Small Hall.

Upstairs we have a small hall that houses the doors to the kids rooms and their bathroom.  Off in the corner is the small angled hall closet, or cabinets.  I really don't know what they were thinking when they added these cabinets.  I am sure there is wasted space behind them.  Sorry I don't have a before shot, but just picture boring navaho white cabinets and counter top. 

Back in 2008 when we were doing the whole house refresh, I had our contractor reface the cabinets with beadboard.  We then used leftover flooring for the counter and used faux tin panels for the backsplash.  Finally I got the counter cleaned off.  It is the dumping ground for all that isn't wanted!  So here is my clean and much improved hall closet!

The dinosaur is 'Bub', he was DS favorite toy for many years.  We got it at the local swap meet many moons ago.  I saved it cause it brings back such memories.

Here is a close up of the tin and flooring.  I love how it turned out.  Give this little corner of the hall some personality.

This is the beadboard detal on the cabinets, he did such a good job.  And those are my fav crystal pulls from Restoration Hardware.  I love them and used them on my desk as well.

So when you have a small closet or cabinet that you don't know what to do with, it is OK to think outside of the box.  You never know what you will come up with!

Have a great week,

Laura

Finally, a project!

This summer has been the summer of nada!  Zilch, nothing, zero.  I feel like I accomplished nothing!  Oh I guess I did the flags for the 4th, but I really got nothing done.  We were like bumps on a log, we did nothing! 

Finally a project!  I am taking my house back!  After being home all summer with a 19 and 23 year old, I want my house back.  DD leaves for school on Friday, and while I love having her home, well...  DS was on disablilty from work with a knee injury, so I felt like I had 2 toddlers at home.  WAAHH, I want my house back!

So here is what I did!  On Sunday I had had enough.  I started with the kitchen and began scrubbing and cleaning and rearranging.  I don't care if they don't like it! 

First off I cleaned off the sides of the fridge.  Yes there will be no magnets, no cute sayings no grease on my fridge!  Love how it turned out!

So clean and fresh, no visual clutter!  I already have way too much of that!  The frame is one I got at a garage sale, took out the print and added the cute chicken fabric, now it is a white board!

Here is the other side.  The mason jars hold nesquick and tea.  Love me some blue/green mason jars!

Now, you ask, where will you put all the stuff that was on the fridge!  Well after seeing the idea all over blog land,  I decided I would jump on the bandwagon.  Inside the cabinet door!   Yes and it was so easy!

Here are a few pics for reference:

                 Young House Love

                                                             Beautifully Used


                  Two Twenty One


This is my inspiration.  So off to Target I went to get the cork, and Lowes for the sheet metal.  The cork is $6.99 for 4 12 x12 squares and they come with little squares of sticky to use to install.  I measured and cut with an exacto knife and installed.

Here is the before:

This is the cabinet across from the fridge where all the glasses live.  I put cork on one door and metal on the other.  The after:







I can't decide if I want to put a strip of cork there in the middle or just leave it.  I do like how it turned out and it was so easy.

This was easy to a point.  I already had tin snips and I wore gloves when cutting.  The first cut is easy, then it takes awhile to get the hang of getting in and getting the second cut.  But the results are great!

I also did this to the cabinet next to the stove that hold all my baking supplies.

This way I can have my measuring cheat sheets readily available!  Sorry the pics for this side didn't come out too well, will have to take more. 

Here is a pic of my tin snipping area!  The family room floor!

It worked!  The tin I found at Lowes in the flashing/roofing section.  It was $9 for a sheet 24x24.  So not too bad.  I used the sticky squares from the cork to attach.  Worked out fine.  I really don't think DH thought I could do this on my own.  But I did!  Now on to another project.

I wonder how a mason jar pendant would look here...

I may have to do more research!

Have a great week,

Laura

;

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My Sierra Heaven

We have been going up to the Eastern Sierra's in California on vacation since before the kids were born.  It is one of our favorite places.  This summer DH decided we would go in the fall only.  But I am missing me some Sierra Heaven.  Here are a few pics to tempt you too!

