my pretend entry way and DIY shelf

Oh hey friends!

It has been 2 whole months since I have sat down to blog about anything ... I went back to work and the slow pace and uncluttered life with a newborn is a thing of the past. I had thought I would at least post monthly updates, but that hasn't happened either.

The good news is that Spring Break is just around the corner! 

In the midst of all the busyness, the hubby finished up a project in our kitchen and dining room. These rooms are now officially finished .. until I decide to change around some decor! (Check out our Farmhouse Kitchen and Dining updates here!) This house doesn't have a true entryway, so I decided to pretend that an empty space in our kitchen was going to serve as our "entry way." We certainly drop things in this area when we get home, so why not make it pretty and functional.

I was inspired by the girls from Shanty 2 Chic to have Justin build a simple shelf with some hooks to go above a thrifted bench I found at my favorite local consignment store. I would have loved, loved, loved to have planked this wall as well, but the dear husband says planking is much too personal for resale.

Shanty 2 Chick Tutorial

(If I had not already found a bench I liked, this bench would have been on the DIY list as well!)

Here's how this space turned out: 

The 2 frames that actually have pictures in them both came from a super clearance sale at Kohls and the other frame and pillow are clearance finds from Kirklands. The letters of our last name were a souvenir from a trip to the market in downtown Charleston on vacation a few years ago.

I have tons and tons of beautiful entryways pinned to inspire me .. here are just a few of my favorites!

Sources clockwise from top: (1) (2) (3) (4)

Happy Palm Sunday friends!

currently: the dining room

Hi friends,

After sharing our updated kitchen last week, I thought maybe a look at our dining room would be appropriate!

 (You can check out our Kitchen updates here!)

Our dining room hasn't undergone any major changes-- really just paint, decorating, and a more updated light fixture. It is actually very similar to the dining room we had in our previous home in terms of how it is decorated. I used most of the same pieces and added in just a few new ones.

Our dining room table is a DIY project by my husband from several years ago. We are thinking that this summer we may be ready for slightly different look as this one never turned out the color we had envisioned. No highchair in this space quite yet, but it is waiting in the attic!

For the longest time our walls were bare because we were waiting until we began our kitchen updates and repainted the space. Adding the curtains and shelves made a huge difference and definitely helped the space seem more homey!

These Ikea shelves were inspired by these photos from Crafty Teacher Lady and Young House Love.

 A closer look at how they are currently styled.

I am loving this little vignette I created from a wooden disc (handmade by my husband for our wedding), an assortment of glass jars, and an Ikea pitcher. Plus, the framed print only cost me a few cents for the cardstock it is printed on!

My current centerpiece is a piece of handmade pottery I brought home from Honduras 2 summers ago!

I was finally able to get my DIY chalkboard menu back up! This was a simple project from a few years ago where I turned a metal platter into the perfect menu.

Here's the details:
Paint Color: Requsite Gray by Sherwin Williams
Bar stools: Kirklands
Chalkboard: World Market
Home Sweet Home Sign: Hobby Lobby
Table Runner: Jane.com
Shelves: Ikea
Items on shelves: Assorted- Ikea, antique stores, Goodwill, At Home, Kohls
Light fixture: Lowes
Curtains: Kohls

kitchen update reveal!

Oh, hello 2016!

So I have to admit that I have several Holiday/New Year's  posts sitting half finished in my drafts and I am trying to decide if it is too late to share them. I have so many ideas ... but I'm really short on time these days! Some little person seems to take all of it! :)

However, I am finding time to share the long awaited reveal of our kitchen updates! 

I have had visions of a farmhouse kitchen forever and I have pinned and saved inspiration since we moved into this house. It took several months, but the space has finally come together.

This project first began in July when we browsed around some stone yards and finally choose some counter tops. I really had my heart set on Carrera Marble, and surprisingly it was in our budget, but our fabricator talked us out of it. Instead we chose Giallo Ornamental Granite. Apparently, this is a pretty popular stone because I have seen it all over Pinterest! We love the light color and how it integrates grays and browns easily. If you are local, we worked with Carolina Custom Surfaces and we were very pleased! We also ended up choosing a white cast iron sink for the space. I would have loved a true farmhouse sink, but that would have meant altering the cabinets, which wasn't an option.

Our countertops were installed in August and we had decided to extend the width to create a true bar area on our peninsula. We added 7 inches to create a 12 inch overhang, perfect for some barstools. Justin then added beadboard around peninsula and the next step was painting the kitchen and dining room. I struggled to choose a color, so I narrowed it down and bravely told Justin he could have the final decision. I came home from work one Friday to discover he had chosen Requisite Gray by Sherwin Williams.. and I loved it! 

The next task was refinishing the cabinets and changing them from oak to white. Justin used Rusteloum's Cabinet Transformations and like I said during our last kitchen update (read about it here) this is not a quick process, especially when you still have to work! About 3/4 of the way through, we suddenly had a baby! Obviously, our goal of having the kitchen completed by the time Makynli arrived didn't happen.

