{realistic} house tour!!!

Do you like virtual house tours?  I do.  I love to glimpse inside people's lives and home and see how they decorate, put rooms together.  I think decor can say a lot about a person and I find it somewhat interesting.  I haven't always.  In fact, I think it's something that has interested me just in the past couple of years.  I remember completely stressing when Trav and I got married and I had to decorate our home.  I didn't know how, I didn't want to, and I felt like the burden was completely on my shoulders because I was born with the XX chromosome.

It still takes me time to "see" things.  I need time to mull over how I want the room to feel.  I need to see ideas (thank HEAVENS for Pinterest!), and virtually no idea is my own.  I copy and steal.  Good thing decorating isn't copyrighted/patented, eh?

Soooo... I took some pictures of my home today.  Before the girls completely destroyed "lived" in every room, and before all the lighting was perfect.  Much of our home is still a work in progress.  Like, I still need to find/unpack my cookbooks and aprons.  I can't find baskets that go to our rolling-island-thing.  I am desperate to find my blue globe that goes on top of our bookcase.  And the guest room is unfit for a guest currently.  Other than those small imperfections, come on in and enjoy my home!

Our front room.  We just put the curtains up.  I'm loving the double-layer lace and curtains.

The front big window looks out into our front yard.  We actually don't get a lot of natural light in this room, despite of how it seems.  But, I hear that in the summer, you want DARK cool rooms.

This past weekend, I spent much time repainting three pieces of furniture.  This dresser and the side table next to the love seat used to be bright fuchsia.  I tried to do the ever popular ombre dresser drawers.  I like it!  And the big grey thing in the middle is a rotating fan.  A MUST since this room has no ceiling fan!

This is the view from the couch against the big window.  I love that sign I found at Marshalls.

I'm not big into "themes."  I am trying to go for a somewhat nautical/blue/red gig, though.

Simply because I had a lot of things those colors on hand.  I love an eclectic look.

The door on the left leads to the kitchen.  The doorway on the right is the hallway that has all four bedrooms off of it.

We decided to use our entertainment center as an armoir for all the kids toys/drawing stuff.

Our dining area, as seen from our living room.  It's one big room.  And rather awkward with the table.  We're still trying to figure out how to position the piano and table to best fit everyone.

And our kitchen.  LOVE the green wall paper (not.)  But, it is somewhat spacious,

and despite some of it's quirkiness, I am grateful for many cupboards.

 

The window above the sink and over in the corner look out into our backyard/lanai.  The pool has been used NUMEROUS times and it is probably our favorite feature of the house.

And now for the bedrooms.

 The guest room.  Piled with boxes, paintings, etc.  

To be completed before my mother-in-law arrives for baby!

Baby's room.  Also a work in progress.  I'm sure the baby can't wait to sleep in the crib ...

along with all our pictures in frames that we don't have a place for yet.

The first two rooms are the same size: small.  The girls' room and our room are directly across the hall from each other and are the same size (except we get the pink bathroom off of ours).

Whoops!  We caught Bella getting dressed.  Their room is not only for sleeping (as it was in Kansas), but doubles as their play room and holds almost all their books.  Since the house is so compact, I actually love the fact that no matter which room I'm in, I can hear them playing from wherever they are.

Summer's corner.  Rug from IKEA.  

I still want to finish Bella's quilt (I know...) and make something for Summer's bed. 

As of now, she sleeps with a fleece.  Hey, it works.

Angled from Bella's bed.  

And lastly, our room:

If you didn't know already, my husband is an artist.  Before we had chilluns', we would go for drives and he'd bring his art while I brought my book.  He'd draw while I read.  Sometimes he drew me.  Here's one of his sketches.

And this one below is a drawing he sent me in the mail while "courting" me in college.  

So, there's the home.  Mostly a work in progress!!  But, I hope that satisfies your curiosity, my dear sisters and anyone else that wanted a peek inside.

Enjoy this beautiful Wednesday, wherever you happen to abide!

PINK

Raise your hand if your grandmother (or mother, or YOU) had a pink-tiled bathroom.  I'm raising TWO hands, because both my grandmother's did.  Ahhh... the pink-tiled bathroom.  Such a warm, fuzzy image in my head.  Pink, ceramic tiles with white grout lining the whole bottom half of the walls.  Shiny, bubble-gum counters... nothing is sweeter.

A cell phone pic of our future bathroom.

And now, I get to have a pink-tiled bathroom!!  Really, nothing could make me happier or more sentimental.  These new houses with all their white walls and huge master bathrooms are over-rated.  Give me a 1960's home with a tiny, pink-tiled master bath and I'm one happy chick.

Thanks, Nana and Gramma, for paving the way.  And thanks, Pinterest, for embracing the pink-tiled bathroom.

//source//

//source//

//source//

tale of the white christmas tree

Last Christmas, I kept seeing unique, colorful decor with white Christmas trees on pinterest.  Unique and colorful are my key words for decorating.  Secretly, I pined for a white Christmas tree to play around with.

After the Christmas season, I broached the topic with Travis, just in case we happened upon a sale of white Christmas trees.  He looked at me as the loony that I am, but said okay.  He's always game for my eccentric ideas.  Lo and behold, a few days later, I found a $15 pre-lit, white Christmas tree at my local thrift store.  She was mine.

And there she lay, packed tightly in her box in our basement for a year.  Until a few nights ago when, with giggles and embarrassed smiles, we pulled her upstairs and trimmed her fake, flame-retardant branches with our keepsake ornaments.

Our girls can't get over how "beautiful" she is.  So sparkly and bright.  Each ornament gleams against the white backdrop.  She's different than our other trees.  Kinda retro and corny.  But, she fits the home this year.  And she's definitely a punch of fun.  At $15, you really can't go wrong.  For $15, I'm always up for some weird and memory-making experiments.

So, welcome little white Christmas tree.  You sure are pretty.

Goodbye California

Things I'll miss about you:

1. Your natural beauty.  No state can compare.

2. Your perfect weather. This is the season I named my daughter after,

the Central Coast Summertime.

3. My mama.

4. My Dad.

5. My sister.

6. My nieces and nephew.

(How do I not have a picture of Charlotte???)

7. My brother and sister-in-law.

8. The extra pair of arms/hands.

9. The fresh, delicious, Farmer's Market foods.  Again,

no state can compare with this freshness.

10. Everything.

But, Kansas, I'm ready for you too.

I'm ready for family.

For news.

For Travis.

For normal life.

Goodbye California.

Until next time...

parts of my Gramma

When I traveled to California for my Gramma's funeral, my mom and I cleaned her home that hasn't been lived in for quite a number of years.  I came across some treasures along the way: old piano music.  

Most of the music belong to my Great-Grandmother, Laurada Willis, and had been passed down to my Gramma, Constance Bracken.  Amazing names, right?  Like my father, I'm entranced by genealogies.  Family history is so intriguing.

Since I'm one of the few that in the family that actually plays the piano, I was allowed to take my pick of all her music.  Sorting through them was such fun.  All the old titles - dating back to the late 1800's to mid-1900's.  Some of the titles I just had to laugh at.  Like this one:

And some were lacking some major P.C. ...

And some brought back sweet memories for my mom... like this one:

So, here they sat, in my home ... and I decided I needed to do something with them.  Nothing grand, but I wanted to incorporate the art, beauty, and family aspect into our home.  Along with all the rearranging of wall decor and furniture, I was able to make a nice little space above our dining table.

I chose four pieces that I liked best, either for their titles or the artwork on the front.  The Indian on the top right was my first choice, because, well, I am part Cherokee and Travis loves to call me his little Indian.  J

I hung it all last night, with the help of my neighbor.  It's only been 12 hours, but I'm loving the new look.  Trav asked me what I think my style is, since I'm quite adamant on some aspects, and careless on others.  After pondering the question for a bit, I decided I like old, meaningful, colorful pieces.  I love unique and bright.  I love homey and eclectic.  Therefore, this fits our home to a T.  Thank you, Gramma.