Things are looking up

Hey, remember this post?

starting point

Or what about this one?

light update

We finally got around to sprucing up our quaint entryway, and we did it easily and inexpensively!

I first spotted this removable wallpaper by Devine Color at Target a few months back and have been biding my time waiting for inspiration to strike. I ALWAYS envisioned using it on the ceiling here, but I wanted to make sure I made the best decision on color/pattern. 

I decided to go monochromatic but textured and patterned, and I really REALLY like it!

I chose the "weave" pattern in Mirage & Silver. It is a great grey without any green or blue undertones, which works perfect with our Dolphin Fin grey paint by Behr. 

We had to cut 3 strips of the paper and then Mark and I worked together to stick it on the ceiling as best as we could. It only took about 30 minutes and was pretty easy! It would be even more simple if you applied it to a wall, so don't be afraid to do it if you're thinking about it! At $30 for a roll, you can take the risk. Plus, it's REMOVABLE (and genius!)!!! 

In case you needed to see 5 pictures of the same thing:

now we're here!

I'm loving the metallic punch along with the darker grey tone, especially when the light is on to make it really sparkle. This transformation has been one of the easiest to accomplish and I think it works wonders on the first impression when stepping into our home. Love it! 

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Monday news: I've set up an Etsy shop! It's called sweetsuits (you can find it by searching or just click here)

Right now I only have camera straps listed, but I'll be posting lots more this month. 

Think pillow cases, swimsuits, etc.! Please let me know if I can make you anything custom, because that's available too. Thanks for your support! 

Phase 1 yard overhaul

Mark and I have been discussing our plans for our landscaping recently. It's definitely been at the front of our minds, because after I put in about 2 hours of yard work on Sunday after lunch (details later), Mark was ready at 5:30 to head to Home Depot and start what I'll call "phase 1" of the process. 

This is what we've been living with:

We have a LOT in store like ripping out concrete, changing the flower bed shapes, laying in a path, putting down a patio, and building a pergola. But for Sunday night, here's what we accomplished:

We started by clearing out the ground cover that was in the bed to the right of our back doors.

We picked up four common boxwoods at Home Depot as well as 8 bags of cypress mulch and 18 7x7" stone pavers.

This side of the yard is the bane of our existence. TOTAL overhaul coming soon!

First, I planted the boxwoods while Mark leveled the area under the kitchen window.

We want a dedicated place for the grill out of the way and off of the 1960's sidewalk, so we laid down pavers with about 1" of space in between.

I took a break for photos, clearly. ;)

...and Mark posed for a Home Depot plug. (not sponsored, but wish we were!)

After everything was planted and set, I filled in the pavers with as much fine dirt as I could. We were winging this, so we might come back with sand to really set the stones, but so far this has worked. Then, Mark laid down the mulch.

Details, people!

And there she is!

Y'all, this is SUCH an improvement to what we had. 

SIDE NOTE: Yes, the beds look really bare right now, but only because we went quickly to Home Depot to grab the boxwoods. They didn't have the rest of the planting I wanted, so we will go to a nursery soon to get the rest of the items. In the meantime, we have a dog that likes to get muddy and dig in mud, so we wanted to make sure we mulched the freshly dug up beds to deter that. Soon this will be lush with flowers and grasses. :)

I really can't believe we got all of this done AND went to the store in 2 hours. I can't wait to see what our yard looks like in a couple months! Get ready, it's landscaping season!

...I'm SO sore...

Let there be light!

I never once thought that one day I would be the one giving Mark sad puppy eyes in Home Depot in order to get my way. But I was that person. 

Here's why:

Yes, that would be our ugly, barely functioning entry light. I blogged WAYYYY back in the day about seeing this fixture at Home Depot, and I just knew it was "the one". We have a pretty limited budget when it comes to these things and most of what was available in our price range is what I like the call the 'boob light' (don't google that). 

Exhibit A:

We do have a few of these in our hallway, but they don't bother me near as much as the one in the entry. 

I know you are dying to know if my puppy dog eye tactic worked...well, it did (duh). We ended up with the light I had been oogling for about 5 months!

We came home and got straight to work. Well, one of us did. Being married really pays off in these situations! I have to hand it to Mark though, he has learned a lot and done really well in the last 6 months. This was his third light installation and he has gotten really quick too!

It only took him about 20 minutes (and a trip to Home Depot because the jbox housing (?) wasn't included in the box we happened to grab) and we were up and MUCH brighter!

I LOVE it. I love love love love love love love it. I might love it a little bit better than the light he installed over the kitchen sink.  I am so glad we made the change and it looks SO good here! 

Next up, have you thought anymore about what I should do with the ceiling? Check here if you missed that post back in the day!

Are you as glad as I am that we made the change?

Happy Monday!