tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42248876783913331162024-02-20T17:08:53.586-05:00Harmonized HomeRaeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-9128058471293284812018-12-13T06:00:00.000-05:002018-12-13T06:00:03.527-05:00Recipe: Apple Cream Pie (Apple Soup)<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today is my Birthday!! So I wanted to share a dessert recipe with you today. I know I'm usually all about home decor but the reason I wanted to call this blog Harmonized Home is because there is so much more than just decorating in our homes. I love making my house a <i>home</i> and as a busy mama of 4 kiddos, of course food will be involved! I shared <a href="https://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2015/05/recipe-homemade-granola.html" target="_blank">this recipe for homemade granola</a> and <a href="https://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2015/06/recipe-homemade-bread.html" target="_blank">this homemade bread recipe</a> back in the day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is my mom's recipe for apple cream pie and it is SUPER easy! You don't have to make a homemade crust or even a topping and it is still very delicious. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We have a joke going around and call this pie "apple soup." Mostly because when my mom first started making it, there was 1 cup of cream in it and it was more like soup than a solid pie. We ate it with spoons and started eating it in a bowl haha! I have taken away a bit of the cream so it's not super "soupy" but it is still more soup-like then pie like. But oh sooooooo yummy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Recipe:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">* 3 cups chopped apples (I always just use what we have on hand. I take off the skin because we just prefer it that way)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">* 1 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">* 1 tsp cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">* 1/4 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">* 4 tsp flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">* 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream (you could try to reduce to 1/2 and see what happens)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">* 1 pie crust (I use a pre made one from the cold section at the store)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Put uncooked pie crust on bottom of pie dish</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Mix all the other ingredients together and pour into pie crust</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Put in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake for 40 more minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> * Ovens will vary so I start keeping an eye on the pie at 30 minutes instead of 40. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you get a chance to make this, leave a comment and tell me how it was!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-27961418968998784882018-12-10T13:01:00.002-05:002018-12-10T13:01:56.632-05:00New Hour Tour: The Before Pictures<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We just closed on our 4th home! After such a long year of many unknowns, it feels so good to be able to put down roots somewhere. It's been 7 months since we started the process of selling our last home, living with family, finally moving out of state, and to now finally have a place to call "home" is a wonderful feeling. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have soooooooo many plans for this house! So I thought it would be good to do a "before" post with all the pictures you can handle seeing (I need a funny face emoji here haha!). I took some pictures when we had our home inspection so I'll share those. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Are you ready for picture overload?!!! Here we go:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Front of house. We plan to pull out all those over grown weeds and bushes this coming Spring/Summer. We also got a new roof a week before closing so that will look a lot better too. I can't wait to PAINT that front door!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The two windows on the right will be the kid's playroom. The two windows on the left will be an office room with my piano and some cozy chairs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When you walk in you see these stairs just slightly to your right. This is all open with a room on either side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Room to the right which will be the kids play area</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Going up the stairs. Remember, I purchased new light fixtures! I can't wait to see them up there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is the view from the play room to the front door</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Kid's Playroom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Office (to the left when you walk in the front door). I definitely have my work cut out for me in here!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> As you're standing at the front door you can see into the living room</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here's the view from the living room looking out </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">into that hallway. The door to the right is a coat closet. The door on the left leads to the finished basement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Looking at the living room from the dining room. I think it will look so much bigger with 2 couches on either side of the room instead of a sectional.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Looking back into the dining room and kitchen while standing in the living room. That door to the right is the finished basement. The doors going straight back are the laundry room, garage, and a pantry/coat closet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Kitchen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The kitchen is to the left of this picture. The playroom is to the right. The sliding door you see is currently a coat closet but I'm thinking about switching it to a pantry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Straight ahead is the laundry room.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To the right there is a door to the garage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Laundry room straight ahead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Other door is the garage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Laundry room</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> From the kitchen you can see the kid's playroom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The door on the left is currently a pantry which I'm thinking of switching to a coat closet/kids back pack closet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To the right there is a bathroom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Half bath on the main level</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">View looking down from upstairs. That chandelier has got to go!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Master Bedroom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Master Bedroom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Carpet is being replaced on the whole second story</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Master Bathroom. Carpet is being ripped out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you go out of the master bedroom and turn to the left you go into this bedroom. This will be our 4th child's bedroom. She still wakes up in the middle of the night and we need her close to us!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Lyra's Bedroom</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Walk down the hallway and to the left will be my other daughter's bedroom. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Ayla's Bedroom</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KgV1mbsGE6EmsL6s-2Nc0t2PoQ0HZPXv7FV4SFEgrnE6eTViZoiX7dWv1Vg6LZ_tny7dWjivCQo8W4_KlEhaBXZgk-6R7pAvVyTvlWLJjpQssRcGl_IS1kiUbRyjVgC5BDVPhFeq50c/s1600/BoysBedroomBefore2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KgV1mbsGE6EmsL6s-2Nc0t2PoQ0HZPXv7FV4SFEgrnE6eTViZoiX7dWv1Vg6LZ_tny7dWjivCQo8W4_KlEhaBXZgk-6R7pAvVyTvlWLJjpQssRcGl_IS1kiUbRyjVgC5BDVPhFeq50c/s640/BoysBedroomBefore2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Across the hall from Ayla's bedroom will be the boy's room.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-eyjsRdyn-xK6vGadUjyw-Cu4IfR2RKRyr8dh3Q-ODI5vTNlyip63WaQRSZCKPEAc5vog8yxEK0lNF12lIHYpmjVPVKbB9zSVqFNIwIh-oP4VVf8vBSfbzxIiGQrXQ3K4YQnmF4qkxQ/s1600/BoysBedroomBefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-eyjsRdyn-xK6vGadUjyw-Cu4IfR2RKRyr8dh3Q-ODI5vTNlyip63WaQRSZCKPEAc5vog8yxEK0lNF12lIHYpmjVPVKbB9zSVqFNIwIh-oP4VVf8vBSfbzxIiGQrXQ3K4YQnmF4qkxQ/s640/BoysBedroomBefore.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Basement. I just.... ummm... We are replacing the carpet before we move in. My husband actually just took out that wood bar. One side of this will be my workout area/TV area. The other side will be the kid's play area. We also hope to put a sleeper sofa down here for when guests come.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Paint is going to completely change this room!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5Y_A5-h30ytF8I8N5Anytl9uqMXdmEFFqmAiOyWrEIZlZx-LHMjJTlzT4ZHwJugZx23LM_XE_WemRMBDMvfGFt5jPrnJjncQuctBazl5PXwc09abRelEDvU4TvbSr1dm_hdbZVyKanA/s1600/BackHouseBefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1024" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5Y_A5-h30ytF8I8N5Anytl9uqMXdmEFFqmAiOyWrEIZlZx-LHMjJTlzT4ZHwJugZx23LM_XE_WemRMBDMvfGFt5jPrnJjncQuctBazl5PXwc09abRelEDvU4TvbSr1dm_hdbZVyKanA/s640/BackHouseBefore.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Back of the House</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijD05u2X2kWtVpTO2JVFvebuqj_7Xsjxhg7mgfGxuVhMXOY2tuCjPlXXrH_I03iJx3bx6xc8kaIRBmlIqXJbtKZ4fb2gzfaY4f0sLciOKp6oP_26jNV7E6gTK9ZKkERe4U2-YHKYLAkCs/s1600/BackHouseBefore2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijD05u2X2kWtVpTO2JVFvebuqj_7Xsjxhg7mgfGxuVhMXOY2tuCjPlXXrH_I03iJx3bx6xc8kaIRBmlIqXJbtKZ4fb2gzfaY4f0sLciOKp6oP_26jNV7E6gTK9ZKkERe4U2-YHKYLAkCs/s640/BackHouseBefore2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Oh yes, we also got the hot tub!!! I can't wait to use this thing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">I'm so excited to take you on this journey with me. As I transform each room, I'll be posting the changes I am making. Before we move in we are replacing the carpet in the basement and on the second floor. We are also replacing the floors in the upstairs bathrooms. New light fixtures and paint will happen this week or right after we move in. Stay tuned!!!</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-74313239919909989372018-12-06T06:00:00.000-05:002018-12-06T06:00:08.405-05:00Whole House Color Inspiration And How The Sun Plays A Part<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Tomorrow is closing day for our new house and I've been busy these past few weeks narrowing down my color choices. I really want to do the main floor and hallway leading upstairs all the same color. This can be SUPER tricky because the light in one room will be different than the light in the other rooms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The direction your house faces plays a part. You may get direct sunlight in one room and then on the other side of the house not get any sunlight. Of course we can't forget how <a href="https://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2018/11/all-about-lights.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta;">the lights you use in your home</span></a> can affect paint color as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our last house faced North and South with the front facing South and back facing North. I never had any direct sunlight in the back of the house and I really hated it. That's pretty much where we lived all day long. And there was only 1 small window in the front of the house so natural sunlight was super minimal. There were many windows in the back so that helped keep it not so dreary but I missed that sunlight! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The window to the left was the only good window facing the South and the only one that let in direct sunlight. Wall Color: Sherwin Williams Wordly Gray</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our new house faces North (2 front rooms and 2 bedrooms will face North), with the back facing South (living room, dining room, kitchen, and 2 more bedrooms). So we will have more sun in the back of the home where I will be spending a majority of my day (aka the Kitchen of course).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's important to keep in mind that paint colors also change tone during different times of day. In the morning it's bright and airy. In the evening the color will look different. And here in the midwest, the winter months are overcast and dreary and will also change the color of paint. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Basically all this to say, you can paint your whole house one color but keep in mind, every room may look different just because the sun, dreary weather, <a href="https://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2018/11/all-about-lights.html" target="_blank">lighting</a>, and time of day all play a factor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In my last house I chose to do a medium color, a greige called Worldly Gray by Sherwin Williams. I chose this color because we had off-white IKEA kitchen cabinets. The darker color of the wall helped to "lighten" the creamy color of the cabinets and tricked your eye into thinking they were white.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In these 2 pictures you can see how the darker walls really make the cabinets POP and you can't even tell they're more of a creamy color.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWKIo4Io7w_95w-vJJ7M-leFwRHHUVAW5CfpYPA9cLAxm0xrR80_rfAxpuO-vYF7fCMBkVo0099Qk-NJxqFWpyaCZ76dtEJo8hkg_3yRq8rLQknI6sExHnfw5oBD-7lVuqSqelNldYg4/s1600/2018-05-08_13.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWKIo4Io7w_95w-vJJ7M-leFwRHHUVAW5CfpYPA9cLAxm0xrR80_rfAxpuO-vYF7fCMBkVo0099Qk-NJxqFWpyaCZ76dtEJo8hkg_3yRq8rLQknI6sExHnfw5oBD-7lVuqSqelNldYg4/s640/2018-05-08_13.03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The wall to the left and the wall to the right are painted the EXACT same color. The left gets a lot of natural light from a huge window while the right wall is a hallway and is darker. The paint color looks completely different in both spaces even though it's the same.</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What's on trend now for houses is a very light, almost non existent color. Some people even opt for an all white interior to give it that modern, minimalist vibe. I am really hoping to have a super light gray/greige color that's warm and inviting but you're almost asking yourself if there's actually color on the walls. Here are some examples of what I'm crushing on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fthepaintpeople.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F02%2F10-Favourtie-Whites-Blog-Title.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fthepaintpeople.com%2Fpaint-colours%2Four-top-10-benjamin-moore-whites%2F&docid=AEVoWPVfqQA1QM&tbnid=bKybizxh6NginM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwikqr21qonfAhVK_IMKHdySBysQMwhRKAAwAA..i&w=560&h=315&bih=638&biw=1188&q=dove%20wing%20benjamin%20moore&ved=0ahUKEwikqr21qonfAhVK_IMKHdySBysQMwhRKAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8" target="_blank">Google</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lamaisongourmet.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2Fbenjamin-moore-dove-wing-dove-wing-paint-color-dove-wing-warm-benjamin-moore-dove-wing-interior-designing-1-500x600.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lamaisongourmet.net%2Fbenjamin-moore-dove-wing%2F&docid=LlcinRjK9jnjOM&tbnid=2A295lxKaV1R_M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwits6_4qonfAhWMo4MKHd8IDdUQMwhcKAswCw..i&w=500&h=600&bih=638&biw=1188&q=dove%20wing%20benjamin%20moore&ved=0ahUKEwits6_4qonfAhWMo4MKHd8IDdUQMwhcKAswCw&iact=mrc&uact=8" target="_blank">Google</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fkozi.co%2Fg%2F2018%2F05%2Famazing-benjamin-moore-dove-wing-undertones-photo-design-inspiration.png&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fkozi.co%2F37959%2Famazing-benjamin-moore-dove-wing-undertones-photo-design-inspiration%2F&docid=k_TGEd6ak1wZIM&tbnid=M1_kO0R8_sJs2M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwits6_4qonfAhWMo4MKHd8IDdUQMwi2AShYMFg..i&w=1224&h=1228&bih=638&biw=1188&q=dove%20wing%20benjamin%20moore&ved=0ahUKEwits6_4qonfAhWMo4MKHd8IDdUQMwi2AShYMFg&iact=mrc&uact=8#h=1228&imgdii=pc5WX_0n3NvTbM:&vet=10ahUKEwits6_4qonfAhWMo4MKHd8IDdUQMwi2AShYMFg..i&w=1224" target="_blank">Google</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.homebunch.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2Finterior-design-ideas-home-office_42101317800_o.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.homebunch.com%2Fcategory%2Fonline-service%2Fpage%2F10%2F&docid=V5TN4qv1wRTxlM&tbnid=DSJJiu1e5LlMTM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwikqr21qonfAhVK_IMKHdySBysQMwhbKAowCg..i&w=660&h=440&bih=638&biw=1188&q=dove%20wing%20benjamin%20moore&ved=0ahUKEwikqr21qonfAhVK_IMKHdySBysQMwhbKAowCg&iact=mrc&uact=8" target="_blank">Google</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxJdtPutNlOQaOp9qRNJ1u73NBAN6yE5qT7ZaJzAdHMFAZF1yMpmoVh9I3en6ZmyqQ_KkgrYfQhQdY-rxKdvXuPZm6e-xrHz2QEc1bK9GypAhVeLlS9_4l3mI3QNyNtAzO7-XlfVt5tA/s1600/LightPaint5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1118" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxJdtPutNlOQaOp9qRNJ1u73NBAN6yE5qT7ZaJzAdHMFAZF1yMpmoVh9I3en6ZmyqQ_KkgrYfQhQdY-rxKdvXuPZm6e-xrHz2QEc1bK9GypAhVeLlS9_4l3mI3QNyNtAzO7-XlfVt5tA/s640/LightPaint5.jpg" width="446" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F91%2Fdb%2Fc4%2F91dbc4a95df47083df5f9e4d64f57cfb.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F8725793003487499%2F&docid=uh1H-Lto8GK37M&tbnid=1KAu5kYKPomDxM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwi8h5SusonfAhVStIMKHe_XDqcQMwhTKAAwAA..i&w=1500&h=2149&bih=638&biw=1188&q=sherwin%20williams%20Shoji%20White&ved=0ahUKEwi8h5SusonfAhVStIMKHe_XDqcQMwhTKAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8" target="_blank">Google</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This coming week we will be installing new lights in our house and I will be putting color samples up on the walls. I will keep you updated and give you a step by step guide to choosing the perfect paint color!</span></div>
