Christmas Living & Dining Room

Wow, another month has come and gone and no blogging! I'm so busy between the kids and work these days I can't keep up. Thought I would share some updates around the main floor and some Christmas, too.

My green chairs finally came back, and I love them so much!!!! I had them done in a gray/taupe herringbone fabric. Old is new again. I also hung the curtains I made. I haven't lined them yet because I was hoping to get away with not having to as this is a heavier linen fabric. But it looks like I'll have to line them after all. Love how they finish this room. Two more to make!

Also purchased a small wingback chair. I saw this at TJ Maxx a while ago and it sold fast. Then I found it online. Woot.

Forgot to mention you made need sunglasses for this post. This room and all the windows, I have no clue how to photograph!

These stools from Birch Lane might be my favorite find to date. Love the texture they add to this room!

We had to play a little musical furniture to make the Christmas tree fit in the right spot. Once Christmas is over, the wingback will move around as will the two gray chairs.

The fern is fake, because I kill them all. ALL OF THEM. No green thumb here. I've got to find a little pot for the plant stand. (The odd things you lose in a house move?!)

My dad made us this storage cabinet. I use it for all my work samples/ tools/ etc. He's so talented. 

Still on the hunt for the right round upholstered ottoman. On the hunt for the money, too. HA!

I put a tree in the dining room this year. The girls think this is so awesome.  Ha. Christmas with kids is so much fun. I think the tree adds something purdy in the formal dining room (where we actually always eat, hence the booster seats...).

I love this time of year. Evans's Christmas play is this Friday, and her birthday is next week. Followed by family time and CHRISTMAS. Crazy. It'll be here soon.

Dining Room & Bookshelves

Our poor dining room has been the catch-all for construction related stuff for the past 4-5 months, and before that it was the catch-all for all of the "we just moved in, where do we want this box to go?" loot. I am thrilled that I had time recently to organize the chaos and get it under control! A clean table and organized shelves make me happy. Especially since this is basically the first room you see when you open the front door!

The best part about the bookshelves is that I didn't buy a thing. I just shopped the random stuff I've had stored away and lying around the house from our old Atlanta house. You can see those bookshelves here. 

It might get a few tweaks here and there, but for now I'm loving that these shelves finally look put together rather than a random pile of tools, books, and papers. 

The view coming home is so inviting with our Christmas decor. It's always sad to have to bring down the tree and all the warm lights at the end of the season. I'm enjoying it for now!

Here's to organizing... or at this point in pregnancy is it considered just nesting? I don't know, but it sure needed to be done! 

Dining Room Chairs- Progress

Well, I finally finished up my dining chairs I started nearly a month ago... oops. Ok, I've only finished 2 of them, and have 2 to go, but who is counting (my husband). I don't recommend starting a big project well into your third trimester, ha. Anyways, I am loving the new dining room look. I decided to pull in black and white to make it tie into the rest of the first floor. The curtains I scored at the Ballard outlet (Concorde Medallion Panels) a few months ago for $30 a panel. That's right.

After several conversations with chalk paint guru Savvy Kim (and I do mean several, I probably bugged her to death!), I decided to try it out for myself. I used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White and followed up with the clear wax. The seats are covered in Waverly ticking stripe. 

I changed up the china cabinet, too in an effort to channel more of a library feel. Hubs' response was "are these our very best books on display?" Ha. He thinks he is funny. Maybe one day I'll get around to covering the books in linen fabric, but then again maybe not. 

I love the contrast of the white chairs and the heavy table and china cabinet. Hopefully it makes the room feel bigger and more interesting.

I lightly distressed them. I was going to do heavy distressing, but Hubs wasn't on board with that idea. I do listen to him some of the time :)

I also swapped out the end chair covers with these grainsack covers from Pottery Barn.  

For the record, I thought the Annie Sloan chalk paint was incredibly easy to use. It's amazing to be able to completely skip the sanding and priming steps when painting furniture. The paint is pricey, so look for deals and giveaways in blogland or at your local stores that carry it. But, it is totally worth the investment when considering the time it will save you. The older I get, the more I realize, time is money! 

So that's all the changes for now. Maybe I can get the other 2 chairs done this weekend.... TBD. 

Friday Eve!

Today really feels like a Friday because my Gamecocks are playing tonight; college football is finally back! This is my most favorite time of year. I love having my weekends planned for me. Now, beat those Heels!

My parents are coming in town tomorrow! I cannot freaking wait! They are also bringing home the Blakely goose. As you can see below, she's been having a pretty good time at Camp Granddaddy over the past month. She gets to swim in Lake Murray and enjoy my parents' land and big yard. Poor girl doesn't realize she's about to be a city dog again. 

This happened. Apparently "nesting" for me means getting to every home project before the baby comes. I've wanted white dining chairs for about a year now, but didn't want to buy new ones since we have 4 perfectly good wooden ones... so I had my first encounter with Annie Sloan chalk paint. So far, so good.

I'm trying to channel this look.... source?? Found on Pinterest. We have a large black china cabinet, a big distressed farmhouse table, and linen slipcovered end chairs. I need some contrast going on.

And I'm 26 weeks pregnant today... almost to the third trimester. 98 days til the "due" date (although I read only like 4% of people actually deliver on their due date). This is my view these days. Although I'm experiencing some maaaaaaayja maaaaaaayja back pains, I wouldn't trade it for the world. 

Oh, and our house siding is FINALLY getting painted today (or at least it had better be or else they will be getting a call from yours truly! ha) I'm ready to get home and see the progress. 

Thank God it's gameday! GO GAMECOCKS!

Recent Pottery Barn Purchases

One of my habits (flaws?) is that I have a constant need for change.  The best inexpensive change I've found is to swap out throw pillows, which means I have a whole lot of pillow covers folded in drawers, you know in case my "need" should arise, and it does, often. I'm a pillow hoarder, what can I say? If you are like me and collect pillows, you may find your hubby tossing them to the floor, even when said pillows are obviously strategically placed and karate-chopped to perfection.  

Sigh.

My solution?  A huge basket. At least if the hubs is going to toss around your lovely things, he can have a basket to shoot for right? I'll admit, it only sometimes works out this way.  Nonetheless, I am in love with this find. I wasn't necessarily looking for a storage basket until Pottery Barn put theirs on sale recently, and I happened to have some reward bucks to blow through. I got the large beachcomber basket while it was on sale at my local store. 

Purposefully displayed close to the hubs' recliner, you know, so he gets the drift to throw the pillows in the basket when the mess-up-my-wife's-decorating mood strikes him. (Compromise, am I right?)

Neat and tidy. Happy wife, happy life. Aside from pillows, I think a big basket like this would be handy for all you moms out there looking for a stylish way to hide the kids' toys. 

And while I was at the ol' PB, I scooped up two euros in the jacquard multi pattern, also on sale and I believe from the 2012 fall line. (I wasn't kidding about the hoarder thing...)

Not from Pottery Barn, but I snagged this comfy blanket from O.co a few weeks ago.  It is incredibly soft and looks just like the more expensive versions, but half the price.  Plus it is BIG, which is a must I think for cozy throws. The blue geometric pillow is Schumacher Bleecker in the color way Peacock. Told you from this post I'd find a way to get this color in my house (to be continued...). 

And to round out my PB trip, I got one of their burlap cord covers for our chandelier.  These things are so cool with the button side closure.  They are also LONG, LONG, LONG.  I ended up cutting mine and was able to also cover the chandelier in my kitchen, as well as the dining room chandelier here.

Have you brought home any good bargains lately? 

Finished Drapes

Stitch Witchery- I love you!  And also, I'm mad I've ever bought drapes or pillows in my life.  They are so incredibly easy to make, and you don't even have to know how to sew (believe me, because I can't even mend a  loose button).  Ridiculous!

All you need is fabric of your choice (something heavier duty works best for unlined drapes), Stitch Witchery (found in the notions section of your local fabric/sewing supply store, and get the strong permanent bond kind), a tape measure, iron, and good scissors.  That's it! The best thing about it is (well, the price tag) the instant gratification.  In about 3 hours, these drapes were hanging.  Voila!  So easy.  The method works for making pillows, too.

You can tell I had just finished the project.... check out the ironing board still hanging out on the floor.

My drapes were made to 85.5" long.  I chose Waverly Ticking Stripe in black for hubs' office (I needed 5 yards), and Robert Allen ikat fret (4 yards) for the dining room bands (and a few pillows in my living room).  All in all, fabric and stitch witchery cost me under $100.  That's 2 pillows and four drapes people (oh and 4 reupholstered chairs).  You do the math!!  Definitely a project worth trying.

Up next... curtains for the kitchen........ =)

Dining Room Redo

I told y'all, I'm addicted to my staple gun!  I decided to go more neutral with lots of pattern in the dining room.  I think it is a better flow into hubs' office now.  I switched out the upholstery on the chairs with Robert Allen ikat fret in bronze, and Pottery Barn's peacock bhotah.

Robert Allen 

Pottery Barn 

Chair do-overs 

I'm loving it! Still no really great ideas for a table centerpiece.  Any suggestions?