{home ideas - curtains}

No more nudity at our house.  The windows are finally dressed.

before

Yes, it's been over two and a half years.

Disclaimer: Hazel's room has always had curtains, and after hosting several guests (who had to change in the bathroom if they wanted privacy) we did put up curtains in the guest room, too.

Where to begin.  Our house, thankfully, has a gazillion windows. Tall, big windows.  

We love it.  We really do.  But when you have to order extra long curtains it can get pricey, not to mention rods for all the windows (have you tried looking for 12' rods? Ugh).

So, we knew we had to be creative.  As is normal around our house, I poked around online, found some instructions to make curtain rods and batted my eyes at Seth.

Success.

The curtains were supposed to be simple: Pick something up at Ikea.  Problem:  The style we like has been out of stock since last summer.  

(Pretty sure they are back in stock now...over 8 months later.  Thanks)

Bummer.

Ikea had some long tab top curtains that were a decent fabric.  We bought several, million packs, and unstitched the tab-tops, flipped them upside down and put grommets at the new "top".  (For the record, it was a LITTLE more involved than that - hence it taking us 3 months to complete the project).

Grommets?  Oh yes, that involved cruising all around Maryland, to 5 different JoAnn's, so I could get all of them while they were super on sale.

18 individual curtains.

E.I.G.H.T.E.E.N.

Over 3 yards of fabric per curtain.  Thousands of inches of fabric.

Punch me.

We've been working on this little "project" off and on since January.

Hanging Curtains = Nightmare.

However, they are all up and I am a happy wife.

(And Seth is still nice to me, even if I made him take down and reinstall a few rods 1" higher...yes, one inch.)

One set didn't quite turn out - but for that, I blame the lady who cut fabric for me at JoAnns.  They're in the baby's room - so we'll wait a while to show those.

We easily spent less than $50 on supplies for all of the curtain rods, and the curtains were a fraction of the cost they could have been.  

I love them.  Now I just need to get a steamer to give them one last de-wrinkling.

If you want more details on how we made the curtains or rods, let me know. 

{home ideas - entry}

Why, hello Visitors!!  

Come on in!  

See what Mom and Dad have been up to...

I am always mortified when a neighbor drops by and I actually have to answer the door.  Our entry way has been anything but welcoming.  

(I don't even have a "before" picture - it was so sad, just imagine a barren, empty, boring, builder paint, cobweb filled hallway...)

Oh yes, giant cobwebs and dust bunnies that looked like they could eat small children.  Seth was photographing someone, in his studio, last fall and their kid commented on the cobwebs (whoops).  Thankfully it was in October, so I just told her they were part of my Halloween decorations. 

So what, I'm not perfect.

The blue wall is the same as the one in the office, it's a crazy wall...it meanders up the stairs, over the "balcony" and pops into the office.  We painted the rest of the entry our favorite go-to gray.  

(Yes, I love neutral).

Before Christmas, my sister introduced me to her "friend" (or latest obsession), Ana-White.  Are you friends with her yet?  She's dangerous.  I'm not sure she was the best acquaintance to make while I'm "nesting".

Once the mayhem of Christmas traveling calmed down I was ready to get some things done.  

We (ahem, Seth) made this awesome bench from these plans, we made some adjustments including adding some molding to the bottom.  

I love it.

  

Annnnd, I am grateful Seth knows the importance of wood filler and sanding.  I would have just slapped some paint on and called it good.

I may or may not add a cushion to the top.  That has been bumped to the lower end of "the list".

While we were in Utah (in November) we found some knobs at Hobby Lobby (why, oh why must you be two minutes from my parents' house and an hour from my house - field trip anyone??).  

I looked at Seth and said, um...so I have this idea... and the router came out, the drill, some more wood filler, paint and poof!  

Ta-Da!  Coat Rack!

(Seth's kind of magical)

Don't worry...it's secure.  Those two little red bumps are screwed right to the studs - I dare you to pull that off the wall.

(Okay, really...don't try - I would cry if W.E.L.C.O.M.E lost, and giggle uncontrollably if you lost)

Now come visit.

We don't really use this door, we usually come through the garage.  If I were in the mood to humiliate myself I'd show you what that entryway looks like.  

Scary.

So yes, come visit.

{home ideas - z's bathroom}

We took this plain bathroom:

Added this little user:

Threw in this little duck:

And this is what we have now!

(I apologize for the awesome "lighting" - no natural light, ugh!  The dots do actually match the duck above)

 

 

Seth took a 4x5 Polaroid of the duck, then we blew it up and framed it.  It looks a lot better in person!

 Hope you like it! 

 (And yes, the pink will stay - hope baby brother doesn't mind)

{home idea - office}

Last September, I posted this awesomeness. Something was missing, do you remember?

In April, we were in North Carolina and stumbled upon this beauty:
(sorry- phone picture...our only "before")

This wonderful teacher's chair from a school district in Michigan (well over 50 years old) had found it's way to North Carolina, when I spotted it, I sat my little self down on it and would not move until it was ours.
(it was such a "steal", I felt like we stole it!)
It was stained a light, honey color, but the hubbers went right to work on that. We went back and forth between painting it white or staining it. What do you think?

She's a little shy...
I l.o.v.e it!! L.O.V.E it!!
Ahh, she's right at home.
Now...what do I put...
I'm not sure what to put on those very top shelves, and in the skinny bookshelves...suggestions?

{home ideas}

I have these ideas.

In my head.

Some are crazy. Some are BIG. Some are embarassing. And well, sometimes I have no idea.

So. I had an idea.

I want to share my house.
With you.

I want to hear what you think (I think).

See, this month is our second House Anniversary. Two years. Are you the person that has your house painted, decorated, arranged and perfect within six months of moving in, if not before?

Yeah, not me. It's those darn ideas. I have to let them lazily meander around my head until they settle in and begin to take shape. Me and my idea need to be comfortable with one another.

I am not the kind of person to go out and buy a dining table "that works" - when I can refinish a hand-me-down and wait for a table I l.o.v.e. (And trust me, if I l.o.v.e it, I will splurge- but let's keep said "splurging" to a bare minimum).

So. Some of the rooms in our house are sitting in a state of purgatory. They are waiting for their idea to settle and for me to say, YES. They are stuck with hand-me-down furniture that I don't l.o.v.e, or (gulp) no furniture at all!

My late-night idea was, maybe you would help.

It's okay to ask friends, right? And if you are reading my blog I hope you are a friend, other wise, well...you're creepy. Say Hi, and then we can be "friends".

I want to show rooms in progress, share my ideas, find out if they are awesome or crazy, and maybe you can help me grow new ideas. Sometimes I just need a little reassurance and encouragement. (Imagine a good-game tap over the internet).

Oh, and why must we keep our decorating on the non-ridiculous-splurging side? Because the hubbers turns 30 on our House Anniversary and he's getting a new Nikon.
(I was going to link to the actual camera, but well, let's keep the price a secret!)

Sneak Peek of the House

Before...During...

This little project eliminated several items off the to-do list.
#2. Rip up carpet, install beautiful bamboo floors (thanks Seth).#36. Purchase and assemble bookcases.#22. Salvage old desk and refinish.#5. Change out light fixtures.
#17. Do a little/lot of painting.
#42. Unpack books! (Now to increase the "library" inventory).
#45. Hang diplomas and pictures.

After...
All I need is this chair, I'll be searching craigs list.
I love it.