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Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-70073954810212833762018-12-05T06:00:00.000-05:002018-12-05T06:00:06.353-05:00So, Where Are We Now?<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Life is funny. One minute you think you have it all figured out and the next you're in a whirlwind trying to figure out how you got here! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back story: My husband and I both grew up in Michigan. We really never considered the possibility of living anywhere else. Of course our kids would grow up there and raise their families there, right?! 5 years ago we ended up living in my hometown where pretty much all of my family is and it's fairly small. Only about 20,000 people. It's surrounded by corn fields and the nearest Target is 45 minutes away! So when my husband lost his job in March, it was hard to figure out where we wanted to be. We didn't want to leave family but finding a good paying job in our small town was going to be impossible. We started looking on the West side of the state where my sister lives. My husband had an interview or two but it wasn't promising. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fast forward to the end of May, I was getting desperate. We had 4 small kids to feed and it had been 2 months without a job. We knew we needed to do something and soon. I googled "best cities to raise a family in." Out of the top 10 places, only one was within driving distance to our families in Michigan. It was an amazing town called Fishers in Indiana. We decided to take a little family vacation in early June to visit Fishers as well as Indianapolis. Indy has an amazing children's museum and we just fell in love with Fishers. Everything about it felt right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We sold our house in June and moved out in early July. That was a hard pill to swallow but we were excited for bigger and better things for our family. My kids and I spent July living with my dad while my husband basically lived in Indianapolis looking for work. After 5 weeks apart we just couldn't do it anymore. We needed to be together as a family. We rented a house and moved to Indiana in August. My older two kids started school - first grade and kindergarten and my husband kept on networking in hopes of finding a job soon. It was October when he finally got his first job offer and he accepted! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In our rental house</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My husband and I love spending time together, so having those almost 8 months (minus the 5 weeks in the summer apart) together was nice. Although there was always this cloud over our heads of "i need to find a job" and honestly that robbed us of a lot of happiness. So many highs and lows were had during those months. During that time I had to get over anger, grief, sadness, and anxiety over what our circumstances were. But I am definitely a better person after everything that has happened. And for the first time ever in my life I can say that I love the city I live in! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODCA4I0vEv0OntI8uRTM-to6MzgT2fb8qdNc2O9roQoXVwD6a8tBidtUn30chVIJJTqQ1bnPmOVZp_1uGXlk2ybSLszvcz4SRNIOKtAiHH_P72bYmyUKyzA4NNYBvCYWPpl96RqRVu8g/s1600/2018-08-28+12.04.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODCA4I0vEv0OntI8uRTM-to6MzgT2fb8qdNc2O9roQoXVwD6a8tBidtUn30chVIJJTqQ1bnPmOVZp_1uGXlk2ybSLszvcz4SRNIOKtAiHH_P72bYmyUKyzA4NNYBvCYWPpl96RqRVu8g/s640/2018-08-28+12.04.55.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">my youngest helping me clean our rental house</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">God definitely kept us on our toes but was also watching out for us this past year. I trust Him now more than ever because He got us through this difficult time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'd still like to share our big renovation in our last house because that was a huge process and also a dream come true for me. Hopefully it will help some of you if you're planning a renovation in the near future. And here we are, about to buy house #4! So you can only imagine the excitement I have and want to take you along for that ride too. Exciting things to come and we're just getting started.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S. Only 2 days until we close on our house! I'm hoping to have a post up with this weekend with all the fun Before Pictures!</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-23664836583623766992018-12-03T08:26:00.000-05:002018-12-03T08:26:44.354-05:00Neutral vs Color: Where to Spend Your Money<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was talking to a friend the other day about decorating stuff and she asked me a question, which inspired this post. She was showing me some bedding and asked which one I thought was best. Both were great and fairly neutral. One was gray and the other was tan/white striped with some fringe on it. I told her this one thing that I want all of you to know... on the big purchases in your home - a couch, beds, chairs, end tables - buy neutral colors. Then add in pops of color in the smaller things - art on the walls, flowers in pink vases, blankets, or you could even add in a fun colored accent wall with either paint or wallpaper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have found that my design choices have evolved over the years. For a while i liked lots of color in my home. A few years ago I bought a blue and white chair and while it was on clearance, it still cost $180. For the past 2 years I've been wondering how much it would cost to buy a neutral colored slip cover for it! My style is changing for our new home and I'm leaning towards a lot of neutral colors. I am very glad that our bigger purchases are neutral so that I won't have to go buy new.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.homedit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F08%2Fstrategic-pops-of-color.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedit.com%2Fdecorating-with-neutral-colors-for-every-room-in-your-house%2F&docid=fEj0w-N0NtRcKM&tbnid=uuAVQdAB8FiO-M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjylYOSrYHfAhUJ0IMKHVc0DXQQMwiLASgDMAM..i&w=980&h=818&client=safari&bih=734&biw=1152&q=neutral%20living%20room%20with%20pops%20of%20color&ved=0ahUKEwjylYOSrYHfAhUJ0IMKHVc0DXQQMwiLASgDMAM&iact=mrc&uact=8" target="_blank">Google</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3weeNOD4VOFP1-0lf-mBJY8eS9kGPnlxXO71a6a7WUtMHwszPtWUfPdvkvLPLpMLg7lNvdCfhftWSgcXroG0WI4zPtrActz2xHq817NIZKXHjdgV3gzVxW06WEzHcueeWaIcOwjtLZc/s1600/neutral5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="763" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3weeNOD4VOFP1-0lf-mBJY8eS9kGPnlxXO71a6a7WUtMHwszPtWUfPdvkvLPLpMLg7lNvdCfhftWSgcXroG0WI4zPtrActz2xHq817NIZKXHjdgV3gzVxW06WEzHcueeWaIcOwjtLZc/s640/neutral5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.decorilla.com%2Fonline-decorating%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F02%2Fspring-decorating-ideas-living-room-pops-of-color.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.decorilla.com%2Fonline-decorating%2F8-spring-decorating-ideas-to-make-your-interior-design-bloom%2Fspring-decorating-ideas-living-room-pops-of-color%2F&docid=VINucufWpQp5LM&tbnid=_bhTwM7l0Eyx0M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjylYOSrYHfAhUJ0IMKHVc0DXQQMwiyASgdMB0..i&w=763&h=475&client=safari&bih=734&biw=1152&q=neutral%20living%20room%20with%20pops%20of%20color&ved=0ahUKEwjylYOSrYHfAhUJ0IMKHVc0DXQQMwiyASgdMB0&iact=mrc&uact=8" target="_blank">Google</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I would recommend that anything you want to keep long term, buy neutral. These items are usually expensive and not something you'd want to change out once a year. I like to buy white curtains for my main living space, wood or metal end tables, my bedding is white with black trim, my couches are beige or gray, white cozy chairs, my dining room table is black, dining chairs are a light gray, my rugs are also neutral because they are usually not cheap. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aL0j3tYNyOkNEkgmN0_eMdzc5mSrCFI9bvPAc_FltJVIdmQ5mD88jIFev1bdisjujoxig1eFJkjeLMHd2QVVUdA3JXgyA84OJ500e0s3zy6fsIsmFQjWcbvW7ClY7tiSxT0K0DgbD88/s1600/neutral2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="803" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aL0j3tYNyOkNEkgmN0_eMdzc5mSrCFI9bvPAc_FltJVIdmQ5mD88jIFev1bdisjujoxig1eFJkjeLMHd2QVVUdA3JXgyA84OJ500e0s3zy6fsIsmFQjWcbvW7ClY7tiSxT0K0DgbD88/s640/neutral2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.homedit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F08%2Fstrategic-pops-of-color.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedit.com%2Fdecorating-with-neutral-colors-for-every-room-in-your-house%2F&docid=fEj0w-N0NtRcKM&tbnid=uuAVQdAB8FiO-M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjylYOSrYHfAhUJ0IMKHVc0DXQQMwiLASgDMAM..i&w=980&h=818&client=safari&bih=734&biw=1152&q=neutral%20living%20room%20with%20pops%20of%20color&ved=0ahUKEwjylYOSrYHfAhUJ0IMKHVc0DXQQMwiLASgDMAM&iact=mrc&uact=8#h=818&imgdii=9Ws__8IohLKNDM:&vet=10ahUKEwjylYOSrYHfAhUJ0IMKHVc0DXQQMwiLASgDMAM..i&w=980" target="_blank">Google</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For items that are easy to change out, buy those things in fun pops of color. These items are usually cheaper and more budget friendly when you want to change them. Wall art is a cheap thing to change. Buy a neutral frame and then you can find free images online to print out and swap a few times a year. You could add color in with blankets and pillows on your couch. Vases are also a great item to buy in color. You can even spray paint them down the road if you get tired of the color. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fst.hzcdn.com%2Fsimgs%2F41c1486503bed331_4-9608%2Fcontemporary-living-room.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.houzz.com%2Fphoto%2F14550183-walnut-creek-bungalow-contemporary-living-room-san-francisco&docid=mLHKLHmDrsKE3M&tbnid=btNGp6jUzgZPpM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjylYOSrYHfAhUJ0IMKHVc0DXQQMwiaASgSMBI..i&w=640&h=426&client=safari&bih=734&biw=1152&q=neutral%20living%20room%20with%20pops%20of%20color&ved=0ahUKEwjylYOSrYHfAhUJ0IMKHVc0DXQQMwiaASgSMBI&iact=mrc&uact=8" target="_blank">Google</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiid0o62xbWteFtbH3xvPdVG2BCX2xccwPRJ-auyaaX2rrOQtPqQ0QHV-b9105xjqFogwmEznDzgBKIrOTdzmaSZWeN6CaAx6_nxnPwTV2L7AUTJBUSyaZ6Ml7ITU2K5Ky2ji6ZJneMWg0/s1600/neutral4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="616" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiid0o62xbWteFtbH3xvPdVG2BCX2xccwPRJ-auyaaX2rrOQtPqQ0QHV-b9105xjqFogwmEznDzgBKIrOTdzmaSZWeN6CaAx6_nxnPwTV2L7AUTJBUSyaZ6Ml7ITU2K5Ky2ji6ZJneMWg0/s640/neutral4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-mu9Ooi-fz9U%2FUQyiQWnCiRI%2FAAAAAAAAI7w%2FhWRyde1WZqA%2Fs1600%2F2013-transitional-living-room-decorating-ideas-by-Andrea-Schumacher-3.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmodernfurniturehomedesign.blogspot.com%2F2013%2F02%2F2013-transitional-living-room.html&docid=NzqA4-qbCAlUSM&tbnid=rGJ6wiQVb4GcNM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjylYOSrYHfAhUJ0IMKHVc0DXQQMwibASgTMBM..i&w=616&h=462&client=safari&bih=734&biw=1152&q=neutral%20living%20room%20with%20pops%20of%20color&ved=0ahUKEwjylYOSrYHfAhUJ0IMKHVc0DXQQMwibASgTMBM&iact=mrc&uact=8" target="_blank">Google</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I hope this helps when you're out shopping for items for your home!</span></div>
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Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-21124992363067378952018-11-30T06:00:00.000-05:002018-11-30T08:53:04.028-05:00All About the Lights<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We close on our new home a week from today! This will be house #4 for us. We have this odd track record of never staying in a home for more than 3 years. But we are hoping this one beats the odds because moving is exhausting and expensive. Although I must admit I do love the thrill of decorating a new home and all the fun things that come with it. I even like the unpacking process (maybe I'm crazy?!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Lighting is a key factor in any home. The color and lumens of your light bulb can completely change the feel of a room. A very white light bulb may make a room seem more sterile but also super bright. A warm light bulb will feel cozy and inviting but also won't be as bright. Think about Christmas lights. That warm glow really makes the season feel special.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Lights are one of the first things I change in a house. They can completely change the color of the paint on the walls. So before I begin painting, I make sure my lights are exactly the way I want them. Trust me, I have painted an entire first floor of my home and then changed the lights months later. It made the paint color appear completely different! So now I make the lighting a priority over painting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you can't afford to change out the whole light fixture, at least change out the bulbs to something you can live with. Lighting even changes my mood. Especially with the cold dreary winter months here in Indiana, I keep lights on all day long and I want to make sure they have a glow that will make me happy and not feeling depressed all day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The first thing to keep in mind is the number of lights the fixture has. If it's going in a small space like right next to the door or a small hallway, you may only need 1-2 light bulbs. If it's a larger space like a foyer or large kitchen area, 4-8 bulbs may be necessary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Another thing to think about is what the fixture is made of - is there a linen drum around the light bulb? This will make the light dim and you may want more bulbs. A glass fixture will let all the light shine through and may only require one bulb to light the area. There are even lights that are completely open with no surround so the light will be extra bright. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One last thing to keep in mine is the type of light bulb that will be used. The most common is an incandescent bulb but there are so many more. LED, fluorescent, puck lights for under kitchen cabinets, Edison bulbs are longer, chandelier light bulbs... I could go on and on. They will all give off a different glow and feel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In my <a href="https://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2018/11/gold-is-new-black.html" target="_blank">last post I talked about how gold is in style</a> and it's going to be the main metal I'm using in my new home. And because lights are the first thing I change, I went and found gold lights that I love and will be using. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFXVCeGX8_tUibnxm9pllXCvz_pXjBlAPw7JwMfvFHHRgkoNDih2Iohv4ODGsHViX4ObEBDfyTfX9P6MZr7e_LXfr5EOqF0I4NzC4TvkOn8b1B-AiocFOEpDU3RnpzdDjQhjLShhCz4s/s1600/Lighting+Board.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="928" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFXVCeGX8_tUibnxm9pllXCvz_pXjBlAPw7JwMfvFHHRgkoNDih2Iohv4ODGsHViX4ObEBDfyTfX9P6MZr7e_LXfr5EOqF0I4NzC4TvkOn8b1B-AiocFOEpDU3RnpzdDjQhjLShhCz4s/s640/Lighting+Board.png" width="370" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Top left: Will be used in a small hallway</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Top right: Will be used in a larger hallway</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Middle: Will be used in the hallway leading to the garage/laundry area/pantry</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Bottom left: Will be used in the 2 story foyer (metal bases for bulbs will be spray painted gold)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Bottom right: Will be used above dining room table</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I saw the dining room light on Instagram and immediately fell in love!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevkVt_jF5JklpLzVjDi2cfCEb2IGUoUBDKkjF-7YOo9TxSKCRCT_cJSTmAnQop5WYPQFqIkVuruTbLUNEUHLuKtTxkgWMUl2VgOw3B6y84EXGQkEDM6heXWahjS2_1fxhN1GUFClRrn4/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2276.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevkVt_jF5JklpLzVjDi2cfCEb2IGUoUBDKkjF-7YOo9TxSKCRCT_cJSTmAnQop5WYPQFqIkVuruTbLUNEUHLuKtTxkgWMUl2VgOw3B6y84EXGQkEDM6heXWahjS2_1fxhN1GUFClRrn4/s640/fullsizeoutput_2276.jpeg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.sincerelysarad.com/" target="_blank">SincerelySaraD</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I really tried to pick timeless and classic pieces that I won't get tired of in a few years. Even though these fixtures are in "style" now, I really think they'll be elegant and practical down the road. Of course you can always spray paint them haha!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I also realized I was drawn to a lot of round lights. The dining room light also has the rounded edges (can they be called an edge if rounded??). I really feel like they help soften the room. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I saved the best for last! We will have 2 front rooms when you first walk into our new home. One will be the kids playroom and the other will have my desk, piano, and some cozy chairs in it. I wanted to replace the light in there and found the perfect one. I also found this awesome light while on Instagram (maybe I have an Instagram problem??).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxf3PninO4Y8SZ4DeON-hoxMe88ALzSE4I9DyeJtZ65oFQCCkhzbaEIOXY4Y15q_UCGBWP6U2CQ03YyCNHX6mt1hC64ZZqFRYeelaSwtdNKONaWWobuOcQWb1qIyljRfRrO7y5P1PQQI/s1600/fullsizeoutput_22df.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxf3PninO4Y8SZ4DeON-hoxMe88ALzSE4I9DyeJtZ65oFQCCkhzbaEIOXY4Y15q_UCGBWP6U2CQ03YyCNHX6mt1hC64ZZqFRYeelaSwtdNKONaWWobuOcQWb1qIyljRfRrO7y5P1PQQI/s640/fullsizeoutput_22df.jpeg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="http://www.crazychicdesign.com/" target="_blank">CrazyChicDesign</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It didn't take me too long to figure out it was from World Market but was only available in oil rubbed bronze. Which led me to find this picture below as well. I thought, "hey, I could spray paint it!!" However, even the oil rubbed bronze was out of stock. I was DETERMINED to get this light somehow. All of my searches came up empty.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5mrLJ8jjDjN4ymO54Xz_-sCGrJd6UGjCVCEh3YIYWC5sPeX-Ge1S3fIybLtK6MnSxLH8GHJ4Pltg5hpacCLArKg3-WuSVYZkJp8TekxHkf5Zs3sKY4Hlu8mepqmX6VYP4FopvbxD4Do/s1600/56425391400__670BA8C6-D6FE-4732-BC63-704BB18E113F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5mrLJ8jjDjN4ymO54Xz_-sCGrJd6UGjCVCEh3YIYWC5sPeX-Ge1S3fIybLtK6MnSxLH8GHJ4Pltg5hpacCLArKg3-WuSVYZkJp8TekxHkf5Zs3sKY4Hlu8mepqmX6VYP4FopvbxD4Do/s640/56425391400__670BA8C6-D6FE-4732-BC63-704BB18E113F.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=pinterest+world+market+globe+farmhouse+chandelier&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjg2eiQt_XeAhWJw4MKHRgSA68Q_AUIDigB&biw=1152&bih=734&dpr=2#imgrc=E6zj7R2kO__XGM:" target="_blank">Google</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until my loyal friend Amazon showed me this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiziMOElH3DjxeFpsZQ9fteNZzzIJHz4vYXCa8W4ao7Vrl75toufzVh9skxOjA_loHWbiLS0gi8IN0ro8r_h2RW3TpTwxuzSjn1qgnIXdjElddpS13Df7QPThck7VEL7xRGrRInFojf6qs/s1600/OfficeGlobeLight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="466" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiziMOElH3DjxeFpsZQ9fteNZzzIJHz4vYXCa8W4ao7Vrl75toufzVh9skxOjA_loHWbiLS0gi8IN0ro8r_h2RW3TpTwxuzSjn1qgnIXdjElddpS13Df7QPThck7VEL7xRGrRInFojf6qs/s320/OfficeGlobeLight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Unitary+Brand+Vintage+Black+Metal+Globe+Shape+ORB+Dining+Room+Candle+Chandelier+with+5+E12+Bulb+Sockets+200W+Painted+Finish&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=4GGIUtzSke0kDM%253A%252CiTw9gNYANBBXrM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kQSqTwlifrJjGGSteJtWdtuSECGDA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-6vWs0_LeAhXE8YMKHacvDPMQ9QEwAXoECAUQBA#imgrc=4GGIUtzSke0kDM:" target="_blank">Google</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know it's not exactly the same, but pretty close! So she's on her way to my house and I'll have the lovely task of spray painting her. I'm hoping it turns out as good as I picture it in my mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'll bring you along during the process of getting them installed. It is priority #1 once we get our keys!</span></div>
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Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-86522292949853828402018-11-27T14:25:00.002-05:002018-11-28T11:24:24.204-05:00Gold is the New Black<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Gold is making a comeback! Gold, brass, champagne, antique gold, satin brass, etc. All of them are super popular right now. I think one of the reasons why it's so popular is that it creates a warm, sophisticated and cozy vibe. Gold also goes well with white, black, and gray which is what a lot of kitchens are made of these days. Wood tones with gold accents are just gorgeous and create that cozy feeling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I follow a lot of home decor bloggers on Instagram and some of them just have the most beautiful kitchens that have gold knobs and pulls. Here are some of my favorites:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VKbTsIPRWUjE04iHFfkp3KFNK_84-SHK5NrLP1Cs7zZ67NN-heTbLFrugO_GuOZUcfAN9qlrzi61SRYjEIAsa6WaYzotFdY_aPl2RYBr6yuztiPSOFjsvgNjuEIWlIManUJrPxrS2Tg/s1600/GoldKitchen3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VKbTsIPRWUjE04iHFfkp3KFNK_84-SHK5NrLP1Cs7zZ67NN-heTbLFrugO_GuOZUcfAN9qlrzi61SRYjEIAsa6WaYzotFdY_aPl2RYBr6yuztiPSOFjsvgNjuEIWlIManUJrPxrS2Tg/s640/GoldKitchen3.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="http://nestingwithgrace.com/small-space-living-series-kitchen-cabinets-and-organizing-tips/" target="_blank">NestingwithGrace</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCi0pQsu4TkFpzyxZlmZKQCsbj3aiu7XQSDoFRgTYYkw2cydQNvDgpUboFsLTI_bC6YRyQXWFBTf-vZ9EiVlzzBl3fj1uSEGF1aDvscvHLW6DuGiAEndW2ZdMVXdP9QqgmNUG5MMMVnsY/s1600/GoldKitchen4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCi0pQsu4TkFpzyxZlmZKQCsbj3aiu7XQSDoFRgTYYkw2cydQNvDgpUboFsLTI_bC6YRyQXWFBTf-vZ9EiVlzzBl3fj1uSEGF1aDvscvHLW6DuGiAEndW2ZdMVXdP9QqgmNUG5MMMVnsY/s640/GoldKitchen4.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://1111lightlane.com/2018/05/classic-black-bright-and-light-ikea-semihandmade-kitchen/" target="_blank">1111LightLane</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfi6eQ6caJn8idOrTQ34pic4arT5lFjQY3lR5Nx9xbYLnM2mm9lqDJS574aWf-LYNhYOcHrlJvqmfka2aQ0EY5twojqzjrWrYaEool1gOmhTzCtPbYH-qHbK5qwc3aSIZyCAgYWTXrFE/s1600/GoldKitchen6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfi6eQ6caJn8idOrTQ34pic4arT5lFjQY3lR5Nx9xbYLnM2mm9lqDJS574aWf-LYNhYOcHrlJvqmfka2aQ0EY5twojqzjrWrYaEool1gOmhTzCtPbYH-qHbK5qwc3aSIZyCAgYWTXrFE/s640/GoldKitchen6.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: </span><a href="https://summeradams.com/welcome-bright-white-kitchen/" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;" target="_blank">SummerAdams</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOdn8VcnYof2SvLMq-rNtOYsfdLRpbgFDbTPAUSdA0f58m6E59OZjyFrFyjNiNRsYVF5w8yJHgW2jyyFOpAkI1CSvWbBMms2CvKxcDV7HjhynpTByfuC_CE0UKc8Khnarl_tGFSqgJds/s1600/GoldKitchen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOdn8VcnYof2SvLMq-rNtOYsfdLRpbgFDbTPAUSdA0f58m6E59OZjyFrFyjNiNRsYVF5w8yJHgW2jyyFOpAkI1CSvWbBMms2CvKxcDV7HjhynpTByfuC_CE0UKc8Khnarl_tGFSqgJds/s640/GoldKitchen1.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="http://www.thepinkdream.com/kitchen-remodel-cost/" target="_blank">ThePinkDream</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfPUvez4_GhGHFNa5hvC0760xnadng5OY8KV1E-mTs-g4gq3FEpDT4c-noKmS_dmkShWXQx_cJhfa3dqYjfuTfHvLCS2kGcFfNfxzh64EQzLlNQqwbReKP4TQ35-JJara2AcBuPaQIQs/s1600/GoldKitchen5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfPUvez4_GhGHFNa5hvC0760xnadng5OY8KV1E-mTs-g4gq3FEpDT4c-noKmS_dmkShWXQx_cJhfa3dqYjfuTfHvLCS2kGcFfNfxzh64EQzLlNQqwbReKP4TQ35-JJara2AcBuPaQIQs/s640/GoldKitchen5.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source:<a href="https://www.chrislovesjulia.com/our-christmas-kitchen/" target="_blank"> ChrisLovesJulia</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Don't be afraid to mix metals. It has taken me a long time to realize that I could do that. A gold ceiling light with black door knobs is perfectly fine and will look amazing. Stainless steel appliances can even mix with gold accents in the kitchen. Try to pick a main metal for your home and have 1-2 accent metals scattered throughout. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Look for inspiration pictures that you love and see how they interchange different metals throughout the room.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.crazychicdesign.com/new-look-in-the-living-room/" target="_blank">Amy from CrazyChicDesign</a> did a great job of mixing metals in her living room. A gold curtain rod, a black candlestick, black knobs on the side bar, a silver coffee table, and metallic lamp bases. But it all looks put together and seamless.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuA0RUnSJTWQgkZk3RL-NqJx611W0QwYaSqEet7dDL6LRHSD5M4GDhASuLRYRRccz1tcHx7LkhzmNyC-qwsMR5LVNikkdXSys3WIMZlhfqYhwto1iM1AtKrSbHHzjKFe_PWyiVep7D0Qk/s1600/Mixingmetals1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuA0RUnSJTWQgkZk3RL-NqJx611W0QwYaSqEet7dDL6LRHSD5M4GDhASuLRYRRccz1tcHx7LkhzmNyC-qwsMR5LVNikkdXSys3WIMZlhfqYhwto1iM1AtKrSbHHzjKFe_PWyiVep7D0Qk/s640/Mixingmetals1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="http://www.crazychicdesign.com/new-look-in-the-living-room/" target="_blank">CrazyChicDesign</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.chrislovesjulia.com/the-one-surprising-thing-we-would-change-about-our-bathroom/" target="_blank">Chris and Julia</a> recently renovated their master bathroom and it's just gorgeous. They did an awesome job with mixing metals. Gold and black sconces with satin nickel faucets and a satin nickel towel holder. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ4FguQG-pa3dYwylKwr_nKN3B3nqfrqJHvT7rBHL62QptJXExqdDxDVxgqfM_fXKQ_1RZDrGdzLkX-KCWMhdg8q2-0PbwL4nAaSwX0EF9u56ln4k3CDf0lpZ2wPFT0i4DTTX-TtBQnI/s1600/mixingmetals2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ4FguQG-pa3dYwylKwr_nKN3B3nqfrqJHvT7rBHL62QptJXExqdDxDVxgqfM_fXKQ_1RZDrGdzLkX-KCWMhdg8q2-0PbwL4nAaSwX0EF9u56ln4k3CDf0lpZ2wPFT0i4DTTX-TtBQnI/s640/mixingmetals2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.chrislovesjulia.com/the-one-surprising-thing-we-would-change-about-our-bathroom/" target="_blank">ChrisLovesJulia</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This kitchen is stunning with the gold pendants, gold handles and black faucets. The wood shelves and wood stools help add in warmth.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisB0MsPp455zYEqS9JieEuteUCKdioo82oS0XfFGgz0fXyQ780r_DrcjmMYskdRIw6Ls22XE2RHq5uO_4fKWgEXy_ixidzoqiz5gBYlB9EkJ_hC0Vnx2bSmQgUWjV5QzCNTezK2bRKar4/s1600/mixingmetals4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisB0MsPp455zYEqS9JieEuteUCKdioo82oS0XfFGgz0fXyQ780r_DrcjmMYskdRIw6Ls22XE2RHq5uO_4fKWgEXy_ixidzoqiz5gBYlB9EkJ_hC0Vnx2bSmQgUWjV5QzCNTezK2bRKar4/s640/mixingmetals4.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://summeradams.com/welcome-bright-white-kitchen/" target="_blank">HouseofJadeInteriors</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Gold, brass, and copper have warm tones. Where silver, stainless steel, and chrome have cooler tones. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You may have a very neutral palate in your living room and want to give it a pop of color while still adding warmth. Gold will help create that cozy effect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'll be honest, at first I wasn't sure about all the gold. It has really taken me a year to really love it. I have one end table and one floor lamp that are gold and love them. But to have gold as a permanent fixture (ceiling lights and knobs) made me a bit nervous. However, after countless hours looking at beautiful homes on Instagram, the gold has grown on me. So much so that I'm using it as my main metal in our new home! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My next post will be all about the new lights I ordered and I can't wait to share them with you. Stay tuned!</span></div>
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Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-21739684908454950892018-11-26T09:36:00.000-05:002018-11-26T09:36:41.482-05:00Life Updates<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It has been a long long time since I've written a post. I have been thinking a lot about starting up this blog again. Part of me wishes I had never stopped it! However, so much has happened since I last posted. I'm not even sure I could have kept up with life and the blog!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Life Update #1:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For starters, in my <a href="http://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2016/10/long-time-no-read.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, I made a comment about how I was not pregnant but we wanted to expand our family at some point. The joke was on ME because little did I know I was actually pregnant at that time! Whoa! We had 3 kids when I wrote that post - a girl and then 2 boys. I had always wanted another girl so my daughter could have a sister. So there we were pregnant and I was praying it was a little girl. We chose not to find out what the baby was until delivery day (we found out with all the others did fun gender reveals). And praise the Lord, we found out we had a little GIRL! I was so thrilled. Come to find out, she's my mini clone and I absolutely adore her. She was born on 7.7.17. My little baby is now 16 months old! I still can't believe we are a family of 6!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mC-ChcXqgha_d4-HgidfrSKajdEek24mhNvsKBnYTFXEOY3JxG0m3LLTJ-QYix8NvXgkKOP_ZlvOXq7aOJQwswp-zfiSGCYJ_FePjbjPnIXwtdn5X6XIWaKp3swPbsm_fD7iq4OvL-k/s1600/IMG_3250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mC-ChcXqgha_d4-HgidfrSKajdEek24mhNvsKBnYTFXEOY3JxG0m3LLTJ-QYix8NvXgkKOP_ZlvOXq7aOJQwswp-zfiSGCYJ_FePjbjPnIXwtdn5X6XIWaKp3swPbsm_fD7iq4OvL-k/s640/IMG_3250.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPBXkGuL0bZc8kCxnFwEm7huAsZUHWmmhi4jqZit0eXBKc5NjVYEg8iO7kUcUSPwlBqX0BJu3kmseLih16Wyj9EnyQ6YiAzKYbtqcJTRhoNNRMotu7vlzhyphenhyphen8wOitZY_36lWYcvdn95Fw/s1600/2018-05-27+12.08.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPBXkGuL0bZc8kCxnFwEm7huAsZUHWmmhi4jqZit0eXBKc5NjVYEg8iO7kUcUSPwlBqX0BJu3kmseLih16Wyj9EnyQ6YiAzKYbtqcJTRhoNNRMotu7vlzhyphenhyphen8wOitZY_36lWYcvdn95Fw/s640/2018-05-27+12.08.29.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b3aIaXVLlrMBlRL2ldrs2n7bgPo1N8N-vgRtJc9en8BLaa8ymRiPF9mMmVRk_VyEA6vVa6-v5aswpHivzzaYNekTZx22TAVhB_meAu9rI_7aacRrvNECpzkuK6xLAnHTCTj774jfgjs/s1600/2018-10-15+19.04.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b3aIaXVLlrMBlRL2ldrs2n7bgPo1N8N-vgRtJc9en8BLaa8ymRiPF9mMmVRk_VyEA6vVa6-v5aswpHivzzaYNekTZx22TAVhB_meAu9rI_7aacRrvNECpzkuK6xLAnHTCTj774jfgjs/s640/2018-10-15+19.04.11.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Life Update #2:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We also completed a HUGE kitchen/first floor remodel in the Summer of 2017! It was intense but completely worth it. I will probably do a few posts on that whole process because it took about 9 weeks and changed the layout of our entire first floor. The main floor of our house functioned so much better and I can't wait to share all the details with you. It was seriously my dream come true to be able to do this!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Before:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3vt8VqdkQLiLjJOEseppKGMydvWIq7eifWYY3gH_dGHcrShgKoVIr94_7nfJu35lBrpyq0etQLPG5iqLXP8ENC9oiOpMPRV_6ODq29nZ8bycfafzgrUN3zkyh24CTcyw3Utd_9Wi5EY/s1600/2015-08-26+19.37.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3vt8VqdkQLiLjJOEseppKGMydvWIq7eifWYY3gH_dGHcrShgKoVIr94_7nfJu35lBrpyq0etQLPG5iqLXP8ENC9oiOpMPRV_6ODq29nZ8bycfafzgrUN3zkyh24CTcyw3Utd_9Wi5EY/s640/2015-08-26+19.37.08.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxd1vnPEenIJ5xnGIe-HkL4-MoalVTgsj4gLX4BVtdFldnq11RGj_R9gc66x54NTrUl5nrXCQX2Re1G1-8OcZi8qg0C6js1y-m52t8AU1GyGg6ca1bux0M9ti1Ji-qJmPtC35i7mekOz8/s1600/Photo+Oct+20%252C+5+06+22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxd1vnPEenIJ5xnGIe-HkL4-MoalVTgsj4gLX4BVtdFldnq11RGj_R9gc66x54NTrUl5nrXCQX2Re1G1-8OcZi8qg0C6js1y-m52t8AU1GyGg6ca1bux0M9ti1Ji-qJmPtC35i7mekOz8/s640/Photo+Oct+20%252C+5+06+22+PM.png" width="358" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After Renovation:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Life Update #3:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One last life update for today... my husband lost his job earlier this year. We spent several months searching for a job in our home state of Michigan. That is where both of our families are. But for some reason God wasn't leading us in that direction. It's a crazy story and I will write a whole post on it because it's really neat. But needless to say, we are now living in Indiana and it's honestly been amazing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thank you for taking the time to read this if you made it all the way through!! I'm excited to be sharing more with you and get this blog back up and running.</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-48831996838203922392016-10-20T08:51:00.003-04:002016-10-20T08:54:10.054-04:00Long Time No.... Read??<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's been a while since we've talked! I thought I'd share an update and some exciting news! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Back in early February I became a LuLaRoe consultant. It has blessed our family in a lot of ways. We were able to take a trip to Disney World, do some minor home renovation projects like expanding a 2 door sliding glass window to 3 a door one, sending our precious daughter to the same private school I went to, and a few other smaller things. Besides those fun things, LuLaRoe has helped me to come out of my shell and be a little more of an extrovert than I was. I have more confidence in myself than I have ever had in my entire life. I was able to prove to myself that I could succeed at something. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">LuLaRoe is more work than I have ever done in my life. Which is why the blog got put on hold. The first 4-5 months were filled with 80 hour work weeks. I've cut back some now, which in reality has been nice because life has been super busy with a 4 year old in pre-k, a busy 3 1/2 year old little boy, and an 11 month old who is walking all over our house!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So are you ready to hear the exciting news?? No, I'm not pregnant (although we've agreed to have a 4th child sometime in the near future!!). Let's go back to December 2015 when our almost one year old dishwasher leaked and got under our laminate floor in the kitchen. So our contractor friend told us that mold would likely appear at some point. Ok, but we had already decided to replace all of our flooring on the main level within the next few years but we were not financially ready at that point to replace all of it. So we just lived with our laminate floors being bubbly in places in our kitchen. Fast forward to a few months ago. I decided to lift up our long runner rug in the kitchen and what do I find?? MOLD! With 2 toddlers and a baby crawling/walking all over, it was time to do something about this whether we liked it or not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Major bummer... I painted all of the kitchen cabinets and <a href="http://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2015/12/diy-painting-laminate-countertops.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta;">painted the countertops</span></a> around August/September of last year. All of my precious time that was supposed to last us a few years now wasted :(</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The good/bad part? This project has SPIRALED out of control haha. We knew a new kitchen was in the works for about 3-5 years down the road. This would need to happen at the same time we replaced all of the main level flooring because this mama had some BIG PLANS! We're talking knocking down walls, moving the laundry room from the main level to the second, and completely changing the layout of the kitchen. So the time has come to get this project rolling and I would love to take you on this journey with me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We are about to take on a kitchen renovation, new flooring on the main level, moving the laundry upstairs, a new master closet, and a new master bathroom (which also has mold in it lol). This project won't get started until January/February because we did not want our house to be a construction zone for the holiday season. This gives me lots of time to go over my plans and material decisions with you all! I am super excited to reveal my HUGE kitchen plans! So let's get this blog rolling again so we can have some fun :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sidenote: I am so thankful for my LuLaRoe business that has provided us the income to be able to tackle these huge projects. If you love LuLa as much as I do or you're new to it, please head over to Facebook and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/lularoewithrae/" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta;">checkout my VIP page</span></a> where I throw super fun parties for lots of wonderful women.</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-48144508675171704962015-12-31T09:49:00.002-05:002016-10-20T08:52:12.662-04:00DIY Painting Laminate Countertops<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the post that so many of my amazing friends have been waiting for... How to paint your countertops!! If you're here, I'm guessing you have some seriously awesome countertops that you just <strike>can't wait to get rid of</strike> love :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had some amazing GREEN laminate countertops. I guess that was the thing to do in 1994 when our house was built?? I have hated them since the day we moved in but other things have eaten up our budget. After 11 months, I finally got sick of seeing these green monsters that I decided to take the plunge and use craft paint to change them. You can also use the paint that you put on your walls!! I will give you detailed step by step instructions on </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">how to make your countertops look like granite for way less than the price of real granite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are a few before pics:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It would be helpful to have a sample picture of the look you're going for. Either grab one at Lowe's or look samples up online. You'll also need to know how many square feet of counter space you have. I have 39 square feet. It's important to know that for your top coat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Plan for a whole day to complete the entire process and then 72 hours for the top coat to fully cure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Supplies you'll need:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. Latex gloves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. Sand paper (I used 150 grit)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. Drop cloths (I used 3 plastic ones)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4. Painter's tape</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5. A few plastic buckets (in the paint aisle at Lowe's)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6. Lighter or small blow torch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7. Paper plates to put your paint on and dab with sponge</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8. Primer (I used </span><a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser-Bulls-Eye-1-2-3-1-gal-White-Water-Based-Interior-Exterior-Primer-and-Sealer-2001/100398391" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Zinsser Bulls Eye</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> water based primer)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">9. Paint roller, paint trays and paint sticks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">10. Small foam brushes (I bought 3 just to be safe)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">11. Acrylic craft paint (I bought mine at Hobby Lobby) I also used 2 small samples of paint I used on my walls from Sherwin Williams</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">12. Craft sponge (Hobby Lobby - I bought a big sponge in the painting aisle and cut it up into many pieces)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">13. Top Coat - you have 2 options here and I will talk about them later but I bought 4 boxes (32 oz each) of </span><a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/32875262?wmlspartner=wmtlabs" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enviro Tex Lite</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. I found this at Hobby Lobby in the same aisle as the acrylic paint. Each box covers up to 8 sq feet which is why you need to know how much counter space you have. Your other option is to use 1-2 cans of Polycrylic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had most of these supplies already so my cost was a little lower than if you were buying everything new. I had to grab a few extra bottles of acrylic craft paint and 4 boxes of Enviro Tex Lite (the top coat) so my total was about $95 for this project. Use 40% off coupons at Hobby Lobby for the top coat and it will save you $14 a box!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I took as many pictures as I could but I had gloves on for the majority of this project so I wasn't able to capture everything. But I will try to give you step by step instructions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here we go!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Step 1: Sand counters</strong>. Honestly I don't think this did anything. Maybe I didn't rub hard enough but once I wiped off the residue, they felt pretty much the same as they did before. But it made me feel better. This helps the primer stick better but on the can it says no priming necessary so who knows! Wipe it all off really well with a wet rag.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Step 2: Prime. </strong>Make sure you have your walls and cabinets taped off first. I did 2 coats of primer and used a small roller for this. It wasn't perfect but I knew all of my other paint would cover this up. Wait 1 hour for it to dry in between coats and before you start painting with your sponge. If you choose to do black countertops, get a primer that you can tint black.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Step 3: Use your sponge to make a design.</strong> My one piece of advice is to PRACTICE before you do this on a piece of paper. If I had done this it would have saved me 2 HOURS! I could not get my technique down for the life of me and was so frustrated that it wasn't turning out great. But then I tried something different with the sponge and loved where it was going. Once I got my technique down it took me (another) 2 hours to complete this step.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are the colors I used from Hobby Lobby (I did not use Slate Gray). The metallic I used sparingly but I absolutely love the shine it gives! I also used a white I already had and a very light gray I used on my walls in my home. I bought 4 bottles of each color just to be on the safe side and I almost used all of them. *Grey Sky, Metallic Silver, Grey*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also purchased a small container of very fine glitter and threw it on sparingly after one of my many coats. It's very subtle but I absolutely love it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My counters looked like this after my initial few coats. I was not liking where it was going.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWPC1_ifSZ9WGIliY1ZyrvZrl6CUwD6bjYY5vlZfXYzhXN4FCXn8tMEoXBzWynfFO71GtDg55K5TRg7Rw2Gr1AErWQiMIhqmi6dqCaBU5svl22g3fSdMkxfVj4EoAzmWlNo4o5N0O-XA/s1600/2015-12-29+18.41.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWPC1_ifSZ9WGIliY1ZyrvZrl6CUwD6bjYY5vlZfXYzhXN4FCXn8tMEoXBzWynfFO71GtDg55K5TRg7Rw2Gr1AErWQiMIhqmi6dqCaBU5svl22g3fSdMkxfVj4EoAzmWlNo4o5N0O-XA/s640/2015-12-29+18.41.18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I had to basically start all over but at least my primer was fully covered at this point.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then I started dabbing just a small section of the sponge on the counters and it looked like a dalmatian dog puked all over my counters! Then after the 2 hour mark, I decided to use the whole sponge and it looked so much better. I knew this was the direction I wanted to go. One color at a time it was starting to look like I wanted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Left: the way I wanted it to look Right: Dalmatian dog gone wrong</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wanted lighter counters with a hint of dark in them. If this is the look you're going for then I recommend you start with your darkest color first. Work your way to the lightest. After I did this, I went back with one of my medium shade colors to blend everything in. It really depends what look you're going for and that is why you should practice first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the end they came out looking like this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdGkJvfog5F8Akq6cwFCBfD7g0iFNlvmcwePsHFDqMcGN6i9Qk_cbCLQuGOB0B4hvCv28wnUfqN9iRF7a-4764M2wDokowZbh0hO3BrECXvLUM2oGVvbUf-8ethazXGpSjhH2tDiKDcA/s1600/2015-12-29+21.24.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdGkJvfog5F8Akq6cwFCBfD7g0iFNlvmcwePsHFDqMcGN6i9Qk_cbCLQuGOB0B4hvCv28wnUfqN9iRF7a-4764M2wDokowZbh0hO3BrECXvLUM2oGVvbUf-8ethazXGpSjhH2tDiKDcA/s640/2015-12-29+21.24.12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's a close up and to me they look like real granite!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>Step 4: Top Coat.</strong> You have 2 options here. I will tell you what I did and tell you about the other down below. I used Enviro Tex Lite. It is amazing and even though I was afraid to do it, I am so glad I did and highly recommend this one. It is food safe which is a huge plus for this mommy with 3 little kids. It is super thick and super shiny. It goes on nice and smooth. It feels amazing and I wish you could touch it through the computer! <em>Note: While you totally could do this step by yourself, I found it was much easier to accomplish with 2 people.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You will need to read the directions very carefully so I won't go into all the details but you need to pour it on quickly (within 20 minutes of mixing it up) and you will need a heavy duty lighter or small blow torch. You can also just use your breath but that really depends on your counter size. There was no way I was going to blow on 39 square feet of space! I started out using a lighter and that worked fine but when my mom offered me her small blow torch she uses for crème brulee, it was amazing and did the job much faster. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><em>The reason for the heat is to pop the small bubbles that form while you're mixing and applying the top coat. I'll be honest and say that I'm positive I didn't get ALL of the bubbles out but so far the counters feel super smooth.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The box says it will harden within 24 hours and will be ready for full use in 72 hours. It also says it dries best when your house is 70-90 degrees and there's no humidity. I found that at 10 hours it was still tacky and my house was at 68 degrees. Once I upped it to 70 degrees the drying process went faster.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Option 2: Polycrylic. From what I read this will take 8-9 coats and is put on by a foam roller. It is not food safe and won't last as long as the Enviro Tex Lite (which is equal to 50 coats!). It will probably need touch ups every now and then where as the one I did, at least from what I've read, people have had it last 5 years. It also won't be super shiny and super smooth. However, this is easier and less risky to apply and you can do it yourself. You will probably want to sand between coats to keep it from getting too rough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Now it's time for the AFTER pictures!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am a perfectionist and Type A personality so going into this was a little terrifying. I was worried that I would be too picky or would keep going for 20 hours and still not like how it was turning out. But trust me, you'll know when it's done. It will look amazing to you and you'll be giddy with excitement!!</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-69042953368497251202015-07-22T06:00:00.000-04:002018-11-28T11:25:00.359-05:00The Process of Painting a Room<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am getting ready to start painting the nursery (EEEEK!!) so I thought now would be the perfect time to share the process of painting a room. It's fairly simply but I thought writing out step by step instructions may help. Painting a whole room may seem like a big job but it is so rewarding in the end. Ok, maybe I'm just a crazy painting freak. :)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: magenta; color: #e06666; font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6fa8dc;">Step 1: Pick out your paint color</span><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This may seem like an easy task but it can be overwhelming. Once you've narrowed down what color you want (blue, gray, green, etc) then get a few different color strips in those </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">shades. I stick the swatches right on the wall and take a day or two to see what they look like in the morning, afternoon, and evening. (In this case I was looking at colors for the door).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Step 2: Buy samples of a few different shades</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Once you have your swatches narrowed down to anywhere between 2-5, go to the paint store and ask for samples of those colors. I usually go to Sherwin Williams and they're around $5 a sample. I let these sit there for 2-5 days to really get a good idea of what the color will look like. Keep in mind the color will change in the morning vs evening and if there's sun or rain. Also if your painting a hallway, the color may be close to a window in one area of the hallway but then have no natural light in another area. This will make your color look different so be sure to paint multiple areas of the room/hallway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">I've learned not to rush your decision because you don't want to spend 8 hours painting a room only to hate it a few days later. I've done that way to too many times! I just get so excited to start painting and making a difference that I was always rushing my color decision. In my current home, I took my time and am very happy with the colors I have chosen.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Step 3: Putty any holes, sand and clean your wall</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Ok, that's like 3 steps in one but they all go together. You could also do this before you start the other steps but because the above two steps usually takes me a week, I like to do this while I'm deciding on which color to use.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">There are probably nail holes from pictures or even some places where the wall was chipped a little. You want to get your putty and cover these up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sand down those areas after they have dried.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Then go over the whole room with a damp rag and wipe off the walls and trim really well. If you're moving into a new house or the walls haven't been cleaned in a few years, it's a good idea to put a little soap in with the water and wash the walls. Make sure to go over them a second time with a damp clean rag to remove any excess soap.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Step 4: Cut in the corners and around trim</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">It's time to start painting! You can take a small paintbrush or a regular sized one to do this. I prefer an angled brush for this job. If you don't have a lot of experience with "cutting in" then use blue painter's tape to cover up the trim pieces. </span><br />
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<br />Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-62564371736160455682015-07-20T06:00:00.000-04:002015-07-20T06:00:01.019-04:00How to Caulk Trim<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is going to be a fun one today so hold on to your hats!! Ok, not really. It's a boring topic but I'm sure someone somewhere needs a tutorial on how to caulk trim.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I shared with you my process of<a href="http://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2015/06/how-to-paint-trim.html" target="_blank"> how to paint trim</a> a few weeks ago. Going from an orange oak trim to bright white has made such a difference in my home. You can see here the difference of the trim on the floor verses the trim around the door. So much lighter and brighter. It really makes the area feel bigger and taller.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If you really want your trim to look professional and have a crisp clean look, you will need to caulk it. It's super easy and I was actually having fun doing it. Crazy, right?! It goes on so quickly but makes such a big difference.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Let's first take a look at the places you'll want to caulk. The main obvious place is where the trim meets the wall. That is just an eye sore and makes it look very unprofessional and sloppy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The next place is where all the millions and millions of nails went into the trim. You couldn't really see them when the trim was oak colored, they just blended in. But they stick out plain as day on this white trim.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The other place you'll want to caulk are the seems where trim pieces meet. You could stick a quarter in that slot! I'm actually surprised my daughter never tried. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You'll want to stop at Lowe's or the hardware store and pick out your caulk and caulking gun if you don't have one. This caulking gun was only $6-8. I used this brand of caulk. It's nice because you can paint right over it which is actually recommended. Otherwise your caulking spot will turn yellow over time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The only other supply you'll need is a rag or torn up old t-shirt. I went through a lot so be prepared.</span><br />
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Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-18693454211385525342015-07-16T06:00:00.000-04:002015-07-16T06:00:00.564-04:00DIY Abstract Art<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">On Tuesday I shared with you some <a href="http://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2015/07/abstract-art.html" target="_blank">abstract art pieces</a> from around the web. I remember being in 8th grade art class and hating it. I had no clue what I was doing. I think at one point we had to make something out of clay and mine looked like a big old blob. But then you see movies where a character paints for fun and it just looks so relaxing (The Notebook, anyone??). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I think because I don't feel very creative and also don't have many relaxing hobbies, I was on a mission to see if I had it in me to paint. After all, it's been a while since 8th grade! Plus art pieces are usually super expensive and wouldn't it be great to save some money?? Then that feeling of accomplishment would be fantastic... if it actually turned out decent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I had a little luck on my side. My mom. She is a woman of many talents and one of those just happens to be painting. Now usually she does things like flowers but I really needed her expertise in showing me <em>how</em> to paint. Are there certain brushes you use? What techniques are best for what I want to accomplish? How do you mix multiple colors together and not make it look like a 3 year old did it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So one afternoon I took my daughter over to my mom's and we all had some quality time painting. I really thought I could get this done in 30 minutes (jokes on me!) but it ended up taking 2 hours to complete. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Let's get this party started! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">It all started off with wanting a fairly big canvas to paint on. I headed to Hobby Lobby and scored an amazing deal. I always check their clearance section and happened to find this flower picture for $12!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Did you know that you can paint over previous paintings on a canvas? So if you find a hideous picture on a canvas at a thrift store or somewhere else at an amazing low price, grab that baby up because you can reuse it. It's also great because after its been hanging up in your home for <strike>a month</strike> a year, you can take it down and start all over with a new idea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I got out some plain white paint that I usually use for my walls or trim and went over the canvas one time. I probably should have done two coats just to be safe but I was too excited to get started.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuw7lK5iwIC4s84MtDkN_UJAvqrMcwlZ02YIL-3ipzRCPcfgkpg1LJYGhvLCvLMvJ4Eu5IwXxCA1wID0I_TKi5AOJX3m39A2v1VmoCYR96PexdgFGg_hiX2B1UKabH2ujQrsDzz-PLBc/s1600/diy60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuw7lK5iwIC4s84MtDkN_UJAvqrMcwlZ02YIL-3ipzRCPcfgkpg1LJYGhvLCvLMvJ4Eu5IwXxCA1wID0I_TKi5AOJX3m39A2v1VmoCYR96PexdgFGg_hiX2B1UKabH2ujQrsDzz-PLBc/s640/diy60.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I knew that I wanted blues in my picture. I am trying to incorporate different shades of blue around my home and so far don't I have any on the walls so this was a good place to start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I actually used a mix of acrylic paint and paint I had leftover from painting my walls. It's a really neat way to use up some of that leftover paint you have from painting a bedroom or bathroom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I used several sizes of brushes but the main reason was so that I didn't have to continuously clean them over and over. But for a piece this big I actually preferred the type of paintbrush you use to paint your walls. Nice and big. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I just started swiping on paint, doing one color at a time. The trick is to wet a big paintbrush (wipe off the excess water onto a paper towel) and quickly go over the color so it bleeds out a little. This creates a whispy effect so your lines aren't so harsh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">On occasion we took a blow dryer to the canvas to help a spot dry faster but it really wasn't necessary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">During this whole process I was questioning two things: 1. I wasn't sure if the turquoise color would really match the colors I had in my home. 2. The vision I had in my head had all of the lines in the painting going vertical instead of different directions. I decided I'd take home my piece of art and live with it on the wall for a week to see how I felt. But I was super proud of myself for finishing my first painting!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So after living with it for about 10 days, I decided it looked like a tie dye shirt... <em>wah wah</em>. I also really wanted the lines to be vertical. Luckily for me, Hobby Lobby is having a sale on paints this week so I started my own collection (I was using my mom's acrylic paints before). I grabbed up different shades of blues. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">While my kid's were napping I set everything up and started working on recreating my piece.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You can see how the canvas is still wet from using the damp brush.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In reality I should of just painted the whole canvas white again because it took several coats to cover up the turquoise color but I am happy with how it turned out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I ended up using 4 different colors in the new piece. I toyed around with adding some metallic silver or gold in the future but for now this is how it will stay... at least until I change my mind in a week. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This was really easy to create, just a bit time consuming. Remember that you can always start over if you don't like the end result. Keep your brushes a bit damp and it will give you the whispy effect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Now it's your turn!</span></div>
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Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-4712879084357857422015-07-14T06:00:00.000-04:002015-07-14T06:00:01.097-04:00Abstract Art<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I have never really been interested in a good piece of art. In my last house I never even decorated a single wall! I think I didn't know what I liked and where to begin. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I've been reading decorating blogs for a few years now. At first my taste was all over the place. Rustic here, modern there, throw in some color here but neutral tones over there. I really had no clue what my style was for a while. Then I started paying attention to the little things in these blogs. The paintings on the wall, the colors they used to bring a space together. All the small details that make a space work. I am finally learning what I like for myself and for my home. Abstract art is quickly becoming a favorite of mine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Let's take a look at some pictures of abstract art.</span><br />
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<a href="http://discover10.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Abstract-Art-19-HD-Images-Wallpapers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://discover10.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Abstract-Art-19-HD-Images-Wallpapers.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAUQjhxqFQoTCKPopr6v1MYCFcU7PgodzyAKnQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic2surf.com%2F11263-abstract-art%2F&ei=V7mhVePWCcns-QGCv6iIDg&bvm=bv.97653015,d.cWw&psig=AFQjCNF2Jmwpm7m7wTbvCU81Odw8JOMvrg&ust=1436748517794556" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{source}</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cianellistudios.com/images/abstract-art/abstract-art-somebodys-smiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.cianellistudios.com/images/abstract-art/abstract-art-somebodys-smiling.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAUQjhxqFQoTCNvGr_qv1MYCFQQ2PgodmpsJLw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic2surf.com%2F11263-abstract-art%2F&ei=7bmhVZucLYTs-AGat6b4Ag&bvm=bv.97653015,d.cWw&psig=AFQjCNF2Jmwpm7m7wTbvCU81Odw8JOMvrg&ust=1436748517794556" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/67e1097e0124f069_4-9623/contemporary-artwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/67e1097e0124f069_4-9623/contemporary-artwork.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.houzz.com%2Fphotos%2F2927991%2FAbstract-Painting-by-Elenas-Art-Studio-contemporary-artwork&ei=ZbmhVb37KYP2-AGEsqaoCw&bvm=bv.97653015,d.cWw&psig=AFQjCNF2Jmwpm7m7wTbvCU81Odw8JOMvrg&ust=1436748517794556" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://cianellistudios.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/abstract-art-eloquence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cianellistudios.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/abstract-art-eloquence.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAUQjhxqFQoTCMSQjeiw1MYCFctUPgodcKMEFw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cianellistudios.com%2Fblog%2Ftag%2Fabstract-digital-art%2F&ei=07qhVYTbNMup-QHwxpK4AQ&bvm=bv.97653015,d.cWw&psig=AFQjCNF2Jmwpm7m7wTbvCU81Odw8JOMvrg&ust=1436748517794556" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">It's very whimsical and free flowing. I love that it uses a variety of color because then you can pull in different colors from your home into one piece. You can use vibrant and bright colors to really make the art pop. Or you can be subtle and use pastels or neutral colors to add calming character in your home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I have quite a few paintings on Etsy that I've been crushing over.</span></div>
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<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/005/0/5230531/il_570xN.372778793_2a7r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/005/0/5230531/il_570xN.372778793_2a7r.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/108784254/print-abstract-painting-oil-painting?ref=favs_view_19" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/235379834/giclee-print-on-canvas-of-original?ref=favs_view_23" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://img0.etsystatic.com/021/0/6588112/il_570xN.531084744_2as7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/021/0/6588112/il_570xN.531084744_2as7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/170679082/green-and-blue-abstract-teal-abstract?ref=favs_view_3" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Do you want to know what I love most about this type of painting? It's easy to create yourself! One of my favorite blogs, <a href="http://www.thriftydecorchick.com/2012/07/diy-art-reusing-old-canvas.html" target="_blank">Thrifty Décor Chick</a>, did a painting similar to these a few years back. She used my favorite color, blue!</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TIAgcDDGocc/UAyw6AospNI/AAAAAAAAWJI/DeocJyS4eio/IMG_2239_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TIAgcDDGocc/UAyw6AospNI/AAAAAAAAWJI/DeocJyS4eio/IMG_2239_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It was her painting that inspired me to try this myself. I am not an artist. I am lucky if I can use glue without messing up the paper I put it on! But some of these paintings go for hundreds of dollars and I was not ready to spend that much until I tried this for myself. I also think it was one of those "I must conquer my fear of not being artistic" type of things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So on Thursday I'll be sharing how I did my first DIY Abstract Art piece!! </span></div>
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Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-45943993087630488702015-07-13T06:00:00.000-04:002015-07-13T06:00:02.600-04:00Organizing a Bathroom Drawer<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wow... what a crazy 10 days it has been! I didn't realize how much the 4th of July was like Christmas, being that you are busy for like two weeks straight! In the past 10 days we have had 4 family events (I think... I lost count), made a trip to the zoo, went to a parade, had 2 baby doctor appointments that took up a whole day (baby is healthy and measuring right on track), and my daughter started swim lessons which is every evening for 2 1/2 weeks straight. Needless to say, I've been busy and exhausted! In between those events I had to take countless naps just to keep up. All of this is why I didn't get to post at all last week. I had to put my priorities first and spend quality family time. Which is what I hope all of you have been doing. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">We are in the midst of about 4 projects all going on at the same time. Of course we've been super exhausted lately so it seems like they're taking forever to get finished. But what gets me excited to finish a project is having a deadline to meet. Otherwise I'm kind of in limbo and don't care too much about how long it takes to finish. We have scheduled a little get together in about 5 weeks at our house so now I'm all ready to get going on my growing to-do list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Today I wanted to share a quick organizing project I did this past week. It was super easy and only took me about 10 minutes. I even did it while my kids were playing in the bathtub! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">My bathroom drawer was starting to look a bit scary. Ok, it wasn't all that bad but it could have been better.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOPp2MDhzK9bGdjvK-jGmSAYIgm071DnJdZzZ1mfoEEhO24zKRGKHvm-1y9GoGWhX33tUqmq9Id9qUY01VdDPUxIX8XtyUf7oFcTsWzXGcj30s5goCIJ8I6CFGaUqoe-oTHh87nAbQgk/s1600/a1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOPp2MDhzK9bGdjvK-jGmSAYIgm071DnJdZzZ1mfoEEhO24zKRGKHvm-1y9GoGWhX33tUqmq9Id9qUY01VdDPUxIX8XtyUf7oFcTsWzXGcj30s5goCIJ8I6CFGaUqoe-oTHh87nAbQgk/s640/a1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I'm pretty sure I picked up these organizers at IKEA. They are awesome. They connect together which helps them not to slip all over the place.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzZz_xM81MUXe_gZSyQxwliVC0-HUezMHaUbtmI5f3DeC3iWLWyyUiUK0h7PmwaZJkY3Pvn1f99iNKNMbm68Lcj4Y05qkdT6TOzw4xGjZ-v_iQ8N0hz37qTwvaBllZFPUQu9JU9oViHo/s1600/a3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzZz_xM81MUXe_gZSyQxwliVC0-HUezMHaUbtmI5f3DeC3iWLWyyUiUK0h7PmwaZJkY3Pvn1f99iNKNMbm68Lcj4Y05qkdT6TOzw4xGjZ-v_iQ8N0hz37qTwvaBllZFPUQu9JU9oViHo/s640/a3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So I took everything out of the drawer and placed it all on the counter.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHryGwlA-2EaF5HWNomi23LGJLmmoEEe99SxQO6QtKE1iwNMDA35twhZPijhsl2WFUroq2SIZR08bv79o8v683Ga5ymfHuWBMzHHc-pyw5g0vqbQAtjiZr-Hoqljmz-1c3YgED8BrDrTI/s1600/a4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHryGwlA-2EaF5HWNomi23LGJLmmoEEe99SxQO6QtKE1iwNMDA35twhZPijhsl2WFUroq2SIZR08bv79o8v683Ga5ymfHuWBMzHHc-pyw5g0vqbQAtjiZr-Hoqljmz-1c3YgED8BrDrTI/s640/a4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I also cleaned out the drawer because I may have had <strike>one million hairs</strike> a piece of hair in there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Then I used my new organizing containers and began putting everything back in. Now everything has a place and it makes me smile every time I use this drawer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sometimes it's the little things that can make our day and the little things that keep us going.</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-42071640375846384602015-07-02T06:00:00.000-04:002015-07-02T06:00:01.625-04:00IKEA Malm Inspiration<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In my recent <a href="http://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2015/06/master-bedroom-updates.html" target="_blank">Master Bedroom Update</a> post, I showed you some of the changes going on in our master bedroom. It's about time I got my grown up room. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One of the changes is our new nightstands. We picked up two MALM three drawer nightstands when we were at IKEA last. They were on sale so I talked my Hubby into getting them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I have seen the MALM series all over the internet and there are some pretty awesome things you can do with them. You can pretty much do a hack to any IKEA piece you want to change. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I wanted to share some inspiration pictures with you. Maybe you can help me decide which one to do because I love them all and can't make up my mind!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Here is what the MALM nightstand looks like right out of the box:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/malm-drawer-chest-white__0132190_PE286970_S4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/malm-drawer-chest-white__0132190_PE286970_S4.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Pretty plain and simple. Now let's look at all the fun ways to change it up!</span><br />
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<a href="http://media.hgtv.ca/daylife/a6faee11ad7763c3e76f9a24d0e11c70_590x405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.hgtv.ca/daylife/a6faee11ad7763c3e76f9a24d0e11c70_590x405.jpg" height="438" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.hgtv.ca/photos/gallery/?gid=8fda476e00ec1fa8202425b31af10904#!/1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{source}</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A quick coat of paint can do wonders for any furniture piece. And I am in love with these L brackets!</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.almostmakesperfect.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/rast_campaignhack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.almostmakesperfect.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/rast_campaignhack.jpg" height="640" width="472" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=malm+hacks&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&imgil=_CWhJPkziUEscM%253A%253B9IHUY5Zrf_DIeM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.freshvintagenc.com%25252Fgallery%25252Fim-hacking-my-ikea-malm-3-drawer-dressernightstands%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=_CWhJPkziUEscM%253A%252C9IHUY5Zrf_DIeM%252C_&usg=__wloVw8PDeiPPEFt0QK6i033iev8%3D&ved=0CCkQyjdqFQoTCIum7q-xusYCFUhgrQod3OoAXg&ei=wRmUVcvBCcjAtQXc1YPwBQ#imgdii=_CWhJPkziUEscM%3A%3B_CWhJPkziUEscM%3A%3BEUo70Aq0YEtBZM%3A&imgrc=_CWhJPkziUEscM%3A&usg=__wloVw8PDeiPPEFt0QK6i033iev8%3D" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.glitterandgoatcheese.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Glitter-and-Goat-Cheese-Ikea-Rast-dresser-hack-Painted-dark-gray-with-brass-hardware-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.glitterandgoatcheese.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Glitter-and-Goat-Cheese-Ikea-Rast-dresser-hack-Painted-dark-gray-with-brass-hardware-2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=malm+hacks&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&imgil=_CWhJPkziUEscM%253A%253B9IHUY5Zrf_DIeM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.freshvintagenc.com%25252Fgallery%25252Fim-hacking-my-ikea-malm-3-drawer-dressernightstands%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=_CWhJPkziUEscM%253A%252C9IHUY5Zrf_DIeM%252C_&usg=__wloVw8PDeiPPEFt0QK6i033iev8%3D&ved=0CCkQyjdqFQoTCIum7q-xusYCFUhgrQod3OoAXg&ei=wRmUVcvBCcjAtQXc1YPwBQ#imgdii=lSvlLa8dIWT_fM%3A%3BlSvlLa8dIWT_fM%3A%3B47AxRT_k_lgSSM%3A&imgrc=lSvlLa8dIWT_fM%3A&usg=__wloVw8PDeiPPEFt0QK6i033iev8%3D" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I am pretty obsessed with these knobs. You could even spray paint them a different color.</span></div>
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<a href="http://a.dilcdn.com/bl/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2012/10/dresser-made-nightstand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://a.dilcdn.com/bl/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2012/10/dresser-made-nightstand.jpg" height="640" width="440" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=malm+hacks&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&imgil=_CWhJPkziUEscM%253A%253B9IHUY5Zrf_DIeM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.freshvintagenc.com%25252Fgallery%25252Fim-hacking-my-ikea-malm-3-drawer-dressernightstands%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=_CWhJPkziUEscM%253A%252C9IHUY5Zrf_DIeM%252C_&usg=__wloVw8PDeiPPEFt0QK6i033iev8%3D&ved=0CCkQyjdqFQoTCIum7q-xusYCFUhgrQod3OoAXg&ei=wRmUVcvBCcjAtQXc1YPwBQ#imgdii=KJpFdTN1eGYn_M%3A%3BKJpFdTN1eGYn_M%3A%3B35bqFXGiRR8APM%3A&imgrc=KJpFdTN1eGYn_M%3A&usg=__wloVw8PDeiPPEFt0QK6i033iev8%3D" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAYQjB1qFQoTCL3L3cOzusYCFYIvrAodnIULGg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.callingithome.com%2F2012%2F08%2Fminty-malmikea-hack.html&ei=AxyUVf29KoLfsAWci67QAQ&bvm=bv.96952980,d.b2w&psig=AFQjCNFUp7uJQ_I42NNxclH_xdqDTsXxJw&ust=1435855686623635" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAYQjB1qFQoTCOuIqJi0usYCFQV2rQodib0K9Q&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mizzielogan.com%2F2012%2F12%2Fikea-malm-dresser-hack.html&ei=tRyUVavaBIXstQWJ-6qoDw&bvm=bv.96952980,d.b2w&psig=AFQjCNGQXHkgfd8iJdD6xBX6H8G8rk97xA&ust=1435856364959591" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://www.myoverlays.com/" target="_blank">O'verlays</a> are designed specifically to go on top of IKEA furniture. It really makes the piece look completely different and gives it so much character. You can spray paint the overlays to be any color you want. There are several pages of designs to choose from depending on which IKEA series you have.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.myoverlays.com/content/images/thumbs/0001352_gracie-7-x-30-overlays-kit-for-ikea-malm-3-drawer_200.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.myoverlays.com/content/images/thumbs/0001352_gracie-7-x-30-overlays-kit-for-ikea-malm-3-drawer_200.jpeg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">To recap, here are some of the things you can do to make an IKEA piece of furniture look more custom made:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* Paint the whole piece one or two colors</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* Do an ombre effect on the drawers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* Add knobs - there are so many to choose from!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* Add L brackets - spray paint these whatever color you like</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* Add O'verlays - also spray paint these any color you want</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* Use Washi Tape to give it some pattern or sparkle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* Use painters tape to make a pattern and paint the piece two different colors</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Or you could do all of these! I am really having a hard time deciding so if you could leave me a comment and tell me your favorite or what you would do, I would appreciate it. :)</span></div>
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Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-8618109025154160082015-06-30T06:00:00.000-04:002018-11-28T11:26:18.392-05:00How to Paint Trim<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have been itching to paint the trim in our house ever since we signed the papers at closing! Our house was built in 1994 so this oak trim was pretty popular. All of the trim, doors and even the kitchen cabinets are this color and style.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOiq7GfmmphTB5m0ZLubCXxvCv_CCJN0b-iCz3Why9QK4wwuqZq6Uzxi57RgquI-u0a-AQ1GZilxPDPggFrS46JoPKNAl5N8Eu4mXokqdTg22JSLDpgBnCcAXS3D-AsMonSMxTxluKKs/s1600/IMG_4372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOiq7GfmmphTB5m0ZLubCXxvCv_CCJN0b-iCz3Why9QK4wwuqZq6Uzxi57RgquI-u0a-AQ1GZilxPDPggFrS46JoPKNAl5N8Eu4mXokqdTg22JSLDpgBnCcAXS3D-AsMonSMxTxluKKs/s640/IMG_4372.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg886ZWnfZ_lILL6k_CrXWCnt1MWBPb8Xu78rcRc61DsrqIAh38iqzxO3oPU7XTfZUlqVBbUknHa5Rg-bFPw6OaVq8eH0Vxewv8_LJHb6dBDQAUWu3CuNUOw4S5DpYsz1jAB16xUT9RONE/s1600/IMG_4185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg886ZWnfZ_lILL6k_CrXWCnt1MWBPb8Xu78rcRc61DsrqIAh38iqzxO3oPU7XTfZUlqVBbUknHa5Rg-bFPw6OaVq8eH0Vxewv8_LJHb6dBDQAUWu3CuNUOw4S5DpYsz1jAB16xUT9RONE/s640/IMG_4185.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We went and priced this specific trim at Lowe's because while doing some renovations, we needed to buy some more. It's about $30 for 8 feet... not cheap at all! I am very appreciative that the previous owners (and the ones who built the house)</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> didn't skimp because otherwise I would want to replace it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">I'll be honest, after realizing how expensive the trim was, I told myself I could live with it for awhile. I was also dreading having to paint this much trim. It's all over!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">There are two other issues. We aren't quite ready to replace the doors (we definitely want to but other things are taking priority) so once I paint the trim around the doors, it might look a little funny.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The other issue being the windows. I will most likely not be able to get out the panes inside of the window that are the orangey trim color. So those will have to stay that way until we need to replace the windows. I'll end up with white trim around an orange window frame with orange panels but I guess it's something I can live with for a few years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I recently painted our half bathroom on the main level and decided to get all crazy and finally paint the trim in there as well. This sparked the insane person inside of me and I said, "I'm ready to start painting ALL of the trim. Bahahahaha!!!" Ok, that was supposed to be my attempt at an evil laugh. Really I am crazy because I have a nursery that isn't even started, a master bedroom that I intend to paint, and a million and one projects up my sleeve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">But alas, here we go with my tutorial on how to paint trim.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">First you want to thoroughly clean your trim. You might be surprised at how dirty it is! I just used a damp rag but you could also use a little soap if you think they need it. Just make sure to go over it again with a clean rag to get all the soap off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Then I took a 180 grit sanding block and lightly scratched the surface of the trim. You want to get rid of the shine so the paint can stick well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Then I took another damp rag and cleaned the dust off of the trim as well as the floor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">The next step is to tape your floors and walls. I used blue painters tape because it rips off easily and doesn't peel away your paint. If you are going to be painting your walls in the near future, then there's no need to tape them off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Next you'll want to use a primer. Some people don't recommend this step but I really feel it will help your paint hold up better and longer. It also has stain blocker in it so your white paint shouldn't turn yellow in a few years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In my bathroom the walls were going to be the same color as the trim so there was no need to tape off the walls. Yeah!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I also painted the trim in my hallway. I was giddy with excitement over this! I did tape off the walls as you can see because I had already painted these a few months ago and wasn't too excited about the idea of doing touch ups when I was done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For the paint I just used white paint right off the shelf from Lowe's. I chose a Satin finish. I love Satin because it gives it a tad more shine then the walls but doesn't have a blinding effect like semi gloss. Semi Gloss and Satin are the two most popular sheens for trim. I also paint my doors in the same sheen as the trim, so keep that in mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">I am completely amazed at how different it now looks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Let's look at how much brighter and lighter it looks compared to the old trim.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The old trim was dark and made your eyes glance down at the floor making the room feel smaller. With the white trim, your eyes are free to glance up at the walls and towards the ceiling so the room feels bigger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Keep in mind that it may take a few weeks for your paint to completely cure. You may notice that a chip happens easily, especially those first few days. I haven't had this happen yet in this house but it didn't happen in my last house. Just sand down that small spot and repaint it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Being the crazy person I am, I even painted the trim around the door.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You can leave your trim as is but I like to use to caulk to cover up nail holes and also fill in the space by the wall. I'll have a tutorial for that coming up soon. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Next up is painting that front door. I told you, I am going project crazy over here. My husband might send me to the looney bin soon!</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-19791743068447437332015-06-24T06:00:00.000-04:002015-07-01T13:19:27.563-04:00Master Bedroom Updates<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You've heard me talk about it before in <a href="http://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2015/04/master-bedroom-wall-inspiration.html" target="_blank">this post</a>, but so often the master bedroom is last on the list of things to get done. Rooms that guests see always get done first - the kitchen, bathrooms, and living room. And of course you want your kids to have awesome rooms. Then last but not least comes your private oasis. The room where you should be relaxing in. A quiet place to escape the chaos of the rest of the house.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">If you're anything like me, the master bedroom gets forgotten about... until it's 10:00pm and you start thinking about what color to change the walls or what pictures would make you feel most at peace. No?? Just me?? I am a little crazy like that. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I vowed to make the master bedroom a priority when we moved into our home in February. I never even touched the master bedroom in our last house and it wasn't a room I was excited to be in. Now with the baby coming I want to get this room done so I can be excited about it. Plus after 5 1/2 years of marriage, I am ready to have a real adult room instead of a room that's pieced together with broken craigslist furniture and color schemes that don't make sense.