tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91257413902474339122024-03-13T13:27:07.827-05:00Renovation RehabJennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-20250645685404884012014-02-06T13:47:00.001-06:002014-02-06T13:47:57.209-06:00What Would Ralph Lauren Do?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi everyone! We just got back from Italy for Matt's company meeting. Yeap, you read that right, <em><u>company meeting</u></em>. Seriously, it is one of the coolest perks of his job! His company's headquarters are in Florence where they have their annual sales/customer meeting, and I get to tag along. Woohoo! We usually try to go several days before or stay after the meeting to explore and have time to ourselves, and this year we did a tour to our favorites: Venice, Siena, and (of course) Florence. Although it flooded in Venice on our last day and was a bit rainy in Siena and Florence, we had an AMAZING time and it was so nice to spend an entire week with just the hubs. One of my favorite pastimes when we are in Florence is to simply stroll the streets and soak in all of the latest fashion trends in the motherland of style. I mean, when a country is the birth place of such fashion icons as Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Missoni, Brioni, Versace, and my personal favorite, Salvatore Ferragamo (<em>swoon</em>), even the children are mini fashionistas and play in the streets all decked out in their uber posh labels! Seriously, Gucci has a massive section in their flagship store dedicated solely to the bambinos:</div>
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<img src="http://daddytypes.com/archive/gucci_kids_collection.jpg" height="346" width="640" /> </div>
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In addition to the clothes, I also love classic Italian interior design and enjoy exploring the palaces to drool over the beautiful frescoes, chandeliers, furnishings and finishes:</div>
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<img src="http://www.ilgiornaledellarte.com/immagini/IMG2011052515011292_900_700.jpeg" height="384" width="640" /></div>
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And you can also find some amazing design elements in many of the hotels, like this fabulous rug and the beautiful Murano glass chandelier:</div>
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<img alt="2671_reception2" src="http://myinspiredwedding.com/files/2012/07/2671_reception2.jpg" height="411" id="fancybox-img" width="640" /></div>
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Or the mix of the classic moldings, regal linens, Murano sconces, and modern mirrored chest:</div>
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<img alt="2674_camere3" src="http://myinspiredwedding.com/files/2012/07/2674_camere3.jpg" height="411" id="fancybox-img" width="640" /></div>
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When selecting the finishes for our house, I tried to incorporate some of the design elements that we have found overseas during our travels. Like the dark wood trim and light walls in the Grand Hotel Baglioni's hallways (oh, and who can miss that AMAZING ceiling...hello lover!): </div>
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<img src="http://exp.cdn-hotels.com/hotels/1000000/10000/6400/6371/6371_117_z.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></div>
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Does that paint and trim color scheme look familiar?</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7raMvXZzlM/Ula1vc1pgRI/AAAAAAAAX90/ibCHBJrnDds/s1600/Living+Room+Dark+Trim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7raMvXZzlM/Ula1vc1pgRI/AAAAAAAAX90/ibCHBJrnDds/s1600/Living+Room+Dark+Trim.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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But as much as I love Italian decor, it is just a ttteeeeennnnssssyyy bit too glitzy for our house and not nearly approachable or cozy enough for everyday life. Instead, for our home, I want the furnishings and decoration to give me and my guests a feeling of warmth and welcome (like being wrapped in a hug when coming into the house)...and I find myself constantly drawn to English-inspired design, with its beautiful wooden antiques, bright rugs, and tartan fabrics. Don't get me wrong, I still love glamor and drama, and absolutely plan to incorporate that into the house to keep things fresh and for some added flare. And to me, when it comes to taking classic furnishings and infusing them with a modern twist and a pop of glamour...no one does it better than my personal design Mr. Miyagi - Ralph Lauren. And his Apartment No. One collection is spot on with my vision:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SF4pjiyzqPw/Ut_464N6F0I/AAAAAAAAYM4/6k2gFE7Zje8/s1600/Ralph+Lauren+Furniture+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SF4pjiyzqPw/Ut_464N6F0I/AAAAAAAAYM4/6k2gFE7Zje8/s1600/Ralph+Lauren+Furniture+3.jpg" height="462" width="640" /></a></div>
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In this collection, Ralph, or Mr. Lauren if you're nasty (NASTY! Nasty boys, don't mean a thing! Bomp bomp bomp da la bomp bomp, Oh you nasty boys! Gotta love some Janet!), has masterfully mixed classic elements likes the black chesterfield couch, the red and navy oriental rug, the tartan chairs, fabulous moldings and crystal chandelier, with modern pieces like the black lacquered chest, the sleek wood coffee table and the cheetah print throw pillow. Perfection! And here are a few more pictures from the Apartment No. One collection:</div>
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<a href="http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/collection/2013_Fall/AptNoOne/default.aspx?collId=202" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/collection/2013_Fall/AptNoOne/default.aspx?collId=202" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ML_s4YRsuKY/Ut_42clisZI/AAAAAAAAYMw/Z1E-ITk-jT0/s1600/Ralph+Lauren+Furniture+1.jpg" height="460" width="640" /></a></div>
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The mix of the black furnishings, gold trim, white walls and red roses in this picture are is so glamorous! To me, this room looks like it was pulled out of a 5th Avenue apartment in NYC. </div>
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J'ADORE!</div>
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And how cute are those dogs! I also love the mix of tartans, croc, and leather in the dining room below:</div>
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<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ieRZDXvkkow/UgwpB0NMMYI/AAAAAAAAWBk/irXAMuvqymQ/s640/RLNobleEstate.jpg" /></div>
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Oh those pictures just make me happy! And the best thing about Ralph Lauren and the Apartment No. One collection, is that Matt loves it too!!! We actually 100% agree on this (shocking, I know)! So now that we have been back in the house for a few months and have a better feel of how the new layout will work, we are starting to look for new furniture to take over for our parents' hand-me-downs, and our motto for the project has been WWRLD <em>(i.e</em>., "What Would Ralph Lauren Do?"). Here are some of my favorite pieces from the Apartment No. One collection. The chesterfield couch (<em>i.e</em>., the Brook Street Tufted Couch):</div>
<img src="http://s7ondemand1.scene7.com/is/image/Polo/751-01?$enlarge$" height="640" id="ctl00_cphContentFull_cphContentRight_ctl00_cdnImgItemLarge" style="border-width: 0px;" width="640" /><br />
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the New Bohemian Cocktail Table:</div>
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<a href="http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/products/furniture/item.aspx?haid=62&collId=&shaid=&sort=&itemId=10373&phaid=" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/products/furniture/item.aspx?haid=62&collId=&shaid=&sort=&itemId=10373&phaid=" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jnbps-vYz2M/Ut_49OLzSfI/AAAAAAAAYNI/a_VFErOSz8U/s1600/Ralph+Lauren+Furniture+4.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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the Brook Street Chest:</div>
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<img src="http://s7ondemand1.scene7.com/is/image/Polo/7620-48BR?$enlarge$" height="640" id="ctl00_cphContentFull_cphContentRight_ctl00_cdnImgItemLarge" style="border-width: 0px;" width="640" /><br />
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the Cannes Gueridon Table:<br />
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<img src="http://s7ondemand1.scene7.com/is/image/Polo/7402-42BS?$enlarge$" height="640" id="ctl00_cphContentFull_cphContentRight_ctl00_cdnImgItemLarge" style="border-width: 0px;" width="640" /><br />
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and the Bishopgate Mirror:<br />
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<img src="http://s7ondemand1.scene7.com/is/image/Polo/4800-04?$enlarge$" height="640" id="ctl00_cphContentFull_cphContentRight_ctl00_cdnImgItemLarge" style="border-width: 0px;" width="640" /><br />
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And for any Downton Abby junkies like me...this mirror is featured in the dining room this season (since Ralph Lauren is one of the sponsors). I don't have a screenshot now, but will post it tonight! However, no matter how gorgeous they are, the simple fact that they are Ralph Lauren makes them SUPER EXPENSIVE (like, you could buy a car for the price of any one of these little beauties...OUCH!!!). So needless to say, although I adore all of these pieces, they won't be making their way into our casa anytime soon. Instead, I am using them as my inspiration and have now commenced the "Great Furniture Hunt of 2014" to try and find some equally fabulous but substantially more affordable finds. It's going to be tough, but wish me luck! I will keep you posted as I go. So ladies and gentlemen, start your engines and let the shopping commence!!! </div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-83670628706595748752014-01-22T15:20:00.000-06:002014-01-22T15:26:01.774-06:00The Great Disaster Room Cleanout of 2014<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi everyone! I hope that you are having a wonderful week so far! So last week I gave you guys a teaser about the <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2014/01/waterloo.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f89f9f;">"Great Disaster Room Cleanout of 2014"</span></a>. The battle was fought in the new bedroom that we added above our master, which, thanks to its navy walls, we have lovingly dubbed the "Navy Room". Yeap, don't let anyone ever tell you that we aren't a creative bunch over here Renovation Rehab! As I previously mentioned, over the past four months, this room has become the dumping ground for anything and everything that we wanted to keep, but that didn't have a forever home in the house. It also housed a bunch of <strike>junk</strike> stuff that we have zero intention of keeping...but haven't decided what we want to do with (<em>i.e.</em>, donate, put on Craigslist, or if we want to have a garage sale). And what started out as a few piles on move-in day, turned into an absolute disaster! I give you Exhibit A:</div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-obxqizpjsyI/UtF78lAE5WI/AAAAAAAAYKI/GUR1oPgcvVo/s640/blogger-image--20283864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-obxqizpjsyI/UtF78lAE5WI/AAAAAAAAYKI/GUR1oPgcvVo/s640/blogger-image--20283864.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Exhibit B:<br />
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-8vkoMtQ6O9g/UtF7_o4589I/AAAAAAAAYKQ/vg2iG9L4PeU/s640/blogger-image--67099444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-8vkoMtQ6O9g/UtF7_o4589I/AAAAAAAAYKQ/vg2iG9L4PeU/s640/blogger-image--67099444.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And Exhibit C:</div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0ne1A0Ig6aY/UtF75YMQnPI/AAAAAAAAYKA/YCOJnZYcr-o/s640/blogger-image-1247202007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0ne1A0Ig6aY/UtF75YMQnPI/AAAAAAAAYKA/YCOJnZYcr-o/s640/blogger-image-1247202007.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Can you believe that! It is shameful. The room was so full of stuff, that we couldn't even walk into it. Nearly every square inch was filled with boxes, bags, furniture and junk. But please don't call Hoarders just yet, because after <strong><u>FOURTEEN</u></strong> hours of hard labor, I my friends, emerged victorious!!!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pVAj_5oyBjM/UuAs011WeJI/AAAAAAAAYNY/er6Dqg6Dh1c/s1600/She-Ra+Princess+of+Power.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pVAj_5oyBjM/UuAs011WeJI/AAAAAAAAYNY/er6Dqg6Dh1c/s1600/She-Ra+Princess+of+Power.jpg" height="484" width="640" /></a></div>
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I may or may not have hollered "For the honor of Greyskull, I AM SHE-RA!!!!" after the all was said and done! Here is the left side of the room around midnight after 14 hours of cleaning:<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cu_FxDK1vp8/UtlK5z7VylI/AAAAAAAAYMI/xyPnUoozQ0s/s1600/Navy+Bedroom+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cu_FxDK1vp8/UtlK5z7VylI/AAAAAAAAYMI/xyPnUoozQ0s/s1600/Navy+Bedroom+3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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And the right side of the room:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-maJcW_lWAn4/UtlK8ShJR2I/AAAAAAAAYMQ/DCJ2oDKw_Vs/s1600/Navy+Bedroom+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-maJcW_lWAn4/UtlK8ShJR2I/AAAAAAAAYMQ/DCJ2oDKw_Vs/s1600/Navy+Bedroom+4.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Although it is not completely devoid of boxes and has a "To-Do" list a mile long, it is ONE MILLION times better than it was when I started! Here is a panoramic view of the room so that you can get a better idea of the layout:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uFKfKmpmybw/UtlK_gDZHJI/AAAAAAAAYMY/Hdp9w2pC6wQ/s1600/Navy+Bedroom+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uFKfKmpmybw/UtlK_gDZHJI/AAAAAAAAYMY/Hdp9w2pC6wQ/s1600/Navy+Bedroom+1.jpg" height="304" width="640" /></a><br />
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It is nice to know that guests can at least sleep in it if need be; however I still have a ton to do in the room:</div>
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<u>Navy Room "To-Do" List</u></div>
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Finish removing all boxes</div>
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Find a rug</div>
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New duvet cover, sheets, shams and throw pillows</div>
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Paint lamps and find new shades</div>
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Install shutters and window treatments</div>
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Get new bedside tables and dresser so everything is not matchy-matchy (but paint or refinish in the meantime)</div>
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Find artwork for above the bed and other chotchkies for the left wall</div>
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Find a mirror or make a photo wall above the dresser</div>
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Add a cozy reading chair</div>
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Add fun accessories throughout the room</div>
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Touch-up the paint</div>
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And as far as inspiration goes, we are leaning towards an English library/equestrian theme for this room with a feel like this:</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576212566056/" target="_blank"><img alt="This just may be my favorite "library" pin ever. The colors are warm and earthy, love the wall color and equestrian art. Everything literally glows. Perfect." class="pinImage" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/8f/34/39/8f3439c6adafe98f9d5749f3487ba2e9.jpg" style="height: 734px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 40px 0px; width: 550px;" /></a></div>
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I love how inviting, warm and cozy the room feels. I also love the layers of texture and colors that they have throughout. Here are a couple other equestrian vignettes that I have also been crushing on:</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576212740837/" target="_blank"><img alt="Robin King Designs: English Country Equestrian Style" class="pinImage" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/05/c4/ae/05c4ae66e29665af951e41dff7f7e5bc.jpg" style="height: 475px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 40px 0px; width: 550px;" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576212566056/" target="_blank"></a> </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mllVfKT_-4Q/UtlK0WERxmI/AAAAAAAAYL4/oCvUdWIQUwI/s1600/Equestrian+Vinette+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mllVfKT_-4Q/UtlK0WERxmI/AAAAAAAAYL4/oCvUdWIQUwI/s1600/Equestrian+Vinette+2.jpg" height="400" width="320" /></a></div>
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As far as the dresser and end tables are concerned, I am envisioning a mixture of woods, leather, and metals. I absolutely LOVE the design and the variation of the dark and light woods on this dresser:</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576213468627/" target="_blank"><img alt="Products Design Ideas, Pictures, Remodel and Decor" class="pinImage" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9e/11/8b/9e118b256e4e8b80671432e10a72fd7e.jpg" style="height: 286px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 40px 0px; width: 363px;" /></a></div>
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And here is another dresser that I am smitten with:</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576213108661/" target="_blank"><img alt="Love the tartan design {highland tartan chest}" class="pinImage" src="http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/736x/c3/24/9a/c3249af7e70d1ac2c878472974b9930f.jpg" style="height: 700px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 18px 0px; width: 700px;" /></a></div>
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The two-tone wood adds interest and, after living in Scotland, I am pretty much sold on anything I find that has a tartan pattern. Le' sigh!!! For the bedside tables, I want to find pieces beyond your typical wooden nightstand. Like these stacked vintage suitcases:</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576212624936/" target="_blank"><img alt="Love the bedding and the LV suitcases as a side table. Awesome!" class="pinImage" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5e/bf/f0/5ebff01f60be4e78d61d0675cf9c81b8.jpg" style="height: 460px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 40px 0px; width: 360px;" /></a></div>
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Or possibly a retro trunk:</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576213072864/" target="_blank"><img alt="Authentic Models Stateroom End Table | Wayfair" class="pinImage" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9e/3a/86/9e3a86d2d4e7f1ff276c443e1f9188f6.jpg" style="height: 400px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 40px 0px; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
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I am also digging this cute game table.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576213072848/" target="_blank"><img alt="Authentic Models End Table" class="pinImage" src="http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/736x/87/7c/52/877c523b495a3dc1c45406ab339ecd53.jpg" style="height: 400px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 40px 0px; width: 400px;" /></a> </div>
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As far as the equestrian theme is concerned, I plan to bring that in through accessories...so there is an equestrian theme, but not like you feel like you just walked into a barn. I am thinking subtle and classy touches of equestrian, like this fabulous lamp:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7a8Mm_h-7Zw/UtlKyR1X7JI/AAAAAAAAYLw/cT5PMoOySj0/s1600/Equestrian+Lamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7a8Mm_h-7Zw/UtlKyR1X7JI/AAAAAAAAYLw/cT5PMoOySj0/s1600/Equestrian+Lamp.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
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And introducing horse bits through pillows:</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576212648041/" target="_blank"><img alt="Equestrian pillow" class="pinImage" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/14/d1/2e/14d12ebb08b4370ac75f67a551a70802.jpg" style="height: 360px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 40px 0px; width: 360px;" /></a></div>
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and picture frames:<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576212566085/" target="_blank"><img alt="Each Equestrian frame is meticulously handcrafted and detailed with beveled glass, satin liner, leather back, and decorative closure." class="pinImage" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/05/3a/af/053aaf97f950de9ea78b7c268e226bf2.jpg" style="height: 288px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 40px 0px; width: 288px;" /></a></div>
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and drawer pulls:<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576213475834/" target="_blank"><img alt="Snaffle Bit Pull Brass Pulls and Knobs - Hardware - By Mayer Mill Brass #BTDP-1 at Horse and Hound Gallery" class="pinImage" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/d0/d3/c3/d0d3c3cf2b00243c75a358bb607959ef.jpg" style="height: 83px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 40px 0px; width: 280px;" /></a> </div>
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I also found these super fun umbrella stands that I am digging:<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576212565945/" target="_blank"><img alt="Equestrian-style décor is timeless and seasonless, and the decorating possibilities are endless." class="pinImage" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6f/60/15/6f6015867c1b72d3d88cc81e4ae86b06.jpg" style="height: 400px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 40px 0px; width: 293px;" /></a></div>
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I would also like to work in the Union Jack somehow. For the most part, I think I would like this to be subtle...but then again, I could scrap the whole plan and go completely over-the-top with this fabulous dresser:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kaWMoj0iLts/UtlK2ZtDSZI/AAAAAAAAYMA/iAkfOfTBgGw/s1600/Union+Jack+Dresser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kaWMoj0iLts/UtlK2ZtDSZI/AAAAAAAAYMA/iAkfOfTBgGw/s1600/Union+Jack+Dresser.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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It is so much fun! So we shall see how the room evolves. I am going to work on my mood board tonight and will fill you guys in as progress is made. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful week!</div>
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<span style="color: #f89f9f;"></span><br />Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-89466118995751123632014-01-15T10:57:00.000-06:002014-01-17T09:06:52.497-06:00Vintage Bathroom Makeover {Part 4}<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hjy8tU19VUg/Uta4POp-OXI/AAAAAAAAYLk/GCd6VWCmUVM/s1600/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+Cover+(Edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hjy8tU19VUg/Uta4POp-OXI/AAAAAAAAYLk/GCd6VWCmUVM/s640/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+Cover+(Edited).jpg" height="640" width="482" /></a></div>
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Happy hump day everyone! I hope that you are having a fantastic day so far. Things are fab here! I survived the <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2014/01/waterloo.html" target="_blank">"Great Disaster Room Cleanout of 2014"</a> and will show you the updates this week. It is amazing what 14 hours of hard labor can do for a massive mess! So that is one step closer to being really moved into the house...and I am so excited! I wanted to stop by today to show you where we are with the guest bathroom. <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/07/vintage-bathroom-remodel-part-3.html" target="_blank">Last time we checked-in</a>, I showed you the floors, wainscoting and subway tile shower surround. So today, I wanted to show you the latest version since all of the "hardscape" is in and we are now just left with accessorizing. Happy days!!! As a reminder, here is the upstairs floor plan before we started the renovation and the guest bathroom is highlighted in yellow: </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YdFEbCWlWXw/Ue1on8JFKSI/AAAAAAAAXoA/piGRQ73g9Ec/s1600/Guest+Bath+Layout+Original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YdFEbCWlWXw/Ue1on8JFKSI/AAAAAAAAXoA/piGRQ73g9Ec/s640/Guest+Bath+Layout+Original.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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As I have <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/07/vintage-bathroom-remodel-part-3.html" target="_blank">previously mentioned</a>, one of the main reasons for our renovation was to update and enlarge our tiny bathrooms. Although the bathrooms had a fun vintage look, it was not the look we were going for. Here is what the vanity area looked like before the renovation:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nhPCRkUIyGE/UYrUdKsbFCI/AAAAAAAAW9I/sfYawatJqbg/s1600/Bathroom+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nhPCRkUIyGE/UYrUdKsbFCI/AAAAAAAAW9I/sfYawatJqbg/s640/Bathroom+1.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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And here is what the shower/toilet area looked like:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WV-2Tlxyk1A/UYrUdgLGRNI/AAAAAAAAW9Q/aXfJQu79cBk/s1600/Bathroom+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WV-2Tlxyk1A/UYrUdgLGRNI/AAAAAAAAW9Q/aXfJQu79cBk/s640/Bathroom+2.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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So as you can see, super dark and super tiny!!! In order to make it so that two people could get ready at the same time, we decided to make a separate vanity area and a separate shower/toilette area. Here is the floor plan for the remodeled second floor and the new bathroom is highlighted in yellow:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LRCvj29bYYA/Ue1orMHlFgI/AAAAAAAAXoY/UMSdHqNzvcY/s1600/Guest+Bath+Layout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LRCvj29bYYA/Ue1orMHlFgI/AAAAAAAAXoY/UMSdHqNzvcY/s640/Guest+Bath+Layout.jpg" height="640" width="452" /></a></div>
