The Moody Blues

As we inch toward a completed bathroom, I’m planning the finishing touches.  Finding a clearance shower curtain changed my whole vision, in a good way.

1.  Originally, I thought we’d use a bluish-green paint color (like Dragonfly) for the vanity, but I remembered I had a blue shower curtain (number 10) and I switched gears.  Now I’m considering using Chicago Blues on the leggy vanity and Stone White for the upper part of the walls.  Admittedly, the blue looks crazy on a flat surface in bright light, but in the dark bathroom, on the vertical surfaces of the vanity, it reads more as a navy blue.  While navy blues look black.

2.  Warm gray one foot by two foot tiles with pearl gray grout on the floor should help the floors look cleaner.

3.  For a cohesive look, we used the same tiles in a lighter color for the shower surround, taking it up to the ceiling.  We’ll add white grout for a seamless look.

4.  Cleaning sinks isn’t my favorite task, so we chose a streamlined porcelain sink and sleek chrome faucet.  The eight inch wide-spread faucet makes cleaning between the handles easy, too.

5.  Two industrial style pendants hang over the vanity, adding much-needed light and allow a wider mirror.

6.  Because we liked the sink faucet, we chose a matching tub faucet.

7.  The great toilet paper debate doesn’t have to happen with this simple holder, placed vertically.

8.  In our last house, we used towel bars to hang our wet towels.  Folding the towels to look pretty didn’t allow proper drying, so we’re skipping the bars and using double hooks instead.  Medium gray towels are perfect for daily use and a coral ribbon loop adds color and prevents the towels from falling off the hook.

9.  Lacking drawers in the vanity means we need a practical storage solution for our toiletries.  This lazy Susan utensil caddy should do the trick, while bringing in a pop of our accent color, coral.

10.  Bring on the coral accents.  A plastic cup is great for the boys.

11.  This is the shower curtain that started it all.  Actually, we used it as a tablecloth for Thanksgiving, will add pattern and color.

12.  Monograms and pretty blue, sign me up.  These little trays are on clearance, so get one while you can.

I’m still figuring out artwork and I’m sure plans will change over time.  Maybe a few gold accents will find their way into the room?  This is a departure from our favorite blue and green combo, but I like where we’re headed.  Coral doesn’t pop up all over our house, so it’s a fun accent color and balances the boyish blue.

Have you been working on a mood board lately?  Figuring out the finishing touches for a room?  Have you ever used a clearance item as your inspiration?  Or switched plans half way through?

You Light Up My Life

Over the weekend, we enjoyed windy, gloomy weather.  No work on the roof, but Ben did some work inside.  On Saturday, we ran our usual errands, Ben washed windows, and cut the left over slab of Bubinga to fit the entertainment center.  Sunday, we had high temps in the 60’s, so we took a trip to Home Depot to get various electrical supplies.  Cooler days are better for attic work and we took advantage of it.  First, Ben ran wires for the theater speakers.

Speakers will flank the front living room window for a true theater-like experience.  The wires run from the outside wall, through the attic, and down the wall behind the entertainment center.

While he was up there, he moved the cable from the temporary place to the same box behind the tv.

Though unfinished, that is better than this:

You may have noticed the sconces are gone, too.  Ben pulled the wires completely out because we’ll never have sconces there.  Now we’ve got patching to do.

That’s all great, but I was most excited for the pendants in the main bathroom.  While painting the small linen closet, I realized just how dark that bathroom was.

Step out of the dark ages, we have created light!  Finding lights Ben and I could agree on wasn’t the easiest part of this bathroom reno.

We knew we wanted chrome pendants with hidden bulbs.  Of course the options are nearly limitless, but we also wanted something around the $50 or less price point.  One of our original choices were industrial chrome pendants for $48 each from Lowes.  Currently, the bathroom doesn’t have a ray of natural light.  We will add a Sky Tube, but Ben and I worried the downward direction of the lights wouldn’t fill up the bathroom.

Luckily, using only one rod kept the pendants high enough, giving off more light than I thought.

And we love the look.

The style of this pendant is very similar to this one from Home Depot.  Twenty dollars less each, and I like the style of the Lowes option better.

We’ve got some trim installed, but more to do.  Then filling, sanding, priming, and painting.  And grouting the tub, installing the toilet, getting the sink functional, adding functional items like hooks and such.  But we’re getting there.  I’m getting some of the finishing touches ready.  And you caught a peek at the shower curtain that inspired my revised plan.  Mood board to come soon.

What did you do over the weekend?  Have you found a cheaper version of something that you liked more than the expensive option?  That’s always fun for me.  Usually I gravitate toward the more expensive items.

