Kitchen Tile Choices

Yes, things are still moving along in the kitchen.  I will have a cabinet painting post and reveal for you very soon, but for now I wanted to give you a sneak peek at the tile we have chosen for the floor and backsplash.  We ordered it a couple weeks ago and it is now sitting in our carport waiting to be installed.  

We wanted a nice medium gray tile for the floor.  Our house in Illinois had a dark gray linoleum floor and it showed lots of dirt and white dog hair.  Our house here has cream colored linoleum and it also shows every speck of dirt and dust and food crumbs.  So, we're hoping that a medium gray will be the middle ground.  (Or maybe I should just clean the floor more often.)  Here is what we decided on...

They are 18" x 24" rectangular tiles which I think will add a little something extra over the 18" x 18" square size since our kitchen is pretty calm/neutral right now.  We chose a gray grout that closely matches the tile color to keep the floor from looking too broken up and busy.

For the backsplash, we didn't hesitate in picking a glossy white subway tile.  It has been my vision from the very beginning.  

It is timeless and inexpensive.  We chose a light gray grout (same as what we chose for the floor) to draw some attention to the backsplash.  

Here is a picture to give you an idea of what everything will look like together.

We are hiring out the backsplash and floor tiling as we just don't have the time with other projects and the twins on the way.  We are still trying to nail down dates with our contractor but I'm hoping to squeeze it all in by the end of March.  Then we will just need a table and some chairs and the kitchen will pretty much be done!

Crib Choice Reveal

I didn't mean to leave you hanging for so long at the end of my affordable, modern crib post.  We assembled the cribs and they are now hanging out in the nursery all empty and alone.

Drumroll please...

We chose the Baby Mod Marley 3-in-1 Convertible Crib.  They were each $50 off when we purchased them!

We selected the white and walnut version which hasn't been available on Walmart.com for the past month.  I'm not sure when/if they will restock it.

Assembly was straightforward and pretty easy with two people.

We have discussed many room layout options and I think we are set on placing the cribs side by side on the back wall like so.  It allows for more floor space in the center of the room for play time and such.

We are nearly done painting the room and closet (goodbye khaki!!!).

I'll be sharing some gender neutral nursery design boards and a long awaited kitchen update soon!

Guest Bedroom Update

I realized that I've added and changed some things in our guest bedroom over the past six months or so and have never shown you guys.  I will remedy that today.

Our guest bedroom started out like this:

Then, we painted and added some of our furniture and decor.

We obviously hadn't gotten around to replacing that hideous light fixture yet.  

Since then, we've removed the chevron rug because a certain chihuahua decided it looked like a good potty spot. (Read: chihuahuas are the arguably the most difficult breed to fully house train.)  And I've tweaked and added to the decor.

Things are looking much better these days (except for my grainy photos obviously...I really need to sign up for an online class).

Now that I've revealed the current state of the guest bedroom to the blog world, I'll also tell you that I'm about to start tweaking things again.  I don't anticipate purchasing many new items (I'm eyeing this pillow though).  I will be toning down the yellow by bringing in more white with just a few small shots of additional colors, possibly dyeing the curtains, bringing in a dresser, switching out some artwork, and who knows what else.

My mom will be "moving in" to help out with the twins for about a month after they are born (THANK YOU SO MUCH MOM!) and I just felt it was time for a refresh.  I also want to make sure that the room is more functional for a long-term guest.  As always, progress may be slow around here, but I will keep you posted.  Have a relaxing weekend!

Gender Specific Nursery Designs

Since I'm a crazy dreamer/planner, I started multiple nursery design boards on Polyvore before we were even trying to have children.  I thought I would share the gender specific designs that I created since we won't be using those because we're having one of each!

Here is a soft, feminine design that started with the Michelle Armas print "That Bowtie I Like".

