House Hunting

Well, not really, but I am a bit of a stalker when it comes to For Sale signs in the neighborhood. I can't help it... I need to know what they look like inside and obviously I want to know how much!

The apple of my eye lately has been this little gem... 

I love those wood shingles!  Don't let the picture fool you, this house is a whopping 3100 square feet (which sounds massive to anything we've ever lived in)!

Great space... love the grayish stain on the wood floors and I would seriously give my right arm for all that counter space.  (Maybe my left... since I'm a rightie.)

My dad used to tell me that as a little boy he knew he would have made it big when he lived in a brick house. I'll feel the same way if Hootie and I ever have double sinks. (Very sad, but true fact.)

I'm such a sucker for a deck... or is that a patio... or do I just mean cocktails? Either way, this one fits the bill.  

Better get back to stalking.

Cheers,
Jessie

Flash Mob

Has anyone else out there been suckered into signing up for one too many flash sale sites? It is seriously ridiculous, but I do have a few favs...

#1. FAB They're a little quirky, a little vintage and a whole lot of fabulous. (Hence the name!) While I don't have any need for a pepperoni tshirt right now, I seriously heart their jewelry and mid century goodies!

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#2. ONE KINGS LANE I know. Most of you probably already subscribe to this one, but that goes to prove my point that they know their biz. You can find anything from reclaimed wood artwork to ornate French reproduction mirrors to the most gorgeous camelback sofa.  (Can I have it Hootie, please?!?)

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#3. JOY AND REVELRY This is a new one and technically it's not even a flash site. The site has individual shops that are curated by designers and bloggers. One thing that is especially nice is that you are able to view the products in an actual space. Not sure why, but those gold leaf toys kill me. They are too cute!

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One word of caution, they use the term 'sale' loosely.  Sometimes it's a deal, but you aren't going to find some grossly underpriced treasure.  With that in mind, happy shopping!

Cheers,

Jessie

Big Plans, Big Fail

So Hootie has been gone all week and I had big plans for another secret project, but after further research and a serious lack of motivation the project has been scraped indefinitely. What was this awesome project you ask?

Restaining grout.

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I know. It sounds riveting, right?!? The main bathrooms in our house were originally tiled with sheets of hexagonal white tile. I love the look and recommend it (especially for older homes where you want something a little more authentic looking), BUT... white grout is a b*#@$!

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With general wear and tear and thoughts of potty training a boy, it is only gonna get worse from here. In fact, we asked our floor guys during the wood debacle for an estimate on how much to restain the grout. I should have known it was a bad idea from the fact that they wouldn't even give us an estimate.

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The problem is TIME.  It doesn't cost much and honestly the bathrooms are not big, but the process can take forever. Did you see how many grout lines are in that tile?!? You have to go over every grout line with cleaner then two coats of stain and then a coat of sealer. I am always down for detail work, but this sounds like a bloody nightmare.

However, I still can't get the look of a smokey gray grout out of my head. I'm sure I am romanticizing it a bit, but I really do feel like it would solve a lot of our issues. What do you think? Has anyone ever tried it before? Yeah or nah? Perhaps a two man job?

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Cheers,
Jessie

PS- Before you suggest cleaning the grout that has been done both personally (thanks for nothing, Pinterest) and professionally (thanks for nothing, sir).  

Potty Mouth

Anybody else think outdoor pots are ridiculously overpriced?  Hootie & I once had a pretty good spat over some outdoor pots (or lack thereof).

So when my SIL said she was looking for some, I told her I would keep an eye out.  Well, what do you know... I found some this past weekend at the grocery store of all places.

Love the color and LOVE the price!  It's buying things in multiples that kills you.  

We've also loved our whiskey barrel pot from Home Depot.  It's huge, a little quirky and cheap (Hootie's fav).  The perfect fit for our herb garden... I should probably be cooking more than I am with an herb garden and all.

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Lastly, the personalized route is always cute, but I must stress this should be done sparingly!  No need to put all your personal deets on the front porch.  

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Anyone got any hidden pot resources I should know about?  (I should probably rephrase that question.)

Cheers,

Jessie

PS- The title really had nothing to do with Potty Mouth, but it was the tamest I could come up with since the other contenders were... "Once you got Pot..." and "Get off the Pot".  I think you get my drift.  

Oops, I Did It Again

I couldn't help myself... I rearranged the built-ins again.  Hootie was none too happy with me.  It really is a problem.  I'm the girl that rearranges the items on top of the counter at stores.  I really don't understand why that's wrong.

Anywho, back to the built-ins.  There are literally hundreds of blog posts out there explaining how to properly merchandise shelves.  While they are very good, I'm not that fancy so I snapped a few pics and called it a day.  How about that?

Here is what they looked like before...

And here is what they look like now... 

I know.  You are probably thinking... what on earth did she even do?  But I did a lot actually.  

#1. Remove everything from the shelves.  It is too hard to work on a space when you have extra junk cluttering it up.

#2. Start with the largest objects first... since they will take up the most room physically & visually.  Start there so you can work around them.

Side note - One of my major frustrations with the original layout was that the baskets seemed to be floating around on the upper shelves.  By adding them in first, I made a more deliberate effort to incorporate them into the overall look.

#3. Add filler.  I think this is where people get confused.  You need more than just frames and a few books to make it interesting.  (This is where my box obsession serves me well!)  Anything will work... a small game, an interesting rock (Yes, I bought a rock recently.) or a family keepsake.  

#4. Have fun & play!  Honestly, there are no real rules to it.  If you like the way something looks, do it.  My one suggestion is to vary the heights.  Add a little memento on top of some books or use a box on top of a box to go a little crazy.  The point is to keep the eye moving.

That should clear everything up, right?!?  Good luck!

Cheers,

Jessie

What Door?

As I mentioned previously, the monster is rapidly outgrowing his nursery and discussions have begun regarding his big boy room.  We've decided to move the monster to the back bedroom since Lord knows we aren't painting over those stripes!

The back bedroom isn't really much to look at currently, but it does have one dilemma... bi-fold doors! Obviously, that isn't a terrible design problem, but they leave much to be desired in my opinion. I'm leaning towards removing the doors and adding curtain panels. (Side note: Hootie is not a fan of said plan, but perhaps public opinion could sway his vote!)

This is the type of installation I like.  Outside the door frame and easily moved from side to side.

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Love the additional pop of color they provide to the space, but not interested in a tie back version.

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What does everyone think?  We could just paint the doors an accent color, but I really like the idea of an additional fabric/ color/ texture in the space.  Anyone want to agree with me so Hootie says yes?!?

Cheers,

Jessie

It's Over... I'm Sad.

Is there anything more depressing than the day after vacation is over?  I guess don't answer that.  I know - I could never have gone at all... blah, blah, blah.

Anywho, as I'm sitting on the couch rifling through mounds of dirty clothes and wondering how long this tan will last, I'll leave you with these beautiful images of Rosemary Beach.

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Good times had by all... I think.  Or at least 85% of the time.
Cheers,
Jessie

PS - If you are ever in Rosemary, check out the home store, Tracery.  Gorgeous!  I should have bought that brass tray when I had the chance!