So Long Faux, Hello Greek Villa!

Here's a sneek peek of my kitchen paint re-do. 

You can see my previous house tour post here. I liked our house before, but it was just WAY too many faux finishes!

Our house was a 'show home' and my husband hated to paint over these faux finsihes:

"people pay BIG money for faux finishes." Well, I agree! But, there is a thing as TOO much. 

It doesn't make it 'special' when there's TOO much of it. 

(The ceiling over the chandelier is fauxed, the tiles floors 'look' fauxed. The walls just competed.)

I felt like the walls were just 'dirty'. I like a clean crisp look.

Well,, here's a sneek peek at our kitchen...it's still a work in progress!

But, I am SO happy with the paint change! It's Sherwin Williams Greek Villa. 

BEFORES: 

AFTERS:

 

 

(The chalkboard I talked about here .Will go over the bombay chest.)

 

Did you notice my new chandelier?! LOVE IT!!!!

XOXO

 

Follow me to watch the progress

Linking to:

Monday:

It's So Very Cheri

Cottage Instincts



Tuesday:

Reinvented

Today's Creative Blog

New Nostalgia

Lucky Star Lane





Wednesday:

My Backyard Eden

Blue Cricket Design

Trendy Treehouse

The Thrifty Home

Sew Much Ado

Saturday Mornings

Life In My Pj's



Thursday:

Life as Lori

Somewhat Simple

The Shabby Chic Cottage

Beyond The Picket Fence

Cheap Thrills Thursday



Friday:

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Frugal and Fabulous

The Shabby Nest

Furniture Feature Friday

Flaunt it Friday

Remodelaholic

Simply Designing

Frugalicious Friday

Room Re-mix Paint Party


Saturday:

Perfectly Imperfect

Big 'ol confession!

I have a confession....It's not like an Oprah confession or anything, but i'm still not proud of it.  I just needed to do it! I need someone else!! I needed validated! So, I consulted....an interior decorator! And it felt GREAT!!

If you look through my House Tour Post, you'll see I've been contemplating this not so new anymore house.

I've got SO many ideas circling through my brain 24/7! But, I always hesitate...doubt myself. I let fear hold me back! What if I spend this money or time on something and it's all wrong!

Well, I was validated! And the best part...in front of the hubby! Every piece of 'junk' I brought home and had envisioned a certain way or in a certain place was validated!! YEAH!!!

So, I've been in the process over the last 6 months or so of implementing my visions!

I've got a lot of Before's (my to-do list grows everyday) and not so many After's. But I've been trying to get a project done a week and still manage to blog about it, keep up with my part-time turned full-time job, take care of my newly diagnosed diabetic daughter, and manage 2 kids and their never ending activities!

I will do my very best to show you the AFTER's, But I'll also show you some BEFORE's (those are the one's w/out the AFTER's waiting to be done, I've got a ton).

Let's start with one now, shall we: 

The "decorator" suggested I place a chalkboard over this Bombay chest in our kitchen.

Well, I said "Great...I've got a ton of frames in the basement. I'll paint and make one."  So, off we went to the basement to pick out the perfect frame. Now, I love over sized furnishings and yet none of my frames seem to be large enough...according to the 'decorator'. So, it's been on my mind/list to have my eyes open for an extremely large frame...like gi-normous!!

Well...here it is! (the Bombay chest is behind it, for now)

As you can see by the picture...it's almost as large as my 11 year old! Seriously!
( I LOVE HER-the 11 year old!!)

I think it was a mirror that broke and it was super cheap at Hobby Lobby as is. But, I've been searching high and low for good details and something the decorator thought would work!

The bad thing is....this is a BEFORE photo and the AFTER goes on my to-do list! Another project for when the snow melts and the sun shines! But I do LOVE it!!

We've changed furniture, we've painted, we've switched out lighting, we have done a ton,
so stay tuned to other 'decorator' suggestions that are slowly being implemented...

Monday:

 

It's So Very Cheri

Cottage Instincts



Tuesday:

Reinvented

Today's Creative Blog

New Nostalgia

Lucky Star Lane





Wednesday:

My Backyard Eden

Blue Cricket Design

Trendy Treehouse

The Thrifty Home

Sew Much Ado

Saturday Mornings

Life In My Pj's



Thursday:

Life as Lori

Somewhat Simple

The Shabby Chic Cottage

Beyond The Picket Fence

Cheap Thrills Thursday

Friday:

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Frugal and Fabulous

The Shabby Nest

Furniture Feature Friday

Flaunt it Friday

Remodelaholic

Simply Designing

Frugalicious Friday

Saturday:

Perfectly Imperfect

Valentine Scarf Wreath

I always find it hard to decorate for Valentine's Day.

