tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66346850746236145382024-02-19T16:22:07.664-06:00How Lovely You Are...Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634685074623614538.post-63449166193630202802012-03-27T12:34:00.001-05:002012-03-27T12:42:36.259-05:00it's been awhile...master bathroom progress<div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">sooo....it's been awhile since i've posted here! my apologies...i have learned that when you're actually remodeling a house, working on 17 simultaneous projects at once & traveling for your job....well, blog updates have definitely taken a back seat to actually getting things done! the good news is that a lot has happened since the last time i posted. we are nearly finished with our entire house remodel & couldn't be more thrilled. i am looking forward to sharing the updates here for our family & friends to see. and, we CAN'T WAIT to host our first house guests next weekend, too!! dianna, kevin, dakeeta & mike....we are counting down the days to your visit. our house should be complete just in the nick of time! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">where to start? well, when we saw our home for the first time we knew instantly that if we were going to purchase this house, the master bath would need a complete overhaul. the most glaring offense being that it was covered in carpet...yes, wall-to-wall carpet in the bathroom! and not just our master bathroom but each of the three guest baths as well. apparently carpeting your bathroom was quite the thing to do in the early '90's! having to overhaul the bath really seemed like a treat to me. i am a huge bath-taker & have always dreamed of a tranquil setting for my evening ritual. here's what the master bath looked like when we took possession in december:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_EqaKweOKGq6ioVdB5R3I91mibhCjueEOV-08fU3d0J73MIdpTkIX3BGGgGa0FCPxaxjh2eMsigMXqCNgUUUTuvC5TQp7Z33o0PkZcyJSECC8mlqqghh5xFREc-M0Y3rA-kLyCwXj1k/s1600/IMG_5425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_EqaKweOKGq6ioVdB5R3I91mibhCjueEOV-08fU3d0J73MIdpTkIX3BGGgGa0FCPxaxjh2eMsigMXqCNgUUUTuvC5TQp7Z33o0PkZcyJSECC8mlqqghh5xFREc-M0Y3rA-kLyCwXj1k/s640/IMG_5425.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">giant corner tub...taking up so much real estate</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6z5X0ZV8qgTYZ4GgM58fFxGhBDMHfkXk8d25sohQDIBXpEAcJCY1rFgOUZlgR8z6kGG5Z5U6MitZ-9eYp_Hk6rMA3k9ehGJmrQHeUSkZQUyDP0nc1QQgUdO-z-Mwx97ZJWyPneJ1fbzI/s1600/IMG_5431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6z5X0ZV8qgTYZ4GgM58fFxGhBDMHfkXk8d25sohQDIBXpEAcJCY1rFgOUZlgR8z6kGG5Z5U6MitZ-9eYp_Hk6rMA3k9ehGJmrQHeUSkZQUyDP0nc1QQgUdO-z-Mwx97ZJWyPneJ1fbzI/s640/IMG_5431.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">m snapping a self-portrait in the vanity area!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGFxgtpnZ4iFqKRlAkCeBGOKaMlE077WFr-JfznpOlcij2xWevpEXQdRKu_L93ZQSrpQGPR-scsVyP0LsOu7uT-CVjEBdhcH6BYI8n9DGvomonGTay-LMizmZ7ntdvZbAI6tNVQ_Pghs/s1600/IMG_5428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGFxgtpnZ4iFqKRlAkCeBGOKaMlE077WFr-JfznpOlcij2xWevpEXQdRKu_L93ZQSrpQGPR-scsVyP0LsOu7uT-CVjEBdhcH6BYI8n9DGvomonGTay-LMizmZ7ntdvZbAI6tNVQ_Pghs/s640/IMG_5428.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shower situation...bench making space much smaller than it actually is</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiwdlTav896CcZtu512VimtLTzv5fEpXjRweMZ2SLNSaWl8DBTeOozzzSW-pnGpE_r7GJaNDhyX1uu44aUkYecy35xCZh3ytLBMMlc9c8C019KGIO0chQBWg1_vfKEIiPAH2qVAwP35Y/s1600/IMG_5430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiwdlTav896CcZtu512VimtLTzv5fEpXjRweMZ2SLNSaWl8DBTeOozzzSW-pnGpE_r7GJaNDhyX1uu44aUkYecy35xCZh3ytLBMMlc9c8C019KGIO0chQBWg1_vfKEIiPAH2qVAwP35Y/s640/IMG_5430.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vanity....wall-to-wall mirrors with matching lighting</td></tr>
</tbody></table> definitely not too terrible, right?! the layout actually works & the cabinetry was in great shape. we knew that we wanted to update the lighting/mirror situation, sinks & counter tops, tub, shower, flooring....okay...so almost everything!! what happened next was a lot of this: <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJj_85H0ztXdAsZKtFEjvodvH_I57AIzTYNN6FVybN6XedkrPVZH4J2fVuFZfiotoUSqMASPcEZBXSKl32OzkLZvVexuxkPsOVylqvSXSr-LS6sXjuQhA6oURbssdev-0KQbGhB8ZtcU/s1600/IMG_5736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJj_85H0ztXdAsZKtFEjvodvH_I57AIzTYNN6FVybN6XedkrPVZH4J2fVuFZfiotoUSqMASPcEZBXSKl32OzkLZvVexuxkPsOVylqvSXSr-LS6sXjuQhA6oURbssdev-0KQbGhB8ZtcU/s640/IMG_5736.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shower is gone!<br />
(small room to the left is private toilet area)</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjN2UI2uafv5DTuFTJHW-uqWClUnQjH3Rnccw5Qy73bhGu60nf0DIJTn8YcpX33YWX12TEDmCGdKq9TOcu-kZ3zTE0-XOqi8N4Ys4ylR77m3v9_INhbT1d2T2m_9xi_B3cHfCJTNusmeQ/s1600/IMG_5743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjN2UI2uafv5DTuFTJHW-uqWClUnQjH3Rnccw5Qy73bhGu60nf0DIJTn8YcpX33YWX12TEDmCGdKq9TOcu-kZ3zTE0-XOqi8N4Ys4ylR77m3v9_INhbT1d2T2m_9xi_B3cHfCJTNusmeQ/s640/IMG_5743.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">total destruction</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqwAWnRjnag5pnpJ_l43aFZOUuFXMDw0pJUjbjUFbEUq1jY1dKiufnXXgXi4PuaqUjeIZqzLDI60TnpqP-dtNKC7cEFBixplRuQN25HPURwMKQ8Fx4EwbRi2KWK9T6cPDue_qjD1wWLw/s1600/IMG_0465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqwAWnRjnag5pnpJ_l43aFZOUuFXMDw0pJUjbjUFbEUq1jY1dKiufnXXgXi4PuaqUjeIZqzLDI60TnpqP-dtNKC7cEFBixplRuQN25HPURwMKQ8Fx4EwbRi2KWK9T6cPDue_qjD1wWLw/s640/IMG_0465.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bye-bye corner tub</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SS7-Wh4nvX0izK3axCMzEGR-GD2RF2UX6h2xkjtO-keZ_K_385AV2Jv1DqbWO1iYwEmRg3eWidYfOftudAzQXVrIsrly0AKeOwxMJaoFK32lUvkEKU1Hf9JwbFeospiU6hki4ZFMrBo/s1600/IMG_0683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SS7-Wh4nvX0izK3axCMzEGR-GD2RF2UX6h2xkjtO-keZ_K_385AV2Jv1DqbWO1iYwEmRg3eWidYfOftudAzQXVrIsrly0AKeOwxMJaoFK32lUvkEKU1Hf9JwbFeospiU6hki4ZFMrBo/s640/IMG_0683.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shower tiling in action...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUY18IORBcmFt2w6hQO87esFNtOS99zwcsY1bLmOnDU_MT1F9aGot35aPHIODv8UzvWubP8JyZe9rCOsVUeyuAYe6AKyDUCxiNAkk1uVDDvm12Dbri9Xkg-jYdM-2fLf1_Js6h1S2_80/s1600/IMG_0686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUY18IORBcmFt2w6hQO87esFNtOS99zwcsY1bLmOnDU_MT1F9aGot35aPHIODv8UzvWubP8JyZe9rCOsVUeyuAYe6AKyDUCxiNAkk1uVDDvm12Dbri9Xkg-jYdM-2fLf1_Js6h1S2_80/s640/IMG_0686.