I am getting a new kitchen!

Yes, you read that correctly... I am getting a NEW kitchen!!  But it will be over period of time, ha ha.  For now all I am going to tell you is that walls have been repainted, shelves are being emptied, interiors painted and lined plus baskets and jars are being collected.  And there might even be a new light fixture or two involved... (thats still in the discussion stage...)  And the best thing about the "NEW" kitchen is the cost will be fairly minimal.  Currently the only expense we are looking at is a gallon of paint, a single light fixture, a new countertop, and ... a NEW STOVE.  My current one has issues such as burning the bottoms of muffins while leaving the tops underdone, warped interior, failing elements, and a quirky thermostat... just to name a few.

The new color is Ralph Lauren's Tomato as seen here.

Here is a progression of what our kitchen has looked like:

The previous owner's decor and paint scheme.

What used to be the current look pre-flooring.

I can hardly wait to show you what all I have up my sleeve but it will have to wait a bit longer as we have a few family obligations to attend to first!

But here are a few inspiration photos to give you a better idea of what "we" are planning.

via  http://www.designsponge.com/2009/05/sneak-peek-lucy-allen-gillis.html

via http://www.designsponge.com/2010/03/sneak-peek-emersonmade-2.html

via http://www.designsponge.com/2010/03/sneak-peek-emersonmade-2.html

Have a Happy Independence Day

aka 4th of JULY!

Thank you for the thoughts and prayers!

I just wanted to say thank you for ALL of your thoughts and prayers during this trying time.  Things are going much better and we were able to have many questions that have lingered in our minds for years answered.  Some good, some not so good but all brought peace of mind.

So once again thank you and know that your kind words meant more to me than I can ever express!!

Taking time away to regroup....

Well friends I am afraid I am going to be gone for a while... right now my head and heart are just not in my blog or much of anything for that matter.  Please keep me in prayer as I am going through a VERY difficult time right now.  I received news yesterday that my dad died almost a month ago.... apparently there has been no known next of kin on all documents.  In fact right now I am trying to track down death certificate, coroner, etc as I am the only next of kin since my parents divorced after I graduated from high school.  Lets just say the whole thing reads like some weird mystery novel or soap opera.  I will be back... in time.  But for now, well life needs my full attention or at least what I can give.  Thankfully I have a family who is pulling around me right now and I know the Lord will give me the strength to continue on.

Toodles....

Paint, paint, and more paint!

Have I got some surprises up  my sleeves for you!  Well for my whole family in all honesty... our youngest is the only one who is completely in the know and he's keeping mum!

All I can say is...

PAINT

Paint

 and

MORE PAINT

(Have you noticed how odd the word paint looks when you write it betimes?)

(okay if you haven't noticed I have a thing for archaic words... ha ha)

Yes we are talking multiple rooms, furniture, and accessories! Once done our eldest will have a "new" bedroom, the brand new half bath will be accessorized, and we will have a "new" kitchen.  The cost is being kept at a minimum with paint, "found" accessories, and a few new items such as shelf brackets from Ikea.  Yep we are planning a DAY trip to Ikea... hopefully tomorrow depending on how my sweet husband feels.  Otherwise we will head down to Indy for a day of shopping instead... 

Hope you have a great week!

Hopefully I'll be back later this week with updates but I won't make any promises as we have a birthday to celebrate!

An afternoon spent with FIVE 12 to 13 year old boys!

(we are praying for warm temperatures so they can spend the afternoon swimming!)

The Addition is DONE....

... now the work FUN begins!

The Family room

A view of the pool and soon to be patio area

The other side of the family room.

The sweet powder room!

The guest/music/craft/exercise room.

The exercise/storage alcove in the "guest/craft" room.

Can you tell I am trying to stake my claim on this room?

Because one, possibly two other somebodies are trying to make it into their space as well!

One day this "alcove" might become a walk-in closet but for now it will hold the Bowflex and shelves for craft supplies.

Do you see that gorgeous door?  Well we found out they go on sale on a regular basis... and we get a 10% military discount on top of it.  So one by one the remainder of the doors in the house are going to be replaced with these arched beauties.

Now the work FUN begins.... and I already found the most incredible chair already!

Aegean Dreams... a desk makeover

Did you see the desk makeover I started last week?  The one seen here.

Well here she is in all her new glory!  And do you know what makes it so sweet?  My husband wasn't too sure when I mentioned painting the desk this color.  And now he LOVES it!  He loves how it brings out the colors in the painting above it and how the hardware really coordinates with the frame.

And I didn't spend a DIME!! 

 The spray paint, the hardware, the desk paint... all items we already had from previous projects or things which had been given to us.

(I just noticed a couple of spots where I had some paint over-spray.  It will be cleaned up SOON!)

Linky Parties:

Vintage Revivals: Look What I Found Fridays

My mediterranean inspired desk (edited to include final picture!)

You know how we have this addition being built, right?  Well now the re-decorating bug has bit me... plus the crafting bug.  So I am going to start posting some of my "projects" since I can't get into the addition yet.  OH yeah I haven't shared the latest in our series of adventures or should that be our mis-adventures.  Remember the gorgeous flooring I was telling you about... well it came in early!!  And our contractor picked it up.  And I took a look at it later in the day and.... it was the WRONG flooring.  So we called Lowe's and apparently the company (Pergo or possibly Lowe's) shipped out the WRONG flooring.  So now we are waiting for it to come in which means it has to sit in the house for ANOTHER 48 hours once it arrives which means it will be NEXT week before the project is done.  I am trying to stay calm... and have succeeded so far.  But if I have to listen to the painter's music another hour I might scream.... its not loud or even bad but its not my taste.  In fact I rarely play music because I like the sound of silence.  I know crazy, huh?!? But what can I say, give the sound of the wind whistling or the birds chirping and I am one happy girl.  Or for that matter the sound of the ocean breaking on the beach or rocks plus the sound of gulls screaming, the smell of brine, wild roses and wild beach plums... far better than any artificial fragrance known to mankind.  The more you see of our home the more you will see what inspires me, God's creation, more specifically the ocean.

Do you see my lovely lady? 

I got her at a friend's yard sale about 10 years ago and she got her at a yard sale about 20 years prior to that from 2 lovely sisters who were cleaning out the old family estate.

This little lady had been in their family for a good 40 to 50 years!

Time has not been kind to her or more accurately the movers have not been good to her.

So I knew it was time for a little updating...

Here she sits now waiting her new handles and a bit more polish on her dainty feet

(plus another coat of paint)
(edited: I forgot to mention I ran out of paint prior to getting the legs and interior done... so it will be off to pick up more paint either later tonight or tomorrow! Thanks Gail for catching that!)

See what I mean about my love of the sea and all its glory!  Do you see the picture hanging above my desk?  Well I bought it while in college from a little gallery owned by an acquaintance.  

It's a coastal village in France.

My dream (the coastal village but necessarily in France.)

When I look at it I can hear the cry of the gulls, smell the savory brine of fish and warm coastal breezes, taste the salt on my lips, and almost feel the sun warming my skin.

But for now I am content to dream and to linger in the faint memories of my early childhood.

And now for the final reveal....

Isn't she the sweetest thing around?!

And do you know what's crazy???
I've been trying to convince my husband that she would look great painted like this for the past couple of years.  (let's just say we agreed to disagree on the matter so I decided to bide my time....)
Now he LOVES this desk when before he merely liked her.
(and I see versions of her popping up all over the internet!  Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought she would look adorable with a bit of a make-over!)

Linked to:

 
I was caught: