The plan, Stan. (Or Squeezies)

Heya! Hope you had a fantastic weekend! I spent most of my free moments working on the (final. serious this time. never again.) decrapifying of our basement. I tell you what � I LOVE it!! Oh my, getting rid of crap is best feeling.

But more on that in a bit. :)

My friend the Nester, (did you SEE her bedroom redo??) had a Home Goals party last week that really got me thinkin�. I have all these ideas in my head for our home and what I�d like to accomplish this year. I love talking houses and DIY and decorating, and I thought who better to talk shop with than all of you SQUEEZies.

Now, like Nester mentioned � decorating/DIY/our house is my hobby and my passion and kind of my job?? (Crazy by the way. Best. job. ever.) So my list is long and a bit exhausting for most.

But thinking of it makes me GIDDY. Gleeeee!

So let�s start, shall we? In no particular order, mind you.

I started our mini kitchen redo last umm�May.

I know�it�s been a teensy little while. (For shame.) Most of it�s done � but there�s still a few projects left to do. I need to install some glass fronts on a few of the cabinets. (Hiring out for that one � cutting our cabinet doors would make me pass. out. Sceered.)

I still need to touch up a ton of paint, install crown (which will have to go around the whole great room), and then finish up some accessory projects. I�m also considering a light fixture over the island:

If I do, I�ll remove the pendant light above the sink to open it up. But I�m not doing a thing until I see some pictures in Photoshop. :)

I started a little reworking of the master bedroom a few months ago, but I didn�t want to do any major DIY projects in the room. I did OK with that whole �nothing major� till I decided a month or so ago I wanted to add molding to the whole space. It doesn�t have a lick of it yet:

And I just can�t have that. :)

I also have a Craigslist dresser I need to figure out what to do with (I swear I�ll show you soon!), figure out some new accessories and I think I�m going to repaint the wall behind the bed:

(Older pic, it looks different now. Gotta finish that up too. :) )

I�m just really over those stripes. WAY. They�ve been around for about almost five years. I�ve loved them long time but I�m ready to say buhbye. (You can see more on how I did those here.)

And speaking of finishing projects, I�ve shown you the (slow) progress on my office:

It�s shaping up to be my most dramatic before and after ever. But oh my�much to do still. Woodwork out the wazoo, drapes, recovering cushions, accessories, art, organizing�whew. But FUN. I picked up a few little accessories today that got me excited about getting the board and batten done already so I can get on to the fun stuff. :)

There�s a few rooms I�d like to update a bit this year � first, the downstairs powder room:

I love our chocolate brown dining room, but brown for potty? Really? ;) I do like it, I�m just ready for a change. And I am O.V.E.R. the stencils. Done.

I have no clue what color I�m going to paint it � but it�ll come to me. Some day.

And our guest room (that was stepdaughter�s room) isn�t the most luxurious space for our guests right now:

:) It just about screams GIRL. I�ve already changed the layout of the room and ditched the purple and pink bedding. Now (again) I just need to decide on a color. I�ve had a swatch of grey up on the wall for a year now (no lie), but I�m not doing any painting till I find some inspiration for the room. (In bedding I hope!)

And finally�our two biggest projects of the year. (**We HOPE.)

Since we�ll be debt free soon (except the house), we plan to finally, finally, FINALLY going to finish our basement:

That�s the plan anyway. We say that every. year. But this year we are serious dang it!! Because we�ll be able to pay for it with �cash,� we think this may finally be the year it happens. Finally.

It�s pretty basic really � we already have (most) of the outlets and light fixtures we�ll need. It just needs framed out, electrical and drywall done. Then we need to figure out flooring. And oh yeah, there�s a bathroom that needs to be finished too. Ummm�maybe not so basic. We don�t know yet if we�ll hire a contractor to do it all, or contract everyone out separately for each project.

Anyone out there had a basement finished recently? Did you do it yourself, hire someone to do it all, or hire out to a bunch of folks?

To say I�m excited is a bit of an understatement. The cleaning of another 800+ square feet? Not so excited. But I�ll deal. :)

Actually, I clean down there already, since we really do use the space. That brings me to the decluttering � I�m SEE REE US about it this time. I can�t even imagine the pain it�s going to be finishing it off and dealing with all the stuff we have down there. Don�t. even. want to think about it.