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more tiling in progress....almost finished!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArPYeZlEJv6vxFBmKqOHDiWJyBK7lDsWt5-_ckzfHaPiN-Vj1zJcZLULhduJ_uEQbtYRTguhQyMuFpjw6j8BE5KgC0d-pYmCgCh-kgOuX3j9lRc-5xql3nVzd1m8sWhoCXDdiA4CUbNo/s1600/IMG_0664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArPYeZlEJv6vxFBmKqOHDiWJyBK7lDsWt5-_ckzfHaPiN-Vj1zJcZLULhduJ_uEQbtYRTguhQyMuFpjw6j8BE5KgC0d-pYmCgCh-kgOuX3j9lRc-5xql3nVzd1m8sWhoCXDdiA4CUbNo/s640/IMG_0664.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vanity area: carrera marble counter top is in, new faucets & sinks, new lighting & hardware...waiting for mirrors</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGqyjClLmuNl9tGV-_eGk39nfGKdZIa0Y6CC-IweHAN5GDjwo1vEAR9WnEVDcQjHCigPsKGc7KvhzI-FeRTJYHNqsHHs_o3sew3WKE0ywK2wcqPEUSUroN2LdMj7XIGJwqoijHNY-0Bw/s1600/IMG_0807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGqyjClLmuNl9tGV-_eGk39nfGKdZIa0Y6CC-IweHAN5GDjwo1vEAR9WnEVDcQjHCigPsKGc7KvhzI-FeRTJYHNqsHHs_o3sew3WKE0ywK2wcqPEUSUroN2LdMj7XIGJwqoijHNY-0Bw/s640/IMG_0807.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a peek inside the shower...m designed (and helped install!) all of the fixtures & gadgets.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigumF8e25J6g1CA4klLBHTVQH8IktbS3lNwJ08XkESyKRYucGlJqpa6tj3KVFGihxe7WXHeLTweEwsThdPL4C46jbt7aP-qvWxLAKjMUt9kJUqpEizHZUxFw0hdF3_lNtb8uOfKrl_04c/s1600/IMG_0779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigumF8e25J6g1CA4klLBHTVQH8IktbS3lNwJ08XkESyKRYucGlJqpa6tj3KVFGihxe7WXHeLTweEwsThdPL4C46jbt7aP-qvWxLAKjMUt9kJUqpEizHZUxFw0hdF3_lNtb8uOfKrl_04c/s640/IMG_0779.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mirrors are up....still a mess!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyT1R_Nt8jd7opuIGh2AGGTrPxSXPRgZ759u14x_fjdnBIdCX1a4OvOUAnTHkYy0XIy9y_dfaKreeHd6SRjoPdIzIC5B9tsiYdB4NldW9-yqsD1Ulf4uWBwrMRqx14Y2eWZUPB5ndxzo/s1600/IMG_0599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyT1R_Nt8jd7opuIGh2AGGTrPxSXPRgZ759u14x_fjdnBIdCX1a4OvOUAnTHkYy0XIy9y_dfaKreeHd6SRjoPdIzIC5B9tsiYdB4NldW9-yqsD1Ulf4uWBwrMRqx14Y2eWZUPB5ndxzo/s640/IMG_0599.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">close up of floor tile...connecting to master bedroom floor (wood in its previously unstained state)</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwm3MzoJ4d-afwTgwTR9Wr01gLH4SYMC2dhGqx8h0lCCBHGPi2TklJZzH9zXYRhPvPMBlKiLLK3uLftX-CmkUGZZvGoxS2wz6toO-znlk2SKHFHu7lkjGHQk5UyOqbKfwY5CqvViEgnpU/s1600/IMG_0808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwm3MzoJ4d-afwTgwTR9Wr01gLH4SYMC2dhGqx8h0lCCBHGPi2TklJZzH9zXYRhPvPMBlKiLLK3uLftX-CmkUGZZvGoxS2wz6toO-znlk2SKHFHu7lkjGHQk5UyOqbKfwY5CqvViEgnpU/s640/IMG_0808.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view of new tub & shower area</td></tr>
</tbody></table> as you can see, we've come a long way. m & i are thrilled with how our bathroom turned out. i have to pinch myself every time i walk into this room. coming from our tiny 5x8 bathroom at our old house, this feels like a spa! almost all of the finishing touches are complete so hopefully more pictures to share of the finished room soon.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634685074623614538.post-436515734220621642012-01-12T17:45:00.003-06:002012-01-13T09:35:16.253-06:00for the love of craigslist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>i have definite affinity for finding treasures on craigslist. this has been something that i've loved doing for years & the results have yielded some of my very favorite pieces in our home. my last purchase was a gorgeous settee/love seat (first seen <a href="http://howlovelyyouareblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/before.html" target="_blank">here</a>....check back for<i> after</i> pictures coming soon!) for our new hearth room. i've realized in recent weeks that moving from a small cape cod to a much more spacious home will definitely require some additional furniture on our part. with all of the recent house updates we've been making, our furniture budget has definitely been put on the back burner. my solution is my trusty old friend, craigslist. i can say with confidence that my husband m is definitely not always on board for my treasure hunting. in fact, he often finds my so-called treasures questionable, to say the least! i try to remind him that with a little creativity & work, these one of a kind items will be gems in our home. i must give him credit as he is a trooper...i couldn't ask for a more supportive husband as he always makes the trek with me -- wherever we need to go -- to pick up my latest obsession. later tonight, we have a trip scheduled to pick up this little beauty: <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjDeBfX4AgUvvRovR_9d5F2WY8r6X4_5ZGZipF992aX7Ac5uA2AvxqmvGb7cLU7R1Hc6J0M53zBfjUzFxgwHdnr28zYOSJ0paNVRvcCUIucN5ZGTkF9WOEs5P1L-Js7EcF1RQCmWAHSE/s1600/5L55Gf5M43M83Ic3H8c14add5f3799a5c1d28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjDeBfX4AgUvvRovR_9d5F2WY8r6X4_5ZGZipF992aX7Ac5uA2AvxqmvGb7cLU7R1Hc6J0M53zBfjUzFxgwHdnr28zYOSJ0paNVRvcCUIucN5ZGTkF9WOEs5P1L-Js7EcF1RQCmWAHSE/s400/5L55Gf5M43M83Ic3H8c14add5f3799a5c1d28.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAymJBxn07H6aYSdbDWFVWQejyHTZll2cz7Z_stQR3lVuXkw8GhF3t15aTu7bZ4WAA8DYnrAZxHiQ-hlPkHokJR_p-wQQYkcrke-uhjCLll2qizbwOXCm-tgc9kGzKrOyoeJ7vnix2mg/s1600/5N95G65F83K53L73F1c140ab1b1551d9914d6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAymJBxn07H6aYSdbDWFVWQejyHTZll2cz7Z_stQR3lVuXkw8GhF3t15aTu7bZ4WAA8DYnrAZxHiQ-hlPkHokJR_p-wQQYkcrke-uhjCLll2qizbwOXCm-tgc9kGzKrOyoeJ7vnix2mg/s400/5N95G65F83K53L73F1c140ab1b1551d9914d6.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">gorgeous, right?!! okay...so perhaps not so gorgeous right now but with a little love & elbow grease, i'm confident it will fit right in at our new home. the question is...what to do with it? this is no doubt the most fun part of my craigslist makeovers. i absolutely love pondering the potential options....paint color, hardware, patterns....the options are seemingly endless. can't wait to share what i come up with. stay tuned for the finished project...hopefully coming soon!