House Project: Wall Gallery

I've been working on this project while Roswelle naps during the day, and oddly enough she is napping as I write this The wall gallery was a work in progress for a couple weeks which I started back when my mom was in town.  I went up into our attic and grabbed any frame I could find; some without a glass pane, some with random art (old purchases from HomeGoods) and some from around the house.  

This is how it all started...on my floor.   I spaced out the frames and started tracing them on newspaper.  It seems like an unnecessary step but it only took 10 minutes and helped me visualize the spacing on the wall.

Above is what it looked like for a good week...I was getting comfortable with items on the wall and then started editing and updating which was the fun part. 

I bought a group 3 framed pictures of dresses for my apartment back when I was 22 and living alone in Atlanta.  They don't fit into my house aesthetic now so I deconstructed them and replaced them with personal items: a recent photo, our wedding invitation and the number 10 which is part of our address now.  I used a lot of scrapbooking items during this whole process - cheap and easy! A 10x10 piece of scrapbook photo fit perfectly in the frame and worked well as a backdrop.

I have always loved this gift bag (from my stylish friend Marcia) and I've been saving it to use as a matte in a frame.  I had the frame pictured below which doesn't have a glass insert (yet) so I cut up the bag and left the handle.  I think it's a fun fit for now.  

The frame above has come a long way.  I purchased it from Marshalls yearsssss ago.  It didn't have a glass pane and had a random photo of a green flower.  I bought an ugly old picture from a thrift store for $1 that was the same size as this frame.  I used the glass from the thrift store purchase and put scrapbook paper as a filler for now.  Does that make sense? I actually love it.

Above is another thrift store find.  It was a great frame for $1 but the cutout is an odd shape - long and slim.  A page from my calendar was the perfect fit.  To make it personal I chose the month of March and drew a heart the 21st with a pink sharpie which signifies Roswelle's birthday.  

I'm really happy with how it looks right now.  I'm not sure if I will go all the way up the wall to the top of the stairs.  I'm sure pictures will change and new frames will be put up. That's the great thing about spackle and paint, you can always change it up!

House Update: New Stove and Rug

Good news: We got our new stove and hood!! :) *happy dance*

Bad news: my camera's not working right now so these are all iPhone pictures. :/

Our oven had been acting quirky while baking with it - specifically a gas-like odor filling the kitchen.  We had the gas connection checked so we new it was just an old oven issue.  Paul and I also justified the purchase since we knew we would inevitably have to buy a new one before we put the condo up for sale one day, so we might as well enjoy it for a few years. 

Also - notice what is missing? The microwave!  We got rid of it!!  Paul and I have been avoiding using it for the past couple of months and it was easier than we thought it would be.  1) the hood looks better and 2) natural heat is healthier.  I'm a little nervous about not having a microwave with hungry screaming toddlers but we'll figure that out when we get there.

Out with the old...in with the new and improved! I love the lighting from the hood and the way it hits the backsplash.  It is a Bertazzoni range/oven with an XO hood which has the capability to recirculate the air in the room even if it isn't vented to the outside (which ours isn't since we are sandwiched between other townhouses).

A few things bother me about the picture below but I didn't want to wait to post a picture until after they are fixed (because who knows when they will be done - "winter projects"!) 

1) the backsplash needs to be filled in to the top - the microwave was 16" in height vs the 11" hood

2) the cabinets need to be repainted in general and especially where there is no paint on the side of the cabinets now that the hood is in.  **Future Project alert: I'm planning to repaint all of the cabinets this winter.  It was my first project after we were married and I just wanted to change something in the house asap which meant I didn't do the best job.  The cabinets need better quality paint, a better sand job, and more neutral color...off white? who knows.

3) The fruit bowl isn't full and there are no bananas on the banana hanger for the "after" picture. This bugs me.

{please ignore the fingerprint smudges - going to get some cleaner asap!}

Another change up that happened this week: a new living room rug!  House updates make me more excited than most things...even a new pair of shoes - I swear!  

