Please forgive my absence as there have been some HUGE changes going on in my life in 2015 (which I will get into later), but right now I need some huge support from my blog friends! My DIY painted backsplash was selected as one of the top six finalists for Frogtape's "Earn Your Stripes Contest" and now it's up to public vote to choose the $5,000 grand prize winner!
Anyone with a valid email address can vote up to once a day (so if you have more than one email address like me, you can vote mulitple times a day!). Here is the link to vote for me:
http://earnyourstripes.readysetpromo.com/vote.html?__entry=5933774
Please vote often and share on facebook, your blogs, and with all of your family and friends!
If you are interested in seeing details on my project, you can check out my blog post here. Please vote often and share on facebook, your blogs, and with all of your family and friends!
Thank you guys soooo much for your support! I appreciate it very much!
Monday, July 13, 2015
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Goals for 2015 {Lots of Lists}
Happy almost new year everyone! I’m not really big on New Years Resolutions, but this time of year I like to look back on what I accomplished in the previous year compared with what I set out to accomplish, and make a list of all of the things I would like to do in the coming year. Unfortunately, this year it doesn’t seem like I got too much done around the house, but I am giving myself a pass because I got a whole lot accomplished on a personal level.
This year I want to share with you my personal goals as well as my home-related goals to help keep myself accountable for everything!
Looking back...
Looking back...
Here was my list of things I wanted to do around the house in 2014 with an update on where they stand today:
1. Install kitchen lighting. Complete! I added under cabinet lighting, which you can see here and a pendant over the kitchen sink, which I have yet to take a picture of!
2. Complete the study. Complete! You can check out the room reveal here. There were a lot of DIY projects in this room too, including the built-in desk and bookshelves, a fabric covered corkboard, a craigslist desk makeover, and a file cabinet makeover and a home-made pillow to match the corkboard.
3. Complete the guest room. 0% complete…. Whomp, whomp :(
4. Paint and install decorative trim the foyer. 0% complete. I still can’t decide whether to hire someone to do this or attempt it ourselves.
5. Install trimwork in first floor doorways. 0% complete. Not that I would have gotten to it anyway, but we decided to push this off until after we put hardwoods in the living room and dining room.
6. Paint master bathroom. Complete! Check out what color I picked here.
7. Build landscape/retaining wall. 0% complete. This was the ONE thing I REALLY wanted to get done this year and we dropped the ball. Hopefully we can do it in the early spring of this year!
8. Plant more trees/shrubs. 35% complete. This will probably be on my list for the next 5 years. We have a huge lot (1.5 acres), that was completely bare when we bought, so we have a lot of planting to do to fill it out. This year we planted 5 crepe myrtles, an oak tree, a red maple in honor of the baby we lost, another Japanese red maple, and a purple plum.
Moving forward to this year... In 2015 I would like to complete the following house-related projects:
1. Build landscape/retaining wall.
2. Install hardwoods in the living room and dining room.
3. Re-paint the morning room with a darker color.
4. Paint and install decorative trim in the foyer.
5. Remodel the laundry room.
6. Plant more trees.
I also have the following personal/profession goals that I’d like to accomplish in 2015:
1. Lose 20 lbs.
2. Complete 3 real estate transactions.
3. Actually learn how to blog… to make this a more measurable goal, I’m going to aim to do the following:
a. Double my followers this year.
b. Create an editorial calendar.
c. Read up on and practice connecting with other bloggers.
d. Read up on and practice how to take better blog photos.
4. Create at least 10 new products for my etsy store.
5. Participate in two craft shows.
6. Do a strict pull-up and 5 unbroken toes-to-bar (crossfit).
7. Rx a workout (crossfit).
It's not going to be easy, but I think I can do at least most of the things on my list by this time next year. Thank you in advance for all of your support along the way!!
What are your goals for 2015? How did you do on your 2014 goals or resolutions?