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div>Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634685074623614538.post-4717007741378546972012-01-10T19:46:00.000-06:002012-01-10T19:46:14.602-06:00heart of the home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">i have always dreamed of having a kitchen that could be considered the heart of the home. we have a lovely kitchen in our old home, but it is a tad on the small side & really kind of isolated by itself in the back of the house. our old home was built in the early 1950's & floor plans just were not the same back then. m & i both love to cook & have always dreamed of having awesome gourmet appliances, a hearth room & a kitchen that flows seamlessly for entertaining. luckily, our new home offered the potential for all of these things. notice i said <em>potential</em>, as i thought i might remind you of it's condition when we purchased the home: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rlTFH5TImTrVb39bbvPZYH19rxxp9w83bNzDTPoqdRBKKee_kVkrgTe_jjP2okARWRaR4mdMH-ukxJk5fNAikrscPnS_f38cG0Bwg1h8x7q7Jexer-5-dz0AyDS3KadYuKaZgf2VV2E/s1600/IMG_5547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rlTFH5TImTrVb39bbvPZYH19rxxp9w83bNzDTPoqdRBKKee_kVkrgTe_jjP2okARWRaR4mdMH-ukxJk5fNAikrscPnS_f38cG0Bwg1h8x7q7Jexer-5-dz0AyDS3KadYuKaZgf2VV2E/s320/IMG_5547.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUDw2bDjqreKltffkQAglFZ5SFL3w4wVEgQvHPueQ5BXRM1FhSqp7iHNvDRxUL_hFMXXnIRjqFDAYwt1XlsNysyrB5FcC9tHRGI4aSp-G3bAi75o5FVWk5M4x_-605eqJsGsSwrQuJTU/s1600/IMG_5330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUDw2bDjqreKltffkQAglFZ5SFL3w4wVEgQvHPueQ5BXRM1FhSqp7iHNvDRxUL_hFMXXnIRjqFDAYwt1XlsNysyrB5FcC9tHRGI4aSp-G3bAi75o5FVWk5M4x_-605eqJsGsSwrQuJTU/s320/IMG_5330.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgya7z0Ss40gYlqHHxJzmX_Q4hR6NQxkBf0TdQVvXKYdK-yd30fy49rYzYjZWy5gepJiQVkpFvm1SgPQEFgD9fODcat_YbQXVNTQxgFYKmzZPnuJVCkch5au68-onja-2Wz6gtNzfzmcBo/s320/IMG_5404.JPG" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rlTFH5TImTrVb39bbvPZYH19rxxp9w83bNzDTPoqdRBKKee_kVkrgTe_jjP2okARWRaR4mdMH-ukxJk5fNAikrscPnS_f38cG0Bwg1h8x7q7Jexer-5-dz0AyDS3KadYuKaZgf2VV2E/s1600/IMG_5547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlpArw8Qt2z36dcGWBGq5WsnLw4mLS7KqPlO1A1ZcLIU5UjdRQn6y4JPD_kfeC6-MtqRkKslbThWAkQBaiNP_DwURxIsxBFj0Muz34KPR0LEwG9z4Xa5U1nScu1env1yXmwigtxD0y70/s1600/IMG_5640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlpArw8Qt2z36dcGWBGq5WsnLw4mLS7KqPlO1A1ZcLIU5UjdRQn6y4JPD_kfeC6-MtqRkKslbThWAkQBaiNP_DwURxIsxBFj0Muz34KPR0LEwG9z4Xa5U1nScu1env1yXmwigtxD0y70/s320/IMG_5640.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">yikes...just a tad outdated, right?!? our home was built in 1994 & we're fairly certain that not one update has been made in the past 17+ years. but....look at all that potential...tons of space! double ovens! back staircase (obsessed)! hearth room! windows galore! really, everything we could possibly ask for. it is now just a matter of bringing everything up-to-date & adding our personal taste to make the room uniquely "us." we both decided that we absolutely loved the shape of the cabinets & the layout of the kitchen....which would be a huge money saver down the road. i have always had a thing for white kitchens, so just had to bring m on board. that wasn't too hard after sharing a few inspiration pictures with him: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <img border="0" height="320" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/204421270555806508_PIb34tHf_c.jpg" width="240" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/181481059953870173/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/205054589253287061_99XCHGnS_c.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/181481059953924065/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/9640586672080193_SfGTX4vw_c.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <img border="0" height="320" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/181481059953799420_BSBm8EsC_c.jpg" width="235" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> {all images via my <a href="http://pinterest.com/sarahmjones/">pinterest</a>}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">once m got a good look at some of these images (thank you pinterest!), he was 100% on board. the specific elements that we knew we wanted to incorporate include: white cabinets (some with glass fronts to break up & lighten the space), gorgeous lighting (glass, unique shapes, etc..), dark hardwoods, updated appliances & subway tile. our goal is to create a space that is comfortable, relaxed, homey and most importantly, lasting. we didn't want to choose anything too trendy as this quite possibly could be our forever home. sticking with classics with a twist is our goal in creating a kitchen that will serve us (and our friends & family) well for decades to come. we're happy to report that we're off to a good start. here are a few sneak-peek photos with plenty more to come soon....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb7JIaxyW8Jq2bPFD4VDzJpqnazQ4K2zfhmDZgUKuWpIcUcEeyvAYLARIXj9V-kF_jtNrLbhAQmmJjYEGWtF5pWPJbSPrKCpgtkD6JyJeaHP6y5VdibsQb9W2eJFTolfZ2OJ8t4S-vaY/s1600/IMG_0413+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb7JIaxyW8Jq2bPFD4VDzJpqnazQ4K2zfhmDZgUKuWpIcUcEeyvAYLARIXj9V-kF_jtNrLbhAQmmJjYEGWtF5pWPJbSPrKCpgtkD6JyJeaHP6y5VdibsQb9W2eJFTolfZ2OJ8t4S-vaY/s320/IMG_0413+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{our back staircase...have i mentioned i'm obsessed!?}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">we've removed all the carpet & added wood end-caps....will soon be staining floors & fresh carpet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6RncvaeRrayLwYbl7Mzu3Pitd-n72Y9EguI_zKcmwaTWjhW-jmUftUMYFog8FT1Q3nQWKmzBQYEvgBnQIH4qSpVoQ-66QJPovTw2uAV2FSIUJ5yVkSZ6V2XCkEdhAky1hIjCay48BLA/s1600/IMG_5685+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6RncvaeRrayLwYbl7Mzu3Pitd-n72Y9EguI_zKcmwaTWjhW-jmUftUMYFog8FT1Q3nQWKmzBQYEvgBnQIH4qSpVoQ-66QJPovTw2uAV2FSIUJ5yVkSZ6V2XCkEdhAky1hIjCay48BLA/s320/IMG_5685+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{counters are off!}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriU5I4ccHk0Xb4cIV8Bbutp3WeIiXO1RYtge_7EwHJatZq2BYghgJB9lQrpH_OnDYN23k-gg4S05fGN7c6TbWi1_xK1U81yxg5ERf4lOy4RKtvMQcVg2FBeDLGvPlXoGTk-1FkwVV4wk/s1600/IMG_5774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriU5I4ccHk0Xb4cIV8Bbutp3WeIiXO1RYtge_7EwHJatZq2BYghgJB9lQrpH_OnDYN23k-gg4S05fGN7c6TbWi1_xK1U81yxg5ERf4lOy4RKtvMQcVg2FBeDLGvPlXoGTk-1FkwVV4wk/s320/IMG_5774.