Changes around the House

I've been promising these pictures for a while, I know! I decided that a few of our rooms weren't "done" so I've been re-doing them. We also had our chimney re-mortared and a cap put on so rain doesn't come in any more, and the Gent, my Dad, and the neighbors put a new roof on our shared garage. But I didn't download any pictures of that, so you'll have to content yourselves with these.

Master bedroom re-do. I just wasn't happy with the green bedding. I kept the new white duvet cover I bought when we moved in, pulled out my old blue quilt and pillow shams, and added some pops of orange. I'm loving this new color combination, especially for summer. (Mom, thanks for spray-painting the side table for me!)





Kid's room re-do. This was the guest room and had two twin beds. Now it is all set up for foster kiddos. We will be fostering children ages 0-4, so we needed a crib and a big-kid bed. Right now we are only able to take one child, but after we get a bigger vehicle next year we will be able to take two (possibly three? we'll just see how this goes). Crib is a Jenny Lind I bought off Craigslist. The two little white dressers are Craiglist purchases, too. They were red, so the Gent re-painted them. The room is set for a girl now, with the pink crib sheet, pillow, and afghan, but I have blue things to switch them out with if we have a little boy placed with us. Mom made the gingham valances and the crib skirt. I was able to find the sheets and bumper pads. The cross-stitched alphabet hung in mine and Tyler's nursery.









Playroom re-do! We had the floors refinished (they had a couple of layers of paint on them) and they are BEAUTIFUL. Makes me want to have the whole house re-done, but then I'd cry when doggies and baby toys and my favorite pair of heels scratch them. :) The play kitchen and couch were my mom and her sisters when they were growing up. Papaw made them. Mom refurbished them and Annie is having a blast! The rug is from Overstock and I love the round shape. The bins on the bottom shelves of the bookcases hold toys. The monkey and alphabet artwork are from TJ Maxx. I painted the family rules canvas. I love this room now, it is so inviting. Annie and I spend lots of time playing in here. I use the big table for crafts and folding laundry.









The family room bookcases are finally finished!!! Papaw and the Gent built them a couple of months ago. The Gent got them painted a few weeks ago. Last weekend we finally brought them in the house and installed them (ummm quite a job but they are in now and they are not going anywhere). Tuesday Mom put the trim on and I caulked and did one final coat of paint. Today I arranged the books. The bookcases look fantastic, like they were there when the house was built. Hurray, this project turned out so well!



Gardening. We have been doing lots and lots of gardening. We planted knockout roses along the side of the house, candytuft along the fence, and are filling in the side garden and back terraces with perennials. Our yard has lots and lots of little beds divided by concrete pathways, terraces, etc. And nothing had been done with them in about five years. Slowly but surely it is coming together. In a year or two when things have grown in it is going to look fantastic. And it definitely looks better than it did when we first moved in--everything is cleared out and the front yard of red mud has been replaced with a lawn. Much thanks to our families for all their manual labor and to Nana and Papaw for all the transplants from their beautiful gardens.






And the front porch is beautiful but I don't have any pictures and Annie is awake from her nap so you will have to do without. I have boxwoods by the front doors, ferns in hanging baskets, and impatiens in the window boxes. Come by and see it in person sometime!