1. Install kitchen lighting. Complete! I added under cabinet lighting, which you can see here and a pendant over the kitchen sink, which I have yet to take a picture of!
2. Complete the study. Complete! You can check out the room reveal here. There were a lot of DIY projects in this room too, including the built-in desk and bookshelves, a fabric covered corkboard, a craigslist desk makeover, and a file cabinet makeover and a home-made pillow to match the corkboard.
3. Complete the guest room. 0% complete…. Whomp, whomp :(
4. Paint and install decorative trim the foyer. 0% complete. I still can’t decide whether to hire someone to do this or attempt it ourselves.
5. Install trimwork in first floor doorways. 0% complete. Not that I would have gotten to it anyway, but we decided to push this off until after we put hardwoods in the living room and dining room.
6. Paint master bathroom. Complete! Check out what color I picked here.
7. Build landscape/retaining wall. 0% complete. This was the ONE thing I REALLY wanted to get done this year and we dropped the ball. Hopefully we can do it in the early spring of this year!
8. Plant more trees/shrubs. 35% complete. This will probably be on my list for the next 5 years. We have a huge lot (1.5 acres), that was completely bare when we bought, so we have a lot of planting to do to fill it out. This year we planted 5 crepe myrtles, an oak tree, a red maple in honor of the baby we lost, another Japanese red maple, and a purple plum.
Moving forward to this year... In 2015 I would like to complete the following house-related projects:
1. Build landscape/retaining wall.
2. Install hardwoods in the living room and dining room.
3. Re-paint the morning room with a darker color.
4. Paint and install decorative trim in the foyer.
5. Remodel the laundry room.
6. Plant more trees.
I also have the following personal/profession goals that I’d like to accomplish in 2015:
1. Lose 20 lbs.
2. Complete 3 real estate transactions.
3. Actually learn how to blog… to make this a more measurable goal, I’m going to aim to do the following:
a. Double my followers this year.
b. Create an editorial calendar.
c. Read up on and practice connecting with other bloggers.
d. Read up on and practice how to take better blog photos.
4. Create at least 10 new products for my etsy store.
5. Participate in two craft shows.
6. Do a strict pull-up and 5 unbroken toes-to-bar (crossfit).
7. Rx a workout (crossfit).
It's not going to be easy, but I think I can do at least most of the things on my list by this time next year. Thank you in advance for all of your support along the way!!
What are your goals for 2015? How did you do on your 2014 goals or resolutions?
And to close out the year, here were my top 5
posts from 2014 (click on the photo to go to the post):
![]() DIY Giant Chalkboard Calendar |
| 9 Pieces of Advice for Buying a New Construction Home |
| Home Office Reveal |
![]() DIY Fabric Covered Corkboard |
![]() Built-In Desk and Bookshelves |
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Merry Christmas!!!
I seriously can’t believe that Christmas is in two days (really one day for me because we’re having Christmas Eve at our house tomorrow). Please tell me I’m not the only one that is completely slacking on holiday prep this year! We just decorated our tree and house this past weekend and I only put out about half the decorations I usually do. I still haven’t finished food shopping for Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow, and I haven’t even started cleaning the house. Oh and I’m going to happy hour tonight with my old co-workers instead of going straight home to clean after work. I am crazy!! But the craziest thing is that I’m not even as stressed as I usually am about the holidays. I have been making a concerted effort lately to worry less about the unimportant things and just try to enjoy life. It’s a work in progress, but I definitely think I’ve made some positive changes toward that goal in the past few months.
I think part of the reason I am not as worried about the holidays this year is because I am so excited for 2015 to begin. 2014 sucked for me and Greg, and I just have to believe that better things are on the way for us in 2015. If it were up to me I would skip Christmas this year and head straight to New Years Eve (sorry MIL, I can just hear you gasping at that comment… the queen of everything Christmas ;)). In the spirit of trying to be more positive, I’m going to skip all of the bad things that 2014 brought and instead reflect on the good things that happened this past year:
1. I quit my stressful job in the city and got a new, less stressful job that pays more and is closer to home.
1. I quit my stressful job in the city and got a new, less stressful job that pays more and is closer to home.
2. Greg got a promotion at work and continues to be super-successful at his company, especially for how young he is.
3. I got my real estate license.
4. I finally pursued a passion of mine and opened an etsy shop and participated in a craft fair.
5. Greg and I were both honored to be asked by my two little cousins to be their confirmation sponsors. What a humbling feeling to have an almost-teenager respect you enough to want you next to them at such a special event and guiding them through their spiritual lives.
7. The old adage “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”… for us this year is was “Adversity makes the heart grow stronger”. We already had what I consider a great marriage, but the past year has brought us even closer and forged our bond even stronger. I am so thankful every day to have such a loving and supportive life partner.
What’s the best thing that happened to you in 2014? Are you looking forward to 2015 as much as me??
Best wishes to everyone for a blessed and merry Christmas and happy and heathy New Year!!
6. We took awesome trips to Jamaica, California to visit friends, and Virginia this year.
![]() |
| Visiting some good friends in Cali! |
What’s the best thing that happened to you in 2014? Are you looking forward to 2015 as much as me??
Best wishes to everyone for a blessed and merry Christmas and happy and heathy New Year!!
Monday, December 22, 2014
How to Add Exterior Lighting {Tutorial}
We finally got around to doing our exterior lighting for the
house and I LOOOVE it!! I seriously
can't believe how easy it was and what a difference it makes in the way our home looks!
When I say it was easy, I mean it. It took Greg and our neighbor about an hour to do the whole thing. It could easily be done as one man (or woman) job in just an hour or two. If I had known this before I would have done this the day after we moved in!! I encourage you to learn from my mistake and just do it!!
How To Install Exterior House Lighting
So, here is what you need to light up your house:
1. Low voltage lighting cable like this: Coleman Cable 095041008 14/2 Low Voltage Lighting Cable, 100-Feet (affiliate link)
2. Malibu Power Pack
3. Malibu LED Spotlights: We used three 50 W spotlight (which can reach up to 20 feet) for the front of the house and three 20 watt (which can reach up to 10 feet) for the garage. Note that the those wattages are the halogen equivalent with respect to brightness; the LED lights actually pull a lot less power).
I couldn't find links for the lighting stuff online anywhere, but they sell it all at Home Depot. Here are some pictures of what you will want to get:
3. Malibu LED Spotlights: We used three 50 W spotlight (which can reach up to 20 feet) for the front of the house and three 20 watt (which can reach up to 10 feet) for the garage. Note that the those wattages are the halogen equivalent with respect to brightness; the LED lights actually pull a lot less power).
I couldn't find links for the lighting stuff online anywhere, but they sell it all at Home Depot. Here are some pictures of what you will want to get:
5. Something to mount your power box on/with (read on to see how we mounted ours).
Step 1: Lay out your cable along the front of the house, making sure to leave a good amount of slack throughout and extra cable at both ends in case you ever want to add on. I forgot to take pictures while we were fishing the cable under our walkway, but you basically dig small trenches on either side of the walkway, then place the rebar under the concrete and bang it through the soil with a hammer or sledge hammer. Then we attached the end of the cable to the rebar with a ziptie and fished it through. This is a pretty good video on how to do it, but I think our way is a little simpler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBHqIGuhmQk. After we had already fished it under, we thought about using a large diameter PVC pipe under there so that we could run an extension cord for our Christmas lights through the pipe too. If you use decide to use the PVC pipe, just put a cap on the end and use your hammer to bang it through, then it's super easy to run the wire through.
Step 2: Cut some of the wire coating off of the ends of your cables and attach to the power pack as shown. Plug your power box into your outdoor outlet. (Note that this is all in the easy-to-follow directions that come with the products as well, I am just giving your our personal take on them :)).
Here's what the inside of the box looks like. It's super-easy to program and has a lot of different timing options. Our neighbor had attached his box to the side of the concrete stoop and plugged it into the outlet next to the front door. We actually have an extra outlet in the front of our house, so we plugged it into that and just made a makeshift wood stake to attach it to and hid it behind a bush.
Step 3: Set up your lights where ever you think you want them. We did this in the daytime so we just guestimated, then fine-tuned them at nightfall. We originally started out with four large lights for the front plus three smaller ones for the garage, but we wound up getting rid of one of the large lights. These things are BRIGHT, so you don't need a lot of them to make an impact.
Each light has a short wire attached to it with a plastic and metal fork-like thing at the end, that looks like this (see this is why your need my supplemental directions so you know these technical terms like "fork-things" :)):
![]() |
| (source) |
Step 4: Wait for darkness, then adjust your lights around to get them exactly how you want them. Then grab a beer and a chair and sit in the front lawn and enjoy your handiwork!!
A Few More Tips for DIY Outdoor Lighting Installation
1. Use LED lights! The new LED lights don't have that weird blue-ish tint and they last sooo much longer. The Malibu ones that we got from Home Depot actually come with a lifetime warranty, so as long as you keep your receipt they will replace them for free.
2. Malibu's website has some good tips for easy self-installation. I recommend checking it out before you start to see what your options are and what things to think about with your lighting layout.
I am linking up at these great parties!
The Party Bunch
Creativity Unleashed
On Display Thursday
Think and Make Thursdays
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Moonlight and Mason Jars
Work It Wednesday
Creativity Unleashed
On Display Thursday
Think and Make Thursdays
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Moonlight and Mason Jars
Work It Wednesday
Monday, November 10, 2014
Industrial Paper Towel Holder {Tutorial}
You may have seen the industrial pipe paper towel holder I made a few weeks ago if you checked out my new etsy shop. Today I’m going to show you how I made them. (Not sure why I am showing you how to make something I am selling, but I can’t help myself from sharing! Hopefully you just won’t feel like making one yourself and will buy one from my anyway :)).
Here’s what you need:
Materials:
1x8 wood
1- 12" length of ¾” diameter black pipe (affiliate link)
1- ¾” floor flange (affiliate link)
1- 3/4" black pipe cap (affiliate link)
4 – ¾” #10 screws
1- ¾” floor flange (affiliate link)
1- 3/4" black pipe cap (affiliate link)
4 – ¾” #10 screws
Stain
Polyurethane
Gold spraypaint (affiliate link)
Oil rubbed bronze spraypaint (affiliate link)
6. Finally, I attached my pipe to my base by drilling pilot holes and screwing the floor flange into my base with my spray painted #10 screws.
Oil rubbed bronze spraypaint (affiliate link)
Tools:
Saw
Router (optional)
Drill
Screwdriver
Paint brush/rags for stain
1. Cut your wood into a 6” x 6” square, then cut each corner to make a 6” diameter octagon
2. Route the edges of your base to make them fancy (optional).
3. Sand, stain and polyurethane your base. I used a dark walnut stain and two coats of spray polyurethane. Sand lightly between coats of poly with ~220 grit sandpaper.
4. While your stain/poly is drying, clean your pipes and fittings. This is especially important if you are using black pipe (as opposed to galvanized). I first scrubbed the pipe with cooking oil to get the sticky stuff from the price tag off, using the rough side of a sponge. Then I scrubbed it with just regular dish soap and water to get all of the grease and dirt off.
5. Next, I assembled my pipe, cap and floor flange and lightly screwed it into my work table (which consists of a piece of plywood on two saw horses… this is a serious workshop folks!). I gave the whole thing a generous coat of gold spraypaint, let that dry overnight, then followed up with a coat of oil rubbed bronze spray paint and let that dry overnight. Once it was completely dry I lightly sanded in random places with course sandpaper to make the gold show through.
![]() |
| Unpainted >> Gold Spraypaint >> ORB Spraypaint |
And there you have it... A handmade rustic paper towel holder in six easy steps!
It can also double as a toilet paper holder for spare rolls in the powder room. The 12” length holds like 2.5 rolls of TP, so you could always just use a longer pipe if you want to hold more.
If you like this rustic/industrial paper towel holder and don’t feel like making it yourself, I would love to make one for you! You can place an order on my esty shop here or email me if you would like to purchase one! This could be a cute Christmas gift for that friend or relative that you never know what to buy for! Guys seem to love these too… at my craft show last weekend, they were a big hit with the few male craft show patrons we had :).
Speaking of Christmas… how many people have started shopping?? Usually I at least have my list put together by this time, but am behind schedule!
I am linking up at these great parties... go check them out!
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Built-In Desk and Bookshelves {How-to and Source List}
If you missed my big home office reveal, you can check it out here. I am pretty psyched at how it turned out! The biggest project and my favorite part of this room makeover was the built-in desk and bookshelves. I don't have every step chronicled with photos, but I will try to give you the general idea of how we did it.
I wasn't quite ready to build my own cabinets yet like John from Our Home From Scratch, so we cheated and used unfinished base cabinets from Lowes. I used two 24” cabinets and one 18” cabinet with drawers, leaving 30” of space in the middle. First we cut the toe-kicks off the bottom of the cabinets to bring them down to “desk height”. The finished desk is actually a little higher than a standard desk, but it’s within a few inches and that was fine for me. Then, since our one wall is at a ~135 degree angle, we cut the back and right side off of our right-most cabinet. So the right cabinet is really only half a cabinet on the inside (see second picture below). I actually got this idea from the TV show "The Millers". I was watching one night and noticed that their kitchen had a weird angled wall like ours and it looked like their cabinets were just trimmed so they were narrower in the back.
Once we had the bookcase units assembled, I gave them and the extra shelves two coats of primer and two coats of the same paint I used on the desk. Once we set them in place on top of the desk, we screwed the sides into the wall studs in a few places and bolted the abutting units together in inconspicuous places.
My dad did most of the measuring/finagling for the right-most unit against the odd-angled wall and I honestly have no idea how to explain what he did so I’m going to skip that part! If you have a similar situation and have questions, feel free to email me and I’ll get answers from the boss for you :).
Once the bookshelves were in place we added crown molding in the whole room and just tied it right into the bookshelves.
And there you have it! A DIY built-in desk and bookshelf unit that even a beginner woodworker like me can do!
I like Joss & Main's sales because all of the items are organized/curated well, so I save time by only shopping the sales that fit with my décor style. And they always have on-trend pieces at reasonable prices. I like to keep pretty neutral room designs and then just add some inexpensive “trendy” items that I can switch out when the trends change. They are actually having a giveaway right now for a gray storage unit (a $250 value!). Just click on the banner and sign in to your Joss & Main account to enter. (Note that you must have or create a Joss & Main account in order to enter the giveaway). A random winner will be chosen on November 1st. This would be great for the kitchen or hiding toys away in a kid’s playroom!
I wasn't quite ready to build my own cabinets yet like John from Our Home From Scratch, so we cheated and used unfinished base cabinets from Lowes. I used two 24” cabinets and one 18” cabinet with drawers, leaving 30” of space in the middle. First we cut the toe-kicks off the bottom of the cabinets to bring them down to “desk height”. The finished desk is actually a little higher than a standard desk, but it’s within a few inches and that was fine for me. Then, since our one wall is at a ~135 degree angle, we cut the back and right side off of our right-most cabinet. So the right cabinet is really only half a cabinet on the inside (see second picture below). I actually got this idea from the TV show "The Millers". I was watching one night and noticed that their kitchen had a weird angled wall like ours and it looked like their cabinets were just trimmed so they were narrower in the back.
![]() |
| Inspiration from the strangest places! |
I removed the doors and drawers from the cabinets and gave them all two coats of primer (my favorite is *KILZ two coats of white paint (I used Glidden's Swan White). Lesson
learned: Regular old Glidden latex paint is my go-to for painting walls, but it
is not as wonderful for painting cabinets.
Even after letting the cabinets dry for a whole week, the doors and drawers were
still sticking like crazy. I remedied
this by just adding those little rubber dots to the inside of all of the doors
and drawers, but next time I paint furniture or cabinets I will definitely do
my research first!
For installation, we first removed the baseboard in the areas where the desk would go (you can see how I removed the baseboard here). We screwed the cabinets into the studs on the back and side walls for stability and also bolted the inner right cabinet to the right-most one. Then I added some baseboard to the wall under the middle part of the desk and shoe molding around the wall and desk to finish it off.
For the desk top, we used 4 - 6"x5/4" boards plus one 4"x5/4" board of select pine, which we clamped together using my brother's *Kreg Pocket Hole Jig System, then I sanded it, cut the angle on the right side, applied two coats of dark walnut stain and about 5 coats of polyurethane. You can read the full tutorial for the desktop here.
The cabinets are actually made with these little brackets at the top for attaching a counter top, sowe my dad just screwed the desktop into those from inside the cabinets.
For installation, we first removed the baseboard in the areas where the desk would go (you can see how I removed the baseboard here). We screwed the cabinets into the studs on the back and side walls for stability and also bolted the inner right cabinet to the right-most one. Then I added some baseboard to the wall under the middle part of the desk and shoe molding around the wall and desk to finish it off.
For the desk top, we used 4 - 6"x5/4" boards plus one 4"x5/4" board of select pine, which we clamped together using my brother's *Kreg Pocket Hole Jig System, then I sanded it, cut the angle on the right side, applied two coats of dark walnut stain and about 5 coats of polyurethane. You can read the full tutorial for the desktop here.
![]() |
| Desktop after assembly and first coat of stain. |
The cabinets are actually made with these little brackets at the top for attaching a counter top, so
![]() |
| He is the best!! |
Then I just re-attached the doors and drawers and added some pretty hardware using the same *template
I used for our kitchen cabinets.
Once we had the desk in place, we measured for the bookshelves. Since we were pre-assembling them, we had to make them a little shorter than the distance between the top of the desk and the ceiling to make sure we could get them in there easily. This worked out anyway because I wanted to add some chunky crown molding to the top so it would fit seamlessly with the rest of the room, so we left about 5 inches between the top of the bookshelves and the ceiling.
![]() |
| Desk finished! |
![]() |
| Bookshelves before painting. |
We used 1x12 select pine for the bookshelves. We made the left and middle units first since the width of the right-most one would need to be measured after the other two were installed to make sure we got it exactly correct for that weird angled wall. First we cut all of the vertical/side pieces to the right length, then stacked and clamped them together. Then we used my dad’s drill press to drill straight through all of the boards so that all of the holes were even on each piece. Then we cut all of the shelves to the right length, set two of the shelves inside the side pieces, clamped it together, drilled pilot holes, then secured the shelves with screws. I chose to one have one stationary shelf (plus the top), and the rest of the shelves are set with those *cabinet shelf support things so they are adjustable. We made three possible positions for each adjustable shelf. If I had to do it again, I would probably just make them all fixed because it gives more stability and honestly, I don’t ever see myself changing up the position of the shelves anyway.
Once we had the bookcase units assembled, I gave them and the extra shelves two coats of primer and two coats of the same paint I used on the desk. Once we set them in place on top of the desk, we screwed the sides into the wall studs in a few places and bolted the abutting units together in inconspicuous places.
My dad did most of the measuring/finagling for the right-most unit against the odd-angled wall and I honestly have no idea how to explain what he did so I’m going to skip that part! If you have a similar situation and have questions, feel free to email me and I’ll get answers from the boss for you :).
Once the bookshelves were in place we added crown molding in the whole room and just tied it right into the bookshelves.
And there you have it! A DIY built-in desk and bookshelf unit that even a beginner woodworker like me can do!
As I mentioned before, the bookshelves are still not 100% complete. I need to add some trim where the vertical pieces are attached to hide the seam, and also figure out how to hide my computer cords and stuff, but I have been so busy getting my etsy shop up and running and preparing for my first craft fair this weekend (and working at my full-time job), that I put the house projects on hold temporarily. Not to worry though, I plan to be back at it with the house work next week!
Can you tell where I like to shop?? Lol. Joss & Main and HomeGoods are definitely my go-to stores for “knickknack” items and wall décor. Joss & Main’s furniture can be expensive, and I don’t like to spend on ton on something without seeing it in person first, but I always find great deals with them for unique home décor items. If you aren’t familiar with Joss & Main, it’s an online home décor store where they have different “flash sales” each day that usually last a couple of days. You have to register in order to shop and you get free shipping for the first 30 days after you register and for 30 days after every purchase you make! If you click on the Joss & Main banner below to sign up, I will get $15 store credit when you make your first purchase. No pressure, but I won’t hate it if you help me get some free stuff :). They have some great fall and Christmas sales going on right now!!
Below is a list of where all of my bookshelf decor is from (not including the books). Items are listed from left to right, top to bottom based on the photo above:
Gear Decor - Joss & Main
RELAX Metal Letters - Joss & Main
M - Joanns ($2 cardboard letter that I spraypainted ORB)
Teal Jug - Joss & Main
Glass Cross - Wedding gift
Teal Box - Joanns
Gear Bookend - Joss & Main
Hello Sign - Groopdealz (*affiliate link)
Faux Succulent - Joss & Main
Jax Decor and small faux succulent - Joss & Main
Magnifying Glass - HomeGoods on sale for $7!
Agate Bookend - West Elm
@ Decor - HomeGoods on sale for $10!
Fabric-covered Corkboard - DIY by Me!
Task Lamp - HomeGoods
Hourglass - Taken from my parents' house
Can you tell where I like to shop?? Lol. Joss & Main and HomeGoods are definitely my go-to stores for “knickknack” items and wall décor. Joss & Main’s furniture can be expensive, and I don’t like to spend on ton on something without seeing it in person first, but I always find great deals with them for unique home décor items. If you aren’t familiar with Joss & Main, it’s an online home décor store where they have different “flash sales” each day that usually last a couple of days. You have to register in order to shop and you get free shipping for the first 30 days after you register and for 30 days after every purchase you make! If you click on the Joss & Main banner below to sign up, I will get $15 store credit when you make your first purchase. No pressure, but I won’t hate it if you help me get some free stuff :). They have some great fall and Christmas sales going on right now!!
I like Joss & Main's sales because all of the items are organized/curated well, so I save time by only shopping the sales that fit with my décor style. And they always have on-trend pieces at reasonable prices. I like to keep pretty neutral room designs and then just add some inexpensive “trendy” items that I can switch out when the trends change. They are actually having a giveaway right now for a gray storage unit (a $250 value!). Just click on the banner and sign in to your Joss & Main account to enter. (Note that you must have or create a Joss & Main account in order to enter the giveaway). A random winner will be chosen on November 1st. This would be great for the kitchen or hiding toys away in a kid’s playroom!
Friday, October 17, 2014
Home Office Reveal!
Our home office is finished! Get ready for a ton of photos... I was so super-excited about how this room turned out, so I was a little trigger-happy with the camera :). So this makes 3 rooms in the house that are finished... at this rate, our whole house will be done by about 2020. Slow and steady wins the race, right?? Haha.


Install hardwood floors. 100% Complete!
