Fireplace Makeover Reveal

Happy Easter! I know this is technically a day of rest, but I am just too excited to share our fireplace makeover reveal. Can you blame me, really? This is three years in the making, people. Three years of this awful eye sore, finally covered. I am a happy girl.

In the end, we opted for simple boards to cover the gap between the wood paneling and the brick of the chimney breast and topped it off with a simple box style mantel. Then we primed and painted the whole thing. Amazing what a coat of paint can do, right? It's like night and day. 

Please disregard the boiler exhaust pipe in the upper left corner. We have plans to prime and paint it, but it hasn't happened quite yet. Baby steps. 

Of course, I had to do a little staging. This is me, after all. 

The mirror has been patiently waiting to adorn the new mantel ever since it got the boot from the front hall. Mirrors are a great way to bounce a little light around a dark corner. Just the trick for the lower level.

Our faux topiaries also found a new home on the mantel. It's always nice to have a little green on the mantel - in one form or another.

I know everyone loves a good before and after, so here it is. Our lower level fireplace surround prior to the makeover. Zoinks, that's bad. 

After. Further staged with a couple bits and bobs...like our personalized walking sticks from our trip to the Swag a couple of years ago. 

Ah, sweet relief to have this project checked off the proverbial to-do list. Just in time for us to enjoy Spring. ha!

Want more info on this project? Inspiration, plans, and progress.

Hope you had a great weekend!

linking in with: 

Met Monday

Farmhouse Porch - the Scoop

Tuesdays Treasures

until next time,

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Quinoa, Beet, Squash and Feta Salad

Aye, I don't know about where you are, but I can tell you, that here the weather is not equalling the date. It's Spring, but we still have snow on the ground and temperatures too low to admit. Meanwhile, I'm ready to put aside the Winter stews and roasts and starting to crave lighter Spring and Summer foods. But, you must agree it's sometimes hard to enjoy a cold Summer soup like gazpacho when there is snow on the ground. So, this time of year, it's all about finding that recipe that bridges the gap.

Fortunately, for you, I ran across just this type of recipe earlier this week. A hearty salad, full of roasted veggies with a wide array of flavors to keep you going back for more. Sweet and spicy, salty and sour. Everything you could ask for and so much more. 

Insprired by the Quinoa, beetroot, squash, & feta salad, BBC Good Food, April 2013.

For the salad:
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite sized pieces
4 raw beets, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
2 tbs olive oil
2 oz hazelnuts
4 oz quinoa
5 oz baby spinach leaves
small bunch of mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
1/2 jalapeño, deseeded and finely chopped
6 oz feta, crumbled
For the dressing: 
4 tbs olive oil
2 tbs clear honey
2 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs dijon mustard
zest of 1 orange

1. Preheat the oven to 450F. Mix the beets, squash and oil on a baking sheet and season well. Roast about 45 minutes or until soft. Once cooked, set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast about 8 mins or until toasted. Once toasted, cool slightly, roughly chop and set aside.
3. Rinse the quinoa in cold water, then put in a saucepan with 1 1/4c water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Leave to cool. 
4. For the dressing: combine all ingredients in a screw top jar, shake well, set aside.
5. For the salad: put everything, except the hazelnuts and feta in a bowl, pour over the dressing. Toss well. Sprinkle with feta and hazelnuts.
Serves 4 adults.

Yeah, maybe it's a bit time consuming, but I'm telling you - it's worth it. {Side note: the veggies, dressing and quinoa can be made in advance.} I served mine with a piece of simple roasted salmon, but it could definitely stand alone or go well with any protein of choice. 

I hope you try it and love it as much as we did. 

linking in with:
Stone Gable

until next time, 

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The Centerpiece that Just Won't Quit

Remember this centerpiece I created late last year before our dining room remodel?  You may not believe it, but it's actually still going strong. With a couple of alterations, of course.

During the dining room renovation, I moved the planter to living room coffee table. Once the orchid finished blooming, I removed it and filled in the space with pinecones and such for the holiday season. Some simple changes helped stretch the arrangement for another couple of months.

This past weekend, I purchased three yellow primrose to make a simple Spring centerpiece for our family birthday celebrations. The harvest table is narrow, so small low profile plants or flowers are a great accent when we set a full table. But, now that it's just the four of us again, I have plenty of room for a big arrangement.