I had been looking for a rug similar to the two below: 

{Cupcakes and Cashmere living room - so fab}

{West Elm Souk Wool Rug - I loveeed this one}

But instead - I found the one pictured below! I found it at HomeGoods in Framingham - I was soooooo excited to find exactly what I was looking for at a price I could actually afford.  

{this picture shows the true lighting the best - remember these are iphone pics}

  

One final exciting thing - I was gifted this gold flatware set from my girlfriends for my birthday.  It's from the Target Threshold line and is super affordable.  I love that Target continues to seriously step it up in at home department.  I can't wait to use these in some food shots :)

Alright - enough blogging.  I need to get the car packed and the house picked up while little peanut is napping.  We are headed to the cape for the weekend again - TGIF!  oh btw - I guess I should let y'all know I am now officially a stay at home momma! or #happyhomemaker.  It's been great so far and something I've always hoped I would be able to do.  I may get the urge to get some part-time work in a few months but for now my days are filled with feedings, diaper changes, swaddles, tummy time, target runs, and walks with the stroller.  

House Update: The Bathroom

Our bathroom got a facelift last month.  

A gallon of paint (Benj Moore Woodlawn Blue) + new curtain rod/curtain + mirror = new and improved.

Where we started:

One of the smallest changes with the biggest impact was raising the shower curtain rod.  All the curtains in our house are hung as close to the ceiling as possible - no matter how high the windows are.  It draws your eye up and creates the illusion of a taller, larger room.  I ordered a curved rod from online (the same ones that are in basically every hampton inn these days) and it definitely gives the feeling of more space when you are actually in the shower.  

Next up was finding a shower curtain that would actually be long enough from the ceiling to the floor now that I had raised everything a by at least a foot.  It's not really my thing to go to the fabric store and have one made so instead I looked at the possibility of using real curtains as a shower curtain.  

I found grommet style curtains at tjmaxx which were too short (pictured above).  However, once I realized I could use these style curtains easily with the shower curtain liner & rod, all I had to do was look online for 95" grommet curtains (product link) - found them online at bed, bath & beyond for $40 bucks (this length is not sold in stores).  BB&B is always doing 20% coupons and free shipping deals which helped the budget as well.  I ordered a linen fabric in ivory, the bathroom is so small I decided not to overwhelm the space with a pattern.  

{I was able to hang the liner in between the grommet hooks - seen above}

{I had to order two panels to fit the width and my grandmother was able to stitch them together for me during her visit in February}

{We bought this driftwood mirror on sale from pottery barn 2 years ago with gift cards...and now it finally has a home!}

Entryway Update!

Our entryway is finished! 

well...almost.  Like everything else there are always little things we need to touch up...aka paint the trim, fix the doorbell, etc (this weekend perhaps?).

BUT the big projects are officially out of the way.  Paul really stepped it up the past month so I can't help but give him all the credit. Over the past 2 months we tore up the old tile, had hardwood installed throughout the lower level and laid new tile down in the entryway landing. You can see just a little bit of the hardwood that leads down a hallway and into the guest bedroom...which we have been unofficially calling my mom's room these days since she will be staying with us for 3-4wks after sweet pea's arrival.  

Below is a picture of what was there before - this is in front of our fireplace (hopefully changing one day as well).  I unfortunately didn't get a before picture of our entryway.....ahhhhh.  But it was a dark emerald green 12x12 tile that I never liked.  It made the bottom floor feel dark and cold - which is the exact opposite of what I want in our home with the winters we face up here.

We picked a porcelain tile with a slate look.  The name is Cerim New England Slate and we ordered from Tyles by Perfection in Quincy.  They were super helpful and had a ton of selections.

