Thursday, September 29, 2011

Simple Fall Porch.

I like to keep things simple with Fall decorating and what is more simple and fun than a few pumpkins?
Although I must say, when buying them, I thought for sure I was being scammed.. anyone else find them expensive this year or is it just me? The price is the same everywhere I went so I guess that's what they cost! They are kind of irresistible so that's how they get us!

I also love potted mums and don't mind forking out for those. The yellow ones I picked up are the best ones I've been around. So full and healthy! They were only two for $12 at Kool Breeze.

Here is what I came up with for the front porch.


The black containers were galvanized buckets from the floral studio at a local grocery store. They were getting rid of them for 50 cents a piece. A couple of coats of black spray paint and they are perfect pots!




These photos are reminding me that I still don't have house numbers. 
I also want a nice welcome mat and a wreath. It will come in time!




The weather has been so wonderful that we've enjoyed a couple of evening glasses of wine out here. I was hoping for the same this weekend but it look like lots a rain for the next lifetime few days....

Cross your fingers that the lovely teenagers of our community leave my pumpkins alone! Although, it's entirely possible that I may have been guilty of that crime back in the day... Young and foolish, we were! In my defense, I was just the getaway driver. :)

I'm linking up to the It's Fall Y'all Door Decor Party.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Sunny September.

Hi all. Beaufort here. My mom, Modern Jane, has been busy putting out stuff around here to make it feel Fall-ish. I came outside to help but, as usual, got distracted by soaking up as much late afternoon sunshine as I possibly could. I've got it pretty good around here, so I've been told.


We love this time of year, her and I. How about you?

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Cool Alert.

First of all, thanks for all your lovely comments about Steph's yummy glossy white painted floors (can you tell I'm in love with them?) and his finished kitchen. If you missed it, you can check it out here.























Second. Emily Henderson rocks my socks. I'm currently in love with her. My eyes poor over every detail of every room that she has designed. Her eclectic style reveals rooms which are the perfect mix of vintage, classic, traditional and modern and never seem to take themselves too seriously. She's got style with a sense of humor!






If you are wondering where Emily came from, she is the talented designer and winner of HGTV's Design Star season 5. Also has her own show called Secrets of a Stylist. Which to my dismay, I can't find in Canada. Boo. I secretly dream about having her come style my home and becoming my BFF. Hey, why not? :)


So let's get back to the point of this post. I have been slightly obsessed with the pendant light in this room. (Also seen in the first image in this post). I think it's quite possibly the perfect mix of vintage and industrial. You may disagree but I'm convinced that I could make it work in my house...


And the best news of all? Yesterday I found the DIY instructions to make my own! I'm so pumped! Orlando Soria, Emily's hilarious assistant, posted the instructions on his blog. Which is also an extremely entertaining read, by the way, because I'm sure you don't already spend enough time online reading blogs :P. Oh, and he calls it the Orb-Lando... which totally cracks me up!

Anyway, I am FOR SURE making it. Maybe not tomorrow.. but I will. Promise. I'll let you know how it goes.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

White Painted Floor ~ Part 2 & A Finished Kitchen!

We are more than thrilled by how the painted floor turned out! The room now feels so complete, fresh and CLEAN!



Remember what it looked like before?

I love how it looks with the white walls and black cabinets. I have to give huge kudos to Stephane who built all the cabinets himself. The doors were all made by cutting out the panels of the old solid wood doors he removed from the house. Walking through the house in the beginning was like a maze! You opened one door only to encounter another... Quite the opposite of open concept! The result is cupboards that looks as if they've been there for a hundred years. (In a good way!)

The chandelier offers a a bit of a traditional touch but, being white, allows it to feels fresh and modern. The large rectangular sink and restaurant style faucet are pretty cool too! The huge island with solid birch countertop is both beautiful and useful, providing lots of counter space and storage.



Add caption

What do you think? Are you a fan of painted floors? You can catch Part 1 of the process here.

I wish so much that we had better pictures to show you so that you could see the whole transformation. Believe me.. it was u.g.l.y.... sorry Steph! :) Don't you agree that his hard work has paid off?

I'm linking up to:

The Shabby Nest
 

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Pins of the Week.

This post is mostly a nudge to my reader and friends who have not yet joined Pinterest. You really must.
As a blogger it has changed my life! Okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic but it really has made things easier. Whether you are a blogger or just passionate about design, decorating, crafting, organizing, cooking, fashion, you name it, Pinterest is for you! Just a a warning though.. you could get lost for hours. Just sayin'.

Here are some of my favorite pins of the week.

So tying the perfect scarf isn't rocket science? Who knew? Maybe I was the only one in the dark:)

I really really want a bookshelf that I can style just like this one. And then change it around a dozen times!


I really love anything Kate Spade. Which means I have to love the ampersand. Did you know I once tried to draw my own and paint it? Don't bother asking me how it turned out:)


Such a simple way to store your earrings!



Every tried a project that involved chevron? These printable templates would have really come in handy!


In case your wondering.. Steph put coat number two on the floors last night! My brother was over doing some work for him and he told him he wouldn't forgive him if he didn't do a third coat. So it looks like reveal photos will have to wait till tomorrow. It's awesome though.. it really is!

So go now.... Join Pinterest! You won't regret it!




Tuesday, September 20, 2011

White Painted Floor ~ Part 1

So let me start by explaining my last post... before some of my family and friends have a heart attack. I am NOT painting my recently refinished hardwood floors! However, we are painting the wood floor in Steph's kitchen and so far it's amazing. I'm so excited about it!
So here is the scoop. The entire house is wood floors but the ones in the kitchen had taken a severe beating over the course of it's 104 year history. To make things worse, when he remodeled the kitchen, he moved the island to a different location and underneath the old one was not a pretty sight!

The floors were not refinishable and therefore he was left with a choice. Replace or Paint? His vote was for paint and I was 100% on board. This is a project he and I have wanted to tackle for a long time. We sometimes even send each other pictures of painted floors, that we've come across, just so we can oooh and ahhh over them. So when the opportunity comes along, just do it!
First was the prep work. Steph filled any holes with Bondo (car body filler) and sanded well. Then he vacuumed every nook and cranny and ran a mop over it. Good to go!


We went along with a paint brush down all the cracks and edging along the wall. 





Then went over everything with a roller. We used an oil-based porch and floor paint, which apparently holds up to heavy foot traffic. It took a lot longer than anticipated but finished one coat last night.

Here it is so far! I think I'm in love!

Sorry for the dark pictures. The sun was setting when we finished. 
Doesn't everything take longer than you expect? 
I can't wait to show you the second coat! 
Have a great day everyone!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

A Clue.

Here is a little clue as to what we are up to this week........ should be fun!
 
Source: houzz.com via Jane on Pinterest


Anyone want to take a guess? :)

Friday, September 16, 2011

A Birthday & A Backsplash.



Hi all! Well, it was a good day! I am another year older and looking forward to the year ahead! I got lots
of sweet homemade cards from my students today and a few sweet treats!

I'll be doing a little of this over the weekend:


And this: 

Source: google.com via Jenna on Pinterest
Source: google.com via Rachel on Pinterest


And shopping for a little bit of this:



Thanks to some sweet people in my life! :)

Also, I had some inquiries about the backsplash in my sister's kitchen.


It's the Milky Way White Marble in the mosaic brick pattern from Olympia Tile. Check it out here. Hope this helps!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone! 
The end of summer is bittersweet.. I just love Fall! 
I may head out to pick out some mums for the new front step! :)