Rustic & Woven

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Back to the Basics

Friday I shared a story from our Michigan house.  We bought it with the intention of spending the rest of our lives there, and we poured our hearts and souls into that house.  For three years, we worked our butts off – with a lot of help from our family and friends – and we really turned it in to the amazing home it was meant to be.

And the crazy thing about it…when I look back now…is I have no idea how we did it.

We didn’t have any money to speak of.  Not that we do now, but we’re certainly a whole lot more comfortable today than we were back then.  We both worked full time – just like we do today – and yet we somehow managed to find the time to transform that house from top to bottom in just three short years.

So basically, we made it really nice for someone else to enjoy. 😉

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A Lesson from an Old House

I thought I’d tell you a little story today.

It’s a story about keeping it simple, and working with what you have, and making the most of what you’ve got.

Once upon a time we had a different house.

A great house.

A house that was supposed to be our “forever house”.

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Front Porch Progress

I have been teasing for what seems like months about the new steps for the front of our house.

We have been working on them – I swear we have!

I say “we”, but in truth Jordan has been working on them – I’m just here to lend an opinion and words of encouragement every so often. 😉

As usual, this was one of those “no big deal, I can get it done in a weekend or two” projects that turned into way more work and time than anticipated.

But don’t they always?

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You can put Lipstick on a Pig…

You’ve all heard the phrase “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still just a pig”, right? In other words, superficial changes are just a weak attempt at disguising something’s truth. Well, that old saying came to mind a couple of months ago while I was shopping in Target and spotted the cutest shower curtain. I was instantly drawn to its simple white background and lovely dark gray flower detail. I grabbed it from the shelf and held it excitedly in my hands…

…and then I remembered…

…we have the worst bathroom ever. EV-ER. [Read more…]

An Inexpensive and Easy way to add Character to your Fireplace

TGIF! Ever have those weeks that just drag on and on? That’s how this week was for me, and it was brutal – I’m so glad the weekend is finally here! I’m also pretty excited about what I have to share with you today, because…the next stage of our fireplace makeover is complete!! 🙂 🙂

Before you get too excited (I just know you’re all on the edge of your seats right now), this isn’t a drastic makeover or anything extraordinary – but I never wanted it to be. I simply wanted a subtle way to add some character and allow our fireplace to be more of a focal point in the living room – and I really think we achieved that.

Should I stop talking and just show you the picture already?

Ok, ok…

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Fireplace Ideas

With September coming to an end, it won’t be long before we are wanting to cozy in for the night beside a crackling fire. Although messy – and lots more work – nothing really beats the smells and sounds of a wood burning fire, am I right? [Read more…]

Living Room Update

When I ordered our new sectional, one of the main things I hoped it would help me accomplish would be to get the doorway that leads to the kitchen opened back up (you can read more about that here). It was closed off by the previous owner – and I totally understand why. This room is long, and very narrow, and the fireplace is oddly placed off center. Functional furniture arrangements are tough in rooms like this. [Read more…]