Sink Skirt Search

So.  This morning I spied this photo on Facebook,

from this fab biz in Franklin, TN.

I think I gasped a bit.  Really.

Tell me you do the same thing.

City Farmhouse in Nashville, TN

I thought to myself, “That fabric!  How perfect!  How timely!” 

You see, for months, I’ve been searching for fabric,

as our powder room vanity desperately needs a skirt.

See for yourselves:

Naturally, as one does when one needs inspiration for one’s project,

I headed straight to Pinterest.

Most of the bathroom skirts I saw involved wall-hung sinks or pedestals;

I think this one was particularly epic:

Since I needed a skirt for my vanity cabinet,

I soon switched my search to kitchen sink skirts:

OOH:

LA:

LA:

I really want to make a red check skirt in our kitchen!  Stay tuned!

+ + + + +

So.

Even though I’d given my powder room skirt the green light,

I couldn’t decide what fabric to use!

So many mind-boggling choices!!

Then, luckily, this happened:

Recently, I bought 6 of these pretty blue + white transferware plates,

from this antiques shop, in my southern Illinois girlhood homeland:

The Loose Caboose

IL  Rt. 127 in Donnelson, Illinois.

1.217.537.3735

+ + + +

Once I arrived home with said plates,

it only took a day or two to decide to hang them in our powder room,

on the panel to the mirror’s right, above the toilet:

(I’d already been toying with that idea for a while.)

“But Kay!”  you are no doubt saying.

“Didn’t you already hang some vintage plates in your main bathroom?”

Yes, I did, + here they are:

Naturally, self doubt ensued.

Would it be wrong to hang plates in both our bathrooms???

No, it is not, + here’s why:

I am creating a “theme” for our bathrooms,  + “themes” are good!

Thank you.

+ + + + +

Meanwhile, back to my sink skirt dilemma!

Which pattern fabric to choose?!?

I had a light bulb moment earlier this morning!

Remember the beautiful chairs that I spied?

That’s it!  BLUE AND WHITE FLORAL, please!

 So.  In my world, when one needs to buy just the right fabric,

I head over to my favorite online fabric store,

Fabric.com!!

Anyway, here are my finalists.

Tell me what you think!

First, the florals:

Floral fabric

More pretty blue floral

If I can’t commit to floral (slightly out of my comfort zone),

another contender is my all-time favorite, the check:

Fun check fabric

Another fave, the stripes:

Magnolia Home stripe

Or, if I really want to have FUN, this:

FUN, campy fabric

I KNOW!!!???  Insanely FUN!  Right?

The proverbial jury is still out, + I’ve not yet made up my mind.

I might persuade G.O. to help me hang the plates, later today.

Stay tuned!

FIXER UPPER GOES MODERN

Time to talk about everybody’s favorite HGTV show, Fixer Upper.

After an iffy start, I now find Chip very amusing,

+ I have always had a lady crush on Joanna.

I’m sure they’d both be pleased,

because it’s not like they don’t have throngs of super fans or anything.

Meanwhile, check out their latest Fixer Upper project,

which they’ve named the Pick-A-Door House:

Pretty ho hum, no?

Wow!  It’s so modern!

So modern, in fact, that I wondered if the show’s fans would embrace it.

Let’s talk about what makes it modern + whether or not we’re on board.

  I’m giving thumbs up for the wide paver + stone walkway,

that black metal roof, the dark gray paint + the double doors.

Have you noticed?  Joanna has a ‘thing’ for them.

Here they are from the inside:

Those light wood floors had me swooning,

as do the black metal sliding doors on either side of the entry.

There’s one set for the office, on the left:

Those light tone wood built ins!  Love!

The second set encloses the dining room, just across the entry hall:

Honestly, all I could think was that the doors were crazy cool

but not that functional or necessary,

WHICH is something I usually embrace, wholeheartedly

They probably cost more than MY HOUSE, though,

which is kind of a buzz kill, when you’re me.

Anyway, here’s another view from the adjacent living room:

Don’t you love the color of that leather with all that black + gray?

I call that baseball glove brown, + it’s my fave.

The original fireplace had some structural issues,

so it was replaced with this very modern, concrete one:

They have intentionally left the marks from the forms,

which makes it rustic + modern + industrial.

I vote yes.

But wait.  Look at the rest of the living room.

• There’s more concrete.  Or is it faux concrete?

Oh, dear.

I fear this has gone from industrial chic to cellar hideaway, so thumbs down.

An accent of concrete is good — walls + walls of it, not so much.

But wait.

 Look at that wall of black metal windows —

my favorite feature of the entire re-do!

So much natural light!  I live for it!

Please take a sec to notice all the groovy houseplants + their awesome holders.

They have me yearning to gas up the car + go plant shopping, a.s.a.p.!

+ + + +

Now, then, back to the house — with yet more concrete in the kitchen.

It’s the back side of that fireplace, + once again, I love it.

I’m still not digging the concrete on the other walls, though.

All that black + gray!   Does anybody need an anti-depressant, or is it just me?

Oh, cheer up, already.

The light wood floors, beams  + shelves really pop against all that dark,

 + there’s yet more of that fabulous window wall:

Isn’t that bar epic?

+ + + +

There’s an entirely new master bath + bathroom.

At first, Chip wasn’t on board with the bedroom’s black ship lap feature wall:

Oh, if I had a dollar for every time that happens in our little world!

But let’s get real — I think the black really works

when surrounded by all the light furniture + the white walls:

Thumbs up for all the modern ceiling fans, including this one.

But wait a minute.

Those plant hangers are having their moment,

 but that moment’s already taken place inside my very own hacienda,

circa 19 and 73.

I’m not sure I want to return!  What say ye?

+ + + +

While we ponder that, let’s have a quick glimpse of the new master bath,

with yet more black, white + light wood:

These large, black hexagon floor tiles are very modern.

They transition into smaller black hexes in the shower,

the walls of which are covered in large black marble rectangles.

Thumbs up or down?

I vote up.

Once again — a job well done by the Gaines-es.

Are you a fan,

or are you hoping the next episode features another farmhouse?

Stay tuned!

2 Houses, No Waiting

It’s time, once again, for us to head to my happy place– realtor.com.

Today I want to buy this house — or I should say housES?

This is the very rare listing for not 1 but 2 houses, both only $199,900!

Do the math!   What’s that, per house?

Whatever it is — let’s start here — The Brick Possible Story + A Half:

I’m smitten with that inset porch + the brick piers flanking the steps.

Those evergreens, however, have long outlived their usefulness,

+ let’s get real — awnings like that were never a good idea.

Check out the small-ish upstairs window, though:

One has to ask, Is there an upstairs?

I’m saying a little prayer that there is!  Here’s why:

Did you recognize those light fixtures from our living room?

+ + + + +

Next up, house #2 — The Small, 2-Porch, White Farmhouse:

How adorable is that front porch?

Very.

But wait.  There’s more!

Porch #2:

I have to admit, I’ve always had a thing for the side porch.

Meanwhile, our G.O. has a thing for a spacious garage, like this one:

Please.  Look at that eagle.

In the dark ages, when I bought my very first house, eagles were a major thing.

Yes, I had one on the exterior + only about a 1,00 of them inside.

HA!  Embarrassing!

 But I digress.

What’s that charming outbuilding that I’m spying, out back?

How quickly can I turn it into the potting shed of my dreams?

Or chicken coop, if we were so inclined.  I don’t think we are.

+ + + + +

Now it’s time to have a look-see inside,

but disclaimer:  it’s not clear in which house these photos belong:

No, I think it’s the brick house, because the windows are the same.

Well, brick or no, they had me at all that natural woodwork,

+ the columns + built-in cabs., too?

Yes, please!

Looks like those cabs have leaded glass doors on both sides,

which I don’t think I’ve seen before.

Speaking of awesome built-ins, let’s head to the kitchen:

People.  What’s this I’m seeing that looks like an original butler’s pantry?

WOW — I would totally buy a house for just that one feature!

Sadly, it’s time for those replacement cabinets to be replaced, themselves:

It wouldn’t be any fun if I wasn’t able to design my own kitchen, would it?

I’m practically salivating!  HA!

Time for one last room, the bath:

One’s first impulse might be to yank out that original sink,

but just say NO!

I would totally design the rest of the room around it!

Something along these lines:

Yum!

While my creative juices are flowing,

methinks we’ll do a little drive-by of these 2 houses, later today.

Somebody grab the camera — stay tuned!

OMiGosh! Range Hood!

Since I’ve been doing so much nesting this winter,

things are looking better + better inside the Dutch colonial.

Yay!

However, the more we do in all those other rooms,

the more I dislike our unfinished kitchen!

I can’t stand it!

Calm down.  We’re finally on our way.

We’re finally getting a range hood!

First thing I do is head to Pinterest to find something that I really love.

Found it!

HA!  So funny!

Maybe I should have said “something that both G.O. + I like!”

Perhaps this one?

Oops!

It may be a tad more mainstream, but those pesky scallops!

I fear G.O. would snap, + we can’t have that.

Now, this is more like it!

I love the chunky design, but not in stainless.  I want white.

This next one is similar:

We both agree that the wood is too rustic for our kitchen.

Could this be the one?

YES IT COULD!  (With a little tweaking, that is!)

Anyway, once the design was finally chosen,

it was time for us to break out our trusty blue masking tape

+ start marking out the hood’s location on the wall:

OMiGosh, you guys!

Just having the tape up there makes our kitchen look better!

I immediately barked out instructions for G.O. to find + order

the actual range hood machine thing, or whatever it’s called.

Just a sec.  Let me check on that.

He sez he hasn’t yet.

Maybe tomorrow, if I bark more instructions?

Stay tuned!

3 HOUSES 4 SALE

What’s more fun than looking at houses on realtor.com?

Nothing.

I’ve been looking this a.m. + now wish to share 3 houses I like.

Every single show on HGTV features 3 houses per episode, after all,

+ if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for my blog!

Let’s get started!

—–

HOUSE NUMBER 1

THE WOODSY ENGLISH CHARMER

2 bd, 2 ba — $163.500

This house has kind of an odd, designed-by-owner exterior,

which usually results in my shaming of the homeowners during the drive-by.

 Funny thing, though.  I like this!

That overhang at the front door is appealing,

+ I will soon replace the shingles with standing seam metal roofing.

Now, then.  Look at the charming walk way on the wooded, 1 acre property!

Inside there is kind of a Hansel + Gretel vibe that I’m loving:

That room had me at exposed stone or brick + a fireplace.

Look at that sweet stool!  Where is Miss Muffet?!?

 (Calm down.  It probably doesn’t come with the house, but still.)

The kitchen doesn’t have a ton of cabinets, but it’s all so very charming.

And please.  Built-in bookcases with window seats?

Yes!  I would buy a house for those!

—–

HOUSE NUMBER 2

PLAIN JANE BUNGALOW

3 bd 1+ ba — $178.500

I am head-over-heels in love with that sunny, south-facing front porch,

but am not feeling the love for the bad siding.

Bad siding just means I get to choose something more fun + appropriate.

Important disclaimer:

I would buy this or any other house that has this sort of eat-in nook:

Those original kitchen cabs would stay + get a new paint job.

Notice, please, that the stacked uppers are very appealing + very now.

The scalloped trim at the window would have to go, though.

 I actually like the vintage-style, linoleum back splash

+ counter with the metal edge.

I would keep the design but do it in red or gray, instead.

• – – – – –

HOUSE NUMBER 3

NEGLECTED CAPE COD

$219.00

This house is on the street that runs parallel to the river flowing past our town,

so I am guessing that the views from inside are pretty spectacular.

Meanwhile, I really love the following exterior features:

those dormers, that cute front bump-out, + the bay window on the side!

I’m strangely on the fence about this pair of cupboards in the dining room, though:

But what am I saying?

 They are obviously original to the house + are oozing with charm.

—-

• This concludes my first real estate blog post.

Thanks for viewing!

If you want a link to any of the houses, let me know.

---

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New Year, New Dresser

My last blog post featured my Christmas-is-over edit of our living room.

I removed about half of what had been on our art ledges:

Much bettah!

There was yet another living room change that I did’t share.

 G.O. hung our vintage outdoor trellis on the wall behind our TV:

After a few days, I had the idea of hanging one of my quilts on the trellis.

Back story on the quilt: I bought the antique squares + made a wall quilt

with some complementary new fabric sashes + border.

Next, I hand-quilted it, which is what I used to do.  A lot.

In another lifetime.

While I love both the trellis + the quilt,

after a few days, I concluded that they don’t look that great as a team.

And furthermore, the trellis + dresser/TV combination wasn’t working, either.

That petite dresser looked overwhelmed by the TV,

+ the larger trellis made the whole thing appear top heavy.

OH, WHAT TO DO!?

 I rushed to Pinterest, trying to find dressers that did work as TV cabinets:

I shan’t lie — by this time, I was working myself into somewhat of a frazzle.

Then, miraculously, I had a much-needed light bulb moment.

Why don’t we switch out our small dresser for the larger one in our bedroom?

It’s not like THAT’S not gonna make G.O. cross or anything!

I’ll spare the ensuing unpleasantries, but here is said dresser, in place:

Much bettah!

That charming dresser could pass for an English antique, don’t you think?

It’s not, though — it’s from Broyhill + is only about 15 years old:

I love the fact that it’s a bow front!

I don’t know what those boo boo’s on the bottom 2 drawers are,

but fingers crossed that we can eradicate them, sooner than later.

Since the dresser + the dining room’s farmhouse table are both pine,

they create a nice flow between the 2 rooms:

Well, my quilt’s been relocated to the wall of my sewing studio.

BYE BYE!

This means that, for now, the trellis remains unadorned.

Of course, I’m still toying with the idea of hanging something on it —

I just don’t know what.

Possibilities include a large clock or a grid of artwork in matching frames.

Also, does that wall to the left of the dresser/TV need art?

I kind of think so but want to be sure!

Stay tuned!

Post-Christmas Paring Down

Funny thing.

This November found me a little down in the dumps.

To try + boost my morale a bit, I opted to decorate for Christmas earlier than usual.

Exhibit A:

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:

I totally know that Dachshund Santa is tacky, but how could I resist?

He’s almost as cute as Chloe the Dachshund!

Everything else is vintage + simple + natural, so I tell myself that things get balanced.

Exhibit B:

I’m keeping those darling vintage pitchers + tiny bottle brush trees out for a while.

Look!  There’s Chloe’s predecessor, Susie the Dachshund,

with our very young, very adorable grandlad (who’s now 11.5!)

But I digress.  Back to my holiday decor.

Away it all went, almost the minute Christmas was over.

How unlike me, Queen of Procrastinators!

 But isn’t it always great to see how spare the house looks after the holidays?

Take our sorter + art ledges.  Please.

You might recall that I was inspired by this photo to turn my books around:

I really like the way it keeps things looking a little less busy,

so my books are staying turned around, at least for now.

I also purged about half the stuff that had been on my art ledges:

They look great!

I hung our vintage map of Illinois on the front of the sorter:

We bought it at a pop-up antiques market in Grand Central Station

during our first visit to NYC.

Among all this paring down, perhaps you noticed one new item in our living room.

It’s an ottoman!

I’ve had it about 20 years or so.

It came with a matching chair + 1/2 (a.k.a. “Grandmother’s chair”),

which I sold about 10 years ago.

Its new upholstery will be a heavy horse blanket I’ve had forever, too.

I think it adds yet more texture + a little pattern to our room.

My plans are to attach it with some off-white twill tape + dozens of upholstery tacks.

(Sooner than later, I hope.)  I told you I was the Queen of Procrastinators!

Stay tuned!