Late Summer Yard Clean Up

Every year when the spring rolls around, I have great plans of dining alfresco and hosting outdoor parties.  I do a spring yard clean up over the course of a couple of weekends--- cutting back plants that have to be pruned in the spring, laying new mulch where needed, and planting new plants in bare spots.  I love being outside and enjoying nature.  However, things are never exactly how I want them to be.  I have to practically wrestle my family to the ground to get them outside (ahem, they know who they are).  And before you know it, down south it's too hot to do anything outside anyway.

So here it is, near the end of summer, and I have yet to host anything outside.  Part of it is my perfectionist tendencies.  But also the yard has been neglected for the past several weeks months.  So even though its unseasonably cool around these parts, I still can't seem to pull the trigger on hosting anything.  Does anyone else have this problem?  Well, to encourage you and myself, I am doing a late-summer yard clean-up.

On the list is:
1. Cut the grass. ('cause it is whack)

2. Pull the weeds. ('cause they are whack too)

    

3. Limb up my trees near the steps.  Since they are near the stairs to the upper level, it would be nice to walk underneath them without ducking your head.

4. Cut down random trees that have sprouted up over the summer.

5. Get rid of all the spider webs and spray for mosquitoes. ('Nuf said)

6. Use a blower to clean the patios.

7. Replant the containers that have dead plants.

8. Host at least one soiree!  (Maybe I should be sending out invitations now to make sure this happens?)

At any rate, hopefully I can at least enjoy being outside during the fall.  Any helpers?

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Thrifted Desk

I love going to yard sales and thrift stores like Goodwill.  I especially love finding great pieces of furniture that need a little love.  A while back I found this desk at Goodwill for $11.  I didn't need a desk, but it has good bones.  And it's solid wood and has great dovetail joints on the drawer.  However, it needs a bit of work to get it in good shape.  Not a problem for me, though. 

So I stripped and sanded the top revealing a beautiful wood grain pattern.  As you can see below, the grain opens up from the center and is identical on both sides.  I'm sure there's some technical term for that.

The original plan was to either give it a Restoration Hardware lime wash finish or stain the top and paint the base.  I think it looks a bit worse in real life than in does in this picture.  It's been in my son's playroom and has been used as a desk for him...thus the playdoh caked into the top. {sigh}  So now the plan is to try to clean the top, but I may have to re-strip the top to get it clean again before refinishing it.  I'll be back to show you the stripped down piece and my plans for it.  Wish me the best!

P.S.  I finally updated the post on the dining room bookcases with the formula for the paint I used.

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Fabric and Stripes

I think it's the blogger right of passage to embrace stripes.  I don't know what it is...I cannot resist stripes.   I love a good striped shirt, striped walls, ticking stripe, striped napkins, striped straws.  Even things that resemble stripes like beadboard, planking, wood floors--you name it.  The thing is, they are timeless, and go with just about anything.  I think we all love them because you can't go wrong.  They are modern, vintage, and classic at the same time.

I have been hitting up my local fabric store and finding some amazing fabrics on sale for $3.50/yd!  I have gotten several beautiful stripes and have been hunting for a place to use them in my home.  What can I say...I have a fabric addiction.  In my own defense, I do seem to eventually find a place to use them.   In any case, take a peek at the goods! 

First up, a classic, blue+white stripe.  I am thinking of using this one for my dining room draperies.

This next one is a smaller blue stripe, but beautiful nonetheless.  My first thoughts were to use it for a duvet cover or slipcovers because of how delicate the stripes are.  They wouldn't be very noticeable on curtains.   Unfortunately there were only 5 yards left, so not enough for me to slipcover my chairs, but I couldn't pass it up.

This one I was also thinking of using for draperies.  It is a statement fabric.  I could also see it for pillows.  Because of how strong the pattern is, I don't think I could tolerate the pattern on a daily basis on an upholstered piece. When I first found it, I thought it was the famed David Hicks "La Fiorentina".  I should have known better, but even still the pattern is amazing.