{above is my favorite one}

Like I said, Paul really stepped it up.  When we pulled up the old tile the concrete below was a crumbling mess.  He laid down new cement (a few weeks prior), a self leveling compound during the week, a thin-set layer on Friday night, and then finally he and his dad cut and placed the tile on Saturday.  Paul finished it all with the grout on Sunday.  We still may coat it with a sealer.  He researched a ton and it really paid off. I couldn't be a happier wife! 

We tried a bunch of different layouts pictured below and placed our favorite tiles in the most visible spots...  We didn't get too creative - trying avoid too much cutting and possible mess-ups on his first attempt

{ta-da}

on a personal note....it's been a long sh*!!y week.  End of pregnancy is no joke...especially the first time around.  Some days I feel great but some days are ended with a teary-eyed tub soak. I try to stay positive but every now and then things get the best of me and I crumble. Work has been busy, the weather has been crap (19 degrees this morning and snowed yesterday), and the T was a mess this AM making my commute almost an hour...just to end this week on a low note.  March in Boston is literally my least favorite thing EVER.  Only thing getting me through is spending my Saturdays washing baby clothes and getting ready for her arrival :)  I'm really looking forward to a weekend of yoga, eating healthy, and relaxing with Paulliee! anywho...TGIFFFFFFFFFFF. ha!  

Dresser Re-do

I mentioned in my last post that my Mom would be staying for an entire week to help me with the nursery/house.  We did other things as well including going to spin classes together, dinner at Sweet Green (my fav), she was able to meet my midwife, and also attend the bible study that Paul and I go to every week.  I'm always telling her what I'm up to ...but it was nice for her to actually get to experience some of it with me.

She also got a lot done around the house...including painting the dresser that will serve as the changing table.  Paul bought it 10 years ago from Jordan's Furniture (a local furniture store) when he moved into the townhouse...and it is actually a great piece of furniture so I am glad we were able to repurpose it. 

I had a lot of cream and white going on in the room, so I decided to paint it a soft gray. It goes well with the crib skirt and kind of cools off the room a little bit.

{before - and if you remember I also repainted that mirror seen here}

{during - Paul spent countless hours making sure it was well-prepped}

{We used Benjamin Moore Harbor Gray in a Pearl finish}

{$1.37 brass-like knobs from home depot}

{my mom also washed all the baby clothes, blankets, sheets, etc}

{a repurposed gift box from Target}

One of the last things to go up in the nursery is the mirror above the dresser.  My mom found one from Pottery Barn outlet in Dawsonville, GA which looks very similar to the one pictured below (from insideavenue.com).  It was too big to bring up with her on her flight so it is being shipped.

Other updates:

Paint: Paul has become a painting PRO! he has literally repainted 85% of our house on his own.  And it looks SO GOOD.  I have to go back and paint the baseboards a fresh coat of white but that is easy enough for me.  I'll post some before and after pictures.  He seriously amazed me with how much he got painted this past week - and my mom was a witness!

Entryway tile: We ordered the tile and it is set to arrive next Thursday which hopefully means it will be going down next weekend.

Light Fixtures: They have ALL been replaced!  I'll do a recap/before&after post on all of them.  I'm so glad to have that behind us! 

We have little things here and there left to do but we are pretty much ready for her arrival!  The work was hard and definitely created tense moments in our house but it was all worth it and we are so proud of what we were able to finish since January. 

Keep on keepin' on....

Project are in process...

Paul and I have been working nonstop on the house - our deadline is quickly approaching!  Below are some pictures of current projects/updates that have been happening in the Lashway household.  

Paul spent a good 10 hours total sanding the dresser (he's had for years) and fixing the drawer tracks.  It is ready to be painted.  The plan is to find a subtle creamy/gray - probably going to pull a color from the grasscloth wallpaper.  I actually like the way it looks sanded - but doesn't work for the nursery.

We got the Nest!  Paul is in love.  I'm getting used to it.  It thinks it knows me and schedules itself which makes me angry sometimes when it sets itself to 62 while it is below 20 outside.  But we are getting used to each other. :) I do love the fact that we can change the temp while laying in bed and have it warm up before we get home! We were able to get a rebate with our purchase and the nest should heat/cool more efficiently and save us money in the end.