Things got put on hold for quite a few weeks, but Justin was eventually able to complete the cabinets and change out the pulls. I insisted that I wanted the drawers to have different pulls than the cabinets, which was a little bit more expensive and a little more complicated! (However I discovered that buying pulls in sets from Amazon is way cheaper!) Justin then moved on to the backsplash in December. We chose a simple and clean white subway tile and a light gray grout. My only regret about this project would be the grout--a darker color would have suited the space better. On New Years day Justin finally put the finishing touches on everything! 

It is quite the amazing before and after! I am so pleased with how it turned out. I think it makes the space look brighter and bigger, which is important in a small kitchen. 

Before:

After:

 I have plans for a little coffee station area .. I'm slowly collecting the right pieces!

Source List:
Paint color: Requsite Gray by Sherwin Williams
Counter tops: Giallo Ornamental Granite
Tile: Lowes
Stools: Kirklands
White pitcher and canvas art: TJ Maxx
Cabinet and Drawer Pulls: Amazon
Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation: Home Depot (ours took 2 large kits)
Faucet: Lowes
Sink: Lowes
Mail Holder: Kohls

Ikea bookshelf + nightstand hack!

Hi friends,

I have more nursery projects to share with you today! Besides hanging some items on the wall, things are finished! (Which is a good thing as my due date is only 4 weeks away!)

Justin took a plain Ikea bookshelf (like the one below) and added a stained wooden top. It was an amazing before and after transformation!

 Once I saw how great the bookshelf turned out, I insisted that the nightstand needed the same wooden top!

Here is the plain white nightstand:



And here is how it turned out as well!

I adore the mix of the wooden tops and white bases. I think it really helps to break up all of the white and give the room a slightly more rustic look so that it isn't overly girly! Plus, Ikea furniture is budget friendly as well!

Sources:
Bookcase: Ikea Kallax series
Nightstand: Ikea Hemnes series
Stain: Rustoleum's Dark Walnut

You can also check out the DIY Blanket Ladder that is pictured here!

songs of solomon pallet art

Hello friends,

This weather ya'll .. there is only so much rain we can all take! But I know we should be grateful we are not experiencing the flooding that some areas are!

On this rainy Sunday afternoon I am writing maternity plans and there is simply not an end in sight .. I've decided to take a break to share a project with you that I actually completed over the summer!

I had shared previously about the pallet art that I had created for our bedroom a few years ago. You can check out the original post here and a more recent post about our master bedroom here as well. One day I simply decided that I wanted to redo the artwork and went to work!

Before:

After- a fresh coat of paint and a change of font style.

These verses are just perfect for a master bedroom and serve as a great reminder.

And as a bonus- the cozy reading nook in the corner finally got a new lamp! And my favorite pillow from Kirklands!

Easy, simple projects are my favorite!

master bath update reveal!

Hello again friends!

A long awaited project has finally been completed! This is probably our longest project to date due to several weeks away this summer, a sciatic nerve, and just plain busyness, but we are still really pleased with how our master bath update turned out!

After updating our guest bathroom earlier this year we knew we had to make the quality of our master bath match. Like other areas in our home, nothing had been updated from the builder grade fixtures when this house was built in the early 2000s. Of course, we wanted to stay budget friendly, but ended up spending a little extra on the vanity top. Jumping up to two sinks dramatically increases the price from a one sink vanity. Although the bathroom was already painted a light blue it was in desperate need of a fresh coat. We choose to stay in the same color family and ended up with a brighter blue color.

Here are some before photos, with our cat posing of course!

Justin used Rustoleum's Cabinet Transformations in black to update the plain oak cabinets. We custom ordered a gray and white marble vanity top from Lowes and added bead board, which really adds a lot of visual interest in the space. We also updated the lighting and other fixtures to match.

Finding mirrors to fit this space proved to be a challenge because of where the light switch and an outlet are located! I actually have 2 other mirrors that didn't work out that I need to try and sell because it was too late to return them!

Check out the after photos:

It is such an improvement! Even the tub area that I have never been crazy about looks much better now! I am still not crazy about the shower, but that is an entirely different level of updating and not quite "budget friendly." 

You may remember that when I shared some inspiration for this project here that I mentioned I had plans for a chunky shelf above the toilet. That is something that is still in the long term plans, as well as some decorating, but at the moment we have a nursery to finish! :)

Source List:

Paint Color: Sky Mist by Sherwin Williams

Toilet: Home Depot

Cabinets: Rustoleum's Cabinet Transformations Black Tint

Vanity Top: Lowe's (Marble USA, Steel Gray)

Light fixtures: Home Depot

Mirrors: Home Depot

Hooks, towel holder, toilet paper holder: Lowes

Faucet: Home Depot (clearance!)

Soap Dispensers: Target

Glass Container: Thrifted

Vase and flowers: Owned previously