I could also definitely see this as draperies with tall ceilings, with a black desk or table, and then a 'jolt' of emerald green.  Or with a a deep, gray-green painted piece with brass and mother of pearl accents and accessories...   O my goodness yes, please!  I scooped up 14 yards of this beauty.

And finally, this dusty rose colored stripe.  Well, it was striped, and a neutral red--if you can ever consider red a neutral.  I also can't seem to take red for too long.  But this was a muted, calm red that seemed to go with everything that I already love.  So I felt it could fit into the french cottage palette.  I bought 2 yards and, I am planning to at least make a lumbar pillow for my bed out of it.  Hmmm, now that I am looking at it again, I want more of it!

I'll keep you posted to see where they end up.  

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KinderCamp 2013

The Bub is starting Kindergarten this year.  He has KinderCamp this week.  I am so excited for him, but at the same time a little sad because it feels like an era is ending.   He has been my constant companion and the most entertaining and outgoing sidekick for the past five years.  So it's a little hard to let him go.

He also has a severe allergy to nuts.  I have been the gatekeeper in protecting him and keeping him safe, but now I have to hand over the key and allow someone else to stand guard.  I see more than ever the truth of the statement, "It takes a village to raise a child."  I am happy to say, though, I feel a lot of confidence in his school and teachers.  They seem to be very on top of managing kids with food allergies.  I was able to request a nut free classroom and he will sit at the nut free table at school.  (Ugh... I don't want him to be separated, but safety first.)   I am learning that part of raising our children is learning to slowly let them go.

In the spirit of change, I am also seeking to transition my life as well.  Why not jump into change with him?   So I am planning to spend more time volunteering and get back into a workout routine.  I am just hoping my energy/health will support me with what I want to accomplish.  I didn't get to bed until 2am this morning and then had to get up at 6am.   I know I can't keep that up.  I need to document what's working and what's not so that I can adjust my schedule accordingly.  I have the tendency to only see what didn't work.  I know I did pack him a snack, ironed clothes and had him bathe the night before.  So he only had to get dressed and eat breakfast in the morning.

I am excited about the changes. Moms have been doing this for ages, right?  Can't wait to see what this school year brings!

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A Thank-you and 3 Tips for Functional Decorating in the Kitchen

Wow!

I hadn't checked my blog in a few days, and came back to all of this love.  First of all, let me say thank-you to Kim at Savvy Southern Style and Beth at Home Stories A to Z for the features from last week's link parties.  I feel so honored for being featured amongst so many other beautiful projects.  If you have a minute go check out the other projects.  I also want to thank everyone who came here to see more, became a follower, and those who commented!  Not everyone outside the bloggy world understands the legwork that goes into a DIY project, so I appreciate those of you who get as excited as I do.  I hope that you will become a follower of the blog because I have lots more to share!

The color on the bookcases is a custom color that I mixed, but I will take a pic of the lid that has the formula and post it next week.  I am also planning a post on how I did the beadboard, since some have asked.

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3 Tips for Functional Decorating in the Kitchen

In the meantime, I wanted to talk about kitchen counters.  Here is a glimpse of one side of my kitchen.  I tend to rearrange mine frequently, but I have narrowed down what I put on them to functional items.  What I have realized though, is that the functional can also be beautiful.

1.  Display bulk fruit in a decorative bowl.     

I buy a lot of my produce from Aldi because of their prices, but it comes in bulk.  However, there's no need to keep those beautiful fruit in the ugly plastic bags.  Plus the colors of the fruit that is in season, generally complement the colors of the season.  (Check out the color of my pressed maple leaves with the color of the apples.)  Double plus, you're more likely to eat them if they are out in the open and easy to grab.  I can't tell you how many times my son and my husband pick up fruit because it's out.   So it's a win-win.