Paul is becoming a spray painting pro.  I'm going through a golllllllldddddd phase this year but instead of making any big gold purchases for the house...I'm instead spray painting a bunch of little things in the house that I didn't love before, but I love now that they are gold.  Below is a little table to go by the rocker in the nursery.  

We had the basement floors replaced with hardwood but are keeping tile in the little entry space we have.  With New England winters it just wouldn't make sense to put hardwood there.  BUT with all projects, there was a little bit of a delay, we ripped up the tile and found that the concrete had disintegrated near the door.  Paul tore up the adhesive/old concrete and replaced concrete with a new stronger patch.  Once this cures - he will be laying down new tile.  

{becoming quite the handyman}

We have these white spackle spots ALL over our house....

Sunday night we painted this section...Monday night we painted the basement hallway...little by little, wall by wall, this house will be completely repainted.  Plan is to be done by March 2nd!

Sidenote -->  Paul and I are big on "squatting" in our house whenever we can (as seen above).  Painting, folding laundry, watching tv.  It's a position that should be natural to us but because we have become a culture that sits insteads of squats...it has become really difficult for most people to hold for over a minute.  I also haven't talked much about my pregnancy/birth plan on the blog...but I am really, really hoping for an all natural birth.  I've been preparing as much as I can with yoga, exercise and practicing my squat.  Your pelvis is open 30% more in the squat position....I'll just leave it at that.  :)  If you are interested in learning more about a squat challenge that you can do at home click here: https://www.facebook.com/portal.ido?filter=3

Projects that have been completed: Both bathrooms have been repainted/redecorated.  Guest bedroom completely redone.  2 light fixtures are left to be delivered and then all light fixtures in the house will have been replaced! Posts on all that fun stuff coming up.  

My Mom, Mammie, Carson and his friend Jeff are arriving tomorrow for the weekend!!  We are excited to have a house full of family :)  My mom is actually staying through next Saturday to help me with the house/nursery/anything and everything in between.  Very excited to have them here!

Progress Report: Nursery!

First off - it's really hard for me to blog about the nursery today since it's not DONE.  There are so many things that I want to say..."a painting is going here" "this isn't staying like this" "the needs to be hung" etc... but I'm gonna go ahead and show the progress we made in just 1 month! I started ordering/researching items at the beginning of January, we had the room painted 2 wkds ago and the wallpaper was hung this past weekend!

There are so many people that helped with the nursery...Jenny found the crib on craigslist (she is such a deal finder! amazing), my mom gifted the rocker, and my father-in-law Ross spent 12 hours on Saturday hanging wallpaper and trim for his little granddaughter! Paul and I couldn't have made this room come together without everyone's help - many many thanks!

**alsooooo.  I know, I know, I KNOW some elements of this nursery are not realistic when she is a toddler.  I get it.  Just let me live in my dream-like, ignorant, kid-less state for now.  :) 

The grasscloth wallpaper was an inexpensive project (albeit labor intesive) that made a huge impact on the room. I found the wallpaper on americanblinds.com (exact product link), ordered samples, and then made the decision.  We bought the trim at home depot and cut to size.  In total it was a $150 project that was worth every penny.  The ceilings/walls are so tall that the furniture was almost floating in a big space of cream paint before the grounding border went up.

{before}

{after}

{before}

{after}

Some other nursery details....

Two PBkids chandeliers my mom found at the outlets years ago for my wedding reception...seen below: 

The ceilings are too tall and room is too large for these small chandeliers but I knew I wanted use them....at first I deconstructed an Ikea standing lamp and hung from there...so I could just plug into the wall. Then Paul actually had the grand idea of just removing the cord from the lamp and hanging from a hook in the little nook we created...genius! and so obvious? couldn't believe I didn't think of it!

