A Little of This & That… Renovating, Decorating, DIY Projects & Family
A Little of This & That… Renovating, Decorating, DIY Projects & Family

The Dining Room: Then, Now & On Its Way!

May 15, 2012

As a guest, there’s something about the first couple of rooms that you walk into in a home that sort of sets the stage for the rest of the house. Kind of like that first impression that you’re so conscious of when meeting someone for the first time. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that we always have one or two rooms/spaces that are under construction. I’m talking open walls, ceilings, floors… the works. So when it comes to rooms that we don’t plan on touching with a sledge hammer and nail gun, I really enjoy making these the ‘first impression’ areas (then as a guest you can walk right into the mess, but at least at first glance all seemed well!)

Our dining room is one such room. It greets new visitors with its rounded walls and inset Spanish ceiling, and it’s hard to miss when you pass our living room (the two are connected with a large arched walkway). It is the gateway to the rest of the house, and the first impression that I’m going for is a warm ‘welcome to my cozy dining area, friend! Let’s share a yummy meal and a glass of wine’. Wouldn’t you love for a room to ask you that?

The dining room is on its way… but it’s not there yet. Not by a long shot. Let’s start by taking a few steps backwards with a quick look at the last couple of years.

This is the before, before shot – before we even moved in. It offers a clear view of the original chandelier and how the arch between the dining room and living room helps to integrate the two rooms. In this photo you’d be standing in the door that connects the office/guestroom to the dining room.

This ‘in-progress’ is from an interview with 6th Street Design School on favorite spaces – at the time the dining room was my home office while we demoed the old kitchen and slowly restored the Spanish plaster and ceilings for the new office.

Believe it or not this photo is probably one of the only few I have with the space looking as it did above, and this is the way the room stayed for several years.

A few more details from that interview:

Sorry about the terrible exposure in these photos – it was also early in my photography days. :)

Can you see the old kitchen peeking out back there? And that second extra door that led to the old hallway? All gone now!

Shift to this year and the rug is now gone (the Pottery Barn rug was a Craigslist find and had lived a good life – but too many permanent stains with us and we let her go just recently in favor of something a little more modern), as well as that original home light fixture (I hope to reuse it in another space someday). The new pendant can be found right here. That beautiful mirrored lamp broke last summer and a clear glass Ikea version has taken its place. Still love that black shade.

Here’s a look into the new blank slate from the living room.

We’re starting from close to scratch in here and it’s clearly in need of a little oomph, you know?

I have a few rug ideas that have just shown up on the doorstep! And a new wall collage solution to share soon. This room also needs new curtains as well as a new feature piece over on the right where that door is now closed up and a large wall sits empty.

The favorite piece in this room that won’t be going anywhere is this vintage blue credenza that we spotted at an antique store the week we moved into our home – and my parents-in-law surprised us with as a housewarming gift! It’s more of a teal/turquoise-y blue and it’s so awesome. Definitely commands attention and a piece that the rest of the room will revolve around color-wise.

On the other side of the room is my set of Crate & Barrel leaning bookcases (found on Craigslist) that fill in either side of the archway back to the living room. I shared these guys in this post on my favorite bookshelf styling ideas, but I’m ready for these to be re-oomphed too (same with the other set of bookshelves featured in that post!).

There are two really tricky, permanent details about the room that are difficult to decorate around.

The first is both a favorite feature and a frustrating architectural detail – these high, rounded walls and inset ceilings are common with Spanish architecture but they make painting a room difficult because A. the ceiling has to be the same color as the walls or B. you have to have some sort of chair rail/picture rail to cut off one from the other.

The second is the door to the office/guestroom on the left there that throws the room a bit off center. It’s definitely a convenient in & out (otherwise you’re walking around to the kitchen) but it means that the buffet is now two feet off from the center of the room, so the table, rug, pendant light all line up with that inset ceiling, but nothing else. The only solution I can think of to fix this (without plastering over the door) is to find a shorter buffet that can line up on center with a larger object (standing mirror?) on the right side to balance out the door. But I love my blue one too much. Argh.