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">You'll have to excuse the pictures. I've done the best I can but this room has awful lighting for some reason. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to capture this room.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Let's start off with how it looked before we moved in. Dark purple walls. And you can see they didn't even do a good job at painting! It was dark and depressing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Our master bedroom is actually made up of 4 rooms. The main room where the bed is, a little area that I will be using for my make up station once we get it ready, a walk in closet and a nice huge bathroom (that scares me to death and we have closed the door and not gone in there since we moved in! That renovation will happen down the road). But I'll show you those spaces later on because I really haven't touched them yet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I decided to paint our master bedroom something other than gray... GASP!! I know, that's a little crazy isn't it?! I have seen Comfort Gray by Sherwin Williams used in many master bedrooms before and thought it would be the perfect pop of color. Isn't this a beautiful bluish/gray color?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=comfort+gray+sherwin+williams&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&imgil=RVr9RvaAjm_B8M%253A%253B5IscpjbeJ93oLM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.honeywerehome.com%25252F2014%25252F07%25252Fnew-dining-room-paint-sherwin-williams.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=RVr9RvaAjm_B8M%253A%252C5IscpjbeJ93oLM%252C_&ved=0CEYQyjc&ei=4LGBVfWvLYHQsAXWtoKYCQ&usg=__gM_GfBVix65UqbTk0EsojpbRiX0%3D#imgrc=3OG2AlSdlYWq-M%253A%3B9L0RTnel-4No1M%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%252F736x%252Fec%252Fda%252F18%252Fecda181f7a4534137d54e6b727994857.jpg%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.pinterest.com%252Fpin%252F27866091413845056%252F%3B720%3B540&usg=__gM_GfBVix65UqbTk0EsojpbRiX0%3D" target="_blank">{source}</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Well, it is a beautiful color in the RIGHT LIGHTING. I even put up a few samples on the wall and really thought this would be the color. We have 1 pretty big window in this room but like I said, the lighting is really off in here and it makes Comfort Gray look like Comfort GREEN! Which of course didn't hit me until after we moved in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We also had the carpet replaced before we moved in. Before it was blue with animal feces all over... GAG! Now it is a beautiful gray color.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The pictures above are being nice. It looks way more green in person and it's just awful when it's dark out. Pure green. No hint of gray or blue anywhere. If it was a blue/gray color I would have loved it and been happy. But I have lived with "Comfort Green" for 4 months and it's time to go.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I had a sample of Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore because it was one I considered for our main level (ultimately I went with Balboa Mist for the main level). So I plopped it on our master bedroom walls as well as baby's nursery and I love it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So this room will <strike>hopefully</strike> soon be Gray Owl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Let's look at a few more pictures after we moved in. I have my <a href="http://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-chair.html" target="_blank">awesome $35 chair</a> in here. Which totally doesn't match but I love it in here anyways. The nightstands we got just two years ago when we moved into our last house. They were online at WalMart for around $60 for two. I hate them. Too short, too small and are fake wood. At that point in my life I was about to have a newborn and a 16 month old so decorating was far from my mind. Live and learn my friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Then there's the old lamp that really needs to be donated but keeps making its way around the house when needed. It's like 15 years old and does not match anything in my home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My make up station all lonely over there by itself. To the right you can see part of my craigslist dresser that I had to get when we first got married. It wasn't supposed to last this long and actually did break in this last move. Praise the Lord! It is also fake wood.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here's where things start to change. It started with 2 lamps from Target. White, bright and a fun pattern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Although mine wouldn't fit on my teeny tiny nightstand. It's not like I have a ton of stuff on there!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We took a recent trip to IKEA and I pointed out to my hubby that the MALM line was on sale. I have seen hacks of these dressers and nightstands online before that knew that these would work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">At first I thought they would be too big but after living with them for a few weeks they are the perfect size. And really, we do have the room!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I was able to fit all of my clothes in these and get rid of that yucky old dresser.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I still have dreams of my hubby building me a desk but for now we brought up one we weren't using from the basement. I have been wanting one to use for my blogging and it made the most sense to put it in here. Yup, real life with the laundry basket on my chair. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Next up on the list is changing the bed. While I wish we could get a king sized bed, it just isn't in the budget right now. I have been dreaming of an upholstered headboard for quite some time now and convinced Hubby that I could make it for around $100. I am hoping to make up some or most of that cost from selling the current frame as well as the old nightstands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I can't wait to update you on the progress as soon as it happens!</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-62361057386322412492015-06-22T06:00:00.000-04:002015-06-22T06:00:01.472-04:00Candlsticks and Spray Paint<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If you haven't noticed, I have been all about the spray paint this summer. Repurposing old treasures saves money, let's you be creative, and can completely transform the look of a room. I am having fun!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I had my husband get me these candlesticks for my birthday this past year. They are from World Market and cost way more then I would normally spend on something like this ($45). I saw some bamboo colored ones in the store a few months prior and couldn't stop thinking about them. However, when I went to order them online I chose the gray color. They're ok. Nothing spectacular. It just reminds me to browse the thrift stores first!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">They have a rustic vibe going on and normally I'd be fine with that. I love a mix of modern and rustic design elements. However, I wanted two of these to be on my new <a href="http://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2015/06/diy-floating-wood-shelves.html" target="_blank">DIY Wood shelves</a> which already have that rustic feel. I felt like it was a little overkill with all the rusticness. So I thought why not spray paint them. And why not spray paint them one of my favorite decorating colors, blue! I am loving all shades of blue right now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I got out my primer because I wanted to make sure the blue looked gorgeous and stuck to these babies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Then I used Rust-O-Leum's Navy Blue in Gloss. A few quick coats (ok it literally took me a day to finish these things because it was so humid out!) and I absolutely love the way they turned out. They add some shine and a pop of color which is just what I was looking for.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQZzjypcqC_cwWhADfZr5jzbWLnaAb8HSYLosp0EC2h-b5WThjr2muE8r8CK60KrIDV086G-7KhGpHlSh8lAMX3zQiRaz2ZCfBQPI-hDIQGtKPkx2VdUSxsaMhFUcdZbEPH99GbjvEgs/s1600/a4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQZzjypcqC_cwWhADfZr5jzbWLnaAb8HSYLosp0EC2h-b5WThjr2muE8r8CK60KrIDV086G-7KhGpHlSh8lAMX3zQiRaz2ZCfBQPI-hDIQGtKPkx2VdUSxsaMhFUcdZbEPH99GbjvEgs/s640/a4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A quick and easy change that I absolutely love!</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-43223515240611774982015-06-19T06:00:00.000-04:002015-06-19T06:00:00.272-04:00Friday Faves<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I haven't done a Friday Faves in a while. Somehow I've been super busy but I feel like I have nothing to show for it! I have started some house projects but nothing is completed yet. My to-do list is super long before my baby boy comes in November.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Here's some weekend reading for you, incase you're bored or stuck inside because of rain!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate at the Small Things Blog is amazing. She's down to earth, beautiful and is totally real about her life. Now if only I had the time and will power to do my hair everyday like she does! I have a feeling this will only get worse with baby #3. Here she has a simple but cute <a href="http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/2015/06/a-simple-swept-braid/" target="_blank">side swept braid</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The girls at The DIY Playbook have this stunning <a href="http://thediyplaybook.com/2015/06/diy-marble-tray.html" target="_blank">DIY Marble Tray</a>. It looks like it could cost well over $100 but it's only about $15 to make. I may have to give this one a try. It would look amazing in the center of a dining room table with some fresh cut flowers.</span><br />
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<a href="http://thediyplaybook.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_0188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thediyplaybook.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_0188.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You all know Jen is one of my most favorite bloggers. She came up with these <a href="http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2015/06/four-week-wait-no-more-organizing_16.html" target="_blank">travel and emergency kits</a> to keep in her car. I think they're perfect for all the summer travel that will be happening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I have been wanting my husband to build me a desk for a few years now but as always, other things have taken priority. I think I'll save these plans for this <a href="http://jenwoodhouse.com/diy-writing-desk/" target="_blank">DIY Writing Desk</a> because it is gorgeous! It would be lovely in white, gray, navy blue or even aqua.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As always, I must add in a food post. Sweet potatoes are so good for us. They have Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6 as well as potassium and manganese. These <a href="http://weelicious.com/2014/06/08/sweet-potato-black-bean-enchiladas-recipe/" target="_blank">Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas</a> might sound a little crazy but I've been seeing these all over the internet lately!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I hope you have a great weekend!</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-89935917105071410642015-06-18T06:00:00.000-04:002015-06-18T06:00:04.006-04:00Recipe: Homemade Bread<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I have had a bread maker for about 4 years now. I rarely ever buy bread from the store. This way is cheaper and I know what ingredients are going in it. Some breads from the grocery store have 40 ingredients in them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I have this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-5891-2-Pound-Programmable-Breadmaker/dp/B00067REBU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431881720&sr=8-1&keywords=sunbeam+bread+machine" target="_blank">bread machine</a> from Amazon. It has held up beautifully and I make everything from our normal sandwich bread to banana bread in it. I have made cinnamon raisin bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread and more. Just throw in the ingredients and it mixes it all for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I have two main breads that I make. The one I make weekly is more of a sandwich bread consistency and that's the one I'm sharing with you today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Recipe:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> 1 cup of water (110 degrees)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> 3 TBS sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> 3 TBS olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> 1 1/2 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> 3 cups flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> 2 1/4 tsp active yeast or bread machine yeast</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I put the ingredients in my machine in the order I listed. Liquid first, flour in the middle and yeast on top. Make sure your yeast doesn't touch the water by making a little welt in the middle of the flour. I always take my bread out 5 minutes before the timer goes off. Depending on how often we eat bread, I make this recipe 1-2 times a week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">If you want, you can sub some of the white flour for whole wheat. I've only done half and half so I'm not sure how a 100% whole wheat loaf would turn out. Try it and let me know!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The possibilities are limitless with this bread. Peanut butter, almond butter, honey, jelly, or try a combination of things! One of my favorite ways to eat this bread is with nutella and sprinkles (which doesn't happen very often). It's like a healthy version of a donut! Mmmmm....</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-29693565141888974702015-06-16T06:00:00.000-04:002015-06-16T06:00:01.214-04:00Gender Reveal: It's A....<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We had our gender reveal party this past weekend. We were originally not going to find out because we have a boy and a girl so this little one would just be the tie breaker. :) But I loved doing reveals with our other two so I pretty much begged my husband to let us find out. Ok, I didn't really have to beg too hard. He was nice enough to let me have my fun and peace of mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I have seen balloon reveals for a while now and thought it would be really fun. We had to go get a huge dryer box from Lowe's (for free). It was missing a bottom so we used foam board and lots of duct tape. Which I totally forgot to take pictures of! Next was wrapping the box so it didn't look so ugly. I found this gold wrapping paper at WalMart. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We made this box about a week before our reveal party. Then on Friday we went and had a ultrasound done. We did not find out the gender at this time but had the ultrasound tech write it in an envelope for us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The suspense was killing me! I could not sleep at all that night!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">On Saturday we took the box and envelope to our local grocery store and they were kind enough to fill it with the right color of balloons. Half of the balloons were supposed to be on a weight so we could keep them to take pictures with. The other half were supposed to fly out of the box and into the sky. Well, someone did not put a weight on any of balloons so we lost all of them and our kids were super disappointed. :(</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I also decorated the box with cut out hearts made out of black construction paper. Then I used chalk to write on the hearts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My son loves that watering can and would not let it go so it will forever be a memory of this day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">And It's A....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">BOY!!!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We are very excited to be welcoming another little boy to the family! Now to figure out a name...</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-62774342365561515442015-06-15T06:00:00.000-04:002015-06-15T06:00:00.503-04:00Art: Spray Paint and Etsy<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I am having a lot of fun decorating my house now that we are feeling settled in. Finally I have some pictures to hang and the house is feeling more cozy by the <strike>month</strike> day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I found these frames at MIchaels and was very happy with the overall size and the small black frame. It is different than most of the picture frames you see with a thick outer edge. Always keep in mind what size picture you'll need. I bought some nice frames from IKEA a few months ago and the picture size is 12x12. Do you know how hard it is to find a place that does pictures that size?! This 5x7 opening is perfect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">She wasn't going to stay this way for long. I had plans... spray paint plans! So off came the black frame.