Paul and I have become 'electricians' in the past month...I use that term loosely...BUT we have hung countless light fixtures...and I have 'spliced' (is that the right term?) or connected outlet cords to a chandelier fixtures.  There was a little scare - I was sitting on the couch attaching the cords, plugged it in, turned it on, and POW an explosion right in my lap...I was fine but scared and the pillows might have a few burn marks on them.  I learned my lesson tho! back awayyyy when testing your electrical work.  Once you connect a chandelier to an outlet cord, the possibilities of where it can go are endless! And don't worry, we used plastic connectors, electrical tape and then covered in white duct tape - it's safe. 

{where they hang now}

Another cheap, cheap project is spray painting this Ikea shelf gold.  $40 shelf unit + $3can of spray paint. done. 

Since our baby is going to be a girl (at least that is what we are expecting), I am able to use my wedding veil and pink sash in the nursery.  

The wedding veil is being hung over the crib and the sash is draped along the curtain rod.  So happy to be able to reuse these precious pieces! 

and....to show you there is still a lot left to do...here is the other corner of the room.  The dresser is down in the garage getting prepped for paint.  Mirror is on it's way and paintings are in the works...

I'll be updating again soon - the plan is to have everything done by Sunday March 2nd!

also - I will list out where everything is from in the end, but most things are from wayfair, overstock, ikea, homegoods and craigslist. 

House Update: Master Bedroom Painted

We've had some rooms painted! 

Today I'm just going to quickly show you our bedroom.  Very slight change in color but big impact, I think at least.  Since the beginning of this month we have painted both bathrooms, the guest bedroom in the basement, and most recently we had the nursery and our room painted (both rooms have extremely tall ceilings so we couldn't do ourselves).

It's a very similar color...which made sense to me since I have already decorated our room to go with a neutral gray tone.  But the new color has a little more cream in it than the blue/gray before.  It's Benjamin Moore Titanium.

Can you see the difference below? I can!! Also...we didn't have any extra paint of the original colors...but now we can hang things, change our minds, spackle, and repaint! It's sooo liberating!

{Left: test spot; Right: finished!}

I tested out the color in a few different spots in the room.  One of the first test spots was right by my night stand.  The color change was the first thing I saw when I woke up and I wanted to know what my immediate raw feeling would be in the morning when I saw it.  

The color was originally chosen to possibly be the color for the majority of the house (which is the process of being repainted...room by room).  You can see the two of the samples on the mantel and then I threw them up on the bedroom wall - I'm so much happier with it as our bedroom color!  The left color is Benjamin Moore Wedgewood Gray.

You can see a big difference in the colors in the picture above.  Also, a picture below to show the contrast it has with the basic white trim.  Btw - repainting trim, baseboards, and doors is one of my new favorite things...while it's a painful and annoying process...it makes a HUGE impact on my perception of a room.

A few other things that will be blogged about soon.....nursery (crib is up and curtains have been hung!); the guest bedroom (you can see the new color for the rest of our house...it's called Tyler Gray by Benjamin Moore); our bathroom, and a photo gallery/collage (they are so hard for me!?!)...anywho, lots coming your way!

Old color is on the right and new color is on the left in the bedroom.  I love it for main color of our house - I told paul I would drink it if I could ;) It's Benjamin Moore Tyler Gray.

Let there be Light!

I've mentioned that we are currently working non-stop on the house (thank goodness for online orders!!  I'm getting a little to used to getting a package everyday).  

I've spent countless hours on overstock, wayfair, craigslist and discount sites like ballard design, joss&main, and onekingslane....looking for the perfect and AFFORDABLE light fixtures.  My budget was pretty tight - trying to spend less than $50 on hallway fixtures, and around $100-$150 on main fixtures like the living room and kitchen.  

