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! 

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!

Kitchen light update!

Sorry for my absence, readers! It's been a crazy week and I'm trying to fight off the sickness that seems to be going around as of late...but I'm here with my promised light update!

 

As a reminder, here's where we started:

 

 

Here's where we were the last time we spoke:

 

 

 

And here we are now:

 

 

Mark went with me on this and we splurged for the $40 light from Ikea, which I spoke about here. We agreed that it was a decent light, met our needs, and wasn't a huge focal point in the house so we didn't need to make an investment into it.

 

We both love how it hugs the ceiling and still provides great light. We could even go a little brighter with our bulbs, if needed.

 

 

It feels as if a weight has literally been lifted off our shoulders in there. The fan that was there previously was so bulky and hung down at least 18", making the space feel really small. With our new tile, counters, and now the new light, our kitchen feels TONS bigger!

 

 

I have to thank Mark for installing the light and thank you guys for all of your comments on my post about our options!

 

Happy Friday!

 

The never-ending kitchen list!

Happy 100th post to me! :)

Now that I've revealed the kitchen renovation, I have some follow up ideas! My mind is always turning...it's a blessing and a curse!

I might have given Mark a heart attack the other day when I mentioned that I wanted to take out the single cabinet to the right of our sink and put in shelves to hold some of our pretty and frequently-used dishes. His eyes got very wide, but I'm not sure if that is good or bad...

I got the idea from (where else) Young House Love:

They installed these shelves in the photo above in their new house as part of their "phase one" change, but they also tested them out first in their old house and loved them!

They sure know how to do a kitchen, don't they? Love!!!

So the shelving idea may be down the road a bit (when Mark can look at the bank account without wincing), but it's about time to replace that ceiling fan in the kitchen, isn't it?! 

I was planning about blogging about this earlier, but couldn't get motivated. Then I stumbled across this pin the other day on Pinterest:

Considering this was posted first on Apartment Therapy (great site, but not always budget-conscious), we can barely afford any of them. Not to mention the fact that I don't LOVE all of them. I really like #1, #3, #4, and the idea of #13, #16, and #17. 

First check out the space we are dealing with:

Now, here are some options I've found previously that I would consider...

Here's the thing. I keep thinking I should keep it simple and go with this fixture from Ikea:

Here it is, whaddya know, in YHL's kitchen:

Plus, there is an entire DIY blog post about this EXACT light that Mark could follow when installing. Bonus!

I'm thinking this option is cost conscious, clean looking, provides light, and easy to install. We have a huge opportunity in the breakfast area to go with something that will make more of a statement, so I'd like to save our pennies (and gift cards) for that. 

What do you think? Is Ikea acceptable for our kitchen light? Have you seen anything elsewhere that we should consider?

blocks and bricks

Here's some insider info:

Mark and I have purchased countertops, backsplash, lighting, and a sink for our kitchen. This may be the best week of my life for that reason. I am SO excited about our kitchen reno so I've been all over the Internet finding even more inspiration. Take a look!

How cool is the cutting board integrated into this countertop? And the lighting?! And the glass front cabinets at the top?!?

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This butcher block is such a warm color and the kitchen is happy in general. Don't you love the darker lower cabinets and light uppers?

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I love the bay of windows behind this sink. Wish we could do a farmhouse sink like the rest of these inspirations!

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I love how crisp and feminine yet modern this kitchen is.

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Dying over this plank ceiling. Love the counters, too!

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This is what I'd love to do with our subway tile. Just white, white, white!

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Such a happy wall with the crisp tile and wood shelves. Love the open shelving!

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Ditto!

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