Basement Remodel ~ Part 1

I mentioned in my recent 40 x 42 post that I wanted to finish our basement remodel and that that area has been the bane of my existence since we moved in 16 years ago.  I am pleased to say that the project is coming along beautifully & I couldn't wait another minute to share what we have accomplished thus far.  It is by no means complete.  I believe decorating takes time & am still on the hunt for lots of fun pieces to add to the space.  But we definitely are off to a fantastic start.  But to fully appreciate how far we have come, you must see the before first.  Brace yourselves...it is NOT pretty!

This was a spare/office type room.  It started out as a room for Honey to display his vintage toy collection but in the end was basically a place where everything that didn't have a home somewhere else in the house went to live.  To say it was a "hot mess", is putting it mildly!

Don't you just LOVE the dark 60's style paneling...

Believe it or not, but we fit a computer desk, several bookshelves and a full sized sleeper sofa in this tiny space.  I truly apologize to all our family that has had to spend the night in this room over the years.  Once the bed was pulled out, there was LITERALLY no room to walk. It was horrible.  Thank you dear family for putting up with this for so long.  We love you!!

Now before you entered this lovely room, you had to walk through what can only be described as the biggest waste of space known to man.  I have tried over the years to figure out a purpose for this little square area that measured maybe 10' by 6'.  At one point it was going to be a mudroom, then possibly my scrapbooking area.  But there was no light in it, so that idea went out the "non-existent" window, so to speak.  It originally had the same wood paneling as the office space, but as you can see, we tore that out & started to put up white bead board in hopes to brighten things up a bit.  Obviously, that project never got finished & we were left with exposed studs for Lord knows how long.  (Clearly, I did NOT let guests down into this area unless it was otherwise necessary.  Yuck!)

Last but not least, was the very narrow hallway that led to the previously mentioned wasted space or C's bedroom (which also got a complete remodel ~ more on that another time).  So now you can see why we so desperately needed to do something with this area.  I like light, open and airy.  This basement was none of those things.  :(  

So we met with our contractor Shawn, and basically said, "Help!  How do we make this a more functional space?"  And he immediately drew up a plan that not only solved all our problems, but created the most amazingly, beautiful area that I could have ever imagined. He's a genius!!  First thing, was to 45 degree angle both walls that led into the "wasted space" area & then knock down the wall that separated said area to the office.  What a difference that alone made!!!

Then after 3 solid weeks of ripping up tile, putting up new drywall, laying new flooring, electrical and ventilation changes/upgrades, new doors and trim, new ceilings, additional lighting, painting and lots & lots of hard work ... we were given this beautiful new living space!!  (Cue drum roll.......)

I am absolutely in LOVE with it!  No more paneling, no more dark useless space and no more unfinished walls.   YEAH!!!  As you can see, we are going with a Coastal/Beach theme (shocking, I know).  The plan is that this room will serve as an extra family room.  A place where the kids can play & hang out with friends or Mom can curl up with a good book and enjoy a little peace & quiet.  Sigh....

Like I said earlier, it is by no means done decoratively.  I have several ideas that I am working on as we speak.  But it's definitely a far cry from the dark, ugly space it was before.

We brought back in the sofa (which is red, by the way) and covered it with an oatmeal colored slipcover that I got on clearance at Target.  All the rest of the furniture, believe it or not, is from Hobby Lobby... as well as the canvas hanging above the sofa.  The pillows are from TJ Maxx.  I wanted to go with an overall neutral color palate and bring in splashes of color with the accessories.  

This mirror is also from Hobby Lobby.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but the framework looks like pieces of seashells.  Honey just laughed at me.  I literally had to keep myself from squealing with excitement in the middle of the store when I laid eyes on it. This picture truly doesn't do it justice!  

These little glass gems are from Marshalls.  The beach grass is left over from the large vase used nearby.

Like I said, work in progress ... as I clearly don't even have a picture in the frame yet.  (LOL!)