Once again, the big arrangement is back in its rightful home on the harvest table. I moved a couple of plants around, removed the pinecones and added in the three primrose.

I love the bright pop of color from the yellow blooms.

So Springy - it just makes me smile!

So, what about you? Made any little Spring changes around your house?

linking in with:

Brambleberry Cottage

Beyond the Picket Fence

until next time, 

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Fireplace Surround Update

It's the beginning of Spring break in these parts, but we are waiting to vacation later in April. Instead we're visiting with family and taking some time to work on projects around the house. Last I left you, this was the status of our family room fireplace. Lots of plans, little progress. 

Enter Mr. DD and his big plans. Yup, that's graph paper and a scale ruler, people. He means business. Time to get to work. 

Plus, having his handy father visit certainly upped the productivity factor. 

Check out that pile of wood. And, that happy shopper. Amazing the amount of motivation to make something happen when your parents are in town. Gotta take advantage. 

Once the work actually got started, it was clear that it wasn't going to be as easy as we had hoped. The brick chimney breast wasn't straight. The walls weren't level. There was a lot of tweaking that needed to happen.

First, we chiseled away the brick to make a somewhat straight line to work with. Then, cut away the baseboard to make room for the new boards that will cover the unfinished line between the wood paneling and the brick chimney breast. 

10" boards were cut to shape with the use of templets fitted to the existing structure of the fire box. Then attached to the brick with tapcon screws.

This is where it all started to go a little pear shaped. We knew we wanted a floating rustic looking shelf, and thought maybe we could take the easy way out with a pre-existing, store bought mantel. It looked ok in the box, in the store, but in the actual space, not so much. Back to the drawing board.

Time to build a box!

We attached a center support to the brick, to hang the box on. 

And hung the box. Sounds so easy, right?

Yeah, not really. Hence the total lack of a tutorial. 

But, the good news is, it's done. Now we just need to paint it. More to come on that later. 

Hope you had a great weekend and if you're Spring breaking it - you are enjoying!

linking in with:

Met Monday

until next time, 

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What I Am Loving This Week

It's time for another installment of, What I'm loving! The last couple of weeks have been as busy as ever around here. Meaning, I have loads to share. And, with Spring break right around the corner, we've been focusing on all sorts of things.

From Mr. DD's birthday, which we celebrated family style with an early morning breakfast. Where Mr. DD patiently opened all of these hand-wrapped, with Christmas paper, drawings from Miss T. So cute. I'm not sure who was more excited!

We indulged at the weekend, with family in town, in a yummy carrot cake. But, on the actual birthday we enjoyed a low-guilt dessert that I hadn't had in a while. I am sure you remember when pineapple angelfood cake that was all the rage.

Speaking of low-guilt and Spring break, I ran across these beauties from H&M when they were posted on Instagram by Holly (of Decor8 fame). Thinking I need to try these guys on, for sure. 

Of course, I won't be the only one sporting something new for Spring break. Check out these babiators, complete with a lost and found guarantee. You remember how Baby E loves her sunnies, well unfortuabately, her flower sunglasses couldn't withstand her hardcore love and came to an early end. Babiators are flexible rubber and should hold up to her. I'll let you know when they arrive. 

And finally, I ran across this post by The Pennington Point where she shared how she made her own patio furniture. Seriously? What a great idea. Custom, made to fit her space and totally her style and probably for a fraction of the cost of store bought furniture. 

We're still months away from Spring here in Chicagoland, but that's ok because my inspiration is already building. 

Have a great rest of the week. Serious progress has been made on the fireplace surround, so I'll be sharing that next.

until next time,

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Fireplace Inspiration

Another cold, wet, and grey weekend here coupled with two extra sets of hands led to a lot of progress on our unfinished lower-level fireplace surround. But, before I get ahead of myself, I thought I'd share some of the inspirational images I've come across lately.

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This fireplace update from The Lettered Cottage is definitely the biggest inspiration for the project as a whole. Simply stunning. Although they started with a much more "finished" look than we will, it still includes the same type of brick foundation. Both in need of some seriously updated covering up! 

