Tiny Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Part of getting into the spirit for me is spiffin' up my digs. I like it when my home feels how I feel. And this year, I feel pretty darn great, and Christmastime makes me giddy.

So I googled how to make a lazypants no-sew fabric bow, found an old glue gun covered with gunk and cat hair somewhere in my garage, searched for a tiny twig of a tree ( we got laughed at- really), picked up a basic wreath and small ornaments, bought some soap that smells like pure tree joy (that's a real thing) and dug around my house for fabric and ribbon scraps. 

And then...I play this 

over, and over, and over- again and again. 

I have this image of me playing the guitar and Brett playing something else and having six kids (not sure if they'll all be mine) and four dogs (all mine) and singing this round a fire with cocoa (cocoa afterwards?) as part of a tradition. Doesn't that sound good? It does.

I LOVE THAT SONG. 

And then, I must send a card out to top it all off to help spread the cheer. I can't show  you this year's card because...well...it might reduce the cheer that hasn't yet reached our family and friends. But this is our 2010 card.

...so...what do you do?

Come On In, We're Cheap

I like front doors:




But I'm cheap. And I had no idea that little numbers were so expensive.
Restoration Hardware has some pretty numbers. But maybe I just like them because I like the name 'Restoration Hardware'. 


I never knew little things like door numbers could get so pricey. I know we only need two, but I was determined to spend under ten dollars total.


Brett was really excited when I told him we needed to make a trip to Michael's. Maybe he might like these 'manly' crafts.


I found these on sale for .50 each:

I'm addicted to YHL, so naturally I knew where to head next:

(about $6)


Three weeks later, I got around to doing this:

And then finally, this:

Well, Brett got around to it. I'm not the best with measuring and making sure things are centered. He used some wood glue and we taped them to make sure they wouldn't fall while they dried. I'd say 6.50 is not too shabby for some unique door numbers, wouldn't you?

I love spray paint. 

Three exams down, one to go! Have a great Monday!

Honestly Beautiful

Over the course of my blog reading career, I've come across countless beautiful pictures of gorgeous homes. I've found myself in envy.

I've also come across blog entries (2, to be exact) where the blogger balances out that widespread perfection with the beauty of reality. I always appreciated those two entries, and I feel like now that we have our own home, it's my turn to toss in a few real pictures.

Since we've updated our house, I've only posted pretty pictures. I've had such encouraging, positive comments; ''OMGOSH EMMA, GORGEOUS!'' or ''I am going to move in with you''. Sure, they make my day, but there are also comments that remind me of what I'm NOT trying to do...which is to create envy in anyone. 

If anything, I want to INSPIRE or ENCOURAGE others to learn skills so that they can create cozy, beautiful homes on a budget themselves. Our DIY/how-to posts haven't really started yet, but they will. Don't you worry. (Tile work is coming!)

The three rooms that we have put the most effort into are beautiful (to me!) , but they were a lot of work. Because I'm blessed to have my carpentry savvy husband, we didn't need to shell out ridiculous sums  of money to pay people to do the work for us. With that being said, the work is still not done, and I think I speak for many DIY-ers when I say that it seems like an endless project. But I like it that way, because it's exciting. 

So here's my home, folks:

We don't have everything picked out or painted- except for the walls. This is our living room! Have a seat!

Gotta fix this nonsense.

 Need trim around shower tiling. Not sure what we're going to use yet.

drywall without mud, tape, or paint

oh gosh, a WHOLE room needing a good tear out and makeover

the porch that needs to be gutted, insulated, and worked with

where our entryway will eventually be

perfect

Our master closet that we built by taking a chunk out of the front porch. Some day I'll get a floor plan up here.

trim is silly. Just kidding, we'll get around to it

Baseboards are also silly.

The beautiful entryway off the kitchen.

I just wanted to share. I'm sure people who expressed envy might be changing their minds at this point. It's A LOT of work, but it's so worth it. To be able to say that we did this:

...is pretty satisfying. 

If you're looking into buying a fixer upper, or would like to share some REAL pictures...or before/afters....I would (as always) love, love, love to see them. 

Have a beautiful day!

xo

Kitchen Entryway: Help!

This is the entryway off of our kitchen that goes into our garage. It's got some fantastic paneling and some really helpful railings. 

I really love it. 

No, I don't.

We actually have two entryways, the front door area that will eventually be a beautiful mudroom with slate floors and built in cubbies, but for now- we only have the means to work with this entryway. 