2. Build built-in desk/bookshelves. 97% complete (still need to add some trim).
3. Install crown molding. 95% complete (still need to caulk).
4.Paint. 100% complete!
5.Install window treatments. 100% Complete!
6.Makeover freestanding desk. 100% Complete!
7.Re-finish file cabinet. 100% Complete!
8.Make corkboard for built-ins. 100% Complete!
9. Decorate. 100% Complete! (for now :))
I didn't realize how much I would appreciate the french doors until I needed to get work done while Greg was watching footfall in the family room.... close those babies up and I couldn't hear a thing!
Please, come right in!!

This pillow was my first sewing project. But my 12-year-old cousin walked me through it, so I'm not sure if that counts! Learning to sew that's going to be one of my goals for 2015. Make sure you guys remind me when I list my goals at the beginning of next year!
These built-ins are my FAVORITE!!! The built-in desk and bookshelves are my biggest DIY accomplishment to date I think. They are actually easier than they look to build. You can read about how I made the desk base here, and I'll be posting a tutorial on the bookshelves shortly! You can also see how I made the fabric-covered nailhead trim corkboard in the center of the bookshelves here.
The gray freestanding desk is from Craigslist, which I made over with homemade chalkpaint. You can check out the desk makeover and how to make your own chalk paint here.
I have to give Greg credit for filling up the bookshelves with nice, hardcover books. Most of my books are chintzy, paperback fantasy/vampire novels. Greg reads pretty much all non-fiction... he is the cultured on in our family. ;)
Here is a look at the other side of the room. The space to the right of the doors was exactly the perfect size for a file cabinet. In many of the Courtland (now Courtland Gate) elevations, you don't have that extra space, but our elevation included a two-foot bump out in the study. We didn't even think about it when we were choosing our elevation, but it's definitely something to keep in mind. You can read more about how your elevation choice might affect your home's square footage here.
This was an old file cabinet from my dad's house that I made over with spray paint. I will be doing a post on the make-over shorty. Spoiler-alert... it was a bit of a DIY fail!!
This cute little tray is a friendly reminder to myself that I am quite lovely, even those times when I am feeling anything but! :)
And just for fun, here are some before and after photos. It blows my mind how much bigger the room looks now that it is finished. I think the hardwoods make a huge difference in making the room look bigger.
As per my usual M.O., this room is actually not 100% complete. I still need to caulk the crown molding and add some decorative trim to the front of the bookshelves. Once the room gets to the point that it looks pretty, I have so much trouble completing those final finishing touches!
Let's look at everything it took to get this room looking like it does now (if you're interested in how I began the design process for this room, you can check out this post):
Home Office To-Do List
1. 2. Build built-in desk/bookshelves. 97% complete (still need to add some trim).
3. Install crown molding. 95% complete (still need to caulk).
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9. Decorate. 100% Complete! (for now :))
Here is a list of all of the DIY projects I did for this room, with links to each post:
1. Built-in desk and bookshelves.
4. File Cabinet Makeover (post still to come!).
5. Home-made pillow.
Source list:
Curtains - Crate and Barrel
Rug - Rugs USA
Starburst Mirror - Joss & Main
Wingback Chair - Joss & Main
Tree Stump Side Table - Joss & Main
Pillow - Homemade, fabric from Tonic Living
Yellow Pot - Joann's
Bamboo Light Pendant - Lamps Plus (no longer available)
Gray Desk - Craigslist Makeover
Zebra Chair - Wayfair
Hello Gorgeous Tray - Joss & Main
Globe - Urban Engineers' 5-year service gift
File Cabinet - Hand-me-down madeover
Rattan Lamp - Walmart
Woven Wall Pockets - Ballard Designs
Diplomas - University of Delaware & Bloomsburg University (these were very expensive :))
All of my bookshelf decor will be featured in another post!
This post was featured at the Work it Wednesday link party. Make sure to go check out all of the other great features!
I am linking up at these sweet parties... go check them out!
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