Hallway Love and 2 Projects

We are going on a little more house tour today!  I LOVE this area. It is the entrance to our home.  From the front door one walks into a nice size area with a crazy 2 story foyer height.  It's open to the den, dining and a sneaky peak of the kitchen.  I'd always wanted a very open floor plan, and we got it with this home.  The walls are of course the khaki pants color (blogged about this before...).  Eventually I will be painting this area a cool gray to match the FABULOUS chandelier we received for Christmas from Dad and B.  It will get it's own post, and perhaps even a video blog about the installation.  Billy is a whippersnapper at light changing, but this changing will literally require scaffolding!  And since the scaffolding will be in place, I will probably paint then.  woohooo!!

I had trouble at first decided how to lay the area out.  This skinny area below actually originally led to a library, the door behind the giant birdcage leads to this.  But the prior owners turned that into a closet in the master bedroom.  Um....yes, you would think you'd died and gone to closet heaven like me when you see it (yes, I will be showing it off...I just have to.  It is fabulous.)  So I wanted to close the area off.  The birdcage needs a little something inside....I am thinking about piling it with my old books.  I recently saw this done in the Pottery Barn Catalogue.

The black hand painted sign is a favorite purchase at Marist this year.  Under this I felt I needed to show our family in some way (since the sign talks about our family).  AHA!  A bulletin board.  So here's how I made it:

1-  ran to the basement and chose a frame from the pile

2- strung twine back and forth attaching with a staple gun

3-  strung a few fabulous turquoise buttons on the twine

4-  selected a family photo and other trinkets that meant something to our family

5-  attached a saw tooth hanger

6-  ran back upstairs and hung it up!  tops...15 minutes  You could do this with any type of frame really.

Now below is another fun project, and yes those are hands...my children's hands actually.  We made the sculptures in art camp a few years back.  It's a very cool project to do. Just follow these steps:

1-  purchase plaster gauze rolls at the craft store.  at my store it's where the fimo clay and stuff is located.

2-  have your child lather their hand in good old fashion Vaseline and then saran wrap

3-  pose the hand as you want it.  Not too complicated though, it is a little tricky getting this off!

4-  according to the plaster gauze instructions wet the strips and wrap on your child's hand loooooosely.  seriously.  this is not a cast!

5-  allow to set.  warn your child it gets warm(not hot) as it is setting.  it's how you know it's working.

6-  using scissors cut a slit so your child can slip their hand out of the casting

7-  use more plaster gauze to band-aid where you cut the slit

8-  you may have to trim the bottom to get it to stand up

And that's it!  What a wonderful way to preserve your sweet child's hands.

So that's all for today.  A peek into a favorite new vignette in our home.  We continue to nest away.  Loving it more as each day passes.

Little Christmas Vignettes Day 2

Onward we go up the stairs to find this little vignette nestled so sweetly for all to see:

We have a unique staircase that makes a hard left turn on the way up.  The builder placed this super cool corner shelf at the turn...NOT.    I mean seriously who needs a shelf in the corner of the stairs on the way up?  Is it supposed to be a bench to rest on the way up or something?  Anyhoo....while decorating I had an "AHA" moment for the corner bench/shelf/decorating thorn in my side.  I found the awesome feather tree at the Country Living Fair.  It's decorated with gorgeous vintage Shiney Brights from the fair as well!  The sweet sugary houses were a purchase years ago from TJ Maxx.  The $5.99 sticker makes me smile real big.

 Vintage books with the covers ripped off are a staple for my vignettes.  My go-to riser.

Tomorrow...a peek at the renovated half-bath.  So it'll be a before and after peek as well!

Christmas Vignettes Day 1

We've enjoyed preparing our home so much for the Holiday season.  I thought I'd share a few of our favorites over the next few days until Christmas.  I know...I know...this is supposed to be an artsy blog.  But decorating is such a sweet passion of mine.  I hope to share more of my decorating tips and ideas in the new year here.  It is big a part of my creative expression.  Yep.. one big creative explosion in this house.  Good thing I married a very patient and very easy going man.

So on with the tour.....this is how the Horne family is greeting its' guests for the Christmas Season:

The front door has no protection, so I literally bought picks and ornaments for the wreath at Wal-mart so at the end of the season, should they be pretty funky, I could throw them out without a cringe.  I wanted lots of sparkly too because when the sun hits the door it is magical.  Totally.  Magical....I LOVE driving up to our home and seeing this.  I started with a basic pine wreath, added lots of fresh greenery for smell goodness and then added the sparkly pics, nest and bird.

