchen table. It's an odd little wall that isn't really big enough for any sort of buffet or hutch or even really any shelves. But whatever gets put there needs to really make a statement. It's a dilema, I know. I thought about doing a grouping of frames but I've done that before. I thought about a big piece of art, but nothing I've seen has really spoken to me. I've gone back and forth about a big floor mirror, but worried about the size. Size is always an issue isn't it? And I wondered, "do I really WANT to see myself eating?"

Sooooooo, after much debate we took a trip to Ikea on a Sunday afternoon (don't ever go to Ikea on a Sunday, by the way) and picked up the black/brown framed Mongstad mirror. At only $99, it stole my heart without stealing all of my money. I was worried, but I am really happy with how it looks on the wall. It's big enough, but not too big. And you actually can't see yourself eating because of the fact that the wall isn't really in line with the table so much. Win!! Here's how it looks from a couple of different angles....

From the family room:


It works out nice because the frame of the mirror is the same finish as the shelves just around the corner in the front room:


From the kitchen:


Phew. It feels good to have at least one wall out of the way! Now I can focus on the walls over the couches!! Stay tuned!!!

New Music Monday 3/28/2011 'Radical Face'

Holy balls, it's been a long time since I've written about music. I don't know how many people actually read my blog, but I used to post music reviews every Monday. With everything going on I just haven't had the time to keep it up, but I really miss it. But it's been so long since I've done it that it's hard to know how to start again. So here I am on a Sunday night trying to type out my latest find!!

We're at that weird time of year here in the midwest where it's not winter anymore (thank you, Jesus) but it's not really that nice outside yet. It sucks. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some consistently warm temps! Being stuck inside has its advantages though. I'm getting a lot of projects done (more on that later) all while listening to some great new music!! One new find I'm really enjoying lately is a one man band called 'Radical Face.' Radical Face is just a dude named Ben Cooper who happens to be from Jacksonville. He's also part of other popular groups Electric President and Iron Orchestra. If you like Sufjan Stevens, Elliott Smith or Animal Collective you will be a fan of Radical Face.



Cooper's album 'Ghost' was four years in the making and came out way back in March of 2007. Why it hasn't gotten more attention is completely beyong me. There's a subtle layering of drums and lyrics and sound effects of times gone by - maybe one of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard. It is a discreet masterpiece. What makes it even cooler is that it's a concept album. The idea behind it is that houses retain stories of things that have happened in them. The people that live in a home leave their "ghosts" behind. Each track on the album tells a story - some from the house's point of view. Ben Cooper even talked about an old house he grew up in as one of the inspiration's for the album. I'm a dork, but I think this is so right on and cool. I grew up in an older home as well and this gives new meaning to the phrase "if walls could talk." Everytime I go back "home" I can almost hear the memories that were made there - making blanket forts, doing homework at the kitchen table, playing in the side yard..... It always made me wonder what kinds of memories were made in that house before I lived there. I think that's sort of what this album is all about.

Here are some of my favorite tracks from Radical Face's Album 'Ghost.'

"Welcome Home" - looooovvvvveeeeeee


'Let the River In'


'Glory'


'Wrapped In Piano Strings'


'Haunted'


'Winter Is Coming'


'Homesick'


I feel like this album could be a soundtrack for a little unknown, indie film or something. The more I listen, the more I love. I hope you will too!!

Where Things Stand

Hey, everybody! Just wanted to update the blog with a few before and after photos of the progress on the house. It's amazing how much a few changes like paint and curtains can make. It definately makes the house seem bigger!! The colors we chose were all very neutral to keep the space light and open feeling. I also plan on bringing that fun green color from the office into the other rooms with pillows and small accents. Ready for some before and after fun?

The stairs before...


The stairs after.... I still have to finish painting the ballusters white and the treads black. I ran out of the tan paint we used on the main floor, so I have to go back for more so I can paint up the stairwell into the hallway.



This little hallway is going to get a gallery wall of old family pictures in different sizes of white wall frames.


Now for the front room. This room used to be our computer/toy/sitting/everything room. It's now a kid free zone with comfy seating and a bar area!! I still have some trim work to do here and there. I also have a lot of accessorizing to do! Throw pillows, wall art and end tables!! For now, here are the before and afters...

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After: Yay, DIY coat rack area!!!!