I picked up this lamp on clearance at Lowes some time ago & it has been waiting patiently for just the right spot to shine.  :)  Isn't that little pineapple just adorable ... another Hobby Lobby find.  I love that store!!!

Now we've all heard the saying "I went into Target for just 3 things & came out with a cart load of stuff I didn't need".  Well, that's me when it comes to Bed, Bath and Beyond, as well. Honey & I went in for organizational compartments and walked out with these beauties.  

They found their home on the new 45 degree angle wall and there they will happily stay.  I have to give credit where credit is due...Honey was the one who discovered these amazing prints. Adirondack chairs are a weakness of mine, being the quintessential beach bum that I am.  These portraits made me just want to climb into one of the chairs, breathe in the salty air and watch the waves roll in.  (sigh)

Still lots of empty wall space (which I have the most amazing idea for) and plenty of ledge space for just the right accessories that I have yet to discover, but all in all, we couldn't be happier with the progress that we have made.  It's actually a place where we like to hang out now, instead of avoiding it like the plague.  :)  We love our little beach oasis!!  

Sources:

Paint:  Benjamin Moore Seapearl (walls), Valspar  Tequila (trim and doors)

Flooring: Belle Meade vinyl plank flooring

Rug & Slipcover: Target

Accessories: Hobby Lobby, Michaels, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Target and Lowes

Portraits: Hobby Lobby & Bed, Bath and Beyond

First Day of Summer ~ Live Colorfully!

It should come as no surprise, that we would love to move south.  Near a beach, near Disney, away from the snow, away from the cold.  So on this, the First Official Day of Summer ~ Miss B & I  are celebrating a very special way...  National Wear Your Lilly Day!  By following some of my most favorite Southern bloggers, I have fallen in love with a Florida-based designer by the name of Lilly Pulitzer.  Her designs are bright, colorful and just scream "Take me to the Beach!"  We are not lucky enough to have a signature store near-by here in the Midwest, but thanks to the Target collaboration last year and the lovely internet ~ Miss B & I have acquired a few fun pieces to add to our wardrobes.  

So what better way to ring in the official start of summer than to have my favorite little model show off some of our favorite looks.  Take it away Miss B!

Got to show off her "sassy" side ...  oh and don't forget Mom's shades!  :)

Can you tell she was getting into this whole modeling thing??

Here's her new favorite dress, purchased for her recent End of the Season Dance Banquet. LOVE IT!!  

This is the "I want to do a serious one, Mom" face.  She cracks me up!

My "outfit of the day" consisted of my very favorite linen, beach pants, gold Starfish necklace and cuff. They are truly the most comfortable pants that I own.  But more importantly, who can go wrong with palm leaves and starfish!!  (Tank is from American Eagle) 

I know I don't normally post about fashion and such, but we couldnt let this "special" day go unnoticed.  :)  So Live Happy & "Live Colorfully"!!  Enjoy your summer everyone!

N & Miss B

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing Dads out there!  Today is a day that we celebrate the men in our lives that hold a special place in our hearts.  I am honored and blessed to have 2 such men.  I couldn't feel more lucky!

First off, there's Honey.  I couldn't have asked for a more loving and supportive partner in life.  He is also an amazing father to our 3 kids.  He's kind, gentle, creative, funny, strong, generous and hard working.  Everyday I thank my lucky stars that he is ours.  Thank you Honey for all you do for our family.  We love you with all our hearts.  Words can't even begin to express how amazing we think you are ...

And to my Dad, I hardly even know where to start.  I learned from an early age what true love between parents is from the way you are with Mom.  I knew that someday, that was the kind of relationship I wanted to have when I grew up & got married.  I am lucky enough to say that I have found that with Honey.  You showed us what it is to be loving and kind to those who mean the most to you.  You're hardworking, dedicated and loyal.  You make us smile just by being you.  When you walked me down the aisle on my wedding day, I couldn't have been more proud to have you by my side.  I look at the picture of us as we started out and the first thing I notice is that not only are our arms linked in the traditional way but you have your other hand resting on top of mine.  If you look closer at the picture, you'll notice that our fingers are linked as well.  It's a subtle gesture, but one that speaks volumes.  Thank you Dad for everything!  Love you so very much!