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As I previously mentioned, we were going for a 1920's vintage feel with carrara marble, white subway tiles, and dark cabinets. This is the original mood board that I made for the bathroom:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmTtpfWrXDY/UMYq0LhUXfI/AAAAAAAAVkA/6XhZ8SVRsTA/s1600/OB-Guest+Bathroom+Inspiration+Board" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmTtpfWrXDY/UMYq0LhUXfI/AAAAAAAAVkA/6XhZ8SVRsTA/s640/OB-Guest+Bathroom+Inspiration+Board" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is how she turned out! This is a view looking into the vanity area from the shower/toilet room:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z3J_2KGpOVA/UtazAfY0hmI/AAAAAAAAYKk/fFwIcU8lR5o/s1600/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+1+(Edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z3J_2KGpOVA/UtazAfY0hmI/AAAAAAAAYKk/fFwIcU8lR5o/s640/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+1+(Edited).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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We have a double vanity on the right side of the room. And on the left side, we have two floor to ceiling linen cabinets. This is a fairly tight space, but between the vanity and the two linen cabinets, we have a TON of storage!!! We also added the white wainscoting to give the room a tailored look and chose a cool grey to play off of the carrara marble counter tops. One of my favorite features of the bathroom though is the basket weave tile "floor mat" that we added in the vanity area:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IXRLS8MxzhY/UtazCmowUaI/AAAAAAAAYKs/ckYE0ZboO4Y/s1600/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+2+(Edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IXRLS8MxzhY/UtazCmowUaI/AAAAAAAAYKs/ckYE0ZboO4Y/s640/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+2+(Edited).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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I absolutely LOVE the way that it turned out!!! To me, the floor gives a super retro vibe and is a fun surprise. And please excuse the quality of the following picture, but here is what the bathroom looks like when you enter from the hallway.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iW7tJIhOXts/UtazGwkpyjI/AAAAAAAAYK8/gRbdGogn28c/s1600/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+4+(Edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iW7tJIhOXts/UtazGwkpyjI/AAAAAAAAYK8/gRbdGogn28c/s640/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+4+(Edited).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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You can't tell from that picture (because I was using my IPone), but there is about an 8" space between each side of the vanity and the wall...so the vanity actually looks like a piece of furniture as opposed to a built-in cabinet. Now moving onto the shower/toilet room. In the shower I chose white subway tile for the shower surround, a large goose neck shower head (because there are many 6'4"+ men in my family that will visit), and a hand shower that I can use to more easily bath children (once they join the picture):</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HjfdJvMQz00/UtazLN5nbAI/AAAAAAAAYLM/BazQlWQksfs/s1600/White+Subway+Tiles+2+(Edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HjfdJvMQz00/UtazLN5nbAI/AAAAAAAAYLM/BazQlWQksfs/s640/White+Subway+Tiles+2+(Edited).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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In the middle of the shower, to break up some of monotony of the subway tiles, I added a framed herringbone feature. </div>
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I am so excited with the way it turned out! I think it is super elegant with a splash of fun. And on the back side of the shower we added a train rack to hang robes and store towels for our guests:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PWw4dNHuO7o/UtazJJe7oXI/AAAAAAAAYLE/WLtq8JFuR9w/s1600/White+Subway+Tiles+(Edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PWw4dNHuO7o/UtazJJe7oXI/AAAAAAAAYLE/WLtq8JFuR9w/s640/White+Subway+Tiles+(Edited).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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The train rack is so pretty!!! It makes me not want to hang a shower curtain so that I can see it all the time. And as you can see from the picture above, I also added a little bench at the end of the tub. I thought this would be a great place to sit when bathing kiddos and also will be a nice place for them to store their bath toys. So there you have it folks! I still have a ton to do with all the accessorizing, but have made huge progress! And speaking of progress, lets check out a couple before and afters shall we?!?!?!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oC91mxFmGT4/Uta1tzt66uI/AAAAAAAAYLU/SlGA-h1gwio/s1600/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+5+(Edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oC91mxFmGT4/Uta1tzt66uI/AAAAAAAAYLU/SlGA-h1gwio/s640/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+5+(Edited).jpg" height="376" width="640" /></a></div>
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And one more of the shower area! So much better!!!!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2rzRXrG1toY/Uta1v5x00gI/AAAAAAAAYLc/00jk186_6Rs/s1600/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+6+(Edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2rzRXrG1toY/Uta1v5x00gI/AAAAAAAAYLc/00jk186_6Rs/s640/Carrara+Marble+Countertop+6+(Edited).jpg" height="444" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!!!</div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-24881411803139632572014-01-11T11:14:00.001-06:002014-01-13T08:32:25.842-06:00Waterloo!<div style="text-align: center;">
Sing it ABBA! This my friends is my Waterloo! A 15'x13' room filled to the brim with junk. </div>
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Absolute madness right! Well, for the past four months this room has been the dumping ground for anything in the house that has yet to find a home. The mess started out not too big, but has grown into an absolute disaster. So my goal for the day is to completely empty it out and organize everything inside. Fingers crossed! If you don't hear for me by Monday, send in a rescue team!</div>
Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-87603175255235018692013-12-19T10:09:00.001-06:002013-12-19T10:14:16.764-06:00I'm Cleaning Out My Closet - My Craft Closet That Is!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi everyone! I hope that y'all are having a wonderful holiday season and that you have had lots fun quality time with your friends and family! We have been blowing and going at the casa the past few weeks: we hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the first time this year and were busting at the seams with 14 guests (but so worth it and so much fun); we have had work Christmas parties, friends' Christmas parties and family Christmas parties; and my Mom and I got to preview the first hour of Season 4 of Downton Abbey!!! It's going to be a <u>GREAT</u> season...even though I was absolutely positive that my crush Matthew <em>(sigh) </em>was going to have a full recover after his little fender bender <em>(tear)</em>....</div>
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<a href="http://entertainment.ie/tv/news/Downton-Abbeys-Dan-Stevens-exit-is-the-best-thing-for-the-show/195694.htm" target="_blank"><img alt="http://entertainment.ie/tv/news/Downton-Abbeys-Dan-Stevens-exit-is-the-best-thing-for-the-show/195694.htm" src="http://images.entertainment.ie/images_content/rectangle/620x372/matthewcrawley.jpg" /></a></div>
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I mean come on ladies...can I getta "Meow"!!!!! We also hosted a "<em>May the December 14th Be With You</em>" party where we had friends over, Matt cooked a massive batch of chili, and we watched the final three Star Wars episodes (it was originally supposed to be a "<em>May the 4th Be With You</em>" party on May 4th...but we weren't in the house yet, so we improvised). After each episode, we watched the the Family Guy version and it was awesome how they track the original story lines!</div>
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<a href="http://www.comicvine.com/peter-griffin/4005-43701/forums/new-family-guy-star-wars-version-27858/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.comicvine.com/peter-griffin/4005-43701/forums/new-family-guy-star-wars-version-27858/" src="http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/0/2835/478825-familyguy_starwars_poster.jpg" /></a></div>
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One thing that we haven't done over this holiday season, however, is decorate the house. Although I was not too happy about this at first...Matt's view is that we need to clean up our existing messes before we create new ones. And considering that we have been in the house for three months and I still have two rooms and two closets that look like this: </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MiHMVJmWTos/UqnvMpDk9aI/AAAAAAAAYGQ/B5XBu_98xsc/s1600/Craft+Closet+16%2528Name%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MiHMVJmWTos/UqnvMpDk9aI/AAAAAAAAYGQ/B5XBu_98xsc/s640/Craft+Closet+16%2528Name%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I can't really argue with his logic. So the first mess that I am tackling is my craft/wrapping closet. This closet was an unexpected bonus room for me. When we first started remodeling the house, we thought that we had to keep the A/C unit and furnace in their existing location on the second floor of the house, but subsequently found out that we could move all that gear into the attic. ***Yeah*** Once everything was relocated, we ended up with a large closet that I decided to turn into my super girly craft and wrapping closet. The plan was to create a space where I could keep all of my gift wrapping supplies and crafting supplies nice and neat and organized. You can see my original plan for the craft closet <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/01/its-wrap.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/02/craft-roomwrapping-closet-layout.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Although it was 100% <strike>empty</strike> clean when we moved in, it began filling up with boxes and such as we unpacked and, unfortunately, quickly turned into this hot mess:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QzpAwShPu_4/UqnvPy79ebI/AAAAAAAAYGY/V4m0YWCdLAY/s1600/Craft+Closet+17%2528Name%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QzpAwShPu_4/UqnvPy79ebI/AAAAAAAAYGY/V4m0YWCdLAY/s640/Craft+Closet+17%2528Name%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Eeek!!! This was completely overwhelming! I have a hard enough time keeping my closets organized when they start out somewhat put together...but it is completely different when things have become so bad that I am scared that I will be swallowed by the avalanche of <strike>crap</strike> stuff that comes tumbling out as soon as I open the doors.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3e-CYQ4fvIs/UrIXZT9VP7I/AAAAAAAAYIc/Dgm31_jhjQg/s1600/Covered+In+Clothes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3e-CYQ4fvIs/UrIXZT9VP7I/AAAAAAAAYIc/Dgm31_jhjQg/s640/Covered+In+Clothes.jpg" width="528" /></a></div>
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So I gathered my composure, went back to the holy grail of organization instruction and guidance (a.k.a. <a href="http://www.iheartorganizing.com/">www.IHeartOrganizing.com</a>) and followed Jen's step-by-step process for organizing a mess. First, I removed all of the content from the closet. Second, I organize everything into piles by category (in this case: trash, craft and wrapping supplies, storage containers and miscellaneous). </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oZSsviP-YrY/UqnvVdhFckI/AAAAAAAAYGg/fgk7ODE2dxI/s1600/Craft+Closet+4%2528Name%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oZSsviP-YrY/UqnvVdhFckI/AAAAAAAAYGg/fgk7ODE2dxI/s640/Craft+Closet+4%2528Name%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The next step will be to go through the craft and wrapping supply pile and further organize it into easy-to-manage categories (<em>e.g.</em>, jewelry making supplies, ribbons, wrapping paper, bow making supplies, paint, etc.). I will show you that in the next post...but for now, let's take a quick a look at how the closet looked after I removed all of the junk!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lP-bDdfulD0/UqnvZjmbZOI/AAAAAAAAYGo/tlxLk40J8PI/s1600/Craft+Closet+1%2528Name%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lP-bDdfulD0/UqnvZjmbZOI/AAAAAAAAYGo/tlxLk40J8PI/s640/Craft+Closet+1%2528Name%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better!!!! As you can see from the walls and the ceilings, I decided to go super bright with the paint colors. I did this because there are no windows in the closet and I wanted to make it as bright, cheery and girly as possible. So I chose a bright pink for the walls and a bright yellow for the ceiling. I also added built-in cubbies so that I can easily categorize all of my crafting and wrapping goodies.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJ0eRgVSFL4/UqnvcC7miEI/AAAAAAAAYE8/Fg6jYPMMeWg/s1600/Craft+Closet+2(Name).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJ0eRgVSFL4/UqnvcC7miEI/AAAAAAAAYE8/Fg6jYPMMeWg/s640/Craft+Closet+2(Name).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Above the lower cubbies, I added two sets built-in wall shelves for additional storage options.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B5v081t8dGY/Uqnve8lhpoI/AAAAAAAAYFE/tewMqT0vy6w/s1600/Craft+Closet+3(Name).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B5v081t8dGY/Uqnve8lhpoI/AAAAAAAAYFE/tewMqT0vy6w/s640/Craft+Closet+3(Name).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The white wall space above the lower cubbies and between the upper wall cubbies is going to get some fun wall paper. However, because the closet was previously filled to the brim and the wall was not accessible, the wall paper will be installed in next week. ***Yippy*** I wanted some high contrasts and thought that a black-and-white wall paper would fit the bill since the black would pop off of the pink walls, yellow ceiling and white cabinets. I found this awesome paper, which has a similar <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/08/what-goes-up-my-walker-zanger_16.html" target="_blank">Moroccan pattern as the Walker Zanger tiles that we have in our master bathroom shower</a>, and immediately fell in love!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yHkAdE5yU-s/UqnvlhEO3kI/AAAAAAAAYFU/h5Up2QMVVas/s1600/Moracan+Tile+Wallpaper+for+Craft+Closet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yHkAdE5yU-s/UqnvlhEO3kI/AAAAAAAAYFU/h5Up2QMVVas/s640/Moracan+Tile+Wallpaper+for+Craft+Closet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thanks to some poor Photoshop work, you can get the general idea where the wallpaper will go.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MWuKKOCrhyg/UqnxWECicDI/AAAAAAAAYHU/OE5ijnD_D9I/s1600/Craft+Closet+19(Name).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MWuKKOCrhyg/UqnxWECicDI/AAAAAAAAYHU/OE5ijnD_D9I/s640/Craft+Closet+19(Name).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The space between the wall cubbies is designated for my wrapping paper and ribbon. I plan to install several dowels between the cubbies where I will hang the paper and ribbon....kind of like this:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QJ7avJoK-LE/Uqnvop-yDmI/AAAAAAAAYFc/ttSEBwec9bM/s1600/Wrapping+Paper+Hanging+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QJ7avJoK-LE/Uqnvop-yDmI/AAAAAAAAYFc/ttSEBwec9bM/s400/Wrapping+Paper+Hanging+2.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
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or this:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F6xGnXSaDWU/UqnvqveDQvI/AAAAAAAAYFk/eV9936o6-zE/s1600/Wrapping+Paper+Hanging+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F6xGnXSaDWU/UqnvqveDQvI/AAAAAAAAYFk/eV9936o6-zE/s400/Wrapping+Paper+Hanging+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And to kick up the girly factor even more (as if pink walls and a yellow ceiling weren't enough, ha!), I also added this pretty little crystal light that I found on Overstock.com. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cV-Zl5g-vJo/UrInQ1nJyuI/AAAAAAAAYJM/pAXHpJcj1FE/s1600/Craft+Closet+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cV-Zl5g-vJo/UrInQ1nJyuI/AAAAAAAAYJM/pAXHpJcj1FE/s640/Craft+Closet+21.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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I love how the light looks when it is on and the cool shadows that it throws on the ceiling.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T-OlsPgLooM/UrInTyM6xCI/AAAAAAAAYJA/ZwmHtiF3fiM/s1600/Craft+Closet+22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T-OlsPgLooM/UrInTyM6xCI/AAAAAAAAYJA/ZwmHtiF3fiM/s640/Craft+Closet+22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Oh, and the yellow ceiling is actually a lot brighter than the honey mustard color that it is coming across in the picture. Once I got the closet clean, the next step was to hit my storage container collection:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MH4tha-p_io/UqnvipW9PAI/AAAAAAAAYG8/Qhw0ETeMd0o/s1600/Craft+Closet+6%2528Name%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MH4tha-p_io/UqnvipW9PAI/AAAAAAAAYG8/Qhw0ETeMd0o/s640/Craft+Closet+6%2528Name%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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For the lower cubbies, I designed them in such a way that I could fit four of the photo boxes from Micheal's in each cubbie. The boxes are about $2.99 a piece, but you can usually get them on sale for $2 each. That is some serious storage bang for my buck! For the larger items, I actually lucked out and found some pretty black faux leather storage containers from Home Goods that fit in the cubbies perfectly. SCORE! </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9n8a1oKk1o/Uqnw8mUinLI/AAAAAAAAYHg/4PuxGRqZVoI/s1600/Craft+Closet+19+%2528Name%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9n8a1oKk1o/Uqnw8mUinLI/AAAAAAAAYHg/4PuxGRqZVoI/s640/Craft+Closet+19+%2528Name%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Each cubbie can also hold two 12"x12" paper storage boxes (which you can see in the photo above). After playing around with the storage containers that I had on hand (I shopped the house and also found some other wicker containers that I previously picked up from Home Goods), this is what I came up with:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DGxxzWX1uK0/UrIjgm-g_3I/AAAAAAAAYIs/PIrxklHm5IE/s1600/Craft+Closet+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DGxxzWX1uK0/UrIjgm-g_3I/AAAAAAAAYIs/PIrxklHm5IE/s640/Craft+Closet+20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I want to get four more 12"x12" paper containers for the two empty cubbies on the bottom. I also need two more white photo boxes for the top right cubbie. I plan to add the Martha Stewart labels to each of the large storage containers so that everyone can easily tell what is in each container. And I am considering wrapping the top of the photo boxes with some black and white material to add some interest...but that will happen some time in the future. So my next step is to get the "craft supply and wrapping supply" pile organized, out of the hallway, and into the closet. I will keep you posted on how that turns out. But fore now, let's just enjoy a loverly before and after shot before we go!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K6OlMo4YOHM/UrIqJXFQnII/AAAAAAAAYJU/iAhO9AfmmIQ/s1600/Before+and+After.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="616" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K6OlMo4YOHM/UrIqJXFQnII/AAAAAAAAYJU/iAhO9AfmmIQ/s640/Before+and+After.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yeap, definitely better! Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!!!<br />
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-72185691142589097522013-11-19T12:23:00.000-06:002013-11-19T13:04:17.440-06:00Laundry Room Makeover for the Ugly Duckling House<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hello everyone! It has been a long time. As seems to be the drill with me, life over the past three months has been manic to say the least. With Thanksgiving rolling around, Matt and I are nearing the end of our "commitment-every-weekend-since-September-1st" marathon. We have literally had at least one commitment every weekend since September 1st, be it Aggie football games, 3 weddings, out-of-town guests, Texans football games, etc. It has been pretty wild I tell ya! Today I am stopping by to talk about one of my favorite blogs - <a href="http://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/2013/11/reader-remarks-top-front-loading-washer.html" target="_blank">The Ugly Duckling House</a>. Sarah is hysterical and the fact that she loves beer as much as I do, makes me love her even more! Sarah is completely remodeling her home (on top of a full-time job and earning her MBA...my life does not seem so busy anymore!) and today has asked her readers their thoughts on front-load versus top-load washers and dryers. Here is what her laundry room looks like now:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/2013/11/reader-remarks-top-front-loading-washer.html" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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She mentioned that she likes the idea of front-load washers and dryers because she is limited in storage options with the window and will be able to put a counter top above the washer and dryer. But she is concerned about the smells. Matt and I purchased our first front-load washer and dryer in 2009 when we moved back from Scotland and haven't looked back since...I L-O-V-E THEM!!!! They can wash a ton of clothes in each load and have all sorts of cool programs that you can use (like delayed wash so that you can load the laundry before bed and it will start washing the cycle in just enough time for your load to finish right when you wake up. Money!). As far as the "stinkies" that can come along with front-load washing machines, Matt and I have found that keeping the door cracked at all times when it is not in use resolves this issue. We also have the automatic dispensers, which I think help significantly because you don't overload the washer on soap. With respect to Sarah's design dilemma (<em>i.e.</em>, the window smack dab in the middle of the wall above the washer and dryer), I took some cues from the laundry room design that I put together for our house (<a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/05/laundry-room-love-affair.html" target="_blank">Here</a> and <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/01/tiling-decisions.html" target="_blank">Here</a>), and came up with the following:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lo69gO9Cb_Q/Uoukh1rhB9I/AAAAAAAAYDg/Avqq3pDvMmU/s1600/UglyDucklingHouse.Com+Laundry+Room+Makeover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lo69gO9Cb_Q/Uoukh1rhB9I/AAAAAAAAYDg/Avqq3pDvMmU/s640/UglyDucklingHouse.Com+Laundry+Room+Makeover.jpg" width="506" /></a></div>
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First off, I selected front-load washer and dryers without pedestals in order to maximize the space between the top of the washer and dryer and the bottom of the window. I decided to carry the <a href="http://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/2013/10/worth-kitchen-progress-sneak-peek.html" target="_blank">color scheme from her kitchen</a> into the laundry room and chose the dark grey washer and dryer from GE and added a dark counter top above. In order to protect the wall above the washer and dryer from water, I added bright white subway tiles up to the base of the window. Although the space is small, I chose regular-sized subway tiles, because in my view, the larger scale tiles will help the small space seem bigger. To help with storage, I added three shelves (one just under the window, one just above the window, and two small shelves on either side of the window). I chose the open shelves instead of cabinets because of the window and also to help keep things nice and airy. And again, to keep with the kitchen color scheme, I chose a soft grey for the walls and bright white for the shelves to make them pop. To hide all of Sarah's laundry room accoutrement, I brought in lots of wooden baskets (I chose brown wooden baskets to bring some warmth to the grey and white color pallet and also to add another layer of texture, but this time in an earthy wood to balance the industrial ceramic, metal and glass textures). I like the idea of using the same baskets to keep uniformity, but if Sarah wants to mix things up, she can add different color cloth liners that wrap around the top of each basket (or can just use an assortment of baskets). And to keep tabs on what is in which basket, she can add one of these handy dandy Martha Stewart label to the outside of each basket:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.staples.com/Martha-Stewart-Home-Officewith-AveryAdhesive-Metal-Bookplate-Silver-Horizontal-1-1-16/product_368013" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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These little guys are great and I use them on everything! And to give the room a nice finished look, I added some bright white crown molding. Not only does crown molding give rooms a more tailored look, they also help make the ceiling appear taller. So those are my thoughts! I hope you enjoyed my suggested makeover for Sarah's laundry room and have a wonderful day! Thanks so much for stopping by!!!</div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-53467979534578214252013-10-15T13:53:00.000-05:002013-10-22T15:00:37.844-05:00Halloween Invitations {2013} - A Wizard's Workbox<br />