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{soffits above cabinets}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">i have always had a strong aversion to cabinets that don't go all the way to the ceiling. to create a custom look without the cost, we chose to add soffits & then will cap off with crown molding to complete the look.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">the process has been very fun so far with lots of decisions that have had to be made (and more importantly, agreed upon)...can't wait to share more soon!</div>Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634685074623614538.post-11850702389358298382012-01-09T18:18:00.001-06:002012-01-09T21:32:28.543-06:00chaos ensues...i know i have mentioned multiple times that the propose of my little blog endeavor is to document the renovations on our new home....yet i have yet to share one picture! shame on me as we have really started the renos off with a bang! to give a little background on how this all came to be, some back story might be helpful. my husband m & i were not actively looking for a new home but we always kept an eye on new properties for sale in our desired neighborhood. one sunday in october we were out & about popping into a few open houses. i was getting pretty exhausted & ready to call it a day. of course m was just getting started & talked me into "one last house"....by the way, i attribute his energy to the fact that he always wears comfortable shoes & i'm notorious for my completely impractial sunday wardrobe of 3.5 inch heels. we popped into a final house that day & by sheer luck met our fabulous realtors, shannon & patty. we just clicked with these ladies & i ended up spending 20 minutes chatting with them in the kitchen while m toured the house. we exchanged contact info & the next day shannon reached out to me via email to see if we wanted to check out some more houses next weekend. this got m & i talking in more depth about the thought of possibly really going through with this. we figured that it would be nice to have the new house before any kiddos as we both love the idea of getting things done ahead of time. we both travel a lot for our jobs & the thought of moving + business travel + kids was simply overwhelming...especially since i was almost insistent on a fixer-upper! i have a severe obsession with design & all things design related & have always dreamed of fixing up a house with my hubs to our specifications. we spent some time looking with shannon & patty but nothing really was catching our eye. sure their were some properties that fit our specifications, but they were close to the top of our budget & still needed a lot of work (in my eyes at least!). with the way the real estate market has been, we decided to go ahead & list our house and continue our search at the same time, fully expecting our selling process to take some time, especially considering the time of year & thanksgiving was just a week away. imagine our surprise when, within a matter of hours of listing our home, we had tons of interest & an offer. we ended up selling our house that day (within 5 hours!) and realized we really had to get to work on the buying side. m & i keep talking about how everything happens for a reason & in our case it truly worked out for the best. a house we had seen once, that needed a ton of work but was right in the heart of the area we wanted to be in, suddenly came back on the market. it had had a contract pending but the buyers fell through. thank goodness our awesome realtor, shannon, was all over it. within a matter of weeks after selling our home we had a contract on our new house. we took possession december 22nd of last year & it's been total chaos ever since! the current state of our new home is complete "hot mess" but i thought i would start by sharing some pics of what it looked like "before".....i apologize in advance for the picture overload. all of these screen-shots are from the reece & nichols website, obviously taken while the previous owners still lived there....enjoy!<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqZidAOKfCepAXbLaSj1rr9nMXJnnQDtVENetEpdWiAJqpP-67_9N7NngDiCT06mvsHqBnITYj5p1ab8Uy36y9krQxabA3kH0EBAozVxZawtYM2z4bxiLTYYnCEbiStHTcdvUNgQCY34/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.05.28+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqZidAOKfCepAXbLaSj1rr9nMXJnnQDtVENetEpdWiAJqpP-67_9N7NngDiCT06mvsHqBnITYj5p1ab8Uy36y9krQxabA3kH0EBAozVxZawtYM2z4bxiLTYYnCEbiStHTcdvUNgQCY34/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.05.28+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">{view from the front...LOVE all the established trees}</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6N1DNdWkW7oNu9-42tYinD0A_mgQViKt8SIpTiwRpewxc3A9YbhDfXIUr_36B3l1NHypf3Ck1n43cSIdwn8GEWmHpiSlOzgNLgABTyGqaEGc6kAIqjN-Nyvcy2eI64bmrguy1x09RBM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.06.24+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6N1DNdWkW7oNu9-42tYinD0A_mgQViKt8SIpTiwRpewxc3A9YbhDfXIUr_36B3l1NHypf3Ck1n43cSIdwn8GEWmHpiSlOzgNLgABTyGqaEGc6kAIqjN-Nyvcy2eI64bmrguy1x09RBM/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.06.24+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{front entry}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzRFgP2RCWRA3bI-lHBMIj7vQqvHg70MMKp9gZK7M9m1av1V3kLiAnxOG1v4CD5rVBqMJ8bQ0g0MYyZ4iPUekxgsuzBfsuIgg_scyzVy7rJxayDXW_yxjZyPnZ_vBWlfIW9iGSenTsjg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.06.12+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzRFgP2RCWRA3bI-lHBMIj7vQqvHg70MMKp9gZK7M9m1av1V3kLiAnxOG1v4CD5rVBqMJ8bQ0g0MYyZ4iPUekxgsuzBfsuIgg_scyzVy7rJxayDXW_yxjZyPnZ_vBWlfIW9iGSenTsjg/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.06.12+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{stairs...front entry}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">you can't tell from any of these pictures, but the stair case is double-sided with another staircase that leads into the kitchen...this charming feature was definitely one of the things that sold me on our home!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLz8gAHLJ8jaCdPdtKb-20nURZsAvsiIcunnfZcZTbYJt-UHCDKxmIxEovplRpyKY2v7jT-pqp1NOJWeqKaC5KSALlqoraojeYkPJEYYBslGdzxmyiQkHFJWbjDZ-MphlQdxJ7HTLeVs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.06.43+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLz8gAHLJ8jaCdPdtKb-20nURZsAvsiIcunnfZcZTbYJt-UHCDKxmIxEovplRpyKY2v7jT-pqp1NOJWeqKaC5KSALlqoraojeYkPJEYYBslGdzxmyiQkHFJWbjDZ-MphlQdxJ7HTLeVs/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.06.43+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{dining room...check the wallpaper...YIKES!