Inside you are immediately greeted with the banister totally decked out with lighted garland, more sparkly nests, silver painted leaves and this amazing creamy ribbon I found at Heeney.  I've never had stairs to decorate.  So you can only imagine how tickled I was this year to be adding this to our Christmas decoration box!

The balcony area received the same garland strands.  Below is a close-up of the coveted ribbon and sparkly nests.  The ribbon is by far my favorite ribbon find ever.

This vignette is also in the entry way.  I just love glitter house and have been slowly collecting them over the years. A few bottle trees and snow make this scene a wintery wonderland!

Of course our home would not be complete without one of these.

Because it is the reason we are blessed every year.  And look forward to the next!

To Be Thankful

Today as I set the table for the first time in our new dining room, I realized in abundance what I have to be thankful for this year.  It's hard to sit back and reflect when you are in the middle of it, but our lives are rich with so much joy these days.  Now, it's not perfect....nah....but somehow the bad is always overshadowed with the goodness our family consistently surrounds ourselves with. 

Today I placed dear Faye Horne's china and crystal on the table for the first time.  You see, there are many first's here at 120.  It's the first time yes to have Thanksgiving in this house.  But more than that...it's the first time we are hosting it period, with the china given to us as a lovely wedding gift from my mother-in-law.  It has literally been packed away since we married 16 years ago.  Now not only does it hang in an amazing pattern on the pink walls, it fills the gray cabinet.  Oh the dinner parties Mrs. Faye must have had.  There are 24 place settings and enough bowls and gravy boats for 3 Thanksgiving tables!  So I just beamed as I set the table with it today.  On top of the table Billy and I bought together at the Country Living Fair this year....which is covered with the most beautiful piece of orange lace I've ever seen.  Just perfect. 

You can only imagine the frenzy I've been in since deciding to host the family this year.  You know....the last minute details and all the things you want to complete?  Well, they are done.  The only thing missing from this lovely pink room is our family first.....and the curtains (which are being crafted and promised to be ready by Christmas) and a new chandelier.  This room definitely needs a crystal bauble hanging from the ceiling to catch the light coming in and make the walls sparkle!

The tiny pink dresser I found at the Country Living Fair as well.  I love it's dainty size and crystal knobs!  I need Tiffin to get a hold of the boring white lampshade. 

I love that finally I have a place for some of our favorite pieces given to us as remembrances of our ancestors.  The sugar and creamer was my Grandmother Adkins'.  The painting was done by an art friend.  Fits perfectly in this room.  The crystal candlesticks were a favorite item we sold at the Flea.  The tin shelf my Mother gave us as a Christmas present early in our marriage.  It too had been hiding in the attic.

Yes, hanging the plates was a challenge, but man I did it!  I was determined to have a unique pattern of the plates in the walls.  And yes, the chandelier HAS to be replaced with a crystal one...asap!

So today, we join the Horne family, the Lewis family and the Wiggins Family to celebrate a day of thanksgiving.  The noise will fill our home like a symphony the home has never heard.  I look forward to enjoying the day and creating a lasting memory of our first family gathering in a home we plan to grow old in.


This post has been linked up!  visit: My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for other wonderful links!

Making it a Home

I guess it was about two weeks ago that I had a total meltdown about our new home.  Yep.  Not a good meltdown either.  It was the, "why did we buy this big home that now I have no time to make ours?  It doesn't feel like it's our home Billy.  I feel like we are living in a stranger's house."  All the while crying my eyes out.  Yep.  Perhaps I was at a breaking point with the new job, teaching out of state for first time, getting ready for a giant show all within 2 months of buying new house and starting new job, while getting ready for teaching in Portland and the Country Living Fair.  Just for a little more drama I'll throw in the fact that our two oldest cats died as well.  Oh, and one disappeared.  So yeah, this house was feeling a little less like a place I wanted to be. 

I bet this comes as a bit of a shock for many of you.  Especially those that had ever been inside our little house.  It was....little.  And if one more person told me, "I don't know how you live like that" I was going to punch them.  We were fine.  Loved the house and all the layers.  And now we live in a giant khaki colored box.  Seriously inside and out the house is khaki.  Now, don't get me wrong, neutral is nice.  And if one more person tells me to just "live with it for awhile"   "or it's just paint" I may not punch, but cry on them.  Because I can not live in the khaki box anymore.  Even Billy, whom never talks decorating asked this, "Do you think the house has a little too much khaki?  There's khaki everywhere....even the halls, etc.... and the exterior!!"  He about made me roll over in laughter.  And that was my cue.  Time to paint.