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Hi everyone! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend. Ours sure was busy and was filled with a fantastic wedding, football and lots of work-work for me. Good times! I also finally finished putting together our Halloween party invitations! Every month, a small group of our friends tries to get together for a dinner club. They are a ton of fun. It's a potluck, so everyone brings a dish, and they usually have some sort of theme. I was absolutely thrilled when I drew October out of the hat, because that meant that I <em>finally </em>get to put into action my plan for a super fun Halloween invitation that has been dancing around in my head for about a year now...ever since I discovered Mrs. Limestone's AMAZING Halloween invitations over at <a href="http://www.brooklynlimestone.com/p/hello-hostesses.html" target="_blank">Brooklyn Limestone</a>. Y'all, she is so creative and comes up with absolutely fantastic invitations and parties for Halloween year after year. I have spent many an hour drooling over her fabulous fêtes! Stephanie's <a href="http://www.brooklynlimestone.com/2009/10/halloween-invitation-reveal-creature.html" target="_blank">Creature Survival Kit</a> was my initial springboard of inspiration for this years invites. However, instead of a Creature Survival Kit, I drew additional inspiration from my all time favorite books Harry Potter and made a Wizard's Workbox for my guests. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kgcnNM9TckI/Ul2BlzF8N2I/AAAAAAAAYBM/35pxkI5rq2w/s1600/Halloween+Invitations+1+(Edit).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kgcnNM9TckI/Ul2BlzF8N2I/AAAAAAAAYBM/35pxkI5rq2w/s640/Halloween+Invitations+1+(Edit).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Each guest received a box filled with all sorts of goodies to get them ready for All Hallow's Eve. Tomorrow I'll show you how I made the Wizard's Workboxes, so for today, let's just check out what fun they contained. After opening the Wizard Workbox, our guests were first greeted with the invitation:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PMprsIP_A5k/Ul2B79cQH7I/AAAAAAAAYCE/LT9SsD_Wxpw/s1600/Halloween+Invitations+2+(Edit).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PMprsIP_A5k/Ul2B79cQH7I/AAAAAAAAYCE/LT9SsD_Wxpw/s640/Halloween+Invitations+2+(Edit).jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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<em>It's the time of the year</em></div>
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<em>For scares and frights,</em></div>
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<em>Where witches swarm the skies</em></div>
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<em>And vampires haunt the night.</em></div>
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<em></em> </div>
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<em>To protect you from these dangers</em></div>
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<em>There is an ode that you must give,</em></div>
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<em>In honor of All Hallow's Eve</em></div>
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<em>While the ghosts and goblin do live.</em></div>
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<em>The eighteenth of October</em></div>
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<em>Is when our celebration begins,</em></div>
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<em>Please share in the libations</em></div>
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<em>With your most fiendish friends.</em></div>
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<em></em> </div>
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<em>The demons are unforgiving</em></div>
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<em>And their mercy can't be bought,</em></div>
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<em>So to forget about this party</em></div>
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<em>Let's just hope that you dare not!</em></div>
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Once the invitation was removed, our inspiring wizards found three cards to guide them through the content of their workboxes:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gC6z-Fvdyso/Ul2ByvLni9I/AAAAAAAAYB0/WlHO3_TVvOY/s1600/Halloween+Invitations+8+(Edit).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gC6z-Fvdyso/Ul2ByvLni9I/AAAAAAAAYB0/WlHO3_TVvOY/s640/Halloween+Invitations+8+(Edit).jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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And here is what each received:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9n9PxGrizWo/Ul2BwE2odBI/AAAAAAAAYBs/0TNiCpjC8yE/s1600/Halloween+Invitations+7+(Edit).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9n9PxGrizWo/Ul2BwE2odBI/AAAAAAAAYBs/0TNiCpjC8yE/s640/Halloween+Invitations+7+(Edit).jpg" width="496" /></a></div>
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First, in honor of Snape, each Wizard received their own bottle of Disappearing Potion and instructional card:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L3Qcn5f30FE/Ul2Bo3WWs5I/AAAAAAAAYBU/ADEQCqwEuFY/s1600/Halloween+Invitations+4+(Edit).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L3Qcn5f30FE/Ul2Bo3WWs5I/AAAAAAAAYBU/ADEQCqwEuFY/s640/Halloween+Invitations+4+(Edit).jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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That provided:</div>
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<em>As you start your journey,</em></div>
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<em>Here's some potion you can take.</em></div>
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<em>To hide you from the monsters,</em></div>
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<em>Since your safety you can't forsake!</em></div>
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Each bottle of Disappearing Potion also provided a special warning: </div>
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"<em>To Hide You From Your Enemies, And Possibly Your Friends. Because When Evil Comes A Lurking, Who You Can Trust Will Just Depend"</em></div>
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My next bit of inspiration came from Mad Eye Moody, and particularly the scene from the Deathly Hallows where Dolores Umbridge kept Mad Eye's "All Seeing Eye" on the peep hole of her office to keep a close eye (literally) on the workers:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XQuny5gQ_40/Ul2BrQN51AI/AAAAAAAAYBc/y6Dj7o95zuQ/s1600/Halloween+Invitations+5+(Edit).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XQuny5gQ_40/Ul2BrQN51AI/AAAAAAAAYBc/y6Dj7o95zuQ/s640/Halloween+Invitations+5+(Edit).jpg" width="634" /></a></div>
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The card provided:</div>
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<em>Remember to look behind you</em></div>
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<em>And also watch the skies,</em></div>
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<em>Since evil can appear from anywhere</em></div>
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<em>Try wearing this "All Seeing Eye".</em></div>
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My next Harry Potter inspiration came from the Maurader's Map. Unfortunately, as hard as I tried, I simply could not make the map disappear no matter how many times I whispered "Mischief Managed!"</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jv-_O5wRIZA/Ul2Bt5Xs93I/AAAAAAAAYBk/M1V1JiET8Bw/s1600/Halloween+Invitations+6+(Edit).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jv-_O5wRIZA/Ul2Bt5Xs93I/AAAAAAAAYBk/M1V1JiET8Bw/s640/Halloween+Invitations+6+(Edit).jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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So instead, I made sure to provide our guests the following guidance:</div>
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<em>And finally a map to guide you</em></div>
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<em>As you make your way.</em></div>
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<em>But the terrors will be following,</em></div>
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<em>So make haste and don't delay!</em></div>
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Once the map was opened, guests found that it had been soaked in blood, EEK!!!! </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9n9PxGrizWo/Ul2BwE2odBI/AAAAAAAAYBs/0TNiCpjC8yE/s1600/Halloween+Invitations+7+(Edit).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--L46pZHqanc/Ul2DCkpwJlI/AAAAAAAAYCY/qEmg1H1lWEA/s1600/Halloween+Invitations+22+(Edit).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="374" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--L46pZHqanc/Ul2DCkpwJlI/AAAAAAAAYCY/qEmg1H1lWEA/s640/Halloween+Invitations+22+(Edit).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And provided its own special warning:</div>
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<em>Some blood has been left over</em></div>
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<em>From the previous owner of this map,</em></div>
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<em>So move quickly towards the "X"</em></div>
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<em>Before your juices too are tapped!</em></div>
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And last but not least, to ensure that our young wizards did not forget this ever important event, I gave a nod to the Queen of Halloween, Mrs. Martha Stewart and made my version of the "Don't Forget" box:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rf5PyNAJV3g/Ul2B12rBgUI/AAAAAAAAYB8/Zcp2H7Mrb4M/s1600/Halloween+Invitations+21+(Edit).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rf5PyNAJV3g/Ul2B12rBgUI/AAAAAAAAYB8/Zcp2H7Mrb4M/s640/Halloween+Invitations+21+(Edit).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So there you have it boys and ghouls! I hope that you enjoyed the invitations, because I had a blast putting them together!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DEdZK_3h3SM/Ul2CCdqH49I/AAAAAAAAYCM/rN9q3zVBVBY/s1600/Halloween+Invitations+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DEdZK_3h3SM/Ul2CCdqH49I/AAAAAAAAYCM/rN9q3zVBVBY/s640/Halloween+Invitations+Cover.jpg" width="486" /></a></div>
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Don't forget to swing by tomorrow when I give you the low down on how I put my Wizard's Workboxes together. In the meantime, Happy Haunting Y'all!!!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W0kdite3f3U/UPA92ghgFhI/AAAAAAAAWEw/QElhHDonFpY/s1600/Jennifer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W0kdite3f3U/UPA92ghgFhI/AAAAAAAAWEw/QElhHDonFpY/s320/Jennifer.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I shared this post with <a href="http://hisugarplum.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-tulle-wreath.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: HiSugarplum (Hi Sugarplum!)" target="_blank">Hi Sugarplum!</a>, <a href="http://loveoffamilyandhome.net/2013/10/inspire-please-weekend-blog-hop-33.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: blogspot/zapSY (Love Of Family & Home)" target="_blank">Love of Family and Home</a>, <a href="http://www.justusfourblog.com/2013/10/lets-party/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: JustUsFour (Just Us Four)" target="_blank">Just Us Four</a>, <a href="http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2013/10/186th-inspire-me-tuesday.html" target="_blank">A Stroll Thru Life,</a> <a href="http://ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Our Delightful Home</a>, and <a href="http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Funky Polkadot Giraffe</a></div>
Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-55599978502158173942013-10-10T12:11:00.000-05:002013-10-11T10:07:12.679-05:00Tour of the Before & After (Part 1)<div style="text-align: center;">
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Hello world!!! We are finally back after a long hiatus due to extreme amounts or work and catching the flu. No good! But I am on the mend and the fiscal year at work is over (for all you attorneys out there, you know that means a mad dash to make sure you hit your hours requirements, which equals no life) - Oh Happy Days! So now that that's over, let's get back to the fun stuff shall we? We have officially been in the house for a month now. I seriously can't believe it! September was here an gone before I blinked my eyes. In honor of our one month anniversary, I thought I would show y'all some before and afters to see where we started and where we are now. This is coming from the advise of my darling friend Melissa, who oh so kindly pointed out that I am good about showing the "hey, here's this new idea that we're starting" but never following up with the "and here's out it turned out". So if you're out there and reading Mo, this one's for you babe! As many of you know, our house was <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/p/about.html" target="_blank">built in 1967 by Ben and Rose Green</a> as their family home where they raised their five daughters and welcomed husbands and grand babies. They lovingly and meticulously maintained the house for the 40 years that they called it their home. As soon as Matt and walked into the house, we fell in love and knew that this was the home for us. However, for as carefully as Rose and Ben maintained their home, they never really updated anything and it stayed in somewhat of a 1967 time capsule. Here is what the downstairs living room, dining room and kitchen (you can see a tiny glimpse of its blue walls to the left of the fireplace) look like before with all of their wonderful 1967 wallpaper and dark wood paneling:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZpQTWzbkvGQ/UlardMmeo2I/AAAAAAAAX74/UlX5Tcu0nKM/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZpQTWzbkvGQ/UlardMmeo2I/AAAAAAAAX74/UlX5Tcu0nKM/s640/002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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As I have said before, this was nice and 1960's cute, but unfortunately not our style. For a temporary fix when we moved in, all of the woodwork was painted white and the walls were given a neutral tan color...and the dining room turned into this:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vjdwA4pB3RM/UJMmu5UnYoI/AAAAAAAAVDI/5FWaJWnAl4A/s1600/House+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vjdwA4pB3RM/UJMmu5UnYoI/AAAAAAAAVDI/5FWaJWnAl4A/s640/House+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Big improvement! But now let's fast forward to today and check out what she looks like after we gutted the room, pushed the front wall out five feet, added wainscoting, crown molding, new paint, new windows, a new chandelier, recessed lights, installed reclaimed hardwood floors to the extension and refinished all the floors a dark walnut color:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p5JUNXDgy6U/Ula1kd0Fq7I/AAAAAAAAX9Q/VK37S-rSgvM/s1600/Dining+Room+Dark+Molding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p5JUNXDgy6U/Ula1kd0Fq7I/AAAAAAAAX9Q/VK37S-rSgvM/s640/Dining+Room+Dark+Molding.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I personally love it! As a disclaimer, I took all these photos with my IPhone, so the paint color is a bit off. The tan walls do not read quite as dark in person. After a month, my big excitement is that this room is 100% box free. However, we have a lot left on the ole "To Do" list:<br />
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New furniture <em></em></div>
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New rug </div>
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Purchase and install plantation shutters</div>
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Add artwork and accessorize</div>
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With respect to the furniture and rugs, these were hand-me-downs from Matt's parents. Although they are in great shape and super nice, they don't really match the style and color scheme that we are going for in the room. Now let's head through to the left of the dining room and move into the kitchen! Here is what she looked like when we bought the house:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IwPmUbzzPLo/UJMnYF5gxxI/AAAAAAAAVDg/NgHc8r7sYzk/s1600/House+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IwPmUbzzPLo/UJMnYF5gxxI/AAAAAAAAVDg/NgHc8r7sYzk/s640/House+7.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Although I though that the kitchen was absolutely adorable and super 60's kitsch, the cabinets were not very practical, the white tile counter top was impossible to keep clean and the faux brick linoleum floors were past their prime. So here is the kitchen now after the remodel:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QCbh0ngmzhg/UlbGgp4OEPI/AAAAAAAAX_Q/sUznuebb8Uw/s1600/IMG_4340%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QCbh0ngmzhg/UlbGgp4OEPI/AAAAAAAAX_Q/sUznuebb8Uw/s640/IMG_4340%5B1%5D.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Although we kept the same footprint, we completely gutted the kitchen and added all new wood floors, two-toned cabinets, appliances, sink, faucet, hood vent, travertine back splash, granite counter top, a breakfast bar behind the stove with built-in storage, two-tone dental crown molding, paint, recessed lights throughout, and french doors in the breakfast room. Whoooo, that's a lot! And we are super thrilled with the results. We decided to keep the same footprint in the kitchen because it is an extremely wide space, with lots of count top/workspace, so there is plenty of room for multiple people to prep, cook and hang out...and bonus, we didn't have to move any walls (and a massive fireplace that is on the other side of the left wall). Score! And here's the before shot of the breakfast room:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S7z-jszPmc0/UJRC67NsVqI/AAAAAAAAVG4/FnuWeL7veuE/s1600/House+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S7z-jszPmc0/UJRC67NsVqI/AAAAAAAAVG4/FnuWeL7veuE/s640/House+9.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And here is the after:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WGS1W_geJMo/Ula1mYkLKLI/AAAAAAAAX9Y/GRU3zljrV_Y/s1600/Breakfast+Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WGS1W_geJMo/Ula1mYkLKLI/AAAAAAAAX9Y/GRU3zljrV_Y/s640/Breakfast+Room.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My favorite part of this space is definitely the french doors. They let in so much natural light into the kitchen and once the back patio is finished (which you can see through the doors), we will be able to open these doors and move easily back and forth between the indoor and outdoor spaces. The "To Do" list is not too big in the kitchen/breakfast room, but it's still there:</div>
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Bar stools for the breakfast bar</div>
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Small table and chairs</div>
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Artwork and accessories</div>
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Dummy handle for the left french door</div>
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Add missing molding piece to the left of the last piece of travertine above the stove</div>
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And here is another view of the kitchen from the back corner of the breakfast room looking out towards the living room and the dining room to help orient you to the house:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AEOdqXLkpgo/Ula1rYBmSfI/AAAAAAAAX9o/YugIcc84MmQ/s1600/Kitchen+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AEOdqXLkpgo/Ula1rYBmSfI/AAAAAAAAX9o/YugIcc84MmQ/s640/Kitchen+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now we'll head out of the kitchen and into the living room. Here is a view of the old living room from the kitchen looking back towards the front door and the old stairs. This picture was taken after all of the woodwork was painted white and the walls were painted a light tan:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-la3ginubJos/Ularqn_TgUI/AAAAAAAAX8I/udc-ukKBxZ4/s1600/1076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-la3ginubJos/Ularqn_TgUI/AAAAAAAAX8I/udc-ukKBxZ4/s640/1076.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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And here is the same view today:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KcI-SwBX4GM/Ula12vMT_vI/AAAAAAAAX-I/Q4eXNRABy84/s1600/Living+Room+6+Dark+Trim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KcI-SwBX4GM/Ula12vMT_vI/AAAAAAAAX-I/Q4eXNRABy84/s640/Living+Room+6+Dark+Trim.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This part of the house went through the biggest change layout wise. We pushed the front of the house out five feet, which allowed us to add an entrance into the house from the garage, move the location of the stairs (which completely opened up the space...for reference, the left side of the staircase used to be where the house ended), and close off the doorway leading into an old hallway outside of the old master bedroom. Here is another view of the living room before the remodel looking from the opposite side of the house back towards the front door and dining room: </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2z3OqRHAXQ/UlarjuBt5VI/AAAAAAAAX8A/uBmYtZnU_aI/s1600/1075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2z3OqRHAXQ/UlarjuBt5VI/AAAAAAAAX8A/uBmYtZnU_aI/s640/1075.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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And here is the after:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7raMvXZzlM/Ula1vc1pgRI/AAAAAAAAX9w/uszO50vf6as/s1600/Living+Room+Dark+Trim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7raMvXZzlM/Ula1vc1pgRI/AAAAAAAAX9w/uszO50vf6as/s640/Living+Room+Dark+Trim.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's amazing how moving the stairs made the whole space so much more airy and open! The pictures don't really do it justice, but trust me when I say it is a huge improvement! In addition to moving the walls, we refinished the fireplace with dry stack limestone, removed the hearth from the fireplace so that it is now flush with the ground, added cabinets and storage to the right of the fireplace where the wood storage used to be, a new chandelier, recessed lights throughout, crown molding and baseboards throughout, refinished the wood floors, an all new staircase (and staircase accessories), and new front door and side lights. As you can see, we kept with the same color scheme of dark molding/trim and neutral walls. You can't tell from the pictures, but the wall paint is Ralph Lauren Suede, so it gives a nice subtle texture to the otherwise simple walls. Now for the next-to-last view of the living room (have I lost you yet?). Here is what you saw before when you walked into the front door and looked out towards the sun room/back yard:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wADIkyvWksg/UJMnPeiNmzI/AAAAAAAAVDU/wd2vyFdfwYE/s1600/House+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wADIkyvWksg/UJMnPeiNmzI/AAAAAAAAVDU/wd2vyFdfwYE/s640/House+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is what you see now:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9inTbJdJCB0/Ula143fzrQI/AAAAAAAAX-Q/OzYgFviGLm0/s1600/Living+Room+5+La+Cantina+Doors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9inTbJdJCB0/Ula143fzrQI/AAAAAAAAX-Q/OzYgFviGLm0/s640/Living+Room+5+La+Cantina+Doors.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our La Cantina Doors! We love these things!!! These things are great because (<a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/02/houston-we-have-drywall-lacantina-door.html" target="_blank">as I showed you here</a>) they fold on themselves to the left so that the wall disappears and we are able to completely open inside of our house to the outdoors. You can also see that we removed the old sun room and added a large patio. The plan is to have outdoor lounge furniture in that space (couch, chairs, etc.). That way, once we open the doors, we will more than double the length of our living room with the combination of outdoor and indoor living. We think that it is so cool and it is going to be AWESOME for parties!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3-6hoBjdBFE/Ula10lgUm-I/AAAAAAAAX-A/-DMtyEuOmjE/s1600/Living+Room+3+Dark+Trim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3-6hoBjdBFE/Ula10lgUm-I/AAAAAAAAX-A/-DMtyEuOmjE/s640/Living+Room+3+Dark+Trim.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And here we are to the last view of the living room looking back towards the kitchen and the backyard. Like all the other rooms, the living room/back yard have quite the "To Do" list:</div>
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New furniture and rugs</div>
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TV for above the fireplace</div>
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Some sort of decorative cabinet to hide said TV</div>
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Mantel for fireplace</div>
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Clean and refinish inside of the fireplace</div>
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Artwork and accessories</div>
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Cabinet and drawer pulls for the built-in</div>
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Finish the wine room</div>
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Furniture for the patio</div>
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Add pergola above back living space</div>
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Plants for the back yard</div>
