Accessorized!

The blank wall over the couch has been staring at me for quite a long time now, since at least February when we rearranged the furniture. I personally don't like large blank spaces like that. I just couldn't figure out how to best fill the space. Once we finished painting and I added the new wall clock, which I l.o.v.e., I was even more anxious to get something up there. Thankfully, I didn't rush into anything or commit to nail holes that would have to be refilled if/when I changed my mind and I ended up making the right choice! I took these black ledges that I had previously used in the dining room before the makeover in there, and accessorized them with some frames and knick-knacks. The great thing is (which is really great if you know me) I can change out the photos or accessories on the shelves anytime, without having to change the nail holes in the wall!

We're Home - And a Sneaky Peeky!

Well, 18 days and over 3000 miles later, we returned home on Thursday evening! I still have a couple posts left to share about the rest of our trip, and I will do that as soon as we get a little more settled in here. Our time away was wonderful and we feel so blessed to have had that trip together.

On a different note, you may remember me previously mentioning before we left that we had begun working on our living room. That involved painting the trim and walls, updating a few things, and most importantly renovating the ooooglie fireplace. We have most of the work finished, aside from hanging some pictures and such on the walls, tiling in front of the hearth, and possibly making a few new pillow covers which I'd like do before I share photos. While we were traveling, my dad finished building the new exterior for the fireplace! We designed it to match the wainscoting he helped us build in the dining room, and it came out perfect! I painted it yesterday and it is all set up, just waiting for a few nails and glue to permanently attach it to the structure. I LOVE it!!! (Now we just need to save up for a gas insert!) So I have a sneeky peeky to show you of our new living room fireplace!

The Before: When we first moved in . . . have never been a fan of that look.
The Mid: Taken while we were tearing off the slate, but you can see the paint job I had done over the slate as a temporary "fix" to the multicolored nightmare.
The After: Perfection!

So, stay tuned for our final rounds of vacation photos, and the full version of our living room makeover!

Paint the Town Red

I am certainly not endorsing riotous hooliganism (par the title of this post), but after a rough couple weeks and being cooped up at home for most of that time, I got in the mood to decorate a bit for the new season and ended up painting the end walls of my living room red to match the dining room next to it. What better way to relax than to paint a wall, and what better color than my favorite, red, right? :) I was expecting it to be way too much red and was prepared to paint it back if that was the case, but I am really happy with how it turned out. It really makes the curtains (which I wasn't so fond of), the beige couches, and red accents I had in the room pop out. I think more people should explore art therapy...it works for me, haha.