}</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFOQLA4Ewb3AcnNl3etbkDS839YqjtYa_ILXFfwBAkO2ri_pcnlqQuQ5vxGU1U6ZOWp6Z724MDFwzYXRrdtGa18BfGnsAGKsryjj-xAsN4AYowS9L0sXxmA-DMiG6M0h9lLOy-Ot139U/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.06.53+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFOQLA4Ewb3AcnNl3etbkDS839YqjtYa_ILXFfwBAkO2ri_pcnlqQuQ5vxGU1U6ZOWp6Z724MDFwzYXRrdtGa18BfGnsAGKsryjj-xAsN4AYowS9L0sXxmA-DMiG6M0h9lLOy-Ot139U/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.06.53+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{front office, main floor}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkmIdMivldgS9FnuFnUzH7UivzZKGyik9iHSDLWkpz7gUUAhu0aczo3IRKfhKEwxvLVMgtHLkMgquRkygyuhdcEhnOeTwLNZOI6f0v6j7vYD67BBEr81A7IWSPLQgVGafQdm6KJbOyrg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.06.34+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkmIdMivldgS9FnuFnUzH7UivzZKGyik9iHSDLWkpz7gUUAhu0aczo3IRKfhKEwxvLVMgtHLkMgquRkygyuhdcEhnOeTwLNZOI6f0v6j7vYD67BBEr81A7IWSPLQgVGafQdm6KJbOyrg/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.06.34+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{front office, leading into living room}</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGkGcZ6-fMbJfJSfTIFP3UOE6Aahij3GKe0sfC4r21vRauVCK2dp5BxQS6Y1b1LF8cNKQLgRWZWxZDgGDXxfmsfy1Q9W_qYqi9xgqIYQxYvXaSX26ayyfEpsQNdAj4IP0D-axvAUrSaE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.07.14+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGkGcZ6-fMbJfJSfTIFP3UOE6Aahij3GKe0sfC4r21vRauVCK2dp5BxQS6Y1b1LF8cNKQLgRWZWxZDgGDXxfmsfy1Q9W_qYqi9xgqIYQxYvXaSX26ayyfEpsQNdAj4IP0D-axvAUrSaE/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.07.14+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{living room}</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCHhovbUc88dxCUnis3AmOxCs8gOdel63ImpupKsR8Gr6dNYBfHlKpX8hUdVLEDNrYkB1ZpFOLBibw7pGmrZ0wurcp5YiV2v_jKqCF9iF0VJu9bPzZNPm0uGb5IzujXh4kFD8ESFyK7Y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.07.50+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCHhovbUc88dxCUnis3AmOxCs8gOdel63ImpupKsR8Gr6dNYBfHlKpX8hUdVLEDNrYkB1ZpFOLBibw7pGmrZ0wurcp5YiV2v_jKqCF9iF0VJu9bPzZNPm0uGb5IzujXh4kFD8ESFyK7Y/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.07.50+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{view of the kitchen}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3n0sgmY33XD-BXb87lfCvK9nx7TDndIwCm0LkCfuYoEPWyMw2PgwyTJhj07H9iw9lisiwILvZSzuB0hGuw0bnhQwOb2GdfO-vThbFoExXMv7yblKgMFCXmk6i6PnAujiVSpDVAFEXriU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.07.42+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3n0sgmY33XD-BXb87lfCvK9nx7TDndIwCm0LkCfuYoEPWyMw2PgwyTJhj07H9iw9lisiwILvZSzuB0hGuw0bnhQwOb2GdfO-vThbFoExXMv7yblKgMFCXmk6i6PnAujiVSpDVAFEXriU/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.07.42+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{breakfast nook}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8o6xx3bVf6Am_mz3pysOssyNrZznf45k_zIxWFnxv3-56mzrvnIYgt06vpnQnshDrpUVhAP_OAbs4WE-B0nu7CkVyCb1IUHc71MG_NtfW57PmoVy7iNJYZ5PcXY6Hs4eH3AZhltj_d9U/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.07.33+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8o6xx3bVf6Am_mz3pysOssyNrZznf45k_zIxWFnxv3-56mzrvnIYgt06vpnQnshDrpUVhAP_OAbs4WE-B0nu7CkVyCb1IUHc71MG_NtfW57PmoVy7iNJYZ5PcXY6Hs4eH3AZhltj_d9U/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.07.33+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{opposite side of kitchen - hearth room area}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZgj6oLltMq4UhxF2UVntosN0qjn8pbByz4gmwuiQg127OINRN1q6foYTEeoWr9x3R4y6RIj1fsfG8Yi2YYNZOzVF4qzPM_wULTwTYXyF8Carv9swevo805-w0KYPKjplGK3QzZDTrtI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.08.00+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZgj6oLltMq4UhxF2UVntosN0qjn8pbByz4gmwuiQg127OINRN1q6foYTEeoWr9x3R4y6RIj1fsfG8Yi2YYNZOzVF4qzPM_wULTwTYXyF8Carv9swevo805-w0KYPKjplGK3QzZDTrtI/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.08.00+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{laundry room...yay!}</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGFhJyGtWg2jybT5jjE_IfOFrimOpW81fCWSYceIc8pm2Z76oGNbml8InoChamlMa9elpTE6RoOem-CVUy9uyd6NSvh1YuYiCnYJFQ5knXmwORUEu-VFy_Xg-lJI1wAL77DfcOVhBHoo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.08.10+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGFhJyGtWg2jybT5jjE_IfOFrimOpW81fCWSYceIc8pm2Z76oGNbml8InoChamlMa9elpTE6RoOem-CVUy9uyd6NSvh1YuYiCnYJFQ5knXmwORUEu-VFy_Xg-lJI1wAL77DfcOVhBHoo/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.08.10+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{master bedroom}</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9x5WdeC8sjdqC9WlO-wOEPuk3LwGepPyYGhLVJTJ7CAseCTMyCgpL-V6DZB_InB_ze-m_NlpwikJnS6d-r2KwPCuy47NCbXhiyURVj89JVD47exj_cJSDb9Vc1_pY3PwVBb8rb25Cy8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.08.20+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9x5WdeC8sjdqC9WlO-wOEPuk3LwGepPyYGhLVJTJ7CAseCTMyCgpL-V6DZB_InB_ze-m_NlpwikJnS6d-r2KwPCuy47NCbXhiyURVj89JVD47exj_cJSDb9Vc1_pY3PwVBb8rb25Cy8/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.08.20+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{master bedroom view into master bath}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGodDQhxWd09zlaB2sD-9gKBCZZHILDZx6Iyh6KBQ0PcSHfDQhQJaGhG8sjS2jXF_W5qx19MUfFg7szCGxxv3hgUtCOPHRHIPFyGf3dYZPIW0I9kZM_x_35Hq6se8Yqy6R6fyASSGFtM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.08.39+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGodDQhxWd09zlaB2sD-9gKBCZZHILDZx6Iyh6KBQ0PcSHfDQhQJaGhG8sjS2jXF_W5qx19MUfFg7szCGxxv3hgUtCOPHRHIPFyGf3dYZPIW0I9kZM_x_35Hq6se8Yqy6R6fyASSGFtM/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.08.39+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{master bath...circa 1994, obvi}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwmBfcMDhHdON7BpT9UsIaburQJPAT9_1G8U69o63O_3ZH6BGNBnsmnpAX0ZvF0AYwhmGhDbfPB5Ra7v5ywx3Bk4H98mbDE5Sk33f7kgBHKfYRqk4_wRY87ORbbhd79e2XLDSV9TxEa8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.08.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwmBfcMDhHdON7BpT9UsIaburQJPAT9_1G8U69o63O_3ZH6BGNBnsmnpAX0ZvF0AYwhmGhDbfPB5Ra7v5ywx3Bk4H98mbDE5Sk33f7kgBHKfYRqk4_wRY87ORbbhd79e2XLDSV9TxEa8/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-24+at+8.08.30+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{master closet!