And last, we have the family room and eating area. I added a chalkboard wall which has become home to fun little kid drawings and lots of grocery/to do lists. I'm still trying to decide what to do as far as wall art in here, but am thinking of doing a big floor mirror by the kitchen table. Not sure about it though - do people want to watch themselves eat? I will probably do some big framed photos of the kids over the couch again. And I need different covers for those tan pillows (hello, etsy!) and some more fun things for my bookshelf. I am planning on DIY'ing some faux roman shades for that big stupid window in the kitchen. It's just a matter of finding the right material! All in good time though!!

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Watch out for more updates as things get finished, but this is where things stand as of right now. Hope you enjoyed the before and after photos!! We've sure come a long way since we moved here seven years ago!!

The Office

Well, hello there 2011!!! Gawd, can you believe it? The holidays flew right by just like usual and here it is a whole new year. I have been horrible with finding time to blog and hope to be able to get around to it more often this year, but between drastic home renovations, homeschooling, work and the everyday it might be a bit difficult!

Anyways, I promised I would update the blog with photos of the house once we weren't in such shambles around here. Shambles is just about the right word for what we were living in too. I am so happy with how everything has turned out so far, but let me just offer some advice to anyone who might ever think it's a good idea to take on a big home improvement project during the holidays: don't do it. Just. Don't. You know that Kevin and I both love DIY. Even though he tries to deny it, he loves a good project just as much as I do. But being tore up for the holidays was just way too much stress for everyone. Now that the messy parts are over and there's a nice big light at the end of the tunnel, we both feel a lot better about everything!

Now for the photos!! Here are a few "before shots" just so you can get an idea of what was done over the past couple of months....

School Room Before any construction took place:









Bye bye, dark red paint and oak furniture! We loved our school room, don't get me wrong. But we weren't really using it as much as we could have been - we usually do read alouds on the sofa and the kids were doing their workbooks and reading in the quiet privacy of their own rooms. Kevin really needed a place of his own to work from on occasion, so we thought moving the computer into this ex-formal dining room/school room was the best option. We did all of the work ourselves (with the help of a neighbor and my brother) and got all of the furniture at our local Ikea. Geez, I love that place. The wall color I ended up with was a pretty apple green. Big shock that I picked green right?? It's my favorite! It's a Benjamin Moore color called 'Sweet Daphne' we had mixed up in Valpar Paint & Primer In One. I'm not sure this paint lived up to all it promised since I did have to do more than one coat, but it did cover very nicely and I'm happy with the way it looks. And here's the end result!


We closed in the entire room by adding on to the hallway wall that was already there. I still have to put one more coat of paint on these doors and add the oil rubbed bronze handles to them. You can see a little preview of the stair railings here too - I stil have to paint all the spindles white and plan on using some black porch and floor paint on the treads to match the railings. All in good time!


Our new Expedit bookshelf conveniently stores all of our homeschooling books, workbooks and the kids' art supplies as well. I will probably put decor of some sort on the top of the bookshelf and move some books around to incorporate decorative vases and such. I'm thinking I'll replace the white boxes on the bottom with seagrass baskets at some point. And I'm still on the hunt for the perfect area rug as the floor gets so cold in here. The ceiling light was a fantastic find for under $60 at Overstock!!


I love this desk! It's so nice to have a place for both computers. I still need to figure out how to use the space on the big wall shelf a little bit better, but this is ok for now. The wall calendars are all from Target - saved me some serious cash as opposed to buying them from "that other store." ;)


The parsons chairs were a last minute decision that I'm super happy with. Kevin wanted something more comfortable than a wooden chair and I didn't want a regular office chair. So these were a good compromise!! I still need to figure out the unsightly electrical cord situation as well.


I still need to find some art for the frame in between the windows and a cute throw pillow for the plain white chair. I might even put a small table next to it, but who knows. A trip to Homegoods will probably help. Oh and I need to shorten that curtains a little bit too.


It's so nice being able to close the doors! I was worried about making the house feel too closed in, but with the french doors I think it still keeps that open feeling.

It feels so nice to be able to post an update on our progress! We still have a ways to go with choosing rugs and wall art, but that's not something I want to rush anyways. It's fun to shop around!! Thanks for looking and I promise there are more updates to come and we get a few more things finished here and there. Stay tuned!!!