The other BIG project is one that has me positively giddy � it�s a redo of a room that�s less than 40 square feet, but it will be a HUGE change.

I want to revamp our laundry/mud room:

Pretty basic � new paint and finishing the beadboard I never finished.

But my dream, my wish, my heart�s desire�is to move the washer and dryer out and make it a TRUE mud room.

Like, with built ins, cubbies, storage, a ton of coat hooks -- all of it. All of that fantastically wondrous, beautiful, amazing stuff. :)

Why? Because 99.9 percent of the time, the room looks like this:

You think I�m kidding. I�m soooo not kidding. I wish I was. It�s a rare day around here that we can walk through the space without hopping over clothes. Having the laundry right in the way of our entry and exit (how many times a day?) drives me absolutely bonkers. Mad. CRAY-ZAY.

The washer and dryer will either be moved up a level or down one. There are pros and cons to both locations, but either will be a million times better than what we have going on now.

Cause what we have now is madness. :)

The first step is to get a plumber out here to give us an estimate. From there we�ll decide if it�s gonna happen. And I really, really want it to happen.

You have no idea.

Anyone know of a quality, inexpensive plumber in the Indy area? Let me know. For reals. I will love him (or her!) forever and ever, amen.

So there you go � our DIY/decorating list around the TDC casa for 2011. Will any of it happen? I hope so. Will all of it? Highly doubt it. :) But it�s fun to dream.

Do you have any redos, DIY projects, major renovations coming up this year? Do tell � I love this stuff!! :)

My style is �Suburban�

So I�ve noticed something lately when watching my favorite design shows. There is one word that seems to strike fear in the heart of many a �real� decorator�

Their mouth puckers up like they just drank lemon juice.

They look like they just swallowed a bug.

They look as if they may just spit out the word�cause it�s just so completely hideous.

That word that makes them quiver�

 

SUBURBAN

 

(Runs screaming from the computer. Arms flailing. Trembling. Hives.)

But I don�t get it. Never have. I don�t understand what�s so bad about �suburban.�

I know, I know. It means normal�average�just like the next one.

To them anyway. To me it means warm�cozy�it can even be classic.

And, YES, normal.

What�s wrong with normal? Normal can most certainly be pretty. Warm can definitely be different. Cozy can be innovative once and a while.

But to me, more than anything��suburban� means

A FAMILY LIVES HERE

Why is that so horrible? 

For years I�ve tried to figure out my own decorating style, and I�ve never really nailed it down. I�m really traditional, a little bit transitional.

But then I heard that �suburban� word one more time a couple of weeks ago, and I realized�that�s ME! My style is Suburban.

And I�m proud of it.

BoooooYAH.

Really. I�ll scream it from the roof of my suburban home. My suburban home in a neighborhood.

In Suburbia.

I love Suburban. It�s home.

To me, it�s family and friends plopping down on your couch, getting something out of your fridge, sitting around your kitchen table playing yuker.

Yeah, I said it. Yuker. I�m a Hoosier. Darn tootin�.

Although I usually just sit and watch�I won�t take the time to really learn how to play it. Which is probably a good thing because I am NOT a good loser.

It�s not pretty. :)

And yes, I know it�s spelled euchre. I�m being a Hoosier. Funny. Get it? :)

I found the definition of Suburban online, just because I was curious:

sub�ur�ban (s?-b�r'b?n)

adjective

1. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a suburb. (Check.)
   2. Located or residing in a suburb. (Check.)
   3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of the culture, customs, and manners typical of life in the suburbs. (Check. Check. Check.)

We dream of having a weekend apartment in New York City someday.

And a mountain cabin�someday.

And one day�maybe moving to a house that�s not in a neighborhood, one that�s older than ten years old, on some land with a creek in the back. (Or crick, if you�re a Hoosier.)

You know � the kind of house that�s more than 30 feet from the road? Yeah. One of those.  :)

But any one of those would still be decorated in my Suburban style. Warm and cozy, cozy and warm�and normal. In my way, normal.

My normal is not your normal, which is why Suburban could never be average. Just in the same way one person�s contemporary isn�t another person�s contemporary. Styles are translated differently by all of us.

