Another notch in the renovation belt

Happy Monday to everyone! Can I rub something in for a minute? Thank you. I have only 8 days until summer break!!! That's why its a happy Monday for me. Summer breaks MAY be the only reason I like being a teacher. I'm sure there are a few others but I can't think of them right now.

Anyhow, I know y'all saw a few shots of my dining room last week, but I wanted to do a full before and after post for my lovely followers. The house when we bought it was very 1950s-60s traditional and formal. IT was WELL taken care of, but it needed a lot of updating. So let's venture into the dining room....we've got wallpaper, carpet flooring, very stylish for their time but OLD drapes, and two bulbs in the ceiling (because the children wanted the antique chandelier).
So of course, this is not COMPLETE. Two things will make it complete...a sea grass rug, and 5 foot bead board instead of that sad chair railing.
We painted, hung a new fixture, pulled carpet, sanded and polyed, and brought in the new stuff!



Sorry about this before shot; terrible camera, but it's the only shot we have before we moved in.

It was the storage room for a week....I tried to make it a "neat" storage room, can't you tell?

His gift to me

Here are a few pics of my most recent paintings. I always tend to go towards things in nature such as trees, palms, birds, sunlight, etc. The SC state capitol painting was a huge challenge and very frustrating because I wasn't free to paint the flowing trees or reflecting lights; the lines had to be precise.
I'm not going to get real deep and go on and on about how I was feeling when I painted. I read artists' statements sometimes and they just sound so ridiculous. I will say though that my best paintings have come from times when I listened to worship music while I painted. I know that God has given me a gift, and it is so cool to worhsip and be thankful while I use that gift!

Painting GIVEAWAY!!!

Hey! My friend, E, over at E, Myself, and I is doing a giveaway on an animal silhouette painting. One lucky winner will recieve a custom painting of their beloved pet, baby, etc, painted by ME! Go check out her blog..leave a post for your chance to win!

Yay for Will!!!

Hey folks! Like I said yesterday, I threw Will a graduation party this past Saturday. Here are some pics of the festivities. We had a collection of hor d'ourves and desserts, and I went with a more casual theme by using moss, rocks, burlap, and tin bins for drinks.
So much fun-enjoy!

We had a serious corn hole competition..Will and I need A LOT of practice.

Check out the settee that they're sitting on. I stopped at a sweet couples house on my way to work because I saw this lovely piece of furniture sitting in their front yard, and I just HAD to ask. It's an antique bamboo settee-and she gave it to me!!! It needs restoration, but don't worry I have a plan for it...

Moroccan Love

I threw a graduation party for Will this weekend and I am pooped, and tired, and grouchy...just ask my students. I will share some pictures tommorrow of the festivities, but for now enjoy these amazing projects and fabrics created by Kathryn Ireland. So beautiful; you can find her website here and her blog here.

Mmmm...Turkey meat

This may be a stretch for a design blog, but I just love this recipe so much I must share it. Now let me just say, I am married to a meat and potatoes kind of guy; I'm talking steak and chicken only. So if you're worried your husband will laugh in your face if you suggest a turkey burger, don't be, because this I can almost promise, he will like. Just cook it and put it on a plate, like nothing ever happened, thats what I did.
This turkey burger is loaded with beans, tomatoes, and meat..so tasty. Here's the recipe.

(I never measure, so I'm just guessing on these..)

1 pkg. of lean turkey meat (maybe a lb-terrible I know)
2 tbsp of soy sauce
2 tbsp of Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp of salt and pepper
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/2 can of black beans

And then I just got a little crazy with a few seasonings..like seasoning salt, garlic powder, and a dash of thyme or oregano.
Then mix all the ingredients together, patty them up, and grill. (About 8-10 minutes on each side)



I use those new flat buns..have you seen those? Love them.

I put cheese, mayo, and dill relish on my burger, and it's so good.

Now, you can laugh in your husband's face when he actually likes it!

Here's to you mamas!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to brag on my mom and a few other inspiring and talented moms out there. I love to see moms in design magazines, websites and blogs, it lets me know they're real. They have an amazing ability to balance family and designing and make the two extreme worlds cohesive.
My mom, for the most part, gave me free range in my room. She let me paint in the closet (a big 'shoe' bug), and vines on the window seal. I remember the first big room makeover she allowed us to make. The color I chose was a lavender blue, with matching floral patterened curtains. It was SUCH an exciting time, I remember just staring at my room afterwards, just soaking it all in. The funny thing is, the wallpaper that we took down in order to paint was a seagrass wallpaper; styles always come around full circle.
Enjoy these images of beautfiul homes created by some amazing moms.

My mom and sister (my sister has two beautiful little girls; Lucy and Lily)

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!

Do you have TP in your house?

Thomas Paul, that is. I'm sure the wonderful Thomas Paul is familiar to most of you, but I just feel the need to express a little love for his fabrics today. They're so fresh and fun, and not for the faint of heart. Thomas uses very bold patterns and colors; that's what I love about him. Unfortunately, I can only look, the prices are out of my league. Duralee carries his line of fabrics here. Luckily for us though, there's a wonderful place called Target, that offers a great collection of Thomas Paul'ish' chairs, for very affordable prices. I have one in my sunroom in orange, and we love it.



Have a happy Thursday!!

I picked this lamp because he named it 'Niki'!!!