}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the other compelling selling point for me!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>so, there you have it! finally...a glimpse into our new home & potential projects that have virtually taken over our lives. this is exactly what the house looked like on december 22nd (minus the furniture) when we took possession. can't wait to share some of the progress we've made since then!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634685074623614538.post-17263107693171536212011-12-29T17:26:00.000-06:002011-12-29T17:26:14.274-06:00guest posting....<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div style="height: 400px; position: relative; width: 400px;">hope you had a wonderful christmas holiday with family, friends & loved ones. my husband m & i have been hard at work on our new home. we both have the week off from work but keep joking that this remodeling business could certainly double as a full-time job! just glad we are both able to work together to get so much done this week...the progress has been dramatic. can't wait to share some pictures soon. in the meantime, my dear friend & fellow blogger kayla has asked me to guest post on her blog today....head on over to her blog, <a href="http://www.jandksouth.blogspot.com/">keeping up with the souths</a>, for some fun NYE inspiration!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/nye/set?.embedder=1444779&.svc=blogger&id=41462301"><img alt="NYE" border="0" force="1" height="400" src="http://embed.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/cid/41462301/id/WoBsEycy4RGMcXIE71oOgQ/size/e.jpg" title="NYE" width="400" /></a></div><br />
p<br />
<div></div></div>Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634685074623614538.post-4331496088046677122011-12-19T10:00:00.004-06:002011-12-19T18:35:05.619-06:00stocking stuffers<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">when i was little, one of my very favorite things about christmas was checking out the loot in our stockings. i couldn't wait to run down stairs & see all 5 heavy with treats & goodies. to be honest, santa never really put anything too exciting in our stockings...it usually was filled with oranges, nuts in their shells & a few chocolate candies. even though it was nothing spectacular, you would have thought santa had brought us bars of gold the way my sister, brother & i squealed with excitement as we pulled them down from the mantel. as an adult, the idea of a stocking on christmas morning has certainly not lost its novelty. instead of oranges & nuts, this year i'm hoping santa brings me a few of these goodies instead....</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.globalpackagegallery.com/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=62529&g2_serialNumber=3" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" id="il_fi" src="http://www.globalpackagegallery.com/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=62529&g2_serialNumber=3" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>nivea creme</em><br />
<em>perfect to slip in your purse when you're on the go</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Hand Indulgences ($30 Value)" border="0" height="200" src="http://a248.g.akamai.net/7/248/8278/20111001030449/www.sephora.com/assets/dyn/product/P296907/P296907_hero.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>l'occitane gift set</em><br />
{<a href="http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P296907&categoryId=C11831">via</a>}</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Chevron personalized note cards stationery (8) - Eco Friendly 100% recycled paper - zig zag pattern" height="133" src="http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.291291580.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>personalized chevron notecards</em><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/86034499/chevron-personalized-note-cards?ref=sr_gallery_11&ga_search_query=chevron+note+cards&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">{via}</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Sugar Fix" border="0" height="320" src="http://a248.g.akamai.net/7/248/8278/20110927030310/www.sephora.com/assets/dyn/product/P298801/P298801_hero.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>fresh gift set...perfect for dry, chapped lips</em><br />
{<a href="http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P298801&categoryId=C19767&shouldPaginate=true">via</a>}</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://www.aluxabeauty.com/opinailpolish/732-thickbox/rainbow-connection-opi-nail-polish.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>glitter polish</em><br />
<em>OPI rainbow connection</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a cmimpressionsent="1" href="javascript:galleryPopupOpen()" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" id="ProductPic11739" name="ProductPic11739" src="http://images.zgallerie.com/is/image/ZGallerie/hero/porcelain-elephant-jewelry-bowl-183401303.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>elephant jewelry dish</em><br />
{<a href="http://www.zgallerie.com/p-11739-porcelain-elephant-jewelry-bowl.aspx">via</a>}</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634685074623614538.post-51359641460483132872011-12-16T09:29:00.003-06:002011-12-18T17:23:30.988-06:00gift exchange with the girls...<div class="mobile-photo">last night i celebrated the holidays with my best girlfriends. our friend ali hosted & we did a white elephant-type gift exchange. instead of bringing something crummy, though, everyone brought some of their favorite things to share. we drew numbers & took turns opening new presents & then stealing them right back from one another. needless to say it was quite entertaining...and the gifts were so creative & fun! everyone left with a something new & different that they probably would never buy for themselves. even better was having the chance to catch up with a great group of ladies. we all have such hectic lives & sometimes it seems like we will go months without seeing each other. when we finally have a chance to make our schedules connect, we have so much fun catching up & sharing news. i am so blessed to have these ladies in my life! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_uLvaN_EgLht_kegfxnWokhq4rf9PXbaSrW8W0z8m9z2wV4EmYd3BBpjCXxpY-X1zNPefhJV6Js0bh-Tspi6P6ng9BFDC4wZr6jkeDooDd4TDAnMa1eRR6UD6MMqMPboVpvodDs3c3M/s1600/photo-787705.