Where to put our Linens?

We have been storing our towels and sheets on the top shelf of our coat closet. It was messy, unorganized and not very convenient. The top shelf in the picture is where EVERYTHING was stored.

(I forgot to take a picture with everything in the closet...but you catch my drift)


Our plan is to split this coat closet into two. Put a door in the hallway for the linen closet and move the door over to the left and utilize all the space left under the stairs. Instead of having a rod to put coats we are thinking about using hooks.


Last night Shawn and my brother Dave cut a hole for the door, framed it and now we have a door in the hallway! Shawn was ecstatic to use the nail gun!



Next we have to frame out the closet, drywall, put molding around the door and figure out the coat closet door.

Thanks for helping Dave!!

Removing wallpaper?!

After moving into our home we realized the white boring walls in the living room and hallway was actually painted over wallpaper?! Ugh we knew that one day soon we would have to tackle removing it.

Wallpaper can be a great way to transform a room, but if it isn't applied correctly it can be a long tedious endeavor to remove it. We had a feeling that we weren't going to be lucky; lo and behold we were right! I went straight to the internet and found this article for reference.

This article was dead on!

"How to Remove Wallpaper: Patience Is a Virture"

Here are the tools you will need; a ladder (I used a chair), a scoring tool (looks like a hockey puck), DIF (I used the gel spray so I didn't have to mix it with water), a puddy or broad knife, rags, a trash bag, a drop cloth and PATIENCE!

First score the wall lightly with your "hockey puck." Make sure not to gouge the drywall.


Spray the scored wall with DIF and wait 10-15 minutes.

Then use your puddy knife and start scraping. Be very patient you do not want to damage the drywall.

Here is what the wall looked like after an hour...


...after 3 hours...


...and this is what Harper was doing while I was hard at work...

The start of our kitchen remodel

When we moved into our house we knew that the kitchen would have to be attacked ASAP. Well a year later and we are ready to begin. Well it won't technically start until after my parents kitchen is complete.

In the meantime we went to A&C Kitchen and Bath and found a deal we couldn't turn down! Someone returned a bunch of cabinets and we are able to get them for less than 50% retail. We then sat down with one of their design professionals and did a preliminary layout. We will still have to order a couple other cabinets, but all in all it really worked out well!

Originally we wanted a white kitchen but running into such a great deal we were willing to compromise. Now we are going with a Hazelnut Maple Slab cabinet. I know it will be so pretty once everything comes together.

<--this is what the color looks like

Here are some inspirational photos.

These cabinets are similar to the ones we are getting.

I love the dark handles!

Love the white subway tiles and the hanging lights.

A couple things we have to think about...

Tile floor or wood?
To move the stove away from the door and loose the corner bottom cabinet? Or leave it as is on the layout?
White subway tile? Or glass light green subway tile?

Married two years!

Two years ago I got to marry my best friend. Where have these two years gone? I feel like we were just moving into our apartment and painting the walls orange! Since then we have bought a house, welcomed Harper (our dog) into our lives, bought a new car, changed jobs, got laid off and through it all have remained just as strong (if not stronger) as the day we got married.

Here are some pictures to reminisce...

Photos by Richard Barnes Photography

Potted Flowers

Recently I have become obsessed with anything to do with flowers. Inside, outside it doesn't matter; I love them all! Being new to all things flowers I was nervous and didn't know where to start.

Project #1

While cleaning for a client I came across a plant that really struck my eye; Jade. I knew I just had to have one of my own! The color would work perfect against our bedroom walls, and would really make the green pop in my "Escape" pastel drawing. Off to Home Depot I went, purchased a Jade plant, a light green pot and got to work.

What do you think?



Project #2

A week later my mom offered me a large outdoor plastic pot she wasn't using that I gladly accepted; free is always a plus (especially when you are unemployed)! I thought the pot would work perfect on the side patio and add a punch of color to our outdoor dining.

I knew I wanted to go for an organic look. Here are some flowers that struck my eye...




Here it is... I still want to add some vines to drape down the sides and some Shasta daisies, but I am very pleased with it so far!

Let the blogging begin....

I have been wanting to do this for some time now; so here it is. My husband Shawn and I bought our first house almost a year ago. After looking at many different houses we chose a single fixer-upper with a backyard. Having a backyard was the only thing on our list that was a must because we were getting a dog at the end of the summer.

Meet Harper...



After getting laid off at the end of January I decided to use my time wisely and start projects around the house while looking for a job. Because money was tight we decided to give each other a different kind of gift for Valentine's Day's and paint our bedroom. It honestly was the best decision we made!

Here is a before picture of our bedroom....



I knew I wanted a gray purple colors for the walls and Shawn was all for it. So we went to Home Depot, picked a color and bought two gallons of paint. I loved the color of the sample but once we started putting it on the walls I was a little apprehensive about it. WOW was it purple! Shawn kept on telling me to relax and wait until the whole room was painted. I am so glad I listened to him because I am obsessed with the color of our bedroom!