The decorations usually come in bright reds and pinks mixed with roses and carnations, And although I like those things...it just doesn't seem to fit in to the 'season'.

 Its cold, snowy and gloomy here in northern Wisconsin....So, I'm thinking cozy, warm, fuzzy still!

Well, on a recent trip to Goodwill I found myself drawn to these scarves in various colors of pink.  

I was thinking that the warm and cozy scarves would still be 'wintery' and yet the pink would be bright and cheerful and that these would fit into the Valentine's Day theme. For $1.99 each I decided I'd make a Valentine's wreath fit for winter!

For one wreath, I took a coat hanger and shaped it into a heart. For the other wreath I used picture wire.

I simply 'threaded' the wire through the fabric. (We can actually use these as scarves some day!)

and duct taped the ends of the wire together.

 

 And now I have a warm and fuzzy wintery Valentine's Day wreath!

XOXO

Linking to:

A BUCK

Guess how much I paid for this.....

Yep...a buck! :)

Cute, right?

Perfect color for my house...and I can set it out in the fall and pack it away in the spring!

Thank you Goodwill.

 

linking to:

'Roadkill' turned bedside table

My husband hates it when I pick up 'roadkill'! When I 'dumpster' dive! But, I LOVE it!!!  Nothing beats the feel of 'saving' a furniture life! Getting something for FREE....especially furniture!!! I love fancy furniture. Pieces with scrolls and good lines...It can be expensive!

I don't mind if it's dirty...

 If' it's dark and worn...

Nothing a little elbow grease and paint can't clean up....

So, my husband should feel good when I pick up 'roadkill', right?

Link'n up: (i'm learning how to do this...)

Monday:
It's So Very Cheri
Cottage Instincts


Tuesday:
Reinvented
Today's Creative Blog
New Nostalgia
Lucky Star Lane


Wednesday:
My Backyard Eden
Blue Cricket Design
Trendy Treehouse
The Thrifty Home
Sew Much Ado
Saturday Mornings
Life In My Pj's

Thursday:
Life as Lori
Somewhat Simple
The Shabby Chic Cottage
Beyond The Picket Fence
Cheap Thrills Thursday



Friday:
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Frugal and Fabulous
The Shabby Nest
Furniture Feature Friday
Flaunt it Friday
Remodelaholic
Simply Designing
Frugalicious Friday

Saturday:
Perfectly Imperfect

January is for Snowmen

I've been wanting to frame a picture my son drew when he was 5 or so. He's 14 now. Where does time go?

I bought the frame for a few dollars (I've had it for a while along with others) and more than likely it was a 50% off tag!

I spray painted it Heirloom White and glazed it with Burnt Umber.

I stuck double sided tape on the backside of the cardboard picture using it as my mat.

Isn't it a great way to hang on to childhood?

I think I'll link to a few parties:

Master Bedroom Inspiration

How did Pottery Barn know that I needed a master bedroom re-do?!
Just look at those lamps....

Organize My Blog

Oh my! It's been a while since I've sat down to blog about anything. It's like re-learning everything!  There are so many parties out there talking about organizing. And since I am a pretty organized person to begin with, I really don't have much to contribute there. Well, I'm sure if I look hard enough (and maybe not all that hard) I could find somthing to organize, clean up, pack, unpack, repack, move around...etc. But, none as fun and 'resolution' meeting as cleaning up and organizing my blog page.
I love reading others blogs. I really do! It's an addiction. There are some more than others that catch my eye. So, I guess, those are my inspirations!
I'd like to keep it simple, clean and a reflection of me...we'll see what I come up with by days end!

Happy NEW Year

What a year 2010 was! I'm not sad to see it go...

Life as I knew it was put on hold. God has something else in store for me! My daughter was really sick. REALLY sick! It took a year to figure out was wrong with her. She was diagnosed with diabetes and is doing SO much better. (I could go into detail of my terrible year, but seriously, I know others have worse things going on. We are thankful that we have answers to what has been a terrible year...that's all!)

A new year, means just that NEW year! Time to accept the things we can not change and the wisdom to know the difference, right?!

I'm ready to get back to 'normal' in some aspects of my life and ready to move forward on others. I had dreams and goals before and now am ready to start where I left off! Ready to get back to decorating (which never really stopped), ready to blog about it (sorry just couldn't do it), ready to start my business (never really fueled it), and now ready to start back up with everything!

Bring it 2011....i'm ready for ya!