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So now let's move onto the master bedroom. The footprint of the master bedroom did not change much, other than moving the entrance and removing the old closet. Here is what the master bedroom looked like after getting its coat of tan wall color and white wood work:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dt95DxJljcg/UJMnhJ6aN4I/AAAAAAAAVDs/emGWa1kxlSE/s1600/House+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dt95DxJljcg/UJMnhJ6aN4I/AAAAAAAAVDs/emGWa1kxlSE/s640/House+10.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Although we didn't change the foot print, we did quite a bit of work in the master bedroom. Here is what she looks like today:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5bhPOuhFAxU/Ula1_m05HvI/AAAAAAAAX-o/JXTFt75c_aw/s1600/Master+Bedroom+Ralph+Lauren+Suede.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5bhPOuhFAxU/Ula1_m05HvI/AAAAAAAAX-o/JXTFt75c_aw/s640/Master+Bedroom+Ralph+Lauren+Suede.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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So here, we added new crown molding and baseboards, removed the chair rail, refinished the floors, added recessed lights and a new fan, painted the walls a soft teal color with our favorite Ralph Lauren Suede paint (the color isn't reading right in this picture, but you can see how it really looks a few pictures down), and installed new windows (although you can't see them behind my super DIY temporary curtains made from a king bed sheet and a significant amount of painter's tape...but they have been up for two weeks now, so I think I did good! Just keeping it real folks!). Now here is a view of the master bedroom before the renovations looking from the back of the room towards the front of the house. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iCoWmWON0n0/UlasDQAoToI/AAAAAAAAX8w/NbVXW_8MSxQ/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iCoWmWON0n0/UlasDQAoToI/AAAAAAAAX8w/NbVXW_8MSxQ/s640/010.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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That used to be our master closet. Although it looks large in the picture...in reality it was tiny! So as I mentioned before, Matt used that closet and used all the other closet throughout the house. Fair trade! And one of my favorite things about this picture is the small round face plate on the wall. That was actually an original 4-prong phone jack from 1967! I had no idea what it was and my mom had to fill me in. It's crazy, because we don't even have phone jacks in the house now! How the times have changed! Here is the same view of the master bedroom today:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_bx0WrYEcSA/Ula19oJppII/AAAAAAAAX-g/ntyrnK39OHI/s1600/Master+Bedroom+2+Ralph+Lauren+Suede.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_bx0WrYEcSA/Ula19oJppII/AAAAAAAAX-g/ntyrnK39OHI/s640/Master+Bedroom+2+Ralph+Lauren+Suede.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The paint in this picture reads a lot more true than the previous one. Here you can see that we also added double doors into the master bedroom and you can see the master bathroom in the background. We went with the same dark trim and woodwork in our bedroom as well. I love the combination of the dark trim with the soft blue walls. It is very relaxing. Here is out "To Do" list for the master bedroom:<br />
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Purchase and hang plantation shutters (shocking!)</div>
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Change out switch plates and plugs from builders white to oil rubbed bronze</div>
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Finish unpacking boxes</div>
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Hang artwork and accessorize</div>
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Now onto the master bathroom. This is probably the biggest transformation of the entire house and most definitely one of my favorites!!! Here is our master bathroom before the renovation (please excuse the poor picture quality) - first we have the master vanity (taken from the hallway looking into the bathroom with the master bedroom on the right):</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f8z2wlJECDg/Ular4lUraJI/AAAAAAAAX8Y/QedHELIaO4w/s1600/1094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f8z2wlJECDg/Ular4lUraJI/AAAAAAAAX8Y/QedHELIaO4w/s640/1094.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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And here is the view of the master bathroom from the master bedroom with the vanity to the immediate right:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bkNo-qAOH38/UlarxXja6cI/AAAAAAAAX8Q/C_0gK5EVXSA/s1600/1090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bkNo-qAOH38/UlarxXja6cI/AAAAAAAAX8Q/C_0gK5EVXSA/s640/1090.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The bathtub/shower was behind the wall. This space was TINY!!! I could stand straddling the shower and touch both the exterior wall and the shower wall. There was no room for two people to get ready in the morning, so Matt used this bathroom and I used its twin upstairs to get ready. You can't see from this picture, but there was a 6 foot wide hallway to the left of the bathroom and a 10' by 10' "study" (but really, more like a glorified closet) on the other side of the wall from the toilette. The first thing I thought when we saw the house was that the hallway and 10' x 10' study were not usable space for us, so we blew out all the walls and created a large/proper master bathroom and walk-in closet. Here is the master bathroom today:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zv2HxZr8Afo/UlbVEhisKXI/AAAAAAAAX_g/_jF1rv66UUE/s1600/IMG_4345%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zv2HxZr8Afo/UlbVEhisKXI/AAAAAAAAX_g/_jF1rv66UUE/s640/IMG_4345%5B1%5D.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I'm telling you, when I walk into this place all I turn into George Costanza and constantly exclaim "Xanadu!!!" It is such a complete 180 from what we had before! Once we moved the walls, we added a two person shower with double shower heads, body sprays and a rain shower; a claw foot tub; large 18"x18" travertine tiles on the floors, travertine tile "wainscoting"; a large double vanity with granite counter top; a new large window, a massive custom mirror (which you will see in the next few pictures); crown molding throughout and new paint. Oh it makes me giddy!!! I don't have a good picture of how the vanity looks today, so here is an older one (before the mirror frames were painted) to give you an idea:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--2hpuiEqpR0/UlbYjVq4ygI/AAAAAAAAYAE/IQxIWtazmDU/s1600/Master+Bathroom+Vanity+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--2hpuiEqpR0/UlbYjVq4ygI/AAAAAAAAYAE/IQxIWtazmDU/s640/Master+Bathroom+Vanity+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love the gooseneck faucets and handles! And the detail in the sinks is super cool. But the best part is that we have enough room for Matt and I to both get ready in the bathroom at the same time. It is wonderful!!! And here is how the mirrors look today (mess and all from getting ready this morning, also with a little Elvis-Matt in the background..Hey Hey!):</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NHDm7c9hjbc/UlbYlLlVsMI/AAAAAAAAYAM/RZ0FbgxZTsA/s1600/Master+Bathroom+Vanity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NHDm7c9hjbc/UlbYlLlVsMI/AAAAAAAAYAM/RZ0FbgxZTsA/s640/Master+Bathroom+Vanity.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is our lovely "To Do" list for the master bathroom:</div>
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Hang second vanity light</div>
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Hang chandelier above the claw foot tub</div>
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Finish the trim around the mirrors and remove painter's tape</div>
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Install hooks or towel bar to hang towels (so they're not on the shower)</div>
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Paint hand mirror oil rubbed bronze</div>
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Floor mat for the tub</div>
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Hang artwork and accessorize</div>
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And last but not least on our downstairs tour is the master closet. <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/02/master-plan-for-master-closet.html" target="_blank">I showed you my "Master Plan" for the closet here</a>. This little beauty is also one of my favorite changes in the house because all of Matt's and all of my clothes fit into one closet! Woohoo!!! This is the first time that has ever happened and this is the first time in six years that all of my clothes have lived in a single closet. It makes getting ready in the morning SOOOOOOOO much easier! Now I warn you, the closet is still in the unpacking and organizing phase, so it is a bit of a mess. But hey, this is where we are after one month and hopefully by month two, I can show you a beautifully organized closet. So for now, here is the left side of the closet:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oAUIRpx8FnQ/UlbVJ0Ldy_I/AAAAAAAAX_o/6fFNgMxhnUI/s1600/IMG_4346%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oAUIRpx8FnQ/UlbVJ0Ldy_I/AAAAAAAAX_o/6fFNgMxhnUI/s640/IMG_4346%5B1%5D.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The left wall of the closet holds Matt's clothes and a mirrored accessories cabinet (that behind the two mirrored doors on the far left). The accessories cabinet is only about 3 inches deep because we had to steel some room from this closet for the wine closet, which is on the other side. In the middle we have an island with a bench on the end. And the back wall is one giant built-in. My boots and flats are on the left, a chest of drawers in the middle with cubbies above, and my heels are to the right, which you can see in this picture of the right side of the closet:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d2xfugGUYK4/UlbVSiRIjLI/AAAAAAAAX_4/svTR6KK2Mcw/s1600/IMG_4348%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d2xfugGUYK4/UlbVSiRIjLI/AAAAAAAAX_4/svTR6KK2Mcw/s640/IMG_4348%5B1%5D.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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This side of the closet houses my clothes. You can see the rest of the vanity and to my right are more shelves that hold all of Matt's shoes and accessories. I love this closet! It makes me giddy every time I walk in! Yippy, closets are so fun!!! And now for the final "To Do" list for today:</div>
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Hang chandelier above island</div>
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Finish unpacking boxes and organize/purge clothes</div>
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Add pulls to the chest of drawers, accessories closet doors and hampers in island</div>
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Make a covered cushion for the seat on the island</div>
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Install butcher block counter top on island</div>
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Finish off the inside of the accessories closet to hang/organize accessories (more to come on this fun project)</div>
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Phew, that is a lot of information for one day! If you stuck around till the end, congratulations and thank you! I will try to post the before and afters for upstairs tomorrow. But before I go, one think that <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/p/our-home.html" target="_blank">I mentioned on the very first post of the blog</a> was that our goal with this remodel was to update the home to bring it into the 21st century, but to ensure that we honored Rose and Ben's dream and keep the spirit of their home alive. This was something that was extremely important to us throughout the year-long remodeling process. I feel like we accomplished our goal and very much hope that Rose and Ben are smiling down and are happy with the results too.</div>
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Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope that you have a wonderful day!!!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-__0WnYWwVzw/URTwHxS4sWI/AAAAAAAAWcs/aEA9o-eSOIo/s1600/Jennifer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="78" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-__0WnYWwVzw/URTwHxS4sWI/AAAAAAAAWcs/aEA9o-eSOIo/s400/Jennifer.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-17645058868907974632013-09-10T11:18:00.000-05:002013-09-12T10:50:45.645-05:00Now That We Are Moved In, It's Time To Organize!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-asdUMfTnei8/Ui4A5Gat_fI/AAAAAAAAX48/BOQB7rNOc6U/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Cover+Photo).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-asdUMfTnei8/Ui4A5Gat_fI/AAAAAAAAX48/BOQB7rNOc6U/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Cover+Photo).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I still cannot believe that we are finally moved into the house!!! I keep pinching myself to make sure that it is not a dream. However, when I realize that it is in fact true and that all those <strike>millions</strike> hundreds of boxes stacked around our house are really there, I start to feel like I am in a bit of nightmare. EEK!!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jLlmduQcrCw/Ui5kFQicaLI/AAAAAAAAX5w/fveuGjMGpAg/s1600/Retro-Woman-Screaming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jLlmduQcrCw/Ui5kFQicaLI/AAAAAAAAX5w/fveuGjMGpAg/s400/Retro-Woman-Screaming.jpg" width="362" /></a></div>
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But hey, let's keep it real, I would WAY rather be dealing with "Revenge of the Boxes" than still waiting to get into the house. So whose complaining...NOT THIS GAL! We basically spent all day Saturday moving the remainder of our belongings from the apartment to the casa so that we could have everything in one place (and because Sunday was our last day) and started the long unpacking process on Sunday. We decided to adopt the "snowball method" (thanks to my brother's advise) and get one room unpacked at a time, starting with the most important - the master bathroom and closet. Matt tackled his clothes in the closet while I started unpacking and organizing all the stuff that was "supposed" to fit in the master vanity. I say "supposed to fit" because <strike>we</strike> I have WAY more bathroom stuff than <strike>any one human could possibly ever need in a lifetime</strike> would fit in our vanity. As evidence, here are all the "Master Bath" boxes that we had in storage (you can't tell from this picture, but the poor tub is full of boxes too):</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-asdUMfTnei8/Ui4A5Gat_fI/AAAAAAAAX48/BOQB7rNOc6U/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Cover+Photo).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifadsITk-Ow/Ui3xHXnTU3I/AAAAAAAAX2o/3Ip98-8JkfI/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+1E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifadsITk-Ow/Ui3xHXnTU3I/AAAAAAAAX2o/3Ip98-8JkfI/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+1E).jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And here is all the stuff that came over from the apartment:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gaHFHoTuKjM/Ui379v9bTAI/AAAAAAAAX3g/WNW3njoNvbc/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+2E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gaHFHoTuKjM/Ui379v9bTAI/AAAAAAAAX3g/WNW3njoNvbc/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+2E).jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Seriously, it is a bit ridiculous! Oh well, onward and upward. So first things first, I had to come up with a plan of attack. Here is a diagram of our master vanity and the drawer layout:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-asdUMfTnei8/Ui4A5Gat_fI/AAAAAAAAX48/BOQB7rNOc6U/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Cover+Photo).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v4PlqTHLj2g/Ui4A63ahvRI/AAAAAAAAX5E/zmV8Q7gsvtI/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+17E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v4PlqTHLj2g/Ui4A63ahvRI/AAAAAAAAX5E/zmV8Q7gsvtI/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+17E).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you can see, Matt and I each have six 3" deep drawers, two 8" deep drawers and under-sink storage. I also have a 1.25" deep drawer over the knee space. So we have lots of drawer storage and a good amount of storage space under the sink:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cOtOfT5t8XE/Ui3xJBgsFiI/AAAAAAAAX2w/wrvW9QIx7Ew/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+3E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cOtOfT5t8XE/Ui3xJBgsFiI/AAAAAAAAX2w/wrvW9QIx7Ew/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+3E).jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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However, we do not have a linen closet in our master bathroom. Back in January, <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/01/bathroom-organization.html" target="_blank">I showed you how I organized the bathroom in the apartment</a> and the linen closet played a staring roll in my organization plan. Basically, I stored all of my bathroom products (divided into seven categories) in separate bins inside the closet:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7fHbejBCVvY/UPQxFDb4QkI/AAAAAAAAWL8/mlmukYP5baI/s1600/Picture+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7fHbejBCVvY/UPQxFDb4QkI/AAAAAAAAWL8/mlmukYP5baI/s640/Picture+15.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Although this plan works flawlessly if you have a handy linen closet near by, it is an epic fail when you try to fit everything under your sink!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ns-CRxCnnYw/Ui3xK99DEXI/AAAAAAAAX24/I1-Tobv-wf4/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+4E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ns-CRxCnnYw/Ui3xK99DEXI/AAAAAAAAX24/I1-Tobv-wf4/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+4E).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, that meant I needed to head back to the drawing board to come up with a new organization plan for our master vanity. It was a bit cramped in the bathroom with all the boxes, so for Phase #1, I created a staging area in the master bedroom to give me room to see everything:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XJg5eQ7lXzM/Ui3xM7p0VsI/AAAAAAAAX3A/4KC2AR7Hxz8/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+5E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XJg5eQ7lXzM/Ui3xM7p0VsI/AAAAAAAAX3A/4KC2AR7Hxz8/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+5E).jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I first moved all the organized bins from the apartment to the staging area. Then I unpacked all the boxes from storage and added the new products to their respective category:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ds1HTDI-9xk/Ui3xOvTTaeI/AAAAAAAAX3I/TaPL1kdJcyg/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+7E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ds1HTDI-9xk/Ui3xOvTTaeI/AAAAAAAAX3I/TaPL1kdJcyg/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+7E).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now that I could see what I had, Matt and I ran over to Container Store to pick-up some much needed supplies and came back with quite the haul! </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LrX6APFnUPE/Ui3xQbid5eI/AAAAAAAAX3Q/sJLHM_n-Av4/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+6E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LrX6APFnUPE/Ui3xQbid5eI/AAAAAAAAX3Q/sJLHM_n-Av4/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+6E).jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Now that I had my supplies and my bathroom products separated into more easily manageable categories, it was time for Phase 2: Go through each pile and figure out what will be kept and what would be trashed /recycled (because nothing is worth donating). I decided to start with my makeup, because who doesn't love playing with makeup???</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wChoOhjGoI0/Ui38W8FnuVI/AAAAAAAAX3w/oUFadDDp5Dw/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+8E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wChoOhjGoI0/Ui38W8FnuVI/AAAAAAAAX3w/oUFadDDp5Dw/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+8E).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As I have mentioned before, I have a <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/01/bathroom-organization.html" target="_blank">serious <strike>hording</strike> problem with throwing things away</a>, and makeup is no exception! I had a Caboodle (the same one that I have had since 5th grade...no hoarding problems here I promise!!!), a travel bag (the same one that I took to summer camp for the first time in 3rd grade...okay, so maybe a little problem), a 12"x12"x12" metal basket, a ziplock bag, and two makeup bags full of makeup, as well as my airbrush kit. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mmuwKue76p0/Ui38Y_wOm_I/AAAAAAAAX34/b9w8eO_4H2c/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+9E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mmuwKue76p0/Ui38Y_wOm_I/AAAAAAAAX34/b9w8eO_4H2c/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+9E).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That my friends is a serious amount of makeup!!! As I went through everything, I again separated the makeup into categories: (1) eye shadow, (2) blush/bronzer, (3) foundation/powder; (4) eye liner; (5) lips; and (6) brows:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rKM5iuzVKb4/Ui38eVylcJI/AAAAAAAAX4Q/rFQc7hMQaKA/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+12E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rKM5iuzVKb4/Ui38eVylcJI/AAAAAAAAX4Q/rFQc7hMQaKA/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+12E).jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I also made a trash pile of products that I don't use anymore, that were super old, or that were basically empty (all those mascara tubes that I kept because they had a tiny bit left at the time and now are a dried up mess, yummy)...which turned out to be the biggest pile by far:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SqceYdcibR0/Ui38cChIfiI/AAAAAAAAX4I/jQYG3UUFpHM/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+11E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SqceYdcibR0/Ui38cChIfiI/AAAAAAAAX4I/jQYG3UUFpHM/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+11E).jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Evidently I have kept some of this make-up for over a decade and found some serious gems: </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aNsEnENrKik/Ui38asr-SvI/AAAAAAAAX4A/hKgyMWddxKw/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+10E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aNsEnENrKik/Ui38asr-SvI/AAAAAAAAX4A/hKgyMWddxKw/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+10E).jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Can I get a "What! What!" for blue glitter eyeliner, blue eyeshadow and hot pink lipstick! They are so money and take me back to the sorority days! Holla!!! I planned to store all of my makeup in the center 1.25" drawer because it was the largest drawer (approximately 19" deep by 17" wide):</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4MbSgpgDG1E/Ui38hQn_I5I/AAAAAAAAX4Y/OZWi8VoBCDo/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+14E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4MbSgpgDG1E/Ui38hQn_I5I/AAAAAAAAX4Y/OZWi8VoBCDo/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+14E).jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Unfortunately, the drawer is only 1.25" deep...and all the super cool containers at the Container Store that could work for drawer storage were too deep (the smallest ones that we found were 2" deep). As I was wandering the aisles looking for inspiration, I came across the drawer liner section of the store and found this soft, thick, white liner that was a bit tacky on each side (not tacky in the sence that residue would get on you, but tacky in the sence that it would stick to the drawer without tape): </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Solid™ Easy Liner®" class="productImage" src="http://www.containerstore.com/catalogimages/17385/17385.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10006867&N=&Nao=0&Ntt=drawer+liner" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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Since I was planning on storing my makeup brushes in the drawer, I knew I needed a liner to protect the inside of the drawer. And that is when the lightbulb went off! Instead of trying to use baskets and dividers to store my makeup in the drawer, why not just lay it all out??? Once we got home, I measured the drawer space and cut the liner to size. Then I started laying out my makeup and brushes in the drawer, starting with the makeup that I use most often (my daily work makeup kit):</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3yRUPiRM2AI/Ui38jLjkm7I/AAAAAAAAX4g/zTfA2qnx7ec/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+15E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3yRUPiRM2AI/Ui38jLjkm7I/AAAAAAAAX4g/zTfA2qnx7ec/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+15E).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I then continued sorting through my "keep" makeup pile and pulled out the other products that I use fairly regularly when I want to mix things up or am going out. I kept the products organized by category (e.g., eye shadow and color pots, eye liner, blushes/bronzers, lipstick, etc.), fit everything together like a puzzle, and ended up with this:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ft4_MzGyQ8/Ui38k6-lBNI/AAAAAAAAX4o/6hs1ZZwWWYo/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+13E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ft4_MzGyQ8/Ui38k6-lBNI/AAAAAAAAX4o/6hs1ZZwWWYo/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+13E).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And I absolutely LOVE it!!! I have all of my "go to" makeup displayed in an easy to identify manner and because the liner is a bit tacky, everything stays in place when I open and shut the drawer. This is also good, because it will force me to adopt the "one-in-one-out" method and only buy the makeup that I really need. I then put all the duplicate makeup I have in a travel case and stored it, along with my airbrush makeup kit (which I use daily, but which didn't fit in the shallow drawer) in one of my 8" deep drawers. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HKbyWeQX3xI/Ui40X1pyMZI/AAAAAAAAX5U/_suAjJ5onMU/s1600/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+16E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HKbyWeQX3xI/Ui40X1pyMZI/AAAAAAAAX5U/_suAjJ5onMU/s640/Bathroom+Organization+(Before+16E).jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I am so excited that I have jumped my first organization hurdle and love how my makeup drawer turned out! No digging and unloading when I need to find the products I need, I just simply have to open the drawer and TADAH, everything is at my fingertips! This little project gives me confidence that I just might be able to accomplish my goal of an organized house with a-place-for-everything-and-everything-in-its-place! As the late great Neil Armstrong said:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l7bFY_jld6E/Ui9Fpl4c2_I/AAAAAAAAX6E/9H35d0AYB9k/s1600/moonlanding1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l7bFY_jld6E/Ui9Fpl4c2_I/AAAAAAAAX6E/9H35d0AYB9k/s640/moonlanding1.jpg" width="502" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.aereo.com/2013/07/milestones-in-tv-history-the-moon-landing/" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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Now it's time to keep this ball rolling and to tackle the rest of my bathroom products! But in the meantime, let's take one more look at the "Before and After" shall we?</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GxJQNtnGO18/Ui44BL15sxI/AAAAAAAAX5g/cbY2C2p1BZg/s1600/Before+After+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GxJQNtnGO18/Ui44BL15sxI/AAAAAAAAX5g/cbY2C2p1BZg/s640/Before+After+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope that you enjoyed it and have a wonderful week!!! </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-__0WnYWwVzw/URTwHxS4sWI/AAAAAAAAWcs/aEA9o-eSOIo/s1600/Jennifer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="78" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-__0WnYWwVzw/URTwHxS4sWI/AAAAAAAAWcs/aEA9o-eSOIo/s400/Jennifer.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-791958184775773672013-09-05T16:51:00.001-05:002013-09-05T16:52:18.794-05:00Happy days, oh happy days!!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's here, it's here, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Let's give a cheer!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To the most wonderful day,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of the year!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"What's going on?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"What's that you say?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Why are you so excited?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Because, <strong>IT'S MOVE IN DAY</strong>!!!</span></div>
