Renovation progress

Since my last post, we have progressed slowly but surely. We are so close to the finish line, but yet still so far away. See previous progress posts here and here.

Picking the perfect gray is one of my hardest challenges. I swear I tried these same colors in other rooms only to hate how they turned out elsewhere. It really goes to prove that you have to try the paint on your walls in your specific room to see if you like it. I painted this wall with my samples and left it there for a few days to see which color I liked the best at different times of day. I know it's silly, but I even put a star beside my favorite for different times of the day. The most stars by the end of my trial period WON!  I chose the bottom right sample which is Abalone by Benjamin Moore. I took a color chip to Lowe's and they did a color match for me. (I posted a page here for helpful hints when painting an interior room and choosing a color).

As you can see in these pictures, I did not paint up to the ceiling. That is intentional. We will have crown moulding to cover those areas. 

It felt like Christmas morning when my appliances were delivered! I bought them on a Black Friday sale...over a year ago. I couldn't pass up the deal, and I seriously thought we would have progressed faster than we have...

For floor prep and installation, read the tutorial here. 

These are the white shaker cabinets we chose:

Arcadia from Lowe's

Kitchen cabinets went up pretty fast once we shimmed them into place. 

*FYI, a house built in the 1950s is NOT square... That was the biggest challenge in installing the cabinets. You want to make sure the face of your cabinet is level. This may mean adding shims against the wall to achieve level.*

The easiest way to install upper cabinets is to measure 54" from the floor to the bottom of the upper cabinets. Measure and mark 54" about every 2-3 feet. Use a long level and draw a line at 54" making sure it is level. Locate your studs (usually every 16") by the knock method or using a stud locator tool. Screw a 2x4 into the studs with the top of the 2x4 even with your 54" line. This will give you a prop to rest your upper cabinets while screwing them into the studs and ensuring that they are level. IF your cabinet will not hit a stud, be sure to use sheetrock anchors. You do not want your upper cabinets crashing to the floor as soon as you fill them up with your dishes...

We will install white subway tile under the window and to the end of the cabinets.

I am so thrilled with how my barn lights above the sink turned out! Every light that I found was WAAY out of my price range. Like so:

by Barn Light Electric $148

by BarnLight Originals $97

So... being my frugal self, I KNEW I could find something cheaper than that. I found these lights at Lowe's for a whopping $31.97 each!!

Portfolio 10.75" Steel Dark Sky Outdoor Wall Light $31.97

I have Edison bulbs that I will install once construction has ceased. Those little boogers are pricey, and I've already broken one working around them.

Target $10.19

 There will be an additional cabinet on this wall to the right that will house my microwave, appliance garage, and dish drawers. That piece had to be custom and should be here soon! My chimney hood will also be above the stove with white subway tile going to the ceiling... I can't wait!

Here is a picture of our complete (minus paint) exterior renovation:

So, just to recap the progress so far:  

Before:

Progress:

(wall separating kitchen and dining room removed along with 2 interior doors being walled over)

Before: 

Progress:

(new wiring, insulation, sheetrock, paint, floor, cabinets, appliances, lighting, and exterior door)

Before:

Progress:

Stay tuned for more updates and hopefully the final reveal!!

Interior painting tips

Picking the perfect gray is one of my hardest challenges. I swear I tried these same colors in other rooms to hate how they turned out elsewhere. It really goes to prove that you have to try paint on your walls in your specific room to see if you like it. I painted this wall with my samples and left it there for a few days to see which color I liked the best at different times of day. I know it's silly, but I even put a star beside my favorite for different times of the day. The most stars by the end of my trial period WON! Silly I know, but I hate winding up with a color that I am unhappy with. I chose the bottom right sample which is Abalone by Benjamin Moore. I took a color chip to Lowe's and they did a color match for me.

To get the best results out of your interior painting, here are a few helpful hints:

• PRIME! Especially on a raw, newly mudded sheetrock wall, this is an ABSOLUTE must! Even if you mud/spackle a spot over a painted wall, prime that spot. Otherwise, you will have a different sheen to your paint due to the different absorbency of the surface. I use Kilz Latex 2 as my primer. *If you use latex as your color, use latex as your primer.* Cut in around the trim (ceiling/floor) with your primer (you don't have to paint under where you will install trim). Anywhere you want to have color, PRIME!

