Coming Soon….

Yeah! I finally finished snapping all my house tour pics today. I'm hoping to get the page up over the weekend. Between photo editing and the basement project, life is bursting at the seams with excitement around these parts! Have a great weekend everyone.

Basement Update

The basement clean up is crawling along at a snail's pace. Nearly 3 years worth of clutter and collecting provides for hours and hours of sort/purge/repeat. I know you all are so jealous. If you need a reminder of what we started with click here.

On a more exciting note, I have ordered the fabric for the curtains and pillows. Hubby spent his summers in Washington state and some of his fondest memories are of the water. He loves boating, water skiing, wave runners & most of all the sun. And the apple doesn't all far from the tree, Peanut has developed a great fondness for boats and the water as well. Being that the basement is mainly the 3 boys' space, except for one very special area we carved out for Belle, I decided to pick fabrics that gives a subtle nod to the nautical theme. Paired with some simple diy artwork, the basement face-lift will be complete.

Drapery fabric:

Accent fabrics:

The fabrics are all by Premier Prints and ordered from buyfabrics.com, as I found them to have the lowest price and greatest selection. I am eagerly awaiting its arrival with excitement and quite honestly a little trepidation. I have no idea how my sewing is going to turn out (translation: Mom hope you are free to come bail me out). Truth be told though…anything is going to look better than what is there now.

Off to start the day, hosting a playdate for some of Peanut's school friends, a dentist appointment for me and then the kids start swimming lessons this evening. An eventful but not too full day.

Happy Name Day Peanut

Our sweet Peanut celebrated his Name Day this past week. Since, he had both montessori and greek school that day, our celebration was a little more low key, but super special none the less.
We celebrated at each meal, snuggled under the covers playing alligators, raced along his new wall track a gazillion times and chugged for hours during a marathon train table session. I love this little man with every fiber of my being and I can not tell you how much we enjoyed his special day.

Click here to see Bear's First Name Day Celebration

Family Mission Statement

A few Christmases back my parents bought Hubby Steven Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families. We both thought it seemed like a great idea, placed it on the bookshelf & promptly forgot about it (sorry Mom & Dad). Fast forward 2 years and 1 additional kiddo later, Hubby & I we're visiting during our 10 hour Fall vacation road trip. We were talking about the need to set more consistent boundaries for the kids, how we feel they are not responsive to our discipline & that we need an action plan while they are young that will translate and transfer into adolescence. Enter 7 Habits … Mom & Dad, you do know a thing or two.

Our fall vacation, which was the impetuous for our Family Mission Statement

Hubby & I are still working our way through the book, but we have completed a family mission statement. I can not stress enough that we DID NOT create a list of rules on our own & present it to the kids…that approach will not work. To steal a line from a wise man I know, "People will support what they help create." Same goes with kids. 

Here's how we did it:

• We started off brainstorming with the kids asking them how their ideal family would function and treat one another. We took the opportunity to talk about emotions and how our actions & reactions are affected by our interactions with one another.

• Over the course of a month, we meet weekly to refine and prioritize the list. The kid's truly shocked us with how much they understood…keep in mind they are 6 & 3.

• Finally, we agreed upon phrases that captured the essence of how we wanted our family to run. After some slight tweaks, the "Family Chart" (the kiddos have a chore chart so they relate to the mission statement as simply a family version) was printed off, signed by every family member and placed in the family room to remind us of the agreement we made with one another.

Our Family Mission Statement reads:

To avoid disappointing our family we will work to:

Respect ourselves and others by telling the truth, listening, using manners and being trustworthy

Remain happy by being joyful, grateful & our genuine selves

Always be consistent, productive, and hard working

Create a home that is organized, tidy, safe and fun

Be a cheerleader family

Keep God and family at the center of our daily lives

Love each other unconditionally

During our discussions we wanted to learn what was at the root of the kid's tantrums and discovered it was disappointment. Whether it be not getting a turn, having to eat vegetables at dinner, or not being understood….being disappointed (parents & kids alike) was what needed to be minimized. 

It isn't always roses around here, but having the mission statement makes getting back on track a whole lot easier. 

Featured at DIY Dreamer

Are we done yet?

Without further ado, our 2013 House Goals

Organize & Re-purpose basement.

We began work on this goal already & hope to have it completed by the end of the month.
A more detailed post is in the works.

Laundry Room mini-makeover

Create a better flow & then pretty that puppy up. Read more here

Belle's Room

Our sweet girl has been asking for a pink room since we moved into the house…she has been patient long enough.

Family room finishing touches.

This room is 80% done. I want to add some trim to the drapes & there is an empty corner we're trying to figure out how to fill (bookshelf/secretary).

Put in a vegetable garden.

Last fall I cleared a spot in the backyard to plant a small vegetable garden. With 13 trees back there, it was hard to find a spot that had enough sun. Fingers crossed this works out.

Don't kill aforementioned garden.

Building it will be the easy part…I have anything, but a green thumb.

Furnish deck and possibly convert a small pond into a fire pit.

Last summer we expanded the deck. We spent all summer evaluating how to furnish the space..think we have it down. I'm going to try to convince the Hubs to build a dining table. We need one that seats around 12+ people & those sets run around 3K….remember DIY by Default Ladies & Gents.

Roof (?)

It is cedar and needs to be replaced. Possibly this year if not the following. Need to get serious about a plan of action.

Kitchen cabinet & pantry organization.

Replace pantry shelves with drawers & reorganize some of the kitchen cabinets.

Mini-makeover kid's bath.

This bath will be gutted in the next 5-10 years but until then it needs to be made pleasant to look at.

Dining Room drapery & skirted buffet tables.

Pretty self explanatory. I'm thinking of having Hubs test out his table making skills in here before moving to the deck.



Factor in 3 milestone birthdays (Hubby's 35th, Bear's 1st & YiaYia's 60th), Theo N & Thea L's wedding plus whatever else the year has in store for us & this year's goings & doings have me exhausted already.

Featured at Newbie with a Twist party

Winter Mantel

With Christmas packed away, I decided to switch up the family room mantel a bit. The result is a little stark for me, but Hubby loves the simplicity. Compromise folks.


The mantel features, a large pear under a glass dome, vase with birch branches, stacked books with a candle, and my beloved stone horse.

A shot of the whole fireplace. I know, still no screen…I need to get on that.

I think every member of my family makes fun of this horse but I absolutely love him…so regal!

The birch branches are a new addition. I really like the height & volume they bring to the space. 

This mirror rocks. Another Home Good's score. I found it for $50 a few days after I was window shopping at Arhaus with a girlfriend & found nearly an identical mirror for $500….that's right scored mine for 90% less!!! Plus it reflects the new chandelier perfectly.

So that is our mantel…not sure how long it will stay this way, but for now it suits the season perfectly.

The Dining Room: A Quick Switch

Just like the family room mantel, the dining room received a quick switch-a-roo post-Christmas decor.

These chairs use to reside in the living room (and the family room before that). I moved them into the dining room for New Year's day lunch. When I was cleaning up,  the idea struck me to test them as host & hostess chairs. I am smitten with the new look. They match the china cabinet and do a great job of pulling your eye across the room.

Plus, the chocolate color of the stain also matches the living room couch. And since the rooms flow into one another, it helps make a cohesive look. The dining room is far from complete, needing drapery, buffet tables & a rug to name a few items, but the refreshed look is a nice start.

 Not sure if this is their permanent home, they are gypsies these chairs, but for now they're happily staying put. Happy Monday everyone!