"Chicken Run" print // "Naps Fix Everything" print // crib // curtains

sconces (Crate and Barrel - no longer available) //  rocker // pouf // pink pillow

white pillow // turquoise pillow // rug (similar)

My next design started with Britt Bass Turner's Rocket Woman print.

bunny print // adventurers print // Fisher Price Riley crib (appears to be currently out of stock)

mobile (LOVE these handmade, colorful felt mobiles) //  dresser (OR pick up something on Craigslist and paint it light blue cause this one is a ridiculous $1,700) // rug // yellow pillow (West Elm - no longer available) // purple tribal pillow // rocker and pouf - same as first design

Lastly, here is a camping-inspired nursery design for an adventurous boy.

dresser // Fishing in the Dark print // insect print // tree postcard // camping sky print

deer mobile // canoe paddle print // desire to explore print // crib // curtains (similar)

chevron ikat pillow // chartreuse geometric pillow // orange pillow (west elm - no longer available) // rug // rocker and pouf - same as above

I hope I've given some of you ideas for your own nursery or home!  I'll be sharing some gender neutral nursery designs (including the top contenders for our nursery design) very soon.  Have a great week!

Antique Booth Projects and Update

So I haven't talked about the antique booth for awhile now.  Overall, things just aren't going as well as I had hoped.  When we started back in July, I hoped that I would at least make enough money to cover rent most months and have some months where I made a small profit.  I knew that this was just a hobby for me and I wouldn't be able to put tons of time into it so I wasn't expecting a second income.

Turns out that I have only made money above rent three months out of the six so far and two of those months it was less than $10.  I think this is for a few reasons:  1) I just don't have the time to decorate the booth seasonally or go in there and shuffle things around constantly, 2) I haven't had as much much time as I had hoped to search for and fix up new inventory, 3) The people visiting this antique mall just don't have my great taste.  :)  That last one is mostly a joke.  But I have been surprised by some of the things that have gotten snatched up and some of the things that continue to sit there.

As I'm sure you can guess, all of this rambling is leading to the announcement that I have decided to walk away.  I gave my notice last week and the booth will be closing at the end of February.  Hopefully, someone else will have better luck in my space.

I did want to show you a couple more makeovers that I completed for it though.  First up is this solid, metal filing cabinet.

I wish I had taken more before photos for you.  The major issue was that whoever had painted the cabinet had painted it using a brush.  The brushstrokes were AWFUL.  There were ridges everywhere on this thing.  Also, for some reason, instead of removing the hardware, they had just painted over it. Bad.

Seth spent tons of time sanding this thing down for me (thanks, honey!!!) until it was smooth.  I removed the hardware and used some Citristrip and a wire brush to take off the multiple layers of paint.  I  primed the filing cabinet (I think I used this) with multiple light coats of spray primer and sanded in between with fine grit sandpaper.  For the paint color, I chose a soft, powdery blue (note that the price listed in this link is for 6 bottles) by Krylon.

I had A LOT of problems with this spray paint.  Multiple cans started spraying out white flecks of paint mid-stream (and yes, I had shaken them up VERY thoroughly before and after this started happening) which was infuriating.  I then had to sand down those areas and recoat with a bottle that wasn't spraying white flecks yet.  It got to the point where I had a few half empty bottles that were all doing this and no more paint.

It might be difficult to see in the photo, but if you look closely, there are raised flecks of paint.  So, plan B was to purchase the same paint in a quart size and use a foam roller to roll it on.  Ummmm...why didn't I do that to begin with?  It covered much better and was much easier.

After reattaching the hardware, here is what the finished product looked like.

I thought it turned out super cute and was tempted to keep it for myself.

I loved the worn copper color of the hardware.

I did not calculate exactly what I spent on paint for this beast.  I probably don't want to know, but I would estimate that after the purchase price and paint, we probably put about $35 into this project (not including the hours upon hours of labor sanding and painting it).  Considering that 3 drawer metal filing cabinets start at around $100, I priced it at $80.  After sitting in the booth for the past 3 months or so, it finally sold for $65.  Whomp whomp.  I'm not sure $30 was really worth all of the time and energy that we put into it.

A second quick project that I put together was a copper cage pendant light.

It started as this ugly lamp shade that I found on the side of the road.  (Yay for free!)  I removed all of the fabric and wiped the metal frame down with dilute white vinegar.

I used Krylon's copper brilliance spray paint (yes...Krylon again).  It's not cheap spray paint, but I used a coupon at Hobby Lobby.  I believe it took me about one and a half cans to cover everything.