• Get a good roller and cut in brush. 
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• Get a good extension pole that will allow you to get almost to your ceiling. Be sure to check your pole length and compare it to your ceiling height. 
• For my paint tray, I buy an inexpensive tray that I can throw away. I'm lazy and don't like to wash it out each time. Or you can buy a good tray with disposable liners. Anything to shorten clean up time! 

•  My go-to interior wall sheen is eggshell. I do not like flat at all...unless you are painting chalk boards. Flat absorbs oil and grime and is impossible to clean. Eggshell is the perfect blend of flat and satin. I don't mind satin too much, but it can look too "plastic-y" and shiny in well-lit rooms. 
• For my trim (crown moulding, baseboards, doors, door frames, window trims, etc) I use white semi-gloss. I like that crisp "pop" that it gives. 
• I paint my trim FIRST. Be sure to allow each coat to dry before beginning the next coat. Especially with a glossy latex, if you do not give ample time to dry, the paint will pull and ball- up giving you an unflattering finish. 
• Generally, one coat of primer and two coats of color will suffice for your wall color. Since you painted your trim first, you can paint up to and even the edge of your moulding. With a wet rag, the color wipes off easily leaving a crisp, straight line. 

Vintage-chic baby shower

I love party planning and anything else that I can put my hoarded goodies to use! I jumped on the opportunity to help with my sister-in-law's baby shower. My mother-in-law was a trooper and didn't mind when we had to rearrange her furniture just for my crazy decor ideas! 

 Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE frugality?! I seriously hoard and try to DIY e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. My husband goes bananas, but has accepted my crazy antics over the years. The majority of the decor I had stashed in random places throughout the house. 

It all started with these cute invitations I ordered from "Rachelle's Printables" on Etsy. She sent the proofs the following day and was a pleasure to work with. Talk about a quick turnaround?! She has a lot of great "printables" to choose from! I printed all of the pdf's from Office Depot and bought 5x7 white envelopes from Office Depot to mail the invitations. (Click on the photos to be directed to that printable in the Etsy store).

Shower games:

#1

I spray painted small clothespins with baby pink and gold glitter spray paint. 

#2

Gift for the shower games : 

Both winners won a "baby bottle" with Essie  nail polish (pink color of course), base coat, top coat, and manicure tools. 

(This idea was inspired by CatchMyParty)

I bought "Ball" quart size mason jars with regular mouth openings. I removed the seal and pulled a wide neck nipple (Well Beginnings Fast Flow Wide Neck Silicone Nipples from Walgreen's) through the ring and screwed on. 

For decor we used mason jars, pale pink roses and baby's breath.

A cradle was used to hold gifts with a chalkboard sign on front. I wrote "gifts" with a chalk marker (from Hobby Lobby). The chalkboard came from Kirkland's.

I made the banner (tutorial here) to hang on this old window I found in my barn. I'm almost positive none of the shower guests developed lead poisoning from the old paint on this window (ha! only kidding). I tried my best to knock off the flaking paint so it didn't become a "topping" on the petit fours. I had to re-caulk many of the panes to keep them from falling out as most of the old caulk has crumbled away. Lead poisoning aside, I think it turned out perfectly "vintage chic."

The napkins were ordered from Tiny Prints (style is Printed Roses). I thought they would be white (as pictured) but they were pink with darker pink writing (you can see them on the table). I think they ended up being cute nonetheless.

Thanks to my mom, we had beautiful pink depression glass and milk glass to display all of our treats! Yes, I got a "talkin to" about how careful I better be with her heirlooms. I was as nervous as a junebug in a henhouse that I would break something. Thankfully, all pieces were returned in the condition in which I received them. Whew...

The log slices were purchased at Hobby Lobby. The chalkboard one was painted with Rustoleum's Chalkboard Paint® and written on with a chalk marker with a sweet and powerful Bible verse. 

I used antique boxes to create height to our display.

