2014 year in review

Man alive, that was a fast year. Looking back, it was one that was hugely successful in the overall feeling of my home. The living room is done, the dining room is done, the sun room is done. Done is ever changing (see: blog years 2010 to current) but this time done felt D.O.N.E.  With things feeling so right, the blog took a back seat. I didn't decorate for any holidays, since who wants to mess with and clutter up D.O.N.E? There were a lot of link ups and traffic that i missed out on. I'm not sure what 2015 will bring with the blog, but beyond here, there will certainly be vacations taken and cats adored.  And if that's all that's done, well that's alright with me.

The done dining room.
 

The (almost) done living room.


Paris, France.


The DIY patio and yard makeover.


The sun room update.


Alaska cruise portion. The not to be missed land portion.


The only way you knew it was fall.


The (fully) done living room.


What makes it all good.


Thank you for reading in 2014. See you next year....
B





end of year wrap ups at domestically speaking, southern hospitality, beyond the picket fence, Currently @ Dearest Love, Random Wednesday @ Because Shanna Said So, sharing is caring: , thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, travel photo mondays @ travel photo discovery,   , Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House  inspire me mondays t @ domestically speaking,   Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,    Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple, persia lou,  home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, the scoop @ stone gable,  inspire me tues, lil luna, you're gonna love it @ kimsixfix, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. your designs this time, inspire me weds @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style,  twirl and take a bow @ house on the way, work it weds @ the blissful bee, outdoor weds @ a southern daydreamer, whimsy wednesday, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman, look what i made,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts, think and make @ houseologie, charm of home, link party palooza @ tatertots and jello, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, creativity unleashed @ shaken together,inspiration gallery @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now,  furniture fridays @ mustard seed, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, design it fridays @ finding fabulous, best diy @ 36th ave, overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming. inspire me please @ liz marie blog,sunday best @ the girl creative  shaken together, 

A Midcentury Modern Makeover

Finally!  For four years i have been lamenting the tv stand situation, and for 4 years this beauty has been sitting in our garage.  She was piled on top of, piled around, and parked in.  Can't tell you what finally motivated the boyfriend to drag her in the house and start working on her, but whatever the reason-here she is!

Do i have a before?  Nope.  Just picture something more orange, with a veneer top, grimy handles, and all drawer fronts and you have your before.  Settle in, we're taking a nice long look.

The handles are the originals, with a coat of silver spray paint.

Since we hardly use the receiver, we concealed it in a drawer front that just folds down.  This makes me the most happy. Hide the uglies.

Advice on chair legs-paint them? Stain them to match?  Leave as is?  Metal? No one's noticing, so who cares?

 This wall needs some round shapes.  Er, circles. Yes, i knew there was a word for "round shapes."

Cat outtakes-the very best part!

Bad before, or early after-whatever you choose to call it-i'm glad it's gone!


Loving the after.

A refresher on the other half of the room.
 

See, it's even more Emily Henderson-esque than the last time.  I could not be loving this living room more. Have you added any mid century pieces to your home recently?  Was it sitting in your garage for 4 years, like mine?  Probably not, you guys are good.
B






Currently @ Dearest Love, Random Wednesday @ Because Shanna Said So, sharing is caring: , thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, travel photo mondays @ travel photo discovery,   , Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House  inspire me mondays t @ domestically speaking,   Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,    Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple, persia lou,  home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, the scoop @ stone gable,  inspire me tues, lil luna, you're gonna love it @ kimsixfix, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. your designs this time, inspire me weds @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style,  twirl and take a bow @ house on the way, work it weds @ the blissful bee, outdoor weds @ a southern daydreamer, whimsy wednesday, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman, look what i made,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts, think and make @ houseologie, charm of home, link party palooza @ tatertots and jello, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, creativity unleashed @ shaken together,inspiration gallery @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now,  furniture fridays @ mustard seed, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, design it fridays @ finding fabulous, best diy @ 36th ave, overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming. inspire me please @ liz marie blog,sunday best @ the girl creative  shaken together, 

Let's start a campaign for Instant Autumn

Don't you feel like September should be instant fall?  Like, who cares that we're likely coming from the hottest month, and summer vacations.  The moment September hits i feel like Mother Nature should drop the temperature about 30 degrees and we should all start wearing flannels, tall boots and sip hot cups of pumpkin spice lattes whilst bumping along on a hayride out to the pumpkin patch.  There should be a crisp, yet slight chill in the air, leaves of gold and reds, and Halloween costume planning.

September-when it's still in the 90's, with humidity, and it's hotter than it's been all summer long-i feel like Instant Autumn could have a following.  Instant Autumn means i could once again return to the sunroom.  Even the cats came inside last weekend, and that's saying a lot of it's too hot for them out there.  Instant Autumn all the things.

Instant Autumn would mean pumpkins lined the stairs (but first you'd slather them in vasoline to keep the squirrels from nibbling)

 You'd break out your wreath in all it's wispy goodness.

You'd have pinecones everywhere and ribbon wrapped books.