In this case they covered all of the brick other than the immediate surround, which has given it a really fresh and light look. 

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This fireplace offers a different direction entirely. The white mantel atop the red brick hearth makes for a really cozy feel. Unfortunately, for us, this would require stripping the already painted brick and we would still have to deal with the scraggly edges of our hearth. Love the stacked wood in the firebox.

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This is also a contender. I love the rustic quality. Brick surround, natural wood mantel, planked hearth - What more could you ask for?

More updates coming up. Hope you had a great weekend!

linking in with:

Met Monday

until next time,

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Fireplace Project

Feels like forever since I've posted a house-related DIY project, so it's about time we get something started around here, wouldn't you say? Yes, I think so. 

So, what's it going to be? 

Our lower level fireplace surround. Finally. This is one of those projects that I've had on my list since the beginning of time. But, there's always been something more pressing to be done. Well, the wait is finally over. After a whole winter spent in the lower level, staring at the unfinished fireplace surround, we've decided the time is right! Finally. Did I mention I've wanted to do this for awhile?

Here she is in all her unfinished glory. Don't worry, you can think it - yikes, that is NOT attractive. I took the words right out of your head, didn't I?

Yup, work has been really slow down here. Sprucing up the family room was a goal this year, but so far, I've only managed to DIY a media center and spray paint a rocking chair. Not exactly knock-your-socks off progress, now is it?

You might remember this little photo of our construction paper brainstorming session....yup, it was a start.

Fortunately, Mr. DD's extremely capable, wood-working father is coming in town this weekend to hopefully jump start this project. 

I'm off to find some much needed inspiration pictures. Have a great weekend.

until next time, 

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Working with Aqua {Client Work}

Recently I had the opportunity to work with another local client on her living room. As I mentioned in my last client post, there are so many great things about client work, but my most favorite is working with styles/colors/textiles etc that I don't have in my own home. In this case, the client wanted to accent her traditional living room with aqua, which isn't one of my go-to colors. It's been a fun avenue to explore. 

Sara lives in a quaint, sun-filled home, riddled with vintage details that I absolutely love. She's recently started to tackle her living room by adding new pieces, like the x-bench coffee table ottomans and armchairs. As well as the beautiful antique rug. She is still waiting on another chair she found on One Kings Lane (great deals, horrible wait times!). Since she has most of her main furniture and a great style direction in mind, she only needed a bit of help bringing it all together. 

Both of the armchairs shown are from Craigslist. Can you believe it? A girl after my own heart.

Even though they were happy with the current layout of the room, I couldn't help myself and had to suggest an alternative. It just kills me to walk into a room, from the front door no less, right into the back of the couch. 

{Side note, this seems to be an ongoing issue with me, as I did the exact same thing this week with another client! Can not help myself.}

The new furniture arrangement would keep the chairs in similar position, but move the couch to where the armoire currently is and the TV on the opposite wall. Of course, this would entail moving the cable, so it's no easy feat. But, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. 

I had a great time playing around on etsy in search of the perfect color combing, patterend toss pillows. I'd suggest using navy to tie the scheme to the existing rug and aqua as the highlight. 

Sara, also asked for some mantel suggestions so I pulled this little grouping {mirror, glass hurricanes and vintage wood candlesticks} together to pick up on her existing glass and brass accents. 

To keep the room from feeling too formal, I've made sure to balance the brass with lots of natural texture - like the woven side tables, and assorted floor pillows/poufs. 

This is an ongoing project that we'll be working on together and I couldn't be more excited. Thanks, Sara, for inviting me into your home.

This is an example of an e-design consultation, to check out my other services, please click here.

product and image sources:

Loop de Loop pillow: etsy, House of Pillows

Peacock pillow: etsy, Festive Home Decor

Starburst mirror: Wisteria

Wood Candlesticks: Wisteria

Glass Hurricanes: Pottery Barn

Woven Side Table: Zin Home

Aqua Geometric pillow: etsy, Motif Pillows

Navy Greek Key pillow: etsy, Element O Pillow

Ikat pillow: etsy, Pillow Talk and More

Floor Pillows: Better Homes & Gardens

until next time, 

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Longing for Spring...