 The cake stand was purchased at Hobby Lobby. A friend of mine gave me the chandelier crystals that I thought would be a nice touch to the cake stand. The "T", "K", and "M" gold letters are also from Hobby Lobby. 

Our menu:

Ham and swiss pinwheels

petit fours (Rolen's Bakery in Dothan)

white chocolate (with pink food coloring) dipped pretzel sticks with edible gold glitter and sprinkles

quiche 

grape salad (made by Mom)

pink chocolate drizzled Oreo balls

Since we are on the subject of Oreo balls... Can I just say that I had this cute idea for pink chocolate covered Oreo's on a stick? Like so:

HA! This was what we call a Pinterest FAIL. I carefully separated the cookies, laid the stick, closed the cookies, and they broke...like every one I tried! My mother-in-law and I had a brainstorm and decided to do pink chocolate dipped Oreo balls on a stick. I crushed the Oreos and tried to make a ball thinking the Oreo icing would be enough to make them stick. It didn't. My mother-in-law had half a block of cream cheese that we mixed in to give it some stickiness. We made balls and tried dipping into the melted chocolate. The stick pulled out and the ball fell apart...fail again! So that is what led us to our final product: stickless, Oreo Balls with pink chocolate drizzle and gold glitter sprinkles. I must say, they were quite delicious and were very complimented. If only they knew how it all began!! But shhh, they never have to know ;)

 I got my paper straws from Pop Up Parties Shop on Etsy. 

 We served pink lemonade rather than punch in mason jars. 

We had fun hosting this shower, and I hope you took away some ideas for your next "vintage chic" party!

"Vintage-Chic" banner

For my sister-in-law's baby shower, we went with a vintage chic theme. I have made several banners in the past, but I wanted one with a lot of dimension and texture. 

Supplies you will need:

• twine (or any string to hang banner with)

• pennants (I chose the 5" x 8" Kraft Chip 2-Point Pennants for $3.99 from Hobby Lobby)

• scrapbook paper (I used pink and burlap paper. For 10 pennants, I used 5 sheets of each paper).

• paper doilies (Vintage Pink Doilies Die Cuts from Hobby Lobby $1.99)

• hot glue gun

• letters (3" White Lower Case Kids Play Chipboard Letters from Hobby Lobby $2.99)

• spray adhesive

• glitter

• glue dots or double-sided tape

• box blade

• hole punch

First, I had 9 pennants that I purchased...but I needed 10. Rather than buying another entire pack, I traced the pennant onto a piece of cardboard/chipboard that I already had and cut out with a box blade. I punched holes by using the same template. 

I found the easiest way to get the scrapbook paper onto the pennant was by using glue dots on the pennant and sticking it to the scrapbook paper (two pennants per page). Then, I cut alongside the pennant (raw side up) with my box blade. No tracing or scissor cutting needed! Do the same to punch holes. 

To get the layered, textured effect I used burlap scrapbook paper. I cut them in strips of 1 1/2" then folded like an accordion. 

I needed two strips to make a complete circle. (To find out how big the circle, lay your die cut inside before you cut the strips). I hot glued the two strips together to form a circle. Be sure to glue the "pleats" so it looks seamless.

Now, flip the circle to make it lay flat and start hot gluing. I didn't glue around every pleat, but enough to make it stay.

Next, take your doily and hot glue on top of your pleated circle. Can I take a second and say how amazing hot glue is?! I mean, there is no downtime in my projects because it dries almost instantly, and I can keep working (otherwise I get A.D.D. and sidetracked waiting on glue to dry) :)

I don't have a picture to show glittering the letters, but I sprayed them with spray adhesive and glittered...pretty easy!! Make sure there are no "bald" spots. If there are, spray that area and glitter again.

**Be aware that the pack of letters listed in this post contain one of each letter...I needed two "t"s. I traced the "t" onto the same cardboard/chipboard that I made the extra pennant from and cut with scissors.**

Now take your glittered letter (after the glitter/adhesive have had time to dry) and hot glue to the doily.

Lastly, thread your twine or string through your letters and hang. VOILA!! Instant decor for your party or event.