And every style can be comfortable and welcoming. Contemporary can most definitely scream A FAMILY LIVES HERE�but that doesn�t make it boring. 

My style is Suburban and I am not ashamed.

What�s yours?  :)

Welcome to my latest advertiser!:

Afternoon of Day 7 of our family holiday to Pas de Calais, France.

Well after our photo session around the church and castle in Arques I posted about yesterday we decided that we would spend the afternoon on a river cruise.

We joined a river excursion around the Saint-Omer marshes in the Audomarois  region. The region boasts 160 kilometres of rivers covering 3400 hectares.

The boat left from the wharf  joining Au Bon Accueil a restaurant near the village of Salperwick  near Saint-Omer in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.

The boat we had was a long open-topped river cruiser, with big picture windows through which to view the scenery.

I managed to get a seat at the very front of the boat thus enabling me to take some photos straight forward without any glass in the way.

The views as we journeyed around the waterways were quite stunning.

The banks were lined with birds�

fishermen�.

and immaculately presented homes and gardens.

Some of the homes were obviously only holiday homes, though from the looks of this garden they must spend a lot of time here.

Other property along the banks were more like garden summer houses a place to stay whilst fishing the river, from the looks of the keep net on the right of the photograph.

Other homes along the banks were much more substantial. A commonality between them all though was that they all had a waterside letterbox.

Obviously the postman for these home-owners delivers their post by boat.

It had been a great cruise, the weather was great the view superb and the company brilliant. A perfect way to spend an afternoon. Oh and I got to take lots of pictures too gets even better.

Although the commentary for the cruise had only been in French, and my French is terrible at best, that didn�t detract from the enjoyment of the excursion around the waterways of Pas de Calais.

Technorati Tags: Calais,France,photo,church,castle,Arques,river,Audomarois,boat,restaurant,Salperwick,scenery,birds,garden,waterside,pictures,marshes,rivers,photos,waterways

Our warm and cozy family room

Since the beginning of August, I�ve been cravin� some warm colors around here. Have I mentioned fall is my favorite time of year? A few times? Well, here I go one. more. time. :)

The warm colors of fall make my heart go pitter pat. They�re just so�well, warm. Ah DUH. I�m a wordsmith you know. ;)

I�ve never been one to really change out my decor for the seasons � I mean, I decorate for fall and the holidays and all that good stuff, but I�ve never changed out drapes, pillows, bedding�all the bigger items.

But like I said, it�s August and I�m trying with all my might to hold off on putting the pumpkins out. You�d be proud of me � I�m determined to hold off till September. (September 1st, but whatev.)

So I figured I could cozy up the joint with a few changes � but I wanted to make sure they�d work into the winter, spring and summer as well by making just a few changes when the time comes.

I was on a mission -- make our family room warm and cozy and fallish without necessarily being fallish. Just a schosh of warm. A leeetle bit of cozy. Just a smooch. Like you�re kissin� your sister. (Name that movie!)

My first goal was to find a new rug. I got a new one back in January, but it was very spring/summery:

It was also way to small for this room. I layered a larger rug underneath it, but as time went on, it still wasn�t feeling big enough. And then Pee Cat struck again (CURSES!!! She owes me big time cash!!) and we needed to replace the big rug anyway.

Free cat to a good home!! Nah�I kid.

Kind of.

So off to HomeGoods I went again�and this time I found a GORG rug that was 7.3 by 9.3 feet. Score!! It couldn�t have been a more perfect size.

I hesitated on it for a bit though, because it had a color in it I almost never decorate with:

BLUE!!  :)

I waffled back and forth between it and another and finally asked the one person who always knows best � my three-year-old. He pointed to the one with blue and said �That one!�

And that one is was:

And ooooohhhh, I can�t even tell you how much I love it. Gleeeee! I love the blue touches!

I made few simple changes to the mantel as well. I had a smaller candlestick I picked up at Goodwill months ago, so I added it to the two to make a trio. (Decorate in threes � it works! Don�t know why, but it does!)

I sprayed the small candlestick in Heirloom White, the middle one stayed brown, and I found the PERFECT green called Oregano at Home Depot for the largest one:

I luuuurve that color!