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I used my favorite primer and some gold metallic spray paint (currently one of my favorite colors). I'll be honest, I goofed at first. I did not prime these to begin with (I'll blame it on the prego brain) and the spray paint adhered ok but not as good as I would have liked. I went back and very lightly sanded these down before I went and did a coat of primer and 2 coats of spray paint.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Out came my spray paint box when it was a gorgeous sunny day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Next it was time to find some art for these beauties. I did not want to do family pictures because these are going to hang across from my dining room table. I searched for some free printables of kitchen items - a fork, blender, whisk. I just wasn't finding anything that I loved. I was kind of in a hurry to get these done so I searched Etsy really fast and found <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/179147668/teal-orange-wall-art-5x7-printable?ref=shop_home_active_5" target="_blank">these right away</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I love all shades of blue and have been wanting to add in color so these are perfect. I actually like some of the other art pieces this shop owner has and in a few months may switch out my blue and orange pieces for something else. That's the beauty of picture frames. You can always spray paint the frame and change out the picture so it never gets old</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I printed these out from my computer (it was not working on my IPad for some reason) on good old cardstock.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I cut them down closer to 5x7 but not an exact 5x7.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtjZsxSwWlpFux73bl0pLYeNl_0v91tMvT8bCRB-9VUL5_I6YfcXWyPkDlyNl0FZYS_ljODXtCJttI_ce5ruBzIFe03b1_mAPQJzPBM_iv_BlQzTNTaLaslQXLPDb2AFGJCkcjXMoN9I/s1600/diy47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtjZsxSwWlpFux73bl0pLYeNl_0v91tMvT8bCRB-9VUL5_I6YfcXWyPkDlyNl0FZYS_ljODXtCJttI_ce5ruBzIFe03b1_mAPQJzPBM_iv_BlQzTNTaLaslQXLPDb2AFGJCkcjXMoN9I/s640/diy47.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The reason why I didn't cut them all the way down is because I like to tape my pictures or artwork to the back of the frame. When you're ready for a new picture you have to be very careful about taking the tape off but this way the picture doesn't slide all over the place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I cleaned off the glass and made sure the frames were clear of any dust and they were ready to go!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I heart levels.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qxXAJX5DL67PrJtkckRGRJrbkGXBmvzwZQsBdV5q0oY7eE0tJfH71e_bnN_DA2B1tZkuJUaygYx0CzuKLtg7XvF6qZxQ_3f8m2BLEqKAZS9qtvw5s4iD6CfRcGam6Ug4VJ-7OO9qN7E/s1600/diy50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qxXAJX5DL67PrJtkckRGRJrbkGXBmvzwZQsBdV5q0oY7eE0tJfH71e_bnN_DA2B1tZkuJUaygYx0CzuKLtg7XvF6qZxQ_3f8m2BLEqKAZS9qtvw5s4iD6CfRcGam6Ug4VJ-7OO9qN7E/s640/diy50.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sorry these are not the best pictures. There is a big window directly across from these and even though I closed the curtains it was still hindering a beautiful picture. So you'll have to use your imagination and pretend you can see these well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is real life folks. Sippy cups and all. (And that dreadful light that I'm dying to get rid of!)</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-39048627384875279472015-06-11T06:00:00.000-04:002015-06-11T06:00:01.490-04:00DIY: Floating Wood Shelves<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I am super excited about this post! These shelves were in my head for a few months before I finally told my husband "we are building these NOW!" I had the perfect excuse, my son's birthday was in a week and I wanted these to be up before our family came over. That sounds reasonable, right?! He agreed and we went to work (ok, <em>he</em> did a lot of the work!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The first step in this process was my inspiration picture. I shared it in <a href="http://harmonizedhome.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-mirror-makeover-and-decorating-tip.html" target="_blank">this post</a> with my mirror makeover but I'll share it again because it is lovely.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBA5oALYkqVE8KSAQjp4NY9ngmn_TbntnsWL9xgDbtjdR69Czt4S5Xne9VSMRIKA6FlE47YrR-wTWplytHFf5JOoPIbM-SsTSGE49WTtDCBbav2bgMFK-AhwcQ-7vCg_M5_oRTo1Lfmc/s1600/IMG_5171.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBA5oALYkqVE8KSAQjp4NY9ngmn_TbntnsWL9xgDbtjdR69Czt4S5Xne9VSMRIKA6FlE47YrR-wTWplytHFf5JOoPIbM-SsTSGE49WTtDCBbav2bgMFK-AhwcQ-7vCg_M5_oRTo1Lfmc/s640/IMG_5171.PNG" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There's this awesome blog called Shanty 2 Chic that is run by two hard working, wood building women. I definitely can't take credit for the inspiration or design of these floating shelves. They have <a href="http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2014/10/diy-floating-shelves-clavos.html" target="_blank">step by step instructions for this project here</a> and I suggest you take a look at them if you want to do something similar. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I will show a few of our steps and some measurements we did a little differently.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">It all started with a lot of measurements... (this was only the beginning)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBHY1Al6BYbw2Z_ldHW2yi-0ttL-QXW0j9j1nmVNRkJPCnhXhIlOWi3voQtQRZiCQlIgZ7J3jKcrKeF2joraFSg-xVsRkMCYIJE3po8Mzt040A8IHhmWVdqSptJze5GZ8yYp_U-iMXr0/s1600/living1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBHY1Al6BYbw2Z_ldHW2yi-0ttL-QXW0j9j1nmVNRkJPCnhXhIlOWi3voQtQRZiCQlIgZ7J3jKcrKeF2joraFSg-xVsRkMCYIJE3po8Mzt040A8IHhmWVdqSptJze5GZ8yYp_U-iMXr0/s640/living1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">And some blue painter's tape...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngmZU0PTky1nTmWuKP8_Iswf96v6Nh5MCviXCcsXv2l4spZl_EURr6LsSvvlzXK6Mo-LncLPlm1oAEAFFrN60tX1q3W6b7sk82UrMrXZq44LLyCS5YeCeNH69A6vOdAlYYTt2QI9i0hY/s1600/IMG_5737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngmZU0PTky1nTmWuKP8_Iswf96v6Nh5MCviXCcsXv2l4spZl_EURr6LsSvvlzXK6Mo-LncLPlm1oAEAFFrN60tX1q3W6b7sk82UrMrXZq44LLyCS5YeCeNH69A6vOdAlYYTt2QI9i0hY/s640/IMG_5737.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">And more tape! I recommend doing this because it helps visualize where your shelves will be and if you want to change the height or length.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSH3819Arej4pRPuQMaMhca_624-SSzoKX-TWMXwvwl7B34NoI3iOv4C6cI83z_7JATOtQhvRwZJgEanNMj_PjRk5L2mocj4WObsvdpqk36oPTxMTvtwaDY1C8iWWdwGE8DfaLIR9DRA/s1600/living2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSH3819Arej4pRPuQMaMhca_624-SSzoKX-TWMXwvwl7B34NoI3iOv4C6cI83z_7JATOtQhvRwZJgEanNMj_PjRk5L2mocj4WObsvdpqk36oPTxMTvtwaDY1C8iWWdwGE8DfaLIR9DRA/s640/living2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The process of measuring and figuring out where things should go took about 2 hours. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Then it was off to Lowe's to get our supplies. We spent about $80 and purchased:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* Brad Nails</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* Drywall screws</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* 2 types of sand paper (I ended up only using the 150 grit)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* Liquid Nails</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* Stain (pictured below)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* 3/4 inch sheet of Birch Plywood (4X8)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You will also need 2x4s.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* 1- 8 foot (to do the main shelf)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* 2 - 3 footers to do the two smaller shelves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">* 1 - 5 footer or less to make your E's</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">We already had all of the 2x4s at home but probably cost about $10</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We set up shop in our garage. There was a lot of sawdust!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My husband really did a majority of the work, including measuring and re-measuring 50 billion times. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We have been collecting various tools over the years and this is the first project some of them were used so we were super excited. A table saw would have been the most effective tool for this project but we didn't have one at the time so we used a miter saw and a skil saw.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Our first piece was finally done! They call this an "E" in the blog directions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My husband cut out all the pieces of wood and made sure everything fit perfectly before we started work inside. This definitely took the longest amount of time. I'm guessing about 10 hours. Once we could start work on the wall, the first step was to attach all of our "E's."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">That level was our best friend! I think I have a sixth sense and can tell when a picture, shelf, cabinet, etc.. isn't straight. It drives me crazy if it's even slightly off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Once all of the "E's" were up, it was time for the next step. We applied Liquid Nails to the insides of the boards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We then used clamps to keep the boards in place while they dried. Most of them we kept there overnight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Then secured them with a brad nailer. I got this for my husband probably nine months ago and this was the first time he used it. You can use screws instead but I wanted the smallest holes possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now it's my turn to take over! I got this stain from Lowe's. Minwax in the color Special Walnut. I wanted a light color of stain because our couch is a dark gray and I didn't want the room to feel too gloomy. Although I was really questioning this color up until the second I put it on. This was my first time using stain so I wasn't sure what to expect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I lightly sanded the wood with 150 grit sand paper and then put Frog Tape all around the edges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I covered the floor with drop cloths just incase any stain were to fall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I used one of my husband's old t-shirts and cut it up into several pieces. You can also apply stain with a brush but more often than not I've seen people use t-shirts. I also had clean t-shirts because you'll need to wipe off the excess stain soon after you put that first layer on. If you want a darker stain, leave it on longer before wiping off. I wiped it off right away because I wanted a light color and figured I could just do more coats if I really wanted it darker. Better to be safe than sorry I thought!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">It went on really easy with the t-shirt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I love how the grain in the wood shows through. It is beautiful. I only did one coat of stain and I love the way it turned out. I decided I could always add more layers of stain (to make it darker) down the road if I really wanted. I let the stain dry for 8 hours before I set anything on it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The directions I followed did not say anything about a protective coat on top of the stain so I did not do one. However, I have heard that it may protect the wood in the long run to do a coat of poly on top. Completely up to you. I may do one down the road if I feel the wood is warping but for now I love the natural beauty of the wood.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Now it's time to decorate these shelves!! I used a lot of pieces I already had stored away in the basement. They were just waiting for these shelves, I know it! I am still in the process of decorating and one shelf actually still has nothing on it. I keep rearranging items when I find a new piece or decide to take something off. Hopefully soon they will be complete and I will put up a post about where I purchased these pieces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I am still working on adding in some color because I really think it will make these shelves shine. These shelves bring in so much character and I am in love with them.</span><br />
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Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224887678391333116.post-75988534203786607702015-06-08T06:00:00.000-04:002015-06-08T06:00:03.170-04:00Quick Pillow Change<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is a big week for us! My husband and I leave on Tuesday for Chicago and our kids will be going to their Nana and Grandpa's for the first time by themselves.. for 4 days! This is the furthest distance and longest time period that both my husband and I will be away from them. To say I'm nervous is an understatement. I'm always with my kids to protect them and take care of their basic needs. It's going to be hard letting go of those things for a few days. However, I'm looking forward to some quality time with my Hubby and getting some extra rest before this baby comes in a few months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It's also a big week for the blog! Later this week I will be sharing our biggest DIY project to date!!! I am so excited I can hardly contain myself!! Can't you tell by all of my exclamation marks?! This DIY project has spiraled out of control because we are now in the planning stages of building our mantle as well. We are just too excited. I have also been brainstorming some new ideas for the blog. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Now back to today's post. We took a trip to IKEA over the weekend. I love that store but I'm pretty sure it's impossible to leave there without spending a few hundred dollars! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I love looking at the pillow section at IKEA. They have some pillow cases for just $5. Definitely worth it when you can completely transform the look of a room for just a few dollars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">You don't have to use IKEA pillows either. I measured some of my existing pillows that I thought I may want to change. Some were IKEA and some were not. These particular pillows came with our couch and while I've kept them in their natural state for about 4 months now, it was time for them to go. They weren't really the style I was going for and I didn't pay anything extra for them so I don't feel bad for not liking them.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin65FKtspxoRYHjcNUWUjtQ6DkHCvk_ftTNfry5wno4vLb_zriUg30Uw2L3Zxl6Mx09liXILZL81Tkb9nJBR-qwesxr0l7xALurwC6RT19w0PMQwuLm8IbbaIMAN8CtdB1HEOE4gqaa7U/s1600/DIY38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin65FKtspxoRYHjcNUWUjtQ6DkHCvk_ftTNfry5wno4vLb_zriUg30Uw2L3Zxl6Mx09liXILZL81Tkb9nJBR-qwesxr0l7xALurwC6RT19w0PMQwuLm8IbbaIMAN8CtdB1HEOE4gqaa7U/s640/DIY38.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">This pillow is 19x19. When we got to IKEA, a good section of the pillow cases were 20x20 so I knew they'd fit perfectly. Although I admit I wasn't too fond of a lot of the styles but I did fall in love with this one. And it was only $5 so I picked up two.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NZ1qb-1_sczoipfxO4MFeHq0Bwi0HLUKEmNkCujTJP7U9-5Y6Cgc0ypYEqvPMi8O4MCsugJ7iRj8JJ6t_0T5VCYZrCXk5jtzSA6D-tPX396SN1BMP9FYks039iDtf14C1eSrGh14gpg/s1600/diy39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NZ1qb-1_sczoipfxO4MFeHq0Bwi0HLUKEmNkCujTJP7U9-5Y6Cgc0ypYEqvPMi8O4MCsugJ7iRj8JJ6t_0T5VCYZrCXk5jtzSA6D-tPX396SN1BMP9FYks039iDtf14C1eSrGh14gpg/s640/diy39.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">This case not only makes the pillow look different, it completely transforms the look of the room! I really wanted to add some modern elements now that we have added some DIY rustic wood shelves and these two pillows really do the trick. I am in love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><em>Here's a sneak peak at our DIY shelves!</em></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRcYcyvp2a9mtk6jxDE7Pw_0kJOBx5u8FmQpZ77WfzzbPHeHyM4076Qa7eIjG2zvy5mlY-KhSnCQPuu1CMtfUDCcq8P14gvZidcDxRcRCu-SGNZDG9RDQ2cWR6ie9p9005vhQSlAYEOw/s1600/living19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRcYcyvp2a9mtk6jxDE7Pw_0kJOBx5u8FmQpZ77WfzzbPHeHyM4076Qa7eIjG2zvy5mlY-KhSnCQPuu1CMtfUDCcq8P14gvZidcDxRcRCu-SGNZDG9RDQ2cWR6ie9p9005vhQSlAYEOw/s640/living19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I know Hobby Lobby also has a selection of pillow cases and I'm sure other stores, as well as online, do too. Such a quick and cheap change to make your room look amazingly different. You could also do this with decorative pillows on your bed to add in some color or floral patterns.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I'm still working on adding color into this room. I know that I'll definitely be adding colorful pillows into the mix.</span>Raeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14535723998921200837noreply@blogger.com0