This was last fall.  They had received their first snowfall a few days before.  The steam coming off the lake was amazing.  I love this pic!

This is Gull Lake in the June Lake Loop.  We went to enjoy the view after a good day of fishing.  Love the sun on the water.  Gorgeous!

This is a wonderful shot of Silver in the morning.  When the water is so still and you can see Carson Peak's reflection.  AAHH, so relaxing.

All those pics were taken last fall when DH and I went on our fall fishing trip.  DH has been going in the fall for years with the 'guys', but I could never go cause the kids were in Marching Band and your time is not yours till Thanksgiving!  Since DD graduated last year I was able to go for the first time and it was awesome! 

We caught this every day!

Our limit, every day and the vaccum sealed them up to take home!  YUM!

This is Virginia Lake, further north.  There was a foot of snow on the ground when we got there to fish.  I caught my limit before DH even caught one!  Love it! 

With scenery like this fishing is so relaxing!

Can't wait to go in 2 mos. 

Do you have a favorite vacation spot that so relaxing?

Have a great weekend.

Laura



Antique Glass

 

Back in 2009 we had our friend build us an awesome buffet to go with our new dining room set.  I had never had a buffet/hutch before, so he asked me what I wanted, then drew up the amazing plans.  I found the granite at a local yard and got it for a steal.  Here is how it looked when we first installed it.  We decided that it was a 25th anniversary present for both of us!

We added rain glass to the hutch part.  I have some of my grandmother's Jewel Tea set, plus pieces I have added,  up there.  I also have some special glass ware.

We put the wine rack in the middle both doors on either side have pull outs for easy accessability.

Here is the full view.  Love how he matched our new dining set.  The granite is rainforest green.  There are lights in the hutch, under the hutch, and in the wine rack.

(Sorry for the bad light, need to get some current pics of this!)

Back then I wanted to put an antique glass as a backsplash, like, on the back of the hutch.  But it was too expensive.  I still want that look!  I think it would be amazing with the light reflecting from above!

Well, have you seen the new Krylon Looking Glass paint!  You can turn ordinary glass to look like a mirror!  Plus you can antique it with black spray paint!  BINGO!!!

I can't wait to try it.  First I need to find it.  Here are a few examples of some great work out there on the blogsphere!

        Back to Home Design

Of course Roeshel at DIY Showoff did an amazing version.  Love!

   

An Amanda over at Burlap and Denim used it on an old door!  I want one, please.

So now I just need to find the paint and get some glass!  Here lies the dilema.  Do I get one big sheet of glass, or a few smaller ones?  And how do I attach it? 

Wouldn't something like this be awesome?  Of course I would have to find one that exactly matched.  But I totally love this look.

                         ECAB

Suggestions welcome.  Now I just need to run this by DH!  Today is our 28th anniversary, so maybe he will be more open to the idea!  ")

Have a great weekend all! 

Toodles,

Laura

 

Finding your history!

Have you ever wondered where you came from?  I mean where did your ancestors come from and who were they?  I know we have family history told to us over time, and there is family lore and stories, but as I have learned that isn't always true!

I have always been interested in genealogy.  When we got our first computer and hooked to the internet in 1998, I spent many a long night check out sites like Gen Forum and Family Search.  I was so fascinated by the intrigue as to where I came from.

A few years ago I joined Ancestry.com and found that the site really worked for me.  This is not an endosement for them, it is just what works for me.  I have enjoyed finding new facts and cousins!  I like to add pictures as well.  I think it helps to put a face with a name.  Here are a few I recently was given.

This is my great grandmother Ella Foust Strang.  Not sure when this was taken, she was born in 1863 in Michigan and that is where the picture was taken.  She married my great grandfather in 1887, so probably before then.  Here is a treasure!  This is a tintype picture of Ella's mother, Almeda Thomas, when she was 19.