I was able to find some that I'm really excited about (they are being installed this weekend! - paul is becoming an expert): 

Over the Kitchen table: 

{Metal-rimmed Off White 20-inch Chandelier}

Living Room: 

{Jada Clear Glass Beads Flush Mount Chandelier in Brushed Oak}

Hallway & Entryway: 

{Left: from Joss&Main Nuvo Lighting Decker Semi-flush Mount (was on sale), Right: from Home Depot Progress Lighting 3-light Flushmount}

**flush mounts are sooooo hard for me to pick out - I can't stand the standard dome ones - and most I like are around $100 a piece - not friendly for my budget when I need to buy at least 5 or 6!

Joss&Main is a great source for lighting sales - they have a great one going on now through Saturday! Below are some of my favorites:

{Springfield Chandelier in Satin Nickel}

{Warren Convertible Pendant I in Antiqued Brass - really thinking about grabbing this!}

{Ashbury Semi-Flush Mount in Antique Gold}

{Calhoun Pendant - for the bigger budget}

{Equinox 4-Light Pendant in Burnished Silver}

Below are some more finds from Overstock: 

{Shea 9-light Chandelier - loved but over my budget}

{Quoizel 'Mirren' 5-light Chandelier}

{Left: Angelo Antique Copper Lantern Chandelier, Right: Antique Copper-Finish 60-Watt Glass Lantern Chandelier}

{Left: Antique Copper Finish Glass Lantern Flushmount Chandelier, Right: Vintage Elle 1-light Matte Pendant (super affordable only $35!!)}

If anyone else has some great finds, please send my way! We still have 2 more fixtures to replace...

I'll be posting updates next week from this weekend's upgrades in the Lashway home.

A Fresh, Clean Start

I love decorating for Christmas.  But I love taking it all down just as much - or at least I did this year.  Maybe with the baby on the way I felt the need to get our house in order just a little bit more than usual.  We took our Christmas decorations down before New Year's Eve and it honestly felt really nice to start the year off with a clean, organized house.  Of course one of my focal points was the mantel, there is very little on it now and it makes me really, really happy. 

{view from Christmas}

{view from New Year's Day}

I bought a 2014 Rifle Paper calendar at a little shop in San Fran when we were there.  I love the prints each month and the colors work really well with my decorating style.  Typically you would frame or hang a calendar, but for now, ours is resting high up on the mantel. 

{I love all of Rifle Paper Co. calendars - bought the Secret Garden one for my mom as well!}

Below are a few months I'm really looking forward to turning to this year: 

{Our baby's arrival month and Washington D.C. happens to be the location of Paul's and my first date <3 }

{our little one will be a few months old - maybe we will take a ferry ride over to Nantucket for my birthday in July}

{would go back to San Fran in November every year if I could}

Some other updates:

Paul and I are feverishly preparing our house for sweet pea's arrival.  We are both leading a few projects that we plan to complete before April 7th (3 months from today!!)  I'll be posting the finished results I'm sure, and maybe a few progress posts in between.

Nursery: all me! I've been on overstock, wayfair, craigslist, ikea, etc to be able to furnish her room on a reasonable budget (with a few gifted items as well - thanks mom!)  I have it all planned out and will hopefully be able to share it soon.

Basement: Paul is leading the way on getting our dark green (god-awful) tile floor replaced with a warmer, brighter hardwood.  I plan to paint the walls and set up the guest room down there for my mom's visits that are sure to become more frequent.

Light fixtures: It's time to replace the fixtures the builder selected 13 years ago with some that fit our home's style a little better. A few are arriving from overstock next week!

Paint: We are in the middle of picking out paint for the entire house.  It hasn't been painted since it was built and is in desperate need of a fresh coat.  I actually enjoy painting and plan to do one room at a time.  

oh and a Gun License: Paul wanted me to add that he is currently lining up classes and exams to obtain his MA gun/hunting license so he can go hunting with his Dad this Fall and get our daughter some local grassfed meat for the winter!

That's it for now! and by the way - War Eagle! SUCH a great season - unexpectedly :)  

Already excited for next season!