Five on Friday (what I'm pinning, loving lately}

1.)  Perfect Beach Days

2.)  These Wings...

Original Recipe and my adaptation.

3.)  This Wall Color...

I am seriously considering this for our dining room.  Check out Whaling City Cottage for my favorite of the One Room Challenge rooms!

4.)  This French Onion soup.

Check out the recipe here.

5.)  This Bathroom.

Have a great weekend! 

Thanks for visiting!

Secret Garden Archway {garden}

This is our side entrance, that is in need of some love.  Weeds, vines and those blasted Rose of Sharon's have created an unruly archway, and while not ideal, I kind of like it.  Hurricane Sandy tilted all of these trees/bushes literally to the point that I bungee corded them to the chain link fence to get them upright again.  

I flirt with the idea of taking it all down, and starting from scratch.

The walkway flows into our back yard where you will currently be met with a power washer on the fritz and toddler beach chairs.

I painted the door and replaced the fixture a while back, but this area is so sad...

I need to > trim it up, replace the pine straw mulch, plant a ground cover, powerwash asphalt, add prettier paving stones, add some color with flowers and perhaps plant  shade-friendly, flowering vines?  

All photos courtesy of Pinterest

I need some inspiration....

Thank you Pinterest.

Thanks for visiting!

Crew's Quarters {ORC week one} Playroom Bath

I am so excited to be participating in Calling it Home's One Room Challenge as a linking participant.  If you are new here or followed our home office in last Fall's challenge, welcome!

To see that ORC room from start to finish, click here.

This year I will be doing our boys playroom bathroom, which I will lightheartedly be calling the "Crews Quarters".

A nod to the nautical theme I hope to convey in the bath.

So here is where we start.  A small 3/4 bath.  A room without windows; I shall lighten the room with paint, fixtures, textiles and accessories.

Nautical, beachy, coastal, I can do.  As a resident of the beautiful Jersey Shore, my inspiration is unlimited.

This bath is just in from our deck and exterior entrance where we and guests rinse off beach sand and chlorine.  It is also the bath we use for parties in the summer, so it gets a lot of traffic.

The closet also stores our sports equipment and Costco hauls.

We want it to be more aesthetically pleasing for the kids and our guests.  Until now it was just...there.

Fixtures are coming down, electric is being upgraded, paint is being sampled, the door came off for easier access and photo purposes.

This is my inspiration board from via Polyvore.

Goals:

Paint Room

Replace lighting, mirror, shower head, towel racks/hooks, closet door, artwork/accessories.

Flooring?

Tile/wood feature

DIY Art

You can find my Pinterest inspiration board for this room here...Playroom Bath Redo

A special thank~you to Linda from Calling it Home for hosting this fun event.

Thanks for visiting!

Drop Leaf Table {furniture rehab}

I acquired this table from my first home purchase 15 years ago. It's time she got a makeover. {you can see where she was painted on...totally abused as a craft table for some years}

In my head, she's a flat, olive-green and slightly distressed.  She will live either in the foyer or the dining room.  I've been pinning some options, though...so at this point anything can happen.

What looks good to you?

This distressed black version would go perfectly in our dining room, as is.

This aqua would be an unexpected pop of color.

Totally distressed.  I could just sand mine down and achieve this.  I love the length of this table, what a great console it would make. 

Mustard yellows always make me happy, but I am trying to un-beige our home, so I need to fight the urge.

I can appreciate this version, but it's a little too primitive for our home.

Another pop of unexpected color.

Love this...I just don't have the time or patience to sand, and sand, and sand, and stain.  {Not even sure what wood mine is made of, how it would stain} This is beautifully styled.

Another gorgeous styling.  This vignette is just perfect, what an entry!

{All images courtesy of Pinterest}

If the table were to reside in our dining room, it would most likely become a bar cart.  Love the organization of a bar cart.  Not to mention, displaying special bottles and vintage barware is a work of art.  Don't even get me started on pinning bar carts.............?!

Stay tuned for results...

Thanks for visiting!

Drop Leaf Table

Oh...the possibilities! I acquired this table from my first home purchase 15 years ago. It's been in storage over the years and it's time she got a makeover. 

I've been pinning ideas and will share my plans and her future home sometime soon.

Thanking all veterans past, present and future for their service. 

I will be spending this day off planning/packing for our southern road trip a week from Friday. Any tips for a long car trip with kids??? 

I'll be back tomorrow with the lighter broccoli cauliflower gratin recipe. 

Thanks for visiting!

Planning Ahead {Christmas 2013}

I'm as guilty as all of the major retailers pushing Christmas early, but just as September and October went by like a flash, so will November.

We will be traveling toward the end of November; first to Disney and then to spend Thanksgiving with my family in St. Mary's, GA.  I'm so excited for our trip, but I know that time will get away from me.

I'd like to put a homespun, rustic spin on our holiday this year.

And, as always, Pinterest is providing the inspiration.

How organic and beautiful is this greenery and dried orange garland?

A snowman made of fish bowls, perhaps?

Greenery, cranberries and water in a mason jar with tealights.  A beautiful and aromatic centerpiece idea...

Get the kids involved foraging twigs for a rustic Christmas tree...

...as well as, twig stars.

My Uncle Ed (way back when) used to make folk art-ish Christmas trees out of large pine cones.  He would affix the cone to a round of primitive-looking wood and lightly dab the ends with white paint, sometimes adding a bit of cotton.  Not as "primary-colored" as the one above, but elegant and bucolic.  I miss him and I wish I had more of those trees...

I am hunting eBay and Craigs List for some accessories for my Christmas mantel.  Which is why I am starting early...Pinterest is not helping when it comes to some of the vintage items I am looking for.  When/if i score, I'll be sharing!

{all photos courtesy of pinterest}

To visit my Pinterest boards, click here!

Thanks for visiting!

Hutton Home Office {finish me} ORC Week One

I"m a little late to the ORC Game, but I need the inspiration to finish our office after I've already put time, money and hard work into it.

I've painted, refinished floors, bought a spectacular rug & window treatments and have the furniture ready  to go.  I just lost my oomph with it.  Through the One Room Challenge I shall get the inspiration I need through the mass of talent participating!

Our office before new paint (glad I emptied the trash....)

Awkward layout with a closet built into the room, but its so useful.

Thank heavens I was able to successfully paint OVER the ugly wallpaper border.

A cool, soothing gray.  Love the contrast between the gray and hardwood.

This is about as far as I have gotten with decor & accessorizing.  The children's homework station.

Please join me in my journey and visit all of the other amazing participants!

My accessories:

Pine Cone Hill Chambray Curtains in Flax

Eastern Colors Wool Rug

Pinterest motivation: 

Thanks for visiting!