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That's right people! After 371 loooooooong days, we are FINALLY moving into the house!!!!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iK8AqXZWEsA/Uij5FBerhyI/AAAAAAAAX18/LLvrqMoLQnA/s1600/T-Minus+0+Days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iK8AqXZWEsA/Uij5FBerhyI/AAAAAAAAX18/LLvrqMoLQnA/s640/T-Minus+0+Days.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am so excited that I don't even know what to do with myself...it can't only be expressed through Napoleon's display of pure joy and happiness!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MTsK43R4w20/Uij4KHzh5II/AAAAAAAAX10/hr5Z00NkxVw/s1600/Move+In+Day!+Napolean+Dynomite.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MTsK43R4w20/Uij4KHzh5II/AAAAAAAAX10/hr5Z00NkxVw/s400/Move+In+Day!+Napolean+Dynomite.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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We had three truckloads worth of stuff to move in and four guys knocked it out in 3.5 hours. Let me tell you, movers are worth their weight in gold!!! </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxSgsrTJvXw/Uij6-m8BUDI/AAAAAAAAX2I/kDMPeNPqhmg/s1600/Move+In+Day+Three+Men+Movers+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxSgsrTJvXw/Uij6-m8BUDI/AAAAAAAAX2I/kDMPeNPqhmg/s640/Move+In+Day+Three+Men+Movers+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Although the movers got everything into the house...it is our funfilled job to unpack it all and put THREE TRUCKLOADS worth of <strike>crap</strike> stuff into our beautiful new home (well in my opinion at least...but hey, this project has been a year so it's like the house is my baby...and it will always be beautiful in my eyes no matter what anyone says)! I will stop back by tomorrow with some pictures of the destruction that is now the inside of our house and the game plan to organize, purge and put away all of our worldly belongings. But for now, let's reserve this day for happiness and dancing shall we? If you need me, I will be in the front of the house celebrating...just look for the pink tutu!</div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-32320684545917808372013-08-30T11:47:00.000-05:002013-08-30T12:10:44.310-05:00Fireplace Makeover<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9WA-mEGlUYk/UiC9-Pv9xRI/AAAAAAAAX08/ojCOQWNhXig/s1600/Fireplace+%233+(Cover+Photo+2).jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9WA-mEGlUYk/UiC9-Pv9xRI/AAAAAAAAX08/ojCOQWNhXig/s640/Fireplace+%233+(Cover+Photo+2).jpg.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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Happy Friday! I hope that it has been a great week for everyone! Tomorrow is the first day of college foot and I couldn't be more excited (especially since Mr. Manziel is good to go and can start the second half of tomorrow's game - SCORE)!!! So fingers crossed that it will be a good game and not too sweltering hot (Bahahahahahah...not hot in College Station in August, good luck with that one). So much is happening at the house right now trying to get it ready for our move-in day. We passed the plumbing and electrical inspections today - WOOHOO!!! We also started the fireplace remodel. Here is what she looked like originally, right before we started the remodel:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eVyzyhejAwI/UKupRFGq9SI/AAAAAAAAVNQ/3u1KJV0cVSY/s1600/Living+Room+View+2+%2528Pre-Demo+Before+Tag%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eVyzyhejAwI/UKupRFGq9SI/AAAAAAAAVNQ/3u1KJV0cVSY/s640/Living+Room+View+2+%2528Pre-Demo+Before+Tag%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The first problem was the massive hearth that stuck out about 16" from the front of the fireplace and wrapped around the side. Unfortunately, that was just way too much valuable real estate being wasted for me, so out it went! The second issue was the weird large cubbie to the right of the fireplace. Being from Houston where we might get one fireplace-worthy-day a year, Matt and I had no idea what that space was used for...and thought it was just a strange cubbie. We lived in the house for three years before one of my friends that lives up north happened to stop by and informed us that is where you are supposed to store your wood. Seriously??? How much wood does one person need (that's what she said)???? Here is what the fireplace looked like after we removed the hearth and added built-in cabinets to the right in the old wood storage cubbie.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Simsf2T4_8/UiDAC-KMKWI/AAAAAAAAX1I/AhCTNM2fZ8g/s1600/Fireplace+%234.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Simsf2T4_8/UiDAC-KMKWI/AAAAAAAAX1I/AhCTNM2fZ8g/s640/Fireplace+%234.jpg.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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Oooo, and gotta give a quick shout-out to the new floor color. I am so digging the dark chocolate brown. Yummy!!! So now back to the fireplace, the third problem came to light as the remodel progressed. Although the Old Chicago brick was great in the house originally, it did not play well with our new cream walls, dark trim, and dark wood floors...it just came across too orange'ish-pink'ish-salmony (if that's even a color). We first pondered white-washing the brick, but felt like that still wouldn't fit in with the rustic-glam look we are going for in the living room. So we decided that our best option would be to cover the brick with dry stacked limestone. This picture below gives you an idea of what I am envisioning - a combo of elegant and rustic (and P.S. I L-O-V-E this living room, it is FAB!!!):</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bungalowblueinteriors.com/home/tag/rustic-cottage" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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So here's the game plan to beautify the fireplace and bring it in line with our current decorating scheme:</div>
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1. <strike>Remove massive hearth</strike></div>
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2. <strike>Pick out limestone</strike></div>
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2. Cover Fireplace with dry stack limestone</div>
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3. Add new rustic/reclaimed wood mantel</div>
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4. Add plug and cable for future TV</div>
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Our slab of stone arrived yesterday. We chose a cream limestone overlay that will sit right on top of the existing brick. It is reading a bit yellow in this picture, but is much more cream in real life with just a bit of Edward-style sparkle (mmmmm....gotta love some good ol' fashion vampire sparkle): </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-erm8m8A9nKE/UiDAgbooosI/AAAAAAAAX1Q/EYc1qJkR4YQ/s1600/Fireplace+%235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-erm8m8A9nKE/UiDAgbooosI/AAAAAAAAX1Q/EYc1qJkR4YQ/s640/Fireplace+%235.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So now that we have the limestone and have removed the hearth, the next step was to cover the existing fireplace with a layer of skim coat to give it a nice even base for the limestone to overlay. We also added a plug and a cable cord so that we can put a TV above the fireplace if we want in the future...and in the meantime, they will be covered with a painting, so our guests will be none the wiser of the electrical storm going on just out of eyesight.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y1O00AuyFLo/UiDCwwNhX7I/AAAAAAAAX1c/3qpOtXSEEC4/s1600/Fireplace+%236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y1O00AuyFLo/UiDCwwNhX7I/AAAAAAAAX1c/3qpOtXSEEC4/s640/Fireplace+%236.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>
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That is as far as we have gotten. I will pop by next week with an update on the final product. I hope that everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!! Thanks so much for stopping by!</div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-49832832035408772262013-08-22T10:39:00.000-05:002013-08-22T10:44:18.297-05:00Selecting the Stain Color for Our Wood Floors<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ln0jgW-SqA/UhOMjYJJbnI/AAAAAAAAX0g/5m1KqCpNWuM/s1600/Floor+1+Cover+Photoa+(edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ln0jgW-SqA/UhOMjYJJbnI/AAAAAAAAX0g/5m1KqCpNWuM/s640/Floor+1+Cover+Photoa+(edited).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Happy Hump Day everyone! I am so excited because Mattey-boy finally gets home tonight after being in the Deen for the past two weeks...and it looks like this might be his last trip over for quite some time (for those of you who don't know, he has been spending about 3 weeks+ each month in Aberdeen, Scotland since March for work and his tour-of-duty is finally over)! Yippy for me!!! While he has been gone this past two weeks, I have moved onto our next major project at the casa, and that's refinishing our wood floors. This is a pretty huge undertaking and has a lot riding on it (literally) because we have wood floors in <u>EVERY SINGLE ROOM</u> of the house (other than the bathrooms and laundry room - <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/05/reclaiming-salvaged-hardwood-floors.html" target="_blank">I showed you the details here</a>)...and let me tell you, that's A LOT of wood people! Although the vast majority of the floors are the original floors that were installed when the house was built in 1967, we have expanded the front of the house, relocated the stairs, moved a ton of walls, and also added on a whole new bedroom during this renovation....which means that we had to install new floors for each of these locations. Easy-peasy, right???? Just go pick up some matching floor at the flooring store and you are good to go?!?! Well, unfortunately, that is 100% wrong in this case. So let me explain, here is a picture of how the floors look currently (with a whole lot of drywall dust and apparently some kind of water (I hope) drop...yummy):</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFrRBBEEwBQ/UYIfGtaDe5I/AAAAAAAAWyU/mWC4fKZ_Fbs/s1600/Flooring+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFrRBBEEwBQ/UYIfGtaDe5I/AAAAAAAAWyU/mWC4fKZ_Fbs/s640/Flooring+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, asides from all the drywall dust, we have two major issues. First, flooring companies no longer make wood floors with the cute little pegs at the end...apparently those pegs actually held the boards down (and are more expensive) so have become obsolete. Second, 47 year old floors are super tricky to match because 40+ years worth of love gives them a depth and character that you can not recreate with brand new, out-of-the-box wood floors...no mater how much they hand scrape them. So our solution was to hunt for reclaimed wood floor that were the same or similar vintage...and we totally scored!!! Although the salvaged floors were completely different colors than our current floors, they are real wood and can be sanded down and restained to match. In the picture below you can see a sample of the newly installed salvaged floors (the ones on the left side of the square) next to our existing floors (the ones with the pegs on the right side of the square), with a sample of stain that matched the original color...pretty impressive if I do say so myself!!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qbv6Q2OI72U/UYIfLxJAhoI/AAAAAAAAWyc/u1X9pqQhVUA/s1600/Flooring+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qbv6Q2OI72U/UYIfLxJAhoI/AAAAAAAAWyc/u1X9pqQhVUA/s640/Flooring+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So now that we resolved the "how do you match 47 year old floors" issue, it is time for the fun stuff - picking the stain color!!! Fun, fun, fun! The color of our original floors (as you can see in the picture above) was a redish-orangish-brown with dark pegs. Although it looked super pretty, we have both been leaning towards the idea of darker floors throughout the house (1) to <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/07/let-painting-commence.html" target="_blank">go with the dark trim that we have downstairs</a> and (2) because we think that it feels just a bit more dressed up. However, I didn't want anything that was too dark, because I didn't want to loose the pretty wood grain and variations in each of the boards. So I thought maybe a dark walnut stain mixed with ebony. I explained my vision to the floor guys and then played Goldilocks for the afternoon wading through the seven samples that they provided:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TYr49uUaQFs/UhOJhWp_WQI/AAAAAAAAX0U/u69d_gUmE9I/s1600/Floor+1a+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TYr49uUaQFs/UhOJhWp_WQI/AAAAAAAAX0U/u69d_gUmE9I/s640/Floor+1a+edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Starting from the bottom row on the right and moving clockwise, we had<br />
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Antique Brown <em>(too light and too yellowish-brown)</em></div>
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English Chestnut<em> (too light and too orange)</em></div>
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Spice brown <em>(getting darker, but not dark enough...although I loved how it really brought out the grain)</em></div>
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Coffee Brown {<em>closed grain*</em>} <em>(love the tone and the effect on the grain, but still just a hair too light for my taste)</em></div>
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Coffee Brown {open grain*} <em>(definitely good on the darkness, but it felt a bit flat)</em></div>
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<li>Ebony {open grain*}<em>(too dark because we completely lost the wood grain)</em></li>
<li>50% Coffee Brown & 50% Ebony {open grain*} (WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!)</li>
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<em> * Open grain means they wipe the wood with water before applying the stain to open the grain so more of the color soaks in...it makes a huge difference.</em></div>
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I absolutely fell in love with the 50% Coffee Brown-50% Ebony combination because (1) it provides the deep brown tone that I was envisioning with the Coffee Brown; and (2) the ebony stepped in to highlight the beautiful grain in each of the boards. Here is a close up of the color (although the picture above it much more accurate depiction of the color...the color in the picture below is darker than the color in real life and there is more contrast)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-amcxQO2Jm2c/UhOJEl4giLI/AAAAAAAAX0M/UM1DAzBf1qs/s1600/Floor+1+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-amcxQO2Jm2c/UhOJEl4giLI/AAAAAAAAX0M/UM1DAzBf1qs/s640/Floor+1+edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So that is one more check on the ol' To-Do List!!! So exciting! It is going to take the floor guys 10 days to finish the floors, but all the stain and first coat of poly should be down by Monday. So stop by back to see the update! I hope that you all have a wonderful rest of your week!!!<br />
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Oh, and just cause I am excited and because it's Thursday...I think it is time for a little Carlton!</div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-18640044623596098142013-08-16T13:13:00.000-05:002013-08-16T13:20:30.923-05:00What Goes Up (My Walker Zanger Tiles)...Sometimes Must Come Down (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Wq7Qsdn1no/Ug5XXxK_U2I/AAAAAAAAXzY/06AKJ0bnbJk/s1600/Master+Bathroom+Cover+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Wq7Qsdn1no/Ug5XXxK_U2I/AAAAAAAAXzY/06AKJ0bnbJk/s640/Master+Bathroom+Cover+Photo.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Happy Friday world! It has been a great week and I am super excited to help one of my good friends ring in her 40th birthday tomorrow at an "all gals spa day"...brang it! I am also going to get to work A LOT this weekend, so a few hours of relaxation are going to be just what the doctor ordered. And speaking of spas, our bathroom has made some major steps towards being completed this week. The last time we visited the master bath there were some issues with the size of my beloved Walker Zanger Tile feature wall and alignment/centering of the travertine tile surround. So unfortunately, what went up, had to come down. Here is a quick pic of the issues:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-smtmn7giNNM/UfmyWNREmiI/AAAAAAAAXtE/5HNUsyjnAhE/s1600/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+4+%2528Edited%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-smtmn7giNNM/UfmyWNREmiI/AAAAAAAAXtE/5HNUsyjnAhE/s640/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+4+%2528Edited%2529.jpg" width="486" /></a></div>
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It is never fun having to go back and redo work because it wasn't done correct the first time. But you are going to have setback in a renovation...and you gotta learn to roll with the punches. Fortunately, this issue only required one day of work to fix. The blue outline in this picture below shows my proposed changes to make the real life feature wall more closely resemble the size and layout of the feature wall that has been dancing with the sugar plumbs in my head for the past several months:</div>
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And here is what she looked like after undergoing her outpatient surgery:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G9bu0FnBLWA/Ug5P7HWRHvI/AAAAAAAAXys/q1dm1JLXp7k/s1600/Master+Bath+5+(edited+3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G9bu0FnBLWA/Ug5P7HWRHvI/AAAAAAAAXys/q1dm1JLXp7k/s640/Master+Bath+5+(edited+3).jpg" width="492" /></a></div>
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Sooooooo much better! It is absolutely amazing how gaining a few inches of trim can have such a major impact (<em>that's what she said</em>...WaaWaaWaaaaaaaa). It's difficult to tell from the picture, but enlarging the area containing the Walker Zanger tiles makes the space feel so much larger and the ceiling taller! It basically had the exact same effect as when you add crown molding to a room...which causes your eyes to go up and out making the space appear bigger. So needless to say, I am thrilled with the result. If you are keeping tabs, that would be score #2 for "Speaking-Up-During-Construction/Renovation-When-There-Is-Something-That-You-Think-Is-Not-Right". So let's take a another look at the oh so exciting Before and After shall we:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-xvar4604g/Ug5Ubvx4kzI/AAAAAAAAXzI/FibKtgLD7pM/s1600/Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-xvar4604g/Ug5Ubvx4kzI/AAAAAAAAXzI/FibKtgLD7pM/s640/Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The next item on the To Do List was installation of our plumbing fixtures. We picked oil rubbed bronze fixtures to play off of the dark vanity that we installed. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9WZbZALpQOI/Ug5E22P5nkI/AAAAAAAAXx4/RrRnt-lEy00/s1600/Master+Bath+2+%2528edited%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9WZbZALpQOI/Ug5E22P5nkI/AAAAAAAAXx4/RrRnt-lEy00/s640/Master+Bath+2+%2528edited%2529.jpg" width="492" /></a></div>
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And can I say YUMMY!!! This girl is in L-O-V-E, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GtWIlO8qO9o/Ug5rO3DU_mI/AAAAAAAAXzo/K_9JBZv-RUk/s1600/tom-and-jerry-2-o.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GtWIlO8qO9o/Ug5rO3DU_mI/AAAAAAAAXzo/K_9JBZv-RUk/s1600/tom-and-jerry-2-o.gif" /></a></div>
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The shower is made for two, so Matt and I each have our own shower head. We also have four body sprays and an overhead gravity rain shower. I cannot wait to start my mornings belting out "Splish Splash I was taking a <strike>bath</strike> SHOWER!"...and believe you me, this will happen! I just need to figure out how to work it into mine and Matt's Jungle Trilogy Mashup (a.k.a. Welcome to the Jungle, Jungle Boogie and the Lion Sleeps Tonight). Witnessing this serenade is a real treat I tell ya! But I digress. The final step for the shower is the glass surround, which will be installed next week. Oh, and I can't sign off today without giving a shout-out to my other love in the master bathroom - my claw foot tub and the cool telephone sprayer! Hello lovers!!! The color is a bit off in the picture due to a combination of bad lighting and my IPone camera that is on the fritz (after being dropped about 20 times)...so in person the various oil rubbed bronze colors are actually a lot closer in color. It is all coming together! As of today we are officially:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeenAQXmi4g/Ug5K7zQq19I/AAAAAAAAXyE/9lecelrMbxQ/s1600/T-Minus+25+Days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oeenAQXmi4g/Ug5K7zQq19I/AAAAAAAAXyE/9lecelrMbxQ/s640/T-Minus+25+Days.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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until move-in! Woohoo!!! I hope that you enjoyed checking out the progress. Thank you all so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend! </div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-46587575260258282142013-08-12T12:41:00.000-05:002013-08-12T12:41:55.362-05:00Let There Be Light (Part 2) (AKA: More Flush Mounts That Don't Suck)<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi everyone! I hope that you had a great weekend. I am starting to see my friends post "first-day-of-school" pics to Facebook and CANNOT believe that the summer is coming to a close! The past three months have absolutely FLOWN by. Although the end of summer is always sad, it means that we are heading to one of my favorite times of year - FOOTBALL SEASON! Matt and I love going to the games to cheer on the Texans, my alma maters (Go Coogs! and Go Gators!) and Matt's alma mater (Gig'em Johnny Football!). The tailgates, the friends and family, the atmosphere, the weather...ahh yes people, I seriously have a hard time thinking of a better way to spend my weekends!!! And the beginning of football season is always so exciting because it is filled with anticipation, hope and visions of your teams (professional, college and fantasy) kicking butt and taking home the championship that year! There are only 19 days until kick-off...IT'S (almost) GAMEDAY! So now back to the blog. <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/08/happy-wednesday-everyone-i-hope-that.html" target="_blank">After my last post</a>, I received several questions about other flush mount and semi-flush mounts lights that we liked and that satisfied my "NO BOOB LIGHT" criteria. So I have pulled together 16 other lights that we considered during the whittling down process (and in my humble opinion, that don't suck):<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z60vu8UmWSk/UgkNixcE7mI/AAAAAAAAXxM/5BRfMFcUez4/s1600/No+Boob+Lights+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z60vu8UmWSk/UgkNixcE7mI/AAAAAAAAXxM/5BRfMFcUez4/s640/No+Boob+Lights+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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1. <a href="http://www.lightinguniverse.com/flush-mount-ceiling-lights/elk-lighting-112273-3-light-flush-mount-ceiling-light-polished-chrome_g670651.html?isku=6073571&linkloc=cataLogProductItemsImage" target="_blank">ELK Lighting Flush Mount Ceiling Light</a> </div>
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2. <a href="http://www.lightinguniverse.com/flush-mount-ceiling-lights/eurofase-lighting-20312-015-4-light-senze-flush-mount-ceiling-light_g811076.html?isku=6831532?linkloc=cataLogProductItemsName" target="_blank">Eurofase Lighting Senze Flush Mount Ceiling Light</a> </div>
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3. <a href="http://www.lightinguniverse.com/flush-mount-ceiling-lights/elk-lighting-70007-2-2-light-adamson-flush-mount-ceiling-light_g500897.html?isku=4793036&linkloc=cataLogProductItemsImage" target="_blank">ELK Lighting Adamson Flush Mount Ceiling Light</a></div>
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4. <a href="http://www.barnlightelectric.com/pendant-lighting/schoolhouse-lights/semi-flush-mount-schoolhouse-light-clone.html" target="_blank">Intermediate Schoolhouse Semi Flush Mount Ceiling Light</a></div>
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5. <a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Crystorama-Majestic-Historic-Brass-3-light-Semi-Flush-Fixture/6391293/product.html?refccid=7VDOE4JIWWNKBVKDT2THWEMIKI&searchidx=77" target="_blank">Crystorama Majestic Historic Brass Semi-Flush Ceiling Light</a></div>
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6. <a href="http://atgstores.atgstores.com/semi-flush-ceiling-lights/golden-lighting-1030-sf-ch-cerchi-2-light-convertible-semi-flush-ceiling-light_g641060.html?isku=5868747&linkloc=cataLogProductItemsImage" target="_blank">Golden Lighting Cerchi Semi Flush Ceiling Light</a></div>
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7. <a href="http://www.lightinguniverse.com/products/view.aspx?sku=6515599&af=1525&cse=1525&gclid=CKDf_rmq-LgCFSFJ7AodXj4AAA&gclsrc=ds" target="_blank">Steven & Chris Morocco Flush Mount Ceiling Light</a></div>
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8. <a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Bento-Chrome-with-Satin-White-2-light-Semi-flush-Fixture/6985984/product.html?refccid=5ZW4ZQMLV3ILHGKBECVMYFILHM&searchidx=110" target="_blank">Bento Chrome Semi Flush Ceiling Light</a> </div>
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9. <a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Varaluz-Pinwheel-Ceiling-Wall-Light/6632498/product.html?refccid=VSYIZPT4KVLYIOSATARUF5ET5Y&searchidx=60" target="_blank">Varaluz Pinwheel Flush Mount Ceiling/Wall Light</a></div>
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10. <a href="http://atgstores.atgstores.com/semi-flush-ceiling-lights/crystorama-lighting-5165-eb-cl-mwp-6-light-vanderbilt-semiflush-semi-flush-ceiling-light-english-bronze_g163490.html?isku=981127&linkloc=cataLogProductItemsImage" target="_blank">Crystorama Lighting Vanderbilt Semi-Flush Ceiling Light</a></div>
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11. <a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Astro-3-light-Chrome-Semi-flushmount-Ceiling-Light/5555377/product.html?refccid=3YKQI72243PL46KAL2B4U3KZ5U&searchidx=70" target="_blank">Astro 3-light Chrome Semi-flushmount Ceiling Light</a></div>
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12. <a href="http://atgstores.atgstores.com/flush-mount-ceiling-lights/fine-art-lamps-324882-2-light-costa-del-sol-flush-mount-ceiling-light-marbella-wrought-iron_g269134.html?isku=2316460&linkloc=cataLogProductItemsImage" target="_blank">Fine Art Lamps Costa Del Sol Flush Mount Ceiling Light</a></div>
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13. <a href="http://www.feiss.com/23866/Lighting-Fixture-FS-SF285BRBOBZ.html" target="_blank">Feiss Marcella Semi Flush Mount Ceiling</a></div>
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14. <a href="http://www.gracioushome.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_10001_10051_73311_-1_13598_10007" target="_blank">Inca Collection Flush Mount Ceiling Light</a></div>
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15. <a href="http://www.lightinguniverse.com/flush-mount-ceiling-lights/jvi-designs-3019-15-murray-hill-3-light-flush-mount-ceiling-light_g716064.html?isku=9952442&linkloc=cataLogProductItemsImage" target="_blank">JVI Designs Murray Hill Flush Mount Ceiling Light</a></div>
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16. <a href="http://www.wayfair.com/Kichler-Jardine-3-Light-Semi-Flush-Mount-42306CH-KI8046.html" target="_blank">Kichler Jardine Semi Flush Ceiling Mount</a></div>
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<a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/08/happy-wednesday-everyone-i-hope-that.html" target="_blank">Check here</a> if you want to see the flush mount and semi-flush mount lights that we picked out. Oh, and here is some other super exciting news about the house:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCEW2JpZAnU/UgkT6dFCZ2I/AAAAAAAAXxc/ynFGj6bbcys/s1600/T-Minus+30+Days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCEW2JpZAnU/UgkT6dFCZ2I/AAAAAAAAXxc/ynFGj6bbcys/s640/T-Minus+30+Days.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's right folks! If all goes as planned, we should be moving into the house in 30 days!!! Happy days, oh happy days! All we have left is to finish the paint and floors and to install all the fixtures (lights, faucets, toilets, etc.). We gave our 30-day notice to the apartment today, so there is no turning back now! I'll keep you posted as the countdown continues. Please send good thoughts our way that we get this job done. I officially have 30 days to choreograph my SUPER DUPER HAPPY DANCE, which will be on full display for the world to see when those moving vans arrive! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!!!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4z5Dt26vKd0/UNOSf-wtYjI/AAAAAAAAV4k/9Bg-lpntX2E/s1600/Jennifer4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="77" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4z5Dt26vKd0/UNOSf-wtYjI/AAAAAAAAV4k/9Bg-lpntX2E/s400/Jennifer4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-56150680766546800462013-08-07T15:03:00.000-05:002013-08-15T23:43:06.025-05:00Let There Be Light! - Lighting Design for the Casa (Part 1)<div style="text-align: justify;">
Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope that you are having a great week so far. We are trucking along on the house and have finally ordered all of our light fixtures! Woohoo!!! There is something about ordering the lights that makes me feel like we are getting close to completing this beast of a project (please sweet baby Jesus let it be so!!!!). Although it took a year of wading through thousands of options, picking out the light fixtures has been a blast! In my view, light fixtures are just like a good pair of glitzy chandelier earrings...they are a super fun accessory that can add some serious glamor to a room. And bringing some girly glam to the casa was very important to me because the tan/cream/bronze color scheme that we have selected for the first floor could very easily turn the house into a "Super Masculine Mancave" (my husband's ultimate fantasy) if I didn't <strike>force down Matt's throat</strike> add these pops of bling to each room. However, it took so long to pick the fixtures because of two major restrictions we have at the house. The first restriction is beyond our control...we have 8 foot ceilings. This makes life tricky because Matt and I are both fairly tall (6'1" and 5'9.5"), so there are several places in the house where we need fixtures that sit somewhat close to the ceiling (basically everywhere that a light isn't over a table or in the stairwell) so that we don't knock our cabezas every time we walk through the house. Unfortunately, I have discovered that "flush mount light" actually translates to "ugly as hell" in most languages. Which brings us to my second restriction, which is 100% self-imposed...NO BOOB LIGHTS!!!!!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvojsBq7mic/UgJWpcsIu2I/AAAAAAAAXws/un9lsYGLbHc/s1600/No+Boob+Lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvojsBq7mic/UgJWpcsIu2I/AAAAAAAAXws/un9lsYGLbHc/s640/No+Boob+Lights.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Please don't get me wrong, I have nothing against ta-tas that are attached to a gals chest...however, I take serious issue to boobs that are attached to my ceiling. Maybe its boob envy, but I just don't like the idea of making our ceilings have a better figure than me! So after several hours of scrolling through multiple website, here are the flush mounts that have made the cut:</div>
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1. <a href="http://www.neenaslighting.com/product.aspx?utm_source=Amazon&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Amazon&AZ=1&model=2203-02-00205&option=AH%204014PN-FG" target="_blank">Visual Comfort Small Basil Flush Mount</a> (for the Wrapping Closet) </div>
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2. <a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/capiz-petal-flower-mount-ceiling-fixture/?pkey=cchandeliers-pendants&" target="_blank">Pottery Barn Capiz Flushmount</a> (for the Light Blue Bedroom)</div>
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3. <a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Cone-Shape-Matte-Silver-Flushmount-Ceiling-Chandelier/6708948/product.html?CID=208011" target="_blank">Cone Shape Matte Silver Flushmount Ceiling Chandelier</a> (for the Guest Bathroom)</div>
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4. <a href="http://www.atgstores.com/products/view.aspx?sku=8315516&cid=885" target="_blank">Maxim Lighting Hi-Bay 2-Light Flush Mount</a> (for the Study)</div>
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5. <a href="http://www.wayfair.com/Quoizel-Josslyn-Flush-Mount-JS1615BN-QZ6782.html?refid=ER_W&mmid=130630271&csnid=55931E80-5E52-4352-9237-3864EA887063&ltr=" target="_blank">Quoizel Josslyn Flush Mount</a> (for the Laundry Room)</div>
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6. <a href="http://www.savoylightinglights.com/product/savoy-house-lighting-alsace-semi-flush-mount-6-9540-3-196.html" target="_blank">Savoy House Alsace 3 Light Semi-Flush in Reclaimed Wood</a> (for the Living Room)</div>
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The first five lights are either chrome or polished nickle because they go upstairs where we have grey walls and white trim in the Guest Bathroom, Study and Laundry Room, robin egg blue walls and white trim in the Light Blue Room, and bright pink walls, white trim and yellow ceiling in the Wrapping Closet (although Matt thinks that I am nuts, but it's super cute and my one <span style="color: black;">Über</span> girly room in the joint). The light for the Living Room is wood and oil rubbed bronze, which hopefully will look pretty with the cream/tan walls and dark trim. I cannot wait to see what these guys look like installed! That's all for now. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!!!</div>
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<a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/08/let-there-be-light-part-2-aka-more.html" target="_blank">Stop by here if you want to see some more funfilled "Non-Boob-Light" fixtures.</a></div>
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I am liking up with <a href="http://loveoffamilyandhome.net/2013/08/inspire-me-please-weekend-blog-hop-24.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FzapSY+%28Love+Of+Family+%26+Home%29" target="_blank">Love of Family and Home</a>, <a href="http://www.myrepurposedlife.com/2013/08/catch-as-catch-can-133.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FPgMj+%28My+Repurposed+Life%29" target="_blank">My Repurposed Life</a>, <a href="http://designdininganddiapers.com/2013/08/inspiration-gallery-link-party-48/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DesignDiningAndDiapers+%28Design%2C+Dining+and+Diapers%29" target="_blank">Design Dining & Diapers</a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5t7TDeKstD4/UNORiqylmiI/AAAAAAAAV4U/LassdH5LGpA/s1600/Jennifer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="78" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5t7TDeKstD4/UNORiqylmiI/AAAAAAAAV4U/LassdH5LGpA/s400/Jennifer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-32684281988012460872013-08-01T10:41:00.000-05:002013-08-01T12:49:05.266-05:00What Goes Up (My Walker Zanger Tiles)...Sometimes Must Come Down<div style="text-align: justify;">
Happy Thursday everyone! The weekend is almost here, so time to get ready for some fun! We are going to watch Bob Schneider tonight (he's one of our all time favorites!) and we have some birthday gatherings to attend this weekend...so it should be a busy, but fun one for us. I wanted to pop in real quick before the shenanigans start and give you an update on the master bathroom. As I mentioned in back in April, renovations do not always go as planned, and sometimes you can hit a bump in the road. So far our biggest bump was <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/04/long-overdue.html">the H-U-G-E error that the builders, engineer and inspector made</a> with the structural support for our house that could have caused the whole thing to come crashing down if any wind picked up...Eeek!!! Although that was more of a Mount Everest sized bump, we have had lots of other smaller bumps throughout this year-long renovation (some mountains and some mole hills). But we have somehow managed to either fix them or come up with work-around solutions...so my advise when doing a renovation, always try to stay nimble and look at those bumps as fun challenges to overcome instead of disasters that can ruin your day. Our latest bump was the feature wall of Walker Zanger tile in our master bathroom shower. We were super excited to see it once it was installed, but when we got to the house, we realized the final product was not what we had envisioned. Here's a picture of what it looked like installed with some notes highlighting the issues:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-smtmn7giNNM/UfmyWNREmiI/AAAAAAAAXtA/_crJTskfb1Q/s1600/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+4+(Edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-smtmn7giNNM/UfmyWNREmiI/AAAAAAAAXtA/_crJTskfb1Q/s640/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+4+(Edited).jpg" width="486" /></a></div>
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The first issue was that the area with the Walker Zanger Ashbury Tiles were too small (we'll call them the "Walker Zanger squares")...I love this tile, so wanted to have as much of it as possible on that wall. Second, the field tile (which is the travertine tile) was not centered on the Walker Zanger squares. I am totally "Type A" and saw this as soon as we walked in the room. Although it might not seem like that big of a deal to some people, I knew this would drive me absolutely batty every time I saw it. And the third issue is that the space between the two Walker Zanger squares is too wide. Although the Walker Zanger squares are centered above and below and the chair rail, this made the bottom Walker Zanger square feel too low and stubby. But the good news of this pic is that our tub has arrived! It hasn't been installed, so isn't in the correct location, but I am in L-O-V-E with this cast iron beauty! I don't know about you, but I think that claw foot tubs are super sexy, MEOW (see there is a silver lining to every storm cloud)!!! But I digress, so here is a basic sketch of how we plan to fix the tile issue:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FgkcujSdNUw/Ufp3WLBmrbI/AAAAAAAAXt8/eVBZTEpurZc/s1600/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FgkcujSdNUw/Ufp3WLBmrbI/AAAAAAAAXt8/eVBZTEpurZc/s640/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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1. Widen the Walker Zanger squares by 2.5 tiles on each side</div>
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2. Make the top Walker Zanger square go all the way to the top tile</div>
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3. Make the space between the two sets of Walker Zanger squares smaller</div>
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4. Center the field tile (<em>i.e.,</em> the travertine tile above and below the Walker Zanger squares)</div>
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So here we are today at the beginning of the "fixing stage" with the border tiles removed. Breaks my heart!!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JXNS8wAANn0/UfprqqRuIhI/AAAAAAAAXtQ/T1FqH4u19Cs/s1600/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+6+(Edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JXNS8wAANn0/UfprqqRuIhI/AAAAAAAAXtQ/T1FqH4u19Cs/s640/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+6+(Edited).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Oh well! The quicker we rip this band-aide off, the quicker we will be one step closer to finishing this project. Good times!!! So that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Thursday!!!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4z5Dt26vKd0/UNOSf-wtYjI/AAAAAAAAV4k/9Bg-lpntX2E/s1600/Jennifer4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4z5Dt26vKd0/UNOSf-wtYjI/AAAAAAAAV4k/9Bg-lpntX2E/s320/Jennifer4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-73311028994892997982013-07-22T13:51:00.000-05:002014-01-15T09:51:01.376-06:00Vintage Bathroom Remodel - Part 3<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B69tGmG1PwQ/Ue19wWICdPI/AAAAAAAAXqM/7Ru_a5Bn_8Q/s1600/Guest+Bath+Cover+Part+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="596" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B69tGmG1PwQ/Ue19wWICdPI/AAAAAAAAXqM/7Ru_a5Bn_8Q/s640/Guest+Bath+Cover+Part+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Happy Monday everyone! I hope that you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. Things were busy here in Houston, but very productive at the house. As I mentioned last week, not only is <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/07/let-painting-commence.html" target="_blank">painting in in full swing at the casa</a>, but the tile in the upstairs guest bathroom is finally being installed and I am super excited to show you how it is turning out! Back in May, I introduced you to our <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/05/guest-bathroom-remodel-part-1.html" target="_blank">oh-so-loverly guest bathroom</a> and gave you the low down on my plans to give our tiny little "Ode-to-1960's-Wallpaper-and-Tile" guest bath a cool vintage makeover and bring her into the 21st century via the 1920's. I also showed you the newly installed cabinets in my <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/05/guest-bath-remodel-part-two.html" target="_blank">Vintage Bathroom Remodel - Part 2 post here</a>. But, just to jog your memory, here is the layout of the original bathroom below highlighted in yellow:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YdFEbCWlWXw/Ue1on8JFKSI/AAAAAAAAXoA/piGRQ73g9Ec/s1600/Guest+Bath+Layout+Original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YdFEbCWlWXw/Ue1on8JFKSI/AAAAAAAAXoA/piGRQ73g9Ec/s640/Guest+Bath+Layout+Original.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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As you can see, it was a small three piece bath with a single sink, a toilet and a five foot tub. And here are some shots of the bathroom in all her 1960's wallpaper and tile glory:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nhPCRkUIyGE/UYrUdKsbFCI/AAAAAAAAW9I/sfYawatJqbg/s1600/Bathroom+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nhPCRkUIyGE/UYrUdKsbFCI/AAAAAAAAW9I/sfYawatJqbg/s640/Bathroom+1.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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The first picture shows the view into the bathroom from the hallway. And this next picture is a view of the toilet and tub (with my back towards the vanity):<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WV-2Tlxyk1A/UYrUdgLGRNI/AAAAAAAAW9Q/aXfJQu79cBk/s1600/Bathroom+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WV-2Tlxyk1A/UYrUdgLGRNI/AAAAAAAAW9Q/aXfJQu79cBk/s640/Bathroom+2.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Although the bathroom had a fun 1960's vintage feel...it was the wrong era for my vision and just too small. In order to allow two people to get ready in the bathroom at the same time, we decided to expand the bathroom so that we would have a vanity room and a separate shower room. The floor plan below shows the new bathroom highlighted in yellow (with a pocket door that can separate the shower room from the vanity room).</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LRCvj29bYYA/Ue1orMHlFgI/AAAAAAAAXoY/UMSdHqNzvcY/s1600/Guest+Bath+Layout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LRCvj29bYYA/Ue1orMHlFgI/AAAAAAAAXoY/UMSdHqNzvcY/s640/Guest+Bath+Layout.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
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After resolving the space and layout issue, my next task was to create a mood board so that I could see how all the different design elements worked together. This is my original mood board that I created for our "vintage guest bathroom (circa 1920) with a hint of modern flare":</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmTtpfWrXDY/UMYq0LhUXfI/AAAAAAAAVkA/6XhZ8SVRsTA/s1600/OB-Guest+Bathroom+Inspiration+Board" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmTtpfWrXDY/UMYq0LhUXfI/AAAAAAAAVkA/6XhZ8SVRsTA/s640/OB-Guest+Bathroom+Inspiration+Board" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the major design elements that I wanted to incorporate into the vanity room was a "tile floor mat" using a combination of basket weave carrara marble tiles and 12"x12" carrara marble tiles. The "tile floor mat" in this picture was my original inspiration for the space:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s5ME_oXW23o/ULes_kbToaI/AAAAAAAAVVg/hXceX-ZVIu4/s1600/d1e64fb96d19%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s5ME_oXW23o/ULes_kbToaI/AAAAAAAAVVg/hXceX-ZVIu4/s640/d1e64fb96d19%255B1%255D.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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However, in order to work for our guest bathroom, I had to modify the design of the "tile floor mat" from a rectangle to a large "T" shape. This drawing shows the placement of the vanity and linen cabinets as well as the layout of the "tile floor mat" in the vanity section of the guest bathroom:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9qoSaDeG_1Q/Ue1oum6hhQI/AAAAAAAAXpE/gfLid5GqebU/s1600/Guest+Bath+Tile+%236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9qoSaDeG_1Q/Ue1oum6hhQI/AAAAAAAAXpE/gfLid5GqebU/s640/Guest+Bath+Tile+%236.jpg" width="606" /></a></div>
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And here is how the floor looks installed:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KIzNBrQ72DI/Ue1orlXwTKI/AAAAAAAAXqI/JrKz3qpB78w/s1600/Guest+Bath+Tile+%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KIzNBrQ72DI/Ue1orlXwTKI/AAAAAAAAXqI/JrKz3qpB78w/s640/Guest+Bath+Tile+%25231.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
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I am so excited how it turned out and absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!! It is exactly what I envisioned and feels so crisp and clean! Here is another view where you can see how the floor works with the vanity, linen cabinet and wainscoting:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eY9mRrtPkHQ/Ue1osGSDyoI/AAAAAAAAXok/ZYb6DQpEa4k/s1600/Guest+Bath+Tile+%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eY9mRrtPkHQ/Ue1osGSDyoI/AAAAAAAAXok/ZYb6DQpEa4k/s640/Guest+Bath+Tile+%232.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Happy days, happy days, happy days!!! The shower room section of the guest bathroom was too small for a similar floor mat; so we decided to carry the 12"x12" carrara marble tiles throughout that space. You can see the shower room highlighted in yellow below:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4FfZ5u2pglw/Ue1oqFQa_KI/AAAAAAAAXoQ/SQHwCVwDL_s/s1600/Guest+Bath+Layout+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4FfZ5u2pglw/Ue1oqFQa_KI/AAAAAAAAXoQ/SQHwCVwDL_s/s640/Guest+Bath+Layout+2.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
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To keep with the vintage feel in the shower room, I chose white subway tiles for the shower surround. However, with the white carrara marble floors and white subway tiles, I was afraid that the space might end-up looking a bit too institutional with all the square lines. So, to break things up, I added a herringbone feature to the back wall of the shower surround, which is illustrated in the drawing below:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hR2VQU9Dow8/Ue1ovZGL4TI/AAAAAAAAXpQ/doG66NC1BqI/s1600/Guest+Bath+Tile+%237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hR2VQU9Dow8/Ue1ovZGL4TI/AAAAAAAAXpQ/doG66NC1BqI/s640/Guest+Bath+Tile+%237.jpg" width="630" /></a></div>
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I also made sure that the herringbone feature was centered on the pocket door between the vanity room and the shower room so that our guests would see it regardless of which part of the bathroom they were in. This is what she looks like installed (and please note that the herringbone feature is centered on the door, I was just standing at the wrong angle when I took the picture):</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E8fSL_yoOhg/Ue1ouGhTeuI/AAAAAAAAXp0/hPbl9eB6y_s/s1600/Guest+Bath+Tile+%25235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E8fSL_yoOhg/Ue1ouGhTeuI/AAAAAAAAXp0/hPbl9eB6y_s/s640/Guest+Bath+Tile+%25235.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Again, I am LOVE with how it turned out!!! The white subway tiles are so bright and cheery and the herringbone feature adds just enough interest and spice keep the space from being boring! Here is a close-up of the herringbone feature. J'adore!!!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hxfvifg7REI/Ue1otVcjieI/AAAAAAAAXo4/vHwna0h_tI0/s1600/Guest+Bath+Tile+%234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hxfvifg7REI/Ue1otVcjieI/AAAAAAAAXo4/vHwna0h_tI0/s640/Guest+Bath+Tile+%234.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I am so giddy-like-a-school-girl with how everything is coming together!!! It totally makes all the heart-ache and stress of this year-long remodel fade into the background when I get to see my visions come to life! Here's to hoping that I am going to be as in love with the rest of the remodel as things continue to progress!!! I hope that you are enjoying the progress and updates as much as I am. But before we go, let's have one more look at the the before and after (well, progress) pictures!</div>
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SO much better!!! Thank you so much for stopping by and have a wonderful week! </div>
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UPDATE: CLICK HERE TO SEE AN THE FINAL BATHROOM!</div>
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I have linked this post to <a href="http://ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com/2013/07/live-show-me-what-you-got-linky-party-76.html" target="_blank">Our Delightful Home</a>, <a href="http://itssoverycheri.com/2013/07/21/party-time-7-21-2013/" target="_blank">It's So Very Cheri</a>, <a href="http://www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Blackberry Vine</a>, <a href="http://jaysonandashley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Him & Her</a>, <a href="http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Funky Polkadot Giraffe</a>, <a href="http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2013/07/174th-inspire-me-tuesday.html" target="_blank">A Stroll Thru Life</a>, <a href="http://todayscreativeblog.net/" target="_blank">Today's Creative Blog,</a> <a href="http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Coastal Charm</a>, <a href="http://adiamondinthestuff.com/2013/07/time-to-shine-party-no-125.html" target="_blank">A Diamond in the Stuff,</a> <a href="http://ladybug-blessings.com/" target="_blank">Ladybug Blessing,</a> <a href="http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2013/07/one-project-at-a-time-72313.html" target="_blank">A Bowl Full of Lemons,</a> <a href="http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth & Co.</a>, <a href="http://www.hopestudios.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Hope Studios,</a> <a href="http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/2013/07/take-look-tuesday_22.html" target="_blank">Sugarbee Crafts</a>, <a href="http://www.nap-timecreations.com/" target="_blank">Nap-Time Creations</a>, <a href="http://www.salttree.net/2013/07/salttree-social-64.html" target="_blank">Salt Tree,</a> <a href="http://thewinthropchronicles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Winthrop Chronicles</a>, <a href="http://www.myrepurposedlife.com/2013/08/catch-as-catch-can-131.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FPgMj+%28My+Repurposed+Life%29">My Repurposed Life</a>, <a href="http://loveoffamilyandhome.net/2013/08/inspire-me-please-weekend-blog-hop-22.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FzapSY+%28Love+Of+Family+%26+Home%29">For the Love of Family and Home</a>; <a href="http://designdininganddiapers.com/2013/08/inspiration-gallery-link-party-46/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: DesignDiningAndDiapers (Design, Dining and Diapers)">Design, Dining and Diapers</a></div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-62873998959357631702013-07-17T08:53:00.000-05:002013-07-17T08:53:51.819-05:00Let the Painting Commence!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hello everyone! I hope that you are having a great week so far! We just returned from an amazing trip to London, Paris and Bordeaux for one of my dear friend's weddings. The wedding was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and it was so good to spend some time with our Aberdeen friends who we haven't seen for far too long! The renovations continued at the house while we were gone, with tile being installed and the long painting process commencing. So far, the painters <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/06/wonderful-wainscoting.html" target="_blank">have focused primarily on all the wainscoting</a> and trim. L<a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/07/primed-and-ready.html" target="_blank">ast week, I showed you the primed and sanded wood work</a>...but now, we have first coat of paint to the wood work as well (the walls and ceiling paint will come next). It is really cool <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/07/primed-and-ready.html" target="_blank">to see our color pallet</a> finally coming to life! In the words of Homer Simpson...can I get a "WooHoo"?!?!?! </div>