Almeda was born in 1840, so this was taken in 1859.  It is 153 years old!  Amazing!  My 2nd cousin gave this to me the other day.  I was thrilled, and I love to share it on Ancestry. 

Recently Ancestry introducted their Etnicity DNA test.  So I signed up.  I figured it would come back with Eastern European, British Isles, and maybe some Native American.  But no, was I ever surprised, when it came back 61% Scandinavian!  37% British Isles and 2% Uncertian!

Those darn Vikings and the traveling and pilaging!  I guess my ancestors from France and Germany, came from further up north!  Very interesting indeed.

Recently I joind DAR, Daughters of the American Revolution.  It is a great philanthropic organization, preserving history and teaching about it as well.  In order to join you must have a blood line to a Revolutionary Patriot and the documents to prove it!  It was work, but I was thrilled when I was approved.  I am working on a few other branches in my tree too add to my membership.

There are so many resources out there now for tracking down your ancestry.  It is a lot of fun and can be time consuming, but I enjoy it.

Have fun tracking your ancestors.

Laura


DAR

My first love!

I just wanted to show you my first decorating project.  This was in 2004, and I was finally brave enough to tackle our lovely navajo white walls!  Plus there was no molding or any personality to this 80's tract house! 

The first room I tackled was the tiny powder room downstairs.  First posted on it  here.  Our downstairs is an open concept, there is really only one wall, it seperates the kitchen from the rest of the space and hold up the master bath, so it is sort of important.  The small powder room is the only room downstairs with a door.  Unless you call the closet under the stairs a room!

Here it is in it's 1980's glory:

Lovely isn't it!  and yes, it is only that wide!  And the door opened in!  Fun when you are pregnant!

So I had loved white walls, faux white marble counter's and 80's oak cabinet.  We had just had the floors done, so at least I had good baseboards!

So here is where it got fun, I decided on painting it, wait for it,     RED VELVET!

DH thought I was crazy, and my Mom told me the old addage, never paint a small room a dark color.  But I figured what the heck, it is only paint, right!

So we painted!

One coat.

Two Coats.

Three!

  It took 3 coats to get the color I wanted.  I used semi-gloss, and was using a flash here, sorry for the glare.  Next up, I was going to mosaic the counter!  Yeah I was brave!

Here goes nothing!  I really had no clue what I was doing, so had nothing to loose!

We bought some white and burgundy tiles at Lowes, and I broke them my self.  Then I found some awesome Toile tile already broken at Michaels.  It is really like putting a puzzle together.  Lay it out first then use the mastic to glue down.  Then grout!  Actually the grouting was the hardest part. 

Here she is all done and purdy!

I really love how it turned out, and still get lots of comments on it.

Here is a full view, since the room is so small hard to get a full pic.  We painted the ceiling the same color as the ceiling in the family room outside the door.  Of course I can't remember the color, but it is a pale yellow! 

All those changes were in 2004, flash forward to 2008 when we were redoing, or 'refreshing' the house. 

Ignore the blue tape, I was doing touchups!

I had the contractor add crown, and beadboard to the back wall. He also added a sill to the window. And we added a medallion and small chandy. 

Love my antique window!

I also painted the vanity white and added some embellishment

Since then I haven't done much, why mess with a good thing, right!  I did get a black toilet seat!  Yes that is what I said, a black toilet seat.  They are so vintage and you can get them on Amazon!

And recently I added a few pics of fireweed, a beautiful flower found in Alaska.  I took these pics and just bought frames at Home Goods on clearance.  Spray painted them white and voila pretty pics!

 I also hung my old curling irons up.  Sorry for the glare, hard to get a good pic in this small room

This is on the wall opposite the one above, more fireweed and a vintage map of Alaska!

I also hung a few of my cross stitch projects from over the years, next to the window.

That is is my Red Velvet Bathroom!  We have a friend that calls it the 'Bordello' Room!

Sorry for all the pics and that it was so long.  Sometimes our first project is always the one we love.

Have a great day!

Toodles,

Laura

linking to :  Metamorphisis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch