Master Bedroom- Updates and the things that have changed...

Tonight, I get my husband back after him being away for some training! What a great Valentines gift, am I right? So, naturally, I've been cleaning and tidying up the house. I've had an urge lately to change a few elements in our bedroom and I wanted to let y'all in on the direction I think I am going…

If you remember, I shared our master bedroom reveal back in September. You can find the original post here. I loved the direction that it was heading but I knew there were a few things in the room that were "temporary." So, insert…a few months later and my wheels have been turning!

Here's back in September 2014.

And today, February 2015. Not too much has changed…and the lighting is a little different because these photos were taken at different times of the day. But we got new larger scale lamps,  we've added a few different accessories and I'm on the hunt for some linen/feed sack pillows...

And here's the view of our large window, master bathroom is inside that little white door.

And today. We also got new "linen/feedsack" like reproduction curtains. I love the faint writing on them…and especially love the length. I'm a fan of the puddling. We also added some old porch railings that had been taken apart to create a "pediment" look above the window. Eventually, we'd like to do window mantels above every window…but not sure when that will happen.

The old windows are currently sitting in the guest bedroom & my plan is to strip them down to the natural wood. I'm not sure if they will go back in here because I'm craving something else. 

As you can see, Little is quite the fan of the camera. He is so cute, right?

I made the "Ruth" sign myself and am definitely a fan of that look for signs in general. I plan on making a few more for our house also. 

I noticed after awhile this dresser is a catch all…and so right now, it's pretty basic, not really accessorized. I'm finding more and more…that I like simple. I like things that have a purpose. And I really don't like things that sit to look pretty anymore.. at least most things.

And here's a close up of the new lamps. I've been researching about how to create my own lamps out of architectural salvage…for something a bit different but spotted these at our local HomeGoods and really loved their size, color, shape & all around feel. They are rustic yet fresh, clean and simple.

Have you been working on a project lately? We're tackling lots as we speak so I can't wait to blog about all the changes in our home! Happy Valentines everyone!

Guest bathroom BEFORE & my plans for it...

Everyone always loves a good before and after but today, I can only give you the before of our guest bathroom! When we moved in this house, this bathroom had somewhat already been updated with the slate. It definitely would not be my first choice but as the old saying goes…

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

So, I wanted to do a run through quickly of my plans for this space! And hopefully the reveal for it will be this week or in the coming days! Since we all know how much I love a clean, simple and air-y space… I love white. I love white accents, white furniture, etc. It's just crisp, fresh & clean in my eyes.

So, my plan for this room will be the following.

-Add beadboard all along the wall about 3/4 of the way up and trim out top with a 1x6 more than likely with a ledge. That way I can still lean photos on top or decor but I think it will really make the space pop that much more.

-New light fixture… in a perfect world, I'd do oil rubbed bronze finishes for all bathrooms & bedrooms. However, with the slate being in this room…I feel like it would only make it feel darker. Since the bathroom window does not get direct sunlight, since it's located under a porch, we're going to stick with brushed nickel. Still a classic finish and fully beautiful nonetheless! 

-Crisp white rug that I'm sure I'll be replacing a few times… maybe a light grey or a fun pattern.

-White medicine cabinet. I would love to repurpose an old one or DIY one. Still hunting for that piece!

-Something for above the toilet… possibly open shelving or a pretty photo. We will see!

-Hooks on right side of shower for obvious towel storage!

-New toilet seat. Ours is off white and the toilet is white. I know, don't judge. :-)

-Fabric to make a pretty shower curtain that goes all the way to the ceiling. I'll either do 95" bright white curtains & add some fun detail…or I'll make something! We shall see! Plus accessorizing the whole space will definitely be the fun and entertaining part!

I'm looking forward to bringing y'all along for the ride! 

Exterior: How things look now

Remember when I revealed our exterior? And how we added curb appeal on a strict, shoe string budget. I wanted to show y'all what it looks like now, what we've accomplished and a few things that are still on our to-do list.