Longing for Spring, but stuck in the doldrums of Winter?
Tell me about it. It was a cold, wet and grey weekend here in Chicagoland. With more snow on the way.
While others are starting to enjoy some outside time, we have weeks of Winter left. 
So, today I'm sharing some of my tips to break through the Winter blahs and think Spring. 

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1. Think Spring by incorporating more houseplants or fresh cut flowers. There's just nothing like the life that real greenery can bring to a room. A potted plant near a bright window just screams Spring. Or a beautiful arrangement of Spring blooms on your coffee table will certainly help you see the light at the end of the Winter tunnel.

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2. Think Spring by accessorizing with bright colors in your home. I'm not talking about anything drastic here. Just a toss pillow or two. Maybe even a beautiful, cheery throw to ward off the last of the Winter chills. Notice how the pops of color, from the cushions, in otherwise neutral rooms really make you feel the Spring vibe.

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3. And finally, think Spring and be sure to beat the Winter blues by starting to plan your outdoor spaces. Patios, gardens, porches, etc. The start of planting/growing season is just around the corner - time to get prepared. I'm starting research on our fruit and veg garden. We had mild success last Summer and I am bound and determined to have great success this year!
Check out this free plan-a-garden tool I came across on Better Homes and Gardens Website.

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I hope these hints are helpful to you. My daughter just brought home our first bunch of tulips for the season. Baby steps to Spring.

Hope you had a great weekend.

linking in with:

Met Monday

until next time,

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What I Am Loving This Week...

Lately, I've been struggling to find a balance between appropriately themed posts (design related stuff, that is) and the personal stuff. I post all the time about my home, projects, cooking and client work, but I wonder if anyone really feels like they know me?   Like am I real person, or just some lady with an immaculate home that has no life other than tweaking her interiors (that sounds kind of wrong, but I know you know what I mean :) ).

Since opening up about the personal stuff has always been a struggle for me, I thought maybe I could share a bit more about my life through a new series I'm calling...

What I'm loving this week. 

I'm hoping to share, with some frequency, the little things that are going on in our home and lives. Things that inspire me, make me chuckle, latest finds, etc. I hope you enjoy this new series, because if you do, I'll be sure to keep it up.

First on my hit list this week is the Suave Keratin Infusion hair care line. Amazing. Totally transformed my hair - no more frizz. Even when I air-dry my hair, which is like every day! Such a great product and totally reasonable. No need to buy expensive shampoos when this beauty is available at Target for under a fiver. Thanks, Linda for the recommendation!

Next up, this simple and inexpensive garage door update brought to us by Hi Sugarplum! Lets' face it, garage doors aren't the most aesthetically pleasing on the best of days, but with $15 and about 15 minutes she's given it a great face lift. This may be happening to our garage door in the very near future.

I finally finished reading domino, the Book of Decorating this week and I highly recommend it. First off, it's beautiful to look at making it a wonderful addition to anyones home. But, it's also that rare combination of inspirational and informative that everyone is after. Complete with a glossary of commonly used decorating terms, beautiful images and step by step style mix and match ideas. Genius.

Also, giving me a natural high this week is purging! Ever since I started working with Life. Reorganized. I simply can not stop purging. I'm tackling some of the little projects (like the girls closets) while the professional organizer has come back to help with the bigger ones. Like our attic, which has gotten out. of. control. Yikes. More to come on that soon. 

If you follow me on Facebook, you've probably already seen this picture. It's our basement, family room fireplace. Obviously, its pretty much an unfinished fireplace that I personally have been wanting to tackle for quite some time. So this week we did a bit of brainstorming on what we would like it to look like, eventually. Sometimes it's just easier to visualize. With construction paper. I don't know why I think it's so funny, but I do. Everytime we go downstairs for the girls to play, it just makes me chuckle. And what more can you ask for when you're stuck inside with 6+ inches of snow on the ground. In March. 

And last, but certainly not least, is this baby. In her sunglasses. Yes, E has discovered the delights of sunglasses, which she wants to wear everywhere. While laughing the whole time. Which makes me laugh the whole time. Again, with the snow, in March...this is a good thing.

Well, I hope you enjoyed our first addition of What I'm loving this week.

What's inspring you or better yet, making you laugh this week?

until next time, 

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