Well there’s our blank slate! It’s getting a heavy dose of makeover (most of the projects are underway) and I’ll keep you all updated on the progress.

Meanwhile… Kevin has been busy drawing up plans for a new back and side yard and right now we’re thinking decks, pergolas, fountains, flagstone pathways, a giant farm-style table with lots of fun chairs… it should be a great summer project!

Our Sunday Adventure & Other Mother’s Day Ramblings

May 14, 2012

To all of you lovely ladies out there that spend your time caring for and nurturing someone in your life, Happy {belated} Mother’s Day to you! I am elated at this crazy journey called motherhood and I am constantly amazed at the ever-changing emotions that accompany this huge, colossal responsibility and joy that so many of us experience.

I might get a little gushy on you today…

To sum it up: life as a mom is sweet. It’s an incomparable feeling that overcomes you as you watch with pride when the mini-me wobbles from the coffee table with full confidence, or perhaps when they reach up to you, eyes searching after a skinned knee or a scary siren, or maybe it’s the stolen kisses when you’re sure they’re not looking and they’re definitely not suspecting.

Life as a mom is sweet.

The little person that we are entrusted with is the greatest gift – and although I’m quite amazed at the uber fast development of their little person, sometimes I am completely caught off guard at the development that I’m going through as a parent to keep up.

Who knew a brain could become so saturated with mom-isms? Suddenly I’m awake in the middle of the night knowing that Liv’s little toes are cold and that socks are required pronto, or that there are 50 new, unconsidered dangers on that seemingly innocent playground, or that the best and most comforting way to fall asleep is with a well trained eyebrow rub that will soothe my tired baby at the end of a long day.

The funny thing is, I always knew that I wanted to be a mom and that I would love every minute of it. But I really wasn’t in any rush to join the mom gang. We waited several years after getting marriage to have a baby and even when we made that big decision (that’s one etch-a-sketch that can’t be undid – Juno, anyone?) the back of my mind still teamed with anxiety about pushing ‘everything’ aside to make room for anything else. Even with the eager anticipation of a new member of our family, I thought my entire world would change.

It did – but it didn’t. What I found on my journey is that reorganization might be required, but there is no pushing of who you are into any deep dark corners of the closet to be forgotten. Instead, that layer of mommy-hood is added to the unique makeup of who you are, and the depth of your being is now one padding thicker.

I feel immensely blessed that I can still work full time (my career and my goals in the business world were at the forefront of my nervous-nancy anxiety), and I feel whole having a job as I also nurture my little family (especially knowing that the latter always comes first). I have learned that in my unique way I can do both, and that the ‘corporate world drive’ that many young women feel is actually all about finding your niche – be it as the president of a company, an entrepreneur, a teacher, a full time mom.

What’s best about motherhood? What I most cherish is the everyday, crazy realization that I am loved by my daughter unconditionally, selflessly, devotingly. And I have come to realize that my greatest goal as a mom is to make sure that my entrusted little beings know that I feel the exact same way.

Becoming a mom is overwhelming, right? It can’t be just us new moms that feel those frequent waves of awesomeness – and I hope the surprise of it never gets old.

Ahhh there’s my gushiness – my heart on my sleeve.

Back to how we spent our Mother’s Day because I’d love to share a few pictures with you.

Oh what a beautiful day! My request this year was that we have a casual, lazy family day filled with little more than walking the grounds of some beautiful place (park, beach, downtown anywhere) with a vanilla latte and camera in hand. I wanted to picnic, play and wander for a good chunk of day.

What better place in San Diego than Balboa Park?

Kevin made a delicious little lunch that we enjoyed in a secret, empty nook of the giant park (which houses museums, fountains and flower beds galore) and then we played.

Liv is at that age where she’s curious, you can see it in those giant brown eyes of hers whether she’s learning how to smell a flower, what a butterfly painted on a wall is or how to scale extra large tree roots – before she turns to daddy and begs to be brought back down to the steady ground.