XOXO

N

Summer Chore Chart

To say I like to be organized is probably a bit of an understatement.  Those of you that know me personally, are definitely shaking your head in agreement right now.  :)  I like to plan, I like things neat and tidy, and am not ashamed to say I'm a "little" OCD about it.  But the summer months are meant to be lazy and relaxing.  Having said that, however, there is still laundry, dishes, and all the other household chores that never seem to go away no matter what the time of year is.  Plus, we try not to let the kids fall into the "Summer Slump" and get out of the groove, so to speak of learning & keeping their little brains active.  So a couple of years ago, with the aid of Pinterest, I created a way for the kids to help out around the house as well as do a few learning activities as well.  Because let's face it, when they are home all day things tend to go a little awry and this Mommy would rather be making memories than cleaning up messes.

So behold our 2016 Summer Chore Chart!

I created one for both L & B with certain jobs specific to them as well as generalize chores for both kids.  They have worked great for the last 2 summers and have helped me out immensely so that we have more time to play.  The rule is that all chores must be done before they can go outside, etc.   Each morning all the flaps are pulled down and as they complete the task, they flip it up until all their chores are complete.  Like I said I got this idea off of Pinterest, so you may have seen something similar but just in case you are interested in creating your own here's the steps I used to design ours.

Supplies Needed:

• file folders (one for each chore chart)
• adhesive Velcro
• scissors/ paper cutter
• adhesive magnets
• glue or adhesive tape runner (I used my scrapbooking one)
• numbers & list of chores (I created a document in Word using clip art to jazz it up a little)
• letter stickers (optional, if you want to "monogram" your chore chart)
• clear packaging tape (not pictured)

First, you trim down the file folder to your desired size.  Keeping it folded, I made ours 6" high by 11 1/4" long.  Then, you unfold the file folder and measure out your desired length for each chore strip.  I chose 2 1/4" for each.  Using my paper cutter, I cut each strip making sure to only go as far as the natural crease in the folder.  (Again, make sure that your fold is open during this step.  You do not want to cut through both sides, just the one with the jobs listed.)

After I cut the strips, I used clear packaging tape to re-enforce and protect the fold and to make the flaps stay open when not completed.  Trim off any excess tape & carefully re-cut the top of the slits that get covered in tape so that the flaps can still full open and close.

Next, cut out your numbers and chore labels.  I used my scrapbooking adhesive to attach them to the file folder as shown below.  You could also use glue, if that's easier for you.

The next step is to attach the Velcro.  I cut pieces off of a strip I had left over from a previous project, but you could also use the Velcro Dots as well.  I would recommend placing the "non-fuzzy" side at the bottom of the pre-cut flaps.  The best way that I found to make sure that the two pieces line up correctly is to remove the backing of one side at a time, place it in the desired spot THEN remove the other piece of backing, folding up the flap, and pressing down to secure.  This is a simple way to make sure the 2 pieces of Velcro match.  (I told you I had OCD, right!?!)

One of the last steps is to attach the magnets to the back.  So that it will hang correctly, make sure to place the magnets on the top of the uncut part of the file folder (the side with the numbers on it).  Believe me, I double checked mine before sticking them down.  

Then, there is nothing left to do but monogram them, so to speak.  I used stickers that I had in my scrapbooking stash.

Ours hangs on the fridge so that they are easily seen & a friendly reminder of what still needs to be done.  Obviously, you can customize your chores to best fit your child's ages and your family's needs.  

All in all, I had everything I needed for this project on hand.  But regardless, it is an inexpensive craft to make that has saved me countless time & energy in getting the kids to complete their chores.  This makes for one happy Mommy!!  

When it looks like this, our work is done & it's time to play!  

Until next time....

XOXO