I'm a little bit crazy (nothing new here), but I like to clean before I go on a trip.  It just doesn't seem right to come home from vacation and have to clean up, or be greeted by an AWFUL smell.  This is totally morbid I know, but I also have this fear that something might happen to us and then someone would have to come into our home and there would be dirty laundry on the floor.  However, it does seem counter productive given the mess that packing can create and that I will have to do laundry when we get home anyway. 

...and instead of doing that cleaning I am online doing anything but getting ready to leave.  Here's what I'm doing instead.

 I also have an off centered fireplace, and am trying to find inspiration to help me make the most of it.  What do you think?

I've Got That Fall Feeling

I LOVE Fall, everything about it.  I think it evokes this sense of family for me, the beginning of the holiday season and sitting with your loved ones around a warm fire.  The first Thanksgiving that we lived in Dallas I wanted a fire so bad and it was about 75 degrees outside.  My parents were visiting and my Dad went to the store and got firewood, but we had to have all of the windows open to let the hot air escape.  

This year I finally had an excuse to drag my husband to the pumpkin patch (YAY for babies!).  Now we'll see if we can do the same for Christmas.

Anytime of year I like to drive around different neighborhoods and get inspiration.  This time of year is one of my favorites, you can find me driving 10 mph just starring at peoples front porches. 

 Pottery Barn

 

Southern Living

The wreath is made out of small pumpkins!

Pottery Barn

This room doesn't necessarily scream fall, but the colors and the overall feel of the room are autumnal to me (and I just love it).

I just love the art work.  The top shelf says "trick" while the bottom shelf says "treat".  What a great and cost effective idea!

Southern Living

 How about this idea for Halloween entertaining? 

Southern Living

......and because he is so darn cute, I'll leave you with another photo of my pride and joy!

 

Get Ready for Baby

Okay, so I already have my baby toddler.  Gulp, BIG gulp and a little tear.  I just had to post his room because it is the only room in the house that is absolutely, completely, without a doubt done!  (I lie, I really should have added drapes).  When we moved in there were really old shutters mounted outside the frame and closet doors that wouldn't stay up.  Embarrassingly enough the room was in this state until we found out we were expecting and had to get our butts in gear.

 

Here are the new blinds that I got at Home Depot and cut down to size.

I wanted a nice upholstered glider, but I was 8 months pregnant 

and my husband won the battle after about 3 hours of debating in the store.

 We opted for these floating shelves from Ikea instead of your standard bookcase.

This is the picture in the white frame on the shelf.  I think it is my favorite picture, I adore my boys!

I didn't want anything too pastel and babyish so we went with a vintage baseball theme (I usually hate themes, but this is toned down).  I love the way it turned out, even over one year later.

Garage Makeover (Almost)

I am close to being done with the garage makeover, but as I ponder how I am going to scale the top of my house to paint the eaves I am going to get to the rest of the exterior that I can reach.  However, I have finished (hopeful thinking as it may need another coat) painting the garage door.  Let me remind you of the before and then take a look at the after.

 

 Hubby likes the basketball hoop, so it is staying.  However, once I am done with all of the painting I think that light fixture is going to have to be replaced.  This one from Lowe's is what we have on the front of the house, and I am thinking about adding it back here too.

Garage Make Over

Finally it has cooled down enough here in the south for me to get excited for Fall.  (No!  This picture is not from this year, it was taken last year during a very unexpected snow storm).  Fall is definitely my favorite time of the year, you get to look forward to the holidays, fires, sweaters and apple cider.  It also means that I can begin touching up the paint on the outside of the house.  I learned my lesson back a couple years ago when we moved into our house and I decided to paint the front door during the hot summer seasons.  Lets just say that you should follow the directions on the paint can, they usually DO know best ;)

Our home is mostly all brick with just trim to accent with paint, but we do also have eaves on the each side of our home as well as siding in the back where the deck is.  The house is set pretty far back from the street, and when we moved in everything was painted green with lots of green landscaping.  I painted the columns and the front door & shutters so that they would pop from the street. 

However, we never have gotten around to the rest of the exterior since there was so much to do on the interior (and still is).  With that being said, the paint has decided that it has had enough and is peeling off.  So all other projects are on hold right now and gradually I am painting the exterior, starting with the back alley.  

Again it started out all green and boring.  The home from the front is very traditional and so I decided that it would look nice to keep continuity around to the back of the house.  The garage is going black to bring in the accent color from the front door and shutters, while the trim is going a nice shade called Swiss Coffee.  The siding is going to be a left over can from the garage Happy Valley.  

I am at the part of the project that I always get scared which is the first coat of black.  I am just trying to remember my vision in my head and press on.  

Off to finish the second coat, hopefully this is the last coat.  Fingers crossed!!!

Spec Turned Spectacular

We've all seen them, the spec home that looks the same as every other house on the block.  You enter the front doors to see one of three options for tile and one of three options for carpet. Just to enter the bathroom to see one of the three choices for cabinet colors and doors with builder grade tub and large mirror glued above the sink. (By the way I would love to have a spec home bathroom right now instead of my dated '80s one with shell pedestal sink).  Check out this spec home bathroom that I got the privilege of gutting.   

I just L O V E when I get a client who has the budget to run with (don't get me wrong there is something fun with the thrifty finds game too), but I rarely get to have a vision and not have to modify it due to budget.  Everything is this bathroom was gutted.  There is no sight of a spec home bathroom here!  Architectural character was added by removing the linen closet and partition walls for arches on both sides of the room.

A Layer of Character

Janell over at Isabella & Max Rooms has inspired me to find a way to use stencils in my home. She has done such a great job of bringing stencils into her home in a modern way that just helps bring some character and personality into a space. It is easy to have too much going on in a home and it starts to look cluttered, and the way that she incorporates these throughout her home just adds a feeling of texture.

I have been just standing back and thinking about where I could incorporate this into some prominent space. Then I realized that it could give my entry wall some definition since it really only has one wall, and that wall is shared with the Living Room. Now my only decision is do I use a darker color for the stencil or a lighter? I am leaning towards the lighter, but I don't want it to look to feminine and I think that the contrast of a darker color will keep it from looking to much like lace (see this is why it is so hard to decorate your own home).