A sailing we will go

I found some inspiration on Pinterest (shocker!) which was originally from Apartment Therapy (a great & fun source!)


I wanted flags but I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them. I did find them online at $20 each. I needed 6. ($120ish) It just seemed like a lot of money for some flags, that soon the boys would grow tired of?

So you know me, I set out to make my own. I found the boys initials on line yeah google, got some paint (3 colors for .50 each) & canvases from Michaels, with coups of course ($7/each). I still wasn't sure how to hang them. But then the light bulb went off and I went to Lowes to get rope that looked like sailing rope ($5ish) and cleats ($1.50/each).

I taped out the canvases with painters tape (after measuring, of course!)and then Q painted them. I then drilled holes on two sides of each canvas, strung the rope through, tied some knots, cut the rope, burned the edges and hung them up. I wish it was that easy. I didn't have a bit the size of the rope so it took a wee bit longer than I had anticipated or hoped. But I was anxious and didn't feel like heading back out for a bit. And, I am sure B was sleeping.

The boys room is far from finished, but we have a helper special visitor coming this weekend who I am sure is going to want to help finish it up?!

So without further a do....
BPP

CQP

I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed with my cleat idea, it's my favorite so far!

The (not so finished) wall

$120ish vs $54 (and some change) (Thanks to painters tape on hand. However, if you weren't letting your 4 year old paint them, you wouldn't need the tape, just a ruler and a pencil!)

Next up, more art work, curtains (and their very cool rods)a new bed for the little guy (that needs to be purchased), and a dresser (that needs some painting). Yup, we are a little busy over here!

You can find more boy's room deets in this post

And now you can see I linked up with Beth over at A 2 Zbecause I couldn't resist not sharing this easy, fun & colorful project!

One Word Wednesday!

MOVIN'

One Word Wednesday!

Buh

Bye

Brass

Fall =Caramel

It's fall and I love all things fall. The colors, the cooler weather, college football, and caramel.

So it's no surprise that the name of our new counter tops is Crema Caramel. Well, it is totally a coincidence. It was the lightest Home Depot had. It was also the cheapest level. ME LIKEY!!

Chad and I did the demo ourselves. Well, mostly Chad. I did a lot of watching and giving out my opinion. I know, shocking! I did avoid taking pictures while he was carrying a gigantic piece of heavy formica! I needed to pretend I was helping.

Here is a picture before

Here is an inspiration picture

You can see more of this beautiful kitchen here. We have great white cabinets that didn't need to be replaced and the floor is pretty new too. We contemplated stainless appliances since we needed to buy a fridge. However, the dishwasher and stove were new. The kitchen is pretty small and white keeps the flow going in a small kitchen.

First we started with taking off the back splash. I know that brick is beautiful, but it needed to go. Scoring all that caulking freed the formica back splash.

(No, we didn't get VA Tech stuff, this was while the house was on the market)


While we were removing the beautiful brick we found beautiful wallpaper behind it.

Then the water & power had to be turned off so Chad could dismantle the disposal and sink. The sink was an absolute beast (it's a great new double sink, not a scratch, so we are hoping to sell it on craigslist). It was giant. Lastly, it needed was the screws to come out and someone big and strong to remove it and move it.

Here she is afterward. We added ten inches of counter top space for counter top eating, sitting, playing. I'm loving that ten inches!


There is still a lot of work to be done to finish her up, just a quick trip (yeahrightwhoamikidding) to Lowes for supplies and I already have the paint! Also gotta search Craigslist for some stools!
Now, I'm off to enjoy some caramel...with an apple!

Seeing Red

One of the few projects we have started here at Chez Phillips' is the boys room. Q wanted a red room. We compromised on a red wall. Or maybe I just decided we weren't going to have a red room, that I would compromise on a wall. He's too young and I am sure his taste will change fiercely over the years. However, I do feel like red can grow with him.

I wasn't sure what to do with red. They have a cowboy room at their grandparents. If I had been better at blogging all summer you would have seen it. So this time we, (coughcough) I, went nautical. Why wouldn't I? I am from the beach. I could have done sports, but there is plenty of time for sports & team themes. Plus this red will work GREAT when it's time for a Red Sox room!

Here are our red test spots

There are only two colors to choose from and it's only going on this wall, but still wanted it in a few spots to see how light would hit it.

The bottom one is the choosen one. Valspars Radiant Red from Lowes. Red. Definately red. Went on nice and smooth and thick. The quart size already has primer in it! Woot Woot! The red above it is from Home Depot and went on great but is really thin. EXTREMELY thin. Would take several coats. The Valspar will need two coats, but I find most do. That could just be me, being paranoid about empty spots!

Here are some inspiration shots that you can expect to see in the room.
This was my starting point. I LOVE the navy & white comforters. But the charts. Oh those charts. If they weren't so expensive and would come down easily. I did search and search for the comforters or covers, only to find them for $180. Don't think so. Even thought about making them, until I found something just as good at Target.

VIA

These curtains (with navy bottoms instead of red)

VIA

On these curtain rods (that we will be making when Aunt Kelly comes)

VIA

And two pieces of artwork to fancy up those walls!


Both prints from HERE But you know, I'm going to try and do them somehow myself. Which means you also probably won't be surprised when I tell you, I bought the paper to recreate them today.

The rest of the details will have to be a surprise!

The list

Here is the 5 page list of refreshing that needs to be done at our house. I should clarify that this list is my list, not the hubs list. I'm sure his list is much smaller and extremely different. And it might include getting (the new & free) footsball table here. Oh, who am I kidding. He doesn't have a list. His idea of things that need to be done is much shorter than mine! But you can guarantee one thing, if he had a list it would definatley include that footsball table!



Some of this list has been started in various areas of the house.

I don't like having projects started and not completed in different rooms. I want to make a plan, work it, and be done. However, being pregnant doesn't always allow for that to happen. So I'll do what I can, when & where I can. Chad will pick up my slack and try his best to keep me sane!

Key Art

We were pretty sentimental leaving our old house. Our very first house. The house we brought our babies home to. The house we painted every square inch of. After we tore off wallpaper on every square inch of the walls. We ripped up carpet and added flooring and made it completely ours. It took five years but it was ours and it was home. Not only did we leave our house we left our city as well.

We wanted some way to keep our house in our new home. Besides the fact that we have chosen to use two of the same paint colors in our new house. Hey, we liked them, what can I say?!

We still had a set of keys. (The first thing you are supposed to do when you move into a new house is get new locks or re-key them, hopefully the new owners did?!) I collected all our paint chips from my house notebook and headed out to Lowes and Home Depot. I wasn't sure what I was going to do or how big so I grabbed a few:

I got a shadowbox from Michaels and viola:

Cheap art with a lot of meaning!

No Smokin'

We will have no smoking in the new house. Not that we ever smoked in our old house either. That's probably because we don't smoke. However, our kitchen smoke alarm liked to go off. For fun. It was a good way of testing it, to make sure it was still working!

When we inspected the new house we were told, NONE of them worked! How can you live in a house with no smoke alarms?! I mean if the house were built today there would be one in every room! In Pittsburgh, homes have to have sprinkler systems installed!

I didn't think it would be a huge decision. I was wrong. (I know, it's rare) Ahem, There were several brands, several price points and several things to consider.

However, I am terrified of fire. Among other things. We ended up going with the Kidde Wireless. They explain all the perks here for you. Chad and I picked them because we like that in our three story house when one goes off in the basement (where the electrical panel is) the one in our bedroom will also go off. You don't have to wait for the smoke to reach your room before you wake up! Hello GENIUS!!