Oh boy is she ever curious!

If you’re wondering if she tipped right in alas she did not – but look at that cute bum! She was awfully darn close.

One of my favorite stops on the usual Balboa stroll includes the Botanical Gardens (+ that stunning Organ Pavilion — see top top pic of the outside theater).

Here’s the outside of the old metal arboretum, and a peek inside.

Enjoying the day as a family with little to-do list stress was such a treat!

I hope your Mother’s Day was equally special and that the little persons in your life (be they kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews, students or anything in between) appreciated you for the wonderful person that you are. Happy belated Mother’s Day :).

Liv’s Mother’s Day Candy Bag Cards

May 9, 2012

Liv has just recently discovered the world of crayons, colored pencils and drawing (right about the time I made the floating bookshelves for the tree painting in her nursery and stocked up on the art must-haves), so this Mother’s Day I’m creating little gifts for her Grandmas and Great Grandmas out of her very own art. Speaking of, if you are one of the above mentioned, I recommend skipping this post or you might spoil your surprise :). Oops, maybe it’s too late.

I call these guys candy bag cards because they’re made out of the small clear bags found in the make-your-own-candy aisle of most craft stores. They’re perfect for packaging up wedding favors, homemade lollipops, handfuls of M&Ms and adorable pictures or pint sized drawings by your kids!

To add a little of my own artistic love to each drawing bag, I made little rosettes out of cotton fabric and felt. They’re really simple to whip up and are a favorite little accent of mine.

The last time I created these little treat bags-turned-card was for Valentine’s Day when I sent salt water taffy and a photo of Liv to family.

Super easy idea.

For this version, Liv had a blast drawing on several pieces of white card stock for the bags. I included a picture of her making each creation because it was just too darn cute.

Here’s a look at all of the contents:

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Candy Bag Cards
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Materials: translucent bags, card stock or greeting cards (for the top of the bag), fabric for rolled flowers, needle and thread, felt for flower leaves, art, a photo to share, confetti for the bag (or candies that won’t melt), stapler, scissors, glue

Creating the rolled flowers was a quick and simple project, one that I’m thinking I might copy for a few cute barrettes or headbands for Liv?

To begin, I cut my fabric into roughly 2×6″ pieces (I used a t-shirt cotton found in my remnant box), and then began rolling the fabric lengthwise. Then I wound the thin roll around my finger to create a flower and added a small stitch at the end to keep the rosette in place. A second stitch helped me to tuck the edge of the fabric under so that it was hidden from out of view. Once I had my supplies together it took me 2 minutes per flower, maybe.

Lastly, using two contrasting colors of green felt I cut out little leaves for the rosette.

Next up was cutting out Liv’s art into bag-sized pieces. In went the confetti, the small picture of Liv drawing (which I just printed right from the home computer onto photo paper) and the actual drawing.

I used a little floral craft punch and burgundy card stock to make the confetti.

The last time I created these I used left over greeting cards cut to size to create the top of the bag (still love that idea), but this time I simply cut card stock and scrapbooking paper to the appropriate size and scored the edge with a credit card.

The card was stapled to the top on either side of the baggie and then I added the little rosettes for a finished look.

You could also write a little message right onto the front or back of the top of the bag making this a Mother’s Day present, drawing and card all in one!

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I love this idea for a birthday or shower invite, too! The possibilities are endless.

Another idea is to deliver the treat bags with candy instead of confetti. Choose a candy that won’t melt, such as a wrapped hard candy, conversation hearts or another favorite.

Perfect for Mother’s Day! I’m mailing these guys out as we speak, the Grandmas and Great Grandmas in Liv’s life should have their drawings by Sunday.

 Happy Wednesday to you all!

PS All Mother’s Day ideas can be found under the pink ‘Entertaining’ button in the left sidebar (with the rest of the posts sorted by holiday or event), or by using this short cut right here.

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