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But before we check out the paint, <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/07/primed-and-ready.html" target="_blank">here are the colors that we have picked for the house</a>:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SpLpfHvSZt8/UdGKc5XEjuI/AAAAAAAAXgM/_5hHX9MH-tM/s1600/Wainscotting+10+(Tagged).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SpLpfHvSZt8/UdGKc5XEjuI/AAAAAAAAXgM/_5hHX9MH-tM/s640/Wainscotting+10+(Tagged).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So now, onto the dining room and the living room. As you can see in the picture above, we are painting the wainscoting and trim a dark brown color called Bronzetone 60 from Benjamin Moore. Here is a view of the dining room from the living room:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--irOXPJLppI/UeaNZvdIUjI/AAAAAAAAXks/ztR9_8o_rUQ/s1600/Painted+Wainscoting+2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--irOXPJLppI/UeaNZvdIUjI/AAAAAAAAXks/ztR9_8o_rUQ/s640/Painted+Wainscoting+2b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love the rich color of the wainscoting. However, to keep the rooms from turning into black holes, are going to paint the walls a dark cream color by Ralph Lauren called Plaza Blanca. The color is from their suede collection which will also give a subtle texture to the walls. Here is another view of the dining room and the painted wainscoting. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HGIrgbCJwfE/UeaNa9HXG7I/AAAAAAAAXk0/0AHYIU6w020/s1600/Painted+Wainscoting+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HGIrgbCJwfE/UeaNa9HXG7I/AAAAAAAAXk0/0AHYIU6w020/s640/Painted+Wainscoting+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On the stairwell, we are using a custom cream color for the wainscoting. We chose to paint the stairwell cream because the color scheme upstairs is different than the color scheme downstairs...specifically, we are going to have bright white wainscoting and light gray walls upstairs. So, in order not to have such a drastic change from downstair's cream walls and brown wainscoting to the upstair's gray walls and white wainscoting, we are using the stairwell as a transition area and will have cream wainscoting with the same Ralph Lauren Plaza Blanca color on the walls. Here is a picture of the stairwell...although the color isn't showing quite right (it is more cream than white). </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NI7EcHK7GgA/UeaNb2yDMiI/AAAAAAAAXmI/Ts4mIMF4YPQ/s1600/Painted+Wainscoting+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NI7EcHK7GgA/UeaNb2yDMiI/AAAAAAAAXmI/Ts4mIMF4YPQ/s640/Painted+Wainscoting+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here is another picture of the stairwell where you can see the wainscoting a bit better.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dbkd2lvEqJA/UeaNchmYqkI/AAAAAAAAXmg/8Qvy8NzV4O0/s1600/Painted+Wainscoting+1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dbkd2lvEqJA/UeaNchmYqkI/AAAAAAAAXmg/8Qvy8NzV4O0/s640/Painted+Wainscoting+1a.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And here is the upstairs hallway with all the wainscoting, baseboards and crown molding painted.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l_ll4x4Qo0k/UeaNd3l1zDI/AAAAAAAAXm0/VrVArQ33ERQ/s1600/Painted+Wainscoting+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l_ll4x4Qo0k/UeaNd3l1zDI/AAAAAAAAXm0/VrVArQ33ERQ/s640/Painted+Wainscoting+4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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We are also painting the wainscoting in the reclaimed attic bright white. And in this picture, you can see the hidden doors that open up to major storage in the eaves of the attic.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DDGVCntWw2Y/UeaNfDpiQUI/AAAAAAAAXnM/y6LhlfmTLB8/s1600/Painted+Wainscoting+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DDGVCntWw2Y/UeaNfDpiQUI/AAAAAAAAXnM/y6LhlfmTLB8/s640/Painted+Wainscoting+5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And here is a picture of another upstairs bedroom. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFvmwY_6CRQ/UeaNgGZNbmI/AAAAAAAAXnk/4Gg9ErSTdBk/s1600/Painted+Wainscoting+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFvmwY_6CRQ/UeaNgGZNbmI/AAAAAAAAXnk/4Gg9ErSTdBk/s640/Painted+Wainscoting+7.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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We previously painted the walls blue (I was going for a Wedgwood look) and are keeping the same color scheme. However, we are repainting this room because we had to fix the chair rail and baseboard when we relocated the entrance door. I LOVE the combo of the blue walls and white trim..it is very peaceful and relaxing to me. So that is all for now. I hope you enjoyed seeing the painting progress that we are making around the house. Thanks so much for stopping by! </div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-32457912898073288972013-07-02T08:43:00.000-05:002013-07-02T08:43:54.955-05:00Walker Zanger Ashbury Tile - Master Bathroom<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi everyone! Hope that you are having a great short week so far. Only one more day till the July 4th holiday and long weekend starts. I cannot wait to celebrate! Yesterday, however, I received an early present that definitely helped to kick-off this week with a bang...our Walker Zanger Ashbury tiles FINALLY arrived after three long months on back order. But boy oh boy were these babies worth the wait...they are absolutely GORGEOUS! I am in L-O-V-E!!!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKWFGzAFTew/UdLVJUYuvqI/AAAAAAAAXj0/qpjcfu2qcyE/s1600/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKWFGzAFTew/UdLVJUYuvqI/AAAAAAAAXj0/qpjcfu2qcyE/s640/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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These little beauties are going to be installed on a feature wall in our master bathroom shower. I love the Moroccan shape and the soft turquoise color will go great with our travertine tiles. Here are some awesome inspiration pictures of how you can use these tiles. First, they are phenomenal in a shower:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.decorpad.com/photo.htm?photoId=93685&currentPage=0&index=14&relatedPhotoId=" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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And look amazing as a bathroom back splash:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLikTp0jbok/UdLVNrOTDnI/AAAAAAAAXkM/CxgM18-i-LE/s600/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLikTp0jbok/UdLVNrOTDnI/AAAAAAAAXkM/CxgM18-i-LE/s640/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://walkerzangerblog.com/tag/chevron/" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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They look pretty sweet when used for a kitchen backslash too:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wzv2FO4CyS8/UdLVPDYtKHI/AAAAAAAAXkU/svKVvHRMXHs/s575/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wzv2FO4CyS8/UdLVPDYtKHI/AAAAAAAAXkU/svKVvHRMXHs/s640/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pureabundance.blogspot.com/2012/07/home-design-inspiration.html#!/2012/07/home-design-inspiration.html" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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Or, if you don't want to use them for the entire back splash, they look great behind the stove and create a wonder feature wall:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LZ6dotQSEUY/UdLVMmi4D6I/AAAAAAAAXkE/70H-rR65usc/s695/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LZ6dotQSEUY/UdLVMmi4D6I/AAAAAAAAXkE/70H-rR65usc/s640/Walker+Zanger+Ashbury+Tile+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here</td></tr>
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I absolutely cannot wait to see what they look like installed in the bathroom! Tile is supposed to start being installed this Friday, so hopefully I will have some picture updates for you next week. Take care and have a great Tuesday! Thanks for stopping by!!!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LwMvG1PVHMQ/UR2ylQ0bF_I/AAAAAAAAWnc/ZY6-DI1DjM0/s391/Jennifer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LwMvG1PVHMQ/UR2ylQ0bF_I/AAAAAAAAWnc/ZY6-DI1DjM0/s320/Jennifer.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-81695281453202590242013-07-01T10:23:00.000-05:002013-07-01T10:37:36.651-05:00Primed and Ready!!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Good Monday morning to you all! I hope that you had a great weekend. It was HOT this weekend in Houston (109 degrees on Saturday); however, the sun was shining, so I was a happy gal! But what is crazy, Houston's 109 was nothing compared to Vegas, which recorded 127 degrees with sidewalks clocking in at 150 degrees. Yowzers!!! That's-a-one-spicy-meat-a-ball! Things are also heating up at Casa de Mosley - the painters arrived last week and started priming and prepping all the walls and woodwork. I have been so excited about this major step towards completing our project that I have been running around like a crazy person (a la Paul Revere style) shouting to the rafters and anyone that will listen that "The Painters are Coming! The Painters are Coming! The Painters Are Coming!!!" </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2012/04/paul-reveres-ride-onethird-rule/" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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Last week I showed you <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/06/wonderful-wainscoting.html" target="_blank">the wainscoting that we added throughout the house</a>. And here's the dining room wainscoting all primed and ready to go!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3zAmur4LOqk/UdGKUUWvpEI/AAAAAAAAXf0/rfJvuYXSGcY/s1600/Wainscotting+7+(Tagged).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3zAmur4LOqk/UdGKUUWvpEI/AAAAAAAAXf0/rfJvuYXSGcY/s640/Wainscotting+7+(Tagged).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I absolutely LOVE how the wainscoting looks primed and how it is all coming together! The painters still have to put a skim coat over the middle panels on the wainscoting to make it them super smooth, but we are definitely heading in the right direction! Here is a closer view of the dining room wainscoting.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4RjVO0g5vQY/UdGKXHn8w0I/AAAAAAAAXf8/uKrOSVRa9Ng/s1600/Wainscotting+8+(Tagged).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4RjVO0g5vQY/UdGKXHn8w0I/AAAAAAAAXf8/uKrOSVRa9Ng/s640/Wainscotting+8+(Tagged).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is a view taken from the front corner of the dining room looking back towards the living room. As you can see, they also have the crown and baseboards all primed in there too!</div>
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Since the primer is up, it was time for Mattey and me to buckle down and make our final decisions on paint colors for the walls and trim throughout the house. And here is what we have come up with so far:</div>
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The two middle colors are what we are using for the walls downstairs. The second sample board from the right is Ralph Lauren Suede Plaza Blanca, which we are using on the living room, the foyer and the stairwell walls. It is a deep rich cream color, which will give a lot of warmth to the rooms. We chose Ralph Lauren's suede finish (instead of regular flat paint) because the suede paint gives a subtle texture and added depth. I am all about layering textures when decorating, and using a suede paint is a super easy way to add a layer texture to the whole room in one fair swoop. Our dining room walls will be the second color from the left, which is Ralph Lauren Suede Cordova Cream. Like the walls in the living room, foyer, and stairwell, we also are using a suede finish in the dining room; however, this color is just a bit darker than the Plaza Blanca and will help set-off the dining room from the rest of the downstairs space without screaming "Hey look at me!!! I'm different!!!!!" Since tans and creams can become a bit boring, we are adding interest by going DARK with the trim (instead of your typical white). We have picked Benjamin Moore's Bronzetone 60 (the far left color on the trim sample board). It isn't on Benjamin Moore's website, but you can get a sample made at any of their stores. This is because Bronzetone 60 is actually a commercial color that they sell to manufacturers and is typically used to paint machinery. That might sound a bit strange; however, the color is FABULOUS! It it super rich with a ton of depth. We love the look of light walls with dark trim, and previously had this look out in our game room, which you can see below.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kk4SokWFkRA/UdGLBFA3unI/AAAAAAAAXgU/KZ8lqwc8whE/s1600/New+Dormer+View+18+(Progress+Tag).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kk4SokWFkRA/UdGLBFA3unI/AAAAAAAAXgU/KZ8lqwc8whE/s1600/New+Dormer+View+18+(Progress+Tag).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kk4SokWFkRA/UdGLBFA3unI/AAAAAAAAXgU/KZ8lqwc8whE/s640/New+Dormer+View+18+(Progress+Tag).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The walls in the game room were Ralph Lauren Suede Silver City and the trim was Ralph Lauren Turret Stair. Although I love this look (and we are using the same color combo in the new game room), I thought it was a bit too dark and too tan for downstairs (I feel like we will be locked into a distinctly tan color pallet if we go this dark). Instead, I wanted a lighter feel for the downstairs and more flexible pallet. The back room in the picture below is a good example of the look I am going for:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/projects/40803/City--McDougald-Residence" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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And here is a good example of how the dining room will look with the dark wainscoting and light walls.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/projects/40803/City--McDougald-Residence" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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I think that house is so dreamy and am praying to the paint gods that our house will look as good when we are finished! Like the picture above, we will are using a light cream for the wainscoting on the stairwell. Although all the other trim downstairs will be dark, I decided not to carry the dark trim up the stairwell. This is because we are painting the walls upstairs in the study and the hallway a greige color (so that it will blend with the Plaza Blanca) and painting the trim a bright crisp white, and I thought that dark wainscoting on the stairwell would be too much contrast with the white wainscoting and woodwork in the upstairs study and hallway, which you can see in the picture below.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SpLpfHvSZt8/UdGKc5XEjuI/AAAAAAAAXgM/_5hHX9MH-tM/s1600/Wainscotting+10+(Tagged).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SpLpfHvSZt8/UdGKc5XEjuI/AAAAAAAAXgM/_5hHX9MH-tM/s640/Wainscotting+10+(Tagged).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The far left color board is Sherwin Williams Fleur De Sel and is the color that we chose for the walls in the upstairs hallway and the study. I wanted upstairs to be a grey and white pallet, but needed to choose a grey that would blend well with the Plaza Blanca since you will see the stairwell walls and the hallway/study walls when you are upstairs. This turned out to be a far more difficult task than I originally anticipated because the Plaza Blanca is a warm color and most greys out there are cool. So in order for the two not to clash, I had to find a grey with some tan undertones. After trying about 15 different greys (greys are so freak'n difficult), I lucked upon Fleur De Sel. It is a pretty light grey with a hint of beige undertones and blends great with the Plaza Blanca. SCORE!!! For the trim and wainscoting, we are using Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace, which is the middle white on the trim sample board. This is a super bright white and pops like crazy against the Fleur De Sel. I love it because it will make the upstairs hallway bright and airy (and this is super important to me since there are no windows in the hallway and the space could easily turn into a cave if the paint is too dark). The color on the far right of trim sample board is Sherwin Williams Snowbound and is what we have picked for the ceiling color. We chose this color because we needed something that will blend with both the Plaza Blanca and the Fleur De Sel...and Snowbound is a rock star chameleon that looks great with both colors. And finally, the color block on the far right is Benjamin Moors Pure White. We are using this color on the walls in the upstairs guest bathroom and the Laundry Room. Although it is called Pure White, it is a lovely cool grey and works really well with the Carrara Marble counter tops that we have in the laundry room and guest bathroom. For the trim in those rooms, we are going with Chantilly Lace again to Keep Pop'n you proud Popper! I am counting down the days till the paint is up so I can see how it all comes together! I hope that you have enjoyed seeing some of our paint choices!!! I'll keep you posted as the progress continues. Have a wonderful week everyone, and if we don't talk before, have a very HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!! Thanks for stopping by!</div>
Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-50741236247332928232013-06-26T11:11:00.000-05:002013-07-02T11:23:34.662-05:00Wonderful Wainscoting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x0QcohioemU/UcnyEcVjWzI/AAAAAAAAXeo/eJqsDOONEsY/s1600/Wainscoting+1+(cover+A).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x0QcohioemU/UcnyEcVjWzI/AAAAAAAAXeo/eJqsDOONEsY/s640/Wainscoting+1+(cover+A).jpg" width="510" /></a></div>
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Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope that you are all having a great week so far. I can't believe that June is almost over and we are going to celebrate the fourth of July next week! Between being slammed at work and trying to get the house finished, this summer has absolutely flown by. We are continuing to make progress at the house, and are still aiming for an end-of-July move-in. Woohoo! But enough about move-in dates...let's dish about my latest crush at the house....our delish wainscoting! Ever since we bought the house and I started dreaming of renovation ideas, I knew that wainscoting would be incorporated into the mix. I absolutely LOVE the look of traditional wainscoting and how it can add some glam and class to an otherwise ho-hum room. Like this beauty...can I say "Hello LOVER!!!!"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/8ec1bac10f6cba8d_8-4710/traditional-entry.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/discussions/161349/What-color-is-the-wainscoting--If-I-didn-t" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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I also love how amazing full-wall wainscoting looks when paired with retro dental molding...100% drool-worthy in my book:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v9v9jpOtvug/UcsJgjszTjI/AAAAAAAAXfQ/4F2TFl1AhQY/s1600/Molding+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v9v9jpOtvug/UcsJgjszTjI/AAAAAAAAXfQ/4F2TFl1AhQY/s640/Molding+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Although we did inherit wainscoting when we purchased the house...it wasn't exactly what I had envisioned. Here is our living room/dining room/entryway in all of its retro 1960's paneling and wallpaper glory:<br />
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And here she was after a couple of coats of neutral paint: </div>
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Although she was brought a bit closer to the twenty-first century with some neutral paint...the look still wasn't living up to the wainscoting visions dancing in my head. But hey, that is what this reno is all about...taking a house whose footprint we loved and making it our own! So without further ado, let's check-out the progress that we have made on my wainscoting dreams. Here is the dining room after it was extended five feet and the walls were taped and floated:<br />
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And here is another view of the dining room after walls were fully primed:</div>
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Although I think the room looks much better than it did before, it still didn't have a wow factor. So here is the dining room today with the wainscoting and trim installed:<br />
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And here is another view looking towards the front windows:</div>
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We continued the wainscoting up the stairs...which I talked about <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/05/replacing-staircase-from-h-e-double.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/05/replacing-staircase-from-h-e-double_17.html" target="_blank">here</a> with the staircase reveal.</div>
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But we didn't stop there. Remember the long upstairs hallway that connects the stair landing with the bedrooms and guest bath:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mXmH9eAiOmo/UcntdZN0OGI/AAAAAAAAXeg/fHiHKLsdY6Q/s1600/Drywall+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mXmH9eAiOmo/UcntdZN0OGI/AAAAAAAAXeg/fHiHKLsdY6Q/s640/Drywall+15.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Well, not to be left out, she also got a fashionable upgrade with some lovely wainscoting too:</div>
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And last but not least, we updated the wainscoting in the room above the garage....but that wainscoting has a special surprise, so I will show it to you in a second post this week! Seeing all the wainscoting makes me giddy like a school girl! I can't wait to see what it looks like once it is painted and the walls have some color. What about you guys, does anyone else love them some wainscoting? Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!!!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-__0WnYWwVzw/URTwHxS4sWI/AAAAAAAAWcs/aEA9o-eSOIo/s1600/Jennifer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-__0WnYWwVzw/URTwHxS4sWI/AAAAAAAAWcs/aEA9o-eSOIo/s320/Jennifer.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am sharing this post on <a href="http://www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blackberry Vine</a>, <a href="http://www.craftyconfessions.com/" target="_blank">Crafty Confessions,</a> <a href="http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/tutorials/tutorials-tips-link-party-116.html" target="_blank">Home Stories A to Z</a>, <a href="http://todayscreativeblog.net/get-your-craft-on-no-109-2/#more-22344" target="_blank">Today's Creative Blog</a>, <a href="http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Coastal Charm,</a> <a href="http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth & Co.</a>Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-76449487045303461502013-06-06T08:47:00.000-05:002013-06-06T09:12:10.613-05:00{Trip Report} Ireland & Scotland 2013<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hello everyone and happy Thursday! Sorry that I have been AWOL for the past two weeks, but we were on vacation ringing in Mattey's BIG 4-0! We ventured across the pond to Ireland and Scotland, where we drank our weight in Guinness and ate our weight in haggis.....mmmmmmmm, haggis. We also visited some amazing castles and gardens:</div>
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<strike>Played some amazing golf</strike> Played golf at some amazing courses, including The Old Course at St. Andrews (SCORE!!!!):</div>
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But hands down the best part of the trip - making amazing memories with some of our dearest friends!</div>
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Oh, and believe it or not, it only rained for a grand total of 45 minutes the entire 12 days that we were in Ireland and Scotland!!! How fantastic is that?!?! It made me jump for joy several times throughout the trip (eeehhhheeemmm....cue obligatory vacation-jumping-photo)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r4RdjRUxZLM/UbCMEKG7vJI/AAAAAAAAXbA/b0SEt1ZjeIA/s1600/Dunnottar+Castle+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r4RdjRUxZLM/UbCMEKG7vJI/AAAAAAAAXbA/b0SEt1ZjeIA/s640/Dunnottar+Castle+1.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunnoottar Castle, Stonehaven, Scotland</td></tr>