So my head is spinning with ideas.  But until I have this done I can't do this....etc.  So here's the plan:

1.  Curtain making Kathy came Friday to pick up all the fabrics for the den, kitchen and dining room.  All Amy Butler amazing large patterns.  I know....I am a tad bit addicted to her fabrics.

2.  Handy Man Daniel is coming tomorrow to measure and give me a quote for bead board below the chair rail.  Because that is the other thing grating my nerve.....chair rail is freakin' everywhere. 

3.  Paint samples have been purchased and painted around the room to be sure.  I love that you can spend $3 for a sample and make swatches all over.  I want a blue to make the room feel more spacious and open.  It's not a small room, but very little natural light makes its' way in due to the screened in porch on the back of the house.  Not complaining about that feature for sure!!

4.  Small bath and hallway to laundry were painted yesterday by me.  I got up early and started working.  Billy came in and exclaimed, "WHAT are you doing?"  Painting.  "Oh, ok.  You going to paint the laundry room too?  It's khaki too Jenni."  I know Billy, I know.

5.  New lighting everywhere.  Like everywhere.  My man Billy is so good at installing lights and yesterday already replaced the kitchen and half bath fixtures!!

Here's the den corner....top blue I think is the winner.  Over the white.  I almost forgot the fireplace....it's getting a make-over too.  I found fabulous tile to replace the marblish tile and Handy Man Daniel is building a new facade for it.

I'm not so sure about the blue next to my favorite piece of furniture.  But unfortunately the den and kitchen are one giant room so they have to be the same color.

The den fabric is fabulous, seriously.  All my favorite colors in one fabric.  And wait til you see the curtain design!

In the kitchen I played around with some other samples.  Definitely love the top blue again.  Pretty much liked it everywhere I put it.  And next to the maple cabinets it will be perfect.  Also plan to change out the cabinet hardware to dark.  Those will be an ebay find. 

This is the area that connects the kitchen to the den.  Again, dark because of the porch.  And not so sure why there are blinds on the window.  I've removed the door ones and today the this large set will come down as well.  I've chosen a Michael Miller fabric for this window that is so stinkin' pretty I can't wait to share it!  We've not decided on a treatment style though.  I am thinking roman shade, Kathy is thinking a valance type thing.  Need to go to Barnes and Noble and look at some magazines I think.  This is where the bead board is going to make a beautiful statement!!  I've chosen a color called cotton whisper for the beadboard.  Just so excited about all the colors.

The dining room is PINK.  Yep.  No one but me likes it.  And Lily.  But she likes the room for other reasons.....bad girl.  We are going with the fabric on the left.  And pom-poms!!  This room is going to be a show stopper.  Seriously I am going over the top here.  Never been a frilly decorator, but this room is going to have all the sweet feminine touches that a pretty, look and don't touch room should have.  I should call in Donna for a little bling help, right?

Here are my sweet little $3 samples.  In case you've never seen them.  This is the best idea ever.  And at Home Depot they even mixed up colors for me that weren't theirs!  We are going with Balmy Seas in the den/kitchen area for sure.  And cotton whisper on the beadboard. 

Well, super lengthy post.  I've taken lots of before and after pics.  It may be awhile before it's all really done.  But already painting the bathroom and hallway my pale honey has made my frown turn upside down!!  Are you guys working on any nesting projects in your houses?

The Mantel

Hey guys....I continue to "nest" here in the house.  I can not help myself.  I'm like the Energizer bunny on chocolate lately!!!  So, the mantel.  Always a test to one's decorating skills.  Especially if yours is like 3 feet deep and has a half moon shaped window in it!  Yes, I said that right.  I totally forgot to take a pic before I filled it with my Grandmother's mirror.  But seriously it's the strangest thing I've ever seen.  And thus far, every house I've toured in this neighborhood has this window mantel thing.  It must have been the builder's "signature" mantel.  Urgh.  I've got big plans to have it stack stoned and close the "hole" in eventually.  But for now, this is my simple solution.  The trick to this mantel is layers.  So I started with the mirror.  Which I do believe weighs as much as I do.  And somehow it hung on the wall in her home until she passed away.  Dad asked me if I wanted it and I said of course!!  And now I have a safe place to rest it. 

The next layer is this adorable wooden shelf unit that was hanging in the kid's bathroom at the old house.  On it I have all our names in typography letters, a few nest and birds.  A wooden H rests against the mirror.  Just one of the growing collection of H's.  My favorite part of this vignette are the old clocks.  I saw an idea one time where you put on a broken clock the time your children were born.  I've literally had these clocks 5 years and finally looked up their birth times.  Which look.....Mailey was 6:40 and William was 6:42!  How in the world does one have two children at practically the same time?