Pros: 

-It leads directly into our large, one car garage

-It's right off of our kitchen

-It has an ugly cabinet (can y'see it?) that looks much better without the doors on it that is great for storage

Cons:

-It has paneling

-It's not heated or insulated, so you can't really put too much stuff out here

-It's kinda small ( 7 x 3.5 feet)

-It has paneling

So we've decided to take baby steps with the house, and complete projects as time and money allow for them. Also, my favorite home blog points out that waiting a while before you tackle big projects is a smart idea. Living in a space for a bit allows you to really think out which changes you want to make and which ones are most important. This one is important for now so that we can have a place to put our shoes. Our bigger, fancier entryway can wait until we nail down the specifics (and the money!). 

But I digress.

Inspiration for the little garage entryway? I love this clean look, and I think it's pretty appropriate and fitting for our little space:

Ooooh, very fitting for our little wee lake house, dontcha think? (re: butterfly net, fishing pole, etc.)

So we've started by painting:

We haven't finished painting, but you get the idea. 

One coat of primer and a coat of soft white (leftover color from our kitchen cabinets) already makes it look a whole lot better. We're going to paint the exposed wood on the ceiling, so don't worry. 

But I'm kind of stuck.

I have this rug to add some color, but that's about it. 

Any ideas? Any pictures of your small entryways? I would really appreciate pictures. I would love, love, love to see what else is out there. I'm serious- PLEASE send me pictures! shegotmarried@live.com

whattaweek!

How do you jump back into blogging after a long, long, break?

Should I just jump back in? Y'think?

Eating Well will be back tomorrow, but in the meantime, I need to share a picture of my new kitchen. I am so lucky to have such a beautiful space, but even more blessed to have such an amazing guy who can create such a beautiful space.

Brett, I love you. Even without this kitchen:

This kitchen was a budget remodel, and I mean that. I don't mean, 5k. I mean...like...minus the new fridge that we needed to buy, this flip-a-roo was about/around/ less than $600. So. 

I dunno, but that makes me pretty flippin' excited.

Anyone else have before/after pictures? I wanna see if y'do!

xoxo

Little House on the Great Pond

So we bought a house. Or perhaps I should call it a 'nook', since it's all of 850 square feet.

We're very busy making it into a home, and our internet has not been hooked up yet. There's quite a lot to do, and we're rushing to get as much done as possible before I go back to school in a couple of weeks.

But I just need to share a few pictures, because that's only fair. I will try and post this week, but regular posting won't resume until I have internet at the new place...so hopefully I'll be back soon.

Most people would pass this place up, because...

...cooking in this place doesn't look so enjoyable.

And those dark walls are a bit dreary.

And these pictures just aren't showing all of the grime and grease and ick that was living on the counter tops and cabinets.

And this living room...just doesn't seem like a fun place to be. The cigarette yellow tint just wasn't calling our names...

Envisioning this as a master bedroom was pretty tricky. Raise your hand if you sense romance!

I was pretty sure that I wouldn't look forward to washing my face in the morning.

But really...it's a house. It has a sturdy foundation, solid exterior framing, and a little bit of charm waiting to be uncovered and brought to life.

And we saw that...even through the pale pink carpeting. New England real estate (less than 30 minutes from the beach, and a 5 minute walk out my front door to a private lake association beach) is not cheap. If we wanted to stay in this area, we needed a fixer upper.

Anyone out there scratching their heads? Anyone out there thinking we've gone mad? My mother was nervous when she saw the house during the tear down/rip out phase. I knew she was worried for us.

But don't worry. Because with my late night pinterest/google image adventures, my husband's carpentry skills, and some amazing friends and family...we've come a LONG way in less than two weeks. I can't spoil it, because when I am back, there's going to be plenty of pictures and DIY posts. So you'll just have to sit with these before images.

I kid!

I will share just one. Because you deserve it for making it this far. So here's to believing in the underdog, the ratty house on the lake...with a bit of determination, most houses can absolutely be turned into a home:

The Card!

Send Holiday Cheer Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Thanks, Shutterfly.com!

Season's Greetings!

When I was younger and still lived at home, I loved getting holiday cards from relatives and family friends. I thought it was just wonderful getting all different letters and photos from people wishing us a happy holiday season. My Mom would tape them in the doorways for everyone to see, and that was probably my favorite decoration of all. After getting the first few cards in the mail, she would pick up a box of cards that she planned on sending out herself. But being as busy as she was, the box usually sat...and sat. And I would get frustrated... wishing I had her lovely handwriting so that I could send them out myself. But I didn't.