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I am putting together a full trip report for each of the cities that we visited (Dublin, Aberdeen, St. Andrews and Edinburgh) along with some hotel, restaurant, site-seeing, and insider tips...but wanted to drop in an say hello in the mean time! Oh, I will also give you some updates on the casa too...but long story short, it still isn't finished and we still are looking at the end of July for our target move-in date. Fingers crossed! I hope that you have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!</div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-49919231585063487822013-05-17T05:30:00.000-05:002013-05-17T09:43:03.384-05:00Replacing the Staircase from "H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks" with a Heavenly Staircase (Part 2)<div style="text-align: justify;">
Happy Friday world! Another week has flown by; are you guys ready for the weekend? I sure am! My weekend is going to be super busy and filled with running all sorts of errands for the house. I have to pick out door knobs, cabinet pulls, stone for the fire place and light fixtures...but that means I get to go shopping, so needless to say, I am thrilled! Woohoo! <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/05/replacing-staircase-from-h-e-double.html" target="_blank">Yesterday I brought you up to speed on the staircase remodel.</a> As I mentioned, here is what the death-trap, break-your-neck-and-your-shoes staircase looked like before the remodel began.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pelI7Ts80zo/UMjprGQWmxI/AAAAAAAAVt4/DHwK2QD7ozw/s1600/New+Stairs+View+00+%2528Before+Tab%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pelI7Ts80zo/UMjprGQWmxI/AAAAAAAAVt4/DHwK2QD7ozw/s640/New+Stairs+View+00+%2528Before+Tab%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is what the new staircase looked like once it was relocated and elongated.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x8rTokxSoOU/UZPTL4EhVdI/AAAAAAAAXXU/_osDOot_h1w/s1600/Stairs+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x8rTokxSoOU/UZPTL4EhVdI/AAAAAAAAXXU/_osDOot_h1w/s640/Stairs+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/05/replacing-staircase-from-h-e-double.html" target="_blank">As I mentioned yesterday</a>, after wading through all the options (glass, metal, wood, wire, none), I decided to use metal balusters with wooden newel posts. I chose the metal balusters because I like the fact that they bring a bit of a rustic feel to our otherwise traditional living room (we have wainscoting all over the place, including the stairwell) and are somewhat masculine for my husband. However, just because the stairs would be a bit rustic and masculine, I still wanted to infuse some glam and pretty for me. So chose I chose a mixture of the large double-S balusters, double twist balusters and single twist balusters, and came up with this design:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MFp0i-r4OcU/UZPTUZskFHI/AAAAAAAAXYc/ajZICH3hKac/s1600/Stairs+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MFp0i-r4OcU/UZPTUZskFHI/AAAAAAAAXYc/ajZICH3hKac/s640/Stairs+10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Soooooo, after the wainscoting was complete and the balusters and newel posts were installed, we ended up with this as our finished product:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aeufRj87vCk/UZPTRn8vt0I/AAAAAAAAXX8/AiGdr6vgyfY/s1600/Stairs+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aeufRj87vCk/UZPTRn8vt0I/AAAAAAAAXX8/AiGdr6vgyfY/s640/Stairs+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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AND I L-O-V-E IT!!!! I am so excited with how our new staircase turned out! The wainscoting and large wooden newel posts satisfy my traditional side, while the metal balusters make the rustic-glam loving gal in me giddy like a school girl. I was busting out some hardcore Carlton, Roger Rabbit, Running Man and every other happy dance you can possibly imagine when I finally saw the finished product! Progress and pretty...happy days oh happy days! Here is the view looking up the staircase towards the second story landing.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BAdgAfPAFIU/UZPTSk2wO_I/AAAAAAAAXYs/TK6godXKuv0/s1600/Stairs+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BAdgAfPAFIU/UZPTSk2wO_I/AAAAAAAAXYs/TK6godXKuv0/s640/Stairs+3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And here is what the staircase and banister look like from the second story. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pY0TVj9qEoE/UZPTTIvY8lI/AAAAAAAAXYM/pP0AAyBYjOM/s1600/Stairs+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pY0TVj9qEoE/UZPTTIvY8lI/AAAAAAAAXYM/pP0AAyBYjOM/s640/Stairs+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love the fact that the double-S balusters are feminine and sexy. I can't wait to see what everything looks like once it is painted...although we still have to figure out what colors everything will be.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pb5hn3gDLwM/UZPTTzh2WpI/AAAAAAAAXYw/EWyXsHVDIbw/s1600/Stairs+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pb5hn3gDLwM/UZPTTzh2WpI/AAAAAAAAXYw/EWyXsHVDIbw/s640/Stairs+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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So the progress keeps coming slowly, slowy, slowy. Now onto the next projects, which are granite and tile installation. I will update you on that fun stuff next week! Wish me luck with my shopping extravaganza this weekend. And I hope that you have a wonderful weekend too! Thanks for stopping by!!!</div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-44051369402242284892013-05-16T05:30:00.000-05:002013-05-21T11:22:14.675-05:00Replacing the Staircase from "H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks" with a Heavenly Staircase<div style="text-align: justify;">
Happy Wednesday everyone! We are half-way through the week and I hope that it has been a great one for you so far! Today we are going to check out the progress on the stair case. Back in December, I told you that one of the big motivating factors for the remodel was to <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2012/12/stairway-to-heaven.html" target="_blank">fix the killer staircase</a> that lived in our house. Basically, the staircase was super steep because the stairs were extremely narrow (each step was only about 7 inches long) and extremely steep (each step was a different height). And, unfortunately, when you combined the fact that my closet was upstairs with my weakness for 5 inch heels and my propensity for being late...you ended up with this scene playing out in our house on a weekly basis:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8_ASSn9O9Lo/UZPk-ih4yTI/AAAAAAAAXZM/-CV_eXtN03Y/s1600/Stairs+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8_ASSn9O9Lo/UZPk-ih4yTI/AAAAAAAAXZM/-CV_eXtN03Y/s640/Stairs+11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And on a complete side note, although I am 5' 9.5" (can't forget that 1/2 inch), I belong to the school of thought that heels make your legs look pretty. To me, the taller the heel the better! This is a view of the death-trap stairs from our dining room before we started the remodel.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GAPROBBq1Ns/UKuo-iQvqFI/AAAAAAAAVMs/3BUYtS_3EV8/s1600/Dining+Room+View+1+%2528Pre-Demo+Before+Tag%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GAPROBBq1Ns/UKuo-iQvqFI/AAAAAAAAVMs/3BUYtS_3EV8/s640/Dining+Room+View+1+%2528Pre-Demo+Before+Tag%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is a close-up of the steep little buggers pre-renovation. Not good I tell ya, not good at all!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UcrmDEWC-2Y/UKunxG9wZNI/AAAAAAAAVL8/rYn980YuON0/s1600/Stairs+%2528Pre-Demo+Before+Tag%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UcrmDEWC-2Y/UKunxG9wZNI/AAAAAAAAVL8/rYn980YuON0/s640/Stairs+%2528Pre-Demo+Before+Tag%2529.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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To resolve the steepness factor, we moved the staircase against the front wall of the house, which allowed us to make the staircase much longer and install regulation stairs. Here is our original floor plan that shows the location of the stairs before the renovation started (they are highlighted in yellow). </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BhIR584V1HY/UZQiYLg7UiI/AAAAAAAAXZc/WbhfzJxq-Uc/s1600/Existing+First+Floor+(Edited).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BhIR584V1HY/UZQiYLg7UiI/AAAAAAAAXZc/WbhfzJxq-Uc/s640/Existing+First+Floor+(Edited).jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
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And this is our new floor plan that show where the stairs have been relocated.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l-GjomZP0fE/UZQiZDK_TWI/AAAAAAAAXZk/owq85WJODV8/s1600/Final+First+Floor+Plans+(081512)+(Clean).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l-GjomZP0fE/UZQiZDK_TWI/AAAAAAAAXZk/owq85WJODV8/s640/Final+First+Floor+Plans+(081512)+(Clean).jpg" width="468" /></a></div>
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An added bonus of moving the stairs was that it completely opened the space between the entryway and the living room so that the living room became one large space instead of a decent sized living room and an awkward "foyer". You can see really see the difference in the space in this picture of the new staircase that was taken from the dining room once the drywall was in. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x8rTokxSoOU/UZPTL4EhVdI/AAAAAAAAXXU/_osDOot_h1w/s1600/Stairs+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x8rTokxSoOU/UZPTL4EhVdI/AAAAAAAAXXU/_osDOot_h1w/s640/Stairs+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is another view of the new staircase after the wood floors were installed.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AK7bx76o2B4/UZPTOmsKiPI/AAAAAAAAXXc/De5PVjmxJyg/s1600/Stairs+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="522" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AK7bx76o2B4/UZPTOmsKiPI/AAAAAAAAXXc/De5PVjmxJyg/s640/Stairs+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A couple weeks ago the trim carpenters came out and installed the wooden treads and started on the wainscoting.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EvbtHzs5Lwo/UZPTP9UEBYI/AAAAAAAAXXs/QKlStr4_GA0/s1600/Stairs+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EvbtHzs5Lwo/UZPTP9UEBYI/AAAAAAAAXXs/QKlStr4_GA0/s640/Stairs+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is what the stairs looked like after the treads were installed. So pretty!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NpR-bsXC0dg/UZPTQl76t3I/AAAAAAAAXYo/VjtauJQ4QgY/s1600/Stairs+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NpR-bsXC0dg/UZPTQl76t3I/AAAAAAAAXYo/VjtauJQ4QgY/s640/Stairs+5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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After the treads were installed, I got to pick out the balusters and newel posts. This seems like a simple task, but there as so many different options to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming. First, you can have metal railings with glass walls like the staircase in Apple's Paris store: </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IZpQjAALJU4/UZZC3dipv0I/AAAAAAAAXZ0/gFAdbv7BfK4/s1600/staircase-071108-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IZpQjAALJU4/UZZC3dipv0I/AAAAAAAAXZ0/gFAdbv7BfK4/s640/staircase-071108-2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Although I think this is super cool...this look is too modern for our house. A second option is metal poles and wires. </div>
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Again, a bit too modern for the look that we are going for. Also, since we are planing on adding kiddos to the mix at some point, I am afraid that the wires would scare the living daylights out of me once the little ones became mobile. A third option are wooden balusters and newel posts, like this beauty:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://turquoisetulipsandbliss.blogspot.com/2011/01/wainscoting-wednesday.html" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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I love everything about this picture. The dark floors, the dark treads on the stairs, the wainscoting and the large craftsman newel post. In my book, this is a stunning example of traditional architecture and design. Although I love this look, another option is metal balusters, like this: </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sandandsisal.com/2012/01/20-stunning-staircases.html" target="_blank">Here</a></td></tr>
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Again...this baby is 100% drool-worthy to me! What I really love about this look is that it combines traditional furniture, wainscoting and columns with a rustic (yet super glamorous) metal banister. The only problem here is the price tag that this bad boy comes with. I don't know for sure how much the banister costs, but I can pretty much assure you just by looking at it that it is well beyond our budget. So that leaves us with the least expensive option around...</div>
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Just saying "for-get-about-it!" to the newel post and balusters all together and opting for a floating staircase! How amazingly cool is that?!?! But, going back to the child fear factor issue (and my own safety considering I have issues walking down stairs in 5" heels), these guys aren't going to cut it either. So, Matt and I ultimately decided that we loved the mixture of traditional wainscoting with rustic metal balusters. However, in order to keep the pretty factor that metal banister above has, I decided to start with this swirly beauty as my base: </div>
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I then went online and found a website with a "design-your-own-staircase" application and created this layout for our staircase...which is a mixture of the double "S" balusters, single twist balusters and double twist balusters (because I thought that all "S" balusters would be too much and by spreading them apart, it makes the "S's" really pop).</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MFp0i-r4OcU/UZPTUZskFHI/AAAAAAAAXYc/ajZICH3hKac/s1600/Stairs+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MFp0i-r4OcU/UZPTUZskFHI/AAAAAAAAXYc/ajZICH3hKac/s640/Stairs+10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/05/replacing-staircase-from-h-e-double_17.html" target="_blank">I will report back tomorrow with the finished product</a>! What about you guys, what type of staircase would you like in your home? Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fantastic Thursday!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LwMvG1PVHMQ/UR2ylQ0bF_I/AAAAAAAAWnc/ZY6-DI1DjM0/s1600/Jennifer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="78" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LwMvG1PVHMQ/UR2ylQ0bF_I/AAAAAAAAWnc/ZY6-DI1DjM0/s400/Jennifer.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am sharing this post on <a href="http://www.justusfourblog.com/2013/05/pinworthy-projects-party-63/" target="_blank">Pinworthy Project</a>, <a href="http://www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Blackberry Vine</a>, <a href="http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Funky Polkadot Giraffe,</a> <a href="http://www.craftyconfessions.com/" target="_blank">Crafty Confessions,</a> <a href="http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/tutorials/tutorials-tips-link-party-109.html" target="_blank">Home Stories A to Z</a>, <a href="http://todayscreativeblog.net/get-our-craft-on-102/" target="_blank">Today's Creative Blog,</a> <a href="http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth and Co.,</a> <a href="http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Coastal Charm,</a> <a href="http://www.hopestudios.blogspot.com/2013/05/tutorial-tuesday_14.html" target="_blank">Hope Studios</a> and <a href="http://www.loveoffamilyandhome.net/2013/05/inspire-me-please-weekend-blog-hop-11.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FzapSY+%28Love+Of+Family+%26+Home%29" target="_blank">Inspire Me Please Projects</a></div>
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Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125741390247433912.post-84249656225824730642013-05-13T11:07:00.002-05:002013-05-14T09:47:51.987-05:00Vintage Bathroom Remodel - Part Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TWXQrtEuggM/UZJKS10LmjI/AAAAAAAAXXE/60NMNc0U68Y/s1600/Guest+Bath+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="596" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TWXQrtEuggM/UZJKS10LmjI/AAAAAAAAXXE/60NMNc0U68Y/s640/Guest+Bath+Cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Happy Monday everyone! I hope that you all had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend and were able to enjoy a lot of QT with your mama's and babies! Matt and had a great weekend and had fun on our "Tour O Mom's" yesterday. It was wonderful to spend time with everyone...and in honor of Mother's Day, here is one of my all time favorite pictures of my Mama and me from our last pilgrimage to the mother land - AKA Disney World - enjoying hot cocoa and cookies at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GhaT_Z_2ro8/UZD_S3_q7HI/AAAAAAAAXWo/1YO4wafqm60/s1600/Mom+and+Me+at+Disney's+Very+Merry+Christmas+Party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="572" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GhaT_Z_2ro8/UZD_S3_q7HI/AAAAAAAAXWo/1YO4wafqm60/s640/Mom+and+Me+at+Disney's+Very+Merry+Christmas+Party.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We are both HUGE Disney nuts and this picture pretty much sums us up perfectly when we are there...100% kids 100% of the time. I mean, what's better than sporting your ears, stepping back into childhood and leaving the real world behind at the Happiest Place On Earth? Not too much in my book!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0aqU2-6fWI/UZEDp1RV2II/AAAAAAAAXW0/Z9ExX5NcGLE/s1600/Mom+and+Me+at+Disney+World+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0aqU2-6fWI/UZEDp1RV2II/AAAAAAAAXW0/Z9ExX5NcGLE/s640/Mom+and+Me+at+Disney+World+(1).jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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After looking at these pics, I am geared up for another trip to Disney World! It doesn't take much I tell ya! So now, let's venture from the Happy Place on Earth, to "Jennifer's-Soon-To-Be-Happiest-Place-On-Earth-At-Some-Point-In-The-Near-Future-Please-Dear-Lord". Today we are heading back upstairs to the Guest Bathroom. So much progress has been happening over the past few weeks, it's amazing! I get super giddy just thinking about it! Last week I showed you where <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/05/guest-bathroom-remodel-part-1.html" target="_blank">the Guest Bathroom started before the remodel kicked off and the beginning of demoing</a> the old gal. And here is what she looked liked once demo was complete, all the 1960's wall paper, tile and drywall was removed and she was down to her bare bones. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VK5Lwep-VWI/UZD97mpM6tI/AAAAAAAAXWc/3qK-i0l-FKo/s1600/Bathroom+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VK5Lwep-VWI/UZD97mpM6tI/AAAAAAAAXWc/3qK-i0l-FKo/s640/Bathroom+13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Don't worry, she's not modest! Once we got her down to the studs, we repositioned a few walls to create the new and improved Guest Bathroom with a Shower Room and a Vanity/Storage Room, which you can see highlighted in yellow in the blueprint below.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i2ZAdgR3fsc/UYrWVdR7iBI/AAAAAAAAW-0/5HJyW2ZxNsA/s1600/Final+Second+Floor+Plans+%2528081512%2529+%2528clean%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i2ZAdgR3fsc/UYrWVdR7iBI/AAAAAAAAW-0/5HJyW2ZxNsA/s640/Final+Second+Floor+Plans+%2528081512%2529+%2528clean%2529.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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Here is the Vanity/Storage Room after the plumbing was relocated, the new window installed, the dry wall was up and fully taped and floated.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2eKMc9O-SzQ/UZD8D9O-T-I/AAAAAAAAXWI/57Q9gDkK9hA/s1600/Drywall+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2eKMc9O-SzQ/UZD8D9O-T-I/AAAAAAAAXWI/57Q9gDkK9hA/s640/Drywall+14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In this room, <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2012/12/taking-it-back-to-old-school.html" target="_blank">we are going for a retro 1920's feel</a> with white subway tiles, basket weave carrara marble floors, medicine cabinets, dark vanities and hotel style linens. Here is my inspiration board for the room.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zeRWL8QJT6Q/UMZSoVO-k6I/AAAAAAAAVps/f_-ezvuA9l8/s1600/OB-Guest+Bathroom+%2528RR+Tag%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zeRWL8QJT6Q/UMZSoVO-k6I/AAAAAAAAVps/f_-ezvuA9l8/s640/OB-Guest+Bathroom+%2528RR+Tag%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The first things that have arrived are the vanity and linen cabinets. My plan was to install a double vanity against the outside wall under the window so that two people could get ready simultaneously and there would be plenty of natural light in the space. However, my goal was to make it look like an old piece of furniture that had been converted into a vanity, like the Restoration Hardware vanity above on my inspiration board...however, without the Restoration Hardware price. Here is the design drawing that I put together for the cabinet makers.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O0Z4FYt875A/UYgADAmgK5I/AAAAAAAAW4o/SFneA5XTQQk/s1600/Cabinets+12+Guest+Bath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="544" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O0Z4FYt875A/UYgADAmgK5I/AAAAAAAAW4o/SFneA5XTQQk/s640/Cabinets+12+Guest+Bath.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The vanity is two 36" sink bases connected with three 12" wide drawers in-between. I chose this layout because I think it will provide lots of storage space under the sinks, along with drawers for items like tooth brushes, hair brush and hair dryers, etc. And here is the vanity after it was installed (minus the feet and counter tops).</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QKK-po2-dmw/UYf_0zVy2NI/AAAAAAAAW48/_vEQhG_fg4M/s1600/A+Installed+Cabinets+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QKK-po2-dmw/UYf_0zVy2NI/AAAAAAAAW48/_vEQhG_fg4M/s640/A+Installed+Cabinets+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We picked dark java cabinets for the vanity...but <a href="http://renovationrehab.blogspot.com/2013/05/shopping-for-granite-and-carrara-marble.html" target="_blank">unlike the Master Bathroom cabinets</a> which are Rustic Cherry, these cabinets have a classic smooth finish. We felt that this would help contribute to the retro feel that we are trying to create. We also chose the java stain instead of black paint because we wanted to see the pretty grain in the wood. Also, although the vanity will provide lots of storage, I wanted to add additional storage in the room for linens and other bathroom necessities (because one of my big goals with this remodel is to become organized, and for me to be organized, I need lots of storage so that there can be a place for everything and everything can be in it's place). To create the additional storage, I decided to put two large floor to ceiling linen cabinets on the wall opposite of the vanity. Here is my design for the vanity cabinets:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QamJ-UaM63c/UYgAI4A4j1I/AAAAAAAAW44/56Vpxzfgw7o/s1600/Cabinets+12+Guest+Bath+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="582" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QamJ-UaM63c/UYgAI4A4j1I/AAAAAAAAW44/56Vpxzfgw7o/s640/Cabinets+12+Guest+Bath+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Because the bathroom is somewhat narrow (it's 8 feet deep), I needed to conserve space with the linen cabinets so that the room didn't feel cramped once they were installed (especially since the linen cabinets are also stained java). To make this happen, the linen cabinets are only 12" deep. However, as you can see in the picture below, 12" is plenty of space and will provide lots of storage - WOOHOO!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hv-2eTFs1U4/UYf_5VYbfSI/AAAAAAAAW4w/ocH0mBIoycM/s1600/Cabinets+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hv-2eTFs1U4/UYf_5VYbfSI/AAAAAAAAW4w/ocH0mBIoycM/s640/Cabinets+8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And here is her twin on the opposite side of the door. They still need their doors and crown molding, but this at least this lets you see how the cabinets will fit in the space.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_2Be4mXXCSI/UYf_6u3xXeI/AAAAAAAAW40/rQYt3rI24nU/s1600/Cabinets+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_2Be4mXXCSI/UYf_6u3xXeI/AAAAAAAAW40/rQYt3rI24nU/s640/Cabinets+9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I am telling you, these bad boys are going to send me to storage heaven! I absolutely cannot wait until I get to start filling them up the linens for the upstairs bedrooms and all sorts of fun bathroom goodies for our guests. One things for sure, I will be spending lots of time over at <a href="http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Heart Organizing</a> to get plenty of ideas and inspiration on how I can organize this space and make it pretty! So here's to visions of loverly baskets and Martha Stewart Labels dancing in my head!!! So how about y'all...do you have any good bathroom organization ideas or tips that you can share with me, because I need all the help I can get and would love to hear them! Thanks you so much for stopping by and I hope that you have a wonderful week!!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LwMvG1PVHMQ/UR2ylQ0bF_I/AAAAAAAAWnc/ZY6-DI1DjM0/s1600/Jennifer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LwMvG1PVHMQ/UR2ylQ0bF_I/AAAAAAAAWnc/ZY6-DI1DjM0/s320/Jennifer.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am linking this project to <a href="http://www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Blackberry Vine</a>, <a href="http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Funky Polkadot Giraffe,</a> <a href="http://www.craftyconfessions.com/" target="_blank">Crafty Confessions,</a> <a href="http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/tutorials/tutorials-tips-link-party-109.html" target="_blank">Home Stories A to Z</a>, <a href="http://todayscreativeblog.net/get-our-craft-on-102/" target="_blank">Today's Creative Blog,</a> <a href="http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth and Co.,</a> <a href="http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Coastal Charm,</a> <a href="http://www.hopestudios.blogspot.com/2013/05/tutorial-tuesday_14.html" target="_blank">Hope Studios</a></div>
Jennifer {How To Travel Tour Guide}http://www.blogger.com/profile/14575544430758116756noreply@blogger.com0