Let's start with the BEFORE! We always have to start with the before. If you missed the original post & all the before and afters, you can find those by clicking here!

And here is the AFTER…when we first did the entire exterior, added new plants & shrubs and completely give everything an over-haul! I was so excited to see things fill in and blossom.

And boy have they! Here's the current photo as of today. What a difference a year or so makes… The original post was in November 2013…hard to believe we've been on our way to 1 1/2 years already! Time sure does fly whenever you are having fun! ;-)

 Another view from the right side of the yard… when we original completed the exterior…

And as of today…

Another before...

And before...

After a year of doing lots of growing!

We painted this old bird house, added some cool hardware & put antique ceiling tiles for the roof! I'm thinking of painting the ceiling tiles with a faux copper paint to really pop… but still love it as is!

Mailbox right after it was installed...

And today… I may end up changing the flowers in here…again. :-) 

Walking up to the front door…about a year ago...

And now today...

We also used to have a tiny little bird bath near this area of the front porch. We replaced that with this concrete (SUPER heavy!!!) fountain that has a water feature! I adore it…it needed some love when we got it but those are the things that I LOVE to give LOVE to! Such a statement piece and the perfect scale for our house as well. I'd be wishing for one for months and this came at the opportune time. With a truly funny story attached as well. :-) Those are always the best finds anyways, the ones with stories.

So, let's recap just the front, shall we?

When we purchase the home, September 2013….

After we over-hauled the front, November 2013…

And today with everything that has blossomed and filled in, January 2015….

I hope y'all enjoyed the photos! I know I sure did, especially looking through how much everything has changed for the better! If you can spot the differences, that's great! But let me recap anyways.

In the last year, we've added the following major and minor changes…

because we all know they both do matter :

New windows (Window World of Rockledge, FL - Tell them I sent you!)

New rocking chairs (Thrift Store)

New fountain (Used)

New fence (DIY with neighbor)

Bird house (DIY)

Rocks outlining beds (Lowes Home Improvement)

Until next time, that's all folks...

Our 2014 Christmas Tree

I've wanted a flocked tree for awhile now. When I saw they were on sale at a local craft store here in Florida, I jumped on the opportunity and this tree has not disappointed me. We took down all of our Christmas ornaments, old trees & anything else that pertained to this holiday and consolidated. 

I haven't felt better. We have been purging non-stop and nothing is out of the question. This year, I wanted to go through all of our Christmas things and have a more, simplistic yet refined look. I ended up donating 8 strands of garland, a Christmas tree to a friend, sold another at the store & currently have yet another for sale at the store, gave away three storage totes full of ornaments & decor and much more. We kept the ornaments that obviously had meaning to us such as the ones that our family and friends have given us. I paired those ornaments with many things I had in our home as well as other things I got last year after Christmas when they went on sale.

I wanted something rustic. Simple. Classic. And very different. I really love a well adorned tree and I don't really ever feel like this is "too much." For every 100 people that love it, there will be 1 that hates it and says its "too much" or you need "color." And you know what? It hurts my feelings. But at the same time, this is our tree in our house where we pay the bills. I think we'll do what we want.

Prepare yourself for a picture overload.

I used lots of reflective surfaces to get this look. Also, anything with great texture like the bark balls for example I loved! I wanted a natural color scheme so I definitely stuck with that… and lastly, the more the better! In this case, less is not more. More is more!

And I wanted to get a few with the lights on…. it is especially pretty in the evenings… but for now, I allowed the natural light in the sunroom to really show you the true look of our tree this year.

I really loved the woods meets frost style it had this year. Next, year I may bring in more pops of red, dark brown or a dark blue. It actually has red berries on the tree but they are washed out by all the neutrals which is actually fine with me… either way, I love our tree.

My little men have been in the holiday spirit also… but just the other day, I snapped these of the two of them…via Instagram (You can follow me by clicking here.)

Look at these two little men, always on the backs of my sofas… just watching the day go by and of course being on squirrel patrol! We are currently working on our next project which is crown molding in the sunroom so please look out for that next post!