However. One of the many perks to getting married is that I am now able to send out *our own* holiday cards- with *our* name and picture. And that, I must admit, excites me a bit more than it probably should.

Seriously.

So when I heard from fellow blogger Carmen about Shutterfly's latest promotion-I post a blog about their holiday collection and in turn I get 50 cards to call my own-...I got even more excited.

Their designs range from retro to classic, colorful to simple, and everything in between. It's quite easy- you type in your names, drop in your family photo- and the rest is pretty much done for you. With the folded style card, you have the option of typing up a message for your recipients in their customizing stage.

Here are our favorites...and I really don't know how we'll decide.



We're going with the flat card style- and I'll write a short, handwritten message on the back to personalize it a bit. 

If you like these designs, check out Shutterfly's Holiday Card Selection.

And, if you're a blogger, and you'd like to find out how you can get some holiday cards of your own, go here!



The DIY Wedding

Photo Credit : The Amazing Justine Johnson

I loved our wedding. It was the most amazing day and I wish we could do it again every year.

We're young. We're not rich, and we had no interest getting into debt over one day. And even though Martha Stewart Weddings makes me swoon,  I knew I would be happier tackling our wedding DIY style.

So before you go handing over a 50% deposit that may be two weeks worth of earnings, humor me.

Justine Johnson Photography

I designed our invitations at Wedding Paper Divas. Had I printed them myself, I could have saved even more, but I like the raised ink look. We spent under $100 for all of the invitations. For placecards- I bought plain tent style cards and copied an idea I found in Martha Stewart Weddings: I used a rooster stamp and a craft knife . I don't know why I like roosters so much, but I do- so there they are!

Centerpieces are expensive. The average one costs $80. Ten tables- $80...I'd rather not. We ordered wholesale from http://www.theflowerexchange.com/. For under $300, all ten tables each had five small floral centerpieces- perfect for conversation. I spent another $50 to scatter 200 votive candles around the reception space. It was beautiful, and this picture doesn't do it justice. Kristen and I put the flowers together the morning of the wedding over coffee. It was perfect. The bridal bouquet and all seven bridesmaids bouquets were made professionally. We only ordered boutonnieres for the groom and two best men. Nobody made a fuss over the fact that the fathers and groomsmen went without flowers.



Justine Johnson Photography



Our reception was held at the beautiful Tin Mountain Conservation Center. The fee was strictly for the space- which is perfect for a DIY wedding. Many reception venues want *or require* that all vendors are approved through them. They may offer packages that include flowers, the DJ, and perhaps even the photographer. I didn't like the idea of someone bundling my day into a premade package. Easy, maybe- but it just wasn't us to do something like that. Consider looking outside the traditional realm of reception venues- you can save quite a bit this way.

Justine Johnson Photography

I love lanterns. So I found 30 at http://www.asianideas.com./ On the day of the wedding, an amazing friend of the family (who happens to be an electrician)- set each one up with battery operated LED lights and strung them from the ceiling with fishing line at varying heights. It was a really great way to light the dance floor. 

Justine Johnson Photography

I rolled up in Andi's Toyota Highlander- driven by the same amazing family friend who hung our lanterns. No limo needed!

I loved our cake. And the price tag was around $500. But after some digging, I found that the baker liked to barter. And on the list of things that she needed? A fence. Well. I'll have you know that Brett installs quite a mean fence. And so he did. And so we got our cake, and all 100 favors (three sugar cookies for each guest) for under $100. The quote on the cake reads: ''May all be fed, May all be healed, May all be loved''- John Robbins. *Quote explained: Our wedding was entirely vegan, although today we are vegetarian. We wanted to thread the importance of that into our special day, and John Robbins is a huge reason why I had originally chosen that lifestyle. Gosh. I think I should go back to being vegan.Sigh.*

Anyway, don't be above bartering. If you have skills, other people might want those skills, and you might get a really great deal. Be creative and open minded in this process!

There are so many ways to pull this big day off without overspending. My amazing photographer, Justine Johnson, was just starting out- and she shot the wedding for FREE. While this is now her full time job and she no longer shoots weddings for free, she is still amazing. Check her out at http://www.justinejohnsonphotography.com/  But I found her on craigslist, and you never know what you'll come across on that wonderful invention of a website. Type in 'student photographer' and see what comes up!

Well. I hope you liked my wedding day recap, and I hope you'll consider taking more creative control over your day. It's so worth it and you'll be so glad you did. Happy Wedding Planning!