We followed Mandy's tutorial and Seth wired it for me.

Again - I think it turned out cute, but apparently the shoppers at the antique mall are not into the trendy, stripped down, industrialized look.  Or maybe it's the copper color.  It's still there waiting on a forever home, but I have no doubt I will find a spot for it in our house if it doesn't sell.

I've still got a couple more projects to share with you as my antique booth venture winds down.  And the kitchen cabinet reveal.  If we ever get there...

Affordable, Modern Cribs for the Twins

If you've browsed around this blog much, you probably know that Seth and I do not like traditional furniture.  We prefer a more modern, streamlined look.  This preference leads to much difficulty when it comes time to purchase furniture.  The local furniture stores around here are not going to cut it.  I spent quite some time searching for affordable, modern cribs before we found ours and I thought I would gather them all in one place in case others are in the same boat.

Let's start with the pricey options.

1.  Babyletto Lolly Crib $399 - I really like this one.  The natural wood color of the spindles makes them fade into the background.  

2.  Dwell Studio Mid-Century Crib $799 - This one is gorgeous.  Much too pricey for us, but gorgeous.

3.  Oeuf Sparrow Crib $760 - The poster child for modern cribs (it seems to be on every design blog!).  Too pricey for us though.

4.  Ti Amo Moderna Island Crib ~$400 - I am not as familiar with this brand, but it looks like a nice mid-priced crib.

5.  Babyletto Hudson Crib $379 - This was my dream crib for awhile.  It looks very similar to the Oeuf Sparrow but for half the cost.  If we were having only one child, I might have splurged.

Now for some more affordable options...

1.  Baby Mod Marley Crib $299 - I love the tapered legs on this beauty.  It looks like the white/walnut combo is currently sold out but hopefully it will be restocked.

2.  Baby Mod Modena $249 - On sale for $199 currently!  Also comes in gray and espresso.

3.  Fisher Price Riley Crib $249 - I love the white/gray color combo.  And it's manufactured by a well-known, trusted company.

4.  Delta Children Manhattan Crib $249 - This one is not available in white, but I do like the gray.  The slanted legs are also reminiscent of those on the Oeuf Sparrow.

5.  Baby Mod Olivia Crib $299 - Currently on sale for $249!  I like how the base seems to cradle the entire crib.  Looks super sturdy.

6.  Fisher Price Soho Crib $299 - A dramatic, contrasting look!


**If you're looking to save even more, try the old standby Ikea Gulliver Crib (it's only $99!) or the Delta Waves Crib ($129!).**


We made our crib decision at the end of December and have since found time to assemble one of the two.  I will reveal our winner and show you some pictures soon!  Happy crib hunting!

A Jumping Off Point

2015 has begun and I am officially less nauseous and getting more energy back.  Hooray!  The nursery design has been at the forefront of my mind lately but I'm not making any final plans until we find out the gender of the babies.  It's possible that we will find out very soon...if they cooperate.  (PLEASE BABIES,  COOPERATE!!!)

Since our life is now headed in a new direction, you will likely have to endure posts about nursery design/decor, maternity wear, baby gear, etc.  I hope that is okay.  If you're not interested in these posts, just skip 'em.  It won't hurt my feelings.

With that said, this is one such post.  I stumbled across these pillows last week and knew they would be a perfect jumping off point for the nursery.  They are colorful, fun, and gender neutral.  

We chose the mouse and the fox - one for each crib (to be removed when babies are sleeping, don't stone me).  I love the colors and it will be easy to design the nursery around them whether we are having two girls, two boys, or one of each.  

I am also loving this print by Michelle Armas which shares a very similar color palette.

via

The purple and pink might be a bit much if we are having two boys though.  Guess we'll see!

I appreciate you sticking around through the slow blogging period I've had recently.  I hope to get back to more regular posting now that I'm feeling better and able to tackle more projects around this house.  In the works are: an affordable, modern crib roundup; nursery design boards; kitchen cabinet reveal; and kitchen cabinet organization (including our out of control spice cabinet).

I sincerely hope that 2015 is treating you all well so far!