June 2010 – Page 2

Etsy Inspiration

Published on June 23, 2010May 25, 2011 by Our Humble Abode2 Comments

I love Etsy.com. I sell prints and stationery on it, but I also love to peruse to get inspiration. I thought I’d share some of my favorite finds today.

I love these pillows! So creative, but could be easy to create a custom design for your own home. It’s as simple as finding a background fabric, fabric paint and sewing the cover.

I love a whimsical touch, and these pillows fit the bill. Many other states are available, too.

These leather totes seem so versatile. I wonder if another fabric or material would work. I’m sure a pattern could be created to make a similar effect…

On to some unique artwork. I’m sure something like this could be created using paper punches. Simply punch your designs and glue in the shape of your choice.

Punches would also work great to create a custom art piece similar to this:

Here are some other favorites:

I create custom silhouettes, but this is just amazing! The black is all cut from one sheet of paper!

Amy Ruppel’s prints are adorable, and this print is no exception.

Talk about adorable; I LOVE these measuring spoons! The price is just a little steep for my budget, though.

I’m still trying to find some great hooks or a way to make them . I want 3D cast metal bird heads, similar to taxidermy deer heads, but birds. Hmm…what to do!

How about you? Have you found inspirational pieces to customize for your home?

All images found via the featured Etsy seller’s listing as linked above.

Our Future Projects

Published on June 22, 2010May 25, 2011 by Our Humble Abode1 Comment

So, I’ve shared the list of things we’ve changed in Our Humble A{Bowe}d, but we’re not done working, yet. Here are some of our major future projects:

1. Remodel our kitchen.

2. Pour a new concrete patio.

3. Refinish our hardwood floors.

4. Finish part of our laundry and close the ugly out.

5. Complete our steam room/shower.

6. Clean and stain our fence. Build gates.

And some of our smaller projects:

1. Repaint our interior doors and replace hardware.

2. New dining table and chairs.

3. Update bedroom and hall light fixtures.

4. Finish drawers and doors for basement office, entertainment center and bathroom.

5. Touch up paint throughout the house, fill any cracks with caulking and maybe repaint our living room, hall and dining room.

6. Spray paint our end tables and create new tops.

7. Fill in areas with landscape rock.

8. Grout our bathroom seam to prevent leaking.

9. Paint front door outside trim white.

10. Install a master bathroom fan.

I have some items that I want to replace or find, too, preferably at a great price.

1. Brushed nickel double curtain rods.

2. Curtain rods for the basement bedroom.

The list is never-ending. Maybe we’ll check a few off our list over the summer… What about you-do you have any lingering projects to finish?

Gimme A Giveaway!

Published on June 21, 2010May 25, 2011 by Our Humble AbodeLeave a comment

Our Humble A{Bowe}d has teamed up with Chic Little House to give you a giveaway! To enter to win, visit http://chiclittlehouse.blogspot.com/2010/06/giveaway-our-humble-abowed.html and leave a comment. The giveaway closes on Friday, June 25, so make sure you enter.

Our Past Four Years…

Published on June 21, 2010May 25, 2011 by Our Humble Abode1 Comment

We have done quite a bit to our humble rancher since Ben bought it back in 2004. Most you can see, like paint and trim, but others are a little more difficult to notice-if you can see them at all. So, here’s a little recap of things Ben did before we were married:

Cut out and installed egress windows in basement bedrooms and the office.
Drilled a well.
Installed wood burning fireplace.
Removed siding to add insulation all around the house.
Replaced all upper level windows, enlarging the bedroom windows by one foot.
Replaced the kitchen linoleum with tile.
Knocked down the kitchen wall to create a half wall:

8. Closed ½ bath and created ¾ master bathroom.

Changes we’ve made since we’ve been married:

Added trim to the 3^rd bedroom and repainted.
Added trim to the guest bedroom and repainted.
Repainted living room and built an entertainment center.
Gutted and refinished main bathroom.
Added oak floors and trim to master bedroom. Repainted.
Installed a new glass back door.
Finished 1^st basement bedroom.
Installed a central vacuum system.
Added trim to the dining room and repainted.
Removed the chain link fence and built a new painted white fence.
Planted 17 fruit trees, boxwood, roses, peonies, lilies, and other flowers.
Installed a larger electric panel and moved it to the laundry room.
Built and hung new shutters and window boxes.
Dug a trench to install the geothermal system:

15. Gutted and unfinished master bathroom.

16. Installed a new front door.

17. Finished office, including built-in bookshelves and cabinets.

18. Finished basement living room with painted trim and built-in entertainment center.

19. Finished basement bedroom with trim.

20. Finished basement bathroom, complete with 6 foot jetted tub, open vanity and soon to be steam room.

Of course there are several smaller projects we’ve finished, too.

Things I Love About Our House

Published on June 18, 2010September 9, 2010 by Our Humble Abode6 Comments

I’m sure most homeowners at least like their houses. We love our house, especially some of the features and details. Here are some of our favorites:

Our deep windowsills:

Our master bath window sill is marble clad:

The pantry above our stairs is great, too, although the doors could use a little love.

It is huge and holds almost all of our non-perishable food items, paper towels and larger dishes.

We have added white trim to almost every room in our house. It seems obvious that we love it, so here are some detail shots:

I love the crown moldings above the doors and windows in our master bedroom. It is convenient to have the hidden lighting, too.

The guest bedroom trim is simple, but definitely adds character to the room.

Here’s the plate rack we added to our dining room. Capped off crown molding and quarter round trim provide storage for large platters, but serves as artwork, too.