Welcome to my blog!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I believe that everyone can have a beautiful home without spending a fortune! One of my favorite things to do is find creative ways to re-purpose things I already have on hand, or have picked up at yard sales and thrift stores. Join me as I share with you some of my favorite ideas for crafting and decorating, as well as travel adventures, and fun things that I pick up on my treasure hunts! Much of my work is influenced by my love all things French, nature, and of course shabby chic! I have gotten so many creative ideas from you very talented bloggers out there, and I hope that I can be an inspiration to you as well!

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Master Bath Renovation Reveal and a Visit with Molly



Hi Everyone,
how is your week going?
Today I wanted to share our master bathroom redo.  I had intended on sharing it quite some time ago.
Anyway, we are beyond thrilled with the end result!
While it was many months in the making, it was well worth the wait.
The great thing is that my handy hubby did 99% of the work!
From the demo to the drywall, plumbing and electrical work, the beadboard installation, to the tile work, he did it all!
The only thing he didn't do was install the frameless glass shower enclosure.
For some strange reason, the walls look yellow in my photos. They are not yellow!
They are a soft and creamy color which I love (Behr).
We chose white cabinets by Merillat, and a gorgeous sand colored quartz counter.
For the hardware and faucets we went with brushed nickle, and I am so glad we did.  Initially I wanted oil rubbed bronze, but the only hardware we could find had lots of copper tones in it, which I did not like.
This is a small room, with very high ceilings, so we had to make the most of every square inch!
I'll give you a reminder in a bit of what our bathroom used to look like.
One of the best parts of the transformation (well, they are all good!) is now we each have our own sink!
Yeah!  Prior to that, we just had one, and it drove me nuts having to share.

Ok, here is what it used to look like!  This photo actually made the room look better than it really did, as it was taken with a wide angle lens (by hubby's son for our then real estate listing).
I can honestly say there wasn't a thing I liked about thus room!
Ok, there was one, the light fixture! And that was only because it wasn't that old.
Everything else was very 1980's, and not in a good way!!
 I cringe just looking at this mirrored sliding shower door.  Ugh!
 And as much as I love blue (it is my favorite color), I don't want a blue bath tub or fiberglass shower enclosure.  Or a blue toilet!  Notice the "lovely" wooden toilet seat in the mirror?
 I was more than ready years ago for this room to be transformed.
Now we couldn't be happier with the end result!
Ok, remember those upper walls are light cream, not yellow as they are showing!
I am loving the beadboard, and also our double towel rack.
Hubby did an amazing job with the ceramic tile floors and shower.
 I picked out most everything for the bath, including what I call my "fancy tile", the pretty glass mosaic tile used as an accent in the shower, as well as back splash above the vanity. They are made in Italy, are iridescent, and change colors with the light. They remind me of the inside of a seashell.  I just love them!
They were not cheap, but I am so glad that I decided to splurge.
The rainshower head and hand held  are made in Germany, and come with a lifetime warranty.
You don't find that much these days!  Nothing like German engineering!
 We both feel like we're staying at a fancy spa hotel!
 Ok, what do you do when you have huge and unsightly shampoo and conditioner bottles?
Well, I just wasn't happy with the way the looked in our niche, they hid my fancy tiles!
So, I found some clear acrylic soap and lotion dispensers at Bed Bath and Beyond, then created labels for them.  The pretty graphics are from the Graphics Fairy, and I just added the writing on PicMonkey.
I then used outdoor ModPodge (which I happened to have on hand) to attach the labels. Then I gave them a few more coats.  So far, over a month later, the labels are holding up beautifully.  And the pump dispensers  look so much nicer, I think!

 At Home Goods (love that store!) I found the most gorgeous mercury glass soap dispensers, tooth brush holder, and soap dish.  I like corralling all of our things in these ceramic trays, which I purchased years ago at Home Goods.  We each have our own.

 We just love the frameless glass shower enclosure. The door swings both in and out.
It is a huge improvement from our tub with sliding mirrored doors!
I was always stubbing my toes or bumping my shins when I climbed in and out of that thing.
I may or may not have yelled a few choice words over the years!
 Up above our vanity, I've hung this pretty cream colored iron piece, found at Hobby Lobby.
I think it's a perfect fit for the space.
 Oh, who do we have here??
Well it's little Miss Molly!
We've had Molly for a little over 2 weeks, and she has already made herself at home.
She won our hearts, and came to us at a time when we were totally heartbroken over the sudden loss of our Katie.  We still miss Katie terribly and always will.  But having Molly in our lives has been a big help.
Plus, she keeps us more than busy!
 Hey!  Just look what happened at the end of my little photo shoot today!
Someone decided that the toilet paper is just way too fun to unroll!
 "Hey, it wasn't me!"
 Thought I'd share a few more pics of Molly.
We just love her.
 She is almost 3 months old, and is full of energy and mischief, like most puppies are!

 I can't get over how quickly she is growing.  I snapped the photo below (which is one of my favorites) a week ago. She already has grown by leaps and bounds.
Thanks so much for stopping by.  I really do appreciate your visits and comments.
And all of the support you've shown me, it has meant more than you know.
Have a great rest of the week!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Meet Molly

Hi Everyone,
It's been quite some time since my last post.
The past month has been a very difficult one, with the sudden loss of our sweet Katie.
I wanted to thank you so much for all of the kind words and comments you left.  It truly means alot.
Katie was our heart dog, and we will always miss her.  Losing her left a huge hole in our hearts and lives.
As difficult as it is for hubby and I to move on, to us a house isn't a home without a fur baby.
So, I would like to introduce you to our new dear one, 9 week old cocker spaniel Molly.
We just brought her home Monday night, and we love her already!
She has brought laughter back to our house, is very active and happy, and is keeping us more than busy on
"puppy patrol"!

 She has a face that would melt anyone's heart, I do believe.
 We are having lots of fun, but are tired keeping up with her:)
 While it is a bittersweet time, with thoughts of our Katie, we know that Molly will 
become our kindred spirit pup too, and help heal our hearts.
She loves looking at herself in the mirror.  Wow, looks like I have quite a few little paw and nose prints to clean!  Both of Molly's parents are show dogs.  Her dad is a national champion.  We aren't into the show thing, so Molly won't be going that route.
But it sure looks like she may be into a little primping!
 Just had to share this "action shot" below.  Much of her day is spent chasing and playing in the house.
 I've not had the heart to blog since Katie.  I thought I would discontinue writing my blog, life just hasn't felt the same.  But, I have missed you all and will be visiting to see what you've been up to.
So, for now my plan is to just post once in awhile, not that often.
I will be popping by to visit, though.

Hope you all are doing well.