2. Decant, decant, decant.

Decant liquid soaps so that the countertop is not cluttered up with plastic bottles.  I used a small oil dispenser for my dish soap, and a decorative soap dispenser for hand soap.  They're not just for the bathroom!  If you're like me, you like the pricing that comes with store brand products but the packaging, eh, not so much.  By decanting, the "brand" of a product becomes less important. 

3.  Display grains/pasta in glass jars

Ok, so this is kind of the same as decanting, but you can do this with anything.  I love to display pasta and grains because of their beautiful color--especially the whole grain varieties.  Reminds me of burlap....and if you didn't know, I love burlap.  You can also do this with sugar or flour.  If you notice in the first picture, the large glass jar with the scoop holds sugar.  And jars don't have to cost a lot.  The ones you see below are from Hobby Lobby.  I think at half off they were around $3 each.

I know that you can get the Martha Stewart chalkboard labels at Staples, but I made mine with chalkboard contact paper which I also got from Hobby Lobby.  And you can also find the chalk markers there too.  

4. Bonus Tip: Bring in Plants

Plants are functional too because they help purify the air.  If you have a window in your kitchen, why not go for herbs to use in cooking?  My favorites are lemon thyme, rosemary, and basil.  They can make the ordinary extraordinary, and they smell wonderful too!  (You know...Rosemary and Thyme Roasted Potatoes vs. baked potato...yeah, I know which one I want!)

So much less expensive to snip some from your kitchen, rather than to buy at the store.  My kitchen doesn't have any windows, but I am planning to put some herbs in my dining room window sill.  I'll keep you posted.  

Thanks again for stopping by!  What do you like to put on your kitchen counters?

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The Dining Room Bookcases

I got the Dining Room put back together this weekend.  Looking at the finished product, I can't believe I waited so long to finish them off.  I didn't think I could have the bookcases in this room with my table, but I love the final result.  

I have been collecting white dishware and dinnerware for over a year now from yard sales and the clearance aisles of Target and other stores.  I have a slight addiction to it.  But now I am able to see it all and easily pull it out without going to several different locations in my house.  Hopefully that will help me entertain more.

It's got a little French Grey + Burlap, so I'm happy!

This is a before picture below.  I mentioned in a previous post that this was originally a dining room, but it had been converted to a playroom.  These were the basic pieces in the playroom, though this photo was taken right before we got new flooring.  Thus the sparse looking space.

In the future, I'll have to show how I attached the bookcases to the wall.

I've been wanting some open shelving for dishware ever since I saw Layla's over at The Lettered Cottage.  I have yet to take the doors off any kitchen cabinets, but I do have plans to add some open cabinetry soon!  Then some of the shelving here will convert back to books.  For now, this is what's on the shelves. 

The drink dispenser is one of my favorite things that I found at Marshall's about a year ago.  I added a tag from Jones Design Company  with some jute twine and stamped 'drink up' on it.  This is also the bookcase that has the thermostat inside it.  My little plant hides it.

Nicely tucked away!

This is the center bookcase, and I really love the little fern.  I think a little greenery adds life to a room.

The bookcase nearest the window holds my candles, outdoor dinnerware, and more natural elements.  

I love natural colors and textures.  When my son and I go to the park, we love to collect leaves, pine cones, acorns--you name it.  It brings a garden feel to an indoor space.  And since it's fall, it's nice to bring those elements in since cooler weather will be here soon. 

Thanks for stopping by, and let me know what you think!

Update: Many of you asked about the paint color.  It was a color I custom mixed.  Although it probably matches a color in some paint line, I couldn't find it at the time I was looking for the perfect grey.  Below is a pic of the formula from the paint can.  I had it mixed in the Glidden brand in a Satin finish.  I hope this helps!

Linking up to: Tutes and Tips at Home Stories A to Z, Tuesdays Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style, Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick, Hookin Up with HoH with House of Hepworths

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