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686746668442027490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_uLvaN_EgLht_kegfxnWokhq4rf9PXbaSrW8W0z8m9z2wV4EmYd3BBpjCXxpY-X1zNPefhJV6Js0bh-Tspi6P6ng9BFDC4wZr6jkeDooDd4TDAnMa1eRR6UD6MMqMPboVpvodDs3c3M/s320/photo-787705.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>l'occitane goodies</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpdKEKeRIoMspfvioSuvPbRgvcTwyhlHUVhLv1Z40T4uMD5wJBFMN7FoF3rg-90gYQYZsvukt2z9cbA6DHuk5sS0ORefoNj2qGMmvNtNSXyUEDN4aOahFoIoswfUw1yyEfpZFKydMMyU/s1600/photo-745822.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686743484051535538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpdKEKeRIoMspfvioSuvPbRgvcTwyhlHUVhLv1Z40T4uMD5wJBFMN7FoF3rg-90gYQYZsvukt2z9cbA6DHuk5sS0ORefoNj2qGMmvNtNSXyUEDN4aOahFoIoswfUw1yyEfpZFKydMMyU/s320/photo-745822.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>jessica demonstrating spin pins</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-ALpiUEvrmXNeUgp2KWFMZj1KX169J6pJ2QptKuF2hHglZ9zPUV5e69DS5h1hDZDZMZ9QPQhAckW5K00VUH16uYXhruL8lZlHEYw1CqbC2OIRWLdIVYjFRODHkb0g4_UCK88KyQ0kgU/s1600/photo-773618.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686743603502717618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-ALpiUEvrmXNeUgp2KWFMZj1KX169J6pJ2QptKuF2hHglZ9zPUV5e69DS5h1hDZDZMZ9QPQhAckW5K00VUH16uYXhruL8lZlHEYw1CqbC2OIRWLdIVYjFRODHkb0g4_UCK88KyQ0kgU/s320/photo-773618.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>some favorites from trader joe's</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpdKEKeRIoMspfvioSuvPbRgvcTwyhlHUVhLv1Z40T4uMD5wJBFMN7FoF3rg-90gYQYZsvukt2z9cbA6DHuk5sS0ORefoNj2qGMmvNtNSXyUEDN4aOahFoIoswfUw1yyEfpZFKydMMyU/s1600/photo-745822.JPG"></a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686743785173075586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAD_cby4i_AaSNZoO8g5hU75IELkx0WTwbDNvFnEE-WMZDVSEc-QSN9xyAlx1Yda1TqvMDnvecE5RojdO1aE5i4fgp26Mx4ot3VQxSqiGaZGqg8YKKQqkj-NNHkh-NhYhoN0FzMrjgC8/s320/photo-715016.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>bath & body treats</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQEuvPiq0n1lcdo3Eq5J88TAHdMwmOTsqCIa7aik-m2JI5ekhtcnUN3pLoHjRDhM2_0lVe-hQjFe3bZd2XQWQsV32P2Wz_XQN3kK8toDdTCZVibcSKyggMzHdAaXrndX8NjoJ6meRyYM/s1600/photo-792860.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686743685085982722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQEuvPiq0n1lcdo3Eq5J88TAHdMwmOTsqCIa7aik-m2JI5ekhtcnUN3pLoHjRDhM2_0lVe-hQjFe3bZd2XQWQsV32P2Wz_XQN3kK8toDdTCZVibcSKyggMzHdAaXrndX8NjoJ6meRyYM/s320/photo-792860.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>my cute new reindeer</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAmgjLPvhPiFQavrQBK65DbNTsjGETHp2Vd9JIejBgL8KKqUPrX8FtwBMfwdo6U2LZshK2TSZnmhUNB6lOtMLJrvk-65pX51D2b7O6rVwT9n8bOFxCuAks6tDz18Z8cgyDx-m6sszf24/s1600/photo-790546.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686804235903321506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAmgjLPvhPiFQavrQBK65DbNTsjGETHp2Vd9JIejBgL8KKqUPrX8FtwBMfwdo6U2LZshK2TSZnmhUNB6lOtMLJrvk-65pX51D2b7O6rVwT9n8bOFxCuAks6tDz18Z8cgyDx-m6sszf24/s320/photo-790546.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>sure signs of a successful party</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="mobile-photo"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div>Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634685074623614538.post-27881663896830640702011-12-15T15:35:00.001-06:002011-12-15T17:52:58.413-06:00tis the season....it's hard to believe the holidays are nearly here. in just over a week we'll be celebrating christmas and then new year's. Where does time go?? this year it seems even more surreal since m and I don't have one.single.decoration at our home....yes, you heard correctly! how sad is that?! we will be closing on our new house next week and soon after that packing and moving. call it lazy, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to haul out the christmas boxes, only to pack them right back up for our move. decorating for the holidays is usually one of my very favorite traditions. since our home is in a current state of borderline grinch-ville, I'm finding seasonal inspiration through other outlets this year...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://babycross.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/starbucks_christmas.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>starbucks holiday cups</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af23/nmarcus/post%20218%20plus/snow5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_hsavxa="14" height="320" src="http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af23/nmarcus/post%20218%20plus/snow5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>sparkly lights</em></div><div style="text-align: center;">{<a href="http://marcusdesigninc.blogspot.com/">via</a>}</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="prod_main_img" style="text-align: center;"><a href="javascript:void(0);"><img alt="Dream Fair Isle crewneck sweater" border="0" height="320" id="mainImg" name="productOnFigureImage" s_oid="functiononclick(){popBlowup('54527',this.src,'mainImg','true');}" s_oidt="2" src="http://images.jcrew.com/fsi/server?type=image&source=images/onFigure/54/54527/54527_KT6362_m.tif&width=393&height=393&effects=sharpen(20)&quality=90&profile=jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="prod_main_img" style="text-align: center;"><em>fair isle sweaters</em></div><div class="prod_main_img" style="text-align: center;">{<a href="http://www.jcrew.com/womens_feature/NewArrivals/sweaters/PRDOVR~54527/99102520003/ENE~1+2+3+22+4294967294+20~~~0~15~all~mode+matchallany~~~~~fair%20isle/54527.jsp">via</a>}</div><div class="prod_main_img" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="prod_main_img" style="text-align: center;"><img height="474" id="il_fi" src="http://cdn.babble.com/family-style/files/2011/12/265571709246039493_zDWKgC7O_c-e1323115823599.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="338" /></div><div class="prod_main_img" style="text-align: center;"><em>pretty packages</em></div><div class="prod_main_img" style="text-align: center;">{<a href="http://blogs.babble.com/family-style/2011/12/07/10-free-gorgeous-holiday-gift-wrap-printables/">via</a>}</div><div class="prod_main_img" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="prod_main_img" style="text-align: left;">what are your favorite signs of the holiday season? i have to say i look forward to december 1st & those red starbucks cups each & every year!