I took the green grassy looking decorative balls out of my cloche, and replaced them with more rattan and twine covered ones instead:

Cause styrofoam wrapped with jute SCREAMS fall to me. Is it just me?

And it was done. I love it � the colors, the simplicity, the texture. YUMMY!:

  

I exchanged the end table at the corner of the sofas with one of my favorite pieces eva:

It was a Goodwill find from waaaay back. And it was hideous green. My Dad stripped the whole thing down and refinished it as a gift to me. Check out all the detail:

Can you even imagine how much work that was? I LOVE this table and I wanted to have it where it was really appreciated. (Love you Dad!)

I finally get to use all my purdy blue books now! Cause I have BLUE in the room � yeehaw!:

I found a large tray for 40 percent off at Michael's to hold all the necessities:

You know. Like magazines, tissue, a yummy candle and a jute wrapped jar. Cause you never  know when you may need a jute wrapped jar.

:)

I know the tray is massive on top of that table, but I really don�t care. Love it. (It looks like it doesn�t fit from the angle above, but it does.)

The new accessories in the room are from around the house. They�re simple but full of texture:

There were a few splurges in the space as well�but they weren�t really splurges for me � they were all bought on credit.

Chillax peeps � not credit credit�store credit. And gift cards. Awww yeah. Is there anything better? NO, no there is NOT.  :)

When I found out the rattan storage boxes from our bedroom were recalled, I took them back to Target and got a store credit in return. So I was able to buy the FAB baskets I had been eyeing for months�for fareeeee:

Oh the dear lovin� Lord, I adore these things. They are sturdy and pretty and HUGE.

And oh yeah -- the chalkboard labels? I�m dying.

I got a round one and a square one, trying to overcome my symmetrical issues. :)

Then, it was time for the pillows. Oh, the glorious pillows. Sigh.

I had gift cards/credit for Pottery Barn, so was able to get a few of their pillow covers free o� charge. I got some in cream, some in rust. They were $25 each, and I love their texture and the fact that they are washable.

Then, one day I saw a pillow in the most recent catalog, and there was this odd light shining down from the heavens on it and I knew�it must. be. mine. It was $40, and I only had $15 left on my credit, but I went ahead and paid the difference, and oh la la, it was SO WORTH IT:

Isn�t beautiful? It�s got all the colors from the rug � blues, reds, golds, greens. I just want to squish it, it�s so pretty.

Because I didn�t want to shell out the cash for inserts, I used other pillows and inserts from around the house to fill them:

 

:) They worked perfectly. For the longer pillow, a regular bed pillow filled it nicely:

Just the pillows alone warmed up this room SO much!

And now, we have a lovely, warm, cozy, almost-fall-but-not-quite family room:

The bigger rug makes this room feel twice the size, I swear. It was $199, which wasn�t bad at all for how large it is. Especially considering the 8 by 11 was $400, for just a few feet more.

Because the room felt bigger, the $10 beadboard coffee table was feeling all wimpy. I moved the black Goodwill table from our living room into this space, and at first was worried it was too big. But after about five minutes, I was in LOVE:

The Bub can really spread out his games, anyone on the sofa can prop of their feet, and did you know doing laundry is waaaay easier when you have a lovely spot to fold clothes right in front of the TV?:

Well, it is! :)

All of these changes, along with the addition of the Craigslist dresser a couple months ago, have made this room feel so grown up and finished:

It is truly my favorite room in the house right now:

I love how my Ballard art has all of the colors of the room in it as well:See that little black smudge towards the top on that art? That�s why it was a fraction of the cost at the Ballard Designs outlet. :) It doesn�t bother me one bit for that price!

I love that most of the changes in here are easy to work with for all seasons � I can spray paint the candlesticks whenever I want, the rug will always work and a few pillows can be changed out to lighten up the space in the spring.

If you could see me right now, you�d see the dreamy smile on my face. Love:

;)

I�m in full fall nesting mode and loving it! I love these changes so much, I�m making a few to the living room too. I�ll show you that soon.

Have you started warming up your spaces? Are you pulling out the pumpkins yet? If you say you are, I�m SO doing it!!

**I keep forgetting to announce the Wuslu giveaway winner � I will do that in my next post for SURE.