Year Three: Leather

This giveaway is closed.  See who won here

Third anniversary today.  Leather is a versatile theme, in my opinion.  For a man, a new wallet or a technology case would be nice.  Ladies, how about these leather bangles from Leather Wraps?

Here are my favorite colors, but you can choose your favorite.

Kelly Green:

Metallic Mustard:

Truly Teal:

Fern Green:

The Goods: One set of six leather bangles with tube accents in any color from Leather Wraps.

To Enter:  Leave a comment, which can (but doesn’t have to) include our Just for Fun question.

Just for Fun: Where did you go on a honeymoon?  An exotic location with lush Kelly green plants?  Along a truly teal ocean?

Contest Closes: Sunday, June 17th at 11:59 pm, central time.

Number of Winners: One!

Ships: Anywhere in the United States.

Other Info: We will select the winner using random.org and announce on Monday, June 18th.  Good luck!!

Year Two: China

This giveaway is closed.  See who won here

Today is the second anniversary giveaway (enter yesterday’s paper giveaway here).  Traditional gifts are cotton, but the modern alternative is china.  And I’ve drooled over nearly everything in the Terttulla shop.

Adorable hand thrown ceramics in happy colors.  Need I say more?  Up for grabs today is this set of salt and pepper pods with bamboo spoons.

The Goods: A set of cute salt and pepper pods from Tertulla.

To Enter:  Leave a comment, which can (but doesn’t have to) include our Just for Fun question.

Just for Fun:  Where did you get married?  Your home town?  A vacation destination?  Las Vegas?

Contest Closes: Sunday, June 17th at 11:59 pm, central time.

Number of Winners: One!

Ships: Anywhere in the US.

Other Info: We will select the winner using random.org and announce on Monday, June 18th.  Good luck!!

Six Years Ago: Honeymoon

Yesterday marked six years since Ben and I were married.  Last year I shared all the details of our back yard wedding.  Handmade invitations, the location (our aunt and uncle’s back yard), flowers, and all the little details.  Now you’ll get to see where we went on our honeymoon.  Savannah, Georgia.  We wanted to go to the east coast, and considered Maine, but Savannah charmed us.

Ben actually booked a hotel on Hilton Head Island, about an hour drive from Savannah.  A delayed flight got us to the hotel around midnight.  The next day, we walked past a small pond on the hotel grounds and saw this sign.

Just funny to us, seeing as we both grew up far from oceans.  A few nights after, we saw this in the same pond.

A real alligator!  Anyway, we walked around, exploring the local scenery.

A pretty lighthouse.

So we climbed to the top.

Saw the view.  Can you tell we were young and giddy to finally be married?

We enjoyed the warm weather and cool breeze along the inlet.

Ben rocked out, southern style in red rocking chairs.

Posed with statues.

And held up giant trees.

We spent a few days at the beach, though the weather wasn’t especially cooperative.

The baby crabs freaked me out.

But I loved filling my pockets with pretty shells.

Then we took a drive into Savannah, crossing over the Talmadge bridge.

I don’t know why, but I love bridges.

And the Spanish moss covered live oaks were so charming.

In my opinion, Forsyth Park is a must see if you’re in Savannah.

One of the reasons we chose Savannah is for the old, classic architecture.  The church of St. John the Baptist is no exception.

In addition to bridges, I love adorned windows and doors.

Savannah certainly wasn’t lacking in that department.  Even the dripping rust was beautiful.

Any city with horse drawn carriages is good in my book.

Patina copper and rust red brick on the Savannah Cotton Exchange building, simply charming.

We decided to take a tour of a house, the Owens Thomas house.  Such beautiful landscaping.

Sadly, tourists aren’t allowed to take interior pictures, but the catwalk and grand staircase were indeed grand.  How stately is the Armstrong house?

And the history of the Mercer house was documented in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

A gold-domed court house with palm trees.  I’m jealous.

Historic River Street with cobblestone streets and train tracks.

This might sound odd, but we also visited the beautiful Bonaventure cemetery.  The monuments were amazing.

While we don’t have time to go on a vacation these days, we do have our own anniversary traditions.  I try to get Ben a traditional anniversary gift.  Five years equal something made of wood, so I got him a sappy cut out and later mounted it to a piece of wood.  Year six traditional gift is iron, so I got Ben a gift certificate for a round of golf to put those irons to good use.  And give him a break from roofing.  We also take a day to get a baby sitter for a nice dinner, free from crying kids.  The restaurant varies depending on our mood, but we’ve got three favorite places we wouldn’t go with kids and hit one up for a delicious three course meal including rhubarb raspberry crisp.  Um, yum!