</div><div class="prod_main_img" style="text-align: center;"></div><div align="left" class="prod_main_img" style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634685074623614538.post-81122169113320446852011-12-14T07:06:00.003-06:002011-12-18T17:24:38.014-06:00before........and hopefully an "after" to share soon! i found this vintage beauty last week on my local craigslist...and paid a whopping $45. thanks very much to my friend emily for coming with me to make sure i wasn't meeting with a psychopath (you never know with CL!). happy to report that the transaction went smoothly & the piece was definitely a steal in my eyes! it is the perfect size to fit in the hearth room of our new kitchen. m & i had been searching a few stores for apartment sized couches, and at around 72" they were still a tad too large. this vintage settee is just about 52" wide & should work perfectly facing the fireplace. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSnDtGG4kbOceaAP6fSFFJqyaXGRraLvP3NhgNnkYfPBylGgwtccJvKJc9yS6qwWMMa79tyOvApQmG8DlmeEfadfdtHSxvgjEUOm3vRwUCe5F5iWUmvVYJotQIhgP4TrdSnz_ZgU3YDo/s1600/CL+loveseat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSnDtGG4kbOceaAP6fSFFJqyaXGRraLvP3NhgNnkYfPBylGgwtccJvKJc9yS6qwWMMa79tyOvApQmG8DlmeEfadfdtHSxvgjEUOm3vRwUCe5F5iWUmvVYJotQIhgP4TrdSnz_ZgU3YDo/s320/CL+loveseat.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center"><em>just needs a little tlc</em></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">i have spent some time looking for the perfect fabric & have settled on this:</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="center"><img alt="Casablanca Wht/Fla Blue Ikat Fabric" class="imagecache imagecache-product_full" height="200" src="http://lsfabrics.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/product_full/fabric/1099955_1.jpg" title="Casablanca Wht/Fla Blue Ikat Fabric" width="174" /></div><div align="center">{<a href="https://lsfabrics.com/">lewis & sheron</a>}</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">with hot pink cording, similar to this:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lsfabrics.com/trim/bir-706-54"><img alt="BIR-706" class="imagecache imagecache-product_list" height="200" src="http://lsfabrics.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/product_list/lsfabrics_prod_images/1073005_1.jpg" title="BIR-706" width="173" /></a></div><div align="center">{<a href="https://lsfabrics.com/">lewis & sheron</a>}</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">ls fabrics is one of my favorite places to shop for unique & beautiful patterns. they always have a great selection & their prices are very competitive. i can't wait to get this piece updated...and share some after pictures soon!</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div align="left"></div>Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634685074623614538.post-27633789757550359352011-12-12T20:55:00.002-06:002011-12-18T17:24:12.551-06:00color of the yeari just heard that the new pantone color of the year for 2012 is <i>tangerine tango. </i>a beautiful shade that i would describe as a mix between orange & coral...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZ2zX13j81sfZFq1m8A0lMumwvhsdXvTGUSvwk2BbabZYLsvpi-D3xe0tAu2mAhBbi1_yBc1UTsNstQcQkzAuOS3BA0oirUzDC_gZXC_o-CnZvDcF-Bpd-0Ovyj1sh7uWue8R3q4G89k/s1600/tangerine+tango.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZ2zX13j81sfZFq1m8A0lMumwvhsdXvTGUSvwk2BbabZYLsvpi-D3xe0tAu2mAhBbi1_yBc1UTsNstQcQkzAuOS3BA0oirUzDC_gZXC_o-CnZvDcF-Bpd-0Ovyj1sh7uWue8R3q4G89k/s1600/tangerine+tango.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>pantone tangerine tango</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">if you're not familiar with pantone, they have been known as the "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 15px;">worldwide standard for color communication and inspiration since 1963." the p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">antone color matching system is basically a standardized color reproduction system that allows different manufacturers in different locations to refer to the pantone system to make sure colors match without having to contact one another. so "tiffany blue" will always be that same gorgeous shade of robins egg blue that we all know & love...who doesn't wish for that iconic little blue box? what do you think of <i>tangerine tango</i>? i love the bold color & can't wait to incorporate in our new house! i can already picture it as a corded or pom trim to some decorative pillows or perhaps in other accessories such as a serving tray or an accent color in a piece of abstract art. i'm definitely on board with <i>tangerine tango</i>...just crossing my fingers that my husband, m, agrees too!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634685074623614538.post-23413953518214935412011-12-12T16:58:00.002-06:002011-12-13T16:38:10.598-06:00the beginning....well...i'm finally doing it. i've been talking about starting a blog for years & finally making it happen. a very big thanks to my friend & co-worker, kayla (<a href="http://www.jandksouth.blogspot.com/">keeping up with the souths</a>), for helping me figure this whole thing out! i am the first to admit that i'm not the most tech-savvy gal out there. i think of myself as more of the creative type...and that's where this blog comes in to play! i can't wait to share my daily musings, inspirations & design ideas as my husband & i start the process of remodeling are first home that we purchased together as a married couple.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-LXw-SHuJnVCzIXdg0ZhowyuavDRjYXwzUwuNDcfXyCRLREWpqgWL46atujc4bXSdR3pYQ_APA400m1nqJ1BJxxatEm8ylv8Zl3TSufQhRITaCK3UZNAmm9Fep_jE4ieQEBFtTATkzs/s1600/house+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-LXw-SHuJnVCzIXdg0ZhowyuavDRjYXwzUwuNDcfXyCRLREWpqgWL46atujc4bXSdR3pYQ_APA400m1nqJ1BJxxatEm8ylv8Zl3TSufQhRITaCK3UZNAmm9Fep_jE4ieQEBFtTATkzs/s640/house+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"><em>our first house...so sad to say goodbye!</em><br />
{image: <a href="http://www.wix.com/kmhartley/oliver-beckett">oliver beckett photography</a>}</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><br />
</div>Sarah J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15108230976416768423noreply@blogger.com0