You'd corral ceramic (dollar store) pumpkins galore atop collected candlesticks

Instant Autumn is something you could easily add to your regular decor.

Both inside and out.

What are you doing to add some Instant Autumn to your home?

sharing is caring: thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, travel photo mondays @ travel photo discovery, places i've been @ the tablescaper,  travel photo thursdays@ budget travelers sandbox , Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House  inspire me mondays and power of paint @ domestically speaking, Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama  Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple, persia lou, the diyers @ homecoming,  home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, the scoop @ stone gable,  inspire me tues, lil luna, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. your designs this time, inspire me weds @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style,  work it weds @ the blissful bee, outdoor weds @ a southern daydreamer, whimsy wednesday, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman, look what i made,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts,  charm of home, link party palooza @ tatertots and jello, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, creativity unleashed @ shaken together,inspiration gallery @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now,  furniture fridays @ mustard seed, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, design it fridays @ finding fabulous, best diy @ 36th ave, overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming. inspire me please @ liz marie blog,sunday best @ the girl creative  shaken together,

Here comes the sun (room) remix

Not gonna lie.  Totally sit in the sunroom and gaze with approval and love at the state of the backyard. There may be satisfied nodding and "mmm hmming" with accomplishment, as one does with a finished project. When one is alone. And isn't being asked a question. Sure.

I'm loving on that bold black and white so much, i brought into the sunroom using the same pillows, and one clearance blanket.  Talk about a deal and a steal.  Apropos of this room, in which everything was bought at a yard sale, a thrift store, or taken from the neighbor's trash.

That sofa frame right there?  Neighbors trash.  The scrolly arms were never my favorite, but one does not look a gift sofa in the mouth.  Much like the outdoor set, i think the bold stripe in the black and white modernizes the look.

If ever you wondered if you needed a skylight that opens, i assure you, you do.

Ahh, the things we do for our animals, like putting out tray tables so they can sit at the same level of the windows.

These white chairs are probably the best yard sale find ever at $12 a piece.  I had to pretend i didn't want them, as i watched the couple who arrived before us sitting in them.  I proclaimed to the boyfriend loudly "No, i think i'd rather have wicker." The couple looked at each other, clearly contemplating the same thing, and walked away.  SOLD to me.  Sometimes you have to play the game, sorry (not sorry) other couple.

If anyone would like to recover these cushions, though, i'd be more than happy to support that, lol.  I just pretty much ignore the faint plaid pattern.  That green damask throw is what i had on the sofa before, and was just not modern at all. But she's mighty soft.

Fake plant for the win!

We created this shelving niche in what was formerly the bathroom window.  That's right.  You could be in the sunroom and peek into the bathroom.  I mean, you'd be a total creeper, but you could do it.

Here's a better sense of what i'm talking about. This was the exterior wall (read: brick) with the window in the bathroom looking to the outside.  Dry walling totally changed this to a more finished and definitely brighter space.

A much nicer look.

Now when i sit out here nodding to myself, it's over the cohesion of these two spaces, with their bold black and white patterns, and lush and vibrant greens.

Talk about a before!  This was one of the first before and afters ever shared on the blog, a whopping 4 years ago. 

I thought we could all use a refresher on this, my favorite project, as i changed the room to reflect my style more.

Any readers from all those years ago remember this project? If so, thanks for sticking around.  Hope everyone had a relaxing holiday weekend.

sharing is caring:  living savvy outdoor extravaganza, thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, travel photo mondays @ travel photo discovery, places i've been @ the tablescaper,  travel photo thursdays@ budget travelers sandbox , Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House Throwback Thursday @ Sweet Pea, inspire me mondays and power of paint @ domestically speaking, Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama  Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple,  give me the goods @ rain on a tin roof, home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, the scoop @ stone gable,  inspire me tues, lil luna, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. inspire me weds @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style,  work it weds @ the blissful bee, outdoor weds @ a southern daydreamer, whimsy wednesday, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts,  charm of home, link party palooza @ tatertots and jello, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, creativity unleashed @ shaken together,creative connection @ making home base,  inspiration gallery @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now,  furniture fridays @ mustard seed, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, design it fridays @ finding fabulous, best diy @ 36th ave, overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming. inspire me please @ liz marie blog,sunday best @ the girl creative  shaken together, seasonal sundays @ the tablescaper, 

What a steel!

This post is a post of many things. Part basement update, part thrifty find. Part lookie what came free with the house.

Let's start with the basement update.  What you, my friends, are looking at is the almost finished bar.  Can't get more retro fabulous than some turquoisey aqua, black and white tiles, and some red.  Correct me if i'm wrong, but that actually may be the very definition of retro.  Look up retro in the dictionary, bam, picture of this.  Throw in some stainless, and you're practically ordering up malts in a diner.  Except this diner is a bar, and instead of malts we've got a kegerator.  A retro kegerator. No, i made that up.  i don't think there is such a thing.

See that exposed wood there?  My darling is roughing up some metal (it came mirrored and shiny like) that we are then wrapping around that wood foot rest like a stainless little present.


These barstool beauties are what came with the house.  The vinyl is in pretty good shape, but the chrome needs to be polished.  It was perfect that these freebies were exactly in line with what we wanted down here, so that of course helps the budget.

Hubba, hubba, look at this piece of retro gorgeousness.  Now, i know this is retro in a different, more modern way, but it's way more comfortable and stylish and cheaper than the club chair we were initially looking at.  Even Ikea club chairs are around 100 bucks.  This thrifty find cost us $45.  A deal and a steal if i ever saw one!  A steel, if you will, as the brand is called Steelcase.

The plan, once we're done, is for this guy to be snug with that pole there.  We're gonna box it out and add a granite table top so that whomever is sitting here has a little unobtrusive side table to rest a drink on.  Because otherwise it's just a pole in the middle of the room.  And who wants that?  Who, also, wants a pile of baseboards in the middle of the floor.  Let me stress NOT ME, but we are still waiting for the stereo bench to be built.

We don't see this chair model on the Steelcase website, so this leads me to believe it's actually vintage, not modern but made to look vintage.  I mean, that tag looks pretty old, right? 

Are the chrome legs your favorite part or the slopey arms?  Or is it the back's perfect angle for reclining?  For me it's all three, plus the fact that visually it doesn't take up much space, since the legs are so long. 

One step closer to being done. All right, all right, all right.


sharing is caring: Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House Throwback Thursday @ Sweet Pea, power of paint @ domestically speaking,  Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama Craftomaniac,  Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple,  give me the goods @ rain on a tin roof, home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, the scoop @ stone gable,  inspire me tues, lil luna, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. inspire me weds @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style,  work it weds @ the blissful bee, outdoor weds @ a southern daydreamer, whimsy wednesday, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts, thurs are your day @ 52 mantles,Transformation Thurs @ The Shabby Creek Cottage, charm of home, Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple, open house @ no minimalist here, link party palooza @ tatertots and jello, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, creativity unleashed @ shaken together,creative connection @ making home base,  inspiration gallery @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now,  furniture fridays @ mustard seed, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, design it fridays @ finding fabulous, best diy @ 36th ave, thrifty things fri @ the thrifty groove,  overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming. inspire me please @ liz marie blog,sunday best @ the girl creative  shaken together, seasonal sundays @ the tablescaper,   a round tuit,

Punched up dining room

You're probably saying to yourselves "Here she goes again with that dining room." And you may be eye rolling. You'd be pretty much in line with my family, then, who is unfamiliar with the rapid rate of tweaking and change ups happening in my humble abode. I mean, usually a person tweaks, and then there's a finish line. There's not a "let's start again, go a whole different route" line. But, you know, these things happen. I'm becoming the queen of Before/After/Better After....Best After.

I'm a start you off with the Best After.  This is where we are now, and where i hope we stay.  

Previously we were here, with the Better After.

And it was all because of this light fixture.  As it often is, am i right?  I thought it made the room feel taller, and brighter, and lighter.

But then all you saw were RED CURTAINS. Loud and yelling and demanding all eyes on them. Opposite of lighter and airier.

And now it's all like, ahhhh.  Pattern, and light colors, and nothing SCREAMING at you.

New gallery wall pattern (before there were just sconces with red candles on either side of the mirror).

Just to reiterate with the SCREAMING RED curtains.

And letting the light fixture lead after.

Let's consult the archives-this was the old fixture that was special order, man.  i loved that thing.  But we never hung it as low as we should, and it gave off an orangey glow.  Note the sconces and wasted space on either side of the mirror.

Here we have our very first after, along with aforementioned orangey glow and table runners turned window valances.  Don't say this gal ain't crafty.
 

And our very first before, when the dining room was a bedroom.

You've come a long way, baby!  I think (nay, i know) your tweaking days are over.  Of course, i did declare success in the debrownification of the living room, and well....you'll see.

In case you're new, and are wondering why there's a victrola in the corner...

source list: gray curtains: homegoods, light fixture (previous) lowe's, current (euro style lighting: win) change of art frames: win, marbled paper in ikea frames,large mirror:diy, candlesticks,tray,bowl:thrifted

Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House Throwback Thursday @ Sweet Pea, power of paint @ domestically speaking,  Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama Craftomaniac,  Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple,  give me the goods @ rain on a tin roof, home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, the scoop @ stone gable,  inspire me tues, lil luna, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. inspire me weds @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style,  work it weds @ the blissful bee, outdoor weds @ a southern daydreamer, whimsy wednesday, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts, thurs are your day @ 52 mantles,Transformation Thurs @ The Shabby Creek Cottage, charm of home, Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple, open house @ no minimalist here, link party palooza @ tatertots and jello, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, creativity unleashed @ shaken together,creative connection @ making home base,  inspiration gallery @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now,  furniture fridays @ mustard seed, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, design it fridays @ finding fabulous, best diy @ 36th ave, thrifty things fri @ the thrifty groove,  overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming. inspire me please @ liz marie blog,sunday best @ the girl creative  